When the clock strikes noon on Wednesday and the free-agency frenzy begins, the Rangers will watch as three members of their top-six and five of their top 12 — who played a part in the club’s second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division and run to the conference final last season — hit the open market.
Ryan Strome could be parting with a second-line center job next to Artemi Panarin, while Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp could vacate top-six spots. The losses of Tyler Motte and Kevin Rooney would create holes on the wing and in the middle of the bottom-six. Though the door is not necessarily closed on some of those pending free agents, president and general manager Chris Drury is looking at a difficult landscape to replace them, should it get to that point.
Everyone knows the Rangers will have to do some cap gymnastics in the next couple years to make the finances work. The moves made this offseason will lay the groundwork.
So when it comes to the free-agent market, the Rangers may not necessarily be in play for some high-end players. Instead, they could have to target low-profile players who won’t break the bank and will leave the Rangers with some sort of breathing room for future contract negotiations with the likes of Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller next offseason.
This all depends on how Drury views the parts of the team that are already in place and how close he thinks the team is to winning the Stanley Cup.
The Rangers, whose top priority is finding a No. 2 center, are operating with approximately $10 million of salary cap space, depending on the projected shadow roster. With such a tight budget, the likelihood of being able to adequately address each need is low. There are only so many players available — either as a free agent or in a trade — who fit within the Rangers’ current cap situation.
If Drury is focusing on the trade market rather than free agency to answer the Rangers’ second-line center question, which is believed to be true, the options are primarily short term.
Of all the forwards the Rangers could be losing to free agency, Motte is still on the table. Both sides are still engaging in conversations, and it is possible an agreement can be made even after free agency begins. The Rangers’ ability to retain Motte would likely come down to what they end up paying for a second-line center.
On the back end, veteran defenseman Patrik Nemeth is still a Ranger, after the first buyout window closed Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Rangers’ only options now are to keep Nemeth, whose $2.5 million salary makes him ineligible to be bought out during the second window, or trade him. Without shedding some salary off the current roster, it’ll be difficult to land any notable unrestricted free agents.
Drury is also probably weighing which current players in the organization could be ready for bigger roles. So much of the Rangers’ future success hinges on the young core’s ability to not only just fill out the lineup, but produce and shoulder hefty responsibilities. Plus, restricted free agent Kaapo Kakko is now eligible for an offer sheet.
There are several in-house options who could end up on a fast track if the Rangers can’t get what they need in a trade or on the open market.
Was Filip Chytil’s dazzling playoff run an indication that he’s ready to be a No. 2 center? Will Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson have to step in as the sixth defenseman? Can Vitali Kravtsov finally prove he is an NHL-caliber winger? Is Will Cuylle or Brennan Othmann an option or are they still developing?
So many questions. So many different routes to take. When the clock strikes 12 p.m. on Wednesday, the work for clarity begins.
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