The Rangers are in the midst of a very exciting time for the organization.  If Jeff Gorton and Glen Sather play their cards right, the result could be a squad capable of contending for years to come.

The Rangers, who just hired former Boston University bench boss David Quinn, are at a crossroads. This off-season has the potential to be a big one, should the Rangers opt to pair their young core with some seasoned veterans.  There is a plethora of available free agents that the Blueshirts can bring in to help mold them back into contention. Here are the ones they should consider.

John Tavares

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.  One of the top snipers in the league, Tavares is in the prime of his career and may leave Long Island for greener pastures. Although, with the Islanders bringing in heavyweight NHL executive Lou Lamoriello and firing General Manager Garth Snow, the likelihood that he remains with the Islanders seems to be increasing. Tavares put up 84 points during this season’s campaign that saw the Islanders finish second to last in the Metropolitan Division, in front of only the Rangers. His proven leadership and skill at the center position make him an excellent addition for a team looking to develop young centermen, like Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. If the Rangers plan on making this their only big ticket signing of the off-season, they should have enough cap space to make an attractive offer to Tavares, should he opt to leave Long Island despite the changes in management.

Luke Schenn

The Rangers are entering a transition from an offense first system installed by Alain Vigneault to a defensive “in your face” system, as David Quinn puts it.  Since Ryan McDonagh was traded to the Lightning at the trade deadline, the Rangers are now weak on the defensive front. They will have Marc Staal, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Brady Skjei returning. But after that, the final three spots are up for grabs.  One of them will likely go to Neal Pionk who showed that he was ready to play in the NHL during his time with the team this past season. The final two spots can be filled in a variety of ways. Tony DeAngelo and John Gilmour remain projects, and newbies Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek are still developing their potentially NHL-caliber skill sets. With the Rangers trying to go towards a more physical defense first orientation, Luke Schenn fits the bill.  He won’t get them a lot of points, but he will provide solid 2nd or 3rd pairing defense with a very aggressive edge to his game. Schenn is a low-cost option who will at the very least provide a veteran presence to a very young defense.

Thomas Vanek

Thomas Vanek, who will turn 35 next season, is on the wrong side of the age spectrum when considering the Ranger’s efforts to rebuild with a younger team.  But with that said, he has proven that he can still produce points at a decent rate. Vanek scored 56 points in 80 games played last season, and while that isn’t the most impressive number, it still outdoes the production of any Ranger who played last year.  Vanek’s north-south style of play and his knack for creating offense makes him an excellent presence and mentor for young players, like the aforementioned Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, as well as Pavel Buchnevich.

John Carlson

John Carlson is coming off of one of the best campaigns of his career and played a monumental role in bring the Stanley Cup home to Washington .  Carlson notched 68 points this season, which ranks second out of all available free agents. Carlson is an excellent two way defender and has been the life-blood of the Caps blue line for the past 8 years. He can fill the hole on the Ranger’s blueline without having to be acquired (i.e. Erik Karlsson). John Carlson would be on the Ranger’s first pairing, likely with Brady Skjei. Kevin Shattenkirk would be on the second pairing probably with Neal Pionk, which would leave Marc Staal to be a third-pairing veteran mentor to whichever young player wins the job during the preseason. Carlson will cost a fortune for whichever club reaches a deal with him, but the Rangers can potentially accommodate this if they’re satisfied with not signing any expensive forwards.

