Rangers Shake Up Defense With Five Players Gone, Two Key Additions

The New York Rangers gutted their defense this offseason. The team sent away five players and brought in fresh blood. Fox and Schneider stand as the last men standing from the previous squad.

In a blockbuster move, Carolina snagged K'Andre Miller. The deal, worth $7.5 million yearly for eight years, brought Scott Morrow plus two draft picks, a first and second round, both set for 2026.

To patch the holes, the team struck a deal with Vladislav Gavrikov. His contract spans seven years at $7 million per season. Borgen, Soucy, and Morrow will fill out the rest of the spots under Sullivan's watch.

The shakeup started when Trouba went west to Anaheim last winter. Then Lindgren packed his bags for Colorado mid-season. The team bundled Mancini, who played just 15 times, into the Miller trade. Jones wound up in Buffalo after his contract ran dry.

These changes came after the team stumbled in three straight playoff runs. Now, Schneider shifts left to pair with Borgen. Meanwhile, Soucy teams up with Morrow at the back.

Last year's defense showed cracks. "If it wasn't for Igor Shesterkin bailing them out time and again, the season could have gone much worse than it did," wrote The Hockey Writers.

The front office spent $3 million and gave up a third-round pick to grab Soucy for the third pair. While it's not his usual spot, Schneider showed promise on the left side in brief stints last year.