Complete Guide to the New York Rangers' 2015 Offseason

Tom Urtz Jr.May 29, 2015

The New York Rangers fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, and it was the first time the Broadway Blueshirts lost a pivotal seventh game at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers were in a prime position to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year, but injuries and poor play did them in.

Mats Zuccarello missed the entire series, head coach Alain Vigneault revealed that Ryan McDonagh was playing with a broken foot and Anson Carter tweeted that Marc Staal had a broken ankle.

However, it is unacceptable to lose the final two home games of the season via shutouts. As such, there are certainly a lot of questions to be answered going forward.

The curse of the Presidents' Trophy lives on. Here is your complete guide to the Rangers' offseason.

Season Wrap-Up

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Top Performers

Rick Nash had a solid campaign for the Rangers, scoring 42 goals and recording 69 points during the regular season. He also had his most effective postseason run for the Blueshirts, notching five goals and tallying 14 points which was second best on the team.

Derick Brassard had a breakout season for New York and registered 60 points in the regular season. The former Columbus Blue Jacket pivot had another explosive postseason, and he led the Rangers with nine goals and 16 points.

Derek Stepan was another forward who had a solid season, and he tallied 55 points in 68 games after missing the start of the season with a broken fibula. He stepped up his game in the playoffs, finishing with 12 points in 19 games.

Henrik Lundqvist was as fantastic as usual, and he went 30-13-3 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average. In the playoffs, he was even better, finishing with a line of 11-8 with a .928 save percentage and a 2.11 goals-against average.

Biggest Disappointments

Martin St. Louis had 52 points in 74 regular-season games, and that was a down year by his standards. He disappeared in the playoffs, scoring just one goal and six assists in 19 games played. He was a key contributor during the Rangers' 2014 run but just failed to contribute this year.

Dan Girardi had an abysmal postseason in which he was a non-factor defensively. He made a number of "snow angel" mistakes against Tampa Bay, and the surging play of Anton Stralman really makes the move to keep him over Stralman a baffling one.

Carl Hagelin was a disappointment because his postseason started off great. The game-winner in Round 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins was kept off the board against the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning. He finished the run with two goals and five points in 19 games.

Final Assessment

The Rangers should be one of the elite teams in the NHL next season, but beyond that is up in the air. The core of the team features solid young talent such as Stepan, Brassard, Chris Kreider and Ryan McDonagh, but Lundqvist, Nash, Dan Boyle and others will be one year older.

Some tough decisions need to be made, and they could impact the future direction of the Rangers.

Biggest Storylines

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Restricted Free Agency

The Rangers have one hell of a quandary this postseason when it comes to dealing with free agents. Key players such as Derek Stepan, J.T. Miller, Jesper Fast and Carl Hagelin are restricted free agents who will need a new contract, but there may not be enough room for everyone.

If the Rangers are frugal, they can fit all of them, but that wouldn't leave much room to improve the rest of the team. As it stands, the Rangers have $11,500,000 to fill seven roster spots, according to Hockey's Cap. General manager Glen Sather certainly has his work cut out for him.

Is This the End of Martin St. Louis in New York?

Martin St. Louis always wanted to play in New York, and he joined the team very late in his career. He made an impact during the 2014 Stanley Cup run, but he showed his age in 2015. While he still can be an effective player in the NHL with limited minutes and sheltered situations, it is hard to see a scenario in which he is a member of the 2015-16 Rangers.

Will the Rangers Cut Some of the Fat on Their Blue Line?

The Blueshirts loaded up their payroll with big contracts for defenders who may have already played their best hockey. Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Dan Boyle are players whose games are declining from previous years and all make a considerable amount of money.

The Rangers can afford to carry one or two of them, but carrying all three next season will make life difficult. It also could hamper the promotion of top prospect Brady Skjei. The Rangers' 2012 pick left college to join the Hartford Wolf Pack, and within a few weeks, he became a staple on the team's top defense pairing.

