*crickets chirp*

That’s right, the NHL decided not to send their athletes to the Olympic games this year. That’s a bummer, but I’m sure the games will be just as exciting and the rag tag group of players from the AHL, KHL and other international leagues look to chase Olympic gold! What’s interesting within these groups of players is the amount of former Rangers that played on Broadway, but you probably never knew or forgot! Everyone remembers Matt Gilroy (USA) and Wojtek Wolski (CAN) but do you remember some of the names listed below? Lets find out, in this special edition of Lesser Known Rangers – Olympic Edition!

Ivan Baranka, Defenseman, Team Slovakia

Time with Rangers: 1 game with NYR, 174 games with HFD

Ivan Baranka currently plays for HC Vítkovice Ridera in the Czech Extraliga and is currently representing Slovakia in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Before this, Baranka was drafted by the Rangers 50th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft (Note: Shea Weber was drafted 49th that year, Joe Pavelski was selected 205th overall).

Baranka seemed to play most of his time in Hartford. After 3 full seasons, Baranka finally played his first and only game as a Ranger on November 21st, 2007. His only contribution was assisting on Colton Orr’s first goal versus Tampa Bay. After that season, his Rangers career was essentially over and Baranka went overseas.

Tomas Kundratek, Defenseman, Team Czech Republic

Time with Rangers: 70 games for HFD/CT

Tomas Kundratek is currently playing in the KHL for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and is also representing Team Czech Republic in the 2018 Winter Olympic games. Before this, Kundratek spent time with the Washington Capitals and their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Kundratek was drafted by the Rangers 90th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in hopes of being a depth guy in the near future for the big club. He played in 70 games as a rookie for the newly branded Connecticut Whale, during the 2010–11 season, tallying two goals and ten assists for 12 points, along with 42 penalty minutes. He also played in all six of the Whale’s playoff games versus the Portland Pirates in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, putting up two assists and two penalty minutes.

After suiting up for 7 games with the Whale the following season, he was traded to the Washington Capitals for Francois Bouchard on November 8th, 2011 and just like that, his Rangers career ended.

Chris Bourque, Forward, Team USA

Time with Rangers: 73 games for HFD in 2014-15 along with a few preseason games.

Currently, Chris Bourque, son of Ray, older brother of former Wolf Pack Ryan, is an alternate captain and AHL All Star Forward for the Hershey Bears. A career AHL’er, Bourque has had some cups of coffee in the NHL with New York, Pittsburgh and Washington.

Bourque attempted to stick onto the Rangers roster in 2014 by signing a one year, two way contract. After some preseason action, Bourque was assigned to Hartford where he led the team in scoring with 66 points in 73 games and was selected to the AHL first All-Star team.

The following season, he returned to Hershey where he currently plays to this day. Bourque is representing the United States in this year’s Winter Olympics.

Raphael Diaz, Defenseman, Team Switzerland

Time with Rangers: 11 Games in 2013-14, 4 playoff games during Cup run

I feel like one of the few Ranger fans out there that actually liked Raphael Diaz. There’s something about offensive type defenseman that pique my interest and when Diaz was acquired from Vancouver on March 5th, 2014, I was intrigued. I’m not saying he was the best defenseman out there on the ice, lighting it up, but the guy clearly could shoot the puck. In his first 11 games as a Ranger, he scored only one goal and one assist all while contributing in some form to the Cup run in 2014.

Diaz left New York to Calgary, where he made the team out of camp. The following season, the Rangers re signed Diaz to a one year, two way contract in the summer of 2015 in hopes of being a depth defenseman, but was buried in Hartford and only appeared in one playoff game before going overseas to Switzerland and signing a 5 year contract with EV Zug.

Diaz is currently representing Team Switzerland in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Bobby Sanguinetti, Defenseman, Team USA

Time with Rangers: 5 games with New York Rangers, 3 seasons with Hartford Wolf Pack

The local Trenton product is currently playing in Switzerland for HC Lugano in the National League (Swiss Hockey League). Team USA called upon Sanguinetti to represent Team USA in this year’s Winter Olympics. Sanguinetti has carved out a decent career for himself after leaving North America, first with the KHL and now in Switzerland.

