Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
It could be over for Chris Kreider on Broadway due to the re-signing of key young forward Pavel Buchnevich.
A few days away from salary arbitration, the Rangers and right wing Pavel Buchnevich agreed on a new contract. As expected, he received a payment between the projected $2.5 to 3.5 million range.
The 24-year old Russian forward will earn an average of $3.25 million over the next two years. That will take him through 2021. Assuming the plan is to keep the younger, more controllable cheaper player, then it likely signals the end for Chris Kreider.
That’s the cost of doing business the way the Rangers have this summer. In upgrading the roster by overpaying primary targets Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba, they put themselves in cap dire straits. That’s the price they had to pay to get the Bread Man on Broadway due to a competitive market. He will improve the offense along with prize second pick Kaapo Kakko.
Ditto for the much needed top right pair defenseman in Trouba. A player who was the right choice by GM Jeff Gorton to revamp the blueline. He’s in his prime and can address one of the biggest weaknesses. If he can provide similar offense along with some physicality while being a shutdown D next to close friend Brady Skjei, then it’s a home run. Even if he will make an AAV of $8 million.
With the team no doubt improved, now comes the hard part. The Rangers are now over the upper cap limit of $81.5 million. Currently at $83.65 million, that’s over two million above where they need to be. The good news is they can stay above the limit for now before getting back down.
With still Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Lemieux left to sign, that’s at least another two and a half million. What that means is the subtractions are coming.
Even if they can find a taker for Vladislav Namestnikov, it won’t be easy. The easiest player to move is Kreider. A bargain in his final year at an AAV of $4.625 million, he’s likely a goner. With unrestricted free agency less than a year away, the popular power forward, who’s been an integral part of three playoff runs, will command at least $7 million per over seven years.
The proverbial writing is on the wall. As much as I’m certain they’d love to keep him, it doesn’t look like they have much of a choice. Not unless they use their buyout clauses on both Brendan Smith and Kevin Shattenkirk with the latter still probably needed in case Adam Fox isn’t fully ready.
If it is over for Kreider, it’ll come with a little disappointment. This isn’t about the ’09 first round pick taken at number 19 not hitting 30 goals or 60 points. He’s been a valuable player, who does so much for the team. From his deadly combination of size, skating and speed, the big man has been a good soldier wearing the traditional Blueshirt. Along with his net presence and transition to veteran leadership, if it’s indeed over for Kreider, those intangibles will be missed. He fit in well with old hat Derek Stepan and then was superb with Mika Zibanejad.
Now, it will likely fall on someone else. Oh. Perhaps Panarin along with Kakko if he is on the top line over Buchnevich. Buchnevich made strides under coach David Quinn by adjusting his perimeter game to play a more complete one. That resulted in a career best 21 goals including seven on the power play. He’ll be looked upon for more consistency over the next couple of years.
As for Kreider, he may never have found that highest level everyone believed was possible. Injuries contributed to not reaching 30 goals this past season with Number 20 showing true character by playing through pain. Something that shouldn’t be questioned. Losing that kind of player won’t be easy. If he is moved between now and October, he’ll be missed.
Such is life in the cap era. For better or worse, the Rangers are planning to move forward. If it’s without Kreider, so be it. That’s why you can never get too attached to a player. Whatever happens from here, it’ll be interesting to follow.
On The Move? With Jacob Trouba signing, it could spell the end for popular Blueshirt Chris Kreider. Seen celebrating with key RFA Pavel Buchnevich.
In the unforgiving sweltering summer heat here in the Big Apple, the insane combination of near century mark temperatures with high humidity has made it very uncomfortable for most New Yorkers. This weekend could see some record breakers during the heat wave.
By reaching agreement with Jacob Trouba yesterday on a seven-year contract worth an average of $8 million, the Rangers are officially under the pressure cooker. They’ve invested a whopping $19.64 million in Artemi Panarin and Trouba over the next seven seasons. That’s roughly a quarter of the team’s salary cap.
If you base it off puckpedia.com which includes Matt Beleskey’s $825,000 salary off the books, the Rangers currently have a shade over $2 million left to spend on the upper limit NHL salary cap of $81.5 million for ’19-20. When you consider that they still must bump up Pavel Buchnevich and re-sign restricted free agents Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Lemieux, they’re up against it.
While they can go over the cap until this Fall, eventually GM Jeff Gorton and Team President John Davidson will have to get back down to the max when they set the 23-man roster. As hot as it is, September will be here before you know it. We’re already past mid-July. My Mom just celebrated her birthday. Happy Birthday 🎂 Mom. Even though like me, she can’t stand this crazy heat. Where’s a ice tub when you need it?
Even though my initial reaction on Twitter was disbelief that Trouba got $8 million AAV, it was in the ballpark. I was hoping he would take a little less to help his new team out. But he didn’t have to. The Rangers could’ve gone to arbitration and saved about a million on a one-year reward. A risky proposition with a young player who could’ve tested the market in 2020. So, they compromised and found a middle ground.
The truth is the organization is banking on both Trouba and Panarin to deliver. While it sure helps to have won the NHL Lottery and landed franchise cornerstone Kaapo Kakko, the newest big name Blueshirts will be looked upon for experience and leadership. They must meet high expectations. The good news is they’re in their 20’s with some peak years ahead. That is better than spending on Brad Richards or Scott Gomez. You get the picture.
