The New York Rangers were a surprise to make the playoffs this past season. Embarking on a rebuild in the 2019-20 season, the Rangers had a quick turnaround and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. With hopes to contend once again this season, the flat salary cap will be an obstacle for general manager Chris Drury. The Rangers will have to get creative to keep hopes of a deep playoff run alive.
Rangers to Make Salary Cap Moves
10 questions, 10 answers on the #NYR as the regular season approaches
via @TheAthletic https://t.co/jdZNRxLsDZ
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) October 6, 2022
Per Arthur Staple of the Athletic, the Rangers could pursue several options to create cap flexibility.
Start the Season With a 22-Man Roster
Staple suggests that the Rangers could start the season with only 22 roster players. This would be to bank cap space as it accrues throughout the season. This however means that there will be a few forwards on their way out of the Big Apple. Julien Gauthier and Jonny Brodziknski are unlikelies to make the opening night roster.
After those easier cuts come the harder decisions. One of Ryan Reaves, Jimmy Vesey, Dryden Hunt or Ryan Carpenter won’t be one of the thirteen or fourteen forwards the Rangers ice on opening night. Vesey has looked strong in camp, playing on the top-line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, and is essentially locked in. Reaves is a feared enforcer, and a logical extra forward. Unfortunately, Hunt and Carpenter aren’t locks for a roster spot, as they would likely be on most teams.
Acquire a Dead Contract for LTIR Room
Another option for the Rangers could be to acquire a dead contract from a team in order to use the LTIR space they would provide. An example of this is what the Vegas Golden Knights are doing with Shea Weber. Candidates for this could be Vancouver’s Michael Ferland (one-year, $3.5-million), and Arizona’s Andrew Ladd (one-year, $5.5-million).
Need For Salary Cap Flexibility
The New York Rangers aren’t in extreme need for salary cap relief at this moment. Where the need would come into play is if they wanted to make a trade to increase their playoff odds. The one player that keeps coming up for the Rangers is Chicago superstar Patrick Kane. Kane would count for $5.25-million on the salary cap, assuming Chicago retained half of his salary. Re-uniting Kane with former teammate Artemi Panarin could be the move that puts the Rangers into a position to truly contend.
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