NY Rangers Make Big Move With Barclay Goodrow

An excellent playoff performance wasn't enough to save veteran New York Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow's job. The Blueshirts have placed the 31-year-old on waivers in what will be a cap-saving move, one way or another.

The Rangers have placed Barclay Goodrow on waivers, according to @FriedgeHNIC pic.twitter.com/WpOCnVd6LI
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 18, 2024

Per reports, a buyout is still on the table if Goodrow isn't claimed by another team. He has 3 years at a $3.642M cap hit remaining on his deal.

Goodrow had a terrific playoff performance for the Rangers this spring, potting six goals in 16 games, largely thanks to a ridiculous shooting percentage of 40%.

A bit more:
Clearly, NYR doing this solely for cap reasons, seeing if there is another team interested.
Goodrow 6 goals in 16 playoff games, that’s his time of year https://t.co/Pglu9PZ7v0
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 18, 2024

The Rangers are really guaging the market on him with this move. If he's claimed, then great, another team will take on his contract. If not, a buyout is the most likely course of action. That option would be a big cap relief, at least for the next two years:

Goodrow has 3 years at $3.642M Cap Hit remaining.

A buyout cap hit would be:

Year 1 -$247K Cap Credit
Year 2 $1.0M
Year 3 $3.5M
Year 4-6 $1.11Mhttps://t.co/JUTnHInsZr https://t.co/nfXT4RQ1ja pic.twitter.com/syELyme80I
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 18, 2024

Per Puck Pedia, they'd actually get a rare cap credit of $247K in Year 1, followed by a cap hit of just $1.0M in Year 2, then nearly the full $3.5M in Year 3. Year 4 would be $1.11M.

Goodrow just completed his third season with the Rangers, and his numbers across the board took a huge tumble. After averaging double-digits in goals and over 30 points a season in his first two years on Broadway, he went way Off-Broadway this past season, recording just 4 goals and 12 points in 80 games.

It's certainly tough to justify paying over $3.5 million for a fourth-line center.