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Rangers Must Begin To Worry About McDonagh

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The New York Rangers have emphasized defense this offseason with the signing of top free agent Kevin Shattenkirk and the re-signing of trade deadline acquisition Brendan Smith. Between the two of them, the Rangers have exactly $11MM per year locked up until the 2020-21 season. Tie in the $5.7MM invested in veteran Marc Staal, who not that long ago was being discussed as a buyout candidate, and New York has $16.7MM invested in three veteran defensemen over the next four years. That’s all well and good (even if Staal proves to be worth that type of money). The Rangers wanted to beef up their defense and they have done that even if it’s at the cost of their offense. However, there is one key aspect missing in their defense. Ryan McDonagh.

Yes, the team captain – heart and soul of their defense. He’s only locked in at a very reasonable $4.7MM for the next two years and the New York Post’s Larry Brooks suggests that he is the third most underpaid player in the NHL, which may cause the Rangers some problems in two years when he becomes a unrestricted free agent in the 2019-2020 season. Listing just Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and the New York Islanders’ John Tavares as the most underpaid, the scribe writes that while Crosby’s career is cemented in Pittsburgh, that may not be the case for Tavares, who is currently making the Islanders sweat and possibly consider trading him before he leaves New York for nothing. That may be the same story for McDonough one year after that.

McDonough has two years to decide whether he wants to spend the rest of his career in New York. Brooks writes that he may be interested in returning home to Minnesota and joining a Wild team that should have the money to pay him handsomely in two years. Everything may come down to how he enjoys playing with offensively-gifted Kevin Shattenkirk compared to his previous long-time partner, defensively-gifted Dan Girardi. In the end, it may come down to money and whether the Rangers are willing to commit what is likely to be $7-8MM per year for possibly seven or eight years to keep their then-30-year-old captain when they are already overloaded with a large number of defensive contracts. The point is that McDonough will not make it to free agency as a Ranger. He will have enough power, like Tavares does with the Islanders now, to command whether he gets that long-term deal as a Ranger or force them into dealing him in a year.

Kevin Klein Retires From NHL

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After a report surfaced last month that Kevin Klein was considering retirement, the New York Rangers have announced the defenseman will indeed hang up his skates and retire at the age of 32. Klein played just 60 games last year while battling through a back injury.

Klein began his career with the Nashville Predators and played for nearly a decade there before being traded to the Rangers for Michael Del Zotto. While Del Zotto spent just half a season with the Predators before heading to Philadelphia, Klein would remain in New York and turn into one of their most important defensive pieces. Scoring 52 points over two seasons from 2014-16, Klein was one of the most clutch performers for the team during that time with eight game winning goals including several in overtime.

He’ll finish his NHL career with 154 points in 627 games, while playing in 73 playoff contests without ever hoisting the Stanley Cup. His retirement may actually help the Rangers though, as his $2.9MM cap hit will come off the books immediately. With Mika Zibanejad still to sign, the Rangers were going to be very tight to the salary cap for the upcoming season. Klein is leaving with just one year remaining on his current contract.

Jesper Fast Signs Three-Year Deal With New York Rangers

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The New York Rangers have locked up Jesper Fast for a few more years, signing him today to a three-year $5.55MM contract. Fast was eligible to file for arbitration before today’s deadline. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the contract’s conclusion. The $1.85MM average salary is a $900K raise over his last deal. Jesper Fast

Fast played 68 games for the Rangers last season, again cracking the 20-point mark despite a limited role. That role may increase slightly next season, as Fast continues to show that he can produce at both ends of the rink. If given the chance, 40 points doesn’t seem out of the question in his prime years though he also has excellent value in a checking role.

For a team that has lost Oscar Lindberg and Derek Stepan already this summer, getting Fast back under contract for a reasonable contract was imperative. It is interesting that they didn’t get him signed for longer, but with cap space dwindling and a new deal for Mika Zibanejad still needed, the Rangers likely couldn’t afford to buy out many free agent years.

