Brendan Lemieux’s agreement on a one-year contract worth $925,000 on Wednesday night leaves Tony DeAngelo as the lone unsigned Ranger hours before training camp opens Thursday with medicals.
Pat Brisson, DeAngelo’s agent, told The Post via email that the parties had been having “conversations about possible solutions.”
The Blueshirts had been standing on their Qualifying Offers of $874,125 to both restricted free agents before Lemieux’s camp and the front office settled on the equivalent of the entry-level cap for the 23-year-old winger, who came to New York with a first-rounder from Winnipeg in last year’s pre-deadline deal for Kevin Hayes.
Lemieux, who recorded six points (3-3) in 19 games while getting 12:50 of ice per after recording 11 points (9-2) in 44 games with 7:25 per for the Jets, brings a hard-edged, north-south mentality to the game that the Rangers don’t appear to have in great abundance. The winger figures to compete for a third-line role on the left side that features Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider up top.
General manager Jeff Gorton surely is willing to go to $925,000 for DeAngelo, but that may not be enough for the 23-year-old defenseman, who recorded 30 points (4-26) in 61 games for the Blueshirts while getting 19:20 of ice time per.
DeAngelo, who last year had the second-most power play ice time among team defensemen behind the since-departed Kevin Shattenkirk, is projected for second PP duty behind Jacob Trouba, perhaps in combination with Adam Fox on the point.
Following the Lemieux signing, the Rangers have approximately $2.6 million in cap space relating to a shadow roster that includes two goaltenders, 13 forwards and five defensemen (and assumes Brendan Smith will be assigned to AHL Hartford).
Club president John Davidson is scheduled to address the media Thursday afternoon.
The only moderate injuries going into camp were with two young defensemen: Sean Day, who had offseason surgery but was set to skate on Friday; and Yegor Rykov, who tweaked his ankle during the Traverse City prospects tournaments earlier in the week but also is set to skate on Friday.