Joe Thornton, C, 38

Big Jumbo Joe definitely has his better years behind him, there’s no doubt about that, but signing this almost 39 years old center might be a smart move for a rebuilding team. Thornton still puts up points, is a big body and most importantly, wins faceoffs. Though he only played in 47 games this year, he still accumulated 36 points and won about 52% of his faceoffs. He’s no longer the 1^st overall pick player he used to be, but standing at 6-4, 220lbs, he can play some solid minutes. Another thing to consider is his experience, both regular season and playoff games. Teaching the younger players how to function in this higher level will be one main reason to sign Thornton, especially for Chytil and Andersson, the future centers of this franchise. One last thing to consider is Jeff Gorton, who was apart of the Boston Bruins organization when they drafted Joe up until his departure. Having some sort of previous relationship can help sign Jumbo Joe in the first place and may even drive the signing price down a bit. Personally, there’s no way I would sign Joe Thornton to anything close to the 8 million he stole from the Sharks last year but a 1 year deal would be just what the doctor ordered for this new, young team of Rangers.

Tyler Bozak, C, 32

Tyler Bozak has been apart of one team for his whole career, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since the 2009/10 season Bozak has been a consistent player to say the least. Averaging about 0.61 points per game, his game boils down to his faceoff ability. His career average is about 53.6 percent, which isn’t bad at all. Though the real problem has been decreased playing time over the past three years is the arrival of new, younger players. Have you heard of Auston Matthews? William Nylander? Mitch Marner? These young, dynamic players have taken Toronto by storm and will eventually need new, big contracts to go with their big play. This leaves Bozak out in the cold without a place to stay. Though Bozak isn’t the game-changing player you would want to sign, he’s a player to consider for a small multi-year deal as the Rangers rebuild for the future. Consistency goes a long way and if Bozak can be consistent, he’ll earn that contract.

Ian Cole, D, 29

Defense was an unusual weak spot for the Rangers this past season. With the departures of Ryan McDonagh (and it pains for me to say Nick Holden, I GUESS), the injury of Kevin Shattenkirk, the demotion of Brendan Smith and the usual play of Marc Staal, the Rangers had to rely on rookies to get the job done. Enter Ian Cole. Veteran man with some veteran experience, especially with winning in the playoffs. Though the top two pairs are essentially set with Skeji, Pionk, and Shattenkirk there’s plenty of room to fight for 3 position spots. Adding Cole will relieve some pressure off the top pairing and he can be a factor when it comes to scoring. Though his contract demands might be a little high, the Rangers can afford to give up some of their cap space to have a solid d-man. Hopefully this doesn’t end up like another Brendan Smith situation all over again.

Alexi Emelin, D, 31

Again, though I’m hesitant about defense thanks to Brendan Smtih, Alexi Emelin could solve two problems at once. Another “problem” the Rangers had was no physical toughness. Gorton said they potentially might target some gritty players to round out the bottom of the lineup. With my fellow writers addressing Milan Lucic and Leo Komarov for potential signings and myself addressing Greg Pateryn in a previous post, I’ll go for Alexi Emelin. Though he doesn’t have that scoring touch that everyone wants, a shut-down defenseman who can hit, block shots and kill penalties could be the answer to the question of why the Rangers were so bad last year. Emelin is coming off a decreased role with his new team (Nashville) with only averaging barely 17 minutes on the ice verses over 21 minutes in the 2016/17 season (Montreal).  Though surprisingly that didn’t slow him down as he still accumulated 181 hits and 109 blocked shots. This type of gritty, stay at home defense is the type of play the Rangers need to get back on track and to open the ice for their goal scorers. I still believe Pateryn would be more of a steal and more of a smart signing but there’s nothing wrong with having Emelin on your team.

Thomas Vanek, LW, 34

Okay this one is a stretch but hear me out. Does anyone really expect the Rangers to make the playoffs next year? Unless they dazzle with some unique free agent signings and some how have stolen three franchise players in this upcoming draft that score at will, the reality is that they will be rocking the bottom of the standings. So why not sign Vanek? He can still produce a solid amount of points (56 this past season) and he’s no stranger to the powerplay. The reason you sign him is to give your centers some confidence by just shoveling the puck to him for some goals here or there. Mentoring players can be a big part of the reason you sign him, and his contract can probably be minimal when it comes to term. Remember, the Rangers are rebuilding for the first time in years, this usually means not being good for a short period.

