Is this the end of Lundqvist in a Rangers jersey?
Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic: If the NHL canceled the regular season and moved straight to the playoffs, the New York Rangers would be on the outside looking in.
Would it mean that Henrik Lundqvist could have played his final game in a Rangers jersey? He has only started once in their past 19 games, four in their last 30 games.
Lundqvist is third on their depth chart, is 38-years old and carries an $8.5 million cap hit for another year. The Rangers won’t go into next season carrying three goalies as they have been.
A buyout is an option and would mean a $3 million cap savings next year and would add a $1.5 million cap hit to 2021-22. The Rangers could see if they could find a trade partner, retaining salary, and one that Lundqvist would approve.
Defenseman Marc Staal has as year left on his deal at $5.7 million and could be a buyout candidate as well. They could try to trade him and retain salary.
Forward Jesper Fast is a UFA. Forward Ryan Strome, defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev are RFAs and will be looking for raises.
If a team offers the Rangers a first-round pick or top prospect(s), the Rangers could move Georgiev, and have Lundqvist backup Igor Shesterkin next season.
Chara not thinking about next season just yet
Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe: Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara will be 43-years old this week and is without a contract for next season. Will he return next year?
“Not thinking about it right now,” said his longtime agent, Matt Keator. “Something we’ll all sit down with at the end of the year — Z, me, Don Sweeney — and figure out what’s next.”
Chara has played 1,023 games in a Bruins jersey, 1,553 regular season games in total. He’s played in 182 playoff games, 137 games in a Bruins jersey.
The Bruins should be able to find a way to fit in his salary next season if he wants to play and if they want him back.
