The New York Rangers have some roster needs with a left defenseman the most important
The New York Rangers are in need of a left defenseman to either play with Jacob Trouba or on the third pairing. Right now, either Brendan Smith or Libor Hajek will be playing top minutes when the season starts. The blueliner who doesn’t pair with Trouba will be on the third pair, that’s how thin they are on defense. Don’t forget, Smith killed penalties and played wing most of the season and Hajek never came back from Hartford after he was sent there on a conditioning assignment after an injury.
Jeff Gorton raised the issue of moving either Adam Fox or Tony DeAngelo to the left side, but that isn’t optimal. They could go the free agent route, but with K’Andre Miller in the pipeline and maybe one year away, it presents an issue when looking at free agents who will want a multi-year deal.
If the Rangers go for a stud left defenseman, it will take a lot of money and a longterm contract. They could gamble that either Libor Hajek or Brendan Smith can fill that role and look for a veteran to sign for one year. They also could use a right shot defenseman for depth purposes since the only option if there is an injury is minor leaguer Darren Raddysh.
Let’s take a look at the defensemen available in the free agent marketplace.
Top pair left side defensemen
Here are some defensemen on the younger side who would be looking for term and money. If the Rangers go for one of these players, look for him to stick with the team for a few years, not a bad option considering that Brendan Smith is gone after next season. We included Torey Krug as the top left-shot defender, but there is no way he finds himself in Rangers blue.
- Torey Krug, Boston – The 29 year old is the top free agent defenseman in the class. He will command over $7 million a year, too rich for the Blueshirts.
- Sami Vatanen, Carolina – Though he is a right-shot he has experience playing the left side. A versatile defender who’s 29 years old, he may get as much as $5 million and that may be too much.
- Jon Merrill, Vegas – Merrill is a solid 28 year old blueliner who has been solid for the Golden Knights for three seasons. He won’t be expensive, but could be a decent solution until K’Andre Miller is ready and he could then fill in on the third pairing.
- Mark Borowiecki, Ottawa – If the Rangers want to be tougher to play against, Borowiecki could be an option. The 31 year old is a tough customer who once led the NHL in penalty minutes. There’s a question of whether the Senators will let the Ottawa native walk, but he could draw interest from New York. He’s making a reasonable $1.2 million and will be looking for a raise and term.
- Oscar Fantenberg, Vancouver – If the Rangers are looking for a physical defenseman to sign for two or three years, Fantenberg could be a possibility. The 29 year old is a physical blueliner who will draw some interest. Paid $850k this season, it will take more to sign him, but it won’t break the bank.
- Slater Koekkoek, Chicago – Koekkoek was not tendered a qualifying offer from the Blackhawks and became a free agent. He’s a former 10th overall first rounder from Tampa and at 26 years old, found himself a top six defender for Chicago in their postseason run. More of a defense-first type of blueliner, he could fit in with the Blueshirts and coming off a $925k salary, he won’t break the bank.
Short term solutions
There are a number of older blueliners who could probably be had for a one year contract at a decent dollar figure. A few could actually work out on the top pairing for one year, until K’Andre Miller is NHL ready, soon to be followed by Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson.
Ron Hainsey, Ottawa – Sure, he’s 39 years old, but if you are looking for a reliable defender willing to sign for one year, he might be a decent option. He will ask for less than the $3.5 million he made last year and could be a mentor to the young Rangers blue line.
Zdeno Chara, Boston – The 43 year old is a lock to sign a one year deal with Boston, but finishing his career on Broadway could be interesting for the tallest player in the NHL. He can still play too. It’s not going to happen.
Andy Greene, Islanders – Ranger fans don’t like the 37 year old Greene, but that’s because he was a lifelong Devil, serving as their captain. The truth is that he can still play excellent defense and he brings leadership to the locker room. Playing for the Rangers next season, he could be the only player to hit all three New York area teams in just two seasons. He made $5 million last year and should be available for much less.
Luca Sbisa, Winnipeg – The 30 year old is a high character guy who could have easily been retained by the Jets except for a surplus of blueliners. He has a decade of experience and has been a top four defender for Anaheim and Vegas.
Michael Del Zotto, Anaheim – It would be a return home for Del Zotto who was a first round Rangers pick in 2008. He’s now a grizzled veteran on the back nine of his career. He’s still a reliable experienced defender who played for the league minimum last season.
There are a number of righthanded defenders in the free agent marketplace, but it’s the left side that the Rangers need to bolster. It’s very likely that the Blueshirts will look to trade to fill this hole in the roster unless they go the route of signing one of the inexpensive veterans.