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Igor Shesterkin

Free Agent Focus: New York Rangers

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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.

New York Rangers Buy Out Henrik Lundqvist

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Sep 30: The Rangers have officially announced the buyout. Because of his no-movement clause, there was no need for unconditional waivers. In the press release, Rangers president John Davidson outlined some of the reasons Lundqvist meant so much to the city of New York:

We would like to thank Henrik for his immeasurable contributions to the New York Rangers. From the time I met Henrik when he first came to New York in 2005, he has been the consummate professional. His tireless work ethic, passion for the game, and love of the Rangers and New York City enabled him to become one of the greatest goaltenders in hockey and one of the best players in the history of our franchise. We all wish Henrik and his family the best going forward.

Sep 29: The end of an era is upon us. After 15 years of brilliant play in the New York net, the Rangers and decorated goaltender Henrik Lundqvist are set to part ways. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Rangers will buy out the final year of Lundqvist’s contract, with an announcement expected on Wednesday. At 38, Lundqvist will be an unrestricted free agent for the very first time.

As Dreger explains, this was not an easy decision for New York. Few players have meant as much to a team in NHL history as Lundqvist has to the Rangers since 2005. The potential future Hall of Famer was a Vezina Trophy winner, a First-Team All-Star, and a wins leader, among many other honors in his long career. Lundqvist leads all active goaltenders in career games played, saves, shutouts, and goals saved above average, acting as a workhorse starter for the Blueshirts for much of his career. While he still has a chance to build on this reputation, it won’t be in New York. The team explored all options, but must move forward with young upstart keepers Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev, leaving no room on the roster for Lundqvist, especially at his high cap hit.

With just one year remaining on the seven-year, $59.5MM contract that Lundqvist signed back in 2013, the buyout will only impose penalties against the salary cap for two seasons. CapFriendly projects that Lundqvist’s $4.5MM base salary and $1MM signing bonus in this final year will count toward the salary cap in full for a total hit of $5.5MM in 2020-21. In 2021-22, the penalty will be just $1.5MM. The $3MMM in savings this season for the Rangers will give the team even more flexibility to re-sign their pending restricted free agents while also exploring the free agent market for additional help.

Lundqvist meanwhile will hit a free agent market that is already chock full of goalies, most of whom are not coming off the worst season of their careers. Quickly approaching 40 and in steep decline over the past four or five years, it is hard to imagine Lundqvist getting any more than a small, one-year contract to serve as a backup. However, the decorated netminder already has plenty of money and accolades. All he wants at this point in his career is to sign with a team that give him the one thing he doesn’t have: a Stanley Cup.

Injury Notes: Scheifele, Schmaltz, Fast, Hamilton

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The Winnipeg Jets may have lost their top center and top sniper in the same game, as both Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine left last night’s test against the Calgary Flames with an injury. Scheifele’s in particular looked serious, as he collided with Matthew Tkachuk and fell to the ground bellowing in pain. The hit got quite the response from head coach Paul Maurice, who indicated today that both players were still undergoing examination, and updates would be issued later in the day.

If the Jets do lose Schiefele for the rest of the qualification round they’ll have to figure out an answer on the top line and find a way to dig themselves out of the early hole after losing to Calgary last night. Here’s more info about injuries around the league:

  • Nick Schmaltz will not play in game one for the Arizona Coyotes after taking a high hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the exhibition match. Schmaltz, the Coyotes leading scorer from the regular season, played in four playoffs games with Chicago in 2017 but hasn’t seen the postseason since. Youngster Barret Hayton will be making his own playoff debut after suiting up just 20 times this season.
  • The New York Rangers are still not sure of Igor Shesterkin’s availability for game two according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, but will not have Jesper Fast in the lineup. Fast was hit hard by former teammate Brady Skjei and was forced from yesterday’s game after just a minute of ice time. The depth winger is a key part of the Rangers leadership group and recorded 29 points in 69 games this season.
  • Dougie Hamilton is getting better according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, but won’t be in the lineup for Carolina tomorrow. The Hurricanes did just fine without their top offensive defenseman, but relied heavily on their top two pairings—Jake Gardiner played just 11:55 while Jaccob Slavin logged 24:40.

