Rangers Roundup: Draft news, Cap woes, Trade Rumors, and more

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Anthony J. Causi

Things are so busy around the NHL and the Rangers that you might get another Roundup before the day’s over.

Rangers Draft Prep

Rangers released another cool video in lieu of the draft. The key here is Gordie Clark saying there isn’t much to talk about at #2.

Kakko Arrives

Here’s a glimpse of Kaapo Kakko arriving to meet with teams in Vancouver.

Toronto Needs to Make Moves

If Kasperi Kapanen is available and the Leafs want a defenseman back, this just seems like a match made in heaven for the Blueshirts. The 22 year old RFA scored 20 goals and 44 points in 78 games for the Leafs, including two shorthanded tallies.

The Finnish winger would be a great acquisition for the Rangers to help Kakko transition to life in North America. Of course, what type of defenseman are they looking to get back. Would Kevin Shattenkirk at 50% salary retention ($3.325M) still be too much for them to take on? Or would it take a young defenseman like Tony DeAngelo to complete deal who is an RFA himself. Keep your eye on here for this one.

Kreider and RFA Offer Sheets

Larry Brooks wrote that this appears to be the end for Chris Kreider as a Ranger. He notes that the two sides have yet to have any substantial negotiations and that a deal is likely.

The biggest bit of info from the article came here, that the Rangers are in on Panarin and they won’t offer sheet any RFA’s.

They are expected to dive into the deep end of the free agent pool when it opens on July 1, though there has been no final decision whether to pursue elite right winger Artemi Panarin at what will be a minimum (not minimal) cost of $77 million over seven years. Chances are good that they will. The Blueshirts, though, have no plan to extend a Group II offer sheet to Brayden Point, Mitch Marner or Matthew Tkachuk, all of whom might be gettable in exchange for the compensation of four first-rounders, but only at certifiably insane prices.

Larry Brooks, NY POST

Cap Woes

No word as of yet, but many say it will be between 81-82M. That is short of the 83-84M most were expecting.

By Anthony Scultore

Anthony Scultore has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL since 2014. His work also appears at... More about Anthony Scultore

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