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Rangers agree to terms with RFAs Jesper Fast and JT Miller
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers have re-signed two more of their RFAs, making JT Miller and Jesper Fast Rangers for the next season. Photo courtesy of Bill Kostroun/AP Photos.
New York Rangers continue to lock up their restricted free agents, signing another three in total today, with the latest signings being Jesper Fast and JT Miller, announced earlier this afternoon by GM Jeff Gorton.
With the latest signings, the Rangers have retained all of their restricted free agents except for Derek Stepan, who is set to go to arbitration on July 27th.
Jesper Fast earned himself a two year deal after a very good season for the 23 year old Swede. In his first season in the NHL, Fast appeared in 58 regular season games, scoring 14 points (6-8-14) in the process. He was excellent in the playoffs, tallying an additional three goals and three assists in 19 games. Read the rest of this entry
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
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
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