There is hype surrounding the New York Rangers this season. They are off to a good start but have several key pieces to their core that they will need to lock up this season.
As NHLRumors.com has documented, the Rangers are up against the salary cap next season. That’s even with the salary cap going up to $92.5 million. In addition to Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers GM Chris Drury has to negotiate new deals for Alexis Lafreniere, Ryan Lindgren, and K’Andre Miller, along with trying to shed Jacob Trouba to make this all work.
NHL Rumors: Expect the New York Rangers To Sign Igor Shesterkin Long-Term
On Wednesday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio. With the Rangers up against the cap, everything will come down to numbers.
Yeah, and it’s difficult because there are probably other teams out there who would be willing to pay him as much. So that’s why the leverage is so much in Igor court, but at the same time, looking at it from the Rangers perspective, they’ve got to pay K’Andre Miller next season. They’ve got to pay Alexis Lafreniere next season. So, I do think that this is coming down to the numbers here.
Igor Shesterkin Will Be the Highest Paid Goalie
Let’s start with Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin is looking to be the highest-paid goalie and has long wanted to be the high-water mark on the goalie market. If that is the case, he will become the highest-paid Ranger on the team, passing Artemi Panarin, who makes just a little under $11.7 million.
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When Shesterkin resets the goalie market in terms of dollar value, what does that do for the rest of the team? PuckPedia.com says the Rangers will have about $59.063 million in cap space next season before the Shesterkin contract extension is signed.
If Igor Shesterkin gets $12 million on his next deal, that leaves Miller and Lafreniere about $21,437,143 in cap space.
What Could Lafreniere Make on a New Extension
We have seen the market being set around the league for players of Lafreniere’s skill set. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, appearing on Thursday’s Coast to Coast on Amazon Prime in Canada, thinks one of the options for Lafreniere is eight years at $8 million a season.
I’m told that they made some pretty significant progress over the summer, and talks are ongoing. They needed to be kind of shelved for a second, as the Rangers were trying to get Shesterkin done before the season started.
Sources indicated that the discussions revolved around an eight-year deal at $8 million plus per year. There are a couple of different options that are on the table for New York and Lafreniere. Still, I can guarantee you this: if Alexis Lafreniere is resigning in New York, you won’t see an AAV under seven, depending on what that term is.
If you look around the league at the market, Dylan Guenther just signed a new eight-year deal with the Utah Hockey Club with a cap hip of $7.14 million. Guenther is off to a great start with four goals in two games, but he played in a career 80 games before this extension kicked. His best season was last year, with 35 points (18 goals and 17 assists).
NHL Rumors: Igor Shesterkin’s New Salary Cap Hit Could Be $12 Million
Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken signed an eight-year extension at $7.14 million. Beniers scored 168 games and 103 points (42 goals and 61 assists). So right there, Lafreniere will get more than those two players.
Then, look around you at the top of the 2020 NHL Draft Class: Quinton Byfield of the Los Angeles Kings (five years, $6.25 million), Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators (eight years, $8.35 million), and Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings (eight years, $8.075 million).
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He is potentially getting more than those players. Lafreniere has played in 299 games and recorded 150 points (76 goals and 74 assists), including 57 points (28 goals and 29 assists) last season. He was also a machine in the playoffs. In 16 games, he had 14 points (eight goals and six assists).
What Will Miller Make?
Miller currently makes $3.872 million. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars signed a two-year extension with a $4 million AAV. Philip Broberg was given a two-year extension with a cap hit of $4,580,917 with the St. Louis Blues.
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Ryan Lindgren just signed a one-year deal worth $4.5 million. Comparables like Adam Larsson of the Seattle Kraken and Esa Lindell of the Dallas Stars both make $5.25 million.
In 295 games, he has 105 points (29 goals and 76 points), averaging 20 minutes of ice time playing either on the first-pair defense with Adam Fox or on the second-pair. He is a career +52 player. In 43 playoff games, he has 12 points (three goals and nine assists).
For the most part, he is a defensive defenseman who could use his size a little more. But the range has been set.
It will be interesting to see how these contracts are worked out and whether there is money left over for other players who need deals.