Buying Out Wade Redden

With the Rangers in dire salary cap straits, the need to alleviate pressure on the cap grows everyday. The biggest cry amongst fans has been to buyout Wade Redden, who’s $6.5 million cap hit for the next four seasons is, to put it mildly, atrocious. The thought of buying out Redden is appealing, until you see what it would cost to buy him out. Per CapGeek, it is pricey, and lengthy:

So if the Rangers were to buyout Redden, they would be paying him until the end of the 2017-2018 season. That’s a full eight seasons of Wade Redden, as opposed to the four remaining. The buyout of Redden may not seem like much, but paying $2 million for someone that’s not on the team for the next eight years isn’t exactly ideal. Also, because of the structure of Redden’s contract, that $2 million becomes $3.4 million for two seasons.

From a business standpoint and from a hockey operations standpoint, buying out Redden simply does not work because it is just too expensive. The only option that makes sense from a hockey operations sense is to demote Redden, but that is unlikely to happen due to varying reasons, especially when there may have been pressure to play him. The Rangers desperately need salary cap space, but it looks like it may have to come from another method.

Draft Watch: Derek Forbort

The Rangers have the tenth overall pick in the draft, and while some writers think the Rangers will draft a goalie (for some unknown reason), the Rangers most pressing need at the NHL level is a scorer. However, with the Rangers sitting at #10, they might have to employ a “best available” tactic at the draft. If that occurs, the Rangers might wind up taking another defenseman in the first round. In the sixth installment of this series, we look at defenseman Derek Forbort of the US-Under 18 National Team, who is committed to North Dakota for next season.

The 6’4 200 lb defenseman has put together a steady season with the US National Team, putting together a line or 4-10-14 with 26 PIMs in 26 games. Forbort is one of the top defenders available in the draft this year. His offensive awareness provides tremendous upside for any team looking for some scoring from the blue line. He may not like to carry the puck that much, but he makes up for it by making one of the top first passes in the draft. His hockey IQ is top notch, which leads to great decision making with the puck and with his passes. His hockey IQ also directly correlates to his anticipation ability with and without the puck.

Forbort uses his big body to his advantage, utilizing his very long reach to take away opponents passing lanes. He also plays a fairly physical style of play, using his size and strength in the corners and to clear the crease. An exceptional skater, Forbort’s stride appears to be effortless as he carries the puck. In addition to speed, Forbort’s balance, strength and agility make him extremely difficult to knock off the puck. This combination of size and skating strength also makes him difficult to beat in battles in front of the net.

The only knock on Forbort is that he is a very raw talent, but his high ceiling should still put him in the top-10 or top-15 in this year’s draft. Although the Rangers need scoring help, if they cannot trade up, they may go with a best available approach to the draft. Forbort offers a rare combination of size, skill, and speed on the blue line that makes him a hot commodity in the new NHL. Defenseman like Forbort fall in the Drew Doughty category, if his potential is fully met. A top-four of Forbort, Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto, and Dan Girardi would be one of the best in the league, and would make the Rangers a force to be reckoned with on the blue line for years.

Image Credit: Dave Arnold

2011 Winter Classic: Washington at Pittsburgh

In a move that surprises absolutely no one, the 2011 Winter Classic, to be played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, will feature the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins. This game will again feature the “classic” Cindy vs. Ovechkin match up. You can’t blame the NHL for wanting this match up. Crosby and Ovechkin are the two best players in the game. Both teams provide a lot of offense, and there is a lot of bad blood, which will lead to an intense game.

It seems like Pittsburgh/Washington is getting as much hype in the hockey world as Yankees/Red Sox in the baseball world. As good as the match up sounds, and as good as some of the games are, it seems like all we do is get saturated with Crosby and Ovechkin. The NHL should be marketing its best players, but sometimes the rest of the league does get lost in the Crosby/Ovechkin hooplah. Personally, I don’t watch the Winter Classic, mostly because it’s the biggest day of the year for college football. But the game is going to be a solid game, there’s no denying that.

Scouting The Market: Zbynek Michalek

Our next victim for Scouting The Market? Zbynek Michalek

Zbynek Michalek is a 27 year old defense man who has played the past couple years in Phoenix.  A very consistent, durable blueliner, Michalek is a shot blocking demon, leading the league in 08-09 and always near the top. A good positional defenseman, he’s not going to make too many mistakes, but he’s not going to be a real crease clearing presence in the front of the net either. He has offensive skills, and while it’s dwindled the past couple of seasons, a lot of that is due to playing with Ed Jovanovski, who is an offensive threat and defensive liability.

