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Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  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 often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 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 PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Metropolitan Division, next up is the Rangers.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $87,376,524 (below the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F William Cuylle (one year, $828K)
F Adam Edstrom (one year, $847K)
F Matt Rempe (one year, $820K)

Potential Bonuses
Cuylle: $57.5K (games played)

Cuylle’s first full NHL season was a solid one for someone who primarily played on the fourth line.  It’s unlikely that he’ll play much higher up this year and with New York’s long-term cap situation, it’s safe to say they’ll be looking for a bridge deal, one that should check in around the $1.4MM mark.  Edstrom is someone who could bounce back and forth this season and in that case, New York will probably ask him to accept closer to the $775K minimum in exchange for a one-way contract.  Rempe quickly became a fan favorite for his pugilistic skills but will need to be trusted to play more than six minutes a night if he’s to push for any sort of pricey second contract.  As things stand, he’s likely to land around $1MM on a bridge agreement if he stays up full-time in 2024-25.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

D Zachary Jones (813K, RFA)
F Kaapo Kakko ($2.4MM, RFA)
F Alexis Lafreniere ($2.325MM, RFA)
D Ryan Lindgren ($4.5MM, UFA)
D K’Andre Miller ($3.872MM, RFA)
G Jonathan Quick ($1.275MM, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($775K, UFA)
G Igor Shesterkin ($5.67MM, UFA)
F Reilly Smith ($3.75MM, UFA)*
F Jimmy Vesey ($800K, UFA)

*-Pittsburgh is retaining an additional $1.25MM of Smith’s contract.

Potential Bonuses
Quick: $25K (20 starts plus a save percentage of .915 or more)

Smith was acquired on the opening day of free agency as New York’s free agent plans seemingly didn’t pan out.  On the surface, they probably only wanted someone on a one-year deal so the pivot to this made sense.  Smith is coming off a down year with Pittsburgh but is only a year removed from a 56-point effort.  If he can get back to that, he could maintain his full $5MM salary for a few more years but the likelier scenario is something in the $4MM range.  Kakko accepted his qualifying offer early to take one more run at things in New York.  Until he can become more than a third liner, however, it’s hard to foresee him getting much more than this.  Vesey, meanwhile, had one of his best years last season and a repeat performance could allow him to potentially double his price tag but the Rangers will need to keep that salary slot closer to where it is now.

Lafreniere is one of the more intriguing pending restricted free agents from the 2025 class.  After struggling through his entry-level contract (resulting in this bridge deal), he was much more impactful last season, showing the skill that made him a top pick before following it up with a strong playoff run.  Still just 22, there’s cause for optimism that Lafreniere could still beat his numbers from a year ago which will only send the price tag up even more.  Assuming that he can at least maintain his 2023-24 output, Lafreniere’s next contract should push past the $6MM mark at a minimum; it wouldn’t be surprising to see it go to a seven.

Lindgren settled for a one-year deal earlier this summer, one that will grant him unrestricted free agency at 27.  However, his offensive numbers are rather limited; he has yet to reach the 20-point mark.  That should limit him on the open market although a small raise from this price tag could be doable.  Miller is another player who had to settle for a bridge deal given New York’s cap situation at the time.  He wasn’t quite as impactful statistically last season but still played top-pairing minutes, putting him on track for a fair-sized raise.  His qualifying offer checks in at $4.546MM, already a sizable jump but he could also command $6MM or more on a long-term agreement.

Jones hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot in the lineup which won’t help his case in contract talks.  His qualifying offer goes up to just over $866K next summer and if he’s not more established by then, he could be a non-tender candidate with an eye on filling that spot with someone making the minimum.  Ruhwedel has been a capable seventh defender for several years now but isn’t likely to make much more than the league minimum moving forward.