According to Bob McKenzie on NBCSN last Wednesday Gorton will get to work as soon as he can.

“As soon as this season is over Jeff Gorton is going to be back open for business doing the same sort of sell-off that he did at the deadline. But keep this in mind: Even though they’re rebuilding, they’re not tearing it down and there is an opportunity where if they can sign Ilya Kovalchuk this summer on a short-term deal or Rick Nash comes back or Grabner – if they’re willing to take short-term deals – they will look at plugging a lot of holes with veteran guys.”

Kovalchuk is a heavily talked about player since this past offseason. He is known and so is a Rick Nash return. It isn’t just about “who do the Rangers sign?” it’s about who can get the most out of their signing. Who could be the ‘Grabner’ of this offseason?

Note: This is opinion based, any and all players I mention will serve a specific purpose. I’m taking the Herb Brooks approach “Not looking for the best players, looking for the right ones”

Setting the stage

First I am going under the assumption (yes I know what happens when you assume), that the roster today is foundation for October. Meaning, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal, etc. are still with the team.; also the teams RFA’s all return. Playing the full ‘what if game’ will be much more fun in June and later.

Potential Roster before signings:

L1:Kreider-Zibanejad-Zuccarello

L2:Spooner-Namestikov-Buchnevich

L3: Chytil-Hayes-Vesey

L4: Lettieri-Andersson-Fast

Going to name defensemen and the reader can assemble accordingly:

Neal Pionk-Brady Skjei-Marc Staal-Kevin Shattenkirk-John Gilmour-Anthony DeAngelo-Rob O’Gara-Steve Kampfer-Brendan Smith

Unrestricted fun

Looking at this roster, O’Gara is a seventh defenseman, same goes for Smith and Kampfer. The first sleeper will be a defenseman. As stated above, for the sake of sanity, Marc Staal IS still a New York Ranger. Therefore, Kampfer, O’Gara and Smith all will be vying for a spot on the NHL roster. The first UFA sleeper will be another veteran defenseman.

Jason Garrison

Yes, Jason Garrison is a smart veteran defenseman that will be cheap. At 33 years of age and spending the majority of the season in the AHL, Garrison won’t be looking for term or amount. A one year deal for $1.75 million is likely a contract that can bring Garrison in.

Why this makes sense:

John Gilmour while being an exciting player, does show his inexperience at times. The game ending overtime goal against by Brayden Schenn is an example. Gilmour needs a player like Garrison that is a stay at home player that allows Gilmour to use his speed. Pionk has benefitted from being paired with Staal and vice versa; the same can happen for Gilmour here with Garrison.

Thomas Vanek

For the second consecutive year Vanek was traded at the deadline to boost a contender. Vanek is a player that is an attractive addition to teams every year. This year I believe that Vanek could be a nice fit for the Rangers next season for many reasons. Most importantly, he again come at a one year deal, for around $2.5 million.

Why this makes sense:

Vanek is still a skilled winger. At 34 years old the winger has 48 points in 71 games (split between Vancouver and Columbus). The third line listed above, granted subject to change, could see literally any or all three player benefit from Vanek being on the line. Chytil for instance will be able to use his playmaking skills. He has a right handed shot, which the team ALWAYS needs, and can help on the second unit power play. There’s the added bonus should the team be in a similar position at next year’s deadline that he can again be flipped.

Valtteri Filppula

Filppula is another veteran that can help the two centers (Chytil and Andersson) enhance their game. Filppula is a 200 foot player and averages about 51% on face-offs. Filppula could seek a “steep” contract as he tries to take advantage of his bounce back season. If they can get him for 1-2 years for $2.75-3 Million, it could pay dividends.

Why this makes sense:

David Desharnais, while merely brought in for depth has seen several spots where he was left out to dry (i.e playing on the first line). Even so he has 31 points as someone that was supposed to be a fourth line center and penalty killer. Filppula is a more skilled player and on top of that the of 51 will need a replacement. Short of having Fast take face-offs Filppula could be a good player to be the second unit penalty kill center.

