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Jacob Trouba Receives Two-Game Suspension

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With the Rangers playing tonight, the Department of Player Safety needed to make a quick ruling following their disciplinary hearing with defenseman Jacob Trouba today.  That ruling has now been made as the league announced that the blueliner has been suspended for two games for his elbow on Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev.  The incident occurred late in the second period and no penalty was called on the play.

In the video announcing the suspension, the league acknowledged that elbows can be raised as part of a natural motion when skating, stopping, or making a play on the puck.  However, with the incident occurring off a faceoff, Trouba was deemed to not be making a play on the puck while his elbowing motion was not viewed as a natural motion while skating.

This is Trouba’s second career suspension while he has also been fined twice; that history was noted in the disciplinary video.  He will miss tonight’s game against Ottawa as well as their first game back after the break on February 5th versus Colorado.  Trouba will be eligible to return on February 7th against Tampa Bay.  Based on his AAV, he will forfeit a little over $83K in salary; that money will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Rangers Recall Connor Mackey

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With the availability of two blueliners in question for tonight’s game against Ottawa, the Rangers have brought up some insurance, announcing (Twitter link) the recall of defenseman Connor Mackey from AHL Hartford.  New York had an open roster spot following yesterday’s assignment of Nick Bonino to the Wolf Pack.

The 27-year-old is in his first season with the Rangers after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them in free agency back in July.  While this marks his seventh recall of the year already, Mackey has yet to get into an NHL game.  Instead, he has only played in Hartford where he has been quieter than expected offensively with just eight points in 28 games.  By comparison, Mackey had 36 points in 53 games with AHL Stockton in 2021-22 while he was on an NHL roster full-time last year.

The two defenders whose availability is in question are defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba.  Lindgren left last night’s loss to Vegas early with an upper-body injury while Trouba had a disciplinary hearing today, the outcome of which has not yet been announced.  If those two aren’t available, Mackey should see his first NHL action of the season.

Jacob Trouba To Have Player Safety Hearing

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The Rangers play their final game before their off week tonight and it’s possible they won’t have their captain available for that contest.  The Department of Player Safety announced that defenseman Jacob Trouba will have a disciplinary hearing today by phone for an elbowing infraction on Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev last night.

The incident occurred late in the second period following a faceoff and no penalty was called on the play.  Meanwhile, Dorofeyev left the game early in the third period with what head coach Bruce Cassidy called an upper-body injury.  There was no further clarity on how long he might be out for.  More information on that front is expected today.

Trouba has been suspended once before back in 2017 for an illegal check to the head while he was playing in Winnipeg.  While enough time has elapsed that it won’t count against him from a forfeited salary standpoint if he’s suspended, it could be taken into consideration in determining how much time Trouba might miss.

Filip Chytil Returns To Practice

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1/25: A few days ago, reporting suggested that the New York Rangers had no clear timeline for the return of Filip Chytil, who has been out of the lineup with an upper-body injury since November 2nd. In a positive development this afternoon, it was reported that Chytil has resumed skating, and was back on the ice today for practice albeit in a non-contact jersey (X Link).

Just now returning to the ice, it will likely be a few more weeks until Chytil is ready to return, but at the very least it is now on the team’s horizon. As one of the more dominant teams in the league at the beginning of the season, the Rangers are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, averaging 2.6 goals a game; showing a clear need for an offensive jolt.

[SOURCE LINK]

Filip Chytil Sustains Reported Setback In Recovery From Upper-Body Injury

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Rangers center Filip Chytil had to be helped off the ice after an undisclosed injury sustained during Friday’s optional skate left him on the ice for “several minutes,” Peter Botte of the New York Post reports. Post colleague Larry Brooks adds that Chytil has completed evaluation and has returned to his New York home, and the injury sustained today is related to the suspected concussion that’s kept him out since Nov. 2.

Today was the 24-year-old’s second day skating with the team after returning to practice in a non-contact jersey Thursday. Chytil, who has a history of suspected concussions, returned to his native Czechia at the end of December to continue his recovery and arrived back in New York earlier this week.

The 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft posted six assists through 10 games to start the campaign. His average time on ice of 15:56 was a career-high.

A setback in his recovery will likely extend an already lengthy recovery process. Chytil has missed 37 games with the injury, which the Rangers have only officially labeled as upper-body.

Chytil is in the first season of a four-year, $17.75MM deal with a $4.44MM cap hit signed in March 2023. He posted career-highs in every offensive category last season, recording 22 goals, 23 assists and 45 points with a +15 rating in 74 games.

Without his services, the Rangers remain stretched for depth at center. Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad are capable in the top-six, both producing over 0.96 points per game and averaging over 19 minutes. The bottom six, however, features 30-year-old AHL call-up Jonny Brodzinski on the third line and declining checking forward (and natural winger) Barclay Goodrow on the fourth. Goodrow, who’s in the third year of a six-year, $21.85MM deal with trade protection, has one goal and five points in 45 games this season with extremely poor possession metrics. Offseason veteran signing Nick Bonino hasn’t been any better and was assigned to AHL Hartford on Friday after clearing waivers.

