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New York Rangers: The cap space situation

By Victoria Ranieri

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 06: Neal Pionk #44 of the New York Rangers high-fives his teammates after scoring a goal in the third period that put the Rangers up 4-3 over the Montreal Canadiens during the game at Madison Square Garden on November 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 06: Neal Pionk #44 of the New York Rangers high-fives his teammates after scoring a goal in the third period that put the Rangers up 4-3 over the Montreal Canadiens during the game at Madison Square Garden on November 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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The New York Rangers are going through a significant amount of roster changes. With all these players coming in and out, what will the cap situation look like in the offseason?

The New York Rangers are rebuilding, and that means lineup changes are imminent. With lineup changes comes cap changes, making the Rangers’ cap space situation hard to predict.

Cap space can make or break a team. According to CapFriendly, the Rangers’ projected cap hit is around $78 million, with their projected cap space being around $1.4 million.

This is…less than ideal. The Rangers have a plethora of forwards in need of new contracts. Both Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, with both Vinni Lettieri and Pavel Buchnevich being restricted free agents. On the back end, newcomers Fredrik Claesson and Adam McQuaid will be both restricted and unrestricted free agents respectively. Additionally, Neal Pionk and Tony DeAngelo will be wrapping up their entry level contracts at the end of this season.

What This Means

With just over $1 million to be split between players deserving of raises, something has to give. Of the aforementioned players, I believe that Buchnevich, DeAngelo, and Pionk are the only two virtually guaranteed to be a New York Ranger next season.

With Kevin Hayes having so much difficulty signing a long-term deal last summer (and ultimately signing a one year deal), the Rangers may decide to use him as trade bait. Zuccarello may also follow the same fate, as teams still will find him valuable, even if his spot on the Rangers is questionable, simply because he probably won’t see the end of the rebuild.

Lettieri, Claesson, and McQuaid, to me, are all 50/50, with McLeod almost certainly not being on this roster next season.

Make Some Space

In order to accommodate both players deserving of raises and potential incoming players, space has to be made. The obvious answer is to part with one of the final links to the glorious Stanley Cup Final run: Marc Staal.

Staal has been a mainstay on the Rangers blue line since the 2007-2008 season. While a stable and trustworthy defensive defenseman for years, his shot-blocking game and serious concussion issues, along with a significant eye injury, have caused his decline in play.

Staal currently has two years remaining on his contract, with his salary being $5.7 million per year. With a buyout, he would be paid out the remainder of his salary over four years. The first year would come with a cap hit of $2.9 million, the second year with the largest cap hit of $3.7 million, and the remaining two years paying $1.2 million per.

dark. Next. Which development league has had the best impact on the New York Rangers?

All in all, the Rangers will be fine cap wise if they play around a bit with their roster. With more rookies expected to be joining the main roster in the coming years, the salaries will tend to be under. a million dollars. However, if the Rangers do decide to buyout Marc Staal, they will not only free up cap space, but a roster spot that will hopefully be for a budding NHL defenseman,.

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