Before all of this, Sanguinetti was regarded as a highly touted prospect for the Rangers. Selected in the first round with the 21st pick, the Rangers selected Sanguinetti in hopes that he would turn out to be a top prospect for the team down the line. After becoming an All-Star in the AHL for Hartford, Sanguinetti was called up to the big club for five games during the 2009-10 season. He appeared in five games, plus/minus rating was even and did not register a point.

That seemed to be it for Sangs, as he was dealt by the Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes the following offseason. After a few stints in Carolina and bouncing around a few systems in the minors, Sanguinetti headed overseas to where he is today.

Personally, I thought Sanguinetti would pan out as a Ranger, but that just shows how in tuned I am with how scouting players is supposed to work. Yikes.

Viktor Stalberg, Forward, Team Sweden

Time with Rangers: 75 games for New York in 2015-16

I seem to have this fascination with depth players, as Stalberg was one of my favorites during the seemingly forgetful 2015-16 season (Did you know Jayson Megna was a first line winger this season for a few games?). The veteran winger signed on with New York on a one season deal and right away after making the opening night roster, enjoyed quick success. Although he only scored 9 goals that season, Stalberg was in the middle of a lot of nice plays that helped throughout the season.

Then, just like that, he was gone. Stalberg decided to leave New York after the Rangers decided to move on, and signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. He was then dealt to the Ottawa Senators and proved to be a thorn in the side of the Rangers, as he was part of the Ottawa team that defeated the Rangers in last year’s second round playoff series.

Following the season, Stalberg decided to leave the NHL and sign on with the Swiss club EV Zug of the National League for two seasons. He is now representing Sweden in this year’s Winter Olympics.

When the Rangers went to the Stanley Cup Final in June of 2014, their fourth line was one of the best in the league.

In the last two off-seasons, Rangers’ management has been faced with the task of navigating under and around the cap ceiling while still fielding a Cup contending team. Such is reality in the National Hockey League these days.

One of the ways that successful teams have managed to do this is by finding dirt-cheap depth players to fill out the bottom six. The combination of paying no money for good fourth liners and, well, finding good fourth liners hasn’t come easy to the Rangers lately.

The New York Post reported that The Rangers and Dom Moore are splitting ways. Perhaps a move that signifies a fourth line makeover.

With that in mind, I buzzed through some potential fourth line avenues the team could explore. (Comment some of yours if you’d like)

Fourth line option A: The Swedes

This is far and away my personal favorite. Also very realistic.

The three Swedes referenced are Oscar Lindberg, Jesper Fast and Viktor Stalberg.

There are some holes that would need to be filled as a result of this trio, namely Fast’s right-handed replacement in the top nine forward group. Stalberg is a UFA, but could presumably be had for cheap if the Rangers had interest. If that series of moves were made, a fourth line of Stalberg-Lindberg-Fast would not only be very Swedish, but also very good.

You hear people reference fourth liners as “grinders,” whether that is or is not what you or I think is the correct mold for a fourth liner, that’s what AV thinks. His favoritism of Tanner Glass confirms this.

That is what Fast and Stalberg really are though, grinders. You don’t have to be the biggest guy to be a grinder. Watch Fast for 5 minutes and you’ll see the type of player he is: a disrupter.

“He can read the game really well, and he works like an SOB. He works and he works and he works. He just doesn’t stop, and that’s what makes him a really effective player.”- AV on 24-year-old Jesper Fast (via CBS sports) 

You’ll find similar praise for Stalberg.

Stalberg was fifth on the team in hits. The type of “grit” that both Fast and Stalberg bring consists of a series of smart, hard checking plays. They don’t throw hits just to wear down the opponent, they hit to gain possession of the puck.

Young Lindberg would be placed in a full time center role and would be relied on in all three zones—indeed a perfect match.

Fourth line option B: the status quo.

This what I hope doesn’t end up happening, but probably will.

In the most Vigneault-esque sequence of events ever, the Rangers could roll out a fourth line once again featuring two decent players and Tanner Glass. If history gives points us in any direction, it’s that Glass will be on the roster come opening night.

I don’t want this to turn into a pile-up on Glass. He’s a hard working player that gave his all for the club over the past two seasons.

But the fact is, there are cheaper and better players available this off-season than Glass. Both within the organization and via the UFA market, they could no doubt find a well-rounded player under $1 million per.

Maybe he’s a Hartford call up, maybe he’s a savvy free agent signing. An upgrade will be available to the Rangers. The question is, do they really want to change?

