The Latest on the New York Rangers and Their Free Agents

 New York Rangers Continue To Negotiate With Free Agents

Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Steve Kouleas and Martin Biron and was asked about contract negotiations between Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere, and K’Andre Miller with the New York Rangers. Pagnotta said they have cap flexibility to make all three happen.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

NHL Rumors: The New York Rangers and Alexis Lafreniere

Steve Kouleas: “Okay, Mr. Pagnotta, the New York Rangers, next year, they’re gonna have Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere, among others, upfront. K’Andre Miller is going to get rich as well. Ryan Lindgren is UFA, and this Shesterkin cat is going to get a big raise from 5.666667. So what’s going to happen on Broadway?”

Dave Pagnotta: “Well, they’re trying to navigate that. They’re trying to figure out exactly how are things going to look? What is the picture going to really look like once some of these necessary pieces get locked in.

Obviously, there’s the belief that this could be Jacob Trouba‘s last year in the Big Apple and Lindgren, with his 4.5 or in and around that range, that money might end up getting allocated as part of a deal for a guy like K’Andre Miller.

NHL Rumors: The New York Rangers and Igor Shesterkin

So they’re going to have to reallocate some of their financial assets, but they’ve got a lot of cap space going into next season that even when they do the contracts for Alexis Lafreniere and for K’Andre Miller, and eventually, Igor Shesterkin as well, there’s enough in that pot to make that happen, plus fill a couple of the other, holes that would potentially be left by some of their free agents, notwithstanding any of the potential transactions that they make from a trade side of things/

But they have, obviously, we all know about Shesterkin. They have been keeping tabs, and have been going back and forth fairly loosely with Lafreniere’s agent and K’Andre Miller’s agent. So the lines of communication, from that perspective, are open.

They’re obviously priorities for Chris Drury and the staff in Manhattan. But doesn’t sound like anything is just there, just yet. And I don’t think that’s because they’re trying to prioritize Shesterkin over any of the other two. I think they understand they’ve got enough of a pot to give each of the three guys what they are going to end up getting, and still give them enough space to fine-tune a couple little smaller areas next season.

NHL Rumors: Igor Shesterkin Will Reset the Goalie Market

It’s just a matter of how much it ultimately ends up becoming. But the lines of communication there are open. The Rangers have those three guys, certainly at the top of the priority list. It’s not just Shesterkin, but Lafreniere and Miller also on the radars for the Rangers and trying to get something done this season.”

Lafreniere Could Get More Than Chris Kreider on AAV

Soon after, Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was asked about what Lafreniere could get on an AAV, and he thinks it could be between $7.5 million and $8 million on a long-term deal.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Martin Biron: “Just off the top of your head right now, like Lafreniere are you talking seven? Seven and a half? It can’t be more than Mika Zibanejad at eight and a half. But it has to be more than Kreider at six and a half, right? So that’s the sweet spot in the seven range, closer to eight.”

NHL Rumors: New York Rangers Have Three Big Contracts To Worry About

Pagnotta: “I think closer to eight is probably where things end up now. If talks get prolonged to later on in the season, and he goes off and he’s having a tremendous season, a point a game, plus a season on pace for 90 or more, then maybe that number gets jolted a little bit.

Also, as we know, term affects the dollar figures in the AAV, too. But safely, I would think that the $7.5 to $8 million range on an AAV is probably a safe neighborhood for Lafreniere on a long-term deal.”

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