After losing their second Eastern Conference Final series in the past three seasons, the New York Rangers are back to the drawing board, hoping to refresh their roster. It has been over 30 years since their last Stanley Cup victory, and general manager Chris Drury has his work cut out for him this offseason.
The biggest hole to fill on the first-line right wing, and finding someone to complement Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad at five-on-five has been a constant struggle for the Blueshirts. There are massive questions on the blue line, with Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider becoming restricted free agents (RFA) as of July 1, and Jacob Trouba’s hefty $8 million cap hit.
After losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panther in six games, one has to feel that the Rangers were on the brink of victory. Not all pundits and fans share that sentiment, as their lackluster even-strength play and cooling off of their special teams in the season’s dwindling days plagued them yet again.
With all eyes firmly focused on the offseason, Drury must aim for winning the Stanley Cup in 2024-2025 with every decision he makes. There is pressure on him, the core group, and head coach Peter Laviolette to put the right pieces together, especially considering the expiring contracts after the upcoming season. This may be the most important summer for the Rangers in quite some time. If Drury’s handling of Barclay Goodrow is any indication, he could be ready to make the tough calls needed to ascend to hockey history.
Rangers’ Pending Free Agents After Next Season
After the 2024-25 season, the Rangers will have 10 contracts up for renewal. Most notable are Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere, and K’Andre Miller. All three are vital to the Rangers’ future and are set to receive huge paydays. For the Blueshirts to retain all three, there will have to be some serious cap gymnastics and relatively harsh decisions to make.
In addition to Shesterkin, Lafreniere, and Miller, Will Cuylle, Adam Edstrom, Zachary Jones, Kaapo Kakko, and Matt Rempe will all become RFAs after 2024-25, while Jonathan Quick and Jimmy Vesey are set to hit the open market as unrestricted free agents (UFAs).
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Another salary cap increase would help the Rangers somewhat, but roster construction and contract details will greatly affect who stays or goes. Fortunately, the bulk of their free agents are RFAs, meaning the Bluehsirts will have their rights, but the threat of an offer sheet, though rarely used, remains prevalent.
As for Shesterkin, there is no doubt he is the Rangers’ backbone. Sergei Bobrovsky winning the Stanley Cup at a cap-hit of $10 million shows that it can be done, but recent history has proved a high-paid goalie isn’t necessarily the best path to winning a championship. Will Shesterkin take slightly less than market value to remain a Ranger? Or will Drury be forced to make an extraordinarily tough decision?
Those looming questions make 2024-25 the ultimate Cup-or-bust season.
Rangers Getting Close No Longer Cuts It
Since the 2011-12 NHL season, the Rangers are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the most Conference Finals appearances, with five. Despite that success, the Lightning have won two Stanley Cups, while the Rangers have only advanced to the Cup Final once. Knowing how often the team has been on the brink of something special but ultimately falling short is painful enough without their most recent losses.
In 2022, the Rangers’ miracle run saw them hold a 2-0 series lead over the Lightning before dropping four straight games. The Rangers led the Panthers 2-1 this postseason before dropping the next three games. They have been within arm’s reach of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2014 but have failed to pull themselves over the proverbial wall, which seems to be in their way.
A restlessness has set in, as this team’s ultra-talented core has been unable to translate its regular-season success into the postseason. With the championship window getting narrower by the season, 2024-25 has to have a different ending for a group that has seen postseason run after run end similarly.
With the 2024 NHL Draft set for Friday, June 28, rumors are circulating about the Rangers’ trade activity. While eyes will certainly be on projected first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, Drury will actively be looking for trade partners. Per Vince Mercogliano of USA Today, Lindgren, Kakko, and Trouba are all being discussed. We will see if there is a deal tempting enough to send a familiar face away, just as we will see what unfolds with the Rangers’ omnipresent approach to the free-agent market.
These coming weeks will tell if Drury is willing to make the serious changes necessary to end the Rangers’ 30-year Cup drought in 2024-25.
