Free agents and contract extensions in the NHL can often be hit or miss. Just ask the New York Rangers, who have had their share of brutal contracts over the past decade.
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Some of the worst comes from the Glen Sather era, which included Dan Girardi, who was later bought out after signing a six-year, $33 million contract extension in 2014. Or Barclay Goodrow’s long-term contract, which carried a $3.6 million cap charge, only to become an expensive fourth-line penalty kill specialist.
But the Rangers have hit some home runs, and have some great value on the books currently with a few players. Here are some of the most team-friendly contracts on the roster, as we get set for the 2024-25 season.
Jonny Brodzinski
Jonny Brodzinski might be the most underappreciated Ranger currently. His versatility to play wing and center gives Peter Laviolette more options. For a big chunk of last season, the 31-year-old was asked to center the third line after Filip Chytil was forced out long-term. That certainly wasn’t an easy task – but to Brodzinski’s credit – he thrived playing next to Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle to buy the front office more time to acquire a center at the trade deadline.
While the Minnesota native would lose his regular spot on the roster due to the Alexander Wennberg acquisition, general manager and president Chris Drury rewarded his play with a two-year contract extension. The $787,500 average annual value comes with virtually no downside for the Blueshirts. Should Brodzinski’s play dip dramatically, he will be sent to the American Hockey League (AHL) with little or no impact on the salary cap.
The only question is where does a versatile player fit in this season? Assuming Chytil stays healthy, likely the third line is out of the question. Additionally, the Rangers signed Sam Carrick to a three-year $3 million contract and you would think the plan is to have him center the fourth line. Brodzinski will battle for a spot in training camp – but the upside is not only there to be a fourth-liner – but even a third-liner. Having a third-line center making only $787,500 per season – would be a steal.
Braden Schneider
For most of Braden Schneider’s NHL career, he has been a steady third-pairing defenseman and has already given the Rangers supreme value on an entry-level contract. But after a few years of proving NHL worthiness, he got a small raise and earned a two-year contract this offseason that carries a $2.2 million AAV.
Add that to the fact that Laviolette leaned on Schneider at the most crucial time of the year – the playoffs. During the 2024 postseason, the 22-year-old finished with the fourth most ice time among Rangers players and was featured primarily next to K’Andre Miller on the second pair. Perhaps that will be the 2020 first-round pick’s new role going forward. And if he thrives in it, the $2.2 million AAV will be a steal. If not, that kind of money is fine for a third-pairing defenseman, especially if the cap keeps increasing by $4 million per season.
Adam Fox
Sure $9.5 million a season may sound like a lot. But Drury has to feel fortunate to have him at that number considering some of the deals that have been given out to lesser-quality defensemen. For example, Drew Doughty’s cap hit is $11 million, and Seth Jones’ is $9.5 million.
In the last three seasons, Fox ranks fourth among NHL defensemen in scoring, whereas Doughty is 20th. Fox will be 31 by the time his deal finishes and should only continue to provide the Rangers with elite play on the blue line. The 26-year-old has already won one Norris Trophy, along with being named a finalist for a second time for the award.
Vincent Trocheck
The best bang for the Rangers’ buck goes to Vincent Trocheck – and it’s a bit of a strange turn of events. When reports circulated that the centerman signed a seven-year $39.375 million contract in free agency, many thought it was an overpay on the term. But that perception has completely changed.
For one, Trocheck last season proved that he was the clear number two center behind Mika Zibanejad and ahead of Filip Chytil after helping staple the most dynamic line on the roster next to Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière. Secondly, now that the salary cap isn’t set to remain flat or near it, any team in the market for a center would be salivating to have Trocheck and his $5.6 million cap hit.
Seriously, getting a top-six center in this economy that can put up between 60 and 75 points is almost unheard of. It’s one of the best team-friendly contracts in the NHL. To make things even sweeter, Trocheck has four years left on his deal.
We’ll also give an honorable mention to Panarin. The only reason he didn’t make this list is because his $11.6 million cap hit is far from the most economical contract. But still, the Russian forward has been more than worth it, with a 120-point season in 2023-24, and earning a spot as a Hart Trophy finalist during his Rangers tenure. Drury has also gotten great value out of Jimmy Vesey at just an $800,000 AAV – but he just has one year left on his deal and it’s tough to say what his role will be exactly this season.
Overall, Drury hasn’t done an abysmal job of managing the salary cap. His stars are fairly or under-compensated, and he’s found value out of cheap bottom six forwards. The Goodrow signing wasn’t great, but the 47-year-old made up for it by getting the San Jose Sharks to claim him on waivers. The Jacob Trouba contract came from a previous regime – so it’s tough to fault Drury there. Regardless, the front office will need to keep finding value out of role and top-line players. It is essential in the hard salary cap era.