Instead, Fast will be on the open market at 28 in the summer of 2020. If he can continue his performance for the next few seasons, and even show a little more offense he’ll be highly sought-after in free agency. Not bad for a sixth-round pick.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

New York Rangers Sign David Desharnais

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Wednesday: The team has officially announced the signing.

Tuesday: The New York Rangers have been looking for some depth at center since moving Derek Stepan to the Arizona Coyotes, and they may have found it on the open market. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that the team has agreed to terms with free agent David Desharnais on a one-year contract, though the team has yet to announce any deal. Larry Brooks of the New York Post has it at $1MM."<strong

Desharnais was ranked #42 on our list of the top free agents this year, projecting the same one-year, $1MM deal. The former 60-point player hasn’t had that sort of offensive success in several seasons, though did settle into a depth role with Edmonton after a mid-season trade. Now 30, the undersized center won’t be relied upon in anything more than a bottom-six role in New York, with Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes likely starting the season in the top two center roles. While he won’t be replacing Stepan, the Rangers also lost Oscar Lindberg to the Vegas Golden Knights, and needed help down the middle in several different roles.

Still, for a team with dreams of another 100-point season, lining Desharnais up as your third-line center for the entire season is a recipe for disaster. He scored just 14 points last season split between Montreal and Edmonton, and though a bounce-back is definitely possible it’s far from probable. It will be interesting to see how they deploy him, and if they move another player—like J.T. Miller—into a center role or try to acquire another one by trade. Either way, they’ll hope the 5’7″ Desharnais will provide some value.

The other interesting note is the Rangers’ cap situation and how little room they have to re-sign Zibanejad and Jesper Fast. Though those are their only restricted free agents of note, a deal for Desharnais eating any more than $1MM would make it difficult to sign both without moving out other salary. Both are arbitration eligible and looking for their third contracts, and are coming off a combined $3.6MM in 2016-17. Already with just $8.35MM in cap space, there isn’t much wiggle room. If Kevin Klein does retire or go to Europe as rumored at one point, that would open up some more space or the team could potentially bury or buyout another contract to create some room. Either way, they’ll have to spend their dollars carefully before an arbitration decision could force them to make another move.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Eastern Notes: Rangers Re-tooling Defense, Repo

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The New York Rangers, unsatisfied with the way their 2016-17 season ended, decided to retool their roster this offseason and yesterday’s signing of top-two defender Kevin Shattenkirk and the re-signing of trade deadline addition Brendan Smith should prove to be a key investment to building up their strength on their blueline.

So far, the Rangers have traded away their top center in 27-year-old Derek Stepan and his $6.5MM salary as well as their talented backup goaltender Antti Raanta. In exchange, they have upgraded their defense through free agency, adding Shattenkirk at $6.65MM per year (almost the same salary as Stepan) and re-signing Brendan Smith to a $4.35MM a year deal. Don’t forget the Rangers parted ways with veteran defenseman Dan Girardi in a buyout, but Girardi’s deal was at originally at $5.5MM, so all they have done so far is relocated already spent money. Add Ryan McDonough and veteran Marc Staal and the team has a high-quality defensive top-four. In fact, if you add in veteran Nick Holden, former first-rounder Brady Skjei and new acquisition Anthony Deangelo, a 21-year-old 2014 first-rounder, the team is suddenly overloaded in defensemen.

They have signed backup goaltender Ondrej Pavelek to replace Raanta. The only problem now is the team has holes in the middle as the team only has two centers under contract in Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller and little money remaining to make another major splash. They currently have $8.35MM, according to Cap Friendly, of money to spend, not including the expected retirement of defenseman Kevin Klein or the fact that the Rangers still have two restricted free agents they need to lock up in Jesper Fast and Mika Zibanejad. Perhaps a one-year deal with a remaining veteran center would be a possibility.

  • The Florida Panthers tweeted that they have locked up Finnish forward Sebastian Repo to a three-year entry-level deal worth $925,000 per year. The right-winger was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft and impressed the organization at their recent development camp.

