New York Rangers Projected To Acquire An Unexpected Defenseman From The Pacific Division

The San Jose Sharks' left-shot defenseman, Mario Ferraro, is poised to be a free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Originally drafted 49th overall in the 2nd-round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Ferraro has played his entire career with the Sharks. As a pending UFA making $3.25 million a year, while his team is on a path for a rebuild, they could trade him to a contending team.

This is where the Rangers could come into play and use Ferraro to bolster their left side.

NHL Insider Shayna Goldman has linked him to the New York Rangers, where he could find a purpose with limited usage. It'd give his game room to breathe, and instead of being overloaded with responsibility, he could just play his game.

Goldman went further with this piece, believing that he could grow into the kind of defenseman we haven't seen in New York.

In a way that the Bruins' situation allowed Hampus Lindholm to grow into a top-four defenseman, she posits that Ferraro could find a similar atmosphere here in New York.

Poised to be at UFA at age 27, he currently makes $3.25 million average annual value, and would be a bargain left-side option compared to other players who are set to be free agents in 2026.

Ferrario has played 408 games during his NHL career and scored 91 points (17-74) with 91 penalty minutes.