Rangers have an obvious offseason gamble worth taking to turn things around

The New York Rangers' plan for the summer of 2026 was to sign a superstar in free agency. Yet, that plan went out the window after Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, and Jack Eichel all signed contract extensions before the start of the 2025-26 season.

Now, the free agency class is as weak as ever, leaving the Rangers without easy solutions to improve their roster. It certainly doesn't help that they fell to the No. 5 spot in the first round after the NHL Draft Lottery.

This is a team that is in a "retool," with fans trying to decipher what that means in the mind of general manager Chris Drury. It's obvious that he's not committing to a full-on rebuild, with the goal of getting back into contention as quickly as possible. With that, the trade market might be the best way to improve.

But who could they target?

Mason Lohrei would be interesting trade target for Rangers

During an appearance on the Rangers Recon podcast, Daily Faceoff's Arthur Staple mentioned that he believes the Boston Bruins were a team to call the Rangers about Trocheck around the trade deadline. Staple said that if he were the Rangers and if that were to be re-explored this offseason, he would try to get defenseman Mason Lohrei in the deal.

Staple said that Lohrei is a player he'd want the Rangers to acquire even if it doesn't include Trocheck.

"I think the Bruins did call on Trocheck. I think that's the kind of guy that they were looking to add, and if that's the case, to me, Mason Lohrei is the guy that you want to get off that roster," said Staple. "Perfect second pair [defenseman], has a lot of offense to his game. Understand he's a little bit blocked on the left side, but when I watch him play, I say this kid deserves more minutes. He's a big dude who skates well. He's got real good offensive instincts."

After being big sellers at the trade deadline last season, the Bruins surpassed expectations this season, resulting in them making it into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. They were eliminated in the first round rather easily by the Buffalo Sabres. Considering how tough the Atlantic Division appears to be for the foreseeable future, the Bruins will need to improve their roster if they want any chance of contending or making it past the first two rounds of the playoffs.

For Lohrei, he started off the season on the top defensive pairing with Charlie McAvoy. But over time, his struggles became evident, eventually forcing head coach Marco Sturm to lessen his playing time. Looking at his turnover rate this regular season is enough evidence why, as he has 93 giveaways to just 20 takeaways. That's not great for Lohrei. In the playoffs, Lohrei was actually a negative on the ice, and he looked apprehensive at times. Ultimately, his play is why Sturm only played him for three games in the first round series.

The play defensively hasn't been great, but there is still upside. He can move with the puck, and can contribute offensively. Through 191 games, Lohrei recorded 16 goals and 56 assists.

Lohrei is considered to be an option to get traded this offseason. Here is what The Athletic NHL insider Chris Johnston said in his latest trade board:

"Lohrei’s name circulated in trade rumors when the Bruins engaged in discussions on Rasmus Andersson last season. He’s signed through next year at a reasonable cap number and has one year of team control remaining as a restricted free agent beyond that, making him an attractive asset. Lohrei is incredibly mobile for his size and will chip in with a bit of offense from the back end."

For the Rangers, you are really banking on Lohrei's upside and that Mike Sullivan's coaching staff can get him to limit his defensive mistakes. He would slot in on the right side, which would be behind Adam Fox. The team does have Braden Schneider, but he could be dealt this offseason, considering he is a restricted free agent and due for a new contract. Realistically, the Rangers could play Lohrei on either side.

Lohrei would make sense for the Rangers, but he's far from a polished player. He has upside, but you want to see more consistency from him, especially on defense. We'll see what the asking price would be for him, especially if he's not part of a potential Trocheck trade return.