While Shesterkin is coming off a quieter year by his standards, he still was one of the top netminders in the league last season and has been for the past four seasons.  Accordingly, he is believed to be looking for what would be a record-breaking contract; Carey Price ($10.5MM) is the holder of the priciest deal given to a goalie in NHL history.  Doubling his current AAV could be doable in the process.  Quick had a bounce-back year after a tough 2022-23 showing, earning himself a small raise in the process.  With Shesterkin being more of a workhorse, they will only need Quick to play 25-30 games which he should be capable of doing.  Given his age (38), it’s fair to suggest he’ll be on one-year deals from here on out.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Jonny Brodzinski ($788K, UFA)
F Artemi Panarin ($11.643MM, UFA)
D Braden Schneider ($2.2MM, RFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($8MM, UFA)

Panarin set and still holds (for now, at least) the record for the highest cap hit for a winger.  It’s hard to say the contract has been a bargain but it’s fair to say he has lived up to it so far.  Panarin has the fourth-most points of any player over the past five seasons (since he signed in New York) so they’ve gotten a solid return so far.  That said, he’ll be entering his age-35 year when his next contract starts so it’s reasonable to think the cap hit will be coming down and it will be a question of how long the deal becomes with the longer the term, the lower the AAV.  Brodzinski started last season off strong in the minors to earn a recall and never went back, earning this contract in the process.  If he stays in a depth or reserve role, it’s unlikely he’d command a big raise but even securing more one-way deals at this point of his career (he’s 31) would be a nice outcome for him.

Trouba was shopped around over the summer although no trade came to fruition.  He’s on an expensive contract for the role he fills (a third defender) but he’s still a more than capable player in that role.  Still, even if he rebounds over the next two seasons, he’ll be looking at a multi-million dollar pay cut although a multi-year pact should still be doable.  Schneider was the latest player to take a bridge contract this summer.  He has been held under 16 minutes a game in each of his first three seasons; it’s safe to say they’ll be expecting him to take a step forward in that regard.  His qualifying offer checks in at $2.64MM with arbitration rights in 2026 so if he’s still on the third pairing by then, that could be a problem.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Sam Carrick ($1MM, UFA)
F Filip Chytil ($4.438MM, UFA)
F Chris Kreider ($6.5MM, UFA)

Kreider didn’t produce much in the first season of this contract but since then, he has 127 goals over the last three years, putting him seventh among all NHL players over that span.  Given his physical playing style, it’s possible that injuries could be an issue toward the end of the deal when he’ll be 36 and potentially going year to year after that.

Chytil has battled concussion issues at times, including missing most of last season which makes him a bit of a wild card.  This is a high price tag for someone projected to play on the third line although if he’s healthy, he should be more productive than a typical third liner.  But with the injury history, it’s hard to foresee him getting this type of commitment unless he has three seasons of good health.  Carrick came over in free agency to anchor the fourth line after a good showing between Anaheim and Edmonton last season.  If he can maintain that for the next three years, a late-career raise could come his way even though he’ll be 35 on his next contract.

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Rangers Recall Blake Hillman, Blade Jenkins

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  • The New York Rangers added a bit of depth to their training camp roster earlier today by recalling Blake Hillman and Blade Jenkins from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack (X Link). Both players are on AHL contracts for the 2024-25 season with the former being the only one with previous experience at the NHL level. Hillman has spent several years bouncing around the AHL but suited up in four games for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017-18 NHL while scoring one goal overall.

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Rangers’ Jimmy Vesey Out Multiple Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey will miss “a few weeks” with a lower-body injury, head coach Peter Laviolette said Monday (via The Athletic’s Peter Baugh). The 31-year-old will be unavailable for the Rangers’ first few regular season games as a result.

It’s a course reversal from Sunday when Laviolette said he wasn’t concerned about Vesey’s injury and didn’t expect him to miss any significant time. The Boston native sustained the LBI during a practice session yesterday.

Vesey has been a fourth-line fixture for the Rangers over the past two seasons, his second stint in the Big Apple after spending his first three NHL seasons there from 2016 to 2019. The Harvard product opted to test free agency upon graduation instead of signing with the Predators, who drafted him in the third round in 2012.

He played 80 games for the Rangers last year, finishing ninth on the team in scoring with 26 points (13 G, 13 A) in 80 games. Averaging 12:23 per game, he posted far superior possession metrics at even strength than frequent linemate Barclay Goodrow and was deployed as a depth penalty killer.

