Examining another impending Rangers collapse

When the New York Rangers squandered a 1-0 lead in the third period and dropped Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series to the Boston Bruins, they effectively closed the book on another season that should have ended far more positively. Sure, the Blueshirts are not eliminated just yet, but any win(s) in the remaining games of this series are simply delaying the inevitable. The Bruins will advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins/Ottawa Senators series awaits.

The discussion about what went wrong and how to fix it will soon begin for New York. It seems like a broken record, but the same issues that have plagued the Rangers the past few years surfaced once again in 2013. The Rangers can’t score. The power play is abysmal. Has John Tortorella’s system of coaching run its course?

It’s clear that no magic bullet exists in this league to fix the Rangers. One would have thought everything was put together a year ago when they won the East and advanced all the way to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. But that was a team that overreached its ability and set a bad precedent. They were deemed a Stanley Cup contender all of a sudden when they are still a team with holes and deficiencies that no team hoping to be a champion can have.

Richards Picks Rangers

There was a big separation between Brad Richards and everybody else available on the unrestricted free agent market this summer. Any team in need of a veteran top-line center who can log a healthy number of minutes, play in all key situations and produce significantly on the scoresheet was taking a keen interest in Richards' availability on Friday.

Richards spent the better part of the day listening to presentations from at least six reported clubs and took the night to sleep on his decision. It apparently became clear to him Saturday morning that the popular frontrunner ended up being his chosen destination.

Richards has decided to take his talents to Broadway, where he is set to compete for the New York Rangers on a nine-year, $60 million contract. The deal will serve as a $6.67 million annual cap hit to the Rangers' payroll but looks far more unique on a year-by-year salary basis according to TSN's Gord Miller:

2011-12: $12 million - $10 million signing bonus and $2 million in salary
2012-13: $12 million - $8 million signing bonus and $4 million in salary
2013-14: $9 million
2014-15: $8.5 million
2015-16: $8.5 million
2016-17: $7 million
2017-18: $1 million
2018-19: $1 million
2019-20: $1 million

Rangers general manager Glen Sather is not typically known for tossing around contracts of this nature - ones including cap circumventing-oriented years toward the end. But when playing ball against other teams offering similar deals for even more money, Sather couldn't simply stand on principle and take the risk of losing the player. He had to play ball, too. And he did.

"With the growth and youth that we've been able to accumlate and put together here now, we needed somebody like this that's going to take us to the next step," Sather said in a conference call. "We think it was a great opportunity for us."

Drury's Final Year Bought Out By Rangers

When the New York Rangers dealt Scott Gomez to the Montreal Canadiens two years ago, general manager Glen Sather was able to rid the organization of one of the two disastrous contracts he saddled the team with during the summer of 2007. On Wednesday, he was finally able to get rid of the other.

Chris Drury will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 following the Rangers' buyout of the final year of his five-year, $35.25 million contract. He was slated to earn $5 million in salary next season, but would have counted as a $7.05 million cap hit against New York's payroll. Bought out contracts still count against a team's cap, but at two-thirds of the remaining money owed divided over double the amount of years remaining. The Rangers will therefore owe Drury $3.77 million at a rate of $1.66 million against the team's cap in each of the next two seasons.

“Chris is a consummate professional, a tremendous competitor and an even better person,” stated Sather. “He gave his heart and soul to the Rangers organization in his time here and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

The need to end Drury's tenure with the Rangers was esssentially two-fold. First, he had failed to live up to his expectations since signing with the team four years ago. He came from Buffalo known as a 30-goal scorer with tremendous leadership qualities and a knack for coming up in the clutch. While the leadership part enabled him to be a captain during his entire tenure with the organization, he never scored more than 25 goals in a season with New York and barely ever came up big in the heat of the moment.

With the free agent market set to open at noon on July 1, there was also a need for more financially flexibility to sign somebody like Brad Richards and start throwing out offers to pending RFAs Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. The $5.39 million saved in cap space by dropping the largely ineffective Drury will go a long way in accomplishing those tasks.

Drury, to his credit, handled the matter with the class and dignity he has exhibited during his entire 12-year career in the NHL.

