Rangers Notes: Toffoli, Trouba, Pacioretty

Peter Baugh of The Athletic speculated today that the New York Rangers will likely take a long look at free-agent forward Tyler Toffoli. The Rangers apparently considered the 32-year-old at the trade deadline but didn’t pull off a deal and Toffoli was eventually dealt to the Winnipeg Jets. Baugh believes that Toffoli’s new contract will fall into the range of four years at $5MM per season, which would require some salary cap gymnastics from Rangers general manager Chris Drury in order to fit Toffoli in the lineup.

The Scarborough, Ontario native is coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons and has registered at least 20 goals in each of the last five seasons. Given his age, this is likely Toffoli’s last chance to score a lucrative long-term deal. Toffoli’s first go at unrestricted free agency happened after the 2020 season during the height of the pandemic, where he took a very team-friendly four-year $17MM contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

In other New York Rangers notes:

• With Rangers captain Jacob Trouba’s no-trade protection changing to a 15-team modified no-trade clause, Baugh speculates as to what the Rangers could get if they elected to trade the 30-year-old. Trouba struggled this season, particularly in the playoffs, however, it’s hard to know how much injuries played a role in his poor play. Trouba has two years left on his contract with an AAV of $8MM, but he is owed just $12MM in total salary over the final two years. Baugh believes that the Rangers could find a trading partner but would likely need to retain salary to facilitate a move or add a sweetener to the deal. One other option would be for the Rangers to take back an undesirable contract from another team.
• Baugh writes that the Rangers could have a interest in Washington Capitals free agent forward Max Pacioretty. New York inquired about the 35-year-old at the trade deadline, but Pacioretty opted to stay put in Washington and elected not to waive his no-trade clause. Pacioretty has overcome several devasting injuries in the past few years and managed to dress in 47 regular season games for the Capitals last season, tallying four goals and 23 assists. Pacioretty is likely in line for another one-year bonus-laden contract.