The New York Rangers will be a team to watch closely during the offseason. With the Rangers being in a retool, it would not be surprising if they continue to make changes to their group during the offseason.
One area that the Rangers could look to strengthen this offseason is their defensive group. They have been in need of a true top-four left-shot defenseman since they traded K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes last offseason. They also traded Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders during this season, so bringing in at least one impactful left-shot defenseman should be a primary goal for the Rangers this summer.
Due to this, the Rangers have now been urged to sign one of the NHL’s top pending unrestricted free agent defensemen if they end up testing the market this offseason.
New York Rangers Urged to Sign Sharks Defenseman Mario Ferraro In Free Agency
In a recent article for The Athletic, Vincent Z. Mecogliano urged the Rangers to pursue San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro if he ends up not re-signing with the Pacific Division club by July 1.
“I was tempted to say no one, given the lack of true needle-movers in this year’s UFA class, but the Rangers have stated their desire to add on defense, with a gaping hole on the left side of their second pair. Ferraro is an imperfect option because of New York’s need for better puck-movers on its back end, which isn’t his biggest strength, but he’s a tough, dependable defender and a clear upgrade over the in-house candidates,” Mercogliano wrote.
With the Rangers needing help in their top four, it would make a lot of sense if they tried to sign Ferraro during the offseason. He is arguably this year’s top pending UFA left-shot defenseman who can hit the market in July, and he would have the potential to be a nice pickup for the Rangers because of it.
If the Rangers signed Ferraro, he would not only give them a potential answer for their second pairing but also would be a clear option for their penalty kill because of his defense-first style of play. Furthermore, with Ferraro being only 27 years old, he is young enough that he would be a fit on the Rangers’ roster as they continue to focus on the future. This is especially so when noting that he has several years left in his prime.
In 82 games during this season with the Sharks, Ferraro recorded seven goals, 23 points, 137 hits, and 150 blocks. With numbers like these, he would give the Rangers’ blueline a nice boost if they signed him.
What Other Left-Shot Defensemen Could the Rangers Target In Free Agency?
Ferraro is not the only interesting potential left-shot defenseman free agent option for the Rangers. Buffalo Sabres blueliner Logan Stanley would have the potential to be a decent pickup for the Rangers due to his size and hard-nosed style of play. Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea also could be a solid pickup for the Rangers, as he just set career highs with six goals, 29 assists, 35 points, and a plus-30 rating this season.
Nevertheless, whether it’s Ferraro or another player, it is clear that the Rangers should look to bring in a left-shot defenseman this offseason. Let’s see if they do just that.
NY Rangers Urged to Target Gritty Top-Four Sharks Defenseman