Blog Archives
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
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
Rangers agree to terms with RFA Magnus Hellberg
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers have agreed to terms with Magnus Hellberg on a two year deal. Photo courtesy of John Russell/Getty Images.
Jeff Gorton, the General Manager of the New York Rangers, announced that the team has signed restricted free agent goaltender Magnus Hellberg, who was acquired in a trade from the Nashville Predators.
NBC Pro Hockey Talk’s Mike Halford reported that it was a two year deal.
Rangers sign goalie Hellberg to two-year extension http://t.co/fW1iwmJnfl
— Mike Halford (@HalfordPHT) July 10, 2015
Hellberg, 24, spent most of his time with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, the Predators’ AHL affiliate. He appeared in 38 games, finishing with a 15-10-6 record along with a 2.33 GAA and a .913 save percentage, as well as three shutouts. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Update: Qualifying offers extended to all but Conor Allen
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers extended qualifying offers to eight of their nine RFAs, choosing to let Conor Allen walk and become a free agent. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
With the deadline to qualify restricted free agents ending yesterday, the New York Rangers sent qualifying offers to eight of their nine restricted free agents. The only RFA that didn’t get an offer was 25 year old defenseman Conor Allen. He will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow, July 1st.
Allen was a free agent signing by the Rangers out of UMass-Amherst in March of 2013. Since then, he has appeared in seven NHL games with, spending most of his time with the Hartford Wolf Pack. In his brief NHL career, he has no points, four shots on goal and a minus two rating. This past season with Hartford, Allen tallied 34 points (11-23-34) in 72 games. He also added a goal and an assist in 12 playoff appearances.
Allen is a solid defenseman, so it’s odd to see him go unqualified, but he has the disadvantage of being a left-side defenseman. On that side, the Rangers have Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Keith Yandle in the NHL, with other left defensive prospects in the organization. Unfortunately, the Rangers don’t really have much of an opportunity for Allen, and are looking elsewhere. Allen is a quality prospect, and I’m sure he will get snatched up soon. 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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