On Tuesday, the New York Rangers caught everyone off guard by placing playoff MVP Barclay Goodrow on waivers. The veteran forward has always impressed in the postseason and it was not different with the Blue Shirts as he posted six goals and eight points in 16 games after posting just four goals and 12 points in 80 games during the regular season.
The problem with Goodrow in New York is that the Rangers are short on cash and he remains signed for three more years at a cap hit of $3.64 million.
The move needs to be made by the Rangers to clear some cap space and it sounds like they might have gone the waivers route because of a potential deal in place with one of Goodrow’s former clubs, the San Jose Sharks.
According to Mollie Walker of the NY Post, there is a belief that the Sharks and the Rangers had an agreement in place regarding Goodrow prior to him being placed on waivers, which would be San Jose claiming him and relieving NYC of the final three years of his deal.
While the Rangers seek salary relief and could end up buying out Goodrow if the deal falls through, this would leave the Blue Shirts burdened with a cap penalty of $1 million the following season, 3.5 million in 2026-27 and $1.11 million in each of the next three years, despite giving them an additional cap credit of $247,222, freeing a total of nearly $3.89 million to spend. The first buyout window of the off-season will open once the Stanley Cup Final ends.
There were questions about a potential trade involving Goodrow, but the veteran forward holds a 15-team no-trade clause that could have been an obstacle for New York. Now on waivers, all of the other 31 clubs have a chance to claim him before Wednesday at 2pm ET.
If a deal is in place in San Jose, it could be a great landing spot for Goodrow, who is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He could lead the way of a rebuilding Sharks’ roster and be a great mentor for the talented prospects there.
Now, we will know soon enough if the Sharks will be the team to claim him.
