The New York Rangers have the option to trade for or offer sheet William Nylander this offseason. The 22 year old has the potential to be a star in the NHL for years to come.
The New York Rangers have a myriad of options in front of them this offseason. With assets and $30 million in projected cap space to spare, we could see trades and signings as the July 1st free agency date approaches.
One of the players the Rangers may target is restricted free agent William Nylander. The 22-year-old forward received a qualifying offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the two parties have yet to reach an agreement on an extension.
Nylander’s name was mentioned in connection to the Rangers at the trade deadline. He was rumored to be one of the names that came up in trade talks between the Rangers and Maple Leafs for Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh ended up going to Tampa Bay instead.
When it comes to a course of action, the Rangers have two options: trade for Nylander’s rights or offer sheet him.
Before getting into each option, here is what we know as of now. Nylander spent the 2017-18 season on the Maple Leafs top line with Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman. He had 20 goals and 41 assists, totaling 61 points for the season. This is more than the Rangers leading point scorer for the season, Mats Zuccarello.
In addition, Nylander is reportedly looking for a six-year deal with a $6.67 million AAV. This is the same deal that his off-ice friend David Pastrnak signed with the Boston Bruins.
Now let’s look at both options the Rangers have to get Nylander.
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Trade for Nylander
As mentioned before, Nylander’s name has come up in trade talks before. That being said, the Maple Leafs asking price is high. Nylander is a part of the “Big Three,” along with linemate Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The Maple Leafs won’t let go of him easily.
What works in the Rangers’ favor is that the Maple Leafs are down to the final teams in the John Tavares sweepstakes. Signing him will definitely make trading Nylander more realistic.
Now this begs the question of; what would the Rangers have to give up in a trade for Nylander? One suggestion on CapFriendly is a first round pick and the rights to RFA defenseman Brady Skjei in exchange for Nylander and a third round pick.
While I don’t necessarily agree with trading Skjei, the general price of a first round pick and a young roster player sounds reasonable for Nylander. Skjei may be the one that has to be moved, as the Maple Leafs are looking to improve their defense.
The Rangers also have the draft picks to spend. They have a guaranteed first round pick and could get another one if the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in the 2018-19 season.
So if the Rangers are looking to make a splash and bring Nylander on via trade, it is absolutely feasible.
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Offer Sheet Nylander
An alternative to trading for Nylander is to offer sheet him. According to a Sportsnet article, the offer sheet scale is as follows:
Compensation
| Offer Sheet (AAV) | |
|---|---|
| $1,339,575 or below | None |
| Over $1,339,575 to $2,029,59 | 3rd |
| Over $2,029,59 to $4,059,322 | 2nd |
| Over $4,059,322 to $6,088,980 | 1st, 3rd |
| Over $6,088,980 to $8,118,641 | 1st, 2nd, 3rd |
| Over $8,118,641 to $10,148,302 | (2) 1st, 2nd, 3rd |
| Over $10,148,302 | (4) 1st |
So if Nylander wants a $6.67 million AAV on his next contract, the Rangers will have to most likely be in the “over $6,088,980 to $8,118,641” range with their offer sheet. That means they would have to sacrifice a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick.
The Rangers have picks in each of those rounds, so they meet the requirement to give Nylander the offer sheet. If they lose the one first round pick, they could still have another with the conditional Tampa Bay pick.
If Nylander accepted that offer and signed with the Rangers, he would be the highest paid forward on the team. He could also potentially make more than Kevin Shattenkirk, who makes $6.65 million.
In this scenario, the Rangers have the cap space and draft picks to spare. Again, like trading for Nylander, the team has to decide if having him on the roster is worth the risk.
Nylander can bring pure scoring talent to the Rangers. He can play wing and center, and has extremely high potential with 135 points already in 185 career games. With all of the promising young talent already in the Rangers’ system, Nylander would be an extra bonus and he can make an immediate impact.
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So as the offseason really kicks off, the Rangers could take a riskier path and go after a star like Nylander. He can boost the offense from day one and will be able to put the puck in the back of the net. And at 22, he still has many years left to improve even more and grow as the Rangers rebuild.