Free Agency Digest

• 8/7/23 — Signed free agent backup goalie Keith Kinkaid to a 1-year contract worth $1.02M.
• 7/13/23 — Traded C R. Korczak, and G Jonathan Quick, 2025 3rd Round Pick to Vancouver for LW Tanner Pearson.
• 7/13/23 — Signed free agent C Derek Stepan to a 1-year contract worth $1.80M.
• 7/9/23 — Signed free agent D Erik Gustafsson to a 2-year contract worth $2.20M per season.
• 7/6/23 — Signed free agent RW/LW Gustav Nyquist to a 2-year contract, $2.8M per season.
• 7/6/23 — Vitali Kravtsov tendered an offer sheet of $1.225M for one year by the Minnesota Wild. Rangers match Wilds’ offer and re-signed Kravtsov.
• 6/24/23 — Accepted offers: C/RW Ryan Carpenter, C/LW Filip Chytil, LW CJ Smith, RW Gustav Rydahl
• 6.24/23 — Rejected offers: D Ryan Welenski
• 6/23/23 — Released Ryan Reaves
• 6/23/23 — Made a qualifying offer to LW Alexis Lafreniere after he rejected a contract offer.
• 6/23/23 — Accepted offers: D Libor Hajek, D Zac Jones, LW/RW Jimmy Vessey, LW/RW Dryden Hunt (2W)

With Lafrienere possible holdout, Rangers acquire LW Pearson for insurance

The Rangers traded prospect center R. Korczak, G Jonathan Quick, and a 2025 2nd Round Pick to Vancouver for LW Tanner Pearson. The move ensures New York will go into the new season with a 4th starting left-winger just in case Alexis Lafreniere decides to hold out for an extended time — or not play at all in 2023-24.

Pearson played the last four season with the Canucks. Last season, he scored 20 goals and assisted on 25 in 82 games, finishing with a -10 plus/minus. Pearson’s best season was in 2016-17 when he played with the LA Kings, scoring 24 goals (20 assists, 44 points, 8 PPG).

Quick was acquired through free agency, and with his trade, the Rangers are in need of a viable backup-goalie.

Position Needs

• Center – 3rd Scoring Line Fwd (signed C Derek Stepan)
• Right Wing – 3rd Scoring Line Fwd (signed RW/LW Gustav Nyquist)
• Defenseman – (signed D Erik Gustafsson)
• Backup Goalie

Line Worksheet

(Note for 2024 Offseason — Create table to show how many players are signed at each position (including RFAs). Base needs on what positions we’re short of players.)

Offseason Priorities

Two overtime losses turned out to be the death blow to knock the Rangers out of the playoffs. Both coming against the Hurricanes who rallied from a 3-2 series deficit to eliminate New York in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Overall, the Rangers were one of the best at keeping goals out of the net, but their postseason 2.45 GFPG should have been much higher. Having proven postseason scorers would help if they return to the playoffs in next season.

Final rankings

2.95 GFPG (21st), 2.28 GAPG (1st), 17.1 PP% (10th), 82.0 PK% (27th)

Areas to improve upon

Scoring — The Rangers finished 21st in GFPG (2.95)….

C Mika Zibanejad — 76 GP, 26 G, 224 SHT, 11.6 S%
LW Artemi Panarin — 75 GP, 22 G, 205 SHT, 10.7 S%
RW Kaapo Kakko — 79 GP, 24 G, 122 SHT, 19.7%

LW Alexis Lafraniere — 82 GP, 20 G, 173 SHT, 11.6 S%
C/LW Filip Chytil — 82 GP, 17 G, 148 SHT, 11.5 S%
LW Chris Kreider — 77 GP, 27 G, 198 SHT, 13.6% (75 PIM)

C Vincent Trochek — 82 GP, 27 G, 206 SHT, 13.1 S%
C/LW Filip Chytil — 82 GP, 17 G, 148 SHT, 11.5 S%
RW Sammy Blais — 80 GP, 9 G, 101 SHT, 8.9 S%

RW Vitali Kravtsov — 39 GP, 5 G, 40 SHT, 12.5 S%

Penalty Kill — The Rangers ranked near the bottom in PK during the regular season. In the playoffs, they were shorthanded 31 times and allowed 7 PP goals for a 77.4% average.

Expiring Contracts

Top Free Agents