The Rangers center need is in two seasons, not one

A common theme this season and heading into the offseason is that the Rangers need a center. There’s truth to this theme. Heading into the season, the depth was questionable. Mika Zibanejad’s early struggles didn’t help things, and neither did Filip Chytil’s injury. The Jack Eichel rumors fueled things. But while many focus on next season, the true need for the Rangers at center is the 2022-2023 season.

Expiring Contracts

The big focus is expiring contracts. Both Zibanejad and Ryan Strome will be UFAs at the end of the 2021-2022 season. The issue isn’t necessarily their expiring contracts. It’s not even their production. Both deserve to play out their current deals, as both have been huge bargains for the Rangers. The issue is what their *next* contracts will be.

Zibanejad, if he continues his current pace, will likely command $9+ million on a huge contract, possibly a full seven years. He will be 29 years old when that contract is signed. That will be a very difficult contract to manage. Is ZIbanejad worth 6+ years at $9+ million, taking him to his age-35 season? The Rangers already have Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider tied to big contracts well into their thirties. Can they support a third?

As for Strome, his contract is also up at the same time and the same age. The difference is that Strome won’t command $9 million or 6+ years. But the big concern is that Strome will command a bigger deal at more than his current $4.5 million cap hit.

Remember, one bad contract shortens a window to win. With the Rangers likely entering their window next season, are these risks the Rangers want to take?

Developing Filip Chytil

This is why the Rangers need to spend time focusing on Filip Chytil. The key to winning in the cap-era NHL is talent that exceeds their contract value. Chytil will be relatively cheap on his next contract, and it is expected that he will take on a bigger role.

The numbers suggest he should be able to accept the 2C role. He is 13th in P/60 at even strength, suggesting more ice time means more points. He also gets very little powerplay time, which again in theory should help provide that true 2C production that exceeds his next contract.

If you assume the Rangers develop Chytil properly, then they only “need” one big time center contract. While all signs are pointing to that being Zibanejad, there is still that inherent risk with his next contract. It’s why the shiny new toy like Jack Eichel is so appealing. It’s not necessarily about the players, it’s about the contracts.

The Rangers Can Wait

The good thing is that the Rangers can be patient and wait out the market. This year it’s Eichel, and the LA Kings might actually have better prospects to deal from. There’s also the pipe dream that is Elias Pettersson, but that will require an offer sheet.

But the following year is interesting, with expiring contracts including Brayden Point and Aleksander Barkov. Those are just the expiring center contracts.

There are other ways to get a center. The Rangers can see how the flat cap impacts some cap strapped teams. Perhaps there are trades to be made.

That’s one thing to remember as the Rangers head into this offseason. They can wait. There are other options besides Jack Eichel. The Rangers center need isn’t next season, it’s after the 2022-2023 season.