New York Rangers expected to buyout Henrik Lundqvist
According to Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers could part ways with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist as early as Wednesday.
The New York Rangers have been fairly been already this offseason. Recently, they cleared some cap space by sending Marc Staal, along with a second-round pick, to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. According to Darren Dreger, they aren’t done yet.
That’s right, the Rangers, according to Dreger, are expected to buyout long-time goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. He says it could happen as early as Wednesday.
Lundqvist has one year left on his contract with a $8.5 million cap hit. He is the Rangers all-time leader in games played among goalies (887), wins (459), saves (23,509), save percentage (.918%), and shutouts (64).
Dreger on TSN says the #NYR will buyout Henrik Lundqvist perhaps as early as Wednesday.
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) September 29, 2020
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Among all goaltenders in NHL history, Lundqvist ranks eighth in career games, sixth in wins, fourth in save percentage (min. 500 games), seventh in saves, 23rd in GAA, and 16th in shutouts. He’s likely a future Hall of Famer, as he’s one of the top goaltenders during the salary cap era.
A buyout will save the Rangers a bit of money. According to CapFriendly, the Rangers will save about $3 million for the 2020-21 season by buying him out. However, it will also cost them $1.5 million against the cap for the 2021-22 season.
The New York Rangers are committed to Igor Shesterkin as their franchise goaltender. He’s the heir apparent to Lundqvist’s throne and he’s a worthy person to succeed “King Henrik”. The Rangers also have Alexandar Georgiev, who is a restricted free agent. He’s projected to make right around $3 million on his next contract, so buying out Lundqvist will cover for that.
I’d expect the Rangers to have some sort of press conference for him. Lundqvist means a lot to the organization. He’s been the face of the franchise for the past decade and is the greatest goaltender in franchise history.
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Who knows what’s next for Lundqvist. Maybe he decides to retire instead of playing anywhere other than The Big Apple. But on the other hand, perhaps he’ll be tempted by the opportunity to add a Stanley Cup to his resume.