Management has some tough decisions to make. Who will stay and who will go?
With the NHL trade deadline just ten days away, management has a lot on its mind. The Rangers beat the Wild last night, but they’re still nine points out of a playoff spot with the odds against them growing as the season continues.
Let’s look at the second group of players Gorton and the NYR management have to make decisions about, either at the deadline or during the offseason.
Tony DeAngelo
Tony DeAngelo has been a star player for the Rangers this season. He’s had 43 points in 56 games, making him one of the more effective members of the Rangers’ defense at present. As a result of his stellar play, DeAngelo should be expecting a big payday when he hits arbitration during the summer.
Based on his level of play, and the recent contracts similar defensemen like Darnell Nurse received, DeAngelo could be looking at a contract with an AAV of anywhere between 4-6 million.
But, will it be with the Rangers?
Despite the team’s recent cap woes, DeAngelo said he feels “pretty confident” that he’d be staying with the Rangers in a recent interview. To make this happen, the Rangers would have to move other pieces though.
Brendan Lemieux
This is Lemieux’s second year playing for the Rangers. Despite being out for a nine-game stretch with a broken hand, he’s had an alright season. Lemieux hasn’t been a star player for the Rangers, but he hasn’t been having an abysmal season either, and Quinn likes his gritty style of play.
There hasn’t been much in the way of buzz surrounding Lemieux, and it seems like the Rangers will probably keep him. His game adds a tougher element to the team as a whole, and unlike DeAngelo or Kreider he doesn’t have a huge price tag associated with him right now.
Jesper Fast
Fast has played a diverse array of roles for the Rangers this season. Fast has always had a great work ethic as a player, and he was even on the first line with Panarin at several points this season. However, if the Rangers want to keep other players with larger potential cap hits, they need to find the money for that somewhere.
And the Rangers haven’t reported on any new contract negotiations with Fast’s camp yet.
This may mean that management plans on moving Fast—either at the deadline or during the offseason—or that Fast himself is interested in looking at the UFA market, in which case the Rangers should get something for him while they can. Potential trade destinations include Boston—who has a hole on RW—and Nashville.
Looking for someone that isn’t here?
Part one of this article covers Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome, Alexander Georgiev, and a few others.
Featured Image: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