By speeding up the rebuild, the Rangers are sending a positive message to the fans. They want to be competitive and possibly compete for the playoffs. Still an uncertainty due to remaining question marks with the roster. For example, Buchnevich projects between $2.5 to $3.5 million. If they meet in the middle, he’ll get $3 million. That would put them over the cap.
DeAngelo and Lemieux won’t cost as much. However, that’s still at least another two million, meaning that’s a combined five million they’ll likely have to pay the remaining three Group II free agents. That would put them approximately $4 million over the cap.
It’s painfully obvious that they have some tough decisions ahead. With Vladislav Namestnikov the likely candidate to be moved due to his $4 million salary, that’s only one player. Even if they buyout Brendan Smith to save over a million, they want to have some room to maneuver just in case. But these are the Rangers. That’s how they do business. They will overpay if they think it’s worth it.
I like both the Bread Man and Trouba. I believe they make the team better. The question is how much right away. Let’s remember that it’ll be Kakko’s rookie season. So, before you project him for a crazy amount of goals (30) and points (70), he is only 18. A undeniable fact we must embrace.
It’s not about this year, but rather about the long-term future. Not with Vitali Kravtsov also expected to make his Broadway debut if not right away, at some point in ’19-20. Ditto for second-year forwards Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson. Both who must take positive steps and play more prominent roles under good coach David Quinn. Brett Howden shouldn’t be forgotten either. When you factor in top scoring center Mika Zibanejad at just 26 on one of the best contracts, there’s a lot to like.
The center position is going to change moving forward. It’ll be up to the coaching staff to decide who’s the best fit to center the second line. It could range anywhere from Chytil, Howden, Kakko or versatile forward Ryan Strome if he’s retained. Boo Nieves has proven he can center the fourth line. He deserves to be on the roster. Even if it’s shifting to wing.
Perhaps the hardest thing is whether Chris Kreider will still be a New York Ranger on October 3 when they host the Winnipeg Jets. The majority would love to keep him. But with a year remaining on a bargain salary of $4.625 million, he could be gone. If that’s what they decide, there goes the proven power forward and net front presence they have. That combination of size, strength and speed would vanish.
Understand that while Kreider has never hit 30 goals or 60 points, he’s a steady veteran presence who is a team leader on and off the ice. A player of his caliber is not easily replaced. It would be a bitter pill to swallow if he’s traded. Even if you’re the biggest optimist about the team, subtracting Kreider would be a big hit.
There’s no disputing the skill that Panarin, Kakko and Kravtsov will bring. The Rangers should be more exciting next season. However, any good team that’s as young as they are still needs physical guys to do the heavy lifting. They can’t be pushed around like in past years.
Lemieux is an agitating bottom six forward who’ll bring some of those unique qualities. It didn’t take long for fans to take to him. His scrap with Miles Wood was entertaining. He still has a lot to prove if he wants to fully gain Quinn’s trust.
You can have talent on the roster. But without hard working types like Jesper Fast, who also could be in his final year as a Blueshirt, you won’t get far.
For those who expect this roster to compete, don’t forget the weak left side on the blueline. Brady Skjei still must prove he can be more consistent in a top pair role. Having the more proven Trouba to play with should help significantly. It should be much better than all the partners he went through last year.
For now, Marc Staal remains the second best option behind Skjei. For all the critics, he worked well with DeAngelo. Unlike Kevin Shattenkirk, who continued to struggle in the second season of a four-year contract that could become expendable, Staal is stronger defensively and plays with an edge. Not the best skater, he makes up for it with snarl. In two years, he’ll be off the books.
The third pair could consist of a combination of Libor Hajek or Ryan Lindgren with either Shattenkirk or Fox. If Fox proves ready, keep Shattenkirk around for insurance. You never know. That would be a hard scenario on a good guy with character, who is close to the coach.
As for the goalie situation, it’s a good one. Henrik Lundqvist doesn’t have to carry the workload anymore. At 37, the franchise netminder should be managed well by the team. He should be right around 50 starts with Alexandar Georgiev backing up. Unless Russian import Igor Shesterkin proves ready right away and Georgiev takes a step back, a goalie tandem of Lundqvist/Georgiev isn’t bad.
It’ll be up to Lundqvist to perform with more consistency. Something that’s been a challenge in recent years. A man of incredible pride, he’ll want to erase the bitter taste of last season along with a disappointing World Championships.
Whatever they decide with the roster between now and October, it’ll be interesting to follow. There will be some tough decisions coming. A favorite player or two could be gone.
Let’s be honest. The NHL offseason has become boring and predictable. All the action takes place in the week leading up to July 1, which is basically the only day in free agency that’s hectic.
It reminds me of that famous line from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
That’s the NHL summer every year. There aren’t too many surprises that make you go, ‘Wow.’ Shea Weber for PK Subban was one of those rare moments a few summers ago. It was stud for stud. Two elite defensemen with big contracts. That’s what made it so compelling when Montreal and Nashville pulled the trigger. Now, Subban is on his third team in New Jersey.
