Does free agent John Carlson fit into the New York Rangers’ plans?
Should the New York Rangers decide to open their wallets this offseason, one name to be on the lookout for is John Carlson.
The Stanley Cup Final has ended, which means the New York Rangers can firmly transition their sights toward the offseason. Following the most disappointing Rangers season in over a decade, changes are to be expected. However, it remains to be seen how aggressive general manager Jeff Gorton will be in courting top-tier free agents.
One of the biggest names on the market will be Stanley Cup champion defenseman, John Carlson.
Of course, the Capitals will have first dibs at retaining their star defenseman’s services. Nevertheless, coming off a career-best season, the Capitals current salary situation figures to price them out of his market.
If the opportunity presents itself, adding Carlson is a discussion that will be had in the Rangers’ front office.
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Cost
The conversation with John Carlson will likely begin and end talking numbers. Entering free agency, Carlson will be 28 years old and be seeking a long-term contract that ties him up into his mid-30s. Considering the outcome of recent long-term deals for a near-30 defenseman, Gorton may be reluctant to make that type of commitment.
Not to mention, Carlson’s performance over the last five seasons has put him squarely in the conversation of the league’s top-10 defenseman. Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban, and Drew Doughty are just a few names ahead of him in scoring over that time. As a result, Carlson’s expected salary will be north of $7-million for a term of no less than 5 seasons.
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What he brings
Nonetheless, this is not to say Carlson has proven unworthy of a new deal accompanied by a raise. Over the last five seasons, he has not had a season under 37 points. Including the 2015-16 season in which he recorded 39 points in just 56 games.
Aside from that 2015-16 when he suffered a broken ankle/foot, Carlson has been a very durable player. In his other seven full seasons at the NHL level, he has only missed 10 games.
Further improving his résumé is the quality of competition he has played against. As a member of the Stanley Cup winning Capitals team, Carlson served as the team’s number one defenseman. All while finding a way to be a near even-possession player against the league’s top competition.
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How he fits
When a player of John Carlson’s caliber becomes available teams will make it a priority to find room for him. Similarly, injecting Carlson into David Quinn’s new regime could provide a leader and role model for rising stars.
Adding a player like Carlson would do nothing to hurt the position of the Rangers roster. However, in the first year of a rebuilding process, his prime years would not be best utilized. If Gorton and his team decide to become big spenders, I expect it to be for franchise players like John Tavares or Erik Karlsson.
Pair in the fact that Kevin Shattenkirk, Neal Pionk, and Anthony DeAngelo all are worthy of a roster spot and fit the bill of right-handed defenseman for a much more affordable price.
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Of course, in New York, one can never be certain about what splashes will be made on the free agent market. Despite the first sense of uncertainty surrounding the direction of the franchise in over a decade, expecting a move like this one is unlikely.