"It was a great honor and privilege to be a New York Ranger for the past four years, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to fulfill that childhood dream," Drury told The New York Post. "The Rangers are a first-class organization with great people in the hockey, public relations, team services and community relations departments."

"I would also like to thank Ranger fans. They always inspired me to do the best I could in whatever role I was asked to play. Playing before them in the Garden was a thrill of a lifetime. I wish all the fans and the entire Ranger organization the best of luck in the future."

With a relatively weak free agent class this summer, Drury should not find it too difficult to find work - albeit at a much lower pricetag than the past four years. Drury still possesses strong leadership skills and remains a good two-way player, face-off specialist and penalty killing asset. For a team in need of a third line center, Drury could be a welcomed, cost-efficient option.

NHL's Salary Cap Set To Rise Again To $64 Million

It seems almost baffling now that we lost the entire 2004-05 season because players and owners could not agree on the financial state of the league. While players obviously wanted their share of the pie, owners relentlessly contended that the league could not continue in its then-situation of economic peril if player costs were not reduced. And thus, a much debated salary cap was instituted that called for team payrolls to not exceed $39 million for the 2005-06 campaign.

But according to the collective bargaining agreement, that figure could rise each year based on league-wide revenue. And every year since the lockout, that's exactly what has occured. Now, coming off the 2010-11 season in which the cap was at $59.4 million, teams and player agents have been informed that they should expect another $4.6 million addition. According to TSN, the salary cap will be $64 million - a staggering $25 million increase over the course of six years.

The salary floor will move to $48 million.

This will naturally be welcomed news to all high payroll teams that desperately need that extra cushion. The Philadelphia Flyers immediately come to mind as a squad that needs to ink recently acquired goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov before he can go unrestricted on July 1, but will have a hard time squeezing his salary in based on the reported $6-7 million per season he is reportedly seeking. The New York Rangers, who are juggling whether or not they can buy out Chris Drury or wish to do the same with Wojtek Wolski, will also benefit from an extra $5 million their pockets to pursue pending-free agent center Brad Richards.

Rangers Add Veteran Defenseman Bryan McCabe

With two days remaining before the trade deadline hits in the NHL, the New York Rangers acquired a veteran, offensively-talented defenseman that they have longed for during most of the season. The Rangers were able to add Bryan McCabe from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Tim Kennedy and a third round pick in June's NHL Entry Draft.

"Bryan McCabe adds an established veteran presence to our young defensive corps," general manager Glen Sather said in a statement released by the Rangers. "He can help provide offense with his strong shot on the power play, and his versatility allows him to play either the left or right side effectively. Bryan also brings outstanding leadership qualities, having served as team captain for Florida for the past two seasons."

The 35-year old, 14-year veteran now joins his sixth NHL team after being drafted in the second round (40th overall) of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Since then, he has made stops in Vancouver, Chicago, Toronto and most recently Florida. The Panthers brought McCabe aboard back in 2008 in a February deal with the Maple Leafs for defenseman Mike Van Ryn and last year's fourth round draft choice.

With a plethora of injuries and having remained under the salary cap all season, the Rangers stashed enough financial flexibility to be active around this time of year. Much of the discussion surrounding New York has been centered on acquiring Brad Richards from the Dallas Stars. But with Richards health in question, a no-movement clause in effect, Dallas not officially announcing that he is available and general manager Joe Nieuwendyk reportedly asking for a package consisting of Brandon Dubinsky, Derek Stepan and Marc Staal, it's unlikely Sather will pull the trigger on him before 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.

McCabe, however, fills an even greater need for the Rangers and comes at a much cheaper price. The Rangers haven't had great success finding a power play quarterback for essentially the past few years. Many have tried to man the helm and all have failed to solidify themselves along the blue line. From free agents (Wade Redden) to draftees (Michael Del Zotto, Bobby Sanguinetti), New York has been unable to come up with that one defenseman who can run a power play consistently and effectively while adding to his scoresheet.

There is no guarantee McCabe will be any different. He has only netted five goals and 22 total points in 48 games with Florida this season - just seven of those points coming on the power player. But Florida as a whole has been second to last in the league on the man advantage at 13.7 percent.

