The New York Rangers could be a few years away from cap turmoil
After the recent buyout of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and the trade of defenseman Marc Staal , the New York Rangers are in a decent situation when it comes to their cap space, especially when compared to some other teams around the league who at or over the cap ceiling. Those days might be coming to an end soon and I think Jeff Gorton and John Davidson know it, considering their recent hoarding of money.
Within the next three seasons, Kaapo Kakko, Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafrenière, Igor Shesterkin, and Adam Fox will all be free agents. Keep in mind that the only player with any real leverage here is Mika Zibanejad, as he will be an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) when his contract is up.
Right now it is way too early to accurately estimate what kind of contracts these guys will command come free agency, but it’s never too soon to guesstimate. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a flat salary cap for this season and possibly longer and that is making it hard for any team to be really creative with their contracts. The cap should increase when the NHL’s new TV rights deal kicks in after the 2020-21 season when the Rangers will need the cap space most.
Please remember! This list is pure speculation, and I in no way have any insider information as to what the future of these players holds. It is purely for fun, who doesn’t love to play pretend general manager every now and again? Let’s take a look at the next major free-agent that the Rangers will most likely be paying for the long-term: