Joe's Reaction of the Week (Chip Version): The Rangers May Have a Will Cuylle Problem

Will Cuylle showed up this season like a man on a mission. Bigger, stronger, faster, Cuylle is looking to establish himself as a throwback power forward in a modern power forward's body. In the early going, Cuylle has done just that. He has played with a nasty edge, good speed, and some scoring touch (six points in eight games). So, what's the problem?

Cuylle will be 25 when the season ends and is in the second year of a two-year deal that pays him $3.9 million per year. Upon its conclusion, Cuylle will be a restricted free agent. What is he worth?

Joe and Eric discussed this very question on this week's episode of Blueshirt Bandwidth. Eric says $8 million, and Joe says he would be comfortable at around $5 million per year. I say Eric is right, and I agree with Joe that it's a problem.

The New York Rangers will enter the summer with approximately $33 million in cap space and 13 players under contract. Among their free agents are:

• Gabe Perreault
• Tye Kartye
• Eeli Tolvanen
• Noah Laba
• Oliver Bjorkstrand
• Braden Schneider
• Joseph Veleno
• Jaroslav Chmelar
• Matthew Rempe
• Scott Morrow
• Adam Sykora

Tolvanen, Bjorkstrand, and Veleno are unrestricted free agents, while the other players are restricted. Some of these players feel like easy calls to move on from. Others, not so much. Clearly, in addition to Cuylle, the biggest decisions will surround Perreault, Kartye, Schneider, and Laba.

Perreault is entering the range where his contract is going to cost the Rangers north of $12 million per season (if they're lucky), leaving $21 million to fill out the rest of the roster. If you give $8 million of that to Cuylle, is $13 million enough to bring back Kartye, Laba, and Schneider and fill out a competitive roster? Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that Kartye and Laba each cost the Rangers around $3.5 million. That leaves the team with $6 million and 18 players under contract. You'll have Cole Beaudoin and Liam Greentree both on their entry-level contracts making less than $1 million each, which will help. That's 18 players and $4 million remaining.