The Prettiest And Ugliest Contracts Of July 1

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Although hindsight is usually the only way to be certain as to when a deal flops, it seems reasonable to make an immediate assessment as to what deals will backfire or pay dividends. Today was a far more reserved July 1st than the league has accustomed itself to, but there are still a few contracts that stick out – for better or for worse.

 

Pretty: Patrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks – $800,000, 1 year.

This doesn’t seem fair. Chicago has been trapped in cap jail, and suddenly, here arrives a productive asset at nearly no cost. Sharp, coming off an injury-filled season, is coming back to the Windy City at a dirt-cheap rate. If he can even find half of the production he had during his last outing, this is a monumental steal. There’s no risk here, and a ton of upside. He still has the hands and hockey IQ to contribute.

Ugly: Steve Mason – Winnipeg Jets – $4,1 MM per, 2 years

Winnipeg was seemingly the last team standing when the music stopped playing. With a goaltending market that inspired no one, the Jets decided today to place their faith in Steve Mason. Coming off a .908 save percentage year, it’s hard to see him doing much worse. But behind the Winnipeg defense, it’s hard to see him doing much better. The pricetag is what really seals this as poor value relative to play. Luckily, if things don’t pan out, it’s only for two seasons. Connor Hellebuyck better prepare himself just in case. Taken in tandem with the highly questionable Dmitry Kulikov contract, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff maybe should have taken the day off.

Pretty: Radim Vrbata – Florida Panthers – $2.5 MM per, 1 year

Vrbata is absolutely a top-six winger, and he was signed for bottom-six money. He can assist a powerplay, and slot up and down a lineup as needed. Florida desperately needed to re-coup some scoring on the cheap after letting so many of their top point-getters walk or be lost to Vegas. With bonuses added in, this becomes a good prove-it deal for Vrbata as well. Solid value was found here for both parties and for a 20 goal, 55 point player, Florida will happily run away from this one.

Ugly: Trevor Daley – Detroit – $3.18MM per, 3 years

Daley was bereft of ice time in these playoffs, and he was competing with some really underperforming defensemen. It’s not like he had a good regular season either – his Corsi For % fell off a proverbial cliff (53.7 to 46.1), and the eye test certainly agreed. He put up decent points, 5 goals and 14 assists through 56 contests, and he can still skate well enough. But long are the days where he can make a difference on special teams or drive an offense with confidence. His turnover rate and inconsistency are not what Detroit needed to stabilize the back-end, and Daley will be 36 at the conclusion of the deal. The last time Daley cut a lucrative free agent deal, Chicago had to offload him due to poor play.

Pretty: Kevin Shattenkirk – New York Rangers – $6.65MM per, 4 years

The money could end up being a slight overpayment, but at the moment it is solid value. Shattenkirk finished 4th in points among defensemen last season and St. Louis never looked the same after he left. He could instantly and single-handedly transform the Rangers’ defense from the jumbled mess they were last season. He will reliably feed the puck to the forward group, and be the quarterback of the Ranger powerplay. What makes this a beautiful deal, however, is the term. If Shattenkirk has a bad year or doesn’t fit the system, New York is not on the hook for eternity. One of the biggest pitfalls in free agency with the bigger names is offering far too many years on contracts. Time and time again, it burns teams who were looking to attract a big fish. GM Jeff Gorton deserves credit here for not going insane with the length, although he was helped by Shattenkirk’s strong desire to return home.

Ugly: Dan Girardi – Tampa Bay – $3 MM per, 2 years

Nothing about this deal makes sense. Girardi earned his buyout from New York through brutal play and horrible possession numbers. Of all the NHL defensemen who played more than 40 games, only Rasmus Ristolainen of Buffalo and Luke Schenn of Arizona had worse Corsi Against per 60 minutes – Girardi finished with 65.11 (versus a 51.67 CF60). By no metric other than shot blocks was he an effective player. He might be worth a flier in hopes of regaining form, but he’s not worth much more. This agreement is made even worse by the fact that Girardi will be stealing valuable playing time from a solid young defenseman like Slater Koekkoek or Jake Dotchin. Combined with the Chris Kunitz signing, this is a team that didn’t get any younger, or any better.

