GM Chris Drury adds nine players, filling several holes w/ minimal cap hits (2023 free agency)

2023 free agency

GM Chris Drury adds nine players, filling several holes w/ minimal cap hits

By Jan Levine

Jul 2, 2023 • 9:32 am

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GM Chris Drury and the Rangers entered free agency Saturday with eigh spots to fill and around $11.7 million in which to do so. Drury did yeoman's work, adding nine players total - several of which should have full-time roles, while spending at the dollar store rather than in the high-priced district, Not sure any of us saw many of these moves coming, especially at the prices paid. The team is most certainly deeper and a bit tougher to face, though speed, a concern last season, especially against New Jersey, remains an area of need.

Good summaries of the day by Vince Mercogliano and Dan Rosen:

The day started with the signing of Blake Wheeler. Designated for assignment Friday by Winnipeg, Wheeler was inked to a contract that will pay him $800K with $300K in easily achievable performance bonuses. Because Wheeler is over-35, the bonus does not immediately count against the cap, and if attained, the impact can be rolled forward into next season. Give captain Jacob Trouba an assist here, as he played a big role in getting Wheeler to join the Blueshirts (along with the cash in his pocket from the buyout).

Wheeler is not the speed demon he was years ago, having lost a step or two. In addition, his defense is lacking to be kind. But he is a proven point producer, who still can set up others and thrives when paired with a playmaking center. The rumors of Wheeler being a locker room cancer are reportedly very overblown and somewhat inaccurate. His addition gives New York a second- or third-line right winger, a crying area of need, at more than a reasonable price. Plus, after being bought out, you know that Wheeler will have a chip on his shoulder to show he can still produce.

Drury, in a move reported Friday as probable, officially added Jonathan Quick as the back up goalie to Igor Shesterkin. Like Wheeler, Drury signed Quick - also over-35 years old - to a bonus laded deal, $825K in salary and $100K in bonus, Quick, who grew up a Rangers fan, has reportedly always wanted to play for the Blueshirts and he will get the chance now. A three-rime Cup winner, Quick brings playoff experience to the crease and locker room.

I said Friday that I was not sold on the move. The hope has to be that goaltending coach Benoit Allaire can help Quick regain the form he had in his bounce back in 2021-22 rather than what we saw last season. Cam Talbot, who signed for $1 million with the Kings, was a target for me. But hard to argue at the price paid for Quick, I just hope the $175K in savings to maintain cap space proves worthwhile.

From there, Drury pivoted to adding depth and rebuilding the fourth line. Those moves have certainly created competition for the 13th roster spot and provided options in Hartford. On paper, the bottom-trio looks tougher to face and should have a solid identity, something lacking the last few seasons. In addition, the penalty killing unit gets a boost as well.

New York added Alex Belzile, Nick Bonino, Riley Nash and Tyler Pitlick to short-term deals, Bonino (one-year deal for $800,000) and Pitlick (one-year deal for $787,500) are highly likely to crack the opening night lineup. Both are strong defensive players and penalty killers who could make up two-thirds of a new-look fourth line, likely alongside Jimmy Vesey. Bonino (two Cups with Pittsburgh), who played under new Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette, and assistant Dan Muse, for three seasons in Nashville, will center that unit while Pitlick provides a physical presence and should help the PK unit. Belzile and Nash, each signed to two-year deals for a veteran minimum $775K, will battle for spots in camp but are likely to open the year with the Wolfpack.

The addition of these four players will make it more difficult for either or both Will Cuylle and Brennan Othmann to crack the roster. Camp most certainly has become substantially more competitive. The benefit of the low salaries is that if one or both prove worthy, moving any of the veterans should be easier, even if they need to pass through waivers.

Barring a major move, the roster could be mostly set. Vladimir Tarasenko still is out there, as is Patrick Kane. But unless Barclay Goodrow gets moved, less likely now after the influx of the cheap deals, what is currently on the team, including the two kids, might be what's in camp. It's possible a PTO or two is offered, as Drury will continue to look to add around the edges and might swing for the fences.