His absence means the Rangers will need to find another name to serve as their fourth-line left wing on opening night. Line rushes in camp indicated Vesey was likely to skate alongside Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski. Matt Rempe is the most likely name to slide into the lineup after immediately establishing himself as a fan-favorite enforcer in his 17-game NHL debut last year, although either he or Brodzinski would need to play on their off-wing. Natural left-wingers available include 6’7″ 23-year-old Adam Edstrom and camp invite Adam Erne, who’s still competing for a deal after inking a PTO earlier this month.

Metropolitan Notes: Grzelcyk, Roslovic, Smith, Pesce

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Matt Grzelcyk made a name for himself in the NHL while serving as Charlie McAvoy’s usual defense partner with the Bruins. The 30-year-old had great success in that role until last season, when his offensive production dipped to 11 points in 63 games, and his possession numbers were below average since the 2018-19 campaign.

Now looking to rediscover himself with the Penguins after inking a one-year, $2.75MM deal as an unrestricted free agent, Grzelcyk may get a similar top-pairing opportunity to open the season alongside Kris Letang, writes the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh. The Massachusetts native has spent most of camp alongside the two-time Stanley Cup champ, who he called “such a great player.”

“I’m just trying to be a sponge around him,” Grzelcyk continued. “He has a ton of knowledge to give about the game and what he would expect from his partner. Just trying to learn here. And start to build chemistry.”

While cast as a stay-at-home partner for a more offensively well-rounded talent, Grzelcyk does have decent puck-moving skills in his own right. That was a common theme among the Penguins’ offseason additions, especially on defense, which also included former Islander Sebastian Aho.

There’s more from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Another free-agent signing looking to get a crack in a top-line complementary role is Jack Roslovic, who’s settling in on the Hurricanes’ first line alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, relays The Athletic’s Cory Lavalette. If it sticks, it would be quite the step up in responsibility for Roslovic, who’s been a middle-six fixture around the league for the past few seasons but has never held down a consistent top-line role. The 27-year-old signed a one-year, $2.75MM pact in Carolina in early July, and he’ll likely be used in different situations throughout the season as the Canes look to replace the offense lost by the departures of Jake Guentzel, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Stefan Noesen, and Teuvo Teräväinen.
  • The Athletic’s Arthur Staple is optimistic about Reilly Smith’s chances of clicking with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad as the Rangers’ top-line right wing. That’s been a revolving door for the past few years, with the aforementioned Roslovic getting a post-deadline crack at it last season. But Smith, 33, has a long history of success in complementary top-six roles – long enough to quell concerns about his underwhelming 13-goal, 40-point season with the Penguins last year, Staple opines.
  • The Devils will kick off their regular season without top offseason addition Brett Pesce. The defender didn’t make the trip to Prague for New Jersey’s Global Series games against the Sabres, the team’s Amanda Stein confirms. Pesce, 29, skated Friday for the first time in camp but is still listed as week-to-week while recovering from a fibula fracture he sustained in April while with the Hurricanes. He had 13 points and a +10 rating in 70 games with Carolina last year and signed a six-year, $33MM deal to serve as the Devils’ No. 2 right-shot option on defense behind Dougie Hamilton in free agency.

Metropolitan Notes: Milano, Tsyplakov, Vesey

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Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery isn’t enthused with winger Sonny Milano’s performance thus far this preseason, calling his showing “just okay” (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti). Carbery added Milano has “the benefit of the doubt” as a veteran, but the 28-year-old’s standing in the lineup certainly seems to be on thinner ice.

Line rushes still indicate Milano has the inside track at a third-line left wing role alongside Hendrix Lapierre and Aliaksei Protas, though. Now entering his third season with the Caps, the former Blue Jackets first-rounder had a career-high 15 goals in 49 games last year but added only eight assists for 23 points. It also came on the back of an unsustainably high 30% shooting rate – he averaged just over one shot on goal per game, the lowest of his career.

Milano doesn’t offer a ton of upside outside of scoring chance generation, so if that continues to dip, he could find himself on the outside looking in sooner rather than later. He has two years left on his contract at a $1.9MM cap hit and is facing competition for top-nine duties from PTO invite Jakub Vrána and 2022 first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko, among others.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov is back at practice Sunday after sustaining a lower-body injury Friday, NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner relays. Recent line rushes indicate the 26-year-old free agent signing out of Russia’s Spartak Moscow is nearly a lock to make the opening night roster, potentially on a new-look fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean. Viewed as the top international free agent on the market, Tsyplakov had a career-best 31 goals and 47 points in 65 games for Spartak last season.
  • Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday’s practice, head coach Peter Laviolette relayed (via the New York Post’s Mollie Walker). He’s being evaluated but doesn’t appear set to miss any significant time, he added. Vesey, 31, is entering the back half of a two-year, $1.6MM deal and had 13 goals and 26 points in 80 games for the Blueshirts last year.

