New York Rangers: Five potential contract extensions

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 13: Kevin Hayes
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 13: Kevin Hayes
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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 13: (l-r) Mika Zibanejad
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 13: (l-r) Mika Zibanejad /

The New York Rangers have been busy this summer. However, an important thing that they should definitely consider doing is signing certain players to contract extensions.

As usual, the New York Rangers find themselves in a position where they don’t have a lot of cap room to play with. That’s why it’s important to start the process of re-signing their future free agents now before their deals expire.

The following players are incredibly important to the Rangers’ roster. And while it’s likely that some of these players are more willing to re-sign now than others, it’s important to make the effort to get them locked down early.

Let’s take a look at the players the Rangers should give extensions to.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 18: Ryan McDonagh
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 18: Ryan McDonagh /

Ryan McDonagh

The most obvious player that the Rangers need to give a contract extension to is their workhorse of a captain, McDonagh. His importance is extremely high. And of course, that means the team needs to lock him up when his contract expires in two years.

Since he started his career with the Rangers (when they practically stole him from the Canadiens), he has been excellent. His drive to win is admirably recognized by the entire team, and it makes a huge difference for the Rangers.

Although his attitude is important, it has to be remembered that he did something great for the Rangers this offseason without even meaning to. Newly acquired (and highly sought-after) defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has mentioned over and over again that McDonagh was a huge part of the reason he wanted to come to play for the Rangers.

But the most important thing McDonagh holds claim to is his impressive play. He’s a big part of the reason why the Rangers are still Stanley Cup contenders. They simply cannot let him get away.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 22: Kevin Hayes
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 22: Kevin Hayes /

Kevin Hayes

The 6’5″ powerhouse of a forward, Hayes, started out this last season great. He and J.T. Miller (who’s name may or may not be mentioned later) were neck and neck in a race for who could put up the most amount of points.

At some point in the season, Hayes seemed to lose his stride for a while. However, he wasn’t making any big mistakes or costing the team in any way. The Rangers remained in a playoff spot, and everything was okay for a while.

However, what wasn’t at all acceptable was his playoff performance…or lack thereof. For a big, strong player with amazing stick-handling abilities, he could have done much better. And he knows it.

That said, he does possess great skill. At age 25, he is beginning to hit his peak. This is a great time for the Rangers to extend his contract to get the best years out of him.

ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 18: J.T. Miller
ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 18: J.T. Miller /

J.T. Miller

If I was able to copy and paste what was written about Hayes to Miller, I would. Miller had almost the same season as Hayes, which makes their present situations rather similar.

Miller started out the season on fire, scoring points left and right. No one could stop him. At some point, though, his play took a turn downhill. It wasn’t anything too dramatic…until the playoffs, that is.

With Hayes and Miller both not on their games for the 2017 post-season, it hurt the Rangers. For Miller, at age 24, he has a lot of room to improve. Most importantly, though, he has a lot of time, as well.

Despite being a ghost in the playoffs, Miller is a reliable young forward. He merely has to learn to play to his strengths. Although it’s unlikely that this will happen, the Rangers might rely on him to play the center position. He’s a player the team needs right now, and they’d be smart to secure him.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 04: Brady Skjei
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 04: Brady Skjei /

Brady Skjei

The Rangers have an NHL star on their hands with Brady Skjei. He’s a two-way defenseman and a large part of the future of this team. And they know it.

He’s solid in the defensive zone and structured when he slides into a more offensive mindset. With him and Smith, and McDonagh and Shattenkirk on this newly developed defense, great things are in store.

Not to mention, he was spectacular in the 2017 Playoffs, as well. His only “bad” game (which wasn’t terrible by any means) was Game One against the Senators. But he adjusted well for the next game, learning from his mistakes.

And that’s exactly why the Rangers need to realize how important this “kid” is to their future. At age 23, he has a lot of potential to fulfill, and the Rangers would love to see that happen with them. This one is a “must do” for the team.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 02: Rick Nash
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 02: Rick Nash /

Rick Nash

A lot of people have vastly different opinions when it comes to what to do with Rick Nash. However, last season he was great for the entire ride.

From the beginning of the regular season to the last game of the 2017 Playoffs, Nash showed his true colors and shined in a lot of important moments. He tied the second round series’ Game Five, and he was rock solid the whole way through.

After hearing a lot of criticism that he would “disappear” in the playoffs, he stepped up his game this past season. He was in a lot of pressure heading into the post-season, but he managed it well.

Next: New York Rangers: What Zuccarello’s next contract could look like

For this, the Rangers should at the most consider signing Nash to an extension. Both sides have good reason to agree to terms that wouldn’t be too costly. While this isn’t the most important thing to concentrate on at this time, it is worth it for the Rangers to keep it in the back of their heads.

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