The Rangers are still in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 61 points but have a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games. They’re two points ahead with no games in hand on the surging Hurricanes, who have won two straight and seven of their last 10.

Chytil will stay on long-term injured reserve, where he’s been since Nov. 28. As such, the Rangers have $3.67MM in their LTIR pool available for use, per CapFriendly.

Rangers To Place Nick Bonino On Waivers

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Jan. 26: Bonino has cleared waivers and can be assigned to Hartford, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Jan. 25: Peter Botte of the New York Post is reporting that the New York Rangers will be placing veteran forward Nick Bonino on waivers at 2 pm today (Eastern Standard Time). The 35-year-old did not practice with the Rangers today and it is unclear what will happen should he clear waivers tomorrow afternoon.

Bonino has not played in the AHL since the 2011-12 season and could be assigned to the Rangers AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack, should he pass through waivers. Whether or not Bonino would want to report to the AHL is also unclear. Bonino is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is signed to a one-year contract at $800K. At this point in his career, he may not want to ride buses in the AHL to collect the remainder of his contract.

Bonino is a veteran of 868 NHL regular season games plus an additional 105 NHL playoff games. He has put a lot of hard miles on his body over the years and may opt to hang up his skates if he can’t catch on with another NHL team. Bonino also has to factor in injury concerns as he has dealt with some pretty horrific injuries in his career, including last year when he suffered a lacerated kidney while he was a member of the Penguins.

Bonino has struggled mightily this year with just a goal and four assists in 45 games. He was never the quickest skater on the ice, but he has lost considerable footspeed over the last few seasons. Any team that does acquire the veteran center will likely see him as a 13th forward and a veteran presence in the locker room.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $83,603,531 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F William Cuylle (two years, $828.3K)
D Braden Schneider (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Cuylle: $82.5K
Schneider: $400K
Total: $482.5K

Cuylle has done a nice job in a full-time bottom six role in his first taste of NHL duty.  His offensive numbers aren’t going to stand out by any stretch but it’s a nice way to ease him in.  This will certainly limit his earnings upside on his next contract, however; a bridge deal in the $1.5MM to $2MM range might be his best-case scenario.  Bonus-wise, his are based on games played so right now, he’s trending to reach that full amount.

Schneider has been a regular on New York’s back end dating back to last season but his role has been rather limited so far as basically a permanent third-pairing piece.  That should have his next contract around the $1.5MM mark as well.  For him, his bonuses are ‘A’ ones and the only ones he might have a shot at are blocked shots (needs to finish in the top two for defensemen) and plus/minus (top three among Ranger blueliners).  At the moment, he doesn’t qualify to reach either of them.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Nick Bonino ($800K, UFA)
F Jonny Brodzinski ($762.5K, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($825K, UFA)
F Kaapo Kakko ($2.1MM, RFA)
D Ryan Lindgren ($3MM, RFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($787.5K, UFA)
G Jonathan Quick ($825K, UFA)
F Blake Wheeler ($800K, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Quick: $100K
Wheeler: $300K
Total: $400K

After getting 40 points last season, it looked like Kakko was heading in the right direction but he has struggled this year.  Still, it’s unlikely New York will give up on the 2019 second-overall pick.  However, they might want to go much higher than his $2.4MM qualifying offer.  Wheeler took a well below-market contract to go to the Rangers and while his numbers are down compared to his time in Winnipeg, he’s also playing lower in the lineup.  He’s worth more on the open market if he wants to max his money out next summer or he could stick with this route on a potential contender.  His bonuses are based on games played and have already been achieved.

Bonino made sense as a low-cost depth option with what should have been some offensive upside although he hasn’t been able to display that this season.  This close to the league minimum, he could land a similar deal on the open market next summer but could also be a PTO candidate.  Pitlick has been on near-minimum deals over the last couple of seasons and as a depth player this season, that’s unlikely to change.  He could get a contract at a similar price point in the summer or might have to go the PTO route as he did the year before.  Brodzinski, meanwhile, has been a dominant AHL scorer but hasn’t produced much in the NHL.  While he’s also likely going to stay around the league minimum, he should be able to at least land a one-way contract for next season.

Lindgren is one of New York’s more interesting expiring deals this summer.  He’s a very effective defensive defenseman but simply doesn’t put up many points to help drive his price tag up.  His qualifying offer is $3.6MM and he should get more than that but his ceiling might be closer to the $4.5MM range even with arbitration rights.  Notably, he’s a year away from UFA eligibility.  Gustafsson, meanwhile, is the exact opposite.  He is a productive offensive defender but struggles considerably in his own end.  Settling for this contract after a 42-point campaign suggests that teams aren’t willing to pay a premium for the points knowing his defensive struggles and the need to shelter him at five-on-five.  A small raise past the $1MM mark wouldn’t be shocking but it’s hard to project a big increase.

Expectations weren’t high for Quick after a rough 2022-23 campaign but he has been a difference-maker for the Rangers this season.  However, he just turned 38 so it’s unlikely there will be teams looking at him as a starter or a strong-side platoon option.  If he wants to go for the money, he could do better than this on the open market but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him stay or take a similar deal to this one with a contender for next season.  The details of his bonuses aren’t known.

Signed Through 2024-25

D Zachary Jones ($812.5K, RFA)
F Alexis Lafreniere ($2.325MM, RFA)
D K’Andre Miller ($3.82MM, RFA)
G Igor Shesterkin ($5.667MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Vesey ($800K, UFA)

With Lafreniere scuffling through his first few NHL seasons, it came as no surprise that he followed Kakko in signing a bridge deal.  He’s fared a bit better in his first year under Peter Laviolette although he hasn’t yet become that consistent top threat that they hoped he’d be when they picked him first overall in 2020.  If he keeps at his current pace and then takes another small step forward next year, he’ll certainly do enough to beat his $2.65MM qualifying offer.  But will New York be convinced that he’s worthy of that long-term big-money contract in the $7MM range if that happens?  Or might they try one more bridge deal (likely a one-year pact) worth closer to half that?  It’s still early but there is a wide range of outcomes when it comes to his next deal.

Vesey opted to avoid going through free agency, instead choosing to sign this contract in-season last year.  It gives him some stability while he has outperformed the deal so far as a capable depth scorer.  Having bounced around in his career will hurt him a bit if he gets to free agency next time as teams will wonder if he’s turned a late corner or if he’s just a fit for how the Rangers play.  Still, a small raise at a minimum should be doable.

Miller had no choice but to take a bridge deal over the summer as well given New York’s limited cap space.  He continues to be a valuable two-way piece on their back end despite not seeing much power play time.  Miller will be owed a $4.646MM qualifying offer in 2025 but his next contract could check in closer to double his current one if a long-term agreement is worked out.  Jones, on the other hand, has had a very limited role so far.  He’ll need to lock down a full-time spot if he wants to reach the seven-figure mark on his next deal.

Shesterkin has been one of the top goalies since coming over for the 2019-20 campaign although his first half of this season has been more pedestrian.  Still, the 28-year-old is regarded as one of the top netminders league-wide and he’ll be well-positioned to capitalize on that reputation on this next contract.  He’ll likely look to Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (seven years, $8.5MM on his recent extension) as a starting point for discussions.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Artemi Panarin ($11.643MM, UFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($8MM, UFA)

No one will ever call Panarin’s contract – the richest for a winger in NHL history – a bargain but at the same time, it’s fair to say that he has lived up to it so far, producing at a 105-point per 82-game rate to put him among the top-scoring forwards in the league.  There’s little reason to think a big collapse is on the horizon but that concern should come into play on his next deal, one that’s likely to be more of a medium-term agreement at a small discount on his current rate given the age risk.

Trouba hasn’t been able to get back to the offensive highs he reached in his final season with Winnipeg but for the tough minutes he logs, the captain is still providing some value on this deal.  Having said that, if he wants to land any sort of sizable raise, he’ll need to rediscover at least some of that scoring touch.  Otherwise, his next deal should check in close to this one.

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Rangers Recall Jake Leschyshyn

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The Rangers have elected to make a roster move in advance of their game Friday against Vegas, announcing (Twitter link) that they have called forward Jake Leschyshyn from AHL Hartford.

The 24-year-old has spent the majority of the season with the Wolf Pack, getting into 16 games so far where he has four goals and three assists.  Leschyshyn was up with New York briefly earlier this month, making one appearance at the top level.  For his career, he has six points in 77 NHL appearances between the Rangers and Vegas.  He’s in the second season of a three-year, one-way deal that carries a cap hit below the minimum salary, coming in at just under $767K.

The Rangers already had 13 healthy forwards on their roster before this move so it’s a bit curious that they’ve opted to add Leschyshyn as well.  The move will officially be registered on Thursday (since the recall came after 4 PM CT) so it will be interesting to see if there’s any sort of corresponding roster move at that time.

No Timeline On Return Of Filip Chytil

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  • Having been on the New York Rangers’ long-term injured reserve since November 28th, there is still no timeline for the return of Filip Chytil according to head coach Peter Laviolette (X Link). Hoping to build off his successful 2022-23 season under a new coach, Chytil has only managed 10 games before suffering an upper-body injury in early November, limiting his production to a total of six assists on the season.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Rangers Assign Matthew Robertson To AHL

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  • The Rangers returned defense prospect Matthew Robertson to AHL Hartford today, the team’s PR department said. The 6-foot-4 22-year-old came up to serve as injury insurance for the first two games of the Rangers’ California road trip but did not play. As such, they’ve decided to return him to the minors before their game against the Sharks in San Jose tomorrow. Their 2019 second-round pick is in the final season of his entry-level contract and is still looking to make his NHL debut. He’s posted two goals, 11 assists and 13 points with a -3 rating in 32 games with Hartford this year.

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