When thinking about this current New York Ranger team, the most obvious observation is the team's struggle to bury the puck in the net. This Ranger team has many complimentary players but no true goal scorers. Markus Naslund was a true goal scorer... before the lockout. Nikolai Zherdev has scored some beautiful goals this season, but appears to be more of a playmaker with 25 goals a year ability. Scott Gomez was a goal scorer...for one season in New Jersey, then scored 20 less goals the year after.
The need is clear - a shoot first, pass second, skilled sniper that will not hesitate to shoot when the likes of Gomez, Naslund and Zherdev would rather pass. With the Rangers right up against the cap ceiling with high-priced long term contracts, this task is impossible without the trade of one of those high-priced players. Forget Gomez, Drury or Redden, for those players are virtually untradable, and don't even mention Lundqvist, for he in the foundation of this organization and the only reason why the Rangers are currently pretending to be a playoff team. No, the answer comes in the form of Michal Rozsival, currently in his 1st year of a 4 year contract paying him a total of $20 million.
NHL Numbers is reporting that of that total $20 million, Rozsival is being paid $7 million this season, leaving the other $13 million to be even distributed to him over the next 3 seasons. While this may not seem significant to the salary, because Rozsival's cap number will be $5 million (the average number over the lifespan of the contract), it is significant to a potential team, because that team will have to actually pay him less than the cap number, also making Rozsival potentially easier to buyout towards the end of his contract. This aspect alone would make it easier for a team greatly effected by the current state of the economy to trade for Rozsival, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning.
While he may be maddening to impatient New Yorkers, Michal Rozsival is actually an above average puck moving defenseman, with solid hands and good vision, and could be sought after by numerous teams. However, with the current state of the Rangers' salary cap, Rozsival is expendable and needs to be moved. Moving Rozsival without receiving any NHL salary in return would provide the Rangers with an additional $5 million in cap money that could be used for a scoring forward. Let us look at what the Rangers might possibly look like next season:
For the purpose of this post, I have made many assumptions about the roster and who should be resigned, who should not be resigned, and who should be traded. I have made guesstimates as to what salary certain RFA's deserve and have given necessary raises to those players who warrant a raise. The following is not what I believe the lines will be, but rather more of a depth chart. Also, I have put every player's cap number, courtesy of NHLnumbers.com, and have put RFA's Qualifying Offer (QO) in italics, and what I believe the player deserves in bold. Regarding the calculation of Qualifying Offers, I used the formula found on NHL.com under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA): Players earning $660,000 or less will be entitled to qualifying offers (QO) at 110% of their prior year's salary; players earning more than $660,000 and up to $1 million will be entitled to QOs at 105% of prior year's salary; players earning more than $1 million will be entitled to QO at 100% of their prior year's salary.
Here we go:
LEFT WING--------------------CENTER-------------------RIGHT WING
Markus Naslund-----------------Scott Gomez ----------------- ____________
------$4m------------------------ $7.357m------------------------ $__
Sean Avery----------------------Chris Drury-------------------- Nikolai Zherdev
$1.9375m-----------------------$7.050m----------------------QO $3.250m
Lauri Korpikoski-------------- Brandon Dubinsky----------------Ryan Callahan
QO $1.0332m-------------QO $0.6985m - $1.5m---------QO $0.660m - $0.75m
___________------------------Blair Betts----------------------Colton Orr
-----$__------------------08/09 $0.615m - $0.8m--------08/09 $0.550m - $0.85m
---------------DEFENSE-------------------------------GOALTENDER
Wade Redden-------------Daniel Girardi----------------Henrik Lundqvist
--$6.5m--------------------$1.55m-----------------------$6.875m
Marc Staal-------------------Paul Mara------------------Steve Valiquette
$0.827m-------------08/09 $1.95m - $2.4m---------08/09 $0.725 - $0.75m
Bobby Sanguinetti----------____________
$0.855M-------------------------$__
Assumptions:
-Sjostrom and Prucha not resigned, Voros put on waivers and assigned to Hartford, Nigel Dawes Traded for picks.
-Sean Avery is successfully acquired off re-entry waivers, with Dallas paying half of his remaining salary.
