With the free agent window about to open on July 1, all signs are that the New York Rangers are focused on Artemi Panarin. If he goes elsewhere, there are some bargain depth players the team could pursue.
Free agency, also known as “the silly season,” begins in just a few days. When it comes to the New York Rangers, all of the noise has been about Artemi Panarin. The team does not appear to be in on top free agent forwards like Matt Duchene, Joe Pavelski or Anders Lee.
The same could be said for the second tier of free agent forwards like Ryan Dzingel, Marcus Johansson, Gustav Nyquist or even Mats Zuccarello.
That’s not to say that the team won’t surprise us on Monday and swoop in and sign someone we didn’t expect. There are some free agents who will command a reasonable salary, but won’t be bargains. That group includes Washington’s Brett Connolly and Micheal Ferland of Carolina. They are both coming off cheap contracts and had years that will drive their price up.
With the team’s depth at defense, if any free agent signings are possible, they will be at forward, the focus of this article.
Second tier free agents to avoid
There a few free agents who may get “biggish” bucks that the Rangers should stay away from. Wayne Simmonds is a 30-year old power forward who declined precipitously this season. Unless he can be signed for much less than the $5 million he earned last year, the team should pass.
Corey Perry was bought out by the Anaheim Ducks and could be seen as an attractive asset. He might have been four years ago, but after scoring only six goals this season and seeing his goal totals drop each of the last three years, the 34-year old forward is a bad bet.
If anyone is wishing for a reunion with Derick Brassard, the 31-year old is coming off a 14 goal season for three teams (Pittsburgh, Florida, Colorado). He was a minus 19 in the worst year of a 12 season career. He just finished off the five-year, $25 million contract he signed with the Blueshirts in 2014.
Searching for bargains
So, is there another Michael Grabner out there? Granted, they are tough to find. For every Grabner the Rangers sign there is a Ryan Malone, Nathan Gerbe or Josh Jooris who is a bust. In fact, they were lucky when they signed David Desharnais who proved to be a serviceable depth center.
There are some forwards out there that could potentially turn out to positive additions.
Brian Boyle, Center – Ranger fans know Brian Boyle well. Though he is 34 years old he can still fill a role as a defensive forward who is a positive figure in the locker room, plus, he’s a winner. He is coming off a $2.5 million contract he signed with the Devils.
Colin Wilson, Left Wing– The Avalanche winger would be overpriced at the $4 million salary he drew this season, but if he could be had for less, he’s a physical forward who once scored 20 goals for Nashville (hence the big contract). He is also the son of former Ranger Carey Wilson.
Tobias Rieder, Center-Right Wing- The 26-year old Tobias Rieder had some good seasons in Arizona before being dealt to the Edmonton sinkhole where he was a disappointment. He’s coming off a one-year $2 million deal he signed with the Oilers. The German native was a big goal scorer in the OHL and AHL and may be a reclamation project worth investing in.
Joonas Donaskoi, Right Wing – If the Rangers want to give Kaapo Kakko someone from Finland to talk to, they may consider San Jose winger Joonas Donskoi who has made it clear he wants to test free agency after an excellent regular season and playoffs with the Sharks. He’s a solid possession player who played a key role on the fourth line for the Sharks for the last four years. The right wing is coming off a $1.9 million deal with San Jose.
Brandon Tanev, Left Wing – Tanev is another younger UFA forward who could fill a useful role as a third or fourth line winger. He is fresh from his best NHL season(14 goals, 29 points) for which he earned $1.5 million with the Winnipeg Jets. The Toronto native has been signing one-year contracts for the last three years.
Devante Smith-Pelly, Left Wing – If the Rangers are looking for a big bodied winger they could do worse than Devante Smith-Pelly. After playing a key role in the Stanley Cup championships team two years ago, the 27-year old spent last season in Washington and Hershey. He could serve a role as a depth left winger and would be bargain at the $1 million he was paid by the Capitals.
No reunions here
Other than Mats, Zuccarello, Derick Brassard and Brian Boyle, there a number of UFA’s who are former New York Rangers who don’t warrant a return to the Big Apple.
They include Oscar Lindberg, Cody McLeod, Brandon Pirri, Jayson Megna and Lee Stempniak.
There’s no doubt the Rangers have a short list of potential signees they are looking at. In all likelihood it will happen after the free agent frenzy has abated and there are some bargains to be had. These are a few that could be worth the gamble.