The New York Rangers have re-signed winger Pavel Buchnevich. They announced on Friday that Buchnevich agreed to a two-year deal. The contract holds an average cap hit of $3.25 million per year.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have agreed to terms with restricted free agent forward Pavel Buchnevich. pic.twitter.com/t6xmuZG5Rr
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 27, 2019
Pavel Buchnevich Re-Signs With Rangers
Buchnevich has spent his entire career with the Rangers after they drafted him in the third round, 75th overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft. He has put up 43 goals and 58 assists for 101 career points in 179 career games. Buchnevich had one assist in five Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2017.
Last season he scored 21 goals and 17 assists for 38 points despite only playing in 64 games. This was five short of his career-high 43 points that he recorded in 74 games. He also added 13 minutes in penalties last year. His possession numbers were 47.4 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of +2.2.
What This Means for Pavel Buchnevich and The Rangers
The Russian winger recorded the highest point-per-game total of his career last season and ranked third on the Rangers in goals. Buchnevich averaged 15:10 of ice time in each game last season. He spent the year playing on the Rangers top line and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him among their top-six again next season, as the Rangers look towards him to provide a spark in their newly renovated offense. His 12 points on the powerplay ranked second on the Rangers.
The Rangers offense could be exciting next season. They were able to reel in hot-commodity Artemi Panarin earlier this summer. Panarin netted 87 points in 79 games last season, his career-high. He is a proven scorer, recording 28 goals last year and has an average of 29-per-year over his four-year career. The Rangers will undoubtedly put Panarin on a pedestal this year, hoping his stats can be bolstered by fellow stars Mika Zibanejed and Chris Kreider. Of course, the dynamic Buchnevich could also be a key factor in Panarin’s success.
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