Rangers Get Great Value in Eeli Tolvanen Contract – The Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have acquired several important players this offseason, including defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, forwards Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and goalie Joonas Korpisalo. They also just signed winger Eeli Tolvanen to a one-season, $1.5 million contract. The move is low risk and could pay off in a big way for New York.

Development as a Strong Bottom-Six Winger

Tolvanen was drafted by the Nashville Predators 30th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, and he became one of their top prospects. He made his NHL debut later in the 2017-18 season; however, he spent a few seasons bouncing back and forth between the NHL and the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Though Tolvanen did not produce like a star offensively in the NHL, he developed into a steady player and earned consistent playing time, finishing with 11 goals and 11 assists in 40 games in 2020-21. He played with physicality, was noticeable on the forecheck, and developed into a strong defensive forward.

During the 2022-23 season, Tolvanen was placed on waivers and claimed by the Seattle Kraken and he helped them upset the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the postseason. He finished with three goals, five assists, and 48 hits in 14 playoff games. He continued to play well with them and chip in offensively in addition to his physical play, as he finished with 16 goals and 25 assists in 81 games in 2023-24, 23 goals and 12 assists in 81 games in 2024-25, and 12 goals and 24 assists in 78 games last season.

Tolvanen can be trusted in key defensive situations and help protect leads. Though he is not a big goal scorer, he has finished with at least 11 goals and 22 points every season since he earned a spot in the Predators lineup in 2020-21. He can contribute on the power play and provide secondary scoring at even strength.

Role on the Rangers

The Rangers have a mix of young players, including a few who showed promise last season, and some key veterans. Last season, a bright spot was the strong play of Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault, and Alexis Lafreniere on New York’s top line in the second half of the season. They have an elite goalie in Igor Shesterkin and an elite defenseman in Adam Fox, and the hope is that their offseason additions will help build around them.

Tolvanen, who is still just 27 years old, had success playing on the third line while he was with the Kraken, and he can help the Rangers on their third line. Last season, rookie center Noah Laba was very good defensively on the third line and finished with 9 goals and 15 assists in 74 games. Physical forward Will Cuylle, who finished with 20 goals and 18 assists in 82 games last season, and Bjorkstrand, who had 12 goals and 20 assists in 80 games last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, are also candidates to play on the third line.

The Rangers should have a strong defensive third line, with three players who are still capable of chipping in offensively. Tolvanen has been a consistent player, and signing him gives the team much-needed forward depth. Last season, the team struggled when a few key players missed time, but the hope is their new offseason acquisitions will make them a deeper team that relies less heavily on their stars.

Value for the Rangers

Last season, the Rangers played Conor Sheary as a third-line winger, and he did not produce much offensively or play with physicality, so the hope is that Tolvanen will be an upgrade this season. Like Sheary, he is strong defensively, but he has produced more offensively and does not pass up opportunities to throw hits. His short-term contract for just $1.5 million is not risky, and it can prove to be a very valuable one for New York this season.