-Nikolai Zherdev accepts his Qualifying Offer.
-Lauri Korpikoski accepts his Qualifying Offer.
-Brandon Dubinsky and NY Rangers agree on two year deal worth $1.5mil per season.
-Ryan Callahan gets more than his Qualifying Offer in two year deal.
-Greg Moore, Tom Pyatt and Dane Byers battle for 4th line wing.
-Blair Betts resigned to 2 year deal, with well deserved raise.
-Colton Orr resigned to 2 year deal, with well deserved raise.
-Paul Mara is resigned, with a well deserved raise.
-Bobby Sanguinetti makes team.
-Steve Valiquette resigned with modest raise.
Salary Cap:
Forward Total=$28.5277m (w/out 1st RW and 4th LW)
Defense Total = $12.132m (w/out 6th D)
Goalie Total = $7.625 m
TOTAL = $48.2847m
08/09 cap=$56.7 M
Available=$8.4153 million
Check back later this week for How To Fix The Rangers: Part II
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Dawes Quietly Turning Season Around
Up until December 4th, the word "disappointing" would have been too kind of a term when talking about Nigel Dawes' season.
After being beaten out for the final roster spot to Brandon Dubinsky last season, Dawes absolutely dominated the AHL, scoring 14 goals and 20 assists in just 20 games, and earned himself a roster spot on the big club for the rest of the season. Dawes responded positively, skating in the final 61 regular season games for the Rangers while adding 14 goals, 15 assists, and a plus/minus of +11. Because of this, many Ranger fans felt certain that Nigel Dawes was ready to take the next step and become a producing top-6 winger.
However, through the first 19 games of the season, Dawes had tallied just 2 goals, 3 helpers and had seen himself slowly slip into the press box as a healthy scratch. After not dressing since November 22th, Tom Renney re-inserted Dawes into the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens on December 4th. The result for the Ranger as a team was a disaster, a 6-2 loss. However, it was the start of Dawes' resurgence as a contributor for the Rangers. Dawes scored one of the two goals for the Rangers that game, earning him a few more starts.
Dawes has taken full advantage of his most recent opportunity, and has since scored 5 goals and 11 total points in in the 16 games since that point, including the game winning goal in his most recent game against the Islanders (1/13). Having been put on a line with Petr Prucha and Chris Drury, Nigel Dawes may have finally found his niche with this 2008/09 New York Rangers team.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Shanahan to Rangers Saga Finally Ends
Earlier today, Larry Brooks reported that Brendan Shanahan will not continue to wait for a contract from the Rangers and has instructed his agent to field offers from other NHL teams. This comes after four months of waiting around for Glen Sather to present him with a contract, a contract that would never be offered.
The truth is, there was never a place for Shanahan on this 2008/2009 Ranger team. "How could that be?!?" some of you may exclaim. "He's a future Hall of Famer! He has 650 career NHL goals! How could there not be a place for Shanahan on this team?" Yes, he will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and he has scored 650 career NHL goals, but does that mean he is entitled to a roster spot on the New York Rangers? The answer is simple...No.
Brendan Shanahan signed with the Rangers in the summer of 2006 after potting 40 goals and adding 41 assists (81 points) for the Red Wings in the 2005/2006 season. After employing Shanahan for nine seasons, the Red Wings were looking to field a younger team, and needed all the money they could get in order to make sure that young stars like Datsyuk and Zetterberg would be able to stay in Detroit for a long, long time. Shanahan accepted this, and sought out the New York Rangers, who were the biggest surprise of the 05/06 season. The Blueshirts had been predicted to finish last in the East prior to the season, only to go on and make the playoffs, ending an eight year playoff drought. Going into 06/07, the Rangers were looking to contend, and Shanahan was looking for a contender. A great match it was.
Shanahan started the 2006/07 season with guns blazing and personally carried the team through many games in the early part of the season. However, in the second half of the season, Shanahan's goals came farther and farther apart. Shanahan finished his first season as a Ranger with 29 goals and 33 assists (62 points). A respectful season, but a large decline in production from his previous season point total of 81. The Rangers eventually lost to Buffalo in the Second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Disappointing, but another successful season nontheless. After adding Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, and resigning Shanahan for one more year, the Rangers appeared to be the early season favorite to win the Stanley Cup for the 2007/2008 season. For much of the season, Shanahan played on a line with the speedy, slick passing Scott Gomez. However, Shanahan's production again dropped, this time to 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists). The Rangers lost to the Penguins, who eventually lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.
