Rangers Sign Bjorkstrand
New York Rangers sign Oliver Bjorkstrand, adding veteran forward depth as part of team retooling efforts.
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Key Points
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Bjorkstrand has posted at least 30 points in each of his last nine seasons, underscoring a durable, proven scoring presence despite last season's dip.
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This signing would make Bjorkstrand his fourth NHL team (Columbus, Seattle, Tampa Bay, then New York), highlighting his journeyman versatility as part of the Rangers’ depth-building plan.
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Prior to last season, Bjorkstrand had four straight seasons with 20+ goals; last season he scored 12 goals and 32 points in 80 games with about 13:38 of ice time per game, signaling a potential rebound in a larger role.
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Pavel Dorofeyev, the Rangers’ other offseason addition, was acquired in a first-round move and signed to a seven-year contract with an $11 million cap hit, indicating a long-term scoring investment for the team.
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Alberts Smits was the fifth overall pick in the 2026 draft, reflecting the Rangers’ emphasis on adding high-upside blue-line talent as part of their retooling.
The New York Rangers wasted no time when the NHL free agency window opened July 1, signing veteran forward Oliver Bjorkstrand to a one-year, $4.5 million deal within minutes of the market opening, according to ESPN Hockey. The move caps a busy week for GM Chris Drury, who also locked up Pavel Dorofeyev on a seven-year, $77 million contract and used the 5th overall draft pick on Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits.
Bjorkstrand, 31, joins his fourth NHL club after posting 12 goals and 32 points in 80 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Drury called it a "strategic retooling" — not a full rebuild — at a press conference at Madison Square Garden Tuesday afternoon, according to MSG Network.
Bjorkstrand Bets on a Bounce-Back in New York
Before last season, Bjorkstrand had scored 20 or more goals in four straight years. His drop to 12 goals in Tampa Bay came with just 13:38 of average ice time per game — a bottom-six deployment that many analysts blamed for the dip. Last Word on Sports noted the move aligns with Drury's focus on two-way veterans who can anchor a middle-six role and contribute on the forecheck.
Bjorkstrand has 416 career points in 704 NHL games and has posted at least 30 points in each of the last nine seasons. He said he is eager to prove himself. "I know my numbers took a step back in Tampa, but I'm here to prove I can still be a 20-goal scorer," he told The New York Post. The one-year deal keeps New York's options open at the 2027 trade deadline if things go south.
Dorofeyev Deal Signals a New Scoring Core
The bigger splash came two days earlier. The Rangers traded a 2027 first-round pick and a prospect to acquire negotiating rights to Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas, then signed the 25-year-old winger to a seven-year, $77 million contract — an $11 million cap hit — according to TSN. That single contract eats up nearly 12% of the team's projected $92 million cap space for 2026-27.
Dorofeyev is known for high-danger scoring chances and is seen as the long-term left-wing threat the Rangers have chased for years. "I am ready to be the player this city expects. I'm here for seven years to win a Cup," he said, per The Athletic. Critics at Forbes Sports Money warned the deal could limit the team's ability to re-sign younger players on bridge contracts in 2027.
5th Overall Pick Smits Anchors the Long-Term Blue Line
Before free agency even opened, the Rangers made a splash at the draft. They took Alberts Smits — a 6-foot-3, 205-pound Latvian defenseman — with the 5th overall pick on June 26. Smits put up 35 points in 42 games in the Latvian league last season. International scouts praised the move, with IIHF News calling him "the most NHL-ready defenseman to come out of the Baltic region in a generation."
Drury said Smits is expected to spend one more season in Europe or in the AHL before joining the NHL roster in 2027. The pick signals a clear shift in strategy — away from North American power forwards and toward mobile European defenders. Drury said the goal was to "address our top-end scoring and our long-term blue line depth simultaneously," per the Rangers Official Site.
Cap Squeeze Looms as Rangers Balance Risk and Reward
The flurry of moves leaves the Rangers with just $2.1 million in projected cap space as of July 1, per CapFriendly. The Dorofeyev contract alone may force New York to move a veteran defenseman to stay under the cap. Daily Faceoff noted that Bjorkstrand's short deal is built for trade-deadline flexibility — if the Rangers are out of playoff contention by March 2027, he becomes a prime rental asset, likely worth a second-round pick.
The Hockey News called the three-move stretch a "masterclass in roster balancing," arguing Drury gave coach Peter Laviolette the tools to compete now while keeping the future intact. Forever Blue Shirts noted that Bjorkstrand's track record — six seasons of 20 or more goals — makes the $4.5 million deal a low-risk bet that could pay off big if his Tampa role was truly the problem.
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