One position group the New York Rangers must figure out this offseason is center. The Rangers potentially have some serious depth down the middle, but that could change if new coach Mike Sullivan follows the lead of his predecessor Peter Laviolette and moves Mika Zibanejad from center to right wing.
In that scenario, the Rangers still would have centers J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck in the top six, and Sam Carrick on the fourth line. But there’d be a pretty big question mark on the third line if Zibanejad stays on the wing.
It could be difficult to fill that spot in free agency this summer because the Rangers have about $8.422 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia. Most or all of that space will be eaten up when the Rangers re-sign their own group of restricted free agents, including Will Cuylle, K’Andre Miller, Matt Rempe, and Adam Edstrom.
The Rangers would gain more flexibility in free agency if they traded Chris Kreider and the $6.5 million he is owed each of the next two seasons. Even moving Carson Soucy’s $3.25 million AAV would help.
There are in-house candidates to fill the third-line center position. Jonny Brodzinski scored an NHL career-high 12 goals in 51 games this past season, and the Rangers also re-signed Juuso Parssinen.
Noah Laba, a 2022 fourth-round pick, is another possibility. Laba scored in his pro debut and notched five points (three goals, two assists) in 11 games with Hartford of the American Hockey League after finishing up at Colorado College in March.
There’s a good chance that group doesn’t do it for Sullivan and Drury. So, barring a trade to fill the hole, free agency is the next path to explore. And we’re not talking about big-ticket free-agent centers like Sam Bennett, John Tavares nor Brock Nelson.
Affordable free-agent center options for Rangers to consider
Trent Frederic- Edmonton Oilers
Frederic’s physical playing style is one that the Rangers lack and desperately need, especially as we watch the physicality on display by the top teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs again this spring. If the Rangers want to turn the third line into an identity line, having Frederic in the middle would be a good start.
The 27-year-old is a solid two-way player and not just beast physically, though that’s certainly not a bad trait. Frederic scored 18 and 17 goals for the Boston Bruins the previous two seasons, before he was slowed by injuries and then traded to the Edmonton Oilers ahead of this year’s deadline.
Frederic has played in all 16 playoff games for Edmonton, recording four points (one goal, three assists). He’s fourth on the Oilers with 59 hits despite averaging a tick above 11 minutes TOI in the postseason.
His cap hit this season is $2.3 million.
Christian Dvorak- Montreal Canadiens
Dvorak is 29 and a solid veteran option. He has a $4.45 million cap hit this season, but it’s possible the Rangers could get him on a deal for less. He never lived up to high expectations in a top-six role, but thrived in the middle six for the Canadiens this season, when he led Montreal forwards with 74 blocked shots and finished with 33 points, his most in the NHL since 2019-20.
Dvorak is also appealing because he won 55.8 percent of his face-offs this past season. He’d fit right in with the Rangers, who already have two solid face-off men in Miller, and Trocheck, who was third in the NHL with a win rate of 59.3 percent.
Adam Gaudette- Ottawa Senators
Gaudette finally broke out this season, notching NHL career highs with 19 goals and 81 games played. In the first round of the playoffs against the Maple Leafs, the 28-year-old ranked fifth on the Senators with three points (one goal, two assists) in six games.
Coming off a deal with a cap hit of $775,000, Gaudette is due for a raise. But he’s not a break-the-bank option because he’s struggled for consistency throughout his career. Has Gaudette finally figured it out? He’s an extremely intriguing 3C option in free agency this summer.
Lars Eller- Washington Capitals
Eller has appeared in more than 1,000 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018. He is also familiar with Sullivan, having played all of the 2023-24 season and 17 games this season with the Penguins, when Sullivan coached in Pittsburgh.
The Rangers are looking to get younger, which doesn’t make the 36-year-old an obvious fit. But Eller is still durable and played 80 or more games each of the past three seasons.
Never a big scorer in his 16-year career, Eller recorded 10 goals and 22 points this season. But all the other things he does as a smart two-way player still led him to be a third-line center for Washington, which was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.
Since he earned $2.45 million in 2024-25, Eller will be an affordable option in free agency.
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