The New York Rangers have a star goaltender with one year left on his contract, a captain who surfaced in trade rumors and a breakout No. 1 pick. Their futures are all key issues.

Welcome again to the latest file in THN.com’s series where we debate and discuss important issues facing each NHL team. 

In this file, we’re looking at three burning questions concerning the New York Rangers that could affect the rest of the NHL.

1. Will star goaltender Igor Shesterkin get a new contract extension?

There’s no question the Rangers will re-sign Shesterkin. He’s entering the final season of a contract worth $5.66 million annually, and he could get double that amount on a seven- or eight-year new deal. He’s one of the very best goalies in the league, and at age 28, he’s entering his prime and will be paid accordingly.

The Rangers currently have about $58.19 million committed to their players in the 2025-26 campaign, and they also have seven RFAs – including defenseman K’Andre Miller and forwards Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko – to get under contract at the end of this coming season. So there will not be an abundance of cap space to add secondary scorers or quality veterans to beef up the lineup.

But when it comes to goaltending, Shesterkin has all the leverage. By the time the negotiation is done, Shesterkin’s salary could rival teammate Artemi Panarin’s $11.6-million annual payday as the top salary on the team. 

Shesterkin is a foundational piece of the puzzle for the Rangers, and he’s not taking a monetary backseat to anyone. But there’s no chance whatsoever the Rangers will let him go.

2. Can young winger Alexis Lafreniere build on his breakout year?

There were legitimate concerns about Lafreniere after not recording more than 39 points in each of his first three seasons.

The 21 points in 56 games in his rookie year was the beginning of the concerns. But the 22-year-old has improved his points total every season since then, and this past year, he generated career highs in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57) in 82 games. 

Those numbers more than justify Lafreniere’s current contract of $2.325 million, but he’ll aim to better them to bump up his salary when he becomes an RFA next summer.

Lafreniere's offensive totals should continue to rise in 2024-25 when he plays in the Rangers’ top-six forward group. He's projected to get 30 goals and 31 assists for 61 points by Murray Townsend in The Hockey News' Yearbook and Fantasy Guide.

By the time the season ends, he could be the No. 1 right winger on the team, playing alongside Panarin and either Vincent Trocheck or Mika Zibanejad. That should allow Lafreniere’s offensive stats to reach new heights. 

If Lafreniere does improve significantly, the Rangers will want to lock him up to a long-term deal that buys out the final couple RFA seasons he has in front of him.

Lafreniere represents the long-term future of the Rangers, and he will almost assuredly do enough in the offensive zone to justify a lucrative extension. He showed he can be a meaningful contributor last season, and now, his challenge is to show consistency in that regard. 

He may take a lateral competitive step, but he could just as easily show improvement with the puck. That should lead to a long and fruitful career for him with the Rangers.

3. Will speculation about trading defenseman Jacob Trouba ramp up, or can he quash it by showing his value to the Blueshirts?

Around the NHL draft, there was serious speculation the Rangers were preparing to trade Trouba and free up the $8-million-per-season cap space he holds for the next two seasons. But moving on from their captain is easier said than done, and the 30-year-old defenseman would prefer to stay in Manhattan, where his wife is completing a three-year residency at a local hospital. It is scheduled to end next summer.

The personal impact of cap machinations is not always easy for players to handle, but Trouba had to know he was handing over some control of his destiny when he signed a contract that gave him only a list of 15 teams he could veto a trade to in 2024-25. That no-trade list shrinks slightly to 12 teams in 2025-26, per PuckPedia.

The Rangers’ defense corps is one of the deeper groups in the league, and that’s why people believe Blueshirts GM Chris Drury was prepared to part ways with Trouba. He can do his best to make himself essential to the team this season, but as the Rangers’ financial commitments to other players increase, the pressure to move Trouba will ramp up considerably.

Trouba's performance on the ice might increase if he had a different role where the expectations weren't as high, but he is still an effective shot-blocker and hitter. He’s still likely to begin the year in Manhattan and continue to be a team leader, but Trouba must know those trade rumors didn’t come out of thin air. He may have to do what many experienced NHLers have to do – move on from his comfort zone and adjust to a new organization later in his career.

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