McCabe still offers a terrific shot from the point and plenty of evidence from prior to this season that proves he can help the Rangers fix their own 21st-ranked power play. He has scored eight or more power play goals in a season five times, including a career-high 13 for the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2005-06. Overall, he has scored 15 or more goals of any variety in a season five times as well, also putting up his career-high of 19 with the Leafs in 2005-06.

Perhaps his production has dipped. Or maybe its just the Panthers, in general. But McCabe is as good a bet right now for New York and they made a wise gamble.

To get McCabe, the Rangers really gave up very little. Kennedy was signed during the offseason by the Rangers when the Buffalo Sabres refused to cough up his $1 million arbitration award. But the 24-year old failed to win a roster spot and has spent the entire campaign with the Connecticut Whale of the AHL. In 53 games there, he has 42 points. He is a pending restricted free agent once again this summer.

Michael Del Zotto was assigned to the AHL in order to open up a roster spot for McCabe. McCabe is scheduled to go unrestricted this summer, unless New York elects to retain him and is able to work out an extension prior to July 1.

Preseason Performance Earns Fedotenko Deal With Rangers

When most players agree to join a team on a tryout basis during the preseason, it's probably not going to work out when cuts need to be made. Plenty of them have occurred in recent weeks to players that otherwise wouldn't have had any trouble inking actual deals in previous yearss. But when it comes down to proving themselves in this tryout capacity, a player really needs to go above and beyond.

For the New York Rangers, Ruslan Fedotenko most certainly did that. Throughout the Rangers' six-game exhibition schedule, Fedotenko established himself as a reliable scorer who led the team in points (seven) and developed a great deal of chemistry on the team's third line with agitator Sean Avery and young hopeful Derek Stepan.

The cap-cautious Rangers did not have a ton of wiggle room under the $59.4 maximum allowable salary to sign the 31-year old Ukrainian native. But the two parties agreed on a one year deal worth $1 million, which is $800,000 less than he earned in a down year with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

This signing may have less of a financial impact if reports are true from The New York Post's Larry Brooks about Vaclav Prospal's right knee injury status. Brooks' sources have indicated to him that the rest Prospal is receiving over a mandated two-week period may not cure his ailments and season-ending surgery could be required to fix the problem. Prospal re-signed with the Rangers this summer on a one year deal with a base salary of $1.08 million and bonuses totaling $1.4 million. If placed on long-term IR, the Rangers would be free to spend his $2.48 million in total compensation elsewhere.

Rangers Likely To Open Season Without Captain Chris Drury

The New York Rangers and Chris Drury received a tough break Monday morning when the 34-year old captain broke his left index finger during a team scrimmage while attempting to block a shot. He is expected to be out for four weeks, which would have him back on October 18 - or nine days after the Rangers open the regular season on October 9 against the Buffalo Sabres.

“It’s a tough break for him,” Head Coach John Tortorella told Jim Cerny of newyorkrangers.com. “He’s a big part of our club as far as what he brings on and off the ice. I know he was anxious to get back at it this year, but you never know with a guy like him how quickly he can come back."

Drury has been pretty durable for the Rangers during his previous three seasons with the club. He missed five games last season with a concussion, but otherwise has only missed a total of six games out of a possible 246 with New York.

“He’s our captain, a big part of our team, so it’s bad news,” top line right wing Marian Gaborik said. “He works hard every game, does his job on both ends of the ice. We are going to miss him, but we have to manage to do the best we can without him.”

Drury is entering the fourth year of a five-year, $35.25 million contract signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2007. He has largely failed to live up to the offensive expectations as a clutch goal scorer earned as a member of the Buffalo Sabres and the Colorado Avalance. However, he remains a tremendous leader for the organization on and off the ice, as well as a key two-way asset with good penalty killing skills.

Staal Remaining On Broadway Blueline With New Five-Year Deal

Glen Sather is mostly criticized for taking a proud big-market franchise and leaving its fans to simply hope for a playoff berth ever year. His outlandish free agency spending on the wrong kind of players while quibbling over deals for young internal talent has led to much frustration among fans of the New York Rangers. But every once in a while, the general manager does something right and deserves a pat on the back.