Fourth line option C: Oscar Lindberg and some guys from Hartford

If the Rangers are in an epic cap crunch (which they will be) they could opt to go the route of the youngsters. A fourth line featuring any three of Oscar Lindberg, Niklas Jensen, Marek Hrivik, or Jesper Fast would be a couple of things: 1. Cheap 2. Experimental 3. Fun to watch

The enticing part of this trio is that the combined cap hit would be less than $3 million. The would-be savings would be clutch considering the Rangers’ cap crunch.

It very well may turn out that Marek Hrivik and Niklas Jensen are just not that good. Being unknown commodities, throwing both of them on the same line out of training camp flanking Lindberg probably isn’t the smartest idea, but fun to envision nonetheless.

If these three did find some continuity though, it would be a nice mix. Lindberg—the two-way center—flanked by Hrivik, who we saw was great in the corners and along the walls in his short stint with the big club, and Jensen, who has enough skill to play as a bottom six forward but hasn’t been able to put the whole package together just yet. Intriguing for sure.

Fourth line option D: free agent market 

Maybe Jeff Gorton looks to the free agency market for potential pieces to next year’s fourth line.

Here are some UFA options that could be had for cheap:

• Riley Nash-LW (9-13–22)
• Mike Santorelli W/C (9-9–18
• Sam Gagner-C (8-8–16)
• Brad Boyes-LW (8-16–24)
• Justin Fontaine-LW (5-11–16)

Give us your thoughts below.

The Rangers fell to the rival Islanders in a shootout at the Barclays Center (aka: MSG Brooklyn) and I ain’t even mad…not even a little.

For most of the game, I felt the Rangers were the better team. If not for Jaro Halak, the Rangers would’ve won the game in the first period. The difference maker and what gave the Islanders life? A lazy hooking penalty by Keith Yandle and an unfortunate delay of game against Dan Girardi. The result a John Tavares 5-3 PP goal.

The Blueshirts did stay in their system and Viktor Stalberg got a good bounce to put it behind Halak to even the game. From there the teams traded a few chances and ultimately the Islanders prevailed in a shootout.

If the Rangers play this way going forward, wins in their next 6 games are very possible (Col, Ott, @Van, @Edm, @Cgy, Edm).

Tanner Glaszky?

Lots of tongue and cheek here but Tanner Glass left quite an impression on not only me but many Rangers fans last night. He was physical, fast (for him), and smart. He made plays and even got some excellent scoring chances. I doubt it will last, but it was really nice to see.

Glass drove over 5 hours, called his Dad and was very grateful to get another opportunity to play in the NHL. Will it stick? Efforts like last night are the only way because Emerson Etem has continued to fail at impressing myself and more importantly, the coaching staff.

Who was that guy wearing #15 for the #NYR last night? pic.twitter.com/Wlo8fbGQgz

— FullTilt Rangers (@NYR_FullTilt) December 3, 2015

Dylan McIlrath

Please keep doing what you’re doing.

🙂

Rangers vs. Avalanche tonight!

Expect to see Antti Raanta between the pipes and more of the same energy from the team like last night. While it may look like a trap game to some, the Rangers know what’s at stake and will need a complete game from all 4 lines.

Keep your eyes on the unit of (you guessed it) Oscar Lindberg, J.T. Miller and Tanner Glass tonight. They were very difficult to handle for the Islanders and the Avalanche are extremely weak at handling the type of cycle and puck pressure they will throw at them.

Oh what a debut for young Oscar Lindberg. At 1:43 of the opening period, Lindberg converted a gorgeous feed from J.T. Miller to halt the Blackhawks celebration from their never-ending banner raising ceremony. The rookie finished the night with that goal, +2, 3 shots, 1 blocked shot, 2 hits and a takeaway in 13:20 of ice. To cap it off, he was dominant in the face-off circle wining 6 of 9 draws.

[su_quote cite=”Blueshirts United” url=”https://www.blueshirtsunited.com/article/rangers-top-blackhawks-season-opener-3-2″]”It’s hard to describe, but it’s an unbelievable feeling and it’s a great way to start your first game,” stated Lindberg, who was a +2 with three shots on goal in 13:53 of ice time. “If you told me this a couple of weeks ago i wouldn’t have believed it. It’s fun, just a great night and win.”[/su_quote]

What also shouldn’t be lost in the “Lindy Shuffle” is the play of J.T. Miller who was likely the Rangers best forward last night. What looks like a “coming of age” season, he notched two helpers and dished out 3 hits. Miller looks like a power forward in the making, with great vision and hands to match.

