7:00 PM: Barclay Goodrow may not have to spend very long on waivers, with Mollie Walker of the New York Post reporting that the San Jose Sharks – who carry top priority in waiver claims after finishing last in the league – could have an agreement in place to claim the Rangers winger. Goodrow spent the first six years of his NHL career with the Sharks, joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2014. The 31-year-old veteran could provide great leadership to a now much younger San Jose lineup, as the team looks to return to their days of routine playoff berths.
1:00 PM: The Rangers have placed forward Barclay Goodrow on waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
The move likely marks the beginning of the end for Goodrow’s time in New York, whether via a waiver claim over the next 24 hours or via buyout or trade. He has three seasons remaining at a $3.642MM cap hit with a 15-team no-trade list.
Goodrow, now 31, gave himself quite a reputation around the league with some clutch playoff performances for the Sharks and Lightning around the turn of the decade. After scoring the overtime winner for San Jose against the Golden Knights in Game 7 of their first-round win, a game they trailed 3-0 in the third period, he went on to play a key depth role in Tampa’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.
That earned him his current deal – a six-year, $21.85MM pact signed with the Rangers after they acquired his signing rights from the Bolts shortly before free agency opened in 2021. At first, it seemed to pay off. His first season in the Big Apple saw him do well in a checking role, posting 13 goals, 33 points and a +13 rating in 79 games while averaging nearly 17 minutes per night. Behind the scenes, though, there were red flags. His strong possession numbers with Tampa had cratered in New York, and the Blueshirts only controlled 44.3% of shot attempts with Goodrow on the ice at even strength in his first year.
It’s been downhill from there. Goodrow’s ice time and point production have consistently slipped over the past two years, and his already underwhelming possession metrics have gotten worse. He was arguably the worst two-way player in the league this season, managing to control just 39.1% of shot attempts when on the ice at even strength. For context, the Rangers overall controlled 53.2% of shot attempts without Goodrow on the ice at even strength.
His box stats this season were unimpressive as well. He played in 80 games but mustered only four goals and 12 points while slipping to a fourth-line center role for most of the campaign. Of course, he showed up when it matters most yet again, exploding for six goals and two assists in 16 playoff games. While a good story, he shot at 40%, and his possession metrics were even worse than in the regular season. That level of offense was never going to be sustainable.
All 31 other teams can now have Goodrow for free, but with three years left on a deal that was a vast overpayment this season, it’s highly unlikely he’ll be claimed. The waiver process should allow Rangers general manager Chris Drury to gauge interest in his services in an attempt to work out a cap-clearing trade, though. Even if that doesn’t work, buying out the remainder of his contract is an option. Doing so would result in a cap credit of $247K this season before a $1.003MM penalty in 2025-26, a $3.503MM penalty in 2026-27, and a $1.111MM penalty from 2027-28 to 2029-30, per CapFriendly. It would save the Rangers an average of just $556K per season over the next six years.
Someone claim him, please :)
Goodrow is a proven playoff performer. Only reason he is on the outs is that his contract is too much for a 3rd liner. A team with cap space should claim him and flip him at trade deadline to contender and retain some salary…would get a decent package back from teams looking for depth.
He’s not even a third liner. Plays the fourth line unless there’s an injury.
Barclay Goodrow isn’t going to be claimed off waivers not with that contract as NYR will probably have to do a buyout on him. If released from his current contract, there will be teams interested in him as a 4th liner & getting him on a low-end contract. The question remains is Goodrow’s play falling off at this point in his career or is he in need to be in a different system which can bring new life to a player in various cases. Playoff caliber teams that need bottom-six depth could look his way as a cheap pick-up. We shall see…
Nobody claiming that contract lol
They already did. The first team in line, actually.
You’re acting like the Rangers and Sharks didn’t make a deal for them to take him, they’re not doing it because they want him lol
“Nobody’s claiming that contract!!! LOL!!!”
(first team in line claims contract)
“They didn’t really claim it, even though they actually did!”
If they don’t want him, why did they claim him?
Can you read? The Rangers and Sharks “have an agreement in place” for them to take Goodrow. They obviously are going to be compensated for taking his contract.
Goodrow had a couple big playoff moments, yes. But he scored just 5 goals in 65 career playoff games before signing with NY, in addition to having a regular season average of 8 goals per 82 games lol. No way in hell that contract was going to be worth it as he aged into this 30s. And, here we are.
It was an awful signing. If it’s not a star player who will give a hometown discount anyway, I don’t want BrisBois near the negotiations. Too many years and too much money, a few cases thus far.
He averaged 12 goals over the previous two seasons with the Rangers. He was around 90% defensive zone starts this season (a fact left out of the article) which means offense was difficult to come by, he was used strictly as a defensive center and penalty killer on a PK that was one of the best in the league.
If he clears I’d like the Leafs to get him for maybe $1.2 over 2 years? Great fourth liner and a leader
I like Goodrow but this was always a disaster of a signing. There’s literally zero reason whatsoever to commit so many years to bottom 6 role players.
Liked Goodrow but his signing was always going to wind up poorly. A tale as old as time…a team signs some bottom six guy to a long term contract only for them to be desperate to get rid of the guy 2-3 years later to then give the next bottom six guy who struck lightning in a bottle another long term contract.
This was one those contracts that bad from second it was signed except for player. only sign the top players to 6 year contract. Never third liners or fifth defensemen