TRANSFER SAGA: New York Rangers star Refuses contract extension, Says he wants to leave

Kakko, Shesterkin, Trouba and Goodrow

Earlier this month, we looked at what the off-season could hold for the New York Rangers following their elimination from the Eastern Conference final.

Two weeks later, speculation persists over what GM Chris Drury has in store for his club this summer.

Drury already made one notable decision, signing Kaapo Kakko to a one-year, $2.4-million contract. The 23-year-old winger is coming off a difficult, injury-shortened 2023-24 performance with just 19 points in 61 games. The Hockey News’ Remy Mastey believes Kakko’s new contract won’t ensure his spot with the Rangers for next season. Instead, it could make it easier to trade the youngster if they can get a decent return for him.

Larry Brooks of the New York Postshares that view, as does Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Still, it remains to be seen if Kakko’s new contract makes him a more enticing trade target. If not, he’ll be an affordable part of the Rangers’ roster next season, giving him a chance to get his career back on track.

Brooks’ colleague Mollie Walker doesn’t see the Rangers blowing up their roster core following their disappointing post-season finish. Nevertheless, she thinks management has questions to address before the puck drops next season.

One of them is determining the cost of signing Igor Shesterkin to a contract extension. The 28-year-old goaltender has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of about $5.67 million. Shesterkin will get a significant raise, likely making him the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history. Walker suspects the floor for negotiations with the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner could start at $10.5 million, while the starting point could be $12.5 million.

Meanwhile, Brooks believes this might be the time to part with Barclay Goodrow. The 31-year-old checking-line forward has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of about $3.64 million.

Brooks pointed out the Rangers need to free up cap space to add size and speed to their roster. They could buy him out later this month, but the way Goodrow’s contract is structured, it would cost them $3.5 million in 2026-27. Brooks felt he would have value in this summer’s trade market among young teams like Chicago, Utah, Anaheim and San Jose that need veteran leadership. Mastey, on the other hand, suggests trading or buying out Goodrow would be a mistake. He thinks they would miss his versatility, leadership and physical play.

Speaking of contract buyouts, The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal included Rangers captain Jacob Trouba on their list of 12 possible buyout candidates. The 31-year-old defenseman has two years left on his deal with an $8-million cap hit. Drance and Dayal pointed out that Trouba no longer looks like a top-four defenseman. They admit a buyout is a long shot but wondered if a trade isn’t possible. Trouba’s no-movement clause becomes a 15-team no-trade list on July 1.