Viktor Stalberg also had an impressive debut, notching an assist and Alain Vigneault was pleased with his 3rd line.

[su_quote cite=”Blueshirts United” url=”https://www.blueshirtsunited.com/article/rangers-top-blackhawks-season-opener-3-2″]”I liked their game,” Vigneault said of Lindberg, Miller and Stalberg. “They were hard on the puck, and when they didn’t have it they forechecked hard to get it back. When they did have it they made some good plays. For a first game together I thought they had a good night.”[/su_quote]

A good night is an understatement. The Rangers looked like a 4 line team last night. They were solid and impressive up and down the lineup. It may be only game one, but this edition of the Blueshirts could be even deeper than the 2014 team that went to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Rangers next game is this Friday night in Columbus for the start of a home and home with the Blue Jackets that will conclude on Saturday.

FullTilt Rangers Notes

• Henrik Lundqvist was on his game last night. You have to wonder if the never-ending banner raising ceremony lit an additional fire in his belly. He finished with a stat line of 32 saves and a .941 save percentage.
• Kevin Hayes was 5-0 on draws last night. Meanwhile Jarret Stoll was 1-6 and Dominic Moore was 3-6 for your Bizarro stat of the game.
• While there was a large focus on Lindberg’s line, The All-American line had a fine game with Stepan notching a goal, assisted by both Kreider and Hayes. The problem? Kreider has 6 shot attempts and 3 of them went horribly wide on glorious chances. He needs to bury those.

VIDEOS

Before the exhibition season began, I wrote on 5 things to keep an eye on this training camp. You can read that here, but let’s see where we are after 2 exhibition games.

The Battle for the Bottom Six

I wrote that Emerson Etem, J.T. Miller, Jesper Fast, Tanner Glass, Viktor Stalberg, Dominic Moore, Jarret Stoll, and Oscar Lindberg are the 8 names vying for the 6 spots (and a reserve for a total of 7). After 2 preseason games I still believe that Etem, Miller, Fast, Moore and Stoll are a lock to make the team.

Of the other three names mentioned above, Stalberg and Lindberg have had a really strong early showing while Glass is who Glass is. However, will it be enough to bump the veteran and a locker room favorite off the team?

The fact that Lindberg (2 GP: 2G 1A +4) would be surely lost on waivers if he were to not make the team and the fact he has 2 goals in 2 games makes me think it is highly possible. Stalberg (2 GP: 1G 1A +2) has also impressed with his size and speed. He can be used as either a 4th line checker or a third line energy guy. That certainly makes him more versatile than Glass who is a 4th line grinder and enforcer at best.

Of course, when it comes to Lindberg, where will he slot in? He certainly looks comfortable at center and has won 8 of 13 draws for 61%. Still, you have to assume that if Stoll makes this team (he won 9 of 17 draws for 53% against the Flyers) he will be a center. Dominic Moore looks fairly cemented as the 4th line center, so could Lindberg hack it at the wing? Certainly a concern and one that will need to be monitored as the preseason continues.

Who Else is Making Noise?

While the focus is justified on all the names mentioned above, you can’t disregard what speedsters Brian Gibbons (1 GP: 1G 2A) and Jayson Megna (2 GP: 2G) have done. Against the NJ Devils, Gibbons was a standout and scored a goal on a wicked shot. Megna has also been highly noticeable as MSG color analyst, Joe Michelletti pointed out how Megna “knows how to use his speed…”

Brian Gibbons is certainly a guy who could threaten players security like Jesper Fast, Emerson Etem and J.T. Miller if they for some reason slump badly. A start in Hartford is likely for both Gibbons and Megna but they should be first in line for call ups during the year.

So Who Does The Fighting if Glass is Gone?

Enforcing by committee is most likely the answer here. We are all aware that fighting is not only frowned upon today but in decline. Guys like J.T. Miller, Chris Kreider, Emerson Etem will certainly have to get their noses dirty from time to time.