This past offseason, Glen Sather & Co. gave the Rangers a complete makeover. Gone were Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Marek Malik and Sean Avery. Wade Redden Markus Naslund, a few other bottom line players were signed, and Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman were traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche. The message was clear. This was Gomez and Drury's team, and it was a team built for speed. The two centers had been surrounded by young, speedy wingers who were capable of keeping up with the pace of Gomez and Drury. Shanahan however, was not offered a contract, but continued to wait for one to be presented to him.
From an outsider's point of view, this was a simple case of Glen Sather trying to be as polite and respectful of Shanahan by saying "Thanks, but no thanks, Brendan." Sather took note of the speed that led the Detroit Red Wings to the Stanley Cup last season, and wanted the 08/09 Rangers to play a similar game. Because of this, there would be no spot for Brendan Shanahan. The previous playoffs, Shanahan looked gassed, often trailing far behind the play and was incapable of keeping up with Scott Gomez.
Sather also saw the calibre of young players the organization had, some of which were on the cusp of breaking into the NHL. Players like Korpikoski, Dawes, Callahan and Anisimov, were all arguably deserving of roster spots. Coupled that with the additions of forwards Nik Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, both only 23, and the writing was on the wall. Why take a spot away from young players like Korpikoski or Dawes and give it to a soon to be 40 year old whose production has dropped from 81 points in 05/06, to 62 points in 06/07, to just 46 points last season. That is about a 25% decrease from each season to the next. That, ladies and gentlemen, is quite an alarming rate. Glen Sather should be applauded for sticking to the plan and not signing an aging veteran whose production was quickly decreasing.
So, to bring this novel to a close, Shanahan's lack of production, age and declining ability (he often looked like his skates were made of concrete), along with the commitment of the Rangers to be a faster team in 08/09, are the reasons that Brendan Shanahan will soon be finding another team to play for. My last point has to do loyalty of an organization to a player. In the case of Shanahan, the Rangers do not have any, and rightfully so. Shanahan only suited up in the Red, White and Blue for two seasons; it is not like he scored over 300 goals for us, like he did for the Wings (309 regular season goals). While he showed leadership, his void can easily be filled with the likes of Redden, Gomez, Naslund, and of course, Captain Clutch himself, Chris Drury.
While I wish Shanahan the best of luck with whatever team he winds up with, I cannot be more relieved that that this Brendan Shanahan saga is finally over.
The truth is, there was never a place for Shanahan on this 2008/2009 Ranger team. "How could that be?!?" some of you may exclaim. "He's a future Hall of Famer! He has 650 career NHL goals! How could there not be a place for Shanahan on this team?" Yes, he will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and he has scored 650 career NHL goals, but does that mean he is entitled to a roster spot on the New York Rangers? The answer is simple...No.
Brendan Shanahan signed with the Rangers in the summer of 2006 after potting 40 goals and adding 41 assists (81 points) for the Red Wings in the 2005/2006 season. After employing Shanahan for nine seasons, the Red Wings were looking to field a younger team, and needed all the money they could get in order to make sure that young stars like Datsyuk and Zetterberg would be able to stay in Detroit for a long, long time. Shanahan accepted this, and sought out the New York Rangers, who were the biggest surprise of the 05/06 season. The Blueshirts had been predicted to finish last in the East prior to the season, only to go on and make the playoffs, ending an eight year playoff drought. Going into 06/07, the Rangers were looking to contend, and Shanahan was looking for a contender. A great match it was.
Shanahan started the 2006/07 season with guns blazing and personally carried the team through many games in the early part of the season. However, in the second half of the season, Shanahan's goals came farther and farther apart. Shanahan finished his first season as a Ranger with 29 goals and 33 assists (62 points). A respectful season, but a large decline in production from his previous season point total of 81. The Rangers eventually lost to Buffalo in the Second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Disappointing, but another successful season nontheless. After adding Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, and resigning Shanahan for one more year, the Rangers appeared to be the early season favorite to win the Stanley Cup for the 2007/2008 season. For much of the season, Shanahan played on a line with the speedy, slick passing Scott Gomez. However, Shanahan's production again dropped, this time to 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists). The Rangers lost to the Penguins, who eventually lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.
