New York Rangers Eye Signing Free Agent Forward Eeli Tolvanen

The New York Rangers are looking to make another significant offseason move, with general manager Chris Drury eyeing a top-six forward to add to his group, currently standing 16th in Eastern Conference with a 34-39 record.

What is the current state of the Rangers' forward lineup?

The Rangers' first two lines look fairly solid after acquiring Pavel Dorofeyev, but Oliver Bjorkstrand is likely better served on the third line.

The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano discussed the Rangers' forward options, mentioning that Drury and the Rangers have "poked around on" unrestricted free agent Eeli Tolvanen.

Tolvanen's ability to play on the right wing makes him attractive to the Rangers, who have nearly $8 million in cap space to work with.

How much could Eeli Tolvanen earn in a new contract?

Chris Johnston predicts that Tolvanen will earn a new contract in the neighborhood of two years, $7.2 million, with an average annual salary of $3.6 million.

This could work for the New York Rangers, given their available cap space, but they will also have to consider the cost of keeping defenseman Braden Schneider long-term.

Schneider recently filed for arbitration, and his next deal could have an average annual salary of between $4 million and $6 million.

What other options do the Rangers have for a top-six forward?

The Rangers have other free agent options besides Tolvanen, including Patrik Laine, who has also been linked to the team in recent weeks.

Mercogliano believes that Drury could still target Laine, but the Rangers may be passing on veteran duo Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, who are "older than the Rangers want to go".

Could the Rangers make a trade to acquire a top-six forward?

The Rangers could also land a top-six forward via a trade, with Mercogliano hinting that this may be the more likely route, despite the team using up much of their attractive tradable assets this summer.

Bryan Rust, Shane Wright, and Frank Vatrano were all mentioned as potential trade targets, but the Rangers will have to act quickly if they want to sign Tolvanen, as the Detroit Red Wings have also been linked with the winger.

And with the Rangers on a W1 streak, they will be looking to build on this momentum, potentially with the addition of a new forward, as they look to improve their standing in the Eastern Conference