Still, if you are looking for a candidate to throw more fists look to defenseman, Kevin Klein. Optimus Klein can certainly handle himself and step up should their be a Ranger being overly abused. Dan Girardi can also answer the bell, but Alain Vigneualt and fans know their real value is on the ice and not in the box

Is This The End of Tanner Glass?

In short, yes. There simply is too much going against Glass this season to make the Rangers. Look for GM, Jeff Gorton to try and find him a new home before the season starts. Possibly a team like the Florida Panthers or Arizona Coyotes that have a lot of kids that could use protecting.

The Rangers have a glut of bottom-six forwards, and that’s a good thing.

With the recent signing of Jarret Stoll, the Rangers have created a desirable dilemma for themselves; they have a logjam of forwards fighting for bottom-six roles. To specify, the Rangers have two open slots and five players competing for them. Leaving the top-six unchanged from last year and assuming that Emerson Etem, Kevin Hayes, Jesper Fast, and Dominic Moore are locks to make the team, there are spots available on the third and fourth lines which will be filled by a pair of Oscar Lindberg, Viktor Stalberg, Jarret Stoll, Ryan Bourque and the infamous Tanner Glass. This is the kind of offensive depth that coaches love to have come playoff time and can help keep the Rangers’ offense afloat in the event that injury strikes.

Having this many forwards jockeying for only two spots breeds competition in training camp that leads to improved play among the candidates. The Stoll signing made it clear that Lindberg wasn’t going to take the easy road onto the roster just because he got an NHL contract. He will have to outcompete a pair of NHL veterans to claim his spot with the big club. The same goes for the undervalued Ryan Borque who will come into training camp as a wildcard to make the roster after his brief debut on the fourth line last season. The veterans Stoll and Stalberg won’t just be guaranteed roster spots either and risk being sent to the AHL if they can’t out compete the youngsters.

The biggest question coming out of this will be whether Tanner Glass is still on the roster come October. He’s both observationally and statistically at the very bottom of the league, unable to play a defensively responsible fourth-line game and even inadequate as an enforcer (something that’s anyways not a very useful trait in today’s NHL). Gorton has provided AV with more than enough superior replacements who are also more cost-effective for the team. If Glass is still playing in a Rangers’ sweater, it will be 100% the fault of the coaching staff, not management.

thenypost.files.wordpress.com

After addressing the Glass issue, the coaches will need to figure out how they want their lines to be structured. Last year’s bottom-six was a third line of Carl Hagelin – Kevin Hayes – J.T. Miller and a fourth line of Tanner Glass – Dominic Moore – Jesper Fast. Miller or Hayes will likely be playing top-six minutes this season meaning the third line will experience the most change in terms of it’s playing style.

The Rangers will need to find a way to effectively balance out the speed and defensive ability of the depth pieces available and maximize the group’s production. Etem and Stalberg bring added size without sacrificing much in terms of speed. Stoll brings face-off acumen and defensive play and Lindberg, though still unproven at the NHL level, will likely bring important two-way play.

A well balanced bottom-six would look something like this:
Emerson Etem – Kevin Hayes/J.T. Miller – Jesper Fast
Viktor Stalberg/Jarret Stoll – Dominic Moore – Oscar Lindberg

Etem centered by Hayes/Miller with Fast can be a quick-strike line that can also pin opponents in the offensive zone for extended periods. All four of them use their bodies along the boards to win puck battles and have good offensive skills. Miller and Hayes are natural playmakers, Etem has tons of scoring potential and slick hands, and Fast has shown that he’s willing to drive to the net. Together they could be a very effective third line.

The fourth line has two different flavors. A Stoll, Moore, Lindberg line would be a shutdown line composed of three centers who are all very good at winning important face-offs and killing penalties. Swapping out Stoll or Lindberg with Stalberg makes the line a more offensively oriented checking line that can forecheck deep in the zone and create scoring opportunities. Both are important aspects of a fourth line and can be alternated depending on the opponent that the Rangers are facing.

The Rangers have a very strong potential bottom-six group for this season that can be a key part of another Stanley Cup run. The question is, will the coaching staff recognize the tools that it has available and deploy those tools effectively?

September and the opening of training camps is just around the corner. It will be very interesting to see just how the third and fourth lines shake out from there.

