Category Archives: In the Crease
Should the Rangers take the plunge and sign Alexander Semin?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Alexander Semin is still a free agent, and his offensive prowess could benefit the Rangers lineup. Should they sign him? Photo courtesy of Marc DesRosiers/USA TODAY Sports.
Although it’s July 19th, there are still some surprisingly good players left on the market as free agents. Eric Fehr, longtime Capitals, is still without a team. Brad Boyes is still a free agent after being bought out by the Panthers. James Sheppard is also unsigned.
But the most controversial free agent on the market is Alexander Semin, the former standout with the Capitals who was recently bought out of his contract by the Carolina Hurricanes. He was making $7 million this past season, and wound up being a healthy scratch at times, registering only 19 points in 57 games.
Semin has gotten criticism around the league for being a locker room cancer, and not the type of player that you want on a championship caliber team. But are those criticisms warranted? Read the rest of this entry
Gorton’s salary cap management leaves much needed wiggle room
Bobby Bevilacqua
Jeff Gorton should be applauded for his handling of the Rangers’ RFAs this offseason, but he still has some big decisions ahead. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Jeff Gorton and the Rangers have been very busy this week, signing almost all of their restricted free agents to new deals, and leaving valuable cap space open for the future. Gorton signed or re-signed Dylan McIlrath (article HERE), Magnus Hellberg (article HERE), JT Miller and Jesper Fast (article HERE), and Oscar Lindberg and Emerson Etem (article HERE).
What’s even better is that all of the players signed below what was their expected value. Oscar Lindberg, Emerson Etem, Jesper Fast and JT Miller signed for a combined cap hit of just $3.325 million. Now that’s great asset management.
If all of the listed cap hits are right, the Rangers have about $6.925 million left in free space. But that number, believe it or not, is realistically a bit higher. Also assuming that Dylan McIlrath ($600k) doesn’t make the team, and that Jayson Megna ($600k) is an AHL depth player, which is very likely, you can bump the Rangers available cap space to around $8.125 million. That’s a lot more than anyone thought the Rangers would have at this point. Read the rest of this entry
Where the newest Rangers players fit in the lineup
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers didn’t make any big splashes in free agency, mainly due to the restrictions of the salary cap. Instead, Jeff Gorton added some players to help bolster the Rangers’ bottom six forward group, and making other subtle moves to help provide depth.
Barring contract disagreements or trades, the Rangers are likely done making moves to acquire new players. So looking at the new additions for this year, where do they fit in the Rangers plans? Read the rest of this entry
Jesper Fast can and will fill Carl Hagelin’s role for the Rangers
Bobby Bevilacqua
Following his first full season in professional hockey, Jesper Fast will play a bigger role next season, and he’ll help fill the void left by Carl Hagelin. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
We are beginning to approach a slow time for hockey and hockey related news. There isn’t really much to cover after the first few days of free agency, and right now, the Rangers are just waiting to re-sign their RFAs.
So while every hockey blogger continues to struggle for article ideas, you’ll hear a lot of the same things. For me, I like to think about how the Rangers can replace the players that they lost in the offseason. One of those players is Carl Hagelin, who was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Emerson Etem, as well as swapping draft picks so the Rangers could select Ryan Gropp with the 41st pick of the NHL Entry Draft.
Hagelin has been a very steady 30-point per season kind of player that can open up the ice with his speed, and play strong defense when in his own zone. A well-rounded player with blazing speed is hard to find, and Hagelin was an important part of the team. Read the rest of this entry
Emerson Etem ready for bigger role and new challenges
Bobby Bevilacqua
Now on a new team with a chance to break into a more important offensive role, Emerson Etem is ready to make the most of this opportunity. Photo courtesy of Jeff Gross/Getty Images.
With salary cap constraints and guys like Derek Stepan looking for long-term contracts (potentially very expensive), the Rangers were almost forced to trade away Carl Hagelin, a dependable, strong possession winger that has anchored the Rangers third line since 2011. However, Jeff Gorton was still able to bring in a young player with a lot of potential.
Emerson Etem, born in Long Beach, California, was selected in the first round of the 2010 NHL draft by the Anaheim Ducks, keeping him in the state that he grew up in, and allowing family and friends to watch him begin his professional hockey career.
While that makes for a great story, things did not work out as Etem hoped, bouncing between the NHL and AHL affiliate Norfolk over the past three seasons, never playing more than 45 games with the Ducks in a single year. Read the rest of this entry
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