Rangers & Marc Staal Close To Contract?

As per Marc Brophy, via Sportsnet.ca, the Rangers and restricted free agent Marc Staal are closing in on a deal. The “saga” has dragged out all summer, and has been the biggest concern amongst Ranger fans. General Manager Glen Sather has been relatively outspoken on the negotiations, saying that the difference was “a chasm” and that the Rangers would match any potential offer sheet presented to the young, star defenseman. Staal is clearly the Rangers best defenseman, and it would serve them well to have him signed when camp opens next week.

There aren’t many details in the Brophy article, but it’s safe to assume Staal will be at least the third highest paid defenseman on the team (Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival). Hopefully there will be an official signing announcement soon.

Update: Andrew Gross is reporting that a second source has confirmed talks. Nothing is imminent, but this is good news.

The Kings’ Cap

Henrik Lundqvist is an all-world goalie. He’s top 5 in the NHL, is a workhorse, proven clutch performer and only just entering his prime. Age and all aspects considered there is no goalie I would rather have man the Rangers crease. However, the fact remains that King Henrik takes home a Kings ransom. This isn’t a complaint because, of all the fat pay checks in recent Rangers memory Henrik at least earns his – and admirably so. However, given the growing trend in the league of teams going cheaper at the goalie position, will the Rangers be handicapped long term because of the large $$$ Henrik rakes in?

Eventually Wade Redden’s cap anchor will be off the roster and the same goes for Michael Roszival too. It’s hard to imagine Chris Drury pulling down 7m much longer, so there will be plenty more money to dole out over the next few years but it’s obvious that the Rangers are one of a decreasing number of clubs willing to invest big in arguably the most important position in hockey.

Looking at the strongest teams from last year and what goalies they’ll ice this year, the $$$ committed to goaltending are shocking. San Jose will pay 3 goalies combined (Niemi, Greiss and Nittimiyaki) less than Lundqvist. The Blackhawks new no. 1 Marty Turco takes home roughly 20% of the Swede’s total. The Penguins Marc Fleury has a cap hit of $5m (or, 1 Ryan Callahan less than Lundqvist) and The Capitals’ Simeon Varlamov is still on an entry level $821k per year. Of the top 10 winningest teams from the 09/10 season only two teams have goaltenders making 5m or more (Luongo and Brodeur).

If we look ahead (optimistically) and assume the Rangers have a couple of good years then a lot of players will want or require big new deals (think Del Zotto, Anisimov, Callahan, Dubinsky, perhaps Frolov etc). It will be interesting to see if the Rangers can afford these new deals and still add further pieces to the roster to build towards a cup. Any Rangers contender in the next half a decade will feature Henrik Lundqvist but will The King also be a financial problem going forward?

Rumor: Ruslan Fedotenko to be Invited to Camp?

In relatively surprising news, it is being rumored, via Andy Strickland, that Ruslan Fedotenko could be invited to the Rangers training camp on a try-out basis. Fedotenko and coach John Tortorella have a history together, as Fedotenko won a Cup for Torts with Tampa Bay in 2004. If Fedotenko does come to camp, the Rangers will have 12 C and/or LW in camp, not including Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. Those 12 (or 13) players would be vying for a maximum of nine roster spots. If these rumors of Fedotenko being extended an invite are true, then one would have to assume a trade is coming with one of the incumbents. There are too many players for too few spots on the roster.

Training Camp Preview: Defense

Training camp is right around the corner, and in our next training camp preview series –goalies were done last week– we are going to look at the defensemen vying to make the roster for the 2010-2011 season. Defense isn’t as cluttered as the forward position, but there are going to be some interesting battles in camp for those final two spots in the top six. The battle for that seventh defenseman spot, should there be a seventh defenseman, is also going to be interesting. The Rangers have four players battling for those three spots, and there are some other rookies that may be off most people’s radar, but could be dark horses to make the team.

Marc Staal: The unsigned defender is the Rangers best defenseman. Seeking a big raise from his $800,000 salary last year, the Rangers are going to need Staal signed and playing in order to compete this year. Staal logs all his minutes against opponents top lines, and does a great job at shutting them down. At the end of last season, he showed some offensive prowess, scoring in three straight games as the Rangers made a desperate push for the playoffs. Staal’s 10.4 GVT was third on the team last year, and second among skaters (Marian Gaborik was tops). His 6.4 DGVT was tops on the team by a full goal. Staal’s value to the team is almost immeasurable, and many fans are starting to get worried about when he will sign.

