Washington Capitals v New York Rangers - Game Three

Prior to the start of the 2013-2014 season, few could have imagined that the Rangers would trade their heart and soul captain, Ryan Callahan, at the March 5 trade deadline. But such is life in the salary cap world – GM Glen Sather determined a contract number he wouldn’t exceed for both Callahan and defenseman Dan Girardi. Girardi proved willing to negotiate within Sather’s limits, Callahan did not, and he was stunningly traded for Martin St. Louis.

Why bring this up now? Because just as with last fall, the Rangers are about to open camp with a few mega contracts looming on the horizon. New York has a bit more financial wiggle room this time around, especially with the salary cap ceiling likely to increase, but there are still tough decisions to be made. So what lies ahead?

Who will be the captain? – Not all of the major personnel decisions are financial – who will be the next face of the Rangers is as important a decision as any. The logical candidates – Girardi, St. Louis, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh – all come with questions. Girardi’s play dipped dramatically in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs after he signed a six-year, $33 million contract, so it could be a risky move to give the 30-year-old blueliner this honor without knowing if he can maintain his previous level of play. St. Louis has just one year remaining on his contract and is 39 years old, so while he might be the perfect veteran leader right now, that could represent flawed short-term thinking. Like St. Louis, Staal has just one year left on his deal and faces an uncertain future with the organization. That all leads to McDonagh, who’s certainly the unanimous choice among fans. It would be a major shock if he didn’t receive the C, but that’s also a lot to throw onto a 25-year-old who’s still blossoming as a player.

How much is too much for Staal? – Staal is in the final season of a deal that’s paid him just under $4 million a season. Assuming he stays healthy, he should have no problem matching or eclipsing the contract Girardi received last spring. But given Staal’s injury history, does it make sense to make that kind of financial commitment to him? New York is already set to pay three defenders over $4.5 million in 2015-2016 and has Girardi and McDonagh locked up for years after that. Giving Staal a big payday would really limit the team’s flexibility, and it limits growth opportunities for the likes of John Moore and Brady Skjei, as well as Dylan McIlrath and Conor Allen. Some fans have been calling for the organization to send Staal to Carolina to play with his brothers, and while that might be a little premature and presumptuous, Sather may indeed have a tough decision to make as the trade deadline approaches.

Should Martin St. Louis be re-signed? – After a rough initial stretch with the Blueshirts, St. Louis looked like his old self during the 2014 playoffs. He’s a freak physical specimen, so there’s really no reason to believe that his play will fall off a cliff this season. And unlike Staal, there’s not much risk of St. Louis choosing to sign elsewhere – he forced a trade to New York with every intention of finishing his career here. It’s probably a safe assumption that St. Louis would be willing to re-up on a reasonable two-year deal or even a series of one-year contracts a la Teemu Selanne, but if that’s not the case, then things could get dicey. The Blueshirts will need a ton of cash earmarked for UFA Mats Zuccarello as well as RFAs Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin. Keeping them all should be doable, but all four of these guys might hinge on what happens with Staal.

Is Derek Stepan a long-term No. 1? – Yes, I know that since Stepan is New York’s top center, he’s a No. 1 by default. And yes, I know that he’s a terrific two-way player and still has plenty of room for growth. But the going rate for top centers these days is pretty daunting – Dave has suggested that the Rangers be prepared to shell out six years, $36 million to retain Stepan. The question isn’t so much whether the team wants to keep Stepan or not, it’s more a question of whether the Blueshirts are a true contender if Stepan and Derick Brassard are their top two pivots for the next several years. We’ll get a much clearer answer to that when we see how the team performs without Brad Richards this year, but if the Rangers can’t come close to matching last season’s success and Stepan struggles at all, then Sather’s hand might be forced. We all know the Rangers are built to win now, and if they take a step farther away from the ultimate prize, then Sather might have to consider shipping out Stepan or Brassard in a package for someone like Joe Thornton (that ship has probably sailed, but you never know who else will become available).

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