East Notes: Laine, Lindholm, Brink, Othmann

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Canadiens fans are still waiting with bated breath for news about top offseason acquisition Patrik Laine. The winger left last night’s preseason loss to the Maple Leafs in the first period after he was on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee collision with Toronto AHL depth piece Cédric Paré, preventing him from skating off under his own power (via The Athletic’s Arpon Basu).

It certainly didn’t look good for Laine, whose left knee bent awkwardly during the hit and laid on the ice for several minutes before being helped off. Paré, who inked his first NHL deal with the Maple Leafs in July, isn’t yet facing supplemental discipline. He also wasn’t penalized on the play.

Laine was visibly angry while heading back to the Montreal room, an understandable reaction for a player who desperately needed a healthy season. The 26-year-old was limited to 18 games with the Blue Jackets last season with a collarbone fracture and a lengthy stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, recording six goals and three assists for nine points with a -10 rating. Montreal acquired the 2016 second-overall pick from Columbus last month, sending depth defenseman Jordan Harris the other way.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Bruins center Elias Lindholm is back practicing in a non-contact jersey today, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa reports. He’s been day-to-day with an undisclosed injury since Tuesday and hasn’t played in any preseason action thus far. It’s a good sign the 29-year-old will be ready for opening night. He’s still on track to begin the season as Boston’s No. 1 center, anchoring a line between David Pastrňák and Pavel Zacha. He inked a seven-year, $54.25MM deal with the Bruins this summer after posting 44 points in 75 games for the Flames and Canucks last season.
  • Bobby Brink is trending toward cracking the Flyers’ opening night roster for the second year in a row, writes The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. Brink, 23, was solid in a middle-six role last year, posting 11 goals and 23 points in 57 games. But he spent some time in the minors as well, and his path to ice time in Philly this year became a bit murkier after 2023 seventh overall pick Matvei Michkov came over from Russia and signed his entry-level contract. He’ll still need to “earn his ice time,” Kurz writes, but Brink has drawn praise from head coach John Tortorella with his strong camp performance and will challenge for a third-line role at right wing after signing a two-year, $3MM deal this summer.
  • Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann’s chances of cracking the roster appear slim after he skated with a group of players mostly ticketed for the AHL on Sunday, relays The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. Othmann, 21, went pointless in three NHL games last season – his first in the majors. The 2021 first-round pick was great in his first pro showing with AHL Hartford last season, though, posting 49 points in 67 games and earning a spot in the league’s All-Star Game. He’ll get a few more NHL looks in 2024-25 even if he’s not up with the Rangers to start.

Summer Synopsis: New York Rangers

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A tight cap squeeze and minimal draft picks forced the New York Rangers into a quiet summer, focused largely around the extension of four pending RFAs and a looming deal for superstar goalie Igor Shesterkin. With those moves in mind, the Rangers were only able to bring in one notable new face, otherwise spending their summer rounding out depth and hoping to carve out meaningful roles for top prospects. They’ve seemingly done just that, though it’ll now be on their few stars and promoted depth pieces like William Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere to carry New York back to Stanley Cup aspirations.

Draft

1-30: D EJ Emery / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
4-119: F Raoul Boilard / Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
5-159: F Nathan Aspinall / Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-191: F Rico Gredig / HC Davos (National League)

The Rangers clearly prioritized size in this year’s draft, selecting players at every height between six–foot-one and six-foot-three, then putting the cherry on top with six-foot-seven Nathan Aspinall. New York gets everything they could have wanted out of their newly-added giants, with Emery boasting plenty of upside as a mobile and effective defensive-defenseman, while Raoul Boilard and Rico Gredig have shown a clear ability to outperform opponents with size and skill. The latter is a particularly interesting draft pick, having established a bottom-line role in Switzerland’s top league last season – but only managing four points in 28 games. 2024 marked his second year of draft eligibility – part of the reason he fell so low despite pro experience – and Gredig will now use the pick as inspiration to find a stronger scoring streak this year.

