New York Rangers Offseason Moves and Grade

As noted in my first column Sunday, I am taking a quick, high-level look at the off-season moves made by each of the three New York Metropolitan area and division teams. I started the series Sunday by looking at the Devils’ offseason moves. Tuesday saw the Islanders’ offseason moves covered. Today, we close the blog series discussing the Rangers’ transactions. The next series of blogs will look at what each team still needs or a potential weakness on each squad.

New York Rangers:

In:
– Signed D Zac Jones to a two-year contract extension with an $812,500 AAV
– Named Peter Laviolette coach, Phil Housley associate head coach and Dan Muse and Michael Peca assistant coaches
– Agreed to terms with C Nick Bonino on a one-year $800K contract, C Tyler Pitlick on a one-year $787,500 contract and C Riley Nash on a two-year contract, $775K AAV
– Inked Alex Belzile to a two-year contract, $775K AAV
– Signed Blake Wheeler ($800K base, $300K performance bonuses), Jonathan Quick ($825K) and Erik Gustafsson ($825K) to one-year contracts
– Re-signed RFA K’Andre Miller a two-year, $7.744 million contract

Out:
– Fired coach Gerald Gallant
– Vladimir Tarasenko signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Ottawa Senators
– Patrick Kane remains an unrestricted free agent
– Jaroslav Halak is an unrestricted free agent
– Niko Mikkola signed a three-year, $7.5 million deal with the Florida Panthers

The Rangers, coming off a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021-22, came into last season with raised expectations. New York struggled early on and needed a kickstart and kick in the rear from Jacob Trouba, whose helmet toss in a loss to Chicago woke up a sleeping team. The Blueshirts added Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola from St. Louis, then Patrick Kane from Chicago after Kane only wanted to play on Broadway. New York rode their power play to a 2-0 series lead over New Jersey before the Devils and Lindy Ruff adapted to win three straight. The Rangers forced a Game 6 but failed to show and lost 4-0 to land on the golf course.

Gerard Gallant, on thin ice early in the season before the Rangers rallied to beat the Blues and go on a run, was let go. The team’s inability to come out strong in games and failure to adapt sealed his fate. In full disclosure, I wanted a young coach like Jay Leach, but GM Chris Drury – aided/mentored by Glen Sather, opted to bring in Laviolette, who played 12 games for the Rangers. Laviolette will implement a puck possession and forecheck system, which has been lacking. While okay with Laviolette, I am most happy with the three assistants brought in, especially Peca and Mase.

Wheeler, recruited by Trouba, his former Winnipeg teammate, was inked at a piece no one would have predicted when free agency began. He will slot into a top-nine role, possibly as the second-line right ringer. Wheeler lacks the foot speed he once had but still has the play-making skills and should pot 20+ goals. Who he plays with is up in the air. The remaining acquisitions help fill holes, especially in the bottom six, and lengthen the lineup and blue line.

The pieces within the top nine -at least eight or those nine – are fairly well-defined. The alignment and combinations of those nine won’t be decided until camp and likely early in the season. This is an area to be covered in training camp, so I will be brief here, as this is pure speculation right now. Kaapo Kakko should get the chance at right wing in the first line with Tarasenko, who wanted to return, but cap constraints made that impossible in Ottawa. Kane, recovery from hip surgery, might be an option as 2023 ends, but that will depend on the $ he wants and if there is a fit. With those two not in the equation – at least right now – Kakko should get the chance to move from the third to first line. Who he skates with is up in the air.

Mika Zibanejad, who struggled offensively against the Devils in the playoffs, will man the middle on the top trio. Despite that rough series, Zib is one of the engines that make New York go. Chris Kreider, his usual running mate, is penciled in on the line. But Alexis Lafreniere, whose production 5×5 has been excellent but who has not lived up to his first-overall pick status, could slot up to skate as the left wing on that line. Laf is currently penciled in on the third line and might also move from left to right wing, an area of bigger need for New York.

Vincent Trocheck, signed long-term as a free agent last season, struggled to create chemistry with Artemi Panarin. The duo improved as the year went on but were invisible against New Jersey. Panarin has drawn the ire of the Garden faithful for his playoffs issues, save for the series-winning OT goal against Pittsburgh. But he has been consistently productive during the regular season and a big reason why New York made the postseason the last two years. If Laviolette is willing to go with the Kids, Filip Chytil should be the 2C, despite his issues between the dots.

