This is not said about these two NHL teams all that often, but the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers would be perfect trade partners if the latest Rangers trade rumors are true.
Heading into the 2025 offseason, the Rangers have just $8.4 million in cap space to allocate to nine players, most of whom are key roster players.
On Saturday, Arthur Staple of The Athletic described the Rangers as one of a few teams "looking to shake up their roster soon," and named stars Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, and Artemi Panarin as the likely only untouchables.
Enter the Flyers, a team with tons of cap space and a willingness to wheel and deal if the price is right. To sweeten the pot, they have a few cost-controlled assets who could help the Rangers save some money this summer, as long as there's something in it for them.
If you didn't know, Flyers GM Danny Briere and Rangers GM Chris Drury were Buffalo Sabres teammates in the early 2000s, when Drury wore the 'C' and Briere wore the 'A'.
So, would there be some Metropolitan Division rivalry? Maybe, but who says two old pals can't help each other to mutual benefit?
No. 3: K'Andre Miller, LHD
If the Rangers trade anyone this summer, it's looking like K'Andre Miller, a 6-foot-4 left-shot defenseman who can skate and move the puck, is the guy.
Miller, 25, is a pending RFA in need of a new contract, and the Rangers are not in a position to pay him what he's asking for, or market value, for that matter.
The Flyers, although not cap-strapped, are in a similar position with Cam York. We discussed this potential scenario previously, and it still could very well be a solution at the end of the day.
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Miller cannot leave New York without needing to be replaced, and with the left defense free agent market as barren as it is, a swap of defensemen could help both teams resolve their issues.
York is close in value to Miller, but the two talented blueliners should be at least $1 million apart in market value if for no reason other than the size difference.
In the event Miller and York sign with different teams, Evolving-Hockey predicts a $7.484 million cap hit for Miller and a $4.939 million cap hit for York. That's one way to save a large chunk of change if you're the Rangers.
No. 2: Dylan Garand, G
With Igor Shesterkin signed through 2033 with a full no-move clause, the Rangers have no reason to worry about their goaltending situation.
This could allow them to move on from an RFA like Dylan Garand to acquire other assets that can help them in other areas of the ice.
Garand, 23, is an average-sized 6-foot goalie who's steadily improved at the AHL level in each of his last three seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
In 39 games with Hartford this season, Garand posted a 20-10-9 record with a 2.73 GAA and .913 save percentage, with the latter being the best of his pro career to this point by far.
It helps that Garand posted an 11-save shutout against Slovenia while playing for Canada at the World Championships last month. With Canada, Garand was lining up alongside potential future Flyers teammates Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny.
With Cal Petersen out of the picture and Aleksei Kolosov's future cloudy, the Flyers have only Carson Bjarnason holding down in the fort at the AHL level. At 23 years old, Garand is at the perfect age to bridge the gap between the AHL and NHL levels and threaten for NHL time if Sam Ersson or Ivan Fedotov falter again in 2025-26.
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Should the Rangers not have immediate plans for Garand, who is behind both Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick in the pecking order, opportunity could knock at the former fourth-round pick's door dressed in Orange and Black.
No. 1: Will Cuylle, LW
Pending RFA left wing Will Cuylle, like Miller, should earn quite the payday this summer. It's just unclear if the Rangers are willing to be the team to make that happen.
Evolving-Hockey currently projects Cuylle, 23, to earn a three-year deal worth $3.195 million annually from the Rangers this offseason, but it's fully plausible he and his camp demand more.
In just his second season in the NHL this year, the former second-round pick racked up 20 goals, 25 assists, and 45 points on a downtrodden Rangers team that seldom utilized his shooting talent on the power play.
The Flyers could really use the 6-foot-3 Cuylle, a left-shot winger, given their gross overabundance of right wingers, some of whom have been pigeonholed into permanent left wing roles.
Tyson Foerster, a potential contract comparable, just re-upped with the Flyers for two seasons at a manageable cap hit of $3.75 million, but he has no trade protection in his deal.
The diminutive Bobby Brink has one year left on his contract at a $1.5 million cap hit and quietly produced 41 points in a limited role this past season. If the Rangers are fine with the stark height difference, Brink could present them with a creative way to save some money this summer.
In the NHL, you have to give in order to get, and some of these prices and ideas might be uncomfortable for one or both teams.
And to finish the rebuild successfully, the Flyers must start to get creative as their cap situation continues to improve.
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