Glen Sather‘s reign as supreme leader of the New York Rangers organization is over and Jeff Gorton has made that loud and clear. No big-splash free agent signings. No blockbuster trades. Gorton sorted the contract hell the Rangers appeared to be facing and managed to improve the team with the limited cap space he had available. We haven’t seen a summer so reasonably and intelligently approached by this organization since Sather succeeded Neil Smith as general manager in 2000.

Sather’s tenure with the Rangers resulted in some of the most active and far-out offseasons in team history. Mistakes were made; the Bobby Holik, Wade Redden, Chris Drury, and Scott Gomez signings immediately come to mind. Horrendous draft picks like Hugh Jessiman, Lee Falardeau, and Al Montoya were followed by amazing picks like Henrik Lundqvist, Brandon Dubinsky, and Derek Stepan. Overpaying free agents was the norm until around 2010. At that point Sather got his act together and started making smarter decisions, but he was still making noise around the league. The Rangers added Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards and traded for Rick Nash in the final years of Sather’s run. This was around the time Jeff Gorton started to influence Sather’s decision making.

Gorton joined the Rangers organization in 2007 and became assistant gm in 2011. It’s no coincidence that since his rise into Sather’s inner circle, the Rangers have made progressively better moves in the offseason to grow from a playoff bubble team to a Stanley Cup contender. It was his influence that brought Tuukka Rask, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci and Tim Thomas into Boston, laying the foundation for a Bruins Stanley Cup victory in 2011.
Gorton has gone on to have a part in building the most successful Rangers teams since 1994 and now he has complete control over all personnel decisions as the Rangers’ general manager.

Gorton’s first order of business was to handle the July 1st free agent frenzy that had always enticed Sather into a big spending-spree. What he did instead was make cost-effective, low risk signings with the potential to pay-off as great depth for the team. He signed Viktor Stalberg and Raphael Diaz to NHL contracts while adding Brian Gibbons, Jason Megna, and Matt Lindblad to the Hartford Wolf Pack. The players that Gorton inked have displayed strong underlying statistics for their respective positions.

Stalberg is an interesting case as he’s produced at a top 6 level while playing reduced minutes and having a bottom 6 impact on his teammates production. His individual CF% dipped during his time in Nashville, but as a Chicago Blackhawk he consistently put up 56% Corsi. This can largely be attributed to the fact that he was utilized as a top 6 winger in Nashville after being a successful 4th liner in Chicago. He should thrive on the Rangers 3rd line and will provide solid possession that was missing from the bottom 6 last year.

Diaz, for some reason, continues to be underrated and misused by NHL teams. He doesn’t put up points, but maybe that’s because he gets ridiculously low minutes. When he does play though, he has such a positive impact on his linemates’ possession numbers that he could realistically be a top-4 defenseman, but he will likely serve as a 7th defender next season. He’s in his second stint with the Rangers since 2013-14 and hopefully Gorton handles him better that Sather did this time around. When properly utilized, it’s value singings like these that can help make good teams great.

Next on the summer checklist was tackling the Rangers’ list of restricted free agents. J.T. Miller, Jepser Fast, Emerson Etem, and Derek Stepan all required contracts. Gorton managed to sign Miller, Fast and Etem to their qualifying offers saving the Rangers a much-needed chunk of cap space. Additionally, Gorton signed prospect Oscar Lindberg to an affordable one-way $650K AAV deal over two seasons indicating a desire to insert him into the NHL lineup. Fans have been clamoring to see him with the big club and having him on the roster would likely help push Tanner Glass out of the bottom six and into the press box. Singing McIlrath to a one-way deal was the icing on the cake. If he doesn’t make the roster out of training camp, the Rangers will look to move him for a pick or prospect because of his waiver eligibility. This is essentially decision time on McIlrath’s potential career as a Ranger.

Gorton’s final and most important task this offseason was signing Derek Stepan to a long-term contract. Stepan came into the summer due for a considerable raise. I went into detail on this in an analytical piece where I broke down Stepan’s statistical performance and made a salary projection of $7 million AAV. As it turns out, Stepan’s asking price for arbitration was $7.25 million and what Gorton managed to do was drive down Stepan’s price to a bargain $6.5 million AAV over the course of 6 years. Provided that Stepan continues to play at his current level or improves, the deal becomes a steal by 2021 when that will likely be the going rate for average 2nd line centers.