Snapshots: Rangers Injuries, Bowman, Kase, Schmaltz

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Igor Shesterkin’s late scratch against Carolina today after being ruled unfit to play came as a surprise to many.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post clarifies (Twitter link) that it’s believed to be an injury and not related to a positive COVID-19 test.  He notes that the injury was likely either suffered at practice on Friday or during their tune-up game against the Islanders on Wednesday.  Speaking with reporters postgame, head coach David Quinn told reporters, including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (Twitter link) that he’s unsure if Shesterkin will be available on Monday for the second game of the series.

Meanwhile, winger Jesper Fast left the game after the first shift after taking a hit from former Rangers teammate Brady Skjei.  There’s no word yet on how long he may be out for.

Other news and notes from around the league:

  • Blackhawks interim president Danny Wirtz confirmed to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that GM Stan Bowman has a multi-year contract. There were unconfirmed reports last summer that he had signed a new deal but there was no announcement by the team.  Wirtz declined to indicate how long Bowman’s contract runs and didn’t provide a timeline for when the team may hire a replacement for former president John McDonough.
  • Bruins winger Ondrej Kase has joined the team in Toronto, notes Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston. He missed all of training camp after being deemed unfit to participate and he will not suit up in the opening game of the round robin against Philadelphia.  Considering how long it has been since he last skated, he’ll likely need several full practices before being given the green light to suit up.
  • Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz is dealing with a sore neck from the hit he took from Ryan Reaves in Thursday’s exhibition game, mentions Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that his availability for Sunday’s opener against Nashville is unknown.  Despite the shortened season, Schmaltz set a career high in assists this season with 34 while leading the team in scoring with 45 points.

New York Islanders Sign Ilya Sorokin

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Tuesday: The Islanders and Sorokin have already agreed to terms on his next contract, less than 24 hours after he signed his first one. The Russian netminder will sign a one-year deal for the 2020-21 season worth $2MM according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.  This deal will still leave Sorokin as a restricted free agent in 2021 but gives the two sides a lot more time to work out a long-term deal.

The contract will carry a $1MM signing bonus and $1MM salary.

Monday: KHL star netminder Ilya Sorokin has made his much-anticipated leap to the NHL, albeit with a twist. Per agent Dan Milstein, Sorokin has signed a one-year entry-level contract with the New York Islanders, effective for the 2019-20 season. However, Sorokin is only eligible to join the team for training camp and cannot play in the upcoming postseason; yet, his contract will still be burned. This means that while the Islanders have finally signed Sorokin, he will need another contract this fall as a restricted free agent before he can ever suit up for the team.

Sorokin, 24, should be able to negotiate a pretty considerable deal for himself without any NHL experience, too. Like Igor Shesterkin of the rival New York Rangers, Sorokin has established himself as one the very best goalies outside of the NHL at a very young age. Stunningly, Sorokin made his KHL debut at just 17 years old, an unheard-of accomplishment for a goalie that young in any major pro league. His five games in 2012-13 jumpstarted his success in Russia, where he has a career .930 save percentage and 1.70 GAA in nearly 250 games. This included an unthinkable .953 save percentage and 1.06 GAA in 28 games in 2015-16 and a current streak of three straight seasons with a .930+ save percentage.

Sorokin will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Shesterkin in his rookie season in 2020-21, as the two bring their KHL duel to the Big Apple. While Shersterkin’s career KHL numbers are a tad better than Sorokin’s, they came in less than half as many games despite the two being the same age. Sorokin has a major experience advantage, so he should fair even better than Shesterkin with adjusting to the NHL. His Rangers counterpart recorded a .932 save percentage and 2.52 GAA in 12 games this season and seems to have won the starting role for his team. Expect Sorokin to aim for the same result and likely with more starts and better stats. Especially in an Islanders system that has elevated the play of keepers like Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss – who is now also likely to depart as a UFA – in recent years, it would not be shocking to see Sorokin with numbers among the league’s best next season as he splits time with Semyon Varlamov. In fact, Sorokin could have a strong case for the Calder Trophy in 2020-21.

So, while Islanders fans may be disappointed that they cannot see Sorokin sooner and that he cannot help out with a hopeful playoff run, they should still be excited for what is to come from the young Russian goaltender. With a deep, defensive-minded roster in front of him, Sorokin has the makings of a long-term, cornerstone keeper.

