This offseason, Pittsburgh Penguins center Nick Bonino comes on the market as an Unrestricted Free Agent. The 29-year-old won his second stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. He could be a great addition to a New York Rangers roster who will be looking to make a run of their own in 2017-18.
Nick Bonino is a strong center who has good vision and decent speed. He centered one of the Penguins most dangerous lines throughout the last two seasons, playing with Phil Kessel on his right and Carl Hagelin on his left, a line that hasn’t terrorized them New York Rangers.
This experience makes Bonino a great fit for a Rangers offense that saw scoring depth on all four lines last season.
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Breaking it down
Bonino put up 29 and 37 points (nine goals, 20 assists in 15-16 and 18 goals, 19 assists last season) in the last two regular seasons. While these aren’t the eye-popping point totals, Bonino makes an impact in other areas.
In 2015-16, the newly acquired Bonino had a faceoff percentage of 50.4. This past season he was just below that at 48.0. In the postseason her was even better. This year he recorded his second highest faceoff percentage of 52.3, winning 172 and losing 150.
Beyond this, Bonino is strong defensively and manages to put himself in front of pucks that would otherwise be dangerous.
In the last two regular seasons for the Penguins, Bonino has blocked 166 pucks headed toward the net. This is almost equivalent to the 169 he blocked in his five years with Anaheim.
And in the postseason, he managed even more blocks. In the 24 games that Pittsburgh played in the 2016 Playoffs, Bonino blocked 50 pucks.
How would he fit?
The Rangers could work wonders with a player like Bonino in their bottom six. He is successful in the faceoff circle, physical yet precise in the offensive zone and utilizes his solid positioning to block shots on the defensive end.
All of these strengths Bonino has would benefit the Rangers. Since the Rangers lost Oscar Lindberg in the expansion draft on Wednesday, the team could use a solid faceoff man that adds depth in both zones.
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Pricing Details
One of the biggest questions for the Rangers would be negotiating a contract with Bonino. He bounced from Anaheim to Vancouver to Pittsburgh within the span of three years. Bonino will likely be looking for a contract that would keep him in a city for more than a season or two.
Making $1.7 million over the last two years, it is likely that Bonino would be looking for something slightly more lucrative. Based on the way he has played, the if the Rangers could somehow land him for three years for $7.5 million, it would be a solid acquisition.
It is all a question of how the Rangers move forward and manage their cap space. However, this is a reasonable ask and is not a price tag the Rangers should go over if they express interest.
Final Thoughts
Because of Bonino’s role on the Penguins, there is a very real possibility that he could easily step in and make an impact centering the Rangers third line.
His skill set and his style of play would be a great fit in the Rangers bottom six. He would add even more depth to the Rangers bottom six, giving management an option to bump J.T. Miller down to center the fourth line.
Bonino blocked a shot during Game Two of the Cup Finals and missed the final four games. Yet, despite this, in earlier rounds, he was a force on the Pittsburgh roster.
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Bonino would bring Stanley Cup experience and offer the Rangers a great opportunity to win another of their own.