New York Rangers should sign Gabriel Landeskog

The New York Rangers offensive depth currently resembles that of a dried out well. Which is to say they are solid like stone on the outside and a dark hole in the middle.

While Mika Zibanejad had a breakout season two years ago, he struggled this past year due to contracting Covid-19 and there is no telling how that could affect him long term. Filip Chytil is a young and talented center but could use some more time to develop before being given the keys to centering the expensive Panarin-mobile.

Yet, there may be a unique solution. Say hello to Gabriel Landeskog. Now there are rumors floating about that the Rangers may be pursuing Jack Eichel but for a player who has an existing neck injury, it is a risky buy. Landeskog could be a name that perhaps was not considered beforehand, as it appears he is headed towards the free agent market.

The Player

For his entire career, Landeskog (who will be 29 in November) has played for the Colorado Avalanche after being drafted second overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. In 2012, he was named the captain of the team at the ripe old age of 19, the youngest in league history until some guy named Connor McDavid came along. That alone is a sign of how confident the organization was in Landeskog.

He is coming off a season where he put up 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 54 games played. At 6’1” and 215 pounds he fits that “tough to play against” style the Rangers so desperately need. However, there’s a caveat; a huge caveat. He has essentially played his entire NHL career as a winger. Other than time spent in juniors as a center and maybe a game here or there in the big show, Landeskog hasn’t been a full time center. Being that he has had partial experience in the middle, the idea must be pondered.

Despite the lack of long term experience at the position, he has been taking quite a few faceoffs the last four years. In total, Landeskog has taken 2,106 faceoffs over the last four seasons and has an average winning percentage of 54.1%. This past season, Landeskog finished with a 56.6% faceoff wining percentage which is considered an elite ability to win draws. It is also important to note that winning faceoffs has been a nagging issue with this Rangers team, so this would be another role Landeskog would fill.

Furthermore, he has often been referred to as a great leader.  Look at how he took on Brayden Schenn in the playoffs after Schenn hit Mikko Rantanen.

Coupled with the fact that he doesn’t mind digging in the corners like a prospector during the California Gold Rush, he has to be considered a target for the Rangers. At the very least, they should be keeping it in the back of their minds.

The Contract

This off-season the New York Rangers have plenty of cap space, totaling just under $23 million. While the contracts of Pavel Buchnevich, Chytil and Igor Shesterkin will eat into that cap space, they should be left with around $9-10 million. That would be more than enough to fit a Landeskog contract in.

Depending upon the demand, he could receive seven years with an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $7 million. This is based on the contract that Anders Lee received from the New York Islanders prior to COVID-19, as both players are quite similar. In a world with a flat salary cap due to the pandemic, teams will have a hard time offering more than that with the maximum term of seven years.

With less term, the AAV would rise. Ideally, the Rangers try to go with a shorter term and a higher AAV to allow for financial flexibility down the line. If the Rangers go with a shorter term, they could raise the AAV to $7.5-$8 million; this would be the more likely route taken, meaning the contract would be 5-6 years with a cap hit of approximately $8 million per year. They could also look at frontloading the contract, which makes it easier to trade should they ever need to go down that road. However, that would not affect the cap hit.

Landeskog’s current cap hit comes in at just over $5.57 million per year at the end of a seven-year deal. Being 28 years old and dealing with a flat salary cap, players will not be able to get the same amount of money that would normally be presented to them.

The Lineup

If we are to go with the idea of Landeskog signing with the Rangers should he hit free agency, the forward lineup could look interesting.

Panarin – Landeskog – Kaapo Kakko

Alexis Lafreniere – Zibanejad – Buchnevich

Chris Kreider – Chytil – Vitali Kravstov

Barclay Goodrow – Kevin Rooney – Colin Blackwell

This lineup assumes that Ryan Strome is traded and Julien Gauthier will be taken by Seattle in the expansion draft; as well as Barclay Goodrow signing an extension to stay with the team. There is room for change should events pan out differently. It also bumps Zibanejad down the lineup; an excellent idea for someone who hasn’t been the same dynamic player since contracting COVID-19.

It is time for Drury to get creative with how he decides to fill out the roster. Should Landeskog get to free agency, bringing him in and moving him to center is at least worth considering.

The well is dry, Mr. Drury. The team won’t be able to progress without filling the empty space.