Eeli Tolvanen scored 12 goals and 36 points for the Seattle Kraken in 2025-26. Steph Chambers / Getty Images
Sept. 1, 2026 Updated 5:47 pm EDT
The New York Rangers are closing in on a deal with free-agent winger Eeli Tolvanen, a league source told The Athletic under the condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations that are not yet public. PuckPedia reported that the deal is expected to be for one year and $1.5 million.
Tolvanen, 27, has spent his 423-game career with the Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken. He had 12 goals and 36 points in 78 games for Seattle last season and could bring some scoring punch to the Rangers’ middle six. He scored 23 goals in 2024-25, and the Rangers had interest in Tolvanen earlier this summer.
Tolvanen was also on Finland’s Olympic team, which won a bronze medal in February. He had a goal and two assists in five games at the tournament.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury has now brought in Tolvanen, Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno in an effort to rework his forward group.
With Tolvanen in the fold, the Rangers’ forward group could look something such as:
Pavel Dorofeyev – Mika Zibanejad – Alexis Lafrenière Gabe Perreault – J.T. Miller – Oliver BjorkstrandWill Cuylle – Noah Laba – Eeli TolvanenTye Kartye – Joe Veleno – Taylor Raddysh
The one-year deal could also make Tolvanen an option to flip at the trade deadline if the Rangers are out of the playoff mix.
Sep 1, 2026
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