Long term salary cap issues facing the Rangers

Sticky wicket

Every decision Jeff Gorton makes moving forward has to be made with the salary cap as the determining factor.  Besides Zibanejad, he has to establish his priorities and next season will be key for all of these young players.  If youngsters like Chytil or Kakko have bad seasons, it will make Gorton’s decisions that much harder.   If they have great seasons, it will help Gorton’s decision making.

But to put it in perspective, here’s a look at what the Rangers’ payroll could look like in 2023-24:

Committed salary:  $26.1 million

• Artemi Panarin  $11.6 million
• Chris Kreider   $6.5 million
• Jacob Trouba   $ 8 million

Estimated salary:   $55.5 million

• Mika Zibanejad  $10 million
• Alexis Lafreniere  $10 million
• Kaapo Kakko    $7.5 million
• Adam Fox   $8 million
• Igor Shesterkin   $6 million
• Vitali Kravtsov  $6 million
• Filip Chytil  $5 million
• Ryan Lindgren  $3 million

So, $81.6 million tied up in 11 players.  We’re not even factoring in players like K’Andre Miller, DeAngelo, Buchnevich, Gauthier, Lemieux or Ryan Strome.  Speculation?  Absolutely, but considering the NHL salary structure and looking to other contracts signed by young stars in the league, if anything, some of these estimates are conservative.

A comparison

Keep these payouts in mind, all for players coming off their Entry Level Contracts:

• Connor McDavid: $ 12.5 million AAV, 8 years signed at age 20
• Auston Matthews:   $11.6 million AAV, 5 years signed at age 22
• Jack Eichel:  $10 million AAV, 8 years signed at age 20
• Nathan MacKinnon:  $6.3 million AAV, 7 years signed at age 21
• Sebastian Aho:  $8.45 million AAV, 5 years signed at age 22
• Mitch Marner:  $10.9 million AAV, 6 years signed at age 22
• Mikko Rantanen:  $9.25 million AAV,  6 years signed at age 22
• Leon Draisaitl:  $8.5 million AAV, 8 years signed at age 22
• Aaron Ekblad:  $7.5 million AAV, 8 years signed at age 20

Is there anyone who would ell you that at that salary, Draisaitl, MacKinnon and Ekblad are not bargains? The question is whether Zibanejad, Kakko, Fox and LaFreniere (if drafted) will deserve to be in this salary stratosphere.

Every choice that a general manager makes is open to second guessing, especially with the benefit of hindsight.  But that’s why he gets paid the big bucks. The Rangers are fortunate that they have so many young players at bargain salaries, especially with the flat salary cap looming.  But, all of those cheap deals will be expiring at the same time and that could be a big, big problem for Gorton and the Rangers.  Watching them navigate this will be fascinating and will make or break this team moving forward.