Kevin Shattenkirk Signs With New York Rangers

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The top free agent on the market is now off the market. Kevin Shattenkirk, PHR’s #1 on our Top 50 Free Agents list and long considered the top prize of the 2017 off-season, has returned home to New York. The New Rochelle native has signed a four-year deal with an average annual value of $6.65MM to play for his hometown New York Rangers, according to TSN’s Frank Servalli.

The $26.6MM deal is far below what many were expecting for Shattenkirk. Most expected a six or seven-year deal worth somewhere in the total range of $40-$50MM. Instead, Shattenkirk appears to have taken a hometown discount, at least in term, to play for the Rangers. It had long been rumored that he was hoping to play on the east coast, and in New York particularly, and he got his wish.

The long-time St. Louis Blue is no stranger to changing teams, having been traded by the Colorado Avalanche in his rookie season and then again to the Washington Capitals this past year. No matter where, Shattenkirk has always performed. Consistently topping 40 points, including a career-best 56 in 2016-17, Shattenkirk is an elite puck-mover with an excellent first pass. Paired with a shutdown two-way presence like Rangers’ captain Ryan McDonagh, Shattenkirk can be a truly dynamic player in New York.

Coyotes Ink Defenseman Adam Clendening

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The Arizona Coyotes have helped out their lacking right-side depth on the blue line by signing young defenseman Adam Clendening to a one-year deal. Sarah McLellan of AZCentral reports that Clendening will be on a one-way contract, but worth the minimum $650K in 2017-18. A surprise non-qualifier of the New York Rangers, the 24-year-old is fresh off what was easily the most impressive season of his young career and will look to further prove he can be an NHL regular with the ’Yotes next season.

The former 2011 second rounder played in 31 games this past season for the Rangers, scoring two goals and nine assists. He made $761,250 a year ago, so he had to take a pay cut in order to prove himself in Arizona. This will be the sixth team he has played for in his three-year NHL career.

2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker

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Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.

Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.

July 1st:

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Canucks Sign Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson

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GM Jim Benning and the Vancouver Canucks are off to a hot start to free agency, signing a major name from all three positions: forward Sam Gagner, defenseman Michael Del Zotto, and goalie Anders Nilsson. 

Gagner, a play-making center who enjoyed a bounce back season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17, has signed on for three years at $3.15MM per year, via TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. After making just $650K on a one-year “show me” deal with the Jackets, this is a nice reward for Gagner who returned to form with a career-high 50 points after a disastrous 16-point campaign with the Flyers the year before. Yet, other than 2015-16 in Philadelphia, Gagner has been a consistent 40-50 point man and is still only 27 despite having a decade of NHL experience under his belt. Gagner will be happy to make nearly five times his 2016-17 salary, but this still comes off as quite a bargain for the rebuilding Canucks.

Del Zotto, a capable puck-mover who struggled to carve out a role with the Philadelphia Flyers, will get a new opportunity in Vancouver on a two-year, $6MM contract, according to TSN’s Frank Servalli. Not since his third year in the league with the New York Rangers in 2011-12 has Del Zotto truly been relied upon as a starter. In stints in New York and Philadelphia, Del Zotto has shown ample offensive ability, but little defensive reliability. A career -26 player, Del Zotto may never develop into a true all-around NHL defenseman, but at $3MM per year, the Canucks will expect him to strive to be such a player.

As for Nilsson, the former Buffalo Sabres backup has earned himself a nice raise, as LeBrun reports that he has signed a two-year deal worth $2.5MM annually to play 1B to Jacob Markstrom’s 1A in the Vancouver net. Nilsson was a savior of sorts for the Sabres in 2016-17, posting a career high .923 save percentage and 2.67 GAA in relief of Buffalo starter Robin Lehner. Nilsson outplayed Lehner, but Buffalo still informed Nilsson that they would move forward with Lehner as the starter and rather than play second-fiddle again in the same situation (like Chad Johnson is now doing), Nilsson has moved on to another situation where he may be able to outplay the incumbent and steal starts.

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