Henrik Lundqvist’s reign as King of New York is over. A person close to the Rangers icon confirmed Tuesday a report that the Rangers will announce Wednesday they have bought out the final year of the 38-year-old goaltender’s contract, making him a free agent.
A native of Are, Sweden, Lundqvist played 15 seasons with the Rangers, during which he came to be known as The King. He leaves as the club’s all-time leader in goaltending wins (459), starts (871), games played (887), and shutouts (64). He is the club leader in playoff appearances, with 130, and playoff wins, with 61, and he is currently sixth on the NHL’s all-time list for goaltending wins, and second among active goaltenders, behind Marc-Andre Fleury, of the Vegas Golden Knights.