The Biggest Drains On The New York Rangers’ Salary Cap

The New York Rangers salary cap issues mean difficult times loom in the near future. Lets find out who the biggest cap culprits are.

It goes without saying that the New York Rangers have been right against the salary cap for the past couple of years, which has undoubtedly affected how the team has been able to go about their business.

It’s also understandable that the Rangers would want to lock up some big time players while keeping their financial situation in check, but that has not always been the case.

Instead, what we have witnessed is a Rangers team that has been content to signing players to big money contracts with a return that hasn’t matched the investments.

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Throughout this article, a tool named PSAM (Player Salary Analysis Module) will be used. Created by Joshua Khalfin, you can examine players’ stats and how they stack up to other players who make a similar amount of money.

Let’s take a look at the players whose contracts could send the Rangers back to the dark ages.

Note: All of the stats considered, unless stated, were from the 2015-16 season.

8. Mats Zuccarello, Forward

Who doesn’t love the 5’7 left wing from Norway?

Zuccarello had an outstanding regular season and earned a contract extension last March. The best part of this deal is that it was worth $18 million over four years, with Zuccarello earning $4.5 million a year.

He had 61 points during the regular season, 26 of them being goals. Yet again, it was during the playoffs where Zuccarello’s play suffered a great deal.

But for the play that he put in for 81 games of the regular season, his contract is worth it due to the fact that it is so small compared to the some of the other players. Not only that, but Zuccarello produced much more than the others did.

Zuccarello out scored Nash, Stepan, and Brassard during the year and proved he was worth the money.

The Norwegian’s deal keeps him in New York until 2018-19, and it wouldn’t surprise me if there was another deal for him after that, as long as he remains consistent.

Here is what Zuccarello looks like on PSAM:

Zuccarello’s stats per 60 minutes far exceeds others, and his Corsi is similar to them as well.

He also has good scoring chances, both at the regular and high level.

7. Derick Brassard, Forward

Up next on the list is Derick Brassard, a great center and an overall good offensive player. His deal includes a modified no trade clause and will keep him a Ranger until 2018-19, having a $5 million cap hit yearly.

While his contract is on the list of the biggest hitters for forwards, he actually preformed well for the money he made. Brassard had 27 goals and 31 assists to finish off in the regular season with 58 points, but added a mere four points in the playoffs.

This seems to be a very common trend among these Rangers forwards, having a good regular season and then tanking in the postseason. Granted there was only five games played, there could have been more if these players did just a little more.

Brassard’s deal is one of the better ones the Rangers have dished out with them being against the cap, he is a dominant scorer who is just above 50% on face offs.

Here is a look at Derick Brassard on the PSAM tool:

Brassard is a little under what players making around the same as him in the scoring chances category, the same with the high scoring category as well. But his goals and assists per 60 minutes is right on point.

6. Ryan McDonagh, Defenseman

The Rangers’ captain and top tier defenseman had a bit of a rough and tumble season, not remaining relatively consistent, thus leading to problems on the Rangers’ blueline.

McDonagh is seventh on the team on the list for biggest cap hitters on the Rangers’ current roster. His hit on the cap is $4.7 million and is locked in until 2018-19. The Blueshirts place a lot on the shoulders of their captain, and he has to remain at the top of his game.

When McDonagh plays good, the Rangers play good as well. His 34 points last year showed that he could potentially be a big threat on offense, but he often forgot to play his main role on defense.

Mac is needed on the blueline, and at the price tag he is at I like where he stands, however he needs to get back to his old style of play, the old Ryan McDonagh we saw during the Cup run a few years ago.

He was nominated for a Norris Trophy three times in his young career; last year was not one of them.

If he can get back to where he was, the money given to him for his contract would be one of the better deals the Rangers have completed.

5. Dan Girardi, Defenseman

Dan Girardi has been on the Blueshirts since the 2006-07 season and shown he is made of stone. Nothing cannot stop him, or so it seemed.

This season, however, showed the beginning of the end for the 32 year old.

Girardi’s hit on the salary cap for next season will be $5.5 million, but for his last year, it almost seems that the Rangers should take away a year of his earnings for that disaster of a season.

He cracked 17 points, which is somewhat normal for the defensive defenseman. However it is the position he has played suburb in that suffered last year. Girardi had 56 giveaways as well as a lower average time on ice with 20:19.

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There were times where he showed brilliance, and others where he showed complete stupidity. Some may say age is the culprit, but it very well could be the toll of missing three games heading into last year.