This past offseason, Glen Sather & Co. gave the Rangers a complete makeover. Gone were Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Marek Malik and Sean Avery. Wade Redden Markus Naslund, a few other bottom line players were signed, and Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman were traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche. The message was clear. This was Gomez and Drury's team, and it was a team built for speed. The two centers had been surrounded by young, speedy wingers who were capable of keeping up with the pace of Gomez and Drury. Shanahan however, was not offered a contract, but continued to wait for one to be presented to him.
From an outsider's point of view, this was a simple case of Glen Sather trying to be as polite and respectful of Shanahan by saying "Thanks, but no thanks, Brendan." Sather took note of the speed that led the Detroit Red Wings to the Stanley Cup last season, and wanted the 08/09 Rangers to play a similar game. Because of this, there would be no spot for Brendan Shanahan. The previous playoffs, Shanahan looked gassed, often trailing far behind the play and was incapable of keeping up with Scott Gomez.
Sather also saw the calibre of young players the organization had, some of which were on the cusp of breaking into the NHL. Players like Korpikoski, Dawes, Callahan and Anisimov, were all arguably deserving of roster spots. Coupled that with the additions of forwards Nik Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, both only 23, and the writing was on the wall. Why take a spot away from young players like Korpikoski or Dawes and give it to a soon to be 40 year old whose production has dropped from 81 points in 05/06, to 62 points in 06/07, to just 46 points last season. That is about a 25% decrease from each season to the next. That, ladies and gentlemen, is quite an alarming rate. Glen Sather should be applauded for sticking to the plan and not signing an aging veteran whose production was quickly decreasing.
So, to bring this novel to a close, Shanahan's lack of production, age and declining ability (he often looked like his skates were made of concrete), along with the commitment of the Rangers to be a faster team in 08/09, are the reasons that Brendan Shanahan will soon be finding another team to play for. My last point has to do loyalty of an organization to a player. In the case of Shanahan, the Rangers do not have any, and rightfully so. Shanahan only suited up in the Red, White and Blue for two seasons; it is not like he scored over 300 goals for us, like he did for the Wings (309 regular season goals). While he showed leadership, his void can easily be filled with the likes of Redden, Gomez, Naslund, and of course, Captain Clutch himself, Chris Drury.
While I wish Shanahan the best of luck with whatever team he winds up with, I cannot be more relieved that that this Brendan Shanahan saga is finally over.
Another NYR Blog is Born
After scouring the net on a daily basis reading numerous blogs regarding my beloved New York Rangers, it was decided by yours truly that one more blog was needed. I realized this a few days ago when commenting on another blog, a comment that could have been considered a term paper at a university. Like all of those other blogs, I want to share with the world my opinions on everything having to do with the greatest team in the land, the New York Rangers.
Here at "Captain Clutch", I, King Byrne, pledge to write about everything - the current state of the Rangers, the future of the organization, potential moves that our fearless leader Glen Sather should make, Brendan Shanahan, line combinations, Mats Sundin, whether or not Petr Prucha will ever get another real shot, and, last but not least, how much of a little girl Martin Brodeur is. Want to discuss anything in particular? Say so in a comment or email, and I will do my best to give you the in-depth analysis you seek.
So check back every few days, and let me know what you think too, I want this blog to be as interactive as possible. Go Rangers!
Here at "Captain Clutch", I, King Byrne, pledge to write about everything - the current state of the Rangers, the future of the organization, potential moves that our fearless leader Glen Sather should make, Brendan Shanahan, line combinations, Mats Sundin, whether or not Petr Prucha will ever get another real shot, and, last but not least, how much of a little girl Martin Brodeur is. Want to discuss anything in particular? Say so in a comment or email, and I will do my best to give you the in-depth analysis you seek.
So check back every few days, and let me know what you think too, I want this blog to be as interactive as possible. Go Rangers!
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