Notable Players Hitting Free Agency

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Martin St. Louis

The veteran scoring winger, and eventual Hall of Famer turns 40 years old on June 18. He likely has a year or two left in him, and is likely to be courted by teams that are looking to add a veteran scorer. While his drop in points was bad for the Rangers, look for St. Louis to thrive on a team where he doesn't have to be a main option.

Others: F James Sheppard and D Matt Hunwick.

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Top Free-Agent Targets

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1) Derek Stepan

Stepan solidified himself as a top-line center for the Rangers this season, and he deserves a long-term contract. Derick Brassard's five-year contract worth $5 million a year should set the price at $6 million to $6.5 million for Stepan because he has been a more consistent player, he is younger and the salary cap will rise over the life of his deal.

2) J.T. Miller

Miller is making pocket change and will be an easy player to re-sign. He thrived in the playoffs once he was put on a line with Rick Nash and Derick Brassard, and he will enter next season stronger and more developed as a player.

3) Carl Hagelin

Hagelin has been an effective two-way forward and has proved to be better than expected. He was a sixth-rounder in the 2007 draft, and it is safe to say he's exceeded any expectations that were set for him. Hagelin contributes about 30 points a season, and he should be kept if the price is right.

Best Option in the NHL Draft

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The New York Rangers trade first-round draft picks like Oprah Winfrey gives away prizes on her talk show. This year, the Blueshirts will pick in the second round at No. 58 overall.

If he is available, the Blueshirts should consider taking Dmytro Timashov. He was ranked No. 92 overall by NHL Central Scouting, and he could conceivably be available in the third round. However, he is a skilled and talented offensive winger, and he tallied 90 points for the Quebec Remparts this season.

The Rangers could use another dynamic winger in the farm system, and Timashov could be a diamond-in-the-rough pickup.

Players Who Should Be Put on the Trading Block

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Cam Talbot

The Blueshirts' backup netminder, Cam Talbot's stock will never be higher, and moving him for a draft pick or other useable asset would be a wise move.

In 57 games, Talbot has a record of 33-15-5, a .931 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average, but that doesn't mean the Rangers shouldn't consider dealing him to improve the overall roster. He has one more year left on his contract, and after that, he will be an unrestricted free agent.

Kevin Klein

The Rangers have a glut of defenders on the roster and could stand to move one in order to make some upgrades. Klein is the easiest one to move, primarily because of his $2.9 million price tag. While Klein is an adequate defender, it isn't fiscally responsible to spend that much money on a third-pairing defender.

Moving Klein would allow for the Rangers to keep someone such as Matt Hunwick at a much lower price tag or promote Brady Skjei.

Top Trade Targets

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The Rangers have a number of internal candidates to replace potential vacancies, and they are unlikely to make any major trades because of their impending cap crunch. If they were to make a trade, they would likely look to add a veteran scorer—AKA a Martin St. Louis type, a prospect winger and a defensemen.

Don't expect the Blueshirts to make a ton of moves, but finding a replacement for St. Louis would be a priority if management are uncomfortable promoting a number of prospects. Other than that, the Rangers would make deals that allow them to upgrade their defense and prospect pool.

Prospects Most Likely to Debut in 2015-16

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Oscar Lindberg

At the start of the 2015-16 season, Oscar Lindberg will be 24 and ready for NHL action. He was acquired in a trade that sent Ethan Werek to the Phoenix Coyotes, and the 57th overall pick from the 2010 draft has some serious potential.

After tallying 28 goals and 28 assists for 56 points in the regular season, Lindberg had a monster Calder Cup playoff run with the Hartford Wolf Pack. The talented two-way center scored three goals and added 13 assists for 16 points in just 15 games.

Brady Skjei

The Blueshirts drafted Brady Skjei in 2012, and the smooth-skating defender is just about ready for NHL duty. The Rangers wanted him to join the team for the 2014-15 season, but he opted to spend another year at the University of Minnesota.

Skjei joined the Wolf Pack after his NCAA season ended, and the 6'3", 206-pound defender could make a huge impact on a blue line that could use some speed, skill and well-rounded play.