Dan Girardi: Girardi is an interesting conundrum. On one hand, all fans see is that he didn’t stand up for Gaborik as he got pummeled by Dan Carcillo. On the other hand, Girardi’s 5.0 DGVT (second on the team) and 6.8 GVT (fifth among skaters) shows just how valuable he really is. To put those numbers in perspective, Girardi had a better GVT than Fedor Tyutin (who some fans want back), Jay Bouwmeester, Dennis Wideman, Dion Phaneuf, Anton Volchenkov, and Zbynek Michalek. His 5.0 GVT is good for 32nd in the league, better than all those guys just mentioned, and other guys like Dan Hamhuis. Sure, Girardi may be a little overpaid at $3.325 million per season, but he’s a top four defender on almost every team in the league.

Read more after the jump

Sunday Link Dump

It’s Sunday, and even though I potentially escaped the hurricane on Fire Island, here’s your link dump:

George Ayes at Blueshirt Banter looks at the stats in the Rangers defense and power play. You might be surprised with what he finds.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post is reporting on Donald Fehr’s apparent demands for being the head of the NHLPA. Memo to the NHLPA: He’s worth it.

The OC Register is running a poll on the greatest US hockey player. There are a ton of worthy candidates, but in the end, it’s between Brett Hull and Brian Leetch.

Michael Traikos of The National Post explains why Mats Zuccarello-Aasen, aka The Hobbit Wizard, is for real.

Ryan Dixon of The Hockey News looks at Ryan McDonagh, and the expectations the defender has set for himself coming into camp this year.

Finally, Anthony Curatolo and David Strehle at Yard Barker look at the evolution of the enforcer, which has evolved into the new breed, featuring Sean Avery.

Rangers Musings

With Jeremy in the moving process, and Jurgenno without internet for a bit, it’s up to me to continue with the Rangers Musings.

• Why do people seem to think that because the Rangers signed Tim Kennedy, that Dale Weise is automatically going to Hartford? They play different positions. The Rangers are still short on RW, even though they have 11 players at the C/LW positions.
• Speaking of those 11 players (Dubinsky, Prospal, Frolov, Christensen, Drury, Kennedy, Avery, Boogaard, Anisimov, White, Boyle), there has to be some sort of deal coming, right? Even if the Rangers carry 13 forwards, with four RW, that leaves 9 C/LW. Either two players are getting traded, or two are going to Hartford.
• Mats Zuccarello-Aasen wasn’t included in the 11 forwards for a reason, I don’t believe he will make the roster out of camp. If he does, then it’s 12 C/LW, and 3 are destined for Hartford.
• It’s good to see that Sean Avery is planning on returning to form this season. If he doesn’t, I don’t think he will be around much longer.
• Martin Biron may not be a determining factor in the hunt for the playoffs, but will be the biggest factor in the playoffs. A rested King is a good King.
• Even if Alex Frolov doesn’t spend time with Marian Gaborik at even strength, he will see a ton of powerplay time with him. I expect a good season from the winger.
• Derek Stepan and Evgenvy Grachev will be playing in Hartford next season. The reason? There are 11 C/LW signed already. Oh, and they just simply aren’t ready yet.
• Ryan McDonagh, assuming a normal camp, will probably make the roster. If he doesn’t, he will be the first call up.
• Regardless if McDonagh makes the roster, the Rangers need to dump salary. However, that doesn’t need to be done by dumping Wade Redden. If Staal signs for anything less than $4.5 million, the Rangers can send Matt Gilroy, Todd White, and MZA to Hartford and still have the cap space for Redden and Staal. If Staal signs for $4 million, then the Rangers can have Staal, McDonagh and Redden on the roster, and have seven defensemen and thirteen forwards. (Cap numbers as per CapGeek)
• Dark horse to make the team: Ethan Werek.
• As for Staal, a deal will be done. It not time to panic yet. When Bobby Ryan signs, then it’s time to panic.
• Donald Fehr is perfect for the union, just pay him his money and get some solid leadership.
• This is the 13th bullet in the Musings, and it makes me wonder. Why do buildings in NYC skip the number 13? The elevators go from 12 to 14. Those on the “14th floor” are really on the 13th floor.
• Minor programming note: Jeremy is still moving, Jurgenno is without internet, and I will be going to Fire Island tomorrow for the weekend. So I am going to be writing posts tonight and tomorrow for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. They won’t be outdated by the time they are posted, but any big news may have a delay in posting.
• What are the odds that Hurricane Earl delays or cancels my trip? I say, 45%.
• As of yesterday, we here at Blue Seat Blogs are now a proud member of the Yard Barker network. You may have noticed the toolbar at the top of the page, and the added widget on the sidebar. We are very happy to be on board with Yard Barker

NHL Wants Something for Kovalchuk Deal

It seems like everyday, every hour, there is a tweet or a post or an article about the Ilya Kovalchuk saga. Now, the NHL is set to approve the 15 year, $100 million deal for Kovalchuk, but with a few conditions. As per Larry Brooks, who broke this last night, the NHL has two conditions for approving the Kovalchuk deal, and allowing the Marian Hossa and Roberto Luongo deals to stand.