One of those should come his way thanks to finally inking a new deal with 23-year old restricted free agent defenseman Marc Staal. TSN’s esteemed hockey analyst Bob McKenzie broke the news via Twitter that a new five-year, $19.875 million deal was agreed upon for the star defensive defenseman. While on Broadway, Staal will count as an average annual cap hit of $3.975 million – or less than two-thirds of what Wade Redden will cost at about four times the talent.

ESPN’s E.J. Hradek broke down the deal year-by-year with these annual salaries:

2010-11: $3.1 million
2011-12: $3.675 million
2012-13: $3.775 million
2013-14: $3.875 million
2014-15: $5.45 million

Additionally, Hradek points out that Staal did not receive a no-trade or no-movement clause in the contract.

Rangers Acquire Todd White From Thrashers

 

With the most important restricted free agent the New York Rangers entered the offseason with in Marc Still still un-signed, General Manager Glen Sather continues to plug away at other business. In the wee hours of Monday morning (about 1 a.m.), Michael Russo of The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Todd White had been dealt to the Rangers from the Atlanta Thrashers. No details were immediately made available about what Atlanta was receiving in return. That did not prevent speculation from revealing a package involving Michal Rozsival and a fourth round pick going the other way.

This deal was made official today, but it did not include the $5 million defenseman and a mid-round draft selection. Instead, the Rangers packaged Donald Brashear and Patrick Rissmiller to the Thrashers in exchange for White.

In White, the Rangers gain a veteran forward who can play center or left wing. He is coming off a fairly poor campaign in which he scored just seven goals and added 19 helpers for 26 points. White is, however, only two years removed from his best NHL season. In 2008-09, he managed to put up 22 goals and 51 assists for 73 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule. It may be wishful thinking on the Rangers’ end to figure he’ll get back to that mark. But White could still post in the neighborhood of 40-50 points and even challenge for a spot on the top two lines. If nothing else, he will provide a depth role for the Rangers and serve as a veteran leader for a team still intent on becoming a bit younger.

The only negative from the Rangers’ acquisition of White is that he brings $2.375 million to the table on the final year of his contract. While Brashear ($1.4 million) and Rissmiller ($1 million) essentially combine to match that mark, Rissmiller was going to end up in Hartford for another season while Brashear would either join him there or be bought out by the Rangers. Their total $2.4 million in salary would have never counted against the Rangers’ cap. Meanwhile, White’s will based on the likelihood of him actually suiting up on Broadway.

Brashear’s future in Atlanta will be a short one. He is expected to be bought out by the Thrashers once he clears waivers and will be free to sign up with another club looking for an aged enforcer who is not nearly as effective as he once was. Rissmiller, on the other hand, could be bought out, as well. There has been no firm indication toward such a move, though, and he may remain with the organization.

Ben Wright of Blueland Blog summed up the benefits this deal presents for the Thrashers:

1. It moves out a player who didn’t necessarily fit the plan for 2010-11 and who underperformed in 2009-10.
2. It frees up a roster spot for a young player like Patrice Cormier, Carl Klingberg, Fredrik Pettersson or Spencer Machacek.
3. It adds a depth asset in Patrick Rissmiller who can hit, kill penalties, and contribute on the scoresheet.
4. It saves some money which can be used in other ways if another opportunity to add a player comes up.

For a team that has been as severely remodelled like the Thrashers, these points make plenty of sense. Move out an aging player that it pretty pricey in order to open up a spot for one of the many Atlanta prospects waiting in the wings. I doubt Rissmiller will be even a minor contributor to the team. But even if he is not, that leave Atlanta with another $1 million on the books if they elect to send him down to the minors.

Rangers Add Offensive Boost With Alexander Frolov

 

The New York Rangers entered this offseason with limited funds and far too many of its own players in need of new deals to worry about becoming major players on the free agent market. To date, the team’s biggest pickups have been backup goaltender Martin Biron and the newest overpaid enforcer Derek Boogaard.

Even with just about $4.4 million in cap space remaining and Marc Staal’s restricted free agency still looming over the organization, the Rangers had a hole to fill in the scoring department. On Tuesday, General Manager Glen Sather finalized an agreement that will inject some more offense into the team with Alexander Frolov being brought into the fold on a one year deal at $3 million.

