There is absolutely nothing going on in terms of hockey. It is usually that quiet in August. There are still a few highly prized FA available, including a couple of recent Rangers’ rentals, but there are very few teams around with any substantial cap space. The Rangers, who are situated somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of available cap space, have just about over $3M of space left, which should be more than enough to re-sign Lafreniere to a bridge deal. After that they won’t have much space to do anything. But the good news is that they don’t have too many immediate holes to plug, if any. There are some flaws, sometimes significant ones (third line/checking center for starters), but no wide gaps anymore.
264 responses to “August comes early”
St Pete,
But at least we’re pretty.
Rangers’ Chris Kreider reveals ‘pit in stomach’ that will fuel burning desire to bring Stanley Cup to NY.
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Soon Kreider will jump in a swimming pool and just sink.
Ding ding… we have a winner in the Erik Karlsson derby!
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1688214319723335680/photo/1
Am I the only one who doesn’t think the Pens need Karlsson?
Pens didn’t need him and makes them worse defensively. But they’re giving it a go one more time for Crosby and Malkin.
They still think they need more goals and assists. Defense? Who cares. Karlsson scored 101 points last season. It doesn’t matter he was -26! Must be really dominant at even strength.
He is also injury prone. Is Ketang going to retire? If not one of them in redundant.
Hayes is a girl now? You go, girl.
Buttman declares Katrina Hayes Night on Broad Street.
EK65 to the Pens does nothing for me. Doesn’t really move the needle for them. All of that to say, it still doesn’t change my mind that we’ll likely be fighting for the 3 spot/wildcard spot and I wouldn’t at all be shocked to see us miss the post-season when all is said and done.
At some point, we have to acknowledge that we whiffed on the bulk of our 1st rounders since “the letter.” Combine that with being up against the cap and bringing in FAs that would’ve been great in 2016, and the odds are not in our favor. Canes are a lock as are the Devils. I think 5 get in from the Atlantic (Panthers, Leafs, Tampa, Buffalo finally and I just can’t write off the Bruins- they’re like Michael Myers). So where does that leave us? Fighting it out with the Isles and Pens…….
Kreiders lady looks like she could beat out half our men for a regular role in the top 9
It’s ok if Pissburg fails. After they don’t make the playoffs they will get the first or 2nd overall picks 3 or 4 seasons in a row.
Karlson trade is last gasp of a dying empire
bobbyo see rich’s comment above you lol
NYR need to turn Lindgren lose. He’s got moves!
Kreider/Francesa Gentile, 2 German Shepherds, nearby Connecticut.
Post Sports+ – Inside The Rangers
Why the Rangers should consider even more thrifty roster additions
The math was daunting.
The Rangers went into July 1 having approximately $11.7 million in cap space to fill eight spots on the varsity. That included restricted free agents K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere, for whom an approximate sum of $6.5 million needed to be set aside.
That left about $5.2 million for Chris Drury to go shopping for six items on the free-agent market. No, the general manager would not be having breakfast at Tiffany’s.
(Miller, of course, is back on a two-year deal for an average annual value of $3.872M. Lafreniere, mystifyingly, remains unsigned. As of now, there is no cause for concern. It’s merely a head-scratcher. But if this drags on another couple of weeks, it could become a headache.)
Drury targeted veterans who understood the historically tight market and were willing to sign short-term, low-cost deals right out of the hop.
That is how the club signed Blake Wheeler, Erik Gustafsson, Jonathan Quick, Nick Bonino, Tyler Pitlick, Riley Nash and Alex Belzile to contracts with NHL cap hits no higher than $825,000 apiece.
Wheeler is ticketed for a top-nine spot, Quick for the backup role behind franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Gustafsson likely goes into camp penciled in as the third pair left defenseman. Bonino and Pitlick are expected to hold down spots on the fourth line while Belzile and Nash compete for the 12th-13th forwards role.
These are the Rangers.
Except, approximately six weeks away from the opening of training camp, there is still a substantial number of unsigned unrestricted free agents out there who all but certainly will have to reset their expectations and accept the types of deals Bonino et al. accepted on July 1. Some may even have to take training-camp tryouts.
Which means there may be a new pool opened to Drury, unless he made verbal commitments to the veterans who signed for well less than the league average. If not, and if there are better affordable options out there at the start of September, the GM should act.
The Rangers are five contracts under the league-mandated maximum of 50 within the organization, so that is not a problem, nor is finding a place where he might look to add. I don’t think this forward roster has enough hard edges to it. I don’t envision the Rangers being pushed around, but I don’t see much physical presence there. I don’t see a forward who would give pause to the opposition. I don’t see players who would arrive with — what did Fred Shero call it? — malice aforethought.
Zack Kassian is still out there.