1. That the cap hit on future multiyear contracts will not count any season that ends with the player over 40 years of age. The cap hit would be based on the average salary of the seasons in the contract up to age 40.

2. That the cap hit on future contracts longer than five years would be calculated by granting additional weight — perhaps the average — to the five consecutive years with the largest average salary.

Should the union not accept these terms, or if a negotiated deal is not reached by the Friday 5pm deadline, the league will reject the Kovalchuk deal, and look to decommission the Hossa and Luongo deals. Should the union agree, the aforementioned contracts, and presumably the other questionable contracts, will be grandfathered into the new agreement.

These two conditions are fair conditions, as it is rare that a player is effective, or even playing, at the age of forty. Sure, there are exceptions, but they are just that: exceptions to the rule. To put numbers to this, if Marc Staal were to sign a 20 year deal for $100 million, a deal expiring when Staal would turn 42, the original cap hit would be $5 million. Under the new stipulation, the cap hit would be $100 million over 18 years ($5.55 million), as the two years after 40 no longer apply to the cap hit.

The second stipulation is a bit more complicated. If the contract is front or back loaded in any way, then the cap hit would fluctuate based on the length and weight of the contract. Based on Brooks’ statement, it appears that the five heaviest years will have a higher cap hit than the rest of the contract. Using the hypothetical Staal example above, if the contract has a first five years of an annual $8 million salary, then the cap hit would be $8 million for the first first years, and $5.55 million for the remainder of the deal.

More analysis after the jump

A Bus Fit For A King; Andrew Yogan Notes

For his effort with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the face of the Rangers, and all-world goalie Henrik Lundqvist has a New York City bus named after him yesterday afternoon. I was unable to attend, but good friend Nick Montemagno of Rangers Tribune was able to not only join, but found a way to interview The King himself. The interview can be found at Rangers Tribune. It’s good to see that professional bloggers like Nick can still find ways to get interviews with players, even if the organization doesn’t approve. Nick also had the privilege of interviewing Wayne Gretzky a while back, and always does a great job. Make sure you head over and read his brief interview.

Also, Draft America caught up with Peter Worrell, who coached Rangers 2010 4th round draft pick Andrew Yogan while he played in Florida for the Junior Panthers. Peter had some very kind words for Andrew:

“Andrew is one of those kids who’s just a naturally gifted goal-scorer. He has an ability that you cannot teach a player. He just knows how to put the puck in the net. He’s a big, strong kid… He has a real opportunity to be the first kid from this area to actually be an NHL player.”

Although HockeysFuture has Yogan projecting out as a checker in the NHL, it is good to see Yogan has a scoring touch. Yogan will be playing for the Erie Otters in the OHL next season, as he begins his career as a professional hockey player. Don’t forget to go to Draft America to check out the rest of the interview.

One last thing, I received an email about some Ranger greats appearing at Iona College on September 25. Here’s the information:

I thought you, and your followers, may be interested. Saturday, September 25th, Messier, Lemieux, Howe, Leetch, Graves, Hull and more will be at Iona College’s Mulcahy Gym at 10AM for ‘Steinerfest IV:Hockey Greats’, to meet fans and sign autographs. Admission is $10 and $5 for children 12 and under. Fans will be able to purchase player autographs, win raffle prinzes, participate in silent auctions, take pictures and more. Tickets can be purchased at Steiner Sports Store and at Last Licks locations.

That’s a hell of a crew headed to Iona for autographs. Each one alone is worth the admission.

Camp Depth, Defending Glen and Hartford Stacked.

Dave has begun to break down each specific area going into training camp but I can’t help wondering what kind of camp battle to expect amongst the forwards. With yesterday’s addition of Tim Kennedy the bottom 6 – already an area of ‘depth’ for the Rangers – got a whole lot more confusing. When you tally up the likely candidates vying for bottom 6 spots it’s hard impossible to see how they can all fit. Competition for jobs is one thing, having to go ‘top and tail’ with team mates at camp because there’s too many people for beds is quite another.

