Is Brendan Lemieux worth more than Pavel Zacha?

The Devils recently signed Pavel Zacha to a three-year deal. Is it the kind of deal that the New York Rangers should make with restricted free agent Brendan Lemieux?

The New York Rangers are in a salary standoff with Brendan Lemieux.  The unrestricted free agent will be sitting at home with training camp about the start if he isn’t under contract.  The situation hasn’t gotten ugly yet and he has been skating with the team at informal workouts at their practice facility.

The Pavel Zacha situation had gotten ugly with his agent hinting that he was ready to sign with the KHL.  Devils GM Ray Shero had responded with a expletive filled response when asked by the Associated Press about reports that Zacha had signed with Avangard Omsk.  “I don’t give a [expletive] if he signs with the KHL or if he signs with [expletive] Brampton (an ECHL club). I don’t give a [expletive] where. We hold his rights,” Shero said.

Shortly after that, Zacha signed a three year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $2.25 million.  The deal is backloaded with the salary going up each year from $1.75 million in year one to $2 million in year two and $3 million in year three.  What’s interesting about this deal is that after it expires, the Devils’ qualifying offer will have to be $3 million as it is based on the last year’s salary.

Comparing Zacha and Lemieux

Pavel Zacha was taken sixth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.  After playing one more year in the OHL, the Czech center made it to the NHL for good in 2016-17.  Zacha hasn’t exactly lit it up in the NHL.  He has played 201 games in three seasons, scoring 29 goals.  Last season was his best as he finished with 13 goals and 25 points.

While Zacha is a three year NHL veteran, Brendan Lemieux is coming off his rookie season split between Winnipeg and the Rangers. In his first full season he scored 12 goals and added five assists for 17 points.  Most notably, he was one of the NHL leaders in penalty minutes with 108.  Lemieux was the first pick in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.  Originally drafted by Buffalo, Lemieux has taken a longer road to the NHL.

Zacha is a center and theoretically, that makes him more valuable than a winger.  He is one year younger than Lemieux who is 23.  His future with the Devils is on the third or fourth lines, behind Nico Hischier and Travis Zajac on the depth  chart and probably destined to drop behind Jack Hughes.

Another player to compare Lemieux to is Los Angeles Kings center/winger Adrian Kempe. He was just signed to three year contract with an annual AAV of $2 million. Kempe is a former first round pick (#29 overall), selected two slots before Lemieux.  A veteran of two full seasons, he has scored at a 0.16 goals per game rate and 0.38 points per game rate.  Lemieux in his time in New York scored at a 0.16 GPG and 0.32 PPG rate.   That is also comparable to Zacha with a 0.14 GPG and 0.38 PPG rate.