The New York Rangers have some important decisions to make about their unrestricted free agents this summer. Should they bring back one of their most dependable bottom six wingers?
Season in Review
After being bought out of his contract with the Nashville Predators, the rugged winger Viktor Stalberg took his talents to Broadway to play with the New York Rangers. The contract he signed on July 1st was a one-year deal worth $1.1 million. Most Rangers fans deemed the signing as a smart and shrewd one They thought Stalberg would be a good 4th line player who could move up to play 3rd line minutes if there were injuries.
The fans ended up being right on the money with that assessment. After spending the season moving up and down the lineup, mostly in the bottom 6, Stalberg looked to have found a home in New York, as he got his career seemingly back on track. Stalberg tallied 20 points which was his highest point total since the 2012-2013 season when he notched 23 for the Chicago Blackhawks in only 47 games due to the lockout shortening the season to only 48 games.
Stalberg brought a little bit of everything to the bottom portion of the lineup; decent hands, lots of speed, and the kind of grit you need to win puck battles, and ultimately win hockey games. Stalberg also finished the year with a +6 rating and a modest 47.4 Corsi-for percentage on what was a really bad puck possession team.
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Stats and Info
Age Entering Next Season: 30
Seasons with NYR: 1 year
Previous Cap Hit: $1.1 million
Games Played: 75
Goals: 9
Assists: 11
Points: 20
+/-: 6
Corsi For Percentage: 47.4%
Project Contract
1 year, $1.5 million- I think there is definitely a market for Stalberg, I just don’t really know what it is. I think he could probably get a team to throw $2 million at him on a 1-year deal. If the Rangers want to bring him back, and if he wants to be back with the Rangers, he will have to take about the same pay that he received last season. I could see the Rangers going up to $1.5 million on him, though.
What SHOULD Happen
I would really like to see the New York Rangers bring him back into the fold for the upcoming season. I think Stalberg played very well in a very difficult situation with Tanner “possession anchor” Glass and a rapidly declining Dominic Moore on his line for a majority of the year. If the Rangers need to make any moves with their forward group, it is revamping the 4th line. I think Stalberg should be the one guy from that group to stay with the club for the 2016-2017 season.
What WILL Happen
This is a tough one. As has been well documented, the Rangers don’t have too much wiggle room within the salary cap to make moves with 4 key RFAs to re-sign in Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller and Dylan McIlrath. According to a report by SNY, there is mutual interest in a Stalberg return by both parties, so it is looking like Stalberg might be back. The two sides are reportedly pretty far apart in terms of the money involved in a potential deal, as Stalberg’s price is reportedly too high for the Rangers liking, but I do think at the end of the day, Stalberg and the Rangers will renew their partnership for another season. Maybe in order to take the price tag down, the Rangers could give him 2 years instead of 1. I guess we will find out soon enough.
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Teams to Watch Out For
Islanders– With 4th liner Matt Martin likely on his way out of Brooklyn, the Islanders will be looking for a replacement for Martin’s 19 points and 119 penalty minutes he accumulated last season. While Stalberg could definitely replace that offensive production–possibly even substantially–Stalberg won’t be able to replace those PIMs at all. Depending on the direction the Islanders want to go with their 4th line, I think Stalberg could be a fantastic fit for what was a fantastic 4th line last season.
Canadiens- With the additions of Andrew Shaw and now Shea Weber, it appears that the Canadiens are looking to become an “in-your-face” physical team. Stalberg would fit very well with that style of play. Stalberg definitely plays with a snarl to his game and is always one to finish his checks. With all of that in mind, I think Stalberg would be a good fit in their bottom 6, where they currently employ a lot of younger players.
Others: Sharks, Red Wings