Three Moves The New York Rangers Should Make As Free Agency Approaches
We are inching closer to the beginning of the NHL free agency which begins July 1. There has been a lot of buzz swarming the New York Rangers organization on what they may do this offseason. Below are three moves I believe the Rangers need to make to help make another playoff run next year.
All contracts and salary cap information from Spotrac.
Trade Jacob Trouba
There has been a lot of discussion in recent days on the status of Trouba’s tenure in New York. After a disappointing postseason from the defenseman, the captain of the Rangers may find himself suiting up for a new team come September.
The Rangers requested Trouba to provide a list of 15 teams that he does not want to be traded to due to a partial no-trade clause in his contract. This will make it hard for GM Chris Drury to ship Trouba, but there should be a few teams interested in the veteran defenseman.
Trouba’s big contract will also make it a challenge to move him. He has two years left on the 7-year 56 million dollar deal he signed with New York in 2019 and his cap hit for the remaining time is 8 million dollars per year.
Utah Hockey Club
The first team I would be in contact with if I were Drury is the Utah Hockey Club. The UHC has the most cap space in the league with a little over 42 million dollars to spend so spending 8 million dollars for the next two years won’t hurt them. Trouba also brings experience which can help mentor a young and new team.
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Extend Igor Shesterkin
It is no doubt that Shesterkin is the cornerstone of this team. Without him, the Rangers would never have won the President's Trophy nor would have been in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Shesty is entering the final season of a 4 year 22.6 million dollar contract he signed in 2021. Like the previous three years, Shesterkin will be making 5.66 million dollars this upcoming season.
The Rangers don’t have to extend him if they don’t want to, but there is too much risk in letting him play the next season and enter free agency in 2025. Drury won’t be able to get Shesterkin for as cheap as he did in 2021, but if a blank check is what it takes to keep the best goalie in the league in Madison Square Garden then a blank check should be on the table. If he does become a free agent next season almost every team in the league will be jumping on the phones to strike a deal with him.
New York currently sits with 12.8 million dollars in cap room and they can free up so more cap if they trade Trouba. Shesterkin could be looking as high as 12 million dollars per year which would make him the highest-paid goalie and put him fourth in the league for highest-paid player overall. Yes, that is a lot of money, but it is well deserved and the team will be drastically worse without Shesterkin as the last line of defense.
Bring Back Patrick Kane
Kane had a short stint with the Rangers during the 2022-23 season after being traded to New York from the Blackhawks. He left in free agency and signed with the Detroit Red Wings where he played 50 games and netted 20 goals and had 27 assists.
Kane is getting up there in age so I would only expect a one-year deal, but it would be on the cheaper side. He clearly can still produce as he almost averaged a point per game last season so that would not be a worry. He can be plugged into any of the top three lines and would be a good fit on the power play.
In 26 total games with the Blueshirts Kane put up six goals and 12 assists. I don’t think he reached his full potential with the Rangers. It is hard to build chemistry with a team when you play just 19 regular season games and then the playoffs hit. If there is a reunion, I expect the offense to be flowing well and Kane to put up 25+ goals.