GM Glen Sather doesn’t have much wiggle room. Richards’ cap hit is $6.67 million leaving approximately $14 million to re-sign Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin. That should chew up roughly 10 million. With Mats Zuccarello expected to re-sign and John Moore also restricted, there’s not much else Slats can do unless he gets creative.

The Rangers had a relatively quiet draft. They kept all three of their third round picks tabbing the son of former Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini center Adam Tambellini (65th), Russian left wing Pavel Buchnevich (75th) and Canadian left wing Anthony Duclair (80th). The Blueshirts grabbed Canadian defenseman Ryan Graves (No.110) in the fourth round and in Round Six, finally took a goalie in Kootenay’s MacKenzie Skapski 170th.

If the goal was to address scoring depth and add a goalie prospect and rugged defenseman, then it was achieved. Tambellini is committing to North Dakota, which is an excellent program. Buchnevich might have fell due to the KHL factor. Duclair looks good and Skapski progressed in the high scoring WHL.
The draft is always a day of excitement. I’m relieved that the organization took a netminder because they have to start developing one for the future. Even if I’m mildly disappointed it wasn’t Anthony Brodeur. All kidding aside, Skapski finished 17th among North American goaltenders and was rated higher than the son of Devils legend Martin Brodeur. Fittingly, father and son are reunited in Jersey with the Devils throwing their fans a bone by taking Anthony in the seventh round 208th overall.

Sather’s only other move was acquiring defenseman Justin Falk from Minnesota for Benn Ferriero plus a 2014 sixth round pick. In parts of four seasons with the Wild, the 24-year old took part in 108 games registering a goal and 14 assists with 100 penalty minutes. In four playoff games, he was without a point with 2 PIM. Falk’s a former ’07 fourth rounder who goes 6-5, 215 and shoots left. I haven’t seen much of him. So, I’ll look at video and then give my synopsis.

The Blueshirts needed to address depth. He certainly sounds like a step up from waste of space Matt Gilroy and washed up Roman Hamrlik. Does spell the end for Steve Eminger? What about former No.1 Dylan McIlrath? Will we ever see him? These are answers we’ll have to patiently wait for.