Free agency is now just under a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in late July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. The Rangers are more concerned with the latter than the former, with few impending UFAs of note but quite a few impact RFAs.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Pavel Buchnevich – Buchnevich is one of four of the Rangers’ top-twelve scoring forwards without a contract for next season, alongside Chytil, Gauthier, and Di Giuseppe, but is by far the most important. Buchnevich finished third in per-game scoring for New York this year, behind only stars Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. His 48 points were two more than his 2019-20 total, but in 14 fewer games. Buchnevich’s consistent scoring paired with his defensive improvements and success on both special teams units led to an increase in ice time to 18:44 per game, top line minutes again behind only Zibanejad and Panarin. Buchnevich timed this breakout year well; the 26-year-old forward is now a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. This is not an aberration either, as Buchnevich has shown steady improvement throughout his career and is firmly established as a top-six forward with 20-goal and 50-point regularity. The Rangers will have no choice but to pay up, short-term or long-term, with an unfavorable arbitration decision, not to mention the animosity created by the process, as a looming threat.
G Igor Shesterkin – The Rangers may have two young goaltenders in the pros and a multitude of talented prospects in the pipeline, but make no mistake: Shesterkin is invaluable. The 25-year-old netminder has only played in 47 games across two seasons since coming over from the KHL, but has been superb with a .921 save percentage, 2.59 GAA, and a .611 points percentage in his decisions for a team that has played at a .552 clip over the past two years. Shesterkin is the best of the bunch in net in New York and the Rangers need to lock him up on a multi-year deal, regardless of his lack of NHL experience. Shesterkin’s arbitration eligibility ensures that they will have to pay him fairly as well. Shesterkin is close to unrestricted free agency and the worst thing the team could do is sign what looks to be a solid NHL starter to a short-term deal (or settle for an arbitration decision) only to see him continue to perform or even improve and then price himself out of town.
Other RFAs: F Filip Chytil, D Brandon Crawley, F Gabriel Fontaine, F Julien Gauthier, F Tim Gettinger, D Libor Hajek, G Adam Huska, F Patrick Newell, F Ty Ronning, D Yegor Rykov
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Brendan Smith – It wasn’t long ago that Smith’s contract was one of the most criticized in the NHL as he was buried in the minors in the first season of a four-year, $17.4MM deal with the Rangers. In the years since, he has somewhat recovered to become a good albeit still overpaid depth defenseman for New York. Smith has played in over 80% of the Rangers’ games over the past three seasons since his abysmal debut season, providing physicality and defensive stability and, for the first time in 2020-21, more secure puck-handling and a hint more offense. With a deep stable of talented young defensemen, the Rangers don’t need Smith. However, they could do far worse than someone with versatility, checking ability, and veteran experience as a depth option. He would come much cheaper this time around as well, as Smith is unlikely to have a competitive market as a free agent.
F Phil Di Giuseppe – At 27 years old with only 201 career games and 53 career points, Di Giuseppe has not much more than a depth option during his time in the NHL and likely won’t be. However, he proved to be valuable in that role in two seasons with New York, playing a gritty checking game and contributing some modest offense. Di Giuseppe’s success as a plug-and-play bottom-six forward is not limited to his time with the Rangers either, as some of his best seasons were playing the same role with the Carolina Hurricanes. As an affordable extra man, Di Giuseppe has value to the Rangers as an extension candidate, but he may be on the lookout for more opportunity rather than staying on a New York roster that is deep in young players in need of ice time and hoping to add more veterans this off-season.
Other UFAs: D Jack Johnson, D Darren Raddysh
Projected Cap Space
While Buchnevich and Shesterkin will earn considerable deals this summer and Chytil is deserving of a sizeable raise as well, the Rangers remain in good shape with the salary cap. They currently project to have $22.89MM in cap space with 18 players on the NHL roster, but that includes third-string goaltender Keith Kinkaid and cap charge for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, who will be traded or at worst bought out in the off-season. A more accurate projection is closer to $25.5MM with 17 players on the roster. New deals for Gauthier, Hajek, and possibly Smith or Di Giuseppe (or replacements) should come cheap, leaving plenty of room to re-sign the key trio of RFA’s with room to spare to add another impact forward or two.
Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
They are ready for some big moves. They have a ton of prospects and can’t keep them all. They have decide which ones they want to go forward with and which are expendable. They also need a top center, some toughness, and a 4th line that can battle and win face offs.
Top line center would be Eichel.
Toughness could be Matty Tkachuck.
The 4th line center could be Casey Cizikas.
Now decide which young players/prospects to keep.
Fox, Lafreniere, Lindgren, Miller, Igor.
Prospects – Lundkvist, Robertson, Schneider, Berard.