Michalek is not the most physical guy, but he gets the job done with solid positioning and good stick work. He’s not afraid to block a shot and sacrifice his body. Michalek made $1.5 million last year. You can probably expect an increase to $2.5-3 million a year.

Obviously, signing any defenseman limits the ability for the youngsters to play. Assuming they re-sign Staal and Girardi, the D-pairs would look something like this:

Staal-Girardi

Rosival-Michalek

Redden-Del Zotto

The best thing to do is to buy out Redden, and try to trade Rosival (which may be easier than you think, considering how well he played down the stretch last year). If they can’t do that, and if they sign a defenseman like Michalek,  guys like Gilroy and Sanguinetti can’t play. It’s a downside.

That said, what do you think of Michalek? Worth the price of admission? Worth blocking some of the youngsters? Let us know in the comments.

A Position In Transition

Continuing our look at the Rangers prospect system we cast an eye at the future at center. The Rangers are crying out for top line help, they are crying out for a consistent (and effective) center for Marian Gaborik and they are crying out for offensive impact down the middle. However what the Rangers are not crying out for are long term solutions.

At center (despite various positional switches) the Rangers have been using a combination of Brandon Dubinsky, Vinny Prospal, Chris Drury, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Olli Jokinen and Erik Christensen. There’s a fair bit of talent there – albeit at varying stages of their careers – but no one will confuse this collection for Crosby, Malkin and Staal and it doesn’t say much when a team has used at least 7 centers in one season. So what gives?

The Rangers find themselves with a real dilemma this summer. Any center of worth available (whether it be via free agency or trade) won’t come with a short contract – don’t think a guy like Tomas Plekanec will join the Rangers for 5m for 1 or 2 years. He, like most, will be looking for long term deals which the Rangers simply cannot afford to give and besides, The Rangers need to address anything BUT the center position.

Looking at the system it’s hard not to like the Rangers future at center. Wisconsin blue chipper Derek Stepan has massive potential and has tasted success at every level he’s played at. Carl Hagelin looks a very solid prospect in a strong NCAA program, Ryan Bourque, Ethan Werek and Roman Horak all look at this stage like very good draft picks. The beauty of this group is that it’s diverse. You have the playmaking potential of Stepan and Horak, the forechecking speedster in Bourque, power forward types like Werek and defensively sound 2 way guys like Hagelin. The main problem however is none of this group realistically are close to being on the NHL roster. Whether it be age, college commitments or level of development this talented group have a way to go before they become Garden favourites.

The key for the Rangers is finding opportunities for them to come up through the system. However with the position at the NHL level in some dire straits the temptation for Glen Sather to address a short term need will be large.

The Rangers, unless a stunning opportunity jumps out at them, simply must avoid clogging up the position. Allow Drury to be a (vastly) overpaid role player for two more years. Allow Erik Christensen to be a reclamation project and allow Artem Anisimov to grow (with appropriate ice time). The Rangers must take the pains that the position may give next season. If there is indeed money to spend, spend it on the back end, in goal and add a scoring winger.   

The Rangers (at center) are stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. They have a great future tempered by an average present. Rangers’ fans have been clamouring for a home grown core for a long time and the potential for it really is there. In 2 years the spine of the team could be something like Anisimov – Stepan – Bourque – Werek. John Tortorella has stated youth needs to be served so let’s hope the Rangers power brokers listen and don’t spoil a potentially promising future trying to squeeze into the playoffs. The Rangers could have an entirely home grown, diverse group of centres. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Next up we’ll look closer at Derek Stepan and what he could provide in NY.

It’s Official: Rangers Sign Mats Zuccarello-Aasen

In a move we all expected to happen, the Rangers have officially signed Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. The deal is reportedly $900,000 for two years. If the deal includes bonuses, it will increase the cap hit. Zuccarello was playing with Modo in the Swedish Elite League, where he played 90 total games, netting 35 goals and 69 assists. MZA has also participated in international competitions, including the Olympics and the World Championships for his native Norway. MZA will be expected to compete for a spot on this year’s team, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he starts in Hartford to get adjusted to the North American style of play.

