New York Rangers Offseason Game Plan

1. Resign Core RFA’s 

The Rangers face an offseason where many players that are part of the core of the team going forward are restricted free agents and are up for new contracts. Forwards Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, and Brian Boyle are all up for new deals, as are defensemen Matt Gilroy and Michael Sauer. 

Of that list, Gilroy would appear to be the one most likely to not be retained. Callahan scored 23 goals in an injury-shortened season, while Dubinsky’s 24 goals, 30 assists, and 54 points were all good enough to lead the team. Anisimov had 44 points in his 2nd full NHL season, and Boyle obliterated his career high with 21 goals. Sauer has a phenomenal rookie season on the blue-line, paired with fellow freshman Ryan McDonagh, the crown-jewel of the Scott Gomez trade. 

The Rangers are in an enviable position of having solid organizational depth on defense, all of which at a very young age. Having this strength allows the Rangers to walk away from Matt Gilroy, who played solid but unspectacular hockey the past 2 seasons. 

Expect Callahan and Dubinsky to both get deals in the $3.5-$4M per year vicinity, Anisimov and Boyle both around $2.5M-$3M, and Sauer $1.5M-$2M. It would be in the Rangers best interest to choose 5-6 year deals for Callahan and Dubinsky, as the leadership of the team is clearly in their hands going forward. 

2. Acquire a #1 Center to play with Marian Gaborik 

The Rangers have been looking for a #1 center since the departure of Michael Nylander, who helped revive the career of Jaromir Jagr and was integral in helping #68 set a new club record for goals in a season with 54. 

Marian Gaborik, the club’s only true sniper and one of the top 10 players in the world when playing at his best, has been without a true center in his time on Broadway. Experiments using veteran Vinny Prospal, journeyman Erik Christensen, and young players Artem Anisimov and Derek Stepan have yielded underwhelming results at best. Having seen what Gaborik was able to produce in 2009-10 with 42 goals playing without a true #1 only whets the appetite for what can be done if he had one. 

Solution? Brad Richards. 

Richards, 31, is coming off of a 5 year deal and has expressed interest in staying with Dallas, at times, but an ownership situation that is very up-in-the-air doesn’t give the stability that the center is looking for. 

A former Conn Smythe winner, Richards has played under Rangers coach John Tortorella and won a Stanley Cup under his leadership with Tampa. It is expected that if the situation in Dallas doesn’t work itself out, and signs don’t support the idea that it will in time for free agency on July 1st, expect a hungry Rangers team to make a solid offer to Richards to make him their #1 center. 

3. Buyout Chris Drury and Wojtek Wolski 

The Rangers, at this point in the cycle, have to make sure they have the greatest amount of cap space possible to ensure their restricted free agents are taken care of and they can make moves towards select targets in the unrestricted free agent market. 

If the Rangers are to buyout Chris Drury and Wojtek Wolski, the total cap space available for Sather would be approximately $24.65M, assuming that the salary cap does not increase, which it likely will by up to $3M 

Assume that, as I have outlined above, Callahan and Dubinsky both get deals in the $3.5-$4M per year vicinity, Anisimov and Boyle both around $2.5M-$3M, and Sauer $1.5M-$2M. On the high end, that eats up $16M, which leaves anywhere $8.65M to $11.65M in cap space, pending a cap increase, to sign Brad Richards and other position players if necessary. 

The beauty of the buyout of Wolski, specifically, is that due to his age, the CBA states that, unlike normal buyouts where 2/3 of the remaining contract is owed over double the remaining years, Wolski and other 25 and younger players who are bought out are only bought out at 1/3 the remaining contract. 

4. Continue building for the future: select highest upside forward in 1st round of NHL draft, and use 4th round pick on a goaltender. 

The Rangers are very deep organizationally in young defensemen. Based on a look at current projections, the defensive corps in 2-3 years may be comprised of Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Michael Del Zotto, and Dylan McIlrath. That list doesn’t even include players such as Pavel Valentenko, Tomas Kundratek, and Mikhail Pashnin, all of which project to be NHL players. The Rangers also acquired former 2009 1st round pick Tim Erixon from the Calgary Flames for 2 2nd round picks, and he is projected to be NHL ready.

Staal, Girardi, Sauer, and McDonagh were a solid top 4 for the Rangers this year, the former two on the top pairing and the latter two both playing far beyond expectations in their rookie seasons. Del Zotto looks to regain his rookie year form and possibly be their power-play quarterback of the future, while McIlrath is about 2 years away. Valentenko was a throw-in from the Scott Gomez trade that also brought in McDonagh, and has flourished far beyond expectations. Kundratek has been labled by Mark Messier as the fastest defenseman he’s ever seen, and he’s played with Paul Coffey. Pashnin was the #1 pick in the inaugural KHL draft a few years back, and has indicated he wishes to play in North America. The Rangers loved Erixon in the draft in which they chose Chris Kreider, and the Flames's loss is their clear gain.

Clearly, drafting defensemen at this juncture doesn’t appear to be an organizational need, and there is not a lack of offensive prospects for the Blueshirts, but given their depth on the blueline, offense is clearly the way to go. While the Rangers have a few high upside prospects such as Chris Kreider, Christian Thomas, Evgeny Grachev, and Mats Zuccarello, you can never have enough pure scoring. 

Kreider will go into another year at Boston College this year, but the Rangers will do anything they can to turn the speedy wing pro this year. Thomas recently signed an entry-level contract after having a fantastic season in the OHL with Oshawa Generals in which he scored 54 goals and 99 points in 66 games. Grachev had a so-so year with the AHL Connecticut Whale and will be given a look during camp. Zuccarello, technically still a prospect due to his lack of NHL experience, played 42 games with the Blueshirts, scoring 6 goals and 17 assists. The diminutive forward is expected to be in the Rangers top-9 this season. Additionally, names like Ryan Bourque and Carl Hagelin will get looks in camp, but Hagelin is more likely to make the pro team over Bourque, if at all. 

The Rangers depth in goal, longer-term, is more of a question. Only Chad Johnson and Scott Stajcer have any sort of NHL promise of the goalies in the system. Cameron Talbot doesn’t appear to project out as an NHL player, in similar fashion to 6’8" Jason Missiaen. The Rangers would be well served to add another goalie into the prospect pool. 

5. Name Ryan Callahan the Captain 

There isn’t much that needs to be said here. Assuming Chris Drury is bought out, the Rangers will be in need of a captain, and there isn’t a more worthy player on the roster, or a player who better exemplifies what a Ranger is than Ryan Callahan. He has been the heir apparent to Drury for over a year now, and in the event the Rangers move on from Drury, which I completely advocate, the job should be Callahan’s.

Brian Attard

@captain9nyr

Contributor to Blueshirt Banter Radio

http://www.blueshirtbanter.com