Every other prospect (Zac Jones, Morgan Barron, Etc..) and young players such as Kaapo and Chityl along with Hajek and Reunanen should be made available in the right deals to get Eichel and Tkachuck.
Than they will have to add in contracts to offset the incoming contracts so Strome is on the block.
This means Zibanajed may not be getting that contract he’s expecting and at 29 going on 30 in his walk year I wouldn’t give him anything over 7 mill and 4 years. 28-30 mill for a player with only a few prime years left and concussion history is a fair deal.
Rangers need to be smart if they are thinking if really going for it and getting away from the rebuild but they can add young high end talent and have a very young upcoming team with the right mix of prospects coming up.
Do you honestly think the rangers “reject” prospects are going to land Eichel and Tkachuk? You wouldn’t get either one with those guys. You gotta give something to get something. More doesn’t =better
Hard pass on Eichel until he proves his neck is ok. Besides, Zibs is fine as the front line center, it was second line that was the concern and further down. Buch and Igor need to be signed, after that, everyone else can leave.
I do love Tkachuk, but not willing to bankrupt the team, talent pool, or cap to land him. They’re going to be fine, just need time to gel and grow. Youngest in the NHL – need to temper some of those expectations.
Enforcer-Ryan Reaves or Lucic
Kaapo, Chityl, Zac Jones, and a plethora of Ranger prospects are rejects? Ok new guy! Here’s a clue, and it’s free this time, Eichel has an injury concern and if the Rangers include Kaapo in a deal fir him the deal will be done very quickly! Here’s another clue, another free one for you, Chityl also has good value and will only get better but you have to give to get and Tkachuck also wants out and Calgary knows this. It’s gonna take allot to get Tkachuck but they have what it will take new guy.
Bro… you were the one who said New York wouldn’t keep them. Kakko is probably going to be good but sure hasn’t done a whole lot yet. Chytil is looking less and less like the real deal. You’re delusional if you think Kaapo is what will snag Eichel. You’re going to need a heck of a lot more than that. And even if I’m new (I’m not) learn to spell.
And thanks for the free clue, that last one was quite expensive…
Yeah, +1 for backhandinbaptist. Kakko, Chytil, Jones, well … they’re young and they have potential. But Jones has played all of ten pro games so far. Chytil’s played three seasons and has yet to produce more than 3rd line numbers. Kakko’s played two seasons and has yet to produce more than 3rd line numbers. If I’m the Buffalo or Calgary GMs, and you offer all three of those guys straight up for Eichel or Tkachuk, I’m going to laugh at you. Maybe long term I’ll be proven wrong, but if you’re so convinced they’re all that good, why exactly are you so eager to offer them up?
The Rangers don’t NEED to go out and get the newest bright shiny toy. Panarin, Zibanejad, Fox, Strome, Buchnevich, Krieder, Shesterkin, Trouba: that’s a studly core a lot of teams would covet, and they’re all on the right side of 30. They need to play it smart. Signing Buchnevich and Shesterkin will cost $9 million, about. But the oncoming train is 2022, when they have to resign Mika, Fox and Strome, and on current form it’ll be a miracle if they pull that off for as little as $20 million. I say fill out the roster with good roleplayers, keep some cap flexibility, and go get some rentals in March if the situation warrants. The Rangers aren’t Toronto, or San Jose, or Pittsburgh, or the Island right now: teams in cap hell and not a lot to show for it. Why would you want them to be?
Well put. Why send your team to cap hell when the core is dangerous and their prospect pool is also dangerous. Par the course in my opinion. And to billy I apologize for being rude. Got a little immature. Sorry man.
Don’t need Eichel for that contract or prospects. Improve with better players. They don’t need to get superstars.
I feel like they just need a better balance and better leadership. They have the talent to compete for a cup right now and for years to come but they don’t have the winning experience or true leadership to get there. I’m a Bruins fan, so I’m thinking about guys like Recchi, Chara, Bergy that all experienced winning early and winning late and can help coach a team through tough times to make those tough times less long. Another example, Pat Maroon helping TB get over the hump.
Back to my point, I think they’ve got the top-six to compete with anybody and a goalie to keep them in any game. I think if they sure up the bottom six, get some more grit down there and also pick up a legit stay-at-home defender then this team can compete with anybody. They’ve got the prospects to move, they don’t really need anymore of them so they could package picks as well.
If I’m GM, I’m making all the calls because with this prospect pool and cap space, any GM would listen. Kopitar would be the big fish IMO. Someone mentioned Lucic too as a good fit. Cizikas played himself out of the unsung hero discussion as a buy low guy.
Spend on bottom 6 and stay at home D… maybe splurge for a Kopitar. Kings would love more high-end prospects and picks. Won’t happen but thinking outside the box here.