Category Archives: In the Crease
Food for thought: Is it wise to spend so much money on defense?
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers have spent a ton of money to build a strong defense, as well as in net. But in this league, and after looking at recent Cup champions, is it worth it? Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the New York Rangers, defense is and has been the name of the game. Whether it was the blue-collar hockey played under John Tortorella, or the faster, speed game employed by Alain Vigneault, defensemen have been crucial to the team’s performance and success.
That reflects in the team’s salary cap as well, where a large portion of the available money is spent towards creating potentially a top-three defense in the entire league. With players like Ryan McDonagh, Keith Yandle, Marc Staal and Dan Boyle populating the defensive core of the Rangers, they form a very versatile and effective group that can shutdown anybody in the league, as well as generate some offense too.
But having so many talented defenseman on one team means that they all get paid for their high level of talent. This also stretched into goaltending, as the Rangers have arguably the best goalie in the NHL in Henrik Lundqvist. On defense alone, the Rangers have $26.75 million invested in their seven defensemen, with Dan Girardi ($5.5) and Marc Staal ($5.7) making the most amount of money. Add in Henrik Lundqvist and the new backup, Antti Raanta, and the Rangers have $36 million going towards the back end. That’s more than half of the allotted salary cap, without spending a dime on the 12 forwards that play every game. Read the rest of this entry
O’Reilly gets massive extension with Sabres, what this means for Stepan’s future
Bobby Bevilacqua
Ryan O’Reilly received a massive contract extension after being traded to the Buffalo Sabres, a contract that could wind up driving Derek Stepan’s price through the roof. Photo courtesy of Doug Pensinger/Getty Images.
When the season ended for the Rangers, and bloggers and beat writers began speculating, the general consensus was that Derek Stepan, an RFA, would command $6 million a year for a long term deal. Personally, I thought that even that was a bit too much money for Stepan, but it seemed like he would be able to get that much. And then the Buffalo Sabres came along.
The Sabres made a draft day trade for 24 year old Ryan O’Reilly in order to be their number one center, and take pressure off of Jack Eichel, and create a strong top line of Evander Kane, O’Reilly and Tyler Ennis. They then proceeded to sign him to a massive seven year, $52.5 million deal that would pay him an average of $7.5 million a year.
Now I know that the Sabres don’t have anyone of O’Reilly’s caliber at the center position, but that’s no excuse to overpay him like that. For a player that has broken 20 goals and 60 points once, that is a ridiculous amount of money. O’Reilly will be making the same amount of money as Pavel Datsyuk, Steven Stamkos and Jason Spezza, and he will be making more than guys like Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Tyler Seguin and John Tavares after this season. For 2015-16 his cap hit will be $6 million, and the new contract will kick in for the following year. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Player Grades; Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis
Bobby Bevilacqua
Martin St. Louis and Derek Stepan were paired together for most of the year, while Kreider and Stepan have built considerable chemistry over the years. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
When your top line is struggling or getting defended well, it’s always nice for a coach to have a secondary option to go to. A team’s second line can be just as important as its first line. Just look at Brad Richards and Patrick Kane on the Blackhawk’s second line.
For most of the season, the Ranger’s second line consisted of Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis, except when injuries changed the pairings. Both Stepan and Kreider made strides in their game, and St. Louis closed out a marvelous 16 year career with a 52 point season.
The second line saw some change throughout the year, but for the most part, Kreider, Stepan and St. Louis formed a strong line throughout stretches of the regular season and the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry
Potential Free Agency targets for the New York Rangers
Bobby Bevilacqua
It’s time for the NHL free agent signing period! Often hectic and wild, with trades and signings galore, the Rangers won’t be major players, but there are some good moves that they could make. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
It’s July 1st, which means that Free Agency Frenzy is upon us in the NHL. There will probably be notable and surprising signings around the league, with teams trying to establish themselves as contenders. The Sabres and the Oilers are trying to build a lineup to contend for a playoff berth, while teams like the Canadiens will be working to re-establish themselves as a top team.
The Rangers will not be major players in free-agent signings or blockbuster trades. There isn’t a lot of cap space left to make a move, and there really aren’t any movable contracts that the Rangers would be willing to part with. The main priority will come in re-signing their RFAs.
Derek Stepan, 25, is coming off of a two year deal, $6.15 million deal, and both sides are looking to sign a long-term contract to avoid him becoming an unrestricted free agent at the age of 27. When looking at the rest of the market, Stepan could feasibly fetch $6 million, but honestly, I have a hard time thinking that he should get $6 million. Read the rest of this entry
Moving Hagelin hurts, but the Rangers can afford to lose him
Bobby Bevilacqua
With Carl Hegelin out of the picture for next season, the Rangers need to reach to the youth to help fill out the depth spots on the roster. Oscar Lindberg deserves a promotion next season. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
As fans and spectators of the game, it’s often hard to remember that hockey is a business. We grow attached to our favorite players that play hard and represent the Rangers well, only to see them traded away or lost in free agency.
Carl Hagelin was “a great Ranger” as Assistant GM Jeff Gorton said. He was a Rangers draft pick in the sixth round, and impressed as a rookie, with 14 goals and 24 assists in his first 64 NHL games. His lightning speed was fun to watch, and he was an excellent defensive player that added depth to the lineup.
Now I’m not saying that the Rangers’ didn’t lose depth or that they’re a better team after the trade. That remains to be seen. But when looking at what Glen Sather got in return as well as some other factors, the team could afford to make this decision. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 