The 28-year old Moscow native instantly steps in as the Rangers second biggest scoring threat behind only Marian Gaborik. Frolov, who has has twice netted over 30 goals in his seven-year tenure with the Los Angeles Kings, represents a big addition to the Rangers’ top two lines and power play units.

Frolov is, however, also a fairly inconsistent player that has seen his numbers, playing time and overall responsibility hit a decline over the past three seasons with the Kings. The 19 goals he posted last year marks the lowest output since his rookie campaign in 2002-03 when he had 14. His 51 points were the lowest since his sophomore season. And his five power play scores marked a sharp 58.5 percent decrease from his previous year’s total of 12.

Frolov was once one of the Kings’ most dynamic offensive threats. But over time, he became a lesser contributor that lost out on first line duties, played fewer power play minutes and received constant benchings from head coach Terry Murray.

In Frolov’s mind, that was simply a matter of the Kings mishandling him. His agent, Sergei Isakov, told Russian newspaper Sovietsky Sport that the Kings deliberately spoiled his season last year in order to pay him less this year.

More realistically, there is something to be said for a player that comes and goes as he pleases on the score sheet and wishes to take little accountability for that. Frolov in a streaky player that will test head coach John Tortorella’s patience. Tortorella is a big fan of consistency and accountability amongst his players. Frolov will need to do a complete 180 from his previous years in order to accommodate that and remain on Tortorella’s good side.

Whether he can do that remains to be seen. Frolov still possesses 30-goal and near 70-point potential with all the talent and skill to be at least afforded to opportunity to get there. Perhaps a change of scenery could do him some good.

This move is a low-risk one for the Rangers that is financially responsible. On a one year deal, the Rangers can easily part ways with him at the end of the season if they deem him a failure. At $3 million, he is a bit of an investment and takes a good chunk of money out of what could be used to re-sign Staal. But $3 million for a much needed offensive boost is not unreasonable and comes at discount from the $4 million he earned last season and the $5 million per year he was reportedly offered in a four-year deal from the KHL, according to Arthur Staple. This signing leaves the Rangers with approximately $1.44 million in remaining cap space.

If he can have a bounce back year in New York and play up to the standards he set for himself earlier on in his career, Frolov should have little problem earning a bigger, more long-term payday with the Rangers or some other NHL next summer. If he continues to regress, however, a move back over to Russia is probably in order. It's all on his shoulders now to prove the disappointment of last season really was on the Kings and not him.

Rangers Focus On D: Girardi Re-Signed, Eminger Acquired & Staal Still In Limbo

Unlike most summers in The Big Apple, the New York Rangers did not enter this offseason with the intention of making wild blockbuster deals. Instead, the main priority was locking up key contributors from within the organization while adding more minor pieces here and there through free agency and the trade market.

General Manager Glen Sather has pretty much stuck to that game plan. He ensured the returns of forwards Erik Christensen, Vaclav Prospal and Brandon Prust while adding enforcer Derek Boogaard and backup goaltender Marty Biron into the mix.

On Friday, Sather turned his attention toward defense, where he re-signed a key restricted free agent and acquired some blue line depth in a deal with the Anaheim Ducks.

That key restricted free agent was none other than 26-year old Dan Girardi. The undrafted Welland, Ontario native agreed to a new four-year deal that will pay him $13.3 million over the lifetime of the contract. His annual cap hit to the Rangers will be $3.325 million, and he will earn actual salaries of $3.1 million next year and $3.4 million in each of the following three seasons (per CapGeek.)

Girardi is a valuable defensive asset to the Rangers and possesses the best shot blocking on the team. He adds a bit on the offensive side of the puck and has shined on the power play at times. But his true worth is in his own zone. The price tag of $3.325 million is more than anticipated, but the very healthy pay raise represents the Rangers’ commitment to sticking with one of their own.

Another Year In NY For Prospal, Two More In Anaheim For Koivu, Cullen Joins Up With Minny For Three

~ Vaclav Prospal came to New York last season with something to prove after being bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He joined up with his old head coach, played with Marian Gaborik and managed to be an absolute steal at $1.15 million in cost to the Rangers by posting 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points in 75 games. It was a no-brainer to bring him back, and General Manager Glen Sather made sure to get it done. Prospal will return on another one year contract for a what will be a base salary of $1 million with $1.1 in what The New York Post's Larry Brooks calls "easily achievable bonuses." At 35 years old, he's still holding up pretty well and provides a good veteran presence for a team looking to get younger. He's a character guy, great leader and still strong offensively. And, he came cheap yet again. Great re-signing.