Whatever the case may be for No. 5, the Rangers are stuck with him until 2019-20 with a full no move clause for next year and a modified no move clause until the end of his deal.

4. Marc Staal, Defenseman

Staal has been a corner-stone on the Rangers blueline for the past several years, but also has shown signs of weakness in his game like all of top three Rangers defenseman have shown (McDonagh and Girardi being the other two).

Staal’s current contract ranks fourth on the list, with his cap hit being $5.7 million for the next five years, last year was the first of the six year deal.

But like Girardi and McDonagh, Staal has seen a dramatic drop in his play. He had only 15 points this year, two being goals. His average time on ice has dropped as well to 19:41.

The biggest question that comes to mind when the Rangers were offering Staal this contract was his liability. For two consecutive seasons he was out with an injury. In 2011-12 it was the concussion received by brother Eric Staal during a game.

He would play the second half of the season.

The second injury being the puck to the eye received in the lock-out shortened 2012-13 season. That was a very scary injury, and was another blunder to add to his list.

And in all honesty, Staal never got back on his feet the way he was headed in the 2010-11 year, which saw a career high in assists and points.

But, he has been signed to a deal that will keep him around until 2020-21 including a no move and no trade clause along the way.

3. Derek Stepan, Forward

Stepan is a good player, and that cannot be doubted. Putting up 53 points, 31 of which were assists, deserves a deal but not at $39 million.

His performance in the playoffs suffered, and the Blueshirts needed him in the playoffs most.

The strong play-maker possesses good vision and deserved a contract extension, but not at that price tag. The Rangers need production during the regular season AND during the playoffs, and the offense was almost invisible against Pittsburgh. Stepan put up two goals only in the five game post-season games, and those were his only points as well.

His play has improved since coming to the NHL in 2010-11, and will likely continue to improve as well. With the added responsibility of alternate captain, Stepan shall continue to lead by example.

This is what Stepan looks like stacked up against other forwards around the same price:

You can see that Stepan’s Stats per 60 minutes far exceed that of others. His relative Corsi is the same, but is higher in Corsi for per 60 minutes.

Also, his scoring chances are a little low in some areas as well.

Stepan’s deal keeps him in New York until 2020-21 including a modified no trade clause.

2. Henrik Lundqvist, Goalie

Henrik Lundqvist deserved a contract extension (obviously), but perhaps not at $59.5 million. His Vezina winning play and his consistency proved he was worthy enough of the extension, but a lower price tag should have been on the table.

It was known that the Blueshirts would do just about anything for Lundqvist to stay in their Original Six sweater as long as they could, so that hefty price tag was almost inevitable. Then again, look at goalies who make seemingly nothing in comparison to Lundqvist and look where they are playing right now (ahem, Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray?)

Murray signed a three-year $2.775 contract in September, 2013 with the Penguins. His cap hit on the Pens’ salary cap was $628,333. Lundqvist’s was $8.5 million, and The King suffered a first round exit this year.

Of course, other factors come into play like the team that is playing in front of Murray, however he has been lights out all playoffs long, where fans saw Lundqvist had trouble against that very team.

The King’s contract includes a no move clause and expires after the 2020-21 season.

1. Rick Nash, Forward

Nash’s huge $62.4 million contract, which begun in Columbus and continues with New York, is the biggest burden the team has resting on their shoulders. The $7.8 million cap hit places him on a list of infamous Rangers who were signed to big deals and did not do much for the team, with sparkles of success here and there.

Nash’s best year came in 2014-15, and lead the Blueshirts to their first President’s trophy since 1994. Once again, however, he was a no-show in the playoffs, which seemingly carried over into this entire season, places emphasis on the bad deal.

The two seasons prior to 2014-15 were not good either for No. 61, and the Rangers dealt a lot to get him. Trading away Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov for Nash did not work out at all, and the team still feels the repercussions of it.

This season was a complete downfall for Nash as well. He scored only 11 even strength goals, and four on the power play. 15 goals and 21 points does not earn $8 million annually, but he’s with the club and has to have a bounce back year for sure.

Here is a look at Nash’s stats compared to other forwards who make similar money to him:

In most areas, he is either on the same level, just above, or just below forwards who make similar to what he does.

Nash becomes a free agent in 2018-19.

These are the reasons why the New York Rangers find themselves right up against the cap. It seems this was their thought process: a player has a good year, sign him to a big contract. A player has a bad year, give him dirt money or let him walk. Ironically enough, those making the more money didn’t have a great season last year, but those making less seemed to have a great one.