Rangers' Will Cuylle must prove his worth in contract year

New York Rangers fans are probably paying close attention to the situation of one player in particular heading into the 2026-27 season. We are talking, of course, about winger Will Cuylle.

The upcoming season represents the final year of his two-year contract with a cap hit of $3.9 million. Therefore, this is the best and very likely last opportunity for Cuylle, 24, to prove that he deserves a long-term place on the Rangers' roster.

The young winger is not under pressure solely because of his contract situation. It is also because he is projected to play on a third line alongside other prospects such as Noah Laba and Tye Kartye. So he will have high expectations on his shoulders to show leadership alongside teammates with less NHL experience.

Will Cuylle facing make-or-break season with Rangers

Naturally, we also have to talk about his offensive production, which has certainly fallen short of expectations. During the 2025-26 season, in 82 appearances, he scored 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points. The previous campaign, he recorded 45 points, while in 2023-24 he recorded 21 points. With an average of around 34.6 points per season, frankly, those are very weak numbers.

Perhaps Cuylle's strength is his physicality, but he will have to compensate by increasing his offensive production so that it is not in vain.

If he fails to perform again and his younger teammates surpass him and contribute more on the ice, the front office will probably ask itself whether it is worth taking on a contract that would very likely exceed $4 million per year to secure the player's spot for the 2027-28 season and beyond.