None of the new additions seem set for pro roles in the next few seasons, but they each offer well-rounded skillsets and clear paths to a pro role. Aspinall will be the wariest of the bunch, largely thanks to a lanky frame, though even he could find success in a Rangers organization that’s made good worked of players like Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom.

Trade Acquisitions

F Reilly Smith (acquired from Pittsburgh)

New York’s trade action was limited to a draft-day swap of late-round picks, and a July 1st acquisition of Reilly Smtih. The Rangers gave up a second and fifth round draft pick for the scoring-winger, but could find the answer to their missing piece in the top-six. Smith has continued to be effective in his minutes, recording 26 goals and 56 points on Vegas’ second-line two seasons ago, then notching 13 goals and 40 points in a mixed role with Pittsburgh last year. The step down in scoring may be sign of the 13-year pro’s age, though New York should offer better linemates than a declining Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell, where Smith spent most of last season. When he wasn’t with that tandem, he was playing alongside Lars Eller and Valtteri Puustinen – again, weaker company than New York should provide. That could set Smith up for a bounce-back year as he gets ready to play for the sixth team of his career.

UFA Signings

F Sam Carrick (three-years, $3MM)
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx (one-year, $775K)*
D Casey Fitzgerald (two-years, $1.6MM)*
D Chad Ruhwedel (one-year, $775K)*

New York’s cap sinch forced them to be quiet in the free agent market, with their biggest splash coming through the multi-year signing of fourth-liner Sam Carrick. Carrick served dutifully in Anaheim for the last six seasons, though he stayed limited to a career-high of just 19 points recorded in 2021-22. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers alongside Adam Henrique at this year’s Trade Deadline, where he continued to serve his responsible but unproductive role to the tune of six points across 26 games.

Carrick will step into competition for one of New York’s final roster spots, a situation shared by the rest of the team’s UFAs. That includes Chad Ruhwedel, who will return to competition for the Rangers’ seventh-defender role, after joining the team via trade at the 2024 deadline. Ruhwedel has only recorded nine points across his last 99 games, though he continues to offer stout, veteran depth.

RFA Re-Signings

F Kaapo Kakko (one-year, $2.4MM)
D Braden Schneider (two-years, $4.4MM)
D Matthew Robertson (one-year, $775K)
D Ryan Lindgren (one-year, $4.5MM)

The Rangers’ off-season was entirely focused around their RFA signings – none more important than the extension of Kaapo Kakko. It’s now been five years of disappointing play for the former second-overall pick, with 18 goals and 40 points in 2022-23 standing as his sole career-year. He failed to reach even half that scoring last season, and received a measly extension as a result. Kakko signed just a one-year deal, seemingly getting a message from New York that it’s time to show-up or shut-up. He recorded 22 goals and 38 points in 45 Liiga games in his draft season, and could be at risk of losing an NHL role if he can’t return to that production this season.

Luckily, New York found a silver lining by quickly solidifying their defense depth. Ryan Lindgren will return to the team on a big raise – set to be paid $1.5MM more than he did last season –  though a one-year deal will give him the chance to earn even more. He’s emerged as the de facto partner to superstar Adam Fox, serving as a reliable physical presence and shutdown-defender that lets Fox jump into the rush. Braden Schneider – the partner of locked-in #2 defender K’Andre Miller – was placed in the same spot, receiving a notable raise but on a short-term deal that should help him earn more soon. He and Lindgren have their roles cut out for them, and now need to prove they can stay on their feet for a full 82-games.

Meanwhile, Matthew Robertson signs a deal that returns him to the mix of depth defenders fighting for time, after serving as a top option on the Hartford Wolf Pack blue-line last year. Robertson has yet to make his NHL debut, though he’s considered by many as one of New York’s next up and could even win out an opening-day spot, if he’s able to outperform competition like Ruhwedel and Zachary Jones.

