5 free agents the Rangers can sign to get back to the playoffs

2. John Carlson

Much like de Haan, the Rangers are very familiar with Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson. He’s faced them countless times, both in the regular season and the postseason. New York desperately needs to overhaul their blue line. They need guys who can be productive. Carlson fits that description perfectly.

He’s a top-pairing defenseman who can play a ton of minutes. In effect, Carlson would replace McDonagh as their top defenseman. He isn’t the strongest defensively, but to be fair, he’s been shackled to Brooks Orpik a lot in recent years. That’s not the best way to look good in your own zone.

Carlson’s production outweighs any defensive deficiencies he might have. He’s a top-tier power play quarterback who can pass and shoot from the point. When’s the last time the Rangers had a good power play? Back when George W. Bush was in office? A power-play featuring Kevin Shattenkirk and Carlson would give New York a ton of options. It would make them much better.

Without fixing their defense, the Rangers aren’t going to make the playoffs. The guys they went with after the trade deadline simply didn’t cut it. Brady Skjei, Neal Pionk, and Shattenkirk should be important fixtures next season. But Marc Staal and the other guys can’t be relied on. They need another great defenseman. Carlson fits that bill to a T.

The only issue with him is he’s going to be expensive. No NHL defenseman picked up more points during the 2017-18 regular season than Carlson. But the Rangers have the cap space necessary to make a huge splash and sign him. And he’d certainly be an upgrade for them.