Blog Archives
Glen Sather steps down as GM, Jeff Gorton takes his place
Bobby Bevilacqua
Jeff Gorton has officially taken over as the General Manager of the New York Rangers. Photo courtesy of Ron Antonelli.
In what has been rumored for quite some time now, Glen Sather has officially announced that he is stepping down as the GM of the New York Rangers, a position he has held since 2000. In his place is now Jeff Gorton, the assistant GM who has been getting more and more responsibilities over the past few years.
Sather is not completely removed from the Rangers organization, and will remain as team president. Gorton and he will continue to work together, but now Gorton will have the final word on players and all negotiations.
“Jeff has been an integral part of our success since joining the Rangers, and he has earned the respect of colleagues throughout the hockey community,” Sather said. “He is well prepared for and extremely deserving of this opportunity.”
Gorton, 46, has been a member of the Rangers organization since 2006 and has served as the Assistant GM for the past four years. He played a key role in the draft selections of Derek Stepan, Jesper Fast, Chris Kreider and JT Miller, as well as being a major part of the trades for Rick Nash, Keith Yandle, derick Brassard and Ryan McDonagh. He also was vital in the free agent signings of Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. 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
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
2015 NHL Draft: New York Rangers Draft Recap
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of the Florida Panthers.
The Rangers were without a first round draft pick again this season, unable to get one in return for Cam Talbot, but they still managed to stockpile seven young prospects in the deep 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The second draft day was hectic for Glen Sather and his management group, trading away Carl Hagelin and some draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks for Emerson Etem and to move up to the 41st pick in the second round. Cam Talbot was dealt shortly after that to the Edmonton Oilers for a three picks, which Sather eventually turned into four with a trade with the Washington Capitals.
After the day was done, Assistant GM Jeff Gorton said that the Rangers were motivated by their lack of draft picks, and that combined with the salary cap was the main reason for the trades. After dealing away so many first round picks in recent years, Sather needed to recuperate his losses and garner as many prospects as possible. Read the rest of this entry
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