The current iteration of the New York Rangers just isn’t working out. Last season, by all accounts, was a complete disappointment. Key players like Mika Zibanejad took steps back. Public disputes with then-head coach Gerard Gallant caused a rift with former captain Jacob Trouba. Longtime Rangers like Chris Krieder have since parted ways with the organization.
The need for a retool has never been more dire.
To be fair, the Rangers are two years removed from winning the President’s Trophy. They have a Norris-caliber defenseman in Adam Fox and a former 100-point forward in J.T. Miller. Despite this, fundamental questions remain about the longevity of this era of the Rangers.
These are three key reasons why the Rangers should retool their roster as soon as possible.
Old Rangers Locked Up to Long Deals
Last season was the worst season Mika Zibanejad has had in five years. The former 91-point forward scored just 20 goals and 42 assists for 62 points. These numbers aren’t terrible in their own right, but, at 32 years of age, it’s hard to imagine he’ll bounce back to his career highs. To make matters worse, he has five years left on his eight-year contract making $8.5M per season.
J.T. Miller, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks least season, will be 38 by the time his contract ends. He’s just two seasons removed from a 102-point campaign, but, again, age remains a concern for the forward. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin makes $11.5M per season for the next seven years. He’ll be 36 when his deal is over.
These three players combine for $28M. That’s nearly one third of the team’s current salary cap space, per Puckpedia.
Panarin Up for Major Extension with Rangers
Artemi Panarin signed one of the largest contract in NHL history with the Rangers, earning $11.6M per season for seven years. This year, he’s up for an extension. Panarin, 33, led all Rangers in scoring with 89 points in 80 games — nearly a 20-point lead on Miller.
Despite his age, he’ll command a similar salary to what he currently earns. The question remains whether or not that will be with the Rangers. As an unrestricted free agent, he’ll have his pick of teams eager to make offers. Up-and-coming organizations like the Montreal Canadiens or Detroit Red Wings could try to pry away the long-time Ranger.
If the Rangers can’t work out an agreement, they’ll lose their best offensive weapon as early as next season.
Questions Surround Roster Depth
Former first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere has yet to live up to his draft expectations. Fellow draft mates like Tim Stutzle and Lucas Raymond are bona fide stars, earning long-term deals with their respectvie clubs. Lafreniere, who signed a seven-year deal last October, has eclipsed the 50-point plateau just once in his career. With just 156 points in 306 career games, he doesn’t look like the star the Rangers hoped he’d become.
The defense, on the other hand, looks more than promising. The Rangers brought in Vladislav Gavrikov to bolster the blue line this offseason, shipping out K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes. Defenseman Will Borgen earned a five-year extension. It’s clear the Rangers are doing everything they can to give star defender Adam Fox all the help they can.
Yet, despite this, one major question remains on the middle pairing. Per Daily Faceoff, Carson Soucy is the team’s second-pairing defenseman with Borgen. Soucy, per Evolving Hockey, is among the bottom-20 percentile for performance among defensemen.
If the Rangers truly believe in this core, they need to focus their efforts on a retool as soon as possible.
Why the Rangers Need to Retool