Departures

F Oliver Tarnstrom (AIK, HockeyAllsvenskan)
F Karl Henriksson (Vaxjo, SHL)
G Olof Lindbom (Lahti, Liiga)
F Barclay Goodrow (claimed off waivers by San Jose)
F Bobby Trivigno (Brynas, SHL)
F Alexander Wennberg (San Jose, two-years, $10MM)
F Blake Wheeler (unsigned)
D Erik Gustafsson (Detroit, two-years, $4MM)
F Jack Roslovic (Carolina, one-year, $2.8MM)
D Mac Hollowell (Pittsburgh, one-year, $775K)*
F Nic Petan (Kazan, KHL)
D Nikolas Brouillard (Seattle, one-year, $775K)*
F Tyler Pitlick (unsigned)

A quiet summer often means teams lost more than they gained, but that may not be entirely true for New York – who’s biggest departures come through depth pieces like Roslovic, Wennberg, and Goodrow. The Rangers traded for the former two at the 2024 Trade Deadline, collectively giving up a second-round pick and two third-round picks. That’s a hefty price to spend for a duo that only spent half of a season in the lineup, though Roslovic provided some assurance with eight points across 16 playoff games. Wennberg couldn’t provide that same support, instead recording just two points in 16 postseason games and five points in 19 regular season games. Despite their feature in the rotating door that is New York’s middle-six, both Roslovic and Wennberg managed to earn confident deals this summer, and should continue to earn ice time with effective depth scoring.

Erik Gustafsson carries a similar story on the back-end, joining the Rangers for a brief 76 games last season but ultimately moving on this year. He was productive when he did play, recording six goals and 31 points – the third-highest scoring season of his career. He’s now headed for a Red Wings defense that should provide all of the ice time he needs, especially with his offensive upside.

Outside of that trio, New York’s departures largely feature moves to Europe, headlined by Nic Petan’s signing in the KHL. Petan is a veteran of nine NHL seasons, totaling 170 games and 35 points across four different clubs. He never managed any ice time in New York, instead spending all of his time in the Rangers organization in Hartford, where he scored eight points in 15 games. He stands alongside Goodrow, Pitlick, and Wheeler as notable departures from down New York’s depth chart, though none so big that they can’t be replaced.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Rangers have been bound by the cap all summer long, and will now enter the season with a stressful $623,476 remaining per PuckPedia. That’s narrowly enough to handle the day-to-day cost of running a team, though the Rangers could be forced into some cap gymnastics in the event of injury or call-up. That could quickly be tested, as Ryan Lindgren continues to struggle with an upper-body injury.

Key Questions

Did Enough Change? The Rangers have been stuck in a bit of perpetuity over the last few seasons, routinely cycling out pieces of their middle-six but yet to find an impact that’ll stick. That forced them to give up draft capital for Roslovic and Wennberg last Trade Deadline, but that tandem quickly walked out of the door they came in, only replaced by Reilly Smith. The return of Filip Chytil could be enough to support New York’s vacant roster spots, though it still seems one of Edstrom, Jimmy Vesey, William Cuylle, or prospect Brennan Othmann will need to step up to keep New York’s third-line dangerous. Both Vesey and Cuylle topped 20 points last season – scoring 26 and 21 respectively – though the latter seems much more likely to be the one to earn a bigger role. Their progress will be the focus of training camp, as New York asks the question of if they’ll need to beef up their depth at the Deadline once again.

Can Lafreniere’s Growth Continue? In a year headlined by Kaapo Kakko’s one-year contract, it will be Alexis Lafreniere under the most scrutiny. He scored a career-high 28 goals, 29 assists, and 57 points last season – his first year playing in all 82 games. It was an impressive step up for the young winger – nearly 20 points more than his 2022-23 totals (39) – but he needs to keep going if New York wants to rival the top-end depth of teams like Carolina and Toronto. Lafreniere looked significantly more poised on the puck last year, and could finally vindicate his first-overall selection in 2020 with a breakout year this season. He’ll have every chance at ice time, ahead of a Rangers depth with plenty of question marks.

