Free agency is now less than 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 mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Rangers.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Kaapo Kakko — The 2019 second-overall pick’s adjustment to the NHL has been a bit slower than expected, and it’s been a struggle for him to translate the scoring talent he showed in Finland to the NHL level. In 157 career games, Kakko has 26 goals and 58 points, including 18 points in his 2021-22 campaign, a season where he missed a solid chunk of the Rangers’ games due to injury. Kakko enters his first free agency on mixed ground. The points aren’t there for him to get a lucrative, long-term deal, but he showed flashes of the upside that got him drafted so high in the first place during the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Final, fitting in on a “kid line” with fellow first-rounders Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere, a line that powered the Rangers past the Carolina Hurricanes before being ultimately broken up against Tampa Bay. Kakko’s puck protection skills and abilities along the boards are strong, and it’s definitely possible that after three years in the NHL he’s just on the cusp of finally producing offense. And with Valeri Nichushkin helping the Colorado Avalanche potentially lift the Stanley Cup in the coming days, he could serve as a cautionary tale in giving up too early on talented, toolsy top picks who don’t have the points to show for their strong play early in their careers. But on the other hand, it’s also very possible that Kakko’s tools never result in him producing significant offense. The Rangers need all the cap space they can get, so expect a one or two-year bridge deal at this point.
G Alexandar Georgiev — Before the arrival of Igor Shesterkin, there was once a time when Georgiev had a chance to be the heir to Henrik Lundqvist on Broadway. Georgiev’s first taste of NHL action went well, with a .918 save percentage in ten games, and his first two full-time seasons were similarly impressive, as Georgiev posted a .914 in 2018-19 and a .910 in 2019-20. 2020-21 was a bit shakier, and as Georgiev ceded more and more starts to Shesterkin his play began to suffer. He finished that year with a .905 in 19 games. This year, Georgiev had his worst season in New York, with a .898 save percentage in 33 games. He simply did not play to the level he’d shown an ability to play at in the past, and the strength of Shesterkin, the Vezina Trophy favorite, emphasized Geoorgiev’s failings even more. Georgiev is due a qualifying offer of $2.65MM, per CapFriendly, so it’s not a guarantee that Georgiev is even tendered an offer for the Rangers to retain his rights. If Georgiev is going to have a cap hit around that number next year, it probably won’t be in New York.
Other RFA’s: F Julien Gauthier, F Jacob Elmer, F Tim Gettinger, F Justin Richards, F Ty Ronning, F Austin Rueschhoff, D Libor Hajek, G Tyler Wall
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Ryan Strome — We previously covered the free agent situation of Ryan Strome in-depth, and it’s certainly a difficult situation for the Rangers to navigate. On one hand, Strome has fit extremely well in New York and produced like a strong top-six center. Over the past three seasons, Strome has 162 points in 200 games, which is a 66-point 82-game pace. Centers who can score in the 60-70 point range don’t hit free agency often, and when they do, they get paid. But Strome’s numbers do come with one slight asterisk: he’s been the linemate of Artemi Panarin, a superstar, play-driving offensive force. Panarin being mentioned isn’t meant in any way to downplay Strome’s skill — it’s not like you can just put any center on Panarin’s line and have him produce like Strome — but instead is meant to raise the question that Strome will need to answer this summer. Is he the play-driving, line-anchoring top-six center he’s produced like? Or is he more of a passenger, capable of piling up points when he gets the chance to ride shotgun next to elite scorers? The Rangers will be the first team that will need to ponder those questions as they consider whether to commit to Strome long-term.
F Andrew Copp — Copp was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline, and he’s been everything the Rangers could have hoped for and more. Copp had 18 points in 16 games after the trade, and added on 14 points in 20 playoff games, giving him a grand total of 32 points in 36 games in New York. Before 2020-21, Copp was widely viewed as a defense-first, versatile forward who probably wouldn’t end up being an offensive difference-maker. But after putting up 39 points in 55 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, his outlook has changed quite a bit. Now, he looks more like a true two-way force who can fit in a top-six. Given how well he played as a Ranger after the trade, it seems like staying in New York could be his best choice. But the Rangers will have a hard time finding enough cap space to keep both Strome and Copp, so they may end up having to choose one.