Although many fans would like to see the Rangers add another top 6 scorer, it appears that management is content with the roster they have. Jeff Gorton has done a masterful job of making low risk moves and giving out cost-effective contracts. He avoided making a splurge on this summer’s limited free agent market and helped secure a large portion of this team’s future for years to come. We can expect the Rangers to be even better this season and we have Gorton to thank for that. Sometimes the best additions are the small ones that plug the gaps.

Viktor Stalberg looking for a Cup

According to Aftonbladet in Sweden, Stalberg has always had his eye on playing for the Rangers and spoke with Henrik Lundqvist about it.

[su_quote cite=”Aftonbladet” url=”https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/hockey/internationellt/nhl/article21058920.ab”]It feels very good. It has always been a dream to play for the Rangers and I love New York City. Besides, it’s a very good team, I can get the chance to win another title…I hope to get a fresh start in New York. They seem to think of me too, so I’m very happy about this solution.[/su_quote]

Stalberg, Diaz and Megna all signed 1 way deals

Told Jayson Megna’s 1-year deal is $600,000. That Viktor Stalberg (1 yr/$1.1M) and Raphael Diaz (1 yr/$700,000) are the 1-way deals for #NYR

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) July 3, 2015

Due to Diaz and Megna being under $925K, they both can be sent down to the AHL and have their entire hit removed if they clear waivers. As for Stalberg, 175K would stay on the books should he be sent down.

Brandon Halverson signs

OFFICIAL: #NYR agree to terms with goaltender @Halvy31 on an entry-level contract pic.twitter.com/O7c8IUPevj

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 2, 2015

So honored and fortunate to sign my first contract with the @NYRangers! Thanks to all the people that have helped me along the way.

— Brandon Halverson (@Halvy31) July 2, 2015

If today marked the first “official” day on the job for new GM, Jeff Gorton, then it was a good one. The Rangers filled out their roster and added some organizational depth pieces in a handful of signings today.

Viktor Stalberg

“Another man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.” That’s exactly what could be happening here with Stalberg, who was a bust in Nashville. Just a few days ago, the Predators placed him on unconditional waivers for a buyout. Today, the Blueshirts added the 6’3″ winger to their roster as either a 4th liner or extra forward.

Stalberg was an excellent role player for the Blackhawks when they won their 2013 Championship. He averaged a little over 10 minutes of ice during that run and added 3 assists to the Hawks cause. He was not used on special teams.

Being on a winning team lands you big contracts and the Predators signed him to a 4 year deal and were left holding the bag after he scored only eight goals in 70 games. A far cry from the 22 he netted for Chicago in 2011-12. He only appeared in 25 games last season, and spent a majority of the year in the AHL.

Stalberg brings some size and speed to the lineup, but very little in the offensive creativity department. Look for him to be in and out of the lineup for most of the season. At 1.1M AAV on the cap for one year, not a bad deal.

Stalberg at $1.1M, Diaz $700,000 as NYR free agent signees

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) July 1, 2015

Raphael Diaz

“What’s old is new again!” That best describes bringing back Diaz to the Rangers for depth on the bullion should (and when) injury occur. Diaz has some offensive ability with a great shot from the point.

That’s a nice for the positives, but his lanky frame and lack physicality on defense hurt. Do not expect to see too much of Diaz this year. He will only be used in spot starts should a Rangers regular need a day off. Any longterm injury and Brady Skjei or even Dylan McIlrath would get the long look.

GORTON’S  TAKE

[su_quote cite=”Jeff Gorton via SNYRANGERS” url=”https://snyrangersblog.com/coachesgm/glen-sather/updating-glen-sather-and-jeff-gorton-conference-call/#more-150003″]We have added some pretty good players and depth but to say yes right now is tough. We will know as we move forward and see if we can add players. I would like to say yes but you would probably disagree with me.”[/su_quote]

“MINOR” MOVES

Below are moves that will help the Hartford Wolf Pack, especially since Oscar Lindberg is expected to make the big club.

OFFICIAL: #NYR have agreed to terms with forward Brian Gibbons pic.twitter.com/SVeJMF4apR — New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 1, 2015

OFFICIAL: #NYR have agreed to terms with forward Matt Lindblad pic.twitter.com/4kVAKD4wUH

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 1, 2015

OFFICIAL: #NYR have agreed to terms with forward @Jayson_Megna. pic.twitter.com/awBsBa9Ype

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 1, 2015