All the moves Sather has made to address forward depth make fans wonder if it’s all a pre-curser to a bigger move or just an attempt to throw mud at a wall and see what sticks. Todd White, Tim Kennedy, re-upping Byers, Prust and Dupont, bringing back Christensen, bringing in Boogaard;  all of these guys are likely fighting it out for jobs in the bottom 6 with Chris Drury, Sean Avery, Brian Boyle, Dale Weise and the prospects who may or may not be ready including Derek Stepan and Ethan Werek. How it plays out is anyone’s guess but without considering any unexpected standouts that’s already 13 names for 6 or 7 spots.

You have to wonder what the Rangers told Kennedy prior to his signing. It’s unlikely to be along the lines of ‘Hey, come in and compete with Brian Boyle for a job – sign here’ or he wouldn’t be here. The one-way contract he received firms up the notion he has a job. With the top 6 pretty much locked up (other than the positions for certain players such as Dubinsky and Prospal) it’s hard to see what Sather and Tortorella have in mind with all this quantity.

I refuse to criticise Sather for signing guys like Kennedy. He’s young, versatile, had a good AHL career, a solid college career and has upside. Given the contract he signed there’s no risk either. I don’t buy into some fans on twitter and various websites complaining about guys like Dane Byers not getting a chance because of ‘another Sather signing’. If Byers deserves a spot, if he blows away everyone at camp he’ll get a spot, I truly believe that. If he doesn’t earn it then he doesn’t deserve it. The best available players should be dressed in Rangers blue. If that’s Dane Byers, Tim Kennedy or another non draftee then so be it. In an ideal world the team would be full of Rangers picks but if the team is successful and it isn’t full of home grown picks big deal. Let the outcry begin if certain players get jobs and don’t deserve them until then there’s no point in crying about it.  

Another thing to consider is that part of a successful franchise is a successful farm system. We have seen a good Hartford side the past few years (last year being an exception) and no coincidence a regularly playoff bound Rangers team. It helps prospects who do begin their pro career in Hartford to begin it in a winning environment. As it stands right now, potentially there will be a lot of good players making the way to Hartford after camp and although some players may get moved or waived some will no doubt end up in Hartford. Derek Stepan, Evgeny Grachev and co. will only benefit by being involved in a good strong side.  

If Hartford features Dupont and Byers again, NHL’ers like Brian Boyle and even a guy like Todd White all complimenting Stepan, Grachev and guys like Kris Newbury and Jeremy Williams (good AHLer’s) then it promises to be an offensively impressive team. Think of the numbers Stepan and the kids may put up. Maybe a guy like Byers doesn’t make the NHL with New York but don’t underestimate these kind of guys impact on prospect development in the AHL. Some guys are worth ‘sacrificing’ if they can expedite a legitimate prospect. Look how Artem Anisimov benefited from PA Parenteau. For that reason alone PA deserves an applause when he comes to the MSG as a fish stick.

Rangers Sign Tim Kennedy

The Rangers have signed ex Sabres forward Tim Kennedy.

The 24 year old, 5’10 forward became a UFA after the Buffalo Sabres bought his deal out after accepting an arbitration award in the region of $1m earlier this summer.  Kennedy had a solid rookie year for the Sabres scoring 10 goals and 26 points and can play both left wing and center. Terms of the signing have yet to be disclosed but the deal has been reported on twitter by beat writers Andrew Gross and Steve Zipay.

The signing is by no means a bad one but an odd one. You have to assume that Kennedy would be a bottom 6 player for the Rangers, an area where the Rangers have an abundance both in New York and Hartford. Kennedy does have upside however, prior to his solid NHL rookie year he had an excellent year in the AHL where he put up 67 points for Portland.

Hockeys future had this to say about Kennedy:

His defensive zone play and willingness to take the body have remained strengths, and he showed good leadership ability with his college team.  Though not a pure scorer, he is an opportunistic and smart offensive player, with good fundamentals.

His signing is surely the final nail in the Brian Boyle coffin and Kennedy does seem to have offensive upside even if he doesn’t have natural goal scoring ability. Kennedy in NY also makes the future of players like Dane Byers murkier. After all, where can they all fit? While an odd signing at worst  this is another low risk high reward signing by Sather as Kennedy costs nothing but dollars and could surprise with his talent. Training camp competition just got a little more fierce.

Update (Dave): James Mirtle is reporting that the deal is a one year, one way deal at $550k. The Rangers now have 11 C/LW on the roster.