The New York Rangers are looking to sign character free agents this offseason. It appears they are deep in talks with one ex-Maple Leaf that fits that bill.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period dropped a bomb on Twitter this morning in regards to the New York Rangers and their free agency plans:
The New York Rangers have been in talks with forward Leo Komarov on a multi-year deal. Sounds like it's getting to that point. Wouldn't be surprised to see deal finalized on Sunday.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 28, 2018
Komarov has played five NHL seasons, all with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 31-year old is a former sixth round pick of Toronto from the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. In his five seasons, he’s played in 327 games, registering 52 goals, 70 assists and 122 points. Komarov has also been a hitting machine throughout his career, never finishing with under 200 hits in a season where he plays at least 43 games.
Does this make sense for the Rangers?
Yes, in many ways.
Now the one thing that many people are scared of in that Pagnotta tweet is the notion of giving Komarov a multi-year deal. If the contract is just for two seasons, that is fine. If it’s three years, it’s probably not ideal but you could live with it.
Komarov is coming off a contract where he made just under $3 million a year over four years. He’ll likely sign, if the reports are true, for around the same yearly value but for a shorter term in New York.
Komarov is perfect for what the Rangers are trying to do because of his intangibles on and off the ice. He is not going to take a top-six slot from a youngster, instead, he’ll likely play on the fourth line, where he’d slot in perfectly.
For arguments sake, here's the way too small sample size we have of Boo Nieves v. Leo Komarov.
— Greg Kaplan (@BlueshirtsBreak) June 28, 2018
If they're both on your 4th line, cool. I'm not sure Boo is the guy we should say is the reason to not want Komarov to serve a certain role on a rebuilding team, though. pic.twitter.com/AFgKeNbgqr
He was an alternate captain for the Maple Leafs over the last few seasons and has a reputation as a respected leader, somebody who had to work their butt off to stick around in this league after being a sixth rounder.
Related story: Rangers should bring Anthony Duclair back in free agency
The most interesting thing about the Estonia-born wing is that he speaks four languages; Finnish, Russian, Swedish and English. With a majority of the Rangers’ prospects coming from Europe, that is huge for their ability to transition to a new culture.
And let’s not forget, Komarov was on the Leafs during their worst years when they were bottom dwellers in the league. He understands what is needed in players on a rebuilding team.
If the Rangers do end up signing Komarov, it would be an interesting fit. He’d definitely make the team harder to play against, for sure. While he has limited offensive upside, he’s been a tremendous player in the defensive end for the Leafs. In his career, he has 202 takeaways and 116 turnovers.
Next: Matchups to look forward to in 18-19
The biggest question here is what the term of his contract would be because that’ll determine how great this potential signing will be.