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Rangers’ Will Cuylle Facing a Pivotal Season

Will Cuylle, New York Rangers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

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Rangers’ Will Cuylle Facing a Pivotal Season

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Abate | Last updated Sep 8, 2026 1:55 PM ET

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The New York Rangers have made a few big moves this offseason, including trading away center Vincent Trocheck and adding wingers Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen. This will be a key season for winger Will Cuylle, who has developed into one of the team’s top young players but will have a lot of other wingers to compete with for ice time.

Rise With the Rangers

The Rangers drafted Cuylle late in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2022-23 and was held to a point in four games. He spent most of the season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) and had 25 goals and 20 assists in 69 games.

Cuylle earned a spot in the opening night lineup for the Rangers in 2023-24, and he remained in the lineup throughout the season. He was aggressive on the forecheck, never passed up an opportunity to throw checks, and provided secondary scoring in a bottom-six role. He finished with 13 goals, eight assists, and 249 hits while averaging 11:08 in ice time per game in 81 games. He also had one goal, one assist, and 46 hits in 16 playoff games as New York went on a run to the Eastern Conference Final.

The 2024-25 season was a frustrating one for the Rangers as they missed the playoffs one season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy; however, the strong play of Cuylle was a bright spot. He earned a spot in the top six, broke out offensively, and at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, he was tough to move from the front of the net, and he scored on deflections and rebounds. He finished with 20 goals, 25 assists, and 301 hits while averaging 15:05 in ice time per game in 82 games.

Cuylle continued to play a big role for the Rangers last season and was effective on the penalty kill and reliable defensively. He used his speed to get in on the forecheck and came up with some key plays both offensively and defensively in close games. While he went through some scoring slumps, he still finished with 20 goals, 18 assists, 302 hits, and 68 blocked shots in 82 games, while averaging 16:51 in ice time per game.

Role This Season

This season, Cuylle should remain an important penalty killer, and he will likely also get an opportunity to play on the Rangers’ second power play unit. Though he is just 24, he leads by example with his physicality and willingness to block shots and drive to the front of the net.

Will Cuylle, New York Rangers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

While the Rangers traded away star winger Artemi Panarin last season, the emergence of rookie winger Gabriel Perreault and the additions of Dorofeyev, Bjorkstrand, and Tolvanen mean Cuylle will have competition for playing time. He could begin the season in the top six, or he could start on the third line.

Cuylle will be a key player, and it will be important to see if he can produce enough offensively to earn a spot in the top six and earn consistent opportunities on the power play. If he can produce 25-30 goals and 50-55 points, it would give the team a big boost as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2023-24.

Importance of This Season

The Rangers added a lot of new players this season and have a few talented prospects who can contribute. They have more depth than last season, and while it should help them, it also creates more competition for wingers like Cuylle, and they need him to play well and produce offensively to reach their potential. A strong season could also help him earn a long-term extension, as he is set to be a restricted free agent after this season.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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