The training camp opening lineup might be:

Kreider - Zib - Kakko Panarin - Chytil - Wheeler Laf - Trocheck - Goodrow Vesey - Bonino - Pitlick

Extras fighting for a spot: Belzile, Nash, Othmann, Cuylle

Defensemen Connor Mackey and Nikolas Brouillard were signed to provide additional depth in Hartford. But Drury was not done. He signed Erik Gustafsson to a one-year deal worth $825K. Gustafsson, who played for Laviolette in Washington, ably stepped in to pick up the offensive production lost when John Carlson was on injured reserve.

Zac Jones also is in the mix, and since I believe he would require waivers to be sent down, should at a minimum be the extra d-man on the roster, Gustafsson now becomes the favorite to fill the left-handed opening on the bottom pair left by Niko Mikkola's free-agent departure. (Mikkola, who wasn't coming back, signed a three-year, $7.5 million deal with the Florida Panthers). That said, though, don't rule out Jones and whichever one makes the roster could get a look on the second-unit power play. Ben Harpur will need to pass through waivers to be sent down, and if he does, he will be joined in Hartford by Mackey and Brouillard as well as Matthew Robertson.

Lindgren - Fox Miller - Trouba Gustafsson/Jones - Schneider

All told the Rangers added forwards Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino, Tyler Pitlick, Riley Nash and Alex Belzile, defenseman Erik Gustafsson, Connor Mackey and Nikolas Brouillard, and goalie Jonathan Quick for a shade over $7.1 million. Wheeler, Quick, Bonino, Pitlick and Gustafsson all are on one-year contracts for $4,037,500. With these moves, New York has about $6.863M of space to re-sign Alexis Lafreniere and K'Andre Miller.

Laf was the talk of the day just prior to free agency pening at 12pm. As Dan Rosen wrote, Drury flat-out denied an unconfirmed report earlier Saturday (by Arthur Staple) that said League sources had him talking to general managers about trading Lafreniere. Elliotte Friedman said that the Rangers were keeping Laf, but that doesn't mean there wasn't interest and discussions. But moving Laf, considering the contract he is likely to get, youth he brings to the roster, even-strength scoring and remaining upside, would have been a silly short-term move. Laf will probably ink a two-year bridge deal in the $2.3 million range based on what has been projected and reported.

"There could be nothing further from the truth than that," he said. "I have not talked to one GM about Alexis. He's a real good young player and we think his best days are certainly ahead of him. We're thrilled he's a part of our team and hope he's a Ranger for a long, long time. So, that's a completely false report."

Miller will be a tough signing. Concerns rightly exist that he could want near $5 mil per season, Bowen Byram signed a two-year, $7.7 million extension with Colorado on Saturday. If Drury could get Miller to sign a similar extension, he would be ecstatic. But my presumption is Miller would want and rightfully expect more $ in his deal. Keeping Miller in the $4 mil range, allowing additional moves during the season and avoiding what happened last year when NY was in cap hell and playing short handed, will be paramount. 

Speed. One of the elements clearly lacking last year and one that based on who was added - other than Pitlick - appears not to have improved. Mercogliano noted this in his column, Rosen the same, as did Larry Brooks, who also noted that the team has also gotten older. Drury gave his view. Time will tell if the system Laviolette puts in aids in that speed, but consider me skeptical based on what we saw last year and what it looks like as of now, at least on paper.

"I think we have good team speed," he said. "I do, and I think we'll have a game plan designed for the players we have and the routes. The things we want to get accomplished on the ice will be set up by Lavi for what we have. I think we'll be playing a lot faster. There are certain areas and small areas where I think we'll do things quicker, and I think we are built for that."

Here is the list of Rangers qualifying offers from Friday, sayonara Libor Hajek

Development Camp roster below as camp open Sunday:

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