If Chytil is the 2C and Lafreniere is the 1LW, Trocheck and Kreider will be two-thirds of the third line. Barclay Goodrow, whose six-year deal at a $3.6 AAV has been criticized by many, is the likely right winger on that line. Goodrow has shown the ability to move up and down the lineup but is better suited to the third or fourth line.  Laviolette and his coaching staff needs to create an identity on the bottom six. A trio such as this would be a solid start, as they should be up to the task defensively while being able to produce offensively.

Bonino, solid between the dots, and Pitlick, who has speed and some grit, should open the season on the fourth line. Jimmy Vesey, a PTO revelation in his second stint with the team, will skate on this line or the third trio. Belzile and Nash will get a chance to impress in camp, as will rookies Brennan Othmann and Will Cuylle. This line will be counted on as an energy/grind trio.

Five spots on the blue line are set. Miller-Trouba, a duo the last two seasons, are expected to open 2022-24 together. Whether they stay in that state remains to be seen. Miller regressed defensively, while Trouba had his own issues positionally at times. Trouba lacks the foot speed to recover, meaning he needs to be in the right spot. When Miller is out of position, that makes Trouba’s issues look even worse.

Adam Fox, a Norris finalist, and Ryan Lindgren, the heart and soul of the team, are the second or first pair, depending on your view. Lindgren, in the last year of his three-year, $9 million contract, is looking for a solid contract. He and Fox have basically been inseparable, and we have seen the impact on Fox when Lindgren is out. But Miller-Fox could be paired more often to see what the duo can do.

Around Full Press Hockey

NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes

NHL:  Alexander Mogilny Deserves To Be In The Hockey Hall of Fame

NHL Draft: 2023 NHL Draft: Every First-Round Selection

Full Press Hockey Weekly:  Ep 67: Karlsson Trade, Matt Dumba Signs, NHL News and Notes

PODCAST: Ep 64: Hockey Hall Of Fame, Free Agency, and More

WANT MORE PODCASTS? Check Out Some Of The Latest From Around The FPC Network

Braden Schneider is locked in as a starter. Who skates opposite him is up for debate. Jones headed into the start of free agency as the favorite for the role. He would need to be exposed to waivers to go down to Hartford, solidifying his spot somewhat. In addition, he has shown some signs of growth in the minors and should benefit from the tutelage of Housley. But Gustafsson stepped in nicely for John Carlson when he was injured and played for Laviolette last season in Washington, possibly giving him a leg up on the role. Matthew Robertson and Ben Harpur will be in the mix as well. Mikkola fit in well after he came over from the Blues, and there was talk about re-signing him. The $2.5 mil AVV was far out of what the Rangers could afford and were looking to pay.

The Rangers are set in net with Shesterkin. He wasn’t as dominant as his Vezina Trophy-winning campaign but is one of the elite netminders in the league. Igor’s $5.67 mil AAV for two more years is a major bargain, especially compared to the contract Ilya Sorokin signed this offseason. Halak got off to a slow start last season but found his form and was a solid backup. New York would have done well to bring him back. Instead, they inked Quick, who was between the pipes when LA defeated NY in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. Quick rooted for the Rangers as a kid growing up in Connecticut, and came cheap. But he was brutal last season in LA and mildly better in Vegas following his trade there. Hopefully, goaltending coach Benoit Allaire can work his magic with Quick.

New York entered free agency with little money and the need to shop at the dollar store. Drury did a solid job filling a few holes and bolstering the lineup at bargain prices. Wheeler and Gustafsson were solid adds at those prices, same with Bonino and Pitlick. I would have loved Nosak, who went to New Jersey, for the fourth line. Quick was far from my first choice for the backup goalie role, preferring Halak and Cam Talbot, who landed with xx for $1 million. As noted above, I wanted the Rangers to go young at coach but understand why Laviolette was brought in. If he can bring accountability and adaptability in-game, then he will be a solid choice. Overall, Drury had a solid, if unspectacular, off-season. Grade-wise, he gets a B with the potential for a move up, depending on how the team plays under Laviolette.