New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist’s Reign Is Over

The New York Rangers are a team that desperately needs to rebuild. A big part of that is moving on from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

The New York Rangers cannot win a Stanley Cup with the team they currently have assembled. They lack a number one center, their defense has some issues, and coaching plays into both of those things. What the Rangers do have is Henrik Lundqvist, who should have already won a Cup.

And boy did King Henrik try. He lifted the team on his back and carried them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. Lundqvist helped the Rangers win a game and get more into overtime. The Rangers actually stood a chance because of him. It’s going to be hard to give that up. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

The Decline

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Before the 2015-16 postseason, Lundqvist averaged a .921 save percentage in the regular season and was one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. He was a brick wall with 59 shutouts. Lundqvist’s playoff abilities were well documented. He averaged a .923 save percentage in the playoffs with nine postseason shutouts.

Since then, Lundqvist has averaged a .912 save percentage in the regular season and a .913 save percentage in the postseason. The playoffs that changed King Henrik’s direction, he posted a .867 save percentage and had 4.39 goals against average. The Rangers got eliminated in the first round.

In the last two years, Lundqvist has just four shutouts and has played significantly fewer games while healthy. He’s gotten pulled three times in 25 starts this season. With Cam Talbot before that 2016 playoff run, Lundqvist was only pulled twice between 2013-14 and 2014-15.

King Henrik has also changed his style this season, and that’s an indication that what he was doing no longer worked. That change may help Lundqvist prolong his career, but it also could signal the end.

He also hasn’t gotten Vezina votes in the past two seasons. Lundqvist likely won’t get any this season either. He’s not the guy who tried to beat the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final, and he’s not the one man army he was. But Lundqvist has enough left in the tank to be a missing piece for a team that has everything but a reliable goaltender. Which brings up the return.

The Return

The question is, which teams can afford Lundqvist’s $8.5 million cap hit, are a contender, and want Lundqvist (and he would want to go to)? That eliminates multiple teams, possibly a whole division. But it does leave a few destinations open.

Winnipeg may want somebody to help mentor Connor Hellebuyck and help the young goaltender mature. Bringing in Lundqvist would make an ideal tandem. At the very least, having two reliable goaltenders is never a bad idea.

Colorado could want Lundqvist to help after the rebuild. The Florida Panthers could be in the market for a long-term goaltender if Roberto Luongo’s injury costs him his career. Buffalo needs somebody because the Robin Lehner experiment isn’t working. Calgary could be a possible destination as well, though Mike Smith complicates things a bit.

Now, in a few of those places, the Rangers would have to take something back. But that would help with the futures return that the team would receive and should want. If the Rangers take back Smith and his $4.25 million cap hit, they could get another pick out of the deal. Something like a late first, a third, a fourth, and Jon Gillies becomes a possible return.

In Buffalo, the Rangers could get either Chad Johnson or Robin Lehner, plus that first (probably earlier than Calgary), a fourth, and Cliff Pu.

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Anywhere the Rangers try to trade him, they could see a return of a goaltender, a top end prospect, and a first. Lundqvist is still one of the greatest goaltenders to ever play. But the Rangers need to prepare for life without him.

The Replacement

Marek Mazanec is currently the most logical immediate successor to Lundqvist. Letting him take over would likely plummet the New York Rangers out of playoff contention, but it would help him build confidence and experience. The point of rebuilding is also to get as a high of a draft pick as possible.

Then, eventually, Tyler Wall could take over. He’s started this college season out incredibly rough, with 5.71 goals against average. But he should return to his last season greatness of a 2.06 GAA and .918 save percentage. Igor Shestyorkin has an extremely high upside.

Next: New York Rangers' Best Prospects

There’s a number of prospects at netminder for the Rangers, and it seems like they’ve been planning on moving on from Lundqvist. Now would be an ideal time, especially if the Rangers fall out of playoff contention by the deadline. It’s best to start the rebuild as soon as possible, and Lundqvist is the biggest piece the Rangers have.