Rangers retool by adding Wheeler, hiring Laviolette as coach

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2023-24 regular season, which starts Oct. 10. Today, the New York Rangers:

2022-23 season: 47-22-13, third in Metropolitan Division; lost in Eastern Conference First Round

Key arrivals

Blake Wheeler, F:The 36-year-old right wing signed a one-year contract July 1. He was an unrestricted free agent because the Winnipeg Jets bought out the final year of his five-year contract. Wheeler had 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists) in 72 games with the Jets last season. … Nick Bonino, F:The 35-year-old signed a one-year contract July 1 and is projected to be the fourth-line center. Bonino had 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 59 games with the San Jose Sharks last season before they sent him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-team trade that also involved the Montreal Canadiens. He did not have a point in three games with the Penguins and missed the last 18 games of the season because of a lacerated kidney. … Jonathan Quick, G: The 37-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup champion signed a one-year contract July 1 to back up Igor Shesterkin. Quick won the Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights last season while backing up Adin Hill. He did not play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs but played in 10 games with the Golden Knights after they acquired him in a trade, going 5-2-2 with a 3.13 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage and one shutout in 10 games (nine starts). He also was 11-13-4 with a 3.50 GAA and .876 save percentage in 31 games (27 starts) with the Los Angeles Kings. … Tyler Pitlick, F: The 31-year-old signed a one-year contract July 1. Pitlick had 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 61 games with the St. Louis Blues last season. … Erik Gustafsson, D: The 31-year-old signed a one-year contract July 1. He had 42 points (seven goals, 35 assists) in 70 games with the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs last season. … Peter Laviolette, coach: The 58-year-old was hired June 13 to replace Gerard Gallant, who mutually agreed to part ways with the Rangers on May 6 after two seasons. Laviolette coached the Capitals the past three seasons. He is 752-503-150 with 25 ties in 21 NHL seasons as coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Capitals. He won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 and is one of four coaches to reach the Stanley Cup Final with three teams (Philadelphia in 2010, Nashville in 2017).

Key departures

Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?, F:He had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 19 regular season games and six points (one goal, five assists) in seven playoff games with the Rangers after they acquired him in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 28. Kane is an unrestricted free agent. … Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?, F: Signed a one-year contract with the Ottawa Senators on July 27. Tarasenko had 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 31 regular-season games and four points (three goals, one assist) in seven playoff games with the Rangers, who acquired him in a trade with the Blues on Feb. 9.. … Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?, G: The backup to Shesterkin last season was 10-9-5 with a 2.72 GAA, a .903 save percentage and one shutout in 25 games (24 starts). He's an unrestricted free agent. … Niko Mikkola, D: Signed a three-year contract with the Florida Panthers. Mikkola had three points (one goal, two assists) in 31 regular-season games and two assists in seven playoff games with the Rangers last season. They acquired him in the Tarasenko trade. … Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?, F: He had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 24 regular-season games and no points in seven playoff games with the Rangers after they acquired him in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 19. Motte is an unrestricted free agent. … Gerard Gallant, coach: Led the Rangers to back-to-back 100-point seasons, when they went a combined 99-46-19. They made the playoffs each season.

On the cusp

Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?, D: A third-round pick (No. 68) by the Rangers in the 2019 NHL Draft, the 22-year-old signed a two-year contract June 16. Jones has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 38 games with New York the past three seasons. He had 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 54 games with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season and will compete for a spot among the Rangers' top six defensemen. … Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?, F: The 21-year-old played four games with the Rangers last season and did not have a point. A second-round pick (No. 60) by New York in the 2020 NHL Draft, he led Hartford with 25 goals and was second with 45 points last season. Cuylle will likely be one of the first forwards recalled from the AHL if he doesn't make the Rangers' final roster out of training camp. … Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?, F: The Rangers' first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2021 NHL Draft is turning pro this season. The 20-year-old is expected to start the season in Hartford. Othmann had 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in 56 games with Flint and Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League last season. He won the OHL championship with Peterborough, finishing third in the league in postseason scoring with 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 23 games. He also represented Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2022 and 2023, winning gold both times.

What they still need

To sign forward Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step?. The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft is a restricted free agent coming off his three-year, entry-level contract. The 21-year-old set NHL career highs in games played (81), assists (23), points (39), plus/minus (plus-10) and shots on goal (135) last season. On July 1, Rangers general manager Chris Drury denied an unconfirmed report that he was talking to GMs around the NHL about trading Lafreniere and said the hope is that "he's a Ranger for a long, long time."

They said it

"My message to everybody is let's go to work, let's get working. I think that we have really good pieces in place, but to me it's about that work ethic that drives teams. The messaging for me with the players is that we're going to start working in training camp and we're going to take it through the season, try to prepare ourselves for the playoffs and push." -- coach Peter Laviolette

Fantasy focus

Wheeler brings a veteran presence to the Rangers and rejuvenates his individual fantasy value playing in a top-six role on a line with either Mika Zibanejad or Vincent Trocheck. Wheeler should be targeted as a fantasy bounce-back candidate after having back-to-back 90-point seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19 with the Jets. -- Anna Dua

Projected lineup

Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Blake Wheeler

Artemi Panarin -- Vincent Trocheck -- Kaapo Kakko

Alexis Lafreniere -- Filip Chytil -- Jimmy Vesey

Barclay Goodrow -- Nick Bonino -- Tyler Pitlick

Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox

Video: Can the Rangers' younger players take the next step? -- Jacob Trouba

Zac Jones -- Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick