Thomas notes that Tarasenko has expanded his list of teams he’s willing to go to and at this point, he’s willing to go pretty much anywhere to get the change of scenery he so desires. In terms of potential suitors, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggested in a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link) that the Islanders, Rangers, and Devils are in the mix but others that had interest such as the Flyers have since dropped out. Of those three, New Jersey has the cleanest cap situation to make a move for Tarasenko without needing any sort of salary offset.
Rangers Rumors
Rangers Making Progress On Igor Shesterkin Contract
When Sunday’s arbitration-filing deadline came and went without Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin being on that list, it caught some by surprise. However, it appears there was a reason for that as USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano reports that the two sides are making progress on an agreement in the $5.75MM to $6MM per season range. Evidently, those discussions have gone well enough without needing to put the pressure point of a hearing in place.
The 25-year-old was drafted in the fourth round by the Rangers back in 2014 but they had to wait a long time to sign him; Shesterkin only came to North America two years ago. After spending most of his rookie campaign in the minors, Shesterkin was New York’s starter last season, posting a 16-14-3 record along with a 2.62 GAA and a .919 SV%, numbers that were both better than the league average. At this point, he’s clearly their starter of the present and future which is why Alexandar Georgiev has been in trade speculation for more than a year now.
One of the challenges in finding a viable deal that works for both sides is Shesterkin’s lack of experience as he has just 48 career appearances under his belt (including one playoff game in the bubble in 2020). There aren’t many comparables to work with which would have made an arbitration hearing particularly interesting. Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko was one of those reasonable comparable options but it appears his five-year, $25MM will represent more of the floor than the ceiling.
The Rangers have ample cap space to work with to fit Shesterkin’s eventual contract in as they have more than $13MM in cap room per CapFriendly with only the netminder and blueliner Libor Hajek to re-sign. Getting this deal done sooner than later would give GM Chris Drury a better idea of what he’s able to spend this summer and between this report and the fact his camp didn’t file for arbitration suggests they’re getting close to having an agreement in place.
Rangers Among Teams Still Interested In Jack Eichel
The Rangers and Golden Knights are among the teams that are still interested in Sabres center Jack Eichel, notes Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Brooks suggests that Buffalo retaining salary might be enough to get New York to part with a top young asset like Kaapo Kakko in a deal although with five years left on that contract, retaining would be a sizable cost for Buffalo which may not be something they want to do. Meanwhile, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon mentioned earlier in the week that he expected that the team they have now is what they’ll go into training camp with but as we’ve seen in the past, they’re willing to make big moves and move players around to make the salary cap fit work.
New York Rangers Acquire, Extend Ryan Reaves
July 31: The Rangers have announced the one-year extension for Reaves. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports that the deal is a true extension for Reaves, bringing him back for the 2022-23 season at the same $1.75MM cap number.
July 30: The Rangers not only acquired Reaves for this season, but are also working on a one-year extension according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Reaves is signed through 2021-22 at a $1.75MM cap hit, and Friedman expects the extension to come in around the same number.
July 29: The New York Rangers are adding some serious grit to their lineup. According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, the team has acquired veteran grinder Ryan Reaves from the Vegas Golden Knights. The return heading to Vegas is a 2022 third-round pick.
The Rangers wanted to get bigger and more physical this off-season and they are certainly doing that. Reaves joins Barclay Goodrow, Sammy Blais, and Jarred Tinordi as recent additions who all play a hard-nosed, aggressive game. As the team battles through the difficult Metropolitan Division, they have added plenty of size and grit to complement their considerable skill.
However, Reaves in particular is pretty limited in what he brings to the team beyond hits, PIMs, and locker room presence. An old-fashioned grinder, Reaves is good for aggression and aggression only. Essentially a match-up player who sees limited ice time, Reaves is an expensive acquisition for the Rangers, both in his $1.75MM cap hit and the third-round pick required to land him.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Brendan Smith
The blue line remodel in Carolina continues. The latest addition is veteran Brendan Smith, who the team announced has signed a one-year, $800K contract. The Hurricanes are very familiar with Smith, who has played for the Metropolitan Division rival New York Rangers for the past four plus years and in the Eastern Conference his whole career.
Smith is a solid addition for the Hurricanes as an experienced physical presence. The 32-year-old has had some ups and downs in his career, but has remained a consistent checking threat throughout. A hard-nosed defender who works hard in puck battles and takes charge in front of the net, Smith is the type of character defender who plays a physical game but does it the right way. He can also chip in on offense from time to time and has even been known to ply his trade as a checking forward.
Perhaps the Hurricanes are considering a hybrid role for Smith, as their blue line is looking awfully crowded. Even with the departures of Dougie Hamilton and Jake Bean, the Hurricanes are already back to having one of the deepest defense corps in the league. Mainstays Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Jake Gardiner have now been joined by veteran signings Smith and Ian Cole, reclamation project Anthony DeAngelo, and trade acquisition Ethan Bear for eight legitimate NHL defenseman, not including rumored signing Jalen Chatfield and unsigned RFA Maxime Lajoie. That’s quite the logjam on defense for Carolina, which could lead to some difficult waivers decisions down the road.