Sleeping Beauties

These players are NOT going to excite fans. Nobody would run out and get a Garrison or Vanek Rangers jersey. Garrison would probably be ridiculed because he isn’t a burner. Vanek will frustrate fans because while he still is a talented winger, he will show his age.

What these players do is facilitate some holes in the roster. While helping the young talent mature and also get the most out of their skill set. Not to mention that all of these players will not receive term and have leader ship qualities. They could not just help the Rangers on the ice, but also at the deadline. They are diamonds in the rough.

THE FOURTH PERIOD’S TOP 25

TFP has put out their top 25 (actually now 23 with Michael Stone traded to Calgary and Ron Hainsey to Pittsburgh) and the Rangers are considered suitors for 9 of those remaining players. Let’s quickly break it down.

Note: all images are screen caps from TFP…please click the link above for the full list and honorable mentions.

 Kevin Shattenkirk

We discussed Shatty ad nauseam on FTNYR…it’s obvious why the Rangers would want him and why he would sign here. However, I disagree that he is a sure goner at the trade deadline with the Blues playing so well. Wait until July.

Thomas Vanek

Have you seen the ineptitude of the Rangers PP lately? If the Rangers can get him for a 3rd round pick…DO IT! In the playoffs when goals come at a premium, having a productive PP can win you a series.

Gabriel Landeskog

I’m sorry but I just don’t see it. He’s a great player to have but reminds me way too much of Ryan Callahan in both positive and negative ways. Do the Rangers really feel a 20 goal scorer is worth 6 million dollars? Plus with the depth at forward and the Avs looking for defense, I don’t see a fit.

Radim Vrbata

This one is interesting for sure. I truly believe that Gorton has two things he’d like to address at the deadline. Defense and the PP….Vrbata would be cheap and certainly add another weapon on the man advantage. Still, who sits or gets demoted with acquiring an aging winger like he or Vanek?

Patrik Berglund

This is interesting for sure. He’s a solid player and is a UFA at season’s end which makes him a rental and affordable. He certainly would be a nice 4th line center and give the Rangers incredible depth down the middle.

Patrick Eaves

Another affordable rental that can boost the PP! He has 21 goals on the year with 11 of them on PP. Explore this one.

Alex Burrows

Of course the Rangers will miss out on all the options above and settle here (lol). Still, if he costs just a low draft pick and gives the Rangers a big physical body for what I expect to be a grueling playoffs in the East…he might be worth it.

Brian Boyle

This one will give some Rangers fans the feels…but I’d be surprised here. Boyle does have 13 goals and would be a solid 4th line player for the playoffs. Keep an eye out here.

Cody Franson

The Rangers have been attached to Franson before and even though he’s a rental, he’s going to cost someone a decent price. Currently TFP only lists PIT and the NYR as suitors and the Pens just traded for Hainsey…so is this the right handed defenseman the Rangers are quietly going after while everyone else is focused on Shattenkirk? I think this might actually happen….but at what price? Good question.

Rangers looking to make a move?

The NHL trade deadline is Wednesday, March 1st and the Blueshirts have been active scouting and calling teams leading up to it. Top on their list is a right handed defenseman to play top or second pair minutes.

Reports have surfaced the Rangers have contacted the Blues about Kevin Shattenkirk, and are scouting the Kings heavily as well. We also learned that the salary cap will not change for next season, which means the Rangers will have to be very careful when going for certain players.

That being said, Jeff Gorton will not overpay or mortgage the future to just make a move for making a move’s sake.

1 – Kevin Shattenkirk, D (28 y/o, $4.25M AAV)

He is the name that has come up more than anyone else. The Rangers and Bruins remain in hot pursuit for the upcoming UFA blue liner who would be a big upgrade to the Rangers right side.