The disappointment is that everyone knew where the likely destinations were for top free agents Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and Sergei Bobrovsky. That’s about as fun as watching paint dry. Only Panarin had a interesting choice by passing up more money from the Blue Jackets and Islanders to go to his favorite destination at MSG with the Rangers.
What really surprised us? Joe Pavelski was gonna move on from the Sharks due to their salary cap after going top dollar and a crazy length with Erik Karlsson. Plus they had to bump up Timo Meier. I don’t think Sharks fans are thrilled that he chose Dallas. But he wasn’t returning. Joe Thornton likely will and all-time Shark Patrick Marleau hopes to. He remains the franchise leader in goals (508) and points (1,082).
Robin Lehner not getting any respect from the Islanders was disappointing. No wonder he took the Blackhawks offer of one year for $5 million. It’ll be interesting to follow him and Chicago incumbent Corey Crawford.
The biggest story was the Canadiens giving restricted free agent center Sebastian Aho a offer sheet. The Hurricanes quickly made their intention known and matched for the point-per-game number one center who was a big part of their run to the Conference Final. I liked Aho’s statement on Twitter.
He actually thanked Montreal for giving him the offer sheet. Even though he is excited to still be in Carolina, who have a bright future, it is refreshing to see a young player that was stuck as most unsigned Group II free agents are, express appreciation for the Habs’ interest.
Considering how rare it is to see other teams signing restricted free agents to offers due to history, maybe it’s time for it to become more common. What’s the harm in chasing after a young emerging star such as Mikko Rantanen or Brayden Point if they remain unsigned? The offseason should be about improving your roster by any means necessary within the salary cap rules.
Of course, there’s always the risk one takes by inking a RFA. It puts pressure on the original team to match the offer. They get seven days. It sure didn’t take the Hurricanes long to bring back Aho. They even had some fun with it.
Social media can definitely spice things up. Especially when it comes to the Canes Twitter. They make it fun for their fans. Had they decided not to match, there would’ve been the matter of compensation. It depends on how much the player receives. It’s also important to note that the team who signs that player to an offer sheet must have all the required draft picks for compensation.
If someone decided to tender an offer to Leafs free agent forward Mitch Marner for say 11.5 million AAV over seven years, they would be risking losing four first round picks. That would only apply if Toronto didn’t match. Being that Marner is already an established star who paced the Leafs with a career high 94 points in the final year of his entry level contract, I would expect them to re-sign the 22-year old playmaking right wing.
The intriguing part of what’s now a suffocating hot summer is that you have several key RFA’s still available. While most are forwards including the trio of Marner, Point and Rantanen along with Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, Brock Boeser and Matthew Tkachuk, a couple of defensemen also are unsigned. Zach Werenski should get a nice raise from Columbus. So will Boston’s Charlie McAvoy and the Flyers’ Ivan Provorov.
For a player like Jacob Trouba, he had arbitration rights. So, the former Jet filed. That gives Rangers GM Jeff Gorton a timetable to get something done with the top right pair defenseman. The issue is they only have approximately $10.5 million in cap space to get key restricted’s Pavel Buchnevich, Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Lemieux signed. Trouba will take up most of the room if he re-signs for seven years instead of accepting a one year award in arbitration.
The Rangers aren’t the only team facing cap constraints. Somehow, the Sharks were able to get Kevin Labanc to agree to a one year, $1 million deal. The Staten Island native is betting on himself following a breakout year. They also could have a handshake agreement to sign a long-term contract after January 1 next year. San Jose is still deciding whether to bring popular future Hall of Fame center Joe Thornton back for one more year. Jumbo Joe appears to have more left than former Shark turned free agent Patrick Marleau.
Even past the midpoint of July, there haven’t been any significant moves since all the early fireworks before Independence Day. Unless you consider the Canucks giving Micheal Ferland four years at a fair amount of $3.5 million AAV, and the Canes replacing him by agreeing to a reasonable two years at $3.375 million AAV with Ryan Dzingel, there’s nothing exciting happening.
There was a swap of checking centers between Chicago and Ottawa with Artem Anisimov going to the Senators for Zack Smith. You had the Blackhawks sending defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the Sabres in exchange for forward Alex Nylander. A mystifying trade by Chicago GM Stan Bowman, who passed on Bowen Byram to select Kirby Dach when his team needed D. About as strange as banking on former Pen Olli Maatta to stay healthy. His big moves to upgrade the blueline were Maatta and Calvin de Haan. 2018 first round pick Adam Boqvist can’t be ready soon enough.
So, here we are with a dead market as NHL executives take their time figuring out their next calculated moves. Regrettably, soon to be ex-Leaf Jake Gardiner is the biggest UFA left. He can command around $6.5 million. A good skating left defenseman with offensive capability, investing in him long-term is risky. While he waits to see who comes calling, proud vets Thornton, Marleau and Justin Williams all hope to be back for one more year. Ditto former Ranger and Lightning defenseman Dan Girardi.
There are some potential bargains to be had. If you like experienced veterans with character, there’s Brian Boyle. Eric Fehr can bring a similar skill set to interested suitors. Blues hometown hero Pat Maroon is available. Without his clutch goal in sudden death to eliminate the Stars in Game Seven, St. Louis might not be celebrating.
Then, there are reclamation projects like former Ranger playoff hero Derick Brassard. Would he take a one year deal on the cheap to prove himself? Thomas Vanek is a similar player, who still has good hands. But he’s become a nomad. Other options include Oscar Lindberg, Jason Pominville, Dion Phaneuf, Drew Stafford, Devante Smith-Pelly, Markus Kruger, Adam McQuaid and Magnus Paajarvi.
Unless a trade comes down soon that isn’t predictable like the Rangers dumping Vladislav Namestnikov for a third round pick, it’s boring. Sadly, the NBA offseason has become much more interesting. With so much hoopla surrounding Kawhi Leonard, who chose the Clippers to team up with Paul George following Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving shaking things up by going to the Brooklyn Nets, basketball has become the much crazier and most discussed sport in July.
It never used to be this way. Gone are the days of Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne stunning everyone by signing to play for the Avalanche in the summer of 2003. Of course, back then anything was possible. Bobby Holik got crazy money out of the Rangers, who outbid the Devils, Flyers and Leafs to land the checking pivot. It’s hard to believe what they paid him. Imagine paying $9 million a pop over five years. Yikes.
The irony is now you have the Flyers paying Kevin Hayes over $7 million some 17 years later in a escalating salary cap. However, premium superstars Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin are bargains. So too are Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand. How can anyone justify what Artemi Panarin got from the Blueshirts? That $11.6 million salary is part of why they will have to subtract players. But in truth, they’re stuck with Henrik Lundqvist for another two years due to his hefty $8.5 million average. They can buyout Brendan Smith and Kevin Shattenkirk.
If you go look at where teams are against the cap, it poses a problem moving forward. As the salaries grow more out of whack, the threat of another work stoppage is a possibility. Hopefully, it won’t happen. God help us.
So, what would make the hockey offseason better? Aside from more offer sheets, the idea of sign and trades like the NBA has would make it more interesting. Teams wouldn’t just lose players for nothing. There no longer is any compensation if an unrestricted free agent leaves. If you had a sign and trade scenario, a team could get something back in return. Sorta like the interesting Durant to the Nets while the Warriors signed D’Angelo Russell and received a lottery protected first round pick.
It’s rare that you see a star for star swap like we got a few years ago between Montreal and Nashville. The Canadiens still have Shea Weber while the Predators unloaded PK Subban to the Devils. New Jersey is the same team that stole Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. Hall can become unrestricted next summer. Are the additions of top pick Jack Hughes, Subban and Wayne Simmonds enough to convince the 2017-18 Hart winner to stay?
The Rangers must still decide on Chris Kreider. He enters the final year of his contract. If they intend to keep him and try to compete due to the welcome addition of second pick Kaapo Kakko, Panarin, 2018 first round pick Vitali Kravtsov and Adam Fox, multiple players won’t be back.
True story. Following ESPN breaking the big news of Leonard and George to the Clippers, I texted my friend John and sarcastically joked that the Rockets should trade Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook. It didn’t even take a week for that to materialize along with Oklahoma City acquiring more first round picks.
The point is these types of blockbuster trades are fun. Even if I’m old school and don’t believe in the Super Team nonsense that started with LeBron James nine years ago choosing the Heat along with Chris Bosh to team up with Dwyane Wade where they went 2-2 in four consecutive NBA Finals, if the NHL had more activity it would be better. I’m not suggesting a uneven playing field like you have in the NBA. I’d just like to see more creativity to spice things up.
Maybe there should be shorter term contracts with player and team options. That’s part of what makes baseball and basketball interesting.
Yesterday, Pavel Buchnevich and Jacob Trouba filed for salary arbitration. It’s not exciting news for the Rangers. They still have four unsigned Group II free agents including Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Lemieux. Neither of which were arbitration eligible.
After signing number one target Artemi Panarin to an average of $11.6 million per year, the Rangers have approximately $10 million left on the estimated salary cap of $81.5 million. That leaves little wiggle room unless they get creative. By that, I mean use a buyout clause and move a couple of players to free up the necessary space to fit in the expensive Trouba to a long-term deal.
Likely buyout candidates are defensemen Brendan Smith or Kevin Shattenkirk. Smith makes more sense due to Shattenkirk being a right pair puck moving D, whose experience could come in handy if rookie Adam Fox isn’t ready. Assuming Trouba and DeAngelo are 1-2 on the depth chart, that would leave Shattenkirk and Fox, who the organization signed as a free agent to further revamp the blueline.
As for who else could possibly get moved, Vladislav Namestnikov is a cap hit of $4 million in the final year of his contract. A solid checking forward, who coach David Quinn liked to use on both power play and penalty kill, he is a movable asset. Especially if the team hopes to keep Chris Kreider. The 28-year old team leader enters the last year of his contract with an AAV of $4.625 million. If they want to compete for the playoffs right away, keeping Kreider makes sense. They don’t want a repeat of Mats Zuccarello or Kevin Hayes.
Assuming Trouba gets a long-term deal of say $7.5 million AAV over seven years, that would leave a little over $2.5 million for Buchnevich, Lemieux and DeAngelo. I’d estimate Buchnevich at between $2.5 to 3.25 million on a bridge deal. DeAngelo and Lemieux would be cheaper.
So, the organization has some hard decisions coming up. Are they considering extending Kreider? If not, they’ll have to trade him. Something that will hurt the team short term. A power forward like Kreider isn’t easily replaced. It’s not only about numbers with him. But what he brings. That net front presence is an important part of the Rangers offense. It can’t all be flash and dash. You don’t win with just that.
As excited as we are for the New Era of Rangers hockey featuring Panarin, Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov and Fox, the roster still can use some good old fashioned grit and sandpaper. Kreider brings that along with Lemieux, who’ll need to improve his skating and conditioning to become the top nine forward Quinn envisions. If Kreider goes, Micheal Ferland would be one option I would look at in free agency. That’s if they can fit him in.
You can be 10 percent over the cap during the summer before eventually, getting down. The Maple Leafs are still waiting before offering big RFA Mitch Marner a contract. So too are the Lightning with Brayden Point. Winnipeg has both Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine unsigned. The Hurricanes matched the Canadiens offer sheet to keep Sebastian Aho. No surprise.
The offseason has already cooled off considerably. Unlike the fireworks of the NBA free agency with the big bomb that Kawhi Leonard was joining the Clippers along with Paul George in the wee hours of Saturday morning, things are quiet on the NHL front. Too much so.
Artemi Panarin is excited to show off his new Rangers Jersey at MSG. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy New York Rangers.
A day after agreeing to sign with the Rangers, Artemi Panarin unveiled his new Blueshirt jersey. The 27-year old Russian forward was all smiles at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers provided the entertainment on Twitter by showing the Bread Man’s jersey getting made. Which number would he choose?
In a surprise to some, he chose No. 10 over 27. I was glad for a silly reason. The only Russian who wore No. 27 was my favorite player, Alex Kovalev. Former captain Ryan McDonagh also had it.
Instead, Panarin went the same route of Ron Duguay, Esa Tikkanen, Marian Gaborik and JT Miller. Not bad company.
It’s definitely going to be exciting to watch him play. Panarin will form chemistry with Mika Zibanejad. The question is who gets to play with them. There are still a couple of big questions the Rangers must answer this offseason. We’ll dive into that next.
Sergei Bobrovsky signed on the dotted line with the Panthers as expected.
Day 1 is in the books. Not the books legendary Mets radio play by play man Howie Rose refers to when the Mets actually win a ballgame. But the Free Agent Frenzy had plenty of action and even some shockers.
The biggest fish was Artemi Panarin, who chose the Rangers over the Islanders for less money. Not that it makes a difference. The Bread Man got paid. That makes the Blueshirts big winners on July 1. Now comes the big pressure of delivering in the Big Apple. He’s got the next seven years to get it done.
As far as the Islanders, I have no idea what they’re thinking. I can understand chasing after Russian tandem Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, who wound up where everyone predicted. The two-time Vezina winner is the newest Panthers starting goalie, scoring a cool $10 million average over the next seven years. He is joined by Noel Acciari, Brett Connolly and Anton Stralman on a Florida team intent on returning to the playoffs under coach Joel Quenneville.
The Isles fascination could’ve cost them another captain. But thankfully, Anders Lee remained loyal by patiently waiting before signing a brand new seven-year contract worth a fair AAV of $7 million. That’s exactly what he deserved due to the market. It increased due to teammate Brock Nelson and Kevin Hayes getting paid last month. So, Lee stays with the only organization he knows.
The puzzling aspect is why the Islanders were so cold to heroic number one goalie Robin Lehner. By only offering the Masterton Trophy winners two years at $5 million per, they totally disrespected the Vezina finalist. It’s no wonder he said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’ Instead, he oddly agreed to a one year deal worth the same $5 million with the Blackhawks. The same team that also has Corey Crawford. Wow. Nobody saw that coming.
Bob McKenzie had reported that the Isles were fascinated with Semyon Varlamov. Why? I have no clue. When healthy, he’s capable of being a good number one goalie. However, that’s a big if. So, why did GM Lou Lamoriello sign Varlamov to a four-year deal worth $5 million AAV. Why would they sign him for that length? It’s astonishing. They have Thomas Greiss for another year while top Russian goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin has another year to go with CSKA Moscow in the KHL. Linus Soderstrom has spent the last two seasons with HV71 Jonkoping of the Swedish Elite League.
The Devils made a sensible move by reaching agreement with veteran power forward Wayne Simmonds for one year, $5 million. If he can get back to being totally healthy, that seems like a good gamble by GM Ray Shero. Simmonds has something to prove. He plays the game the way it’s meant to be played by getting his jersey dirty and scoring garbage goals on the power play. He stands up for teammates and is tough. That’s the kind of guy I wouldn’t have minded in a Blueshirt. Oh well. I guess he’ll torment us like usual.
The biggest fireworks were delivered by the Canadiens in the form of a rare offer sheet. They signed restricted free agent Sebastian Aho to a front loaded five-year contract worth a reported $42.3 million. It averages out to $8.454 million.
The Canadiens have announced that they have tendered an offer sheet to restricted free agent Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes. The proposed contract is for five years, with an average annual value of $8.454 million.#GoHabsGo
There’s the question of whether the 21-year old Carolina Hurricanes center who put up over a point-per-game going 30-53-83 in 82 games, really wants to play in Montreal. He is a bright young star that’ll only get better. It’s no wonder the Hurricanes had a little fun on Twitter with that poll above. As if they won’t match. They have seven days.
Offer sheets are frowned upon. However, there’s nothing in the rulebook that says you can’t do it. I thought the Rangers should have considered it with Lightning Group II free agent center Brayden Point. Some wondered if Mitch Marner might get tendered an offer sheet. He wants the moon. Why not? He put up 94 points.
The Maple Leafs were very aggressive today by swinging a pair of cost cutting deals that should help them keep Marner. First, they traded defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Brown and Michael Carcone to the Senators for Cody Ceci, Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk and a 2020 third round pick.
Toronto then made a wise move to shore up the blueline by acquiring offensive right defenseman Tyson Barrie, RFA forward Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth round pick from the Avalanche for center Nazem Kadri, Calle Rosen and a 2020 third. While most think the Leafs fleeced the Avs, Kadri is that perfect tenacious two-way center Colorado lacks. He’s on a cap friendly deal ($4.5 million AAV) thru 2022. Barrie is entering his final year and became expendable due to the surplus of good D the Avalanche have. Cale Makar is at the top of the list of Calder candidates. It’ll be interesting to follow the path of both teams next season.
Vancouver inked a trio of defensemen. Former Winnipeg Jet Tyler Myers agreed to a five-year contract worth an AAV of $6 million. They also added Jordie Benn for two years and $4 million. Oscar Fantenberg was signed for a year at $850,000. The Canucks made sure to lock up proven veteran leader Alex Edler for two years at an AAV of $6 million through 2021. With Quinn Hughes ready to patrol the back end, Vancouver could improve. Aside from Calder winner Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and newest Canuck JT Miller, they have a good system.
The Stars got veteran Corey Perry for a year at $1.5 million. If he can provide a spark like he once did as a star for the Ducks, that’s low risk. Adding both Perry and Joe Pavelski to a nucleus of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alex Radulov, Roope Hintz, John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell solidifies them. Especially if Vezina runner-up Ben Bishop can stay healthy.
I like the Joonas Donskoi signing by Colorado too. They gave him nearly $4 million on average for over four years. So, they certainly overpaid. But Donskoi is the kind of high character player that can make a difference on a Cup contender. Those are the types you need to win.
The Sharks didn’t wait on restricted free agent forward Timo Meier. They signed him for four years at an AAV of $6 million. He’ll only improve. I thought the Capitals made two under the radar moves by adding depth forwards Richard Panik (4 for $11 million) and Garnet Hathaway (4 years, $6 million). Solid additions.
Then, you have the Pens continuing to do crazy moves that define logic. Brandon Tanev is a solid checking center. But why the heck did they go six years for the former Jet? It’s a bit mystifying. He gets $3.5 million AAV to provide for Pittsburgh what he did for Winnipeg. After unloading Phil Kessel for Alex Galchenyuk, they sure have changed the look of their roster. Is it better? I don’t think so.
After striking out on Panarin, the Blue Jackets gave Gustav Nyquist four years at an AAV of $5.5 million. While he’s a solid secondary scorer, consistency has been an issue which is why the Red Wings gave up on him. We’ll see if a change of scenery can spark Nyquist the way it did Tomas Tatar.
Former Islander Valtteri Filppula decided to go back to Detroit for a multi-year deal worth a bargain price of $6 million. He was a valuable asset to the Isles who could be missed. He scored some big goals in helping them reach the second round.
I don’t quite get why Florida went three years on Stralman. He’s been hurt more often the past couple of seasons with Tampa. Three for $16.5 million seems one too many years. I certainly respect Stralman for the player he is. He knows how to play the position. That should help a suspect blueline.
Carolina was wise enough to bring back Petr Mrazek on a reasonable two year contract worth an average of $3.125 million.
Mike Smith traded in his Calgary jersey for an Edmonton one. I guess he likes Alberta. Had Cam Talbot not been dealt from the Oilers to the Flyers, it basically would’ve been like a trade between blood rivals. It’ll be interesting to follow.
Some of the remaining free agents left include Micheal Ferland, Brian Boyle, Marcus Johansson, Jake Gardiner, Joe Thornton (until he re-signs with San Jose), Justin Williams, Pat Maroon, Ryan Dzingel, Derick Brassard, Oscar Lindberg and Patrick Marleau.
With the day winding down, I’m sure the activity will slow down with Independence Day on Thursday. I’ll keep you posted on any big news.
I’ve never been as meh about July 1 as I was this year, in part because I wasn’t expecting Ray Shero to dive into the deep end of the pool and in part also because we weren’t about to lose anyone significant either. At most I figured maybe we’d get a trade for a still-needed top six winger but that market has slowed for the moment. Perhaps once the dust settles off the yearly day of madness some teams will realize they need a little more breathing room cap-wise or roster-wise and come calling.
As far as actually signing players though I figured on one or two depth signings, if that. So I alternately was and wasn’t surprised that the Devils decided to take a calculated risk on long-time Flyer Wayne Simmonds, signing the physical winger to a one-year, $5 million contract. On paper Simmonds is something the Devils need to balance out their mostly smallish, finesse top six – capable of playing the PP and scoring dirty goals in front and also more than willing to police things physically and set a tone, one that’ll likely need to be set from time to time given that we have some small but important youngsters in the top six that teams will likely take runs at.
While there’s almost no such thing as a bad one-year deal, the fact is Simmonds dropped off dramatically last year, – after seven seasons as a 25-30 goal, 55-point type player his offensive production dipped to 17 goals and 30 points in 79 games last year between the Flyers and Predators. If Simmonds can bounce back, this deal will be well worth it. If not, it’s not like the Devils were going to use all their cap space this year anyway, even after trading for P.K. Subban.
Speaking of which, it is interesting that the two newest Devils have played together before, both in juniors when Canada won the 2008 U-20 title and the end of last season in Nashville.
Even Taylor Hall played with Simmonds briefly – at an All-Star game a couple years ago. You don’t have to have played with Simmonds to know of his rep, but he should add leadership in the room that was lost when guys like Brian Boyle and Ben Lovejoy were dealt at the deadline in the Spring. Tangibly and intangibly, Simmonds’ signing makes perfect sense.
Not that I expect Simmonds to be our top six solution on the wing short or long-term but he does buy a little time for some of our kids to develop. While a real upgrade in the top six would be nice I’m not sure one is forthcoming since Shero needs to maintain cap flexibility beyond this year with Hall up for free agency and third-year players Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt due handsome raises on their next contract. Though the Devils only have $36 million committed to seven players next year, those three would add another $24-25 million, leaving about that amount to fill the rest of the roster, not counting the RFA deal defenseman Will Butcher is due this offseason.
Crunching those numbers convinces me more than ever our next big upgrade – if one’s to be found this offseason – will have to come via trade. I don’t think Shero will willingly stand pat, just adding Subban and 18-year old Jack Hughes isn’t enough to break through a tough East playoff picture that got tougher with the Panthers and Rangers adding today. Of course the July 1 winners usually go splat when the games start counting but the Panthers also added Joel Quenneville as coach while you have to figure one of these years the Rangers will sign a big name that doesn’t blow up on them. It’s not implausible Shero could bide his time to see if any of the kids step up before making that upgrade though.
While O’Regan certainly is Hartford bound as a veteran presence to help the younger players for the Wolf Pack, McKegg was a key fourth liner for the Hurricanes during their run to the Eastern Conference Final. A 27-year old veteran who’s played with five teams since ’13-14, McKegg established himself under Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour.
Playing in a career high 41 games for one team, he established career bests in goals (6), assists (5) and points (11) for the Canes. A gritty player, McKegg can be a support player if he makes the roster. He scored two goals in the playoffs for Carolina while getting 10:44 of ice-time.
There’s nothing wrong with adding a good character, role player who should be helpful in the room. The Rangers don’t have much experience. This is an example of a smart signing.
Are they still in on free agent center Brian Boyle? A Broadway reunion on a short term deal could make sense. But it largely depends on how they view the center position that includes Lias Andersson, Brett Howden, Boo Nieves and Filip Chytil, whose natural position is center.
Twelve hours ago, it was looking pretty bleak for the Rangers in their pursuit of Artemi Panarin. The bitter rival Islanders had the inside track to landing the high scoring Russian forward by offering more money. Even the Blue Jackets made a last ditch effort to keep Panarin by going to $13 million for an eight year max before midnight.
In the end, the 27-year old Panarin decided he wanted Manhattan over Brooklyn or Long Island. Perhaps he used the oldest trick in the book. Panarin played the field against each other. He used both the Panthers and Islanders for leverage to squeeze a little more out of the Rangers.
That’s the name of the game. When it comes to unrestricted free agency, it’s in the player’s hands. They dictate what happens. Especially when you have as many interested suitors.
There’s no question Panarin is a legit first line talent who makes teammates around him better. That’s what the Rangers are banking on. Is it worth the risk over the long-term? We’re about to find out. It’s now official.
The term is $11.6 million AAV over seven years. So, he left money on the table to sign with the Rangers. It’s where he wanted to be. It’s seven years worth $81.5 million.
In four years with the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets, Panarin has totaled 320 points over 322 career games. More a playmaker than a finisher, the Bread Man has scored 116 goals while handing out 204 assists. A superb skater with excellent vision, he should be a big power play weapon.
Interestingly enough, the breakdown between even strength and power play for Panarin shows a decided edge mostly at five-on-five. During his four-year NHL career, he’s done most of his damage at even strength. Of the 320 total points he’s produced, 240 have come at even strength. The even strength breakdown is 86 goals and 154 assists. That is a big number that should excite the Rangers. His power play numbers are 30-50-80.
A strong puck possession player, it’s no surprise that he’s averaged a 54.5 Corsi over his first four NHL seasons. It’s also not shocking how he’s been used. Panarin is a above average offensive player, but not the best defensively. So, it stands to reason that he’s averaged a ridiculous 74.0 percent for offensive zone starts compared to only 26.0 in the defensive zone. That shouldn’t change on Broadway.
What kind of impact will an elite first line forward have on his new Ranger teammates? Coming off a career high 87 points in which he posted 28 goals and 59 assists with Columbus, he’s in the prime of his career. What’s even better is he’s only completed four long NHL season, which means he should have more peak years left.
By comparison, Chris Kreider has played over six seasons and totaled 460 games along with 77 postseason games. With the Panarin addition, it could spell the end of an era for the Blueshirts. Kreider is the last big name forward left over from the big runs in 2012, ’14 and ’15. The original ’09 first round pick stolen at number 19 has been a true warrior for this team.
Maybe the big, strong power forward with tremendous speed and skill hasn’t hit the projected numbers I believe he could. The 30-goal mark and 70 points. However, a strong possession player who sacrifices so much by doing the grunt work in front of the net, will be missed.
If this really is it, the 28-year old Kreider was a popular Ranger who gave fans some great moments. A year away from unrestricted status, it looks like he could be dealt to clear room. He has a year left at a bargain price of $4.625 million. The next contract he signs will come out between $6.5 to 7.25 million on average. It’s fair market value for the two-time 28-goal scorer who’s eclipsed 50 points twice.
I wish they could keep him. But there’s no way they’re going to put themselves in another Kevin Hayes or Mats Zuccarello situation. It doesn’t make sense. If he goes, No. 20 will be missed. He was one of those core players during the fun era started by John Tortorella and ended by Alain Vigneault, who flourished alongside American buddy and linemate Derek Stepan. Their chemistry was undeniable. I wonder if the Coyotes would consider a reunion. They just added Phil Kessel. So, it’s unlikely. Colorado could be a good fit for Kreider, who could supply the secondary scoring on a Cup contender. The Rangers almost traded him at the NHL Draft last week for the Avalanche’s first round pick. Instead, they took Alex Newhook at number 16.
While we wait and see what the next move is from GM Jeff Gorton and Team President John Davidson, it’s an exciting time for Ranger fans. They got their guy and didn’t cave in. It’s still overpayment for a very good player, whose playoffs helped. He had five goals and six helpers in two rounds for Columbus.
How does a top line of Panarin-Mika Zibanejad-Kaapo Kakko strike you? It probably won’t happen right away due to key RFA Pavel Buchnevich, who has formed solid chemistry with Zibanejad. But eventually, Kakko should be on the top line with Buchnevich sliding down to a second line with potentially Vitali Kravtsov and Filip Chytil.
There’s still the issue of who is their second center behind Zibanejad. Chytil is more effective on the wing. Kravtsov is brand new. Lias Andersson has to prove he belongs in the top nine with competition coming from Brett Howden. Ryan Strome can shift to center if needed. But I prefer him on the right side.
The bottom line is the Rangers just got a lot more interesting. There will be plenty of excitement surrounding them this Autumn. For now, we have to see what else they have planned. They still must pay defenseman Jacob Trouba a lot of money. Combined with Panarin, that’s an estimated 19 million. They will still have room for Buchnevich, Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Lemieux. A key players who could help replace what Kreider brought. Though he doesn’t possess the high end skill, Lemieux plays the game with a physical edge that fans love. It’s up to him to improve his skating.
While this is a great day for the Rangers, it’s gotta be a somber one for the Islanders, who struck out on both Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, who inked a seven year deal worth $70 million with the Panthers. What happens if Anders Lee decides to leave to the rumored Canadiens after being second fiddle? The same for Robin Lehner.
You have to laugh. Wayne Simmonds signed for a year, $5 million with the Devils. A good move by New Jersey. We’ll have more on the craziness of the frenzy later.
In a cost cutting move to prepare to land big fish Artemi Panarin, the Rangers sent forward Jimmy Vesey upstate to the Sabres in exchange for a third round pick in 2021.
We have acquired forward Jimmy Vesey from the @NYRangers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The trade was first reported by TSN insider Darren Dreger. It had been rumored for over a week. The Sabres had interest in acquiring Vesey to help boost their secondary scoring. So, it made sense for both teams to do business.
Ironically, it was Buffalo who sacrificed a third round pick in 2016 to try to sign Vesey out of Harvard. However, he didn’t want to sign there and instead became a Ranger in August of that summer.
The 26-year old Boston native spent three years on Broadway. He never quite fulfilled expectations. Despite his 6-3, 199 pound frame, Vesey never topped over 17 goals in any season. In ’16-17, he went 16-11-27 in 80 games and then had five points (1-4-5) in 12 playoff games.
This past season under coach David Quinn, he did establish a new career high with 35 points (17-18-35) over 81 contests. It’s unfortunate that be wasn’t more consistent in the scoring department. It certainly wasn’t from lack of effort.
On the Blueshirts, Vesey never became more than a third liner. Now that he’s going to Buffalo, there’s more of an opportunity for him to be higher on the depth chart. The Sabres don’t exactly have much scoring help for Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhardt. They could be a good fit.
Vesey has a year remaining on his contract. His cap number is $2.275 million. We’ll see if a change of scenery in a contract year benefits him.
Rangers trade Jimmy Vesey to the Sabres for a third round pick in the 2021 draft. That's more cap space for the Rangers.
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