Why the New York Rangers desperately need to extend Will Cuylle’s contract..
Immediately after the New York Rangers announced the hiring of Mike Sullivan to be their next head coach, the Rangers next big move was to spread the news on Juuso Parssinen’s two-year contract extension. Here’s why extending Will Cuylle should be the Blueshirts’ No. 1 priority.
Despite Friday, May 2nd being an early day in the New York Rangers’ offseason, the morning and afternoon has seen plenty of news for the Rangers.
Immediately after the Blueshirts announced the hiring of Mike Sullivan to replace Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, the Rangers next big move was to add Juuso Parssinen’s two-year contract extension to the news cycle. Here’s why extending left winger Will Cuylle should have come first.
#NYR and Juuso Parssinen have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension.
Full details: https://t.co/U0J9vKS3Lb pic.twitter.com/PtSTzi1U2z
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 2, 2025
Will Cuylle’s Success
Many Rangers fans are saying that a contract extension of Cuylle should be priority No. 1 for the Rangers. Due to the Toronto native’s significant growth and dominance at even strength, Cuylle is frequently considered to be the Blueshirts’ most improved player for the 2024-25 season. In what came as little to no surprise, Cuylle was also the recipient of the 2025 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award following the Rangers’ 5-4 OT win over Minnesota in the beginning of April.
The accolade is presented annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”
“It was pretty cool. Obviously, it’s a huge honor. Such a long-standing tradition, and to see the other names that have won the award, it’s pretty cool to be listed with some of those names.”
Will Cuylle, April 3, 2025
Your 2024-25 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award winner: Will Cuylle. 👏 pic.twitter.com/eZDyyWVyEh
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 2, 2025
Cuylle has become a key player for the Rangers; he creates high-quality scoring chances and contributing to the team’s overall success. The 23-year-old has already established himself as an effective bottom-six forward and has continued to grow his game, showing the ability to thrive in a second-line role and generate offense.
Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 212 pounds, Cuylle was drafted as the No. 60 overall pick by the New York Rangers in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
He finished the 2024-25 season with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) across 82 games (+12). His 20 goals this season were up 13 from last year, which is an increase of over 50%. Not only that but his physicality and compete level combined with his scoring touch have been very impressive as well.
Cuylle’s Current Contract
Cuylle is currently signed to a 3 year, $2,484,999 contract with a cap hit of $828,333 per season. His contract was signed on April 19, 2021 and he is going to be a restricted free agent eligible to sign an offer sheet if he doesn’t agree to terms with the Rangers.
That shouldn’t be a problem with the Rangers’ cap set to jump significantly, so signing Cuylle to something long term could prove to actually be beneficial. But, a bridge deal might make the most sense given that there were some stretches of the season in which he looked lost, and the Rangers want to be sure before they lock in for good. Given his recent success as a younger league player — there’s a very good chance that Cuylle is just entering his prime and could be a key impact player for years to come. The Rangers will need to find the right balance, because the budding power forward has some leverage on his side, and they don’t want to risk losing him.
These Red Wings forwards might not survive the 2025 offseason..
The Detroit Red Wings enter the offseason looking to add pieces to get them over the hump and into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
However, such changes will require some sacrifice, namely, moving on from underperforming players in favor of others who can push the Red Wings into the Eastern Conference playoff conversation.
Detroit #RedWings Executive Vice President & General Manager Steve Yzerman and Head Coach Todd McLellan season ending media availability. https://t.co/6TgBiW0Ags
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 29, 2025
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three Detroit Red Wings forwards who may not survive the 2025 offseason.
Andrew Copp
Andrew Copp was largely a depth forward for the Red Wings this season. He played a solid role in the team’s middle six but wasn’t quite as influential as the club would have hoped.
He produced 10 goals and 23 points in 56 this year, making his production underwhelming. While Copp wasn’t expected to register one hundred points this season, the team hoped, at least, he could come closer to 20 goals and 40 points.
Copp’s production seems disappointing, considering he’s got two more years on his contract at $5.63 million per season. As a result, the Red Wings may be looking to move on from Copp and utilize his cap space to attract another middle-six forward who can deliver more of an offensive upside.
J.T. Compher
J.T. Compher joined the Red Wings after a successful stint with the Colorado Avalanche that saw him win a Stanley Cup there. The team hoped he could bring his leadership qualities to a growing team that needed veteran guidance.
While Compher has delivered on those intangibles, his production has declined since joining the team. In his last year in Colorado, Compher scored 17 goals and 52 points in 82 games. He followed that up with 19 goals and 48 points in his first year in Detroit.
This season, Compher notched just 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games. His declining production is concerning, particularly as he’s got three more years at $5.1 million per season.
The Detroit Red Wings may consider moving on from Compher to better allocate that cap space to re-sign RFAs like Elmer Soderblom, Jonatan Berggren, and Albert Johansson.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Vladimir Tarasenko has been a giant elephant in the room this season. The hope was that Tarasenko could boost the Red Wings top six, potentially climbing into the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
However, Tarasenko’s first year in Motown was disappointing, to say the least. He scored just 11 goals in 80 games, making his $4.75 million cap hit look expensive.
Tarasenko has one more year left on his contract. That situation could motivate the Red Wings to keep him for one more season and then let him walk in free agency. But it remains to be seen if the Wings will be patient enough to pay over $4 million for 10 goals or so.
As such, Tarasenko could be a cap casualty. The Red Wings have other concerns to address and roughly $70 million committed for next season. However, that does not include pending RFAs and other positional needs that may warrant additional contracts.
About The Author