What Will Shesterkin Get Paid? The Rangers’ focus is undoubtedly on the postseason, but they also face the daunting task of finding a value for perhaps the top goaltender in the league. Igor Shesterkin has managed a save percentage above .910 in all five of his NHL seasons to date, including a .935 in 53 games during the 2021-22 season, which earned him both the Vezina Trophy and a finalist spot for the Hart Trophy. That’s an impressive statline, eerily close to the peak years of Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price, who currently stands as the most expensive goalie in the leauge with a $10.5MM cap hit. Price’s playing days are behind him, but his eight-year, $84MM extension will be the bare minimum for Shesterkin’s looming extension. He could even earn more, and will effectively set the precedent for players like Jake Oettinger and Linus Ullmark as they prepare for extensions of their own.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/28/24

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As we reach the midway point of the preseason for most teams, coaches will want to start paring down their rosters to work with more of the main group.  Accordingly, it could be a busy weekend for cuts.  We’ll keep track of today’s cuts here.

Updated: 5:45 PM CT

Calgary Flames (per Sportsnet’s Eric Francis)

F Parker Bell (to AHL Calgary)
F Lucas Ciona (to AHL Calgary)
F Jaden Lipinski (to AHL Calgary)
F William Stromgren (to AHL Calgary)
D Joni Jurmo (to AHL Calgary)
D Jeremie Poirier (to AHL Calgary)

Chicago Blackhawks (via NHL.com’s Tracey Myers)

G Benjamin Gaudreau (released from ATO to AHL Rockford)
F Gavin Hayes (to AHL Rockford)
D D.J. King (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)
F Nick Lardis (to OHL Brantford)
F Paul Ludwinski (to AHL Rockford)
F Jalen Luypen (to AHL Rockford)
F Marcel Marcel (to AHL Rockford)
D Austin Strand (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team announcement)

F Cam Butler (to AHL Cleveland)
G Pavel Cajan (released from PTO to AHL Cleveland)
D Corson Ceulemans (to AHL Cleveland)
D Cole Clayton (to AHL Cleveland)
D Samuel Knazko (to AHL Cleveland)
F Curtis Hall (released from PTO to AHL Cleveland)
G Zach Sawchenko (to AHL Cleveland)

New York Rangers (per team announcement)

F Alex Belzile (to AHL Hartford)
D Ben Harpur (to AHL Hartford)
F Jake Leschyshyn (to AHL Hartford)

Seattle Kraken (per team announcements)

D Nikolas Brouillard (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Luke Henman (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Niklas Kokko (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Jani Nyman (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Lleyton Roed (to AHL Coachella Valley)

Utah Hockey Club (per team announcements)

F Miko Matikka (to AHL Tucson)
F Owen Allard (to AHL Tucson)
F Julian Lutz (to AHL Tucson)
F Noel Nordh (to AHL Tucson)
D Artem Duda (to AHL Tucson)
G Anson Thornton (to AHL Tucson)
G Jaxson Stauber (to AHL Tucson)
F Cole Beaudoin (to OHL Barrie)
D Terrell Goldsmith (to WHL Tri-City)
D Justin Kipkie (to WHL Victoria)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

D Sawyer Mynio (to WHL Seattle)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team announcement)

D Jake Bischoff (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Braeden Bowman (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Jakub Brabenec (to AHL Henderson)
F Mathieu Cataford (to QMJHL Rimouski)
D Daniil Chayka (to AHL Henderson)
D Artur Cholach (to AHL Henderson)
D Joe Fleming (to AHL Henderson)
F Ben Hemmerling (to AHL Henderson)
D Brandon Hickey (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Bear Hughes (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Jett Jones (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
G Carl Lindbom (to AHL Henderson)
D Samuel Mayer (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Riley McKay (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Mitch McLain (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Simon Pinard (released from PTO to AHL Henderson)
F Matyas Sapovaliv (to AHL Henderson)
G Isaiah Saville (to AHL Henderson)
F Sloan Stanick (released from ATO to AHL Henderson)
D Christoffer Sedoff (to AHL Henderson)
F Kai Uchacz (released from ATO to AHL Henderson)
G Jesper Vikman (to AHL Henderson)

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Waiver Wire: 9/27/2024

at CDT | by 1 Comment

A growing list of players is hitting the waiver wire today as teams continue to trim their rosters heading into the 2024-25 NHL regular season. The Vancouver Canucks became the first team to test waivers by putting defensemen Guillaume Brisebois and Jett Woo through and both have cleared this afternoon. PuckPedia announced the list of players on the wire for the next 24 hours and the waiver priority will still be the reverse order of last year’s standings until November 1st.

