Why the Rangers’ deadline deals were rentals

Looking at 2023-24

To be honest, the situation doesn’t get better in 2023-24, it gets a little worse.  While they will be rid of some contracts (Reaves, Hunt) and finally have no dead cap space from buyouts, they will have two young players coming off their ELC’s and looking for a payday. The team will have to decide if they want to give Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller bridge deals or try to lock them in for the long term at a team friendly rate.  The salary cap ceiling will go up, but incrementally.  The $1 million increase next year is nice, but barely makes a dent.

Okay, let’s make it simple

Since Rangers fans are overly optimistic, let’s put it as realistically as possible.  Here’s what they need to do with their  $11,771,031 in cap space.  Current salaries are in parentheses).   It will go fast.

• Ryan Strome ($4.5MM): Re-sign or replace
• Andrew Copp ($3.64MM):  Re-sign or replace
• Frank Vatrano ($2.53MM):  Re-sign or replace
• Tyler Motte ($1.22 MM): Re-sign or replace
• Justin Braun ($1.8MM):  Re-sign or replace
• Kevin Rooney ($750k): Re-sign or replace
• Greg McKegg ($750k): Re-sign or replace
• Alexandar Georgiev ($2.42MM): Extend or replace
• Kaapo Kakko ($925k): Extend
• Sammy Blais ($1.5MM): Extend
• Libor Hajek ($874k): Extend
• Julien Gauthier ($775k): Extend
• Vitali Kravtsov ($925k): Extend

Conclusions

When they talk about deadline rentals, they weren’t kidding.  While the Rangers made themselves a much better team at the deadline, it is really for the short term since the odds that any of these players will be in a Rangers uniform next season are slim.

Of all the acquisitions, Andrew Copp is the player that the Rangers would like to keep the most.  Having already demonstrated an affinity for playing with Panarin, signing him would check off a lot of boxes on the Drury to-do list.

The Rangers were in an odd situation this season.  Because the big contracts for Zibanejad and Fox don’t kick in until next season, they found themselves with a surplus of cap space and Drury invested wisely.

What it means is that the Rangers may actually be in a better position to go far in the playoffs this season.  With the deadline acquisitions, this year’s team will be deeper and better balanced going into the post-season.   It’s hard to believe, but next season, the team could actually be worse if their prized young players don’t improve.

It’s an amazing story.  In 2020-21 the Rangers brought in Fox and Lindgren.  In 2020-21 it was Miller.  This season it was Schneider.  On defense, they are positioned to have one of the best young defense corps in the NHL.

If they can replicate that with prospects like Will Cuylle and Brennan Othmann along with young players like Kakko, Lafreniere and Blais the future looks bright so long as they have the same success.

You can be sure that Chris Drury knows what’s at stake.   That’s why he traded Pavel Buchnevich when he did.  If he hadn’t, he would have been faced with losing Strome and Buchnevich  to free agency this summer with nothing to show for it.

No matter what, the salary cap is a mess.  Many point to the pre-pandemic deals handed out to Panarin and Trouba or the three-year $7.5 million deal to Nemeth. The fact is the core of the team will be together for many years to come and it will be up to Drury to work his magic to fill out the rest of the team. The good news is pretty much every contending NHL team is in the same boat with many in even worse shape than the Rangers.