F Tyler Motte — Another member of the Rangers’ platoon of trade-deadline additions, Motte has endeared himself to both Rangers fans and fans of the team he became an NHL regular with, the Vancouver Canucks. It’s Motte’s hard-nosed, ever-active style of play that makes him so widely appreciated by both fans and coaches alike, but in the absence of offensive production, how much is that style of play worth? Motte had only 15 points in 58 games this season and only two in the Rangers’ playoff run. Offensive production isn’t what he’s in the NHL to provide, but it will put a ceiling on his earning power this summer. On the open market, it’s definitely possible that Motte could earn a deal with a decent term at around $1.5-2.5MM. Motte’s Rangers teammate, Barclay Goodrow, earned a long-term deal carrying a $3.6MM AAV coming off of a season where he had only five more points than Motte did this year, but Goodrow also had two Stanley Cup rings on his resume, an asset GM’s value highly and something Motte currently lacks. Wherever he ends up this summer, New York or elsewhere, look for Motte to quickly become a favorite of his coach and fanbase.
Other UFA’s: F Greg McKegg, F Kevin Rooney, F Frank Vatrano, D Justin Braun, F Anthony Greco, F Maxim Letunov, F Nick Merkley, G Adam Huska, G Keith Kinkaid
Projected Cap Space
This is where things get tricky for GM Chris Drury. The Rangers, on paper, are in decent shape. They have just under $12MM in projected cap space going into next season, a number that could rise even higher if they find a way out from under frequent healthy scratch Patrik Nemeth’s $2.5MM AAV deal. But just because New York has $12MM now doesn’t mean they can be just as active as they’ve been in the past. Next offseason, the Rangers will have both K’Andre Miller and Lafreniere hitting restricted free agency. The Rangers undoubtedly want to keep both in New York long-term, but spending significant money this offseason could make long-term deals for those two players nearly impossible. It could even be three players the Rangers want to lock up long-term if Chytil spends 2022-23 playing as he did against the Hurricanes. So while the Rangers definitely want to use this offseason to maximize their odds of overcoming the on-ice challenges they’ll face next spring, they can’t lose sight of the off-ice challenges they’ll face next summer. Those two (or three) looming deals could impact every choice the Rangers make in the next few months.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Kakko Is a bust so far, I’d let him walk.
No one will offer sheet him. They would have to trade him
Sign him for cheap on a 2 yr deal. Flip him at the TDL if he sucks, a throw in for a rental.
Like to see Kurtis Gabriel sign so he can protect the kids in Hartford and can play fourth line if needed in NYR
Is Reeves going somewhere..
Should the Rags had a chance to draft first overall? NHL draft lottery is a joke.
Well played. For an amateur.
It’s a question- not a cut in the Rangers. What other league has such liberal rules on teams obtaining the number one pick?
Are they about to enter Leaf Land?
Paying their team like Cup champions before they win?
Except their team just went to the conference finals with 5 players barely old enough to buy a drink getting regular minutes, and the Leafs have still not won a single series.
They also have a goalie who is clearly elite and now playoff tested.
They are not in cap hell yet.
I’d let Strome or Capp walk. Sign the other.
Sign & trade Georgiev in a Nemeth package.
Copp will probably be cheaper, let Strome walk. Maybe Detroit tries for him at $6.1M x 6 (Larkin’s salary) and puts him on the 2nd line with Vrana and Zadina or Fabri.
Nemeth and Georgie to Buffalo for a 3rd. Then sign Holtby for 2 yrs at about $2M per
Buffalo would be better off signing Holtby & pay him more than he made in Dallas.
Holtby to Rangers and Georgie (only) to Buf. Works for both teams.
Nemeth has a limited NTC and Buffalo is likely on it. No one is going to do the NYR any favors and take him and his full cap charge with or without Georgiev’s RFA rights and give us a 3rd rd pick in return. Would likely be Nemeth and a 3rd for 6th or 7th rd pick. Keep in mind we moved a few picks at the deadline this year. We don’t have a lot to give as a sweetener. That is why I see Nemeth getting bought out and Georgiev’s RFA rights moved for a mid to late round pick.
Sign Kakko, everyone else will need to walk. Got Othmann and Kravstov coming up which should fill out the top nine, minus the second line center. If there’s a FA center willing to take a one year that could land them a Cup run and points opportunity, this would be it with Panarin and Kravstov.