Columbus Blue Jackets (confirmed in team announcement)

G Zachary Sawchenko (reassignment to AHL Cleveland)

New York Rangers

F Alex Belzile (reassignment to AHL Hartford)
D Ben Harpur (reassignment to AHL Hartford)
F Jake Leschyshyn (reassignment to AHL Hartford)

Ottawa Senators (confirmed in team announcement)

D Jeremy Davies (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
D Maxence Guenette (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Hayden Hodgson (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
D Nikolas Matinpalo (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Garrett Pilon (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Jamieson Rees (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Cole Reinhardt (reassignment to AHL Belleville)

Philadelphia Flyers (confirmed in team announcement)

D Ronald Attard (reassignment to AHL Lehigh Valley)
D Louis Belpedio (reassignment to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Rhett Gardner (reassignment to AHL Lehigh Valley)

Seattle Kraken (confirmed in team announcement)

D Nikolas Brouillard (reassignment to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Luke Henman (reassignment to AHL Coachella Valley)

Training Camp Cuts: 9/27/24

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As we finish out the first week of the preseason schedule, teams are beginning to get more aggressive with their training camp cuts. We’ll see more on Friday after seven teams trimmed their rosters on Thursday. With most junior-eligible players returned to their CHL clubs, we should see more AHL assignments and waiver placements in the coming days. As always, we’ll update this article with all of today’s cuts.

Last updated 4:49 p.m.

Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)

F Carey Terrance (assigned to OHL Erie)

Calgary Flames (per team announcement)

F Alex Gallant (to AHL Calgary)
F Trevor Janicke (to AHL Calgary)
F Rory Kerins (to AHL Calgary)
G Connor Murphy (to AHL Calgary)
F Ilya Nikolayev (to AHL Calgary)
D Zayne Parekh (assigned to OHL Saginaw)
G Matt Radomsky (to AHL Calgary)
F David Silye (to AHL Calgary)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team announcement)

F Jake Gaudet (to AHL Cleveland)
F Stefan Matteau (to AHL Cleveland)
F Justin Pearson (to AHL Cleveland)
D Stanislav Svozil (loaned to AHL Cleveland)

Florida Panthers (per team announcement)

G Kenneth Appleby (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
G Evan Cormier (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)

New York Rangers (per team announcement)

G Talyn Boyko (to AHL Hartford)

Ottawa Senators (per team announcement)

F Wyatt Bongiovanni (to AHL Belleville)
F Tyler Boucher (to AHL Belleville)
F Xavier Bourgault (to AHL Belleville)
F Jake Chiasson (to AHL Belleville)
F Angus Crookshank (to AHL Belleville)
F Phillippe Daoust (to AHL Belleville)
D Jorian Donovan (to AHL Belleville)
F Stephen Halliday (to AHL Belleville)
D Tomas Hamara (to AHL Belleville)
F Oskar Pettersson (to AHL Belleville)
G Michael Simpson (to AHL Belleville)
D Djibril Toure (to AHL Belleville)
F Keean Washkurak (released from PTO to AHL Belleville)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement)

F Jon-Randall Avon (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Elliot Desnoyers (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Brendan Furry (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Jacob Gaucher (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Massimo Rizzo (to AHL Lehigh Valley)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)

D Nikolai Knyzhov (released from PTO)

San Jose Sharks (per a team announcement)

D Artem Guryev (to AHL San Jose)
D Braden Haché (to AHL San Jose)
D Valtteri Pulli (to AHL San Jose)
D Joey Keane (to AHL San Jose)
F Mitchell Russell (to AHL San Jose)
F Lucas Vanroboys (to AHL San Jose)
F Anthony Vincent (to AHL San Jose)

Seattle Kraken (per a team announcement)

F Jagger Firkus (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F David Goyette (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Jack LaFontaine (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Ian McKinnon (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Logan Morrison (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Ty Nelson (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Victor Ostman (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Tucker Robertson (to AHL Coachella Valley)

Utah Hockey Club (per a team announcement)

D Tomas Lavoie (assigned to QMJHL Cape Breton)
F Gabe Smith (assigned to QMJHL Moncton)
D Veeti Vaisanen (assigned to WHL Medicine Hat)

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