The Rangers were never in the hunt for John Tavares, or John Carlson. And Ilya Kovalchuk, who owns a home in the metropolitan area and decided to return to the NHL this season, got a three-year deal from the L.A. Kings and that was that.
When the free agent signing period begins at noon Sunday, don’t expect the Rangers — who have more than $29 million available in cap space, according to CapFriendly.com — to be chasing the biggest names on the market. The Rangers are rebuilding. They’ve said it over and over. And that means they’re committed to having a young lineup, full of prospects, with only a handful of veterans sprinkled in to provide leadership.