How Dan Girardi and Marc Staal can save the Rangers

Marc Staal (L) and Dan Girardi (R) (Getty Images)

Marc Staal (L) and Dan Girardi (R)
(Getty Images)

With news of the cap topping out at around $74 million for next season, the New York Rangers nightmare of being in cap purgatory is creeping closer, ever so slightly. This offseason will make or break the Rangers’ window of being a true Stanley Cup contender. Today, I put on my armchair General Manager hat.

Now that I’ve been named armchair GM of the New York Rangers, I will attempt to lay out my plans for keeping the Cup window open longer.

Here goes nothing:

Trade Dan Girardi and Marc Staal. Trade them for peanuts. Trade them for air. Trade them. Yes, they both have a No-Movement Clause but a NMC can be waived. Hopefully my power of persuasion is persuasive enough to get them to waive their NMC. Both players are a shell of their former selves. Injuries have taken their toll. Their cap space holds the key.

Trade Chris Kreider for Kevin Shattenkirk. Chris Kreider is a Restricted Free Agent this season and will most likely command a contract of at least $4 million per year. Kevin Shattenkirk is an Unrestricted Free Agent in 2017 and will carry a cap hit of $4,250,000 for the 2016-17 season. With the likelihood of top prospect forward Pavel Buchnevich coming over this offseason for additional forward depth, the need for quality defense outweighs the need to keep Chris Kreider. Got to give to get.

Trade Tanner Glass. I don’t get up in arms as others do when Glass is inserted into the lineup. Do I play Oscar Lindberg over Glass? Yes, I do but I also believe Lindberg has some burn out to him and could use an extra day off here and there. I’ve also learned through experience to not get too high or too low on the decision making process, especially when I’m not present during the day to day operations. I’m in penny pinching mode so I want that extra $1,450,000 in cap space.

Resign Keith Yandle. Do I really need to explain why?

Resign Dominic Moore. Cheap and ideal for the 4th line. Just give him good wings.

Resign Antti Raanta. A good backup who is capable of playing a little more then he has this season. He has turned things around lately.

Sign David Perron. When looking at statistics, both regular and advanced, Perron is similar to Chris Kreider. Will they command similar contracts? Perhaps. However, you need to give to get so Kreider for Shattenkirk and then signing Perron seems like a net positive in my eyes.

Sign Kris Versteeg. When looking at his advanced statistics, he would be a great 3rd line addition and an offensive upgrade to Viktor Staalberg.

For the 2016-17 season, we would be looking at a roster that goes a little something like this:

 

Nash – Brassard – Zucc

Perron – Stepan – Miller

Versteeg – Hayes – Buchnevich

Lindberg – Moore – Fast

Hrivik

McDonagh – Klein

Yandle – Shattenkirk

Skeji – McIlrath

Graves

Lundqvist – Raanta

 

An estimated cap of $73,000,000; give or take.

 

So, how’d I do? Give us your take in the comments section.

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