Today officially marks the hockey calendar turning over to the 2021-22 season, and once the clock strikes noon, the free agent frenzy will begin around the league. General Manager Chris Drury has certainly followed through on his plan to make the New York Rangers harder to play against thus far, and that will likely carry over into the free agent shopping period later this afternoon.
There’s one big elephant that remains in the room as well, and that is in regards to the Rangers’ current situation through the middle of the ice. Both Mika Zibanejad and Ryan Strome will each enter the 2021-22 campaign with one-year remaining on their respective deals, and any certainty regarding their futures still remains in limbo.