Austin Watson, flaws and all, is, too. So are the more skilled Anders Bjork and Colin White. Max Comtois is also available, though there are mixed reports about the 24-year-old who was not qualified by Anaheim at $2.55 million.
The team is set on the right side of the defense with Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba and Braden Schneider, but there is no organizational depth of which to speak behind that trio. Ty Emberson and Mac Holloway are the next two righties in line unless the team would move Zac Jones to his off side in case of an emergency.
So if Ethan Bear and/or Cal Foote is still without a contract early next month, it would not be the worst idea to attempt to sign either.
Hey, Mr. DJ
The multi-dimensional Mika Zibanejad DJ’d on the second day of the Lollapalooza Stockholm music festival last month, doing a set list that included pyrotechnics. The audience included Chris Kreider, who spent the weekend in Sweden to join his brother from another mother’s party.
I caught up with Zibanejad at the Shoulder Check charity event in Stamford last Thursday and asked No. 93 how he would compare the rush of that experience with scoring big goals in the NHL, specifically with the five-goal game he had against the Caps at the Garden on March 5, 2020.
“Chris asked me the same thing,” Zibanejad said. “It’s like scoring the fifth goal.”
What’s in a number?
The recently signed Wheeler will wear No. 17 for the Blueshirts this season, joining a lineage that is not especially glorious.
Frank Boucher, who wore No. 7 for the first 11 years of his distinguished career while centering Bread Line wingers Bill and Bun Cook, slipped into No. 17 in 1937-38 when he became a part-time player while having been named an assistant coach and assistant GM by Lester Patrick.
No. 7 was given to Phil Watson, who became the club’s first-line center.
Boucher will not be listed in our No. 17 rankings. Neither will Art Coulter, who wore the digits for one season, or Bob Nevin, who wore No. 17 for the remainder of the 1963-64 season after being acquired from Toronto in the Feb. 22 deal in which Andy Bathgate went to the Maple Leafs before switching to No. 8 for the next seven seasons.
So, let’s rank the rest of those who have donned the number with the club:
1. Dean Prentice
2. Brandon Dubinsky
3. Dave Balon
4. Jesper Fast
5. Mike Rogers
Honorable mention: Eddie Johnstone
Mention: Lou Angotti
Thanks 3CP,
Jesper Fast over Eddie Johnstone? 😂
Comtois or Watson would be a good depth add
Johnstone and Rodgers is very close. Rodgers had 100 point season in his first year as a Ranger, but fell off the next 3. Johnstone had back to back 30 goal seasons, and then fell off. But he offered a lot more than that. He was a heart and soul player. I think I lean Johnstone.
BobbyO,
Was listening to Serrivali yesterday. Mentioned Comtois was on the 2018 Canada WJC team. Said more than one of that 2018 team was non tendered. Might be a reason he’s still available.
back in the day they pretty much never gave out higher numbers except maybe a goalie at 30 or 31. they might have dressed say 11 forwards (or even 10) and 5 d. so using number 17 might have been somewhat iffy. it’s almost like the russian hockey lineup or olympic basketball. just went 1 to whatever.
Thx BDL … looks like Comtois denied any involvement via statement but today you are guilty until proven innocent. Not clear why Ducks wouldn’t have traded him last deadline though if they did not plan on bringing him back. Poor asset mgt
https://www.thedailygoalhorn.com/nhl-rumors-top-20-ufa-candidates-for-pto/?utm_source=push
I have this strange feeling Laffo-Busto is getting traded. Beezle it’s not a Minxmare either.
Laffy holding out is going to be a distraction
Bad blood about to boil for when he has more leverage ?
Love the phrase ‘Back in the Day.’
BDL. Agree with you on Eddie Johnstone over Mike Rogers. Always remember Johnstone being a very handsome guy. Sort of like someone hit him one too many times in the face with a shovel. ( Joke)
Alway’s remember Dubinsky going after Ovechkin in a game at the garden. Another good Ranger whose career was cut short due to injuries. Kind of like Tony Granato,who was one of my all time favorites. ( Still hold’s Ranger rookie record for goals)
I remember that with dubi
Also loved when he said he had no problem with ovi cause he plays the game the right way (torts ism) but he didn’t like how Crosby was a crybaby back then
Loved the penguins game where dubi and Cally picked up Hank who had let in a bad goal late and I think broke or thre his stick. Dubi lugging the puck the whole sheet of ice and setting up scoring chance to either tie or win
Gotta go back and watch the details again
It’s possible that we may have a new post by training camp? 😉
Minx getting feisty! A new post only after Laffy signs a new contract 😉
Cregg I remember!!
Beezle
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Played ball in Texas with a boy named August. Told him his name meant ‘venerable,’ ‘elegant.’ ‘worthy of the highest praise.’ in Latin. He responded that his two sisters were named June and Jan and that had he been born a few days later than he was, he figured he would have been named September.
New post when we sign Comtois
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NEW POST