The Blues have been trying to work a sign and trade, but that isn’t going well. Rumors say Shattenkirk could be looking for 7M per and with the cap not going up, it could be a problem for many teams. However, Boston doesn’t seem scared off by it and could land Shattenkirk by the deadline.

That’s where it will be interesting for Gorton. If his plan was just to wait and sign him as a UFA, it could be in real jeopardy. So does he make a move now and give up players of value? To make matters worse, Darren Dreger reports that many GM’s only see him as a second pairing defenseman at best on a contending team.

2 – Jacob Trouba, D (22 y/o, $2.5M AAV)

I have to believe with the current situation in St. Louis and the Rangers desperate to fix their blue line, Trouba is a target. To be fair, the Jets aren’t actively trying to move him and when they were, they wanted a similar defenseman in return. The Rangers don’t have that.

However, with stud rookie Patrik Laine looking like the real deal, maybe they could be enticed with a package featuring Derek Stepan. The Rangers could also add a prospect defenseman as well, even if it has to be Sean Day. Who knows, maybe the Rangers can extract Bryan Little and turn this into a blockbuster.

Remember the Rangers have made a commitment to Kevin Hayes to play center and have Mika Zibanejad in the fold too. Stepan makes 6.5M and will have a no trade clause kick in this summer. While I admit this is a long shot, Trouba who is a top pair RD is still a target.

3 – Dougie Hamilton, D (23 y/o, $5.5M AAV)

The Rangers really need a true PP QB on the blue line and Hamilton is a right handed fit. He would also improve the top two pairs and at 23 will be a longterm fix.

What will it take to get him? That’s a good question and would have to start with a player like J.T. Miller. That is not a player I want to part with, but how bad do the Rangers want to fix the blue line is the question.

4 – Matt Duchene, C (26 y/o, $6M AAV)

Duchene is an offensive upgrade over Derek Stepan, but Stepan is an all around better player. Still, take your pick…want more goals and a better PP then you go Duchene. Want a team leader who plays both ends of the ice well and kills penalties then you go Stepan.

A swap of the two centers is plausible but if that were the case, a bigger deal could be in the works with maybe Klein and Iginla (COL would have to eat half his salary) switching homes. This is one player that seems to be flying under the Rangers radar but could happen.

5 – Thomas Vanek, RW (33 y/o, $2.6M AAV)

The Rangers were considering him during free agency this summer and it looks like the Wings will move him as a rental. As the Rangers PP continues to be hit or miss (more miss), Vanek’s prowess on the man advantage is something they need and could get cheap.

While the two teams get set to face off tomorrow night in Brooklyn, former Islander now Red Wing was quoted as saying that the move to Kings county has “turned off” players.

“… It was a good team, they’re still a good team. Every team loses guys, what I know is (#Isles) moving (to BK) has turned some guys off.”

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) December 4, 2016

This is the same player that turned down 2 offers of 7M by the Islanders so that’s saying something.

Barclays Was Just Not Built For Hockey

Come on, as a Rangers fan I think this is hysterical. Besides the fact that they have a lopsided looking arena…their scoreboard is as offside as Bob Nystrom was on the Islanders first Cup winning goal!

The Minnesota Wild are looking at changing their team up this off season and that may include buying out 32 year old forward, Thomas Vanek. According to The Fourth Period, that could be a real possibility.

It is only a matter of time before changes come to the Wild locker room and one name continues to surface as one that may have to look for a new club before September. Forward Thomas Vanek may be bought out by the Wild this off-season after two seasons with the organization. The 32-year-old has one-year and $7.5 million left on his current contract with Minnesota.

A buyout would get back 5M in cap space for the Wild and make Vanek a free agent. His 93 points over the last 2 seasons could be a decent replacement if the Rangers opt to move Rick Nash or are unable to reach terms with Chris Kreider and are forced to trade him.

