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The New York Rangers are set to have an extremely important offseason. After collecting the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024, New York has quickly become one of the worst teams in the NHL. Due to the decline, general manager Chris Drury is attempting to clean house. The exec has already offloaded Artemi Panarin, Carson Soucy, and Sam Carrick, and more moves are coming this summer.

Although Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider were not dealt at the deadline, they are still expected to be traded. There have been suggestions that Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad could also be on the way out. Nevertheless, these particular moves seem less likely than deals involving Trocheck and Schneider.

With so many potential outgoings, the Rangers have to bring in replacements. New York is not expected to just sign players to fill holes, though. Instead, Drury wants to avoid a full rebuild by bringing in quality young players to help give his team a boost. One particular player who would fit this mold is Toronto Maple Leafs star Matthew Knies.

Ahead of the recent trade deadline, it was revealed that the Leafs were actually listening to offers for Knies. Although a deal never materialized, news that Toronto would even consider dealing the forward sent shockwaves through the NHL. Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon is now reporting that the Rangers could get involved in the Knies sweepstakes this summer. While several clubs would love to have the budding star, New York could wind up being a real potential destination.

New York Rangers Have Draft Picks, Prospects to Potentially Target Matthew Knies

GettyMatthew Knies has 57 points in 68 games with Toronto this season.

As Yerdon points out, the Rangers seemingly have the assets to help pull off a major move. New York currently has four first-round draft picks in the next three years. They also have seven selections within the first three rounds of the 2026 draft alone. The reporter even suggests that Toronto would be interested in a swap deal involving Fox, assuming he ultimately chooses to leave the Big Apple.

This, however, could be difficult to fathom considering Fox loves New York and would only leave if Drury does not revamp the roster quickly. Potentially bringing in Knies would show Fox that the Rangers are serious about retooling. New York also has some intriguing prospects to include in a blockbuster summer trade. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked the organization as having the 18th-best prospect pool in the NHL.

Knies Could Become Solid Backup Plan for New York

The Rangers will undoubtedly have plenty of competition if they were to get involved in discussions for Knies. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently reported that at least five clubs, including the Montreal Canadiens, showed serious interest in the star at the deadline. Friedman also suggested that other teams believe a future Knies trade is possible.

Ottawa Senators star Brady Tkachuk has widely been viewed as New York’s dream target. Assuming a summer move for the American is off the table, the Rangers may very well pivot to Knies. Drury and company will have money to spend this summer as they attempt to retool quickly. According to PuckPedia.com, New York has over $26 million in projected cap space for the 2026-27 season. Knies has five years remaining on his $7.75 million AAV contract.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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