The New York Rangers signed center Jonny Brodzinski to a two-year, $1.575 million contract extension on Wednesday. Nevertheless, rumors persist that they could be in the market for a top-nine forward leading up to the trade deadline. Speculation linked them to Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. However, Lindholm was traded by the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31, and Monahan was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens by the Winnipeg Jets two days later. They were also reportedly interested in Anaheim Ducks forwards Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano. It’s believed the Ducks have set a high asking price for Henrique, especially if teams want them to retain half of his $5.825-million cap hit. As for Vatrano, there’s been nothing to suggest the two sides are discussing a deal for the 29-year-old winger.

With Lindholm and Monahan off the market and nothing new happening with Henrique and Vatrano, the Rangers are said to be considering other options. There’s talk that they’ve inquired about Philadelphia Flyers center Scott Laughton. Signed through 2025-26 with an affordable average annual value of $3 million, the feisty 29-year-old Laughton would be a good addition to the Rangers lineup. However, the Flyers could seek a higher return from their division rival. Meanwhile, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks reported Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg was also on the Rangers’ radar.

With the Kraken still jockeying for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference, they could be reluctant to part with the 29-year-old center despite the risk of losing him to free agency in July. Nevertheless, The Hockey News’ Glenn Dreyfuss isn’t ruling out the possibility of Kraken GM Ron Francis parting with pending free-agent veterans by the deadline. There were also reports claiming the Rangers were getting calls about Kaapo Kakko, generating conjecture that he could be used as a trade chip to acquire a significant asset. Given the 23-year-old winger’s steady

improvement since returning from injury on Jan. 14, it’s unlikely that he’s going anywhere, especially for a rental player.