Vanek’s best days are behind him somewhere in Buffalo. He is a serviceable 2nd line winger with incredible skill on the PP. He has scored 11 PP goals over his last 2 seasons in Minnesota and has 124 man-advantage tallies for his career.

Of course, this is under the assumption he wants to play for the Rangers and sign a 1 or 2 year deal for around 2M per, give or take a few 100K. I am in no way suggesting that the Rangers get into a bidding war for the services of Vanek. He has been in a steep decline for years.

Still, it would be nice to see Vanek’s big body in front on the PP and watch his deft hands tip shots from the point. Bottom line, I’m looking at Vanek to supply that much needed RH shot and big body presence on the man advantage. That has value for this Rangers team, just needs to be for the right price.

Conclusion: If Vanek is bought out, the Rangers should at least kick the tires.

HOCKEY CRAZE RADIO went ALL IN on the NHL TRADE DEADLINE for 2 hours on March 5th. Your hosts Anthony Scultore, Chris Ingellis and Shawn Taggart broke down the biggest trades and their impact to for the remainder of the season. Click the link below to listen:

HCRN: TRADE DEADLINE PODCAST 3/5/14

]]> Fri, 29 May 2020 18:44:30 +0000 New York Rangers Analysis https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-analysis/ftr-radio-gets-the-callahan-and-stlouis-scoop-from-sean-hartnett https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-analysis/ftr-radio-gets-the-callahan-and-stlouis-scoop-from-sean-hartnett#comments Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:44:08 +0000 https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/?p=727

Sean Hartnett of WFAN joined us tonight on Fulltilt Rangers Radio. We discussed the recent happenings with the NYR and the upcoming trade deadline. Here are some of the interview highlights:

Chris (FTRR): With all the drama going on in the Callahan saga, what’s your take on how things stand right now?

Sean (WFAN): The two sides aren’t going to come to any conclusion…Callahan is asking for an astronomical number at an astronomical length. It’s somewhere where Glen Sather is not willing to go.

Anthony (FTRR): Boomer Esiason mentioned on Monday it’s Marty St. Louis. TSN basically killed it, is it still possible? Do you think we’re going to trade Callahan for Marty St. Louis?

Sean (WFAN): At this stage I would say that’s the case. Yes, I think that will be the framework of the trade. I think there will be other parts involved. I say players and picks going to the other way to the Lightning. My gut tells me this Callahan St. Louis swap will happen before March 5th.

Chris (FTRR): Girardi has sort of been on the backburner but we heard Anaheim is seriously interested in making a move for him. Do you think Sather will move Girardi and if so, what do you think he’d get from the Ducks?

Sean (WFAN): I don’t think Dan Girardi gets traded. There is a very small gap for his agent and the Rangers to make up at this point and I wouldn’t be surprised if a deal is announced in the very near future between Girardi and the Rangers.

Anthony (FTRR): Dorsett is now how healthy scratch for tomorrow. Losing the spot that was opened up by Zucc’s injury to JT Miller. Is he likely to be moved?

Sean (WFAN): We’ll have to see how things play out. You don’t want to mess with chemistry. The idea is to keep this team as close to what is was before the Olympic break. He’s going to have to wait his turn. If he is sitting out game after game leading up to the deadline then he is a player they could move for a pick

Anthony (FTRR): Boyle and Stralman are also UFA’s, do you think they are moved by March 5TH?

Sean (WFAN): Brian Boyle is a guy who really wants to be here. He is not a guy we will see hit UFA. I’m pretty sure the Rangers will get something done. As for Anton Stralman…he’s become one of those players who fans are recognizing as an important contributor to this team. That being said, I do think he will re-sign with the Rangers.

Sean also touched on the Rangers upcoming schedule and other possible NHL trades such as the likely destinations for Thomas Vanek, Ryan Miller and Ryan Kesler!

For more of this great interview listen to the entire podcast here: