Will Cuylle, Rangers Agree to Two-Year, $7.8M Deal

Much of Chris Drury's summer was riding on the first day of free agency, and the New York Rangers' GM is already crossing off the most crucial tasks on his list. Securing Will Cuylle's signature on an extension has been a top priority for Drury since the season ended. After the qualifying offer process left Rangers fans on edge, Drury made it happen and dodged the nightmare of Cuylle signing an offer sheet, inking the young power forward to a two-year, $7.8 million contract, with an AAV of $3.9 million.

A bridge deal for Cuylle makes sense for both parties. Cuylle is banking on his play and salary cap both continuing to trend upward, and the Rangers can kick another big contract down the road when they'll have more cap flexibility. After Matthew Knies signed a contract with an AAV of $7.75 million for six years, nerves were beginning to rise. Cuylle, who plays a similar style to the Toronto forward, could have sought a similar contract if he had gone for a longer-term deal. After scoring 20 goals and 25 assists, there was concern that Cuylle had played himself out of the Rangers' price range, as their cap crunch with K'Andre Miller's RFA status was projected to reach a crossroads and force the team to make some tough decisions.

For now, the Blueshirts will go into next year with a new coach and one of their most promising forwards under contract. Signing at under $4 million per year is excellent value for one of the only bright spots for the Rangers in last year's dismal season. The sky is the ceiling for Cuylle, and with Sullivan's hard-nosed style and coaching, the gamble he took on himself could very likely pay off.