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Rangers agree to terms with RFAs Emerson Etem, Oscar Lindberg
Bobby Bevilacqua
Oscar Lindberg and Emerson Etem are locked up, with both players accepting their qualifying offers on Tuesday afternoon. Photos courtesy of MSG Photos and Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports.
This afternoon, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that the team had agreed to terms with two more of their Restricted Free Agents, with those players being Oscar Lindberg and Emerson Etem, who was acquired from the Ducks during the second day of the NHL Draft.
Both players accepted their qualifying offers, which thankfully means that there is no arbitration required. That’s good, because I think that both players will be in the starting lineup on opening night, and I think that they’ll both be important players next season.
Oscar Lindberg’s deal keeps him under contract for the next two seasons for a cap hit of just $650k, which is excellent for the Rangers if they plan on using him at the NHL level (they should). 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
Will Broadway Brad be headed back to New York this offseason?
Bobby Bevilacqua
After winning the Stanley Cup in Chicago, could Brad Richards be heading back to New York for next season? Photo courtesy of Nick Laham.
Now that the Stanley Cup Finals are over, with the Chicago Blackhawks crowned as champions for the third time in six years, it’s time for trade rumors, surprise signings and speculations. And today, I’m starting with my own speculation and prediction, something that I have said since before the start of the 2014-15 season.
Brad Richards will be a New York Ranger for the 2015-16 season.
Before I start, this is pure speculation. I don’t have an insider tip, I haven’t talked to Brad Richards or his agent or a family member, and I don’t have contact with any members of the Rangers’ front office. But I do think that I have some fairly strong arguments for my case.
After the Rangers were defeated by the Los Angeles Kings in five games in June of 2014, Glen Sather used his final compliance buy out on Brad Richards, terminating his contract after just three years in New York. It was a foolish contract by Sather, mainly because it kept Richards until he was 40, with a cap hit of $6.67 annually, and it was a contract that realistically never would have been completed. Keeping him at that hit would have handcuffed the Rangers when trying to re-sign younger, core players in the coming years. Read the rest of this entry
Which Rangers rookie/youngster had the biggest impact this season?
Bobby Bevilacqua
JT Miller and Jesper Fast were two of the bright spots in the Rangers’ lineup, showcasing the future of the organization. Photo courtesy of AP.
This past season, the Rangers saw the growth and emergence of many of their young prospects, with key contributions coming from rookies and second year players. While it’s always great to have experienced players on the roster, whether it be veterans or skilled guys with a few years under their belts, it is extremely important to have youth infused in the lineup, especially one’s that contribute.
There were two rookies on the Rangers’ roster, and both of them were a huge part of the team’s success in both the regular season and the playoffs. Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast were those two rookies, fulfilling two very different roles for the team.
And while JT Miller technically was not a rookie, but this was his first full season with the Rangers, and he certainly started to blossom into the player that the Rangers thought he would be when taking him 15th overall in the 2011 NHL draft.
Kevin Hayes, JT Miller and Jesper Fast all had important roles on the team, showing glimpses of the bright future that all three players have. Read the rest of this entry
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