~ Saku Koivu clearly had a good time last year in his first season out of Montreal. He's coming back to the Anaheim Ducks on a two-year deal worth $2.5 million per season. the 35-year old Finnish center is coming off a campaign with 19 goals and 33 assists for 52 points in 71 games. That's pretty much what the Ducks are going to get out of Koivu offensively going forward, and always have his strong leadership skills to boot.

~ The Ottawa Senators wanted to keep him around, but that wasn't to be and now Minnesota will reep the benefits of responsible, two-way play from 33-year old center Matt Cullen. Cullen heads to his sixth NHL franchise in 12 seasons and will earn $10.5 million over three years with the Wild. Cullen is very dependable player who can go in all situations. He isn't the most dynamic offensive player, but he is a 15- to 20-goal scorer and 30 assist guy. In Minnesota, he will likely play No. 2 center duties behind Mikko Koivu.

Rangers Keep Christensen; Lose Shelley And Replace With Boogaard

Glen Sather started the free agency bonzana off with a solid pickup in backup goaltender Martin Biron. Since then, he's resorted back to being one of the worst general managers in the league.

Before going down that road, he did avoid one disaster by actually re-signing Erik Christensen to a two-year deal at $925,000 per season. That's only a $175,000 raise per year than what he made last season, but it's also more than the $750,000 (which is on par with what he made a year ago) he turned down in a previous offer. Christensen has generally been a journeyman, or was on the verge of becoming one, in his five NHL seasons. But after a waiver pickup by the Rangers from Anaheim, he emerged as the team's top center and perfect linemate for Marian Gaborik. In 49 games, he scored eight goals and 26 points - a stark improvement over the zero points he had with Anaheim over the course of nine games. Because his numbers aren't astronomic as a result of being fairly inconsistent, he wasn't going to get into the millions. But for the times that he does produce and is on his game, he's basically the best player on the ice and deserves a roster spot in New York.

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Shelley apparently didn't deserve a roster spot, or at least that's the way Sather saw things. A near-trade deadline acquisition by the Rangers for a fifth round pick from San Jose, Shelley stepped in as the lead enforcer (though Brandon Prust did more fighting) in place Donald Brashear and played a crucial role on a very effective fourth line for the Rangers down the stretch. And he actually scored some goals - two to be exact! That's a big deal for him.

It wasn't a big deal to Sather. He offered Shelley a one-year deal for $825,000, watched Shelley reject it and then let the man walk over to Philadelphia (maybe not literally, but it's possible) to sign a three-year deal with the Flyers for $1.1 million per season. So it's okay to sign Donald Brashear for $1.4 million per year, which the Rangers are still on the hook for next season. But to up the ante on Shelley a bit and pay the most productive and intelligent enforcer the team has had in a while (Colton Orr wasn't as good in the offensive scheme like Shelley was last year), that's a no go? Incredible. And now, he's with a division rival, that is nasty enough as it is.

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With Shelley gone, it was naturally time for Sather to play the "Replace the Enforcer" game, ala Brashear for Orr, Shelley for Brashear, ??? for Shelley. That replacement comes in the form of Derek Boogaard from the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year old, who has yet to play more than 65 games in a season and has not scored a goal in FOUR YEARS (has two total - both scored his rookie year), was granted a four-year contract for $1.65 million a season. That is undoubtedly worse than the Brashear signing.

Now, Boogaard is understandably not being brought in for his scoring prowess. But at least Shelley is able to create some chances and net a puck every once in a blue moon. Boogaard has no offensive upside and is a much less regarded fighter than Shelley. And he's $550,000 more expensive per year for an extra year.

I sure hope Donnie Walsh isn't drinking from the same fountain at The Garden, or there's zero chance LeBron James is a Knick.