Take babbling Ranger fans comments with a barrel of salt. They tend to know not much about hockey. That said, they are are very loud when spewing their bad knowledge.
Are you “new to hockey”? Hockey fans talk about hockey.
Some “fans” don’t actually talk about hockey but talk ALL THE TIME about other people talking about hockey.
Perhaps in an attempt to pretend they know things about hockey without ever actually having to talk about hockey.
Well said.
Y’know, doghockey, this is a line you’ve spewed in more than one thread. You talk a fair bit of smack for someone not giving us YOUR opinions. If you’re just here to troll fanbases, take a hike.
You are correct. Hockey fans talk about hockey. Ranger fans just tend to do it in an uninformed, babbling manner superior to that of fans of most teams, although Bruins fans give you a run.
Epic blast. Yapping at me about trolling and not giving a hockey opinion while you are trolling and not providing a hockey opinion. Do you grasp the irony?
Nope, given that I’ve given hockey opinions in this thread. You haven’t, troll.
Ummmm … Ethan? Point for point, compared to his mediocre regular season, Kakko did much WORSE in the playoffs. He had all of two goals in 19 games, and Igor Shesterkin had as many assists as he did. So far he’s shown himself capable of acceptable fourth-line production, with no reason to believe he’s likely to produce better. The only reason to offer him more than $1MM AAV is saving face, and that’s not a value that gets teams higher in the playoffs. There is not a lick of sense in giving him one single dollar that might be needed to keep Strome, Vatrano and Copp in the lineup — guys who CAN and DO produce and who are all in their prime.
They would have to cut more than Kaapo to keep Strome, Copp and Vetrano.
I suppose Nemeth could be paired with Georgie somewhere… And Kaako traded for a 3rd. And then sign a BU goaile for $2M or less….that would take care of those 3 + a BU, but a little more would need to be cut fill the roster.
Points aren’t the only things that matter in Hockey. Kakko has grown massively as a defensive forward and has some of the best 5v5 metrics on the Rangers. It would be a mistake to trade or let a 21 year old winger who looked like he was starting to come into his own before he got hurt walk. I wish Kakko produced as he was expected to, but it is almost a blessing in disguise that he has not because it will allow the Rangers to give him a cheaper deal. He has shown flashes of production he had 8 points in 10 games before he got hurt, and players can produce in other ways, not everything is about points.
@deni – spot on. Kakko was great on the defensive end and his forechecking is one of the best on the team. Furthermore, if folks watch the kid play, he’s hard to Knick off the puck and has great vision on the ice. Folks don’t realize he’s just 21, getting paid and playing in front of the craziest fans at the Garden. He just needs more minutes like LaF does and I’m sure over time the points will go up. So many others started out slow and became stars. There’s a reason he was a top prospect.
No, I know that, Johnny Z, but it’s zero-sum: everything they give to Kaapo is money that won’t be available to re-sign the guys who matter.
And Padam … there were so many others who started out slow and KEPT playing slowly. There were reasons why Lias Andersson was a top prospect as well, and he was another Rangers top-ten draft pick. That was just five years ago. How did that work out for New York?
These things are NOT guaranteed just because of wishful thinking.
Big difference between Andersson and Kakko. Andy was a questionable pick that high in the draft (was considered a late first/early second round pick) and was nowhere as touted as Kakko.
Kakko’s numbers, as well as Chytil and Alex Laf’s, need to be put in perspective relative to their ice time and power play time. The three of them combined for a grand total of 1 power play goal this year. Basically any significant power play time is worth 15-20 points a year. Normally these high draft picks are on terrible teams and are immediately on the power play and getting tons of ice time. Obviously this wasn’t the case with Panarin, Kreider, Zibanejad ahead of them. Both in total ice time, and power play time.
The good news is that all of them are big bodied players learning how to be complete players that play 200 feet, as they showed in the playoffs. Their final offensive numbers, Kakko included, aren’t an accurate representation of their skill level.
There’s talk that Edmonton will buy out Zack Kassian. Love to see him on the Rangers.Could play on top 6 or bottom 6 great team player
LOL, Kass for Kakk then, LOL