A simple, yet memorable off-season for the Rangers
Alexis Lafrenière
The most notable and the most obvious move of the “summer” is the drafting and signing of the future Calder Trophy hopeful, Alexis Lafrenière. There’s very little that hasn’t already been said about the first-ever first-overall selection in the New York Rangers’ history. Lafrenière is a tremendous talent and already finds himself compared with an elite company. The skilled winger is essentially a lock for a roster spot and is expected to make an immediate impact.
Despite it being a sheer stroke of luck, drafting Alexis Lafrenière is the defining addition of the off-season, and had the pandemic stars not aligned just so, it’s highly unlikely that the New York Rangers would have walked away with the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Marc Staal
Thank you, Detroit. Thank you for giving Marc Staal a home, because he deserves an opportunity to still play… just not for the Rangers.
Marc Staal was once the most beloved defenseman on the New York Rangers roster. He was a shutdown player night in and night out; taking on the opposition’s best shift after shift. However, we are a few years and a couple of injuries removed from that version of Marc Staal. Staal finds himself on the ice far too often in negative scenarios and fans have called for him to be traded for several seasons now. Luckily, Detroit was willing to take on the last year of his contract and Staal was willing to waive his No Movement Clause.
After thirteen years of servitude, it was time to part with the former alternate captain. Cap relief was the biggest need of the off-season and yes, the relief did cost the New York Rangers a second-round pick, but ridding themselves of Marc Staal’s $5.7 million contract allowed for the…
Re-signing of key players
With the ink just now drying on Ryan Strome’s newest contract, the New York Rangers were able to keep restricted free agents, Ryan Strome, Tony DeAngelo, and Brendan Lemieux. For the majority of the season, it was speculated that the Rangers wouldn’t be able to bring back all three of these players. However, thanks to Jeff Gorton’s ability to free up cap space, the New York Rangers were able to fulfill the biggest need of the off-season – retention.
Ryan Strome signed for $4.5 million AAV for 2 years.
Tony DeAngelo signed for $4.8 million AAV for 2 years.
Brendan Lemieux signed for $1.55 million AAV for 2 years.
All three of these contracts are team-friendly deals and all three players are coming off of career seasons. Strome has 59 points in 70 games played. Tony DeAngelo had 53 points in 68 games played. Brendan Lemieux had18 points and 111 penalty minutes in 59 games played.
Each of these players provides a different texture to the fabric of this team. Each of these players shows up their fans and all three of them could have demanded more. It remains to be seen if Strome can repeat this year’s performance or if DeAngelo can provide more than just an offensive game or if Lemieux can provide more than a physical presence, but now all three of them have two years to show the Rangers’ front office that they can.
Jesper Fast
The five-time recipient of the Players’ Player Award, Jesper Fast, left the New York Rangers after seven seasons to join the Carolina Hurricanes…
With funds being what they are, fans thought Jesper Fast might be the odd man out this off-season. However, when the amount for which he walked was revealed, fans were left scratching their heads. $2 million a year for 3 years? Fans expected he would sign elsewhere for more than that.
$3 million is too steep a price, but $2 million? You have to wonder if there was any negotiation between the front office and Jesper Fast. Did the New York Rangers at least try to bring him back on a team-friendly deal? Did they at least try to get him for $1.75 million for 2 years?
Yes, the New York Rangers are logjammed at the wing. Yes, they are already in the hole in terms of Performance Bonus Penalties. Yes, they had other players to re-sign, but Jesper Fast is a player who’s done a little bit of everything for this franchise. It would have been money well spent, especially when Jeff Gorton spent $1.15 million on…
Jack Johnson
My heart goes out to Jack Johnson. Johnson has dealt with far more heartache than the average player in the NHL. No person should have to deal with parents like his…
With that aside, why is he here? With so many budding defensemen looking to leap into a pertinent, permanent role, why are we taking on yet another veteran defenseman past his prime? To add to the point, Johnson is now the oldest defenseman, by almost two years, on the roster at 33-years-old. $1.15 million is a decent price for Johnson, sure, but Libor Hájek, Yegor Rykov, K’Andre Miller, Nils Lundkvist, Brandon Schneider, among others will be fighting for a slot in a defensive core that already boasts Jacob Trouba, Tony DeAngelo, Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox, and the deserved scapegoat that is Brendan Smith.
Jack Johnson is a left defenseman, sure. Trouba, Fox, and DeAngelo all play on the right side, but Hájek, Rykov, and Miller naturally play on the left side and Nils Lundkvist has said he is willing to play left as well. Jack Johnson just throws a cog into the defensive wheel.
Johnson was brought in alongside Colin Blackwell (center, 27) Keith Kinkaid (goalie, 31), Anthony Bitetto (left defenseman, 30), and Kevin Rooney (right-wing/center, 27). All four of whom will offer depth to the franchise and should be competing for a roster spot, but none are expected to make a major impact.
Jack Johnson is far and away the most recognizable free agent acquired this off-season. However, comparatively, he’s one of the weakest free agents the New York Rangers have signed in years.
Henrik Lundqvist
It’s the move that everyone knew needed to happen, but it’s simultaneously the move no one wanted to happen. The New York Rangers were left little to no choice but to buy out Henrik Lundqvist, the winningest goaltender in franchise history. Holding onto Hank’s $8.5 million contract would have handcuffed Jeff Gorton; preventing him from bringing back DeAngelo, Strome, and Lemieux.
The move also secured Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev as the official goaltending tandem. The three-headed elephant in the room has officially left the Garden.
Despite the necessity of the buyout, the departure is still just as gut-wrenching. It’s an emotional blow that’s made even more heartbreaking due to King Henrik opting to sign with the divisional rival, the Washington Capitals.
It feels a lot like when you break up with your high school girlfriend… you didn’t want to date her, but your 16-year-old heart can’t stomach seeing her date anyone else either…
Personally, my 29-year-old heart can’t fathom the sight of Henrik Lundqvist wearing these new jaw-dropping pads:
Seeing that Crown Collection 35, not 30, just feels so wrong. Intellectually, it is the most sensible move for the New York Rangers. Emotionally, it’s hard to grasp.
This is where the Rangers, yet again, make headlines. Normally, it’s for the arrival of a big name player, but now, it’s the opposite. It’s the departure of an icon.
Regardless of the outcome and reasoning, 2020 will forever be the year labeled as the Lafrenière/Lundqvist off-season – The King handing off his kingdom to a potential Prince.
Long live the King…
Related Story. Great French-Canadians for Lafreniere to follow. light