Goalie Notes: Fleury, Holtby, Lundqvist

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The Vegas Golden Knights will presumably embark on a four-team round-robin to determine playoff seeding whenever play resumes. Given that it’s unlikely any team will play in front of a home crowd, the seeding doesn’t have quite the same impact as most years. Nonetheless, the mini-tournament will be an import return to play. For the Golden Knights, that means solidifying certain roster decisions, such as determining who is going to be in goal come playoff time. Peter DeBoer will be working with GM Kelly McCrimmon and President of Hockey Operations George McPhee to make final roster decisions, per The Athletic’s Jesse Granger. Marc-Andre Fleury is a living legend who led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season, but time makes a mockery of us all, and just two years later, he could lose his starting gig to midseason acquisition Robin Lehner. Both netminders are likely to get a start during the round-robin phase, but it’s still probably Fleury’s job to lose, given his veteran status both in the league and on this particular team.

  • In Washington, Caps’ coach Todd Reirden spoke with a number of reporters, including JJ Regan of NBC Sports, who reported that Braden Holtby will be in net – at least for now. Ilya Samsonov stands by should Holtby struggle. Holtby started 47 games this season to just 22 for the rookie Samsonov, but with Holtby’s .897 save percentage versus .913 save percentage for Samsonov, there’s at the question whether the Caps would be better off with the youngster in goal. The Caps are hoping for a better playoff result than last year’s disappointing first-round loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. It wasn’t exactly the title defense Alex Ovechkin and company had planned, but the Caps will get another chance to make good in the playoffs this season. They’ll need Holtby at his finest to make a run.
  • In another potential changing of the guard, the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist landed on a list of potential buyout candidates this offseason from Sean Leahy of NBC Sports. There’s no doubt that Lundqvist is expensive next season with a cap hit of $8.5MM, but it’s difficult to imagine Rangers games without the Swede minding the net. Still, even if the Rangers deem apparent successor Igor Shesterkin to be ready, they’d still have to buyout Lundqvist for $5.5MM, which might not present enough savings to make the move worthwhile, not when they’d still need a second goalie. Alexander Georgiev, 24, is the other piece of this puzzle, the primary backup for the last couple of seasons and a restricted free agent this offseason.

Henrik Lundqvist States He Wants To Play In NHL For Years

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Henrik Lundqvist currently finds himself in a tough situation with the New York Rangers. The long-time netminder has been the face of the franchise in New York for years, but has seen himself demoted to a third-string role with the additions of young goaltenders Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev.

However, in an interview with GP-Sporten’s Johan Rylander (translation provided by Forever Blueshirts), the 38-year-old veteran made it clear he sees himself playing in the NHL for years to come, but is also ready for a play-in series with the Carolina Hurricanes.

“The focus is training and this summer,” said Lundqvist, who has appeared in 887 games with the Rangers throughout his career. “Now we go for it right here. I can sense that I have it in me – to go another few years over there in the NHL. I’m sure about it! It’s clear that I’m thinking about how much I love hockey and how long I think I can continue, or even want to continue. I also realized that I can’t look that far ahead.”

Lundqvist did note that he is disappointed in his current status as the team’s No. 3 goaltender after seeing his starting role taken away from him, but doesn’t necessarily blame the Rangers’ organization. Lundqvist appeared in 25 games before the all-star break, but once Shestorkin was recalled, the veteran saw just five games after the break, two of which were in relief roles. He finished the regular season with career lows of a 3.16 GAA and a .905 save percentage. There has even been some talk that the Rangers could consider buying out their longtime goaltender and the $8.5MM due to him next season.

“What am I supposed to say about that? I had a picture of how the season would develop, what I had in mind,” Lundqvist said. “When things turned out the way they did, I was surprised. But at the same time, part of me understands the situation. I’m not blind. They’re thinking ahead. There are many pieces that go into building a team right now, but also for the future. You’re going to have to widen the view a little. Obviously it is disappointing to not play as much as you want. That’s where the disappointment is. It’s more … not on them (the Rangers), but more that it became as it became. And if I not had been disappointed, then I sell myself short. I want to play, to deliver at a high level. If I don’t, I will be disappointed.”

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