New York Rangers on Long-Term Contracts

New York Rangers CAP Issues and Where They Come From

With big decisions to come for the New York Rangers management regrading their Up-For-Contract RFA’s and UFA’s, here’s what cap money is tied up in long-term contracts, and who’s worth what their making.

The Bargain

Mats Zuccarello

Mats Zucarello’s four-year $18 million deal is the clear bargain. Zucarello’s production on the ice this season was the best of his career with the New York Rangers. With 26 goals and 35 assists, the forward broke both his career high goal and point total. Based on the terms of this contract, the 28-year- old will play through his prime in New York. Currently making $4.5 million a year, he plays as if he is being paid double that.

Conclusion: By the end of his 4-year deal in 2020, Zuccarello will be 31-years-old. His terms make him a steal because he is not only a fan favorite, but he also has proved he can drive an offense, and plays every game with energy and heart. This means, if the Rangers management so chooses, they can drop Zuccarello before he reaches his mid 30s. However, if Zuccarello continues to play the way he has, New York may want him back.

Worth Every Penny

Derick Brassard

Some may argue that Derick Brassard is making more than he’s worth after inking a five-year $25 million deal in 2015. However, over the course of this year, Brassard proved to be one of the most vital pieces of the Rangers offense. Finally breaking twenty goals, continuing to contribute assists, scoring eight power play goals and finishing the year with a face-off-win percentage of 50.22%, Brassard seemed to do it all.

Conclusion: Brassard is 28-years-old, and signing him to a five-year contract for the amount that it was worth was the right move. Perhaps the team could have tried to negotiate him down to around the $4.5 million Zuccarello is making, but they would have risked losing a player that has tons more potential. On top of all of this, he will be in New York through what may be the best years of his career.

Derek Stepan

Derek Stepan is another young centerman who has turned himself into a core player for the New York Rangers offense. The 24-year-old signed a six-year deal worth $39 million at the start of last season. Since coming to the Rangers in his rookie season, Stepan has posted 44 (2012-2013, he was the point leader this year) to 58 points per season. This year marked the second year (the other being his rookie season) that he scored 20 goals.

Conclusion: Step is worth every penny he is being paid because he is a true two-way forward. He is successful on the offensive end of the ice, but also has major success against his assignments in the defensive zone. The Rangers’ choice to keep him on and pay him the money he asked for was the right one because he leads by example and makes a clear impact on the ice. The cost to keep him won out, and rightfully so.

Ryan McDonagh

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The New York Rangers Captain is currently riding out a six-year $28.2 million deal. McDonagh, who became the Rangers leader after Callahan was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, has been a reliable defenseman, who was a big part of consistency through the neutral zone this season. McDonagh put up 138 blocks in the defensive end this season, had 34 points and was +26 this season. The 25-year-old is currently two years in to the six-year deal, which will last him through the 2018-2019 season when he will turn 28.

Conclusion: McDonagh is another young player, but is also a defenseman that has established himself, and can be considered a veteran player who is reliable. He is a great skater, is rarely ever out of position and plays an aggressive game on both ends of the ice. Since he will still be in his late twenties when his contract expires, this was a good move by the Rangers. Since McDonagh is serving as a major part of the leadership on the team, he was worth keeping, as he anchors the defense.

Henrik Lundqvist

There have been many arguments on whether the rest of $59.5 million dollars the New York Rangers will be paying Hank over the next few years will end up being worth it. Lundqvist has been one of the most solid goaltenders in the National Hockey League over the last 12 years, and he was arguably the biggest piece for the puzzle that brought the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. His stellar performances in all three rounds prior to making it to the Cup, kept the Rangers in games they could have easily lost. Lundqvist’s career save percentage of .921 – allowing only 1,537 goals out of the over 17,805 he has faced – makes him a vital part of the Rangers success.

Conclusion: Henrik Lundqvist is the face of the Rangers franchise, but he is worthy of that job description. While a large portion of the cap hit comes from Lundqvist’s contract, it is possible that if Henrik continues playing at this level, he could end up in the hall of fame one day. Lundqvist’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2021 season, when he will be 38-years-old. There is a possibility that the King could end his career in New York, and he deserves the opportunity to do so.

Being Overpaid, Probably

Dan Girardi

Even before his dismal 2015-2016 season, Girardi’s $33 million over the course of six years seemed high. Girardi, who arguably should be in the prime of his career right now, was unreliable on the ice this year – uncharacteristic for the veteran defenseman. Defensemen can’t do it all, and often times we blame them when bad things happen, but Girardi, who suffered a concussion late in the season, simply did not play his game this year.

Conclusion: Girardi made mistakes consistently this year, from the numerous turnovers in front of the net, to generally being out of position. The 32-year-old is on contract that will allow him to play with the New York Rangers until he turns 36 in 2020, when he becomes and unrestricted free agent. Girardi is within the top 20 highest paid defenseman in the NHL, and unless he gets back to playing the game that got him the money he is being paid in the first place, the Rangers may need to consider other options – no matter the cost.

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Marc Staal

It’s sad that another veteran defenseman fits this category, because veteran defenseman are some of the most important aspects to a team’s success. Marc Staal, who over the last few years was a leader in the defensive end, seemed to be off his game this year. Noticeably out of position, leading to costly mistakes, Staal’s play makes the $34.2 million dollars the Rangers are paying him over the course of a six-year deal seem high.

Conclusion: The 18^th highest paid defenseman in the league, Staal will be 33-years-old when his contract is up and he becomes an unrestricted free agent. With so much money being tied up between Girardi and Staal, it means the New York Rangers don’t have as much money to put towards younger players whose contracts are expiring and will be looking for longer contracts and undoubtedly more money.