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The New York Rangers fastest way back to contention: An offer sheet to Auston Matthews

By Steve Paulus

TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 7: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates past Kevin Shattenkirk #22 and Ondrej Pavelec #31 of the New York Rangers during the second period October 7, 2017 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 7: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates past Kevin Shattenkirk #22 and Ondrej Pavelec #31 of the New York Rangers during the second period October 7, 2017 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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2000 Season: Joe Sakic of Colorado (L) and Wayne Gretzky of the Rangers. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
2000 Season: Joe Sakic of Colorado (L) and Wayne Gretzky of the Rangers. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images) /

A brief history of offer sheets

Offer sheets don’t happen very often. In fact, since 2000, there have been only eight offer sheets signed and in seven of the cases, the offer was matched.  The only offer sheet that was not matched was in 2007 when Dustin Penner signed with the Edmonton Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks were awarded three first round picks.

The last offer sheet was in the summer of 2013 when Ryan O’Reilly was signed to a two year, $10 million deal by Calgary, but the offer was matched by Colorado.

The most lucrative offer sheet was the one Philadelphia gave to Shea Weber in 2012. They signed him to a 14-year $110 million contract that was matched by Nashville.  Nashville knew a bad deal when they saw one and flipped Webber to Monteal for P.K. Subban.

The Rangers have an interesting history of offer sheets.  They made headlines in 1997 when they signed Joe Sakic to a three year $21 million contract that was matched by Colorado.

In 1995 they tried to sign Detroit winger Stu Grimson to a five year deal that was matched, as was an offer sheet they gave to Edmonton winger Geoff Courtnall in 1988.

The offer sheet strategy worked once and did it ever. In 1991 they signed a little known winger from Edmonton named Adam Graves. At the time, compensation was decided by arbitration if the teams couldn’t come up with a fair deal.  The Oilers were awarded winger Troy Mallette as compensation (upsetting Ranger fans at the time) and we all know how that one turned out.

Could it happen?

Offer sheet opportunities like this come around rarely.  Players like Auston Matthews come around once in a lifetime.  If you ascribe to the belief that you need a generational player on your team to win a Stanley Cup, then when the opportunity is there you go for it.

If the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup this spring, they may not feel it is necessary to spend a fortune to keep Matthews.  If they come close, they may have no choice but to try to retain him.

Next. Trade value of the Rangers roster. dark

If the Rangers do well in the draft lottery and get Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko do they need an Auston Matthews?  Or would they need him more than ever in order to contend that much faster?

Is this even a possibility? If it is, would the Rangers have the stomach to do it?  There’s no way of knowing.  But is it certainly fun to think about it.

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