Now that the New York Rangers are out of the NHL playoffs, speculation has started about their off-season plans, and there's lots to discuss.
The New York Rangers are the latest Presidents' Trophy winner to fall short in its quest for the Stanley Cup. That leaves GM Chris Drury heading into the off-season seeking the right moves to get his club over the playoff hump next season.
ESPN.com's Kristen Shilton believes re-signing goaltender Igor Shesterkin should be Drury's priority. Winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2021-22, the 28-year-old netminder was the Rangers' most valuable player during this post-season, finishing with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
Shesterkin has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $5.666 million. The New York Post's Mollie Walker reports there's reason to believe his camp could seek a cap hit of $12 million on his next deal, setting the NHL salary cap record for a goaltender.
Walker's colleague Ethan Sears noted that Alexis Lafreniere is another who could get an extension as early as July 1. Chosen first overall in the 2020 NHL draft, the 22-year-old winger enjoyed a breakout performance this season with 57 points in 82 games.
Lafreniere also had eight goals and 14 points in 16 playoff contests. He's coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights, giving Drury leverage in their negotiations.
Drury must also focus on his pending free agents. The UFAs include Blake Wheeler, Jack Roslovic, Alex Wennberg and Erik Gustafsson while Ryan Lindgren, Kaapo Kakko and Braden Schneider are RFAs. Schneider is the only one lacking arbitration rights.
The Rangers have a projected cap space of $12.1 million for 2024-25 with 16 active roster players under contract. Signing their three RFAs will take up most of it unless Drury sheds some salary.
Kakko's future was the subject of speculation even before the Rangers' elimination. The 23-year-old winger was a healthy scratch from Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final. He and coach Peter Laviolette claimed no issues arose, but it raised questions about his future in New York.
Sears thinks Kakko still has potential as a top-six winger, but moving him could be an obvious fix if management hopes to save money for next season. The Athletic's Peter Baugh believes the young Finn will draw interest in the trade market, perhaps fetching a second- or third-round pick.
Baugh also noted that Rangers captain Jacob Trouba's performance this season didn't match his $8-million cap hit. The 30-year-old defenseman's no-movement clause becomes a 15-team no-trade list on July 1.
Signed through 2025-26, Trouba could draw interest in the trade market, especially if the Rangers retained half his cap hit. However, peddling this year's Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award winner would be an extreme move. His physical defensive game makes him a key part of their roster core.