New York Rangers Sign Filip Chytil
The New York Rangers have taken care of a little restricted free agent business, signing Filip Chytil to a two-year contract. Chytil was not eligible for salary arbitration. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the contract will carry an average annual value of $2.3MM.
Now several years into his NHL career, Chytil has become a valuable part of the Rangers forward group even if his offensive production still hasn’t quite risen to expected levels. He registered eight goals and 22 points in 42 games this season while playing just over 13 minutes a night, mostly alongside young wingers Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. That trio, who are all 21-or-under, are an extremely important part of the future in New York but will all be expected to take a step forward this season.
In Chytil’s case specifically, the Rangers were not comfortable using him on the powerplay this season, which obviously limits his offensive potential. With Pavel Buchnevich gone, there may be more opportunity with the man-advantage, though it of course may not all go to Chytil. There is also the addition of a more traditional bottom-six option in Barclay Goodrow, one that may be able to take on heavy defensive minutes and allow players like Chytil to feast on weaker competition.
At the end of this contract Chytil will still be a restricted free agent, but will also be arbitration-eligible. If he wants to cash in on a big-money deal, he’ll have to put up improved scoring stats over the next two seasons. Still just 21, the first-round pick certainly has the talent to be a legitimate middle-six contributor. Now he just has to prove he can do it on a consistent basis.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
New York Rangers Bring Back Greg McKegg
After one year away in Boston, the New York Rangers have signed forward Greg McKegg for a second stint in the Big Apple. The contract is a one-year, two-way deal with the NHL minimum $750K salary and a $350K AHL salary, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. McKegg will return to his role as a dependable extra man on the roster or next man up in the minors.
McKegg, 29, seems like he has been around far longer than he actually has. The veteran forward has only played 190 NHL games over 10 seasons, but having spent time with seven different teams and played 40+ games with four of them, it seems like McKegg has been a key depth piece for a long time. In reality, he still has plenty of gas left in the tank and this will be far from his last NHL contract if he continues to bring value to his teams.
For the first time in his career, he is beginning a second stint with a team by returning to New York after suiting up for 53 games with the Rangers in 2019-20. Though used sparingly by the Boston Bruins this season, McKegg played well in his five games with a noticeable physical presence and a dominant face-off record. The Rangers will be looking for the same this year, as the team has a very young, skilled forward group and could look to McKegg to provide veteran presence and grit, either as an extra man or possibly even the anchor of the fourth line.
New York Rangers Sign Jarred Tinordi
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the New York Rangers have signed defenseman Jarred Tinordi. The former Canadien, Predator, and Bruin was signed to a two-year deal making $900,000 per season.
Tinordi has long been a depth defender at the NHL level. He has never been deemed good enough for a regular role, having maxed at out at 28 games in a season as his career high to date. However, he has also been too good to clear waivers, as Nashville found out last season when he was claimed by Boston. The Rangers likely see Tinordi as a veteran No. 7 or 8 who can provide some guidance to the young blue line and some snarl as a spot starter, much in the way that the departed Brendan Smith did.
Tinordi is not an offensive threat and his skating leaves a lot to be desired. However, he positions himself well in the defensive end, is an effective and punishing checker, and is not afraid to drop the gloves. Tinordi is the type of stay-at-home checking threat that can be nice to have in a tight, physical game. It’s a value that is worth about what the Rangers gave him.
New York Rangers Linked To Patrik Nemeth
- The New York Rangers could be adding some size to their young defensive group, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the team is expected to sign Patrik Nemeth when free agency opens this week. The 6’3″ Nemeth spent this season with the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, totaling 10 points in 52 games. He earned $3MM in each of the last two seasons, but could be taking a bit of a pay cut according to Brooks, who expects a two or three-year deal to be completed with an average annual value between $2.25MM and $2.75MM. The 29-year-old would certainly add some defensive responsibility to a blueline already brimming with offensive talent, though where he exactly fits would have to still be determined.
Rangers Open Extension Talks With Mika Zibanejad
The Rangers have started preliminary discussions on an extension with center Mika Zibanejad, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. 2020-21 was a down season for the 28-year-old as he was slowed early on by a bout with COVID-19 although he managed to still post 24 goals and 26 assists in 50 games. Brooks notes that the expectation is that Zibanejad’s camp will be seeking a new deal in the $10MM per year range, an AAV that only six centers around the league have hit. Zibanejad has one more year left on his existing contract with a $5.35MM cap hit and will need to have a year similar to 2019-20 when he had 41 goals and 34 assists in 57 games if he wants a shot at becoming the seventh center to have a double-digit AAV.