According to my calculations (based on salary numbers provided by nhlnumbers.com), the Rangers are currently sitting at $46,880,000.00 for this coming season. This figure factors in only $2.5m for Shanny (his base salary). It does not include Kasparitis' salary. It does include Marc Staal and newly acquired Andrew Hutchinson and it also includes Al Montoya's salary of $1.834m. Most importantly, this figure does not include the salaries of Sean Avery or Marcel Hossa. Basically, the Rangers have just under $3.5m left of cap space. Here are some thoughts:
1. Cullen's trade was without question a salary dump. Some speculated that Cullen was traded as a precursor to some other move. Others speculated that the Cullen trade was a gamble because the Rangers didn't necessarily have to move him to create cap space. If the numbers listed by nhlnumbers.com are accurate, Larry Brooks was wrong. The Rangers did have to move him (or at least someone). The Rangers did have to create cap space to make room for Avery. You can question why they decided to dump Cullen instead of Malik or Mara, but you can't question the need to dump a salary in that ball park. To me, the question of who to move really boiled down to Mara or Cullen. Malik makes less money than the other two and the coaching staff (and Jagr) like him. In a perfect world I would have preferred to see Mara dumped, but this isn't a perfect world!
2. Kasparitis is not coming back. Or is he? There have been some reports that Kaspar has worked himself back into great shape and is focused on making it back to the big club. Unfortunately for him, there doesn't seem to be any room for his salary on Broadway. If the reports are true, it would be a bit of a shame: the Rangers could use the snarl that Kaspar once brought to the blue line. On the other hand, well.....: if he's sent back down to Hartford he would presumably have to clear waivers. If he is back in shape and some team decides to take a shot on him by claiming him (he is entering the last year of his contract), would the Rangers be forced to pick up half of his salary? If so, would they be forced to take a cap hit for that? If so, will that effect the Rangers' decision to send him back down? Do the Rangers want approximately $1.5m in dead cap charges this year in the event that he is claimed? Would a rival GM with cap space claim Kaspar just to stick it to NY?
3. Who will be Lundqvist's back-up this season? I haven't heard to much discussion on this issue, but to me this is a huge question. The Rangers defense is clearly inadequate for a team that's looking to seriously compete for the cup. The only way it can work is if the goaltending is solid enough to mask as many of the team's defensive deficiencies as possible. If any team looses their #1 goalie they'd be in trouble. How much more so for the Rangers! Is Montoya ready for the job? Probably. The real question, however, is can the Rangers afford a cap charge of close to $2m annually for a rookie backup who doesn't have much of a future with the club (barring an unforeseen career threatening injury to Lundqvist)? If, on the other hand, the Rangers send him back down to Hartford, who will be the team's backup goalie? Valiquette is cheap ( a cap charge of just over $600,000.00), but do you trust him with the job? I certainly do not. Kevin Weekes signed with Jersey for under $700,000.00 per year, I hope we don't end up regretting that!
I expect Montoya to be traded sooner rather than later. The problem is how the Rangers will be able to fit the return under the cap? There's a part of me that's happy about this problem because it almost insures that the Rangers will have to get young (read: "inexpensive") players in return for Montoya. I don't mean bad players, I simply mean young players who are either still playing out their entry level contracts or who are still a few years off from unrestricted free agency and, therefore, don't have that leverage in negotiating new and expensive contracts. I would hate to see the kid get moved for a guy like Jovanovski.
4. Here's an interesting question: if not for Jagr, wouldn't you rather have seen Martin Straka's $3.3m salary dumped over that of Cullen? Cullen filled an important role as the third line center who played a good high energy game that seemed to mesh very well with Prucha and Callahan. Straka's role with the team, on the other hand, is limited primarily to his relationship with Jagr. Straka could play on Jagr's left side, however, that causes some issues: (1) where do you put Hossa? and (2) Jagr is better off with a big player on his line, someone who can effectively work the corners so that Jagr doesn't have to. Straka, theoretically could play center, but on which line? Straka is certainly a better offensive player than Cullen. However, Straka doesn't have a clearly defined role on this team. Cullen did. Chemistry, chemistry!
Check out the fan poll below and get me your comments!
have some patience with this stuff. Straka was the best forward on the team last year until mid-February. He is effective with and without Jagr, and without him the Rangers would be missing an integral part of their offense...that and it would piss off Jagr.
Have an easy and meaningful fast.
Posted by: bryan | July 23, 2007 at 04:53 PM
Bryan:
Patience is no fun!!!!! I'm not a big Straka fan. He's a good player and he's been vital to the team throughout his tenure in NY. But the dynamics of the team have changed drastically. That being said, I agree that trading him would be the wrong move if for no other reason than #68.
Have an easy fast.
Posted by: The Hockey Rabbi | July 23, 2007 at 05:30 PM
Let us not forget that patience will hopefully bring us with our new New York Rangers. I've read a lot of speculation on who will fit the Jagr line, and perhaps some of the next questions will be 'who will fit on the Drury line? Gomez line?'
These are superior players -- and perhaps with Straka (who I like a lot) and Avery and Shanny and Prucha, we may have two of the strongest lines in the league. Now the 3rd & especially the 4th scare me, but how is that different than last season?
Renney will shake up the lines. Just wait. I agree with patience.
The Dark Ranger
www.thedarkranger.com
Posted by: The Dark Ranger | July 24, 2007 at 01:02 PM
Let us not forget that patience will hopefully bring us with our new New York Rangers. I've read a lot of speculation on who will fit the Jagr line, and perhaps some of the next questions will be 'who will fit on the Drury line? Gomez line?'
These are superior players -- and perhaps with Straka (who I like a lot) and Avery and Shanny and Prucha, we may have two of the strongest lines in the league. Now the 3rd & especially the 4th scare me, but how is that different than last season?
Renney will shake up the lines. Just wait. I agree with patience.
The Dark Ranger
www.thedarkranger.com
Posted by: The Dark Ranger | July 24, 2007 at 01:03 PM
The Dark Ranger:
Thanks for your comments and nice site!
Listen, it's July 24th and there's not much going on in Rangerville. Additionally, one of my readers sent me an e-mail stating that the first 6 games of the season (including pre-season) fall out on Jewish holidays, so I will not be able to watch them. I got no patience!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: The Hockey Rabbi | July 24, 2007 at 01:19 PM
As opposed to what I thought recently, I don't beleive the Rangers will be making any serious moves in the near future. After all, how many big names- with the exception of free agency- change teams in the middle of July & August? As far as the Straka vs. Cullen question, I don't think there is any question that Cullen is more replaceable than Straka. The only advantage Cullen has over Straka is age. As for the penalty kill, we have Blair Betts & Drury to throw out on the kill, & we can still send out Gomez & Shanny's lines for the 'fresh' post penalty kill attack that you alluded to previously.
Posted by: MOSS | July 25, 2007 at 05:12 AM