Fantasy Take: Kevin Shattenkirk inks four-year deal with Rangers
Neil Parker
2017-07-01
The Rangers signed Kevin Shattenkirk to a four-year, $26.6 million contract ($6.65 million cap hit) Saturday
What the Rangers Receive
Shattenkirk is an elite offensive defenseman, and in particular, a power-play specialist. Through the past three seasons, his 7.3 points per 60 minutes with the man advantage pace all defensemen with at least 50 power-play minutes during that span. His 0.9 mark at five-on-five during the same timeframe ranks 25th among all rearguards with at least 3,000 minutes, too. Additionally, he's posted an impressive 53.1 Corsi For percentage since the beginning of the 2014-15 campaign.
It's become far too easy to criticize Shattenkirk for an underwhelming 13-game playoff stretch, especially since he scored above a 50-point pace during his stay with the Capitals. There are some defensive shortcomings, and Shattenkirk should have his matchups sheltered, but there is no denying his long-standing offensive success.
Fantasy Breakdown
The Rangers don't have a lot of room for improvement with the man advantage after posting a ninth-ranked 20.3 power-play percentage and scoring 6.9 goals per 60 minutes up a man (12th best in the league). It means that Shattenkirk is sliding into a good situation, though, so his offensive numbers aren't in danger of decline. He's going to have another excellent season in that regard.
He's also still in the heart of his offensive prime entering his age-28 season this fall.
The concerns are going to be how he fits in at even strength because New York doesn't have the blue-line depth to insulate Shattenkirk the way Washington and St. Louis did. However, he's logged big minutes in the tough Central Division in the past, so there's no guarantee he can't continue to provide excellent possession and scoring numbers at five-on-five.
The obvious fantasy losers here are Ryan McDonagh, Brady Skeji and Anthony DeAngelo. All three slide down a notch with Shattenkirk now the clear No. 1 offensive defenseman for the Blueshirts. It doesn't cripple McDonagh's fantasy value, and Skeji will probably remain a serviceable option in deep settings. However, it definitely doesn't bode well for DeAngelo. The 21-year-old defenseman might now be on the roster bubble and competing for third-pairing minutes.