Heikkinen Signs With KHL

The questions about whether Ilkka Heikkinen will be back next year have been answered, and that answer is no. Heikkinen has signed with Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL. The Finnish defenseman played seven games with the Rangers, finishing with a +2 rating. In 72 games with Hartford, Heikkinen put together a line of 8-30-38, which was tied for tops amongst Wolfpack defensemen. This signing should come as no surprise, as Heikkinen has expressed displeasure with the Rangers. The Rangers also refused to give Heikkinen a one-way contract, which would have guaranteed his NHL salary, even if playing in the AHL.

Heikkinen also granted an interview with Maria Levinskaya, and a full translation of the interview can be found at Beyond the Blueshirts.

Draft Watch: Jon Merrill

The Rangers have the tenth overall pick in the draft, and while some writers think the Rangers will draft a goalie (for some unknown reason), the Rangers most pressing need at the NHL level is a scorer. However, with the Rangers sitting at #10, they might have to employ a “best available” tactic at the draft. If that occurs, the Rangers might wind up taking another defenseman in the first round. In the sixth installment of this series, we look at defenseman Jonathan Merrill of the US-Under 18 National Team.

The 6’3 200 lb American defenseman has put together a modest season with the USA team, netting a goal and eight assists in 22 games this year. Generally not known for his offense, Merrill is one of the most defensively sound prospects in this draft. His play in his own zone makes him one of the top defensive players at his level. He is positionally sound, and plays a very physical game, already utilizing his size to his advantage.

Although Merrill is not known for his offense, he has started to show some offense this year, which has dramatically risen his stock. His nine points in 22 games is not a big increase in production, but his presence and IQ on the ice illustrate that he is ready to break out offensively. His play style is reminiscent of Marc Staal, in that he is defensively superior to his age group, while his offense has potential, and is starting to show.

The only real knock on Merrill is his skating ability. While not slow, Merrill is not as fast and swift on his skates as some of the other top skaters in the draft. This affects his ability to get to loose pucks, and his ability to cut off oncoming forwards. This isn’t all that unexpected from an 18 year old, and it is something that Merrill is already working on. It’s not that Merrill is a poor skating, it is just an area for improvement for possibly the best defensive player in this draft.

Although many would want the Rangers to draft a forward, and potentially trade up to get one earlier in the draft. However, if the Rangers were unable to do so, Merrill is a solid consolation prize. The Rangers would do well with a defensive core of Merrill, Staal, Michael Del Zotto, and Dan Girardi. That foursome would be one of the top foursomes in the game. For a team that needs a big bruising defenseman, Merrill would be just that, and maybe provide some offense too.

Image Credit: Mike Kylmaniemi, HHOF IIHF Images

Rangers Acquire Jyri Niemi

In the first trade between the Rangers and the Islanders in 37 years, the Rangers have picked up Jyri Niemi for a 2010 6th round pick. The 19-year old, 6’3 210 lb winger defenseman played for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL last season, putting together a line of 8-21-29, with 67 PIMs and a +9 rating. Niemi was the Islanders 3rd round pick in 2008, and was not going to be signed by the Islanders. This appears to be a depth move by the Rangers, who are lacking forwards at the AHL level.

With this trade, the Rangers no longer hold picks in the third or sixth rounds of this draft.

Rangers and Hartford to End Affiliation?

The Hartford Wolfpack may no longer be the Rangers AHL affiliate come 2011-2012. According to the Biz of Hockey, the Rangers are unhappy with their relationship with the Wolfpack, and will be looking to transfer their affiliation to the Rochester Americans, who end their affiliation with the Panthers after the end of the 2010-2011 season.

Hartford has been the home of the Rangers AHL affiliation since its move from Binghamton in 1997. In the 13 seasons since the move, the Wolfpack have been fairly successful, winning three division championships, a regular season championship, a conference championship, and a Calder Cup. This past season was the first time in 13 years that the Wolfpack failed to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

In addition to interest from the Rochester Americans, there is also interest from numerous AHL clubs in the Upstate New York area. The Albany River Rats, who just lost their team to relocation to Charlotte, are another possibility. Albany is about half the distance to Manhattan from Rochester, and no longer has an AHL affiliate. Either way, it looks like the Rangers and Hartford will be severing ties soon.