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New York Rangers Analysis

Rangers Give Qualifying Offers to Restricted Free Agents

As expected, all of the big names were given qualifying offers today before tonight’s 5PM deadline.

The Rangers can ill-afford to bungle the contracts of Miller, Kreider, or Hayes.

Today the Nashville Predators made headlines by giving stud winger Filip Forsberg a six-year, $6 million AAV contract to keep him in Tennessee for a long time.

Does that seem like a lot for Forsberg to you? It shouldn’t. His organization recognizes what he is and will likely be patting themselves on the back in three years time. It sure would be nice to have cap space, wouldn’t it?

That is what avoiding bridge contracts with restricted free agents can look like. Not so bad, is it? Of course, it could also backfire. Just like that time you thought putting gum on the bottom of your shoes would enable you to climb up walls when you were six. The results can often be outside of your hopes and expectations.

New York’s lack of cap space can and will make the application of bridge deals a necessity this offseason. What the Rangers plan to do with the contracts of Dan Girardi, Rick Nash, and Marc Staal will also factor in to what deals the RFAs have been and will be offered.

Today Blueshirt Banter’s own Adam Herman explained why the Rangers might have an offer sheet problem. If you haven’t taken the time to read his piece, you really should.

To better understand qualifying offers and how they work with restricted free agents, make sure to brush up on the details with this piece from J.J. From Kansas from Winging it in Motown. It is absolutely outstanding.

The next important day on the free agency timeline is tomorrow, July 28th. RFAs may contact clubs (including their own) for potential interest. However, they may not sign SPCs (standard player’s contract) or offer sheets until July 1st at noon.

We will learn if the Rangers RFAs accepted their qualifying offers in a week, they cannot accept them until July 1st.

The news wasn’t exclusive to the players who did get qualifying offers. There are also those who didn’t. This is the first swing of the scythe at the AHL roster and the failed projects and underwhelming RFAs there.

Per Blueshirt Banter’s HockeyStatMiner, the amount of qualifying offers that the front office issued to their RFAs means the following for the Rangers:

If we assume the RFAs whom were qualified are all returning, NYR account for 38 contracts. Leaves 12 potential spots open.

That much AHL/ECHL turnover might mean an ELC for Kovacs this summer, especially if he impresses at the ongoing development camp right now.

Twelve potential contract spots open in the organization?

Our watch begins.

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