The New York Rangers are at a crossroads following their second round playoff exit at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. General Manager Glen Sather should be very busy this offseason. There are a lot of people that think the Rangers best chance to win a Stanley Cup with their current core group has already passed them by. The problem is that most of their veterans are signed through next season, including one massive contract that could really handcuff Sather. Here is a look at the Rangers offseason plan.
3 Things The Rangers Have To Work On
1. Decide On Lundqvist
There is one major problem that Sather and the Rangers will need to eventually confront. Henrik Lundqvist is scheduled to make $8.5 million over each of the next four seasons. Lundqvist turned 35 years old this season. His best days are clearly behind him now. Lundqvist posted a 31-20-4 record during the regular season. However, his 2.74 goals against average and .910 save percentage were easily the worst marks of his career.
He stepped up in the playoffs and performed far better than anyone thought he would. He was supposed to be a liability for the team but he proved to be one of their playoffs strengths. The concern is that that was a short burst and that his regular season performance is more accurate of who he is now.
The Rangers might already have a capable replacement on the roster in Antti Raanta but he is only under contract for one more year. With Lundqvist taking up so much of the club’s available cap space, Sather and his management team will have to decide whether to shake things up or stay the course with their franchise goaltender.
2. Bring Back Zibanejad
Sather might very well have pulled off an absolute heist in the trade that sent Derrick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad recorded 37 points in just 56 regular season games for the Rangers. Then he led New York with nine points in 12 playoff games. Zibanejad is still just 24-years-old and there is no doubt that he has untapped potential as he enters the prime years of his career. There are a number of free agents that Sather will have to make decisions on this offseason. The most important move will finding a way to bring back Zibanejad at a reasonable price.
3. Find A Scoring Winger
Sather made a bold move when he traded Brassard for Zibanejad. It will be very interesting to see whether he has any more tricks up his sleeve this offseason. Rick Nash is under contract for one more season. Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello are both locked up at under $5 million each. However, the Rangers could still use a true game breaker on the wing. New York could try to convince a player like T.J. Oshie to join the mix as a free agent. They could also go the alternative route and attempt to sign defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. The Rangers will have some wiggle room with Nash’s deal set to come off the books in 2018-19 so it will be very interesting to see what they do. Sather isn’t afraid to make a bold move. If he can acquire another scoring winger it could significantly boost the likelihood that New York will contend for the Stanley Cup next season.
Key Free Agents
The Rangers are projected to have just over $9 million in available cap space for next season. Some of that money will be used to sign Zibanejad. Brendan Smith was excellent for them in the playoffs and could be back. Tanner Glass is another unrestricted free agent that won’t break the bank. Meanwhile, Brandon Pirri, Jesper Fast, Matt Puempel and Oscar Lindberg are all restricted free agents. Sather is the type of GM that loves to make significant splashes on the free agent market. There have been plenty of rumors about the Rangers potentially chasing Shattenirk. However, they might be better off upgrading their top-six forward core with a proven two-way player like Oshie. One thing is fore sure in New York. The window to win with Lundqvist in goal is closing fast. With his team at a crossroads, Sather will have a busy offseason ahead of him.
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