Best Potential Fits for Rangers to Replace Andrew Copp amid NHL Free-Agent Rumors

With free agency set to begin Wednesday at noon ET, the New York Rangers have a clear top need: a No. 2 center. Because it doesn't appear like Andrew Copp is going to return.

On Tuesday, The Athletic's Arthur Staple reported that the Rangers are "out" on Copp, who is about to become an unrestricted free agent. According to Staple, New York had talks with the 28-year-forward, but the team will be "likely looking elsewhere" to fill his spot on one of its top offensive lines.

"There is reluctance to back off the big contract ask from Copp’s side (seven years at around $5.5 million per) and reluctance from the Rangers’ side to commit big term and dollars to a player who may not fit in the No. 2 center spot," Staple wrote.

So after playing only 16 regular-season games and 20 postseason contests for New York, Copp (who spent his first seven-and-a-half years in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets) is likely to be on the move again. Where does that leave the Rangers to fill that void?

Here's a look at New York's top options to replace Copp this offseason.

Nazem Kadri is the best center hitting the free-agent market on Wednesday. But his stock is also quite high at the moment, meaning that a team is likely going to have to spend a good bit to land the 31-year-old.

The 13-year NHL veteran could be well worth it, though. He's coming off a big year for the Colorado Avalanche in which he tallied a career-high 87 points (28 goals and 59 assists) in 71 games, then helped the franchise snap a 21-year Stanley Cup drought.

The Rangers have $10.2 million in available cap space (per CapFriendly), so they may need to cut down their payroll if they hope to sign Kadri and still be able to make a few other moves. Staple reported that Kadri is "believed to be looking for a seven-year deal in excess of $7 million per season."

But Kadri would fill New York's hole at center quite well, especially if he continues to play at the level he showed last season. His recent playoff success could also be helpful as the Rangers look to build on a 2021-22 season in which they reached the Eastern Conference Final.

One center who may be a better fit for New York than Kadri is Vincent Trocheck. Not only is he likely to be a bit more affordable, but the 29-year-old is two years younger than Kadri. Plus, the Rangers saw up close the type of impact that Trocheck can make on the ice.

During the second-round playoff series between New York and Carolina that went seven games earlier this year, Trocheck scored a goal for the Hurricanes in each of the final three contests. It was a strong way for him to end the campaign after tallying 21 goals and 30 assists in 81 games during the regular season.

A nine-year NHL veteran, Trocheck is a reliable scorer who could provide the Rangers with consistent production. So there's reason for him to be at the top of the team's wish list as free agency begins.

Depending on what other moves it hopes to make, New York may have to clear a bit of cap space to bring in Trocheck. But it likely wouldn't be as much as the team would have to clear if it signed Kadri instead.

Rather than signing a free agent, the Rangers could look to acquire a No. 2 center via trade. And one player whose name has been in continued rumors in recent weeks is the Vancouver Canucks' J.T. Miller.

Could it be time for Miller to return to New York? He played six seasons with the Rangers at the start of his career from 2013 to '18, but he's taken his game to another level since then. Last season, he tallied a career-high 99 points (32 goals and 67 assists) for the Canucks, so the 29-year-old may just be reaching his peak.

The Athletic's Pierre Lebrun reported last week that the Rangers were among the suitors for Miller, and that was before it was clear Copp would be hitting free agency. Now, it may be time for New York to ramp up its pursuit. However, LeBrun noted that there's "lots of interest" in Miller.

Miller has a $5.25 million cap hit for the 2022-23 season (the final year of his contract), so New York could make it work financially. But it could all come down to whether Vancouver wants to deal him this summer, which isn't a sure thing.