The Rangers Are Playing Salary Cap Tetris, And Igor Shesterkin Is The Final Piece
The New York Rangers are manipulating their roster to maximize LTIR relief, hinting at a massive cap-space windfall if Igor Shesterkin misses significant time.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 1 min read
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NHL salary cap gymnastics are basically a dark art at this point, and the New York Rangers are currently painting a masterpiece.
According to PuckPedia, the Rangers just executed a classic paper transaction shuffle. They sent down Cole Beaudoin, called up Juuso Parssinen, and stashed Joe Veleno on Long-Term Injured Reserve.
"PuckPedia reported that getting closer to the cap increased the amount the Rangers can exceed it by to $1.1M."
Why do this? Because getting as close to the cap ceiling as humanly possible before using LTIR maximizes your relief pool. By doing this dance, New York bumped their exceedable cap space to $1.1 million. But that is just the appetizer.
The real story here is Igor Shesterkin. PuckPedia notes that if the Rangers add their star goaltender to LTIR, that relief pool jumps by another $3.97 million. If his situation requires Season-Ending LTIR, they suddenly unlock his entire $11.6 million cap hit to go shopping.
Having $11.6 million in surprise cap space is the NHL equivalent of finding a winning lottery ticket in your winter coat. You can essentially buy a brand new top-six forward group or a premium rental defenseman without breaking a sweat.
The Rangers are sitting at 2-1 after dropping a 3-1 game to the Washington Capitals on Friday. They have looked solid, but losing a Vezina-caliber goalie is the kind of thing that completely alters a team's trajectory and sends futures bettors scrambling for the cash-out button.
New York hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night. Keep a very close eye on the crease and the transaction wire before puck drop, because the Rangers are clearly bracing their accounting department for a massive move.
Key stats
Key statsThe Rangers increased their LTIR relief pool to $1.1 million through paper transactions.
Adding Igor Shesterkin to LTIR would create an additional $3.97 million in cap space.
A Season-Ending LTIR designation for Shesterkin would free up his entire $11.6 million cap hit.
What's next
The Rangers host the Vancouver Canucks next, and the hockey world will be watching closely for an official update on Shesterkin's status and any subsequent roster moves.
