The Rangers free agent signings yesterday followed a very specific strategy of going for low cost, medium reward players. Without much cap space, Chris Drury had to keep the Rangers away from some of the “big ticket” free agents. This was likely a blessing in disguise given how poor the class was. Still, Drury made some pretty shrewd signings to help the Rangers this season.
Jonathan Quick – Backup goalie
Signing Jonathan Quick triggered a lot of people thanks to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. That’s fair, but it was also 10 years ago. Emotional ties have no place in roster construction, and Quick’s $825k salary for this season is a big factor in his signing. His $300k in performance bonuses can be kicked to next season when the cap is expected to go up significantly too. From a cap perspective, this is a good signing.
There are certainly questions about Quick being one of the headliners of the Rangers free agent signings, notably his recent performance. We will dive a bit deeper into that as we let the dust settle on the Rangers free agent signings. Quick’s save percentage has certainly dropped, which makes sense for a 37 year old. But in Benny we trust, and Benoit Allaire was most certainly consulted on this.
Quick only needs to play 20-25 games at league average, which he is capable of.
Blake Wheeler – middle six RW
Wheeler was most likely the headliner of the Rangers free agent signings this year, and for good reason. Wheeler may be declining, and he may have been bought out, but he has still averaged at least 60 points per 82 games in each of the last four seasons. Unfortunately he’s oft injured and hasn’t actually hit that 60 point marker in each season. Still, he’s over half a point per game for $800k, which is a great signing.
Assuming health, which is a rough assumption to make, Wheeler gives the Rangers much needed scoring depth on the RW should one of Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, or Alexis Lafreniere be unable to switch to the off-wing. It’s expected Wheeler will be either 2RW or 3RW, with Kaapo Kakko jumping to the top line next season.
Erik Gustafsson – 6D/7D
Erik Gustafsson is just an overall solid defenseman who has a great rapport with head coach Peter Laviolette. The 31 year old put up career highs offensively last year, but that’s not expected to translate to the Rangers due to reduced minutes. Still, Gustafsson is great in his own and and is good in transition.
Gustafsson will be in competition with Zac Jones for the final defense spot, with the “loser” getting the 7D spot. Neither will be waived by the Rangers out of camp. This also means a solid, viable defenseman will be the first man up in case of injury. It’s at least one extra body between Ben Harpur and regular minutes, which the Rangers desperately needed.
Aside from Wheeler, Gustafsson was probably one of the best bargains of the Rangers free agent signings this year.
Nick Bonino – 4C?
Nick Bonino has been the butt of many jokes, mostly due to his contract. But Bonino is a decent defensive center who is still around 50% on faceoffs. He’s not going to light the lamp much, but he can help move Barclay Goodrow to the wing where he belongs. Goodrow should only be a center in emergencies, and Bonino’s addition has this added effect.
Between Bonino, Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, Tyler Pitlick, and possibly Will Cuylle, the Rangers have a bunch of solid fourth line options. The depth has certainly been rounded out.
Tyler Pitlick – 13F?
Tyler Pitlick is a center, but he doesn’t take draws too much. Pitlick is likely insurance on Cuylle’s ability to make the club, so he might be penciled in as the 13F right now. He will get some games for sure, and he’s a decent injury replacement option.
There might be some competition between Bonino and Pitlick, but we will see how the rest of the offseason plays out.
Share:
More About:Uncategorized