ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 8: New York Rangers #12 Patrick Nemeth skis with the puck against the Minnesota Wild in the first period of the game at Excel Energy Center on March 8, 2022 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He defeated the Wild Rangers 5-2. (Photo by David Bearding/Getty Images)
Which New York Rangers team will not return to the club next season?
Rangers were one of the top teams in the league during the 2022 season, finishing second in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference after just two games from the Hurricanes. Rangers finished the year with a record 52-24 in the regular season and a goal difference of +47.
In April of this year, Rangers clinched a playoff after missing last season and went on to have an eventful post-season. In the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the team trailed 3-1 against the Penguins before rallying and winning the next three games of the series, putting them 4-3 ahead over Pittsburgh.
In the next round, Rangers advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2015 thanks to a seven-game defeat to the Hurricanes.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and the Rangers are defeated by defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning, who is now facing an avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Rangers who will not return: Patrick Nemeth
Rangers brought senior defenseman Patrick Nemeth on board in July of 2021 on a three-year, $7.5 million contract. Nemeth weighs 6-330 lbs. defenseman brought on board to make the Rangers more physically challenging to face.
While Nemeth has earned a slight salary from his previous contract with Red Wings and Avalanche (where he earned $3 million a year versus $2.5 million with Rangers), his contract is set to increase and Rangers may be looking to cut the bait before it gets too pricey.
Nemeth, 30, is starting to lose his place in the Rangers lineup to young rookie Zach Jones in part due to Nemeth’s lost time with COVID-19 and then the birth of his child.
Jones is only 21 and offers New York more offensive firepower than Nemeth and is likely to replace the 30-year-old Swede full-time sooner next season. If New York chooses to trade Nemeth, which they are likely to do at this point, they may have to eat a little bit of his salary, but that decision would be an easy one as they’re looking to hand the vows over to Jones.
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