NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Rangers are expected to have a new backup goalie to Igor Shesterkin next season.
Jaroslav Halak plans to test the free-agent market once the calendar flips to July, his agent, Allan Walsh, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
Since the NHL salary cap was only raised to $83.5 million, a mere $1 million bump from last season, the Rangers are in no position to re-sign Halak to a deal that resembles anything like the one-year, $1.5 million contract he accepted just over a year ago.
Halak is intent on playing next season and collecting five more wins to hit the 300 milestone in his 18th NHL season, according to Walsh.
Between their need to budget for new deals for restricted free agents Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller, in addition to the general cap constraints they’re under, the Rangers aren’t going to have much money to spare for their No. 2 goalie.
Jonathan Quick certainly fits the bill for an adequate backup goaltender who isn’t going to break the Rangers’ already-depleted bank.
It is unknown whether the Golden Knights have given Quick permission to speak with other clubs before the free-agency window opens on Saturday.
Either way, Quick’s camp should be one of the Rangers’ first calls to gauge his interest in coming to New York.
Quick is just over two weeks removed from having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for the third time in his career, after the Golden Knights won this season with the 37-year-old in a post-trade-deadline third-string role.
The former Kings franchise netminder makes a lot of sense for the Rangers.
Not only would they be able to sign the impending unrestricted free agent to a 35-plus contract, but they’d be adding a capable veteran goalie with 16 seasons of NHL experience.
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Quick’s numbers have naturally dropped off a bit as he’s reached this stage in his career. This past season, Quick capped his time in Los Angeles with a 3.50 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage.
In just nine starts and 10 appearances for Vegas, Quick posted a .901 save percentage and a 3.13 GAA.
The Rangers, who selected select winger Gabriel Perreault with the No. 23 pick in the NHL draft on Wednesdday night, could also go with an in-house option, Louis Domingue, who spent the entire 2022-23 season with the club’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, and is on the books for one more season at an affordable $775,000.
This would also create an opportunity for 21-year-old goalie Dylan Garand, the 103rd overall pick in 2020, to take on a bigger role at the AHL level.
Domingue has only appeared in 10 NHL contests over the past four seasons, including six in the playoffs for the Penguins in 2021-22, when they lost to the Rangers in seven games.
It would be understandable, however, if the Rangers wanted to keep Domingue in Hartford for depth and bring in a new backup.
Among the other available goaltenders the Rangers could be interested in, Brian Elliott fits the veteran mold the club seems to prefer.
Elliott should also fit within the Rangers’ budget after the 38-year-old competed on a one-year, $900,000 deal this past season with the Lightning.
The Rangers could also look into Alex Nedeljkovic, who may be amenable to a backup role on a contending team to ensure he stays in the NHL.
After competing in the AHL for a majority of this past season while under contract with the Red Wings, Nedeljkovic is certainly looking to re-establish himself at the NHL level. The Rangers could be a landing spot for him to do so.
