Free Agents
- Viktor Stalberg, One Year, $1.1 Million
- Raphael Diaz, One Year, $750,000
- Emerson Etem, One year, $810,000 qualifying offer
- Oscar Lindberg, Two years, $650,000 cap hit per year (one way contract)
- JT Miller One year, One year, $874,000 qualifying offer
- Jesper Fast, Two Years, $950,000 cap hit per year
Overall Grade: A
Jeff Gorton’s main goal when the offseason began was to make sure the bottom of the roster was not overpaid.
An overpaid bottom of the roster would have directly lead to the Rangers having to get rid a key piece to sign Derek Stepan.
If you had a blueprint on how to handle unrestricted free agents, do not look any further then how Gorton handled the Rangers this offseason.
Locking up young players like J.T. Miller and Emerson Etem to “show-me” one year offers is a perfect way to get the most out of players you need to step up during the season.
The Rangers lost a lot of production when Martin St. Louis retired and Carl Hagelin was traded. A Miller breakout season or Etem being given a shot to play in the Top-nine could be the players that fill that void.