First Signing: Martin Biron Joins New York Rangers

 

Not many people pegged Glen Sather to be busy this year in unrestricted free agency. But he made the first deal of the day once the market opened at noon. A main priority for New York was to acquire a reliable backup netminder to Henrik Lundqvist who was willing to take a role as a 10-15 game guy. And that goalie comes to New York in the form of Martin Biron. The 32-year old will join the Rangers on a two-year deal worth $1.8 $1.75 million, which TSN's Bob McKenzie breaks down to $950,000 next season and $800,000 in 2011-12. The deal will be an annual cap hit of $900,000 $875,000 to the Rangers' payroll.

"I’m very excited, I think it’s going to be fun. It’s a great organization and a great team," Biron told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. "Looking forward to joining back up with Chris Drury, a great guy I played with in Buffalo. Really looking forwad to playing with Henrik Lundqvist and working with (goalie coach) Benoit Allaire. The Rangers are going to give me an opportunity to be able to do that."

Biron is a 12-year veteran who spent last season as one of many goaltenders to guard the crease for the New York Islanders. He saw action in 29 games, going 9-14-4 with a 3.27 goals against average and .896 save percentage. That was the Islanders, though, and Biron was also a 30-game winner in both Philadelphia and Buffalo previously. For a team in need of a cheap, yet steady backup presence in net, Biron is a solid signing.

"Chasm" In Talks Between Rangers, RFA Staal

 

The New York Rangers are historically one of the most active organizations when it comes to throwing out big money for big name players in unrestricted free agency. But this year, the team's main priority revolves around getting its own pending restricted free agents inked. No player in that group is more important for New York than its top defenseman, Marc Staal.

Since being drafted by the Rangers in the first round (12 overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the middle Staal has developed into the most reliable blueliner in the organization. When it comes to defending his own zone and shutting down other teams' top forwards, Staal is the guy. And it is therefore imperative that General Manager Glen Sather get him re-signed for the long haul if there is to be continued growth and success from within the organization.

According to The New York Post's Larry Brooks, it does not appear the rightful amount of progress is being made to get the most imporant task on the Rangers' offseason list accomplished.

The reality is that when asked if there is a wide gulf separating the parties, Sather replied: "I wouldn't say it's a wide gulf, I would say it's more like a chasm."

Brooks notes that Staal is believed to be seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $3.5 to 4 million a year for four years.. But, as Michael Obernauer of The New York Daily News points out, Sather and his agent, legendary defenseman Bobby Orr, do not have much leverage. While he can sign an offer sheet as a restricted free agent if one comes his way starting Thursday, he cannot file for salary arbitration. Holding out is his only recourse.

Impossible Contracts Lie Ahead For NHL GMs

Teams have already begun the process of evaluating their rosters to determine what changes need to be made by the time the puck drops on the 2010-11 season. The time for upgrading talent will come at the end of June via the draft and at the start of free agency on July 1. But the most immediate part of the process for NHL general managers is to determine what dead weight should be shed from their respective organizations. Who needs to be let go, and how should they be discarded?

The most difficult situations for general managers to deal with when it comes to needing roster and cap relief is when the particular player they are looking to unload comes along with an inconvenient contract. Players who haven’t performed up to expectations and have large contracts will likely go unclaimed through the waiver process and are going to be tough sells to other general managers through the trade route. Though the latter is not impossible – just as Glen Sather about Scott Gomez.

The buyout process is another option for general managers, and the two-week window where that is allowable began today. According to TSN, the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens are each expected to explore that avenue with one or more of their players. But for players with a lot of money still owed, and several years accompanying it, buyouts can become a bigger burden to an organization. Teams will still owe a player two-thirds of the remaining money left on his contract (or one-third for those 26 years of age and younger) over double the amount of time left on the deal. And that’s not ideal for teams who want to spend as much as possible on players that will actually suit up for the team.

Then there’s this new revelation that hasn’t really been put into practice about simply demoting a player to the minors so that they don’t play for the NHL club and their salary doesn’t count against the cap. In theory, that sounds tremendous. But I don’t really think that method has been adopted by many teams thus far. And that’s probably out of respect for the player.

A few players around the league carry with them impossible contracts. They cannot be easily waived or traded, nor does it make financial sense overall or for the cap to pursue a buyout. Instead, teams seem stuck with these deals unless the general manager can get really creative or find a sucker somewhere amongst the other 29 squads.