THE BIG, YOUNG APPLE CONTINUING THE
team’s rebuild under GM Jeff Gorton, the Rangers have two first-round picks and 10 selections overall in 2020. That makes eight first-round picks in the past four drafts after zero in the four drafts before that. New York has a balanced prospect portfolio after selecting a mixture of projects with great upside and players who could make roster runs in just a couple of years. IMMEDIATE NEEDS: The Rangers need a solution for their Henrik Lundqvist problem. He’s a franchise icon, but there’s only one crease and he was their third-best goalie this season. His contract is big but expires in 2021. Do they grin and bear it for one more year? It’d be weird to see ‘King Henrik’ in a different NHL jersey. LONG-TERM NEEDS: While Mika Zibanejad was positively dominant this season, the Rangers may need a new No. 1 center if he’s priced himself out of the local market. Zibanejad’s contract runs until the summer of 2022, and by that point he’ll be approaching 30. None of the team’s prospects project as top-line pivots, so maybe 2020 is the time to nab one early. CAP SITUATION: New York has about $13 million to play with this summer. The team has no major UFAs to re-sign – Jesper Fast is the most prominent – but there are key RFAs on the docket. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo has been a revelation, so he’ll need a big raise from his $925,000 stipend, while Ryan Strome had a career year alongside Artemi Panarin. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev will be an interesting negotiation.
IN THE SYSTEM 2020-21: Igor Shesterkin was New York’s best goalie in 2019-20, albeit in 12 games. Winger Vitali Kravtsov bounced back and forth between AHL Hartford and Russia, but he’s a top-end talent and will find his way. Libor Hajek is a safe ‘D’ option to come up from the minors. DID YOU KNOW: Thirdrounder Zac Jones is the first native of Richmond, Va., to be drafted in the NHL. His dad was an equipment manager with the ECHL’s Renegades.