38 or 39 or whatever--I'm still pretty doubtful about giving him another contract. He's still a very good goaltender but he's not an elite goaltender anymore. Two more years backstopping the current team (and the kids coming along in the meanwhile) aren't likely to give him another wind and we have Georgiev and Shestyorkin--much younger goalies and the idea should be to turn it over to them at least if we're serious about our youth movement.
Henrik is not winning a Stanley Cup for us--or at least not as a player and sentimentality is no way to run an NHL hockey team. The writing is on the wall for him as a hockey player--Hall of Famer--yes. Stanley Cup winner-no. We're going to need to move on from him when his time is up.
He has been a great player for the Rangers but the writing is on the wall. The team is rebuilding. They have younger goaltenders coming.
He will be 39 when he is current contract expires. The Rangers aren’t offering him more than one year. 35 plus contract. They aren’t giving him big money either. He will be making $5.5M in his last year of his contract. One year at a big paycut. He isn’t taking that. He will move back to Sweden.
The Rangers will retire his number and everyone goes home happy.