Rangers Claim Alex Auld On Re-Entry Waivers

Via Larry Brooks, the Rangers have claimed backup goalie Alex Auld off re-entry waivers from the Stars. The team will assume a $500,000 cap hit with the move, which saves them about $350,000 compared to carrying Chad Johnson.

Auld, 29, will be a free agent after the season, and is 9-6 with a 3.00 GAA and a 0.894 SV% in 21 games this year. Dallas had no place for him following their pickup of Kari Lehtonen. It’s hard not to like the move, the Rangers freed up some cap space, got a veteran backup, and can let Johnson and Matt Zaba continue to play regularly in Hartford.

Rangers Acquire Jody Shelley

Via Andrew Gross, the Rangers have acquired tough guy Jody Shelley from the Sharks. Bob McKenzie says they gave up a 6th round pick in 2011 to get him, but if they re-sign him after the season, it becomes a 5th rounder.

The 34-year-old Shelley’s not going to cure any scoring woes, but he essentially replaces the waived Donald Brashear. Unlike Brashear though, Shelley should actually be able to win a fight every once in a while. In 36 games this year, he has 78 PIM and 10 fighting majors.

Brashear Asked For A Trade (UPDATED!)

Update (12:14pm): Bob McKenzie tweets that Brashear has in fact been waived. Oh happy day.

10:01am: Via Andrew Gross, Donald Brashear apparently requested a trade a few weeks ago, and thinks that’s why he’s hasn’t dressed for 11 of the team’s last 12 games. “It just shows me they don’t believe in me,” said Brashear. “I ask for a trade, that’s more likely why I’m not playing any games. Usually, when you ask for a trade, they don’t play you.”

Brashear, who is under contract next season with a $1.4M cap hit, has played in just 36 of the team’s 60 games this season. Even when he has played, he’s barely noticeable. The addition of Brandon Prust made Brashear even more expendable, so even if they aren’t able to finding a trading partner, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was waived. Talk about a dud free agent signing.

Callahan named alternate captain

Via Steve Zipay, Ryan Callahan has been named the sole alternate captain for the time being. John Tortorella will apparently wait to see if another candidate emerges, presumably giving them the second A.

Congrats to Cally, good to see his hard work didn’t go unnoticed.

Dubinsky signs … finally

According to Andrew Gross, restricted free agent and holdout center Brandon Dubinsky has finally signed for $3.7M over two years. I guess rumors of him lowering his demands were greatly exaggerated. Obviously the Rangers caved in, so amazingly the holdout worked. Good for Brandon. He’ll make $1.7M this year and $2M next, putting his cap hit at a manageable $1.85M. “The only part that made me nervous was the thought that they might possibly trade me. I wanted to be here,” is the money quote, no pun intended.

The important thing now is that he will skate later today at the team’s practice facility. Dubinsky is a week behind the other guys, so he’s going to have to bust his tail to get ready for the season.

Update (Dave) 4:30:Some interesting numbers are starting to be made public. Steve Zipay is reporting that Dubinsky was initially requesting four years and $16 million.

The initial reports that Dubinsky was asking for $1.4 million were puzzling, as it seemed absurd that Sather would be haggling over that little money. This realization that Dubinsky wanted $4 million a year shows that it may just be about the money for him. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn’t stay too attached to him. He is not worth $4 million a year. This deal ($1.85 million cap hit) is just right.

Rangers add Prospal

Via Larry Brooks, the Rangers have signed winger Vinny Prospal to a one year deal worth $1.1M. Prospal played under John Tortorella for a few seasons in Tampa, but managed to miss out on the club’s 2004 Stanley Cup Championship while playing in Anaheim. It’s worth noting that Vinny’s best seasons have come under Torts, so maybe there’s hope for him in this system.

Me? I don’t love the move, but it’s not terrible. Prospal’s pretty much a lock for 20 goals in the run-and-gun system, and his deal is pretty cheap and easy to back out of. Plus he can fill in at center if needed. He’s essentially taking the spot vacated by Nik Zherdev, which is funny because they’re both the same kind of players: lots of talent but they disappear at times.

Zherdev heading to the KHL (UPDATE: No he’s not)

In some unsurprising news, Carp passes along a report that former Blueshirt Nik Zherdev is indeed heading home to Mother Russia to play in the KHL next year. The translated article doesn’t say much, but there’s enough there to get the point across that Nik will join Yulaev Salavat Ufa, a team that also features former Rangers Vlad Vorobiev (remember him?) and Dmitri Kalinen.

Update: Turns out he isn’t heading to the KHL, yet anyway. Via Beyond the Blueshirts, Zherdev’s agent basically denied the report.

Callahan signs, Korpikoski traded to Pheonix

Steve Zipay of Newsday tweets that Ryan Callahan has signed a contract, avoiding the arbitration hearing set for later this month. Still don’t know the terms, but Zipay says that “it is believed to be a substantial raise and a multi-year deal.” Good for Callie, he’s earned it. We’ll post the numbers once we find ‘em.

Update (8:36pm): Zipay now tweets that Lauri Korpikoski has been traded to Pheonix. Details to come.

Update (8:39pm): SNY’s Ranger Blog says the Korpedo was traded for Enver Lisin, a restricted free agent. Lisin scored 13 goals in 48 games last year, and Hockey’s Future says he has “significant offensive upside” and is a fantastic skater. I like the move, sounds like a damn fine addition for the third line with the potential for more in the future.

Update (9:12pm): Back to Callie, he gets two years, $4.6 M. If my math is right that’s a $2.3M cap hit. Not bad at all.

Rangers add Kotalik

Steve Zipay reports that the Rangers have agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent winger Ales Kotalik. Kotalik went 20-23-43 in 75 games split between Buffalo and Edmonton last year. Various reports say it’s a three year deal worth $3M per, basically market value. He earned $2.5M last season. A teammate of Chris Drury in Buffalo, Kotalik has averaged just over 22 goals per 82 games played in his career.

The move adds depth and another scoring winger to a team in need of one, but it likely spells the end for Nik Zherdev’s brief tenure on Broadway.

Cammalleri to Montreal

I don’t have any fancy powers to edit threads I didn’t create, so let’s start a new one.

Mike Cammalleri is heading north of the border to Montreal, where apparently salary cap restrictions don’t apply. He got five years at $6M per. Obviously he would have been a great fit for the Blueshirts, but that’s a lot of scratch.

Marian Gaborik is still out there, but he’ll be way more expensive than Cammy would have been. Martin Havlat isn’t going back to Chicago thanks to Marian Hossa’s megadeal, but is the price right?

Update (6:14pm): Mike Komisarek got five years at $4.5M per from the Maple Leafs. Toronto also finalized the Kubina deal, getting Exelby and Colin Stuart from Atlanta for Kubina and Tim Stapleton.

Update 7:00pm: Dave here, thanks Mike for watching out while I was MIA.

Steve Sullivan re-upped with Nashville, 2 years, $3.75 annually.

Steve Begin to the Bruins, 1 year $850k

Sami Pahlsson to CBJ, 3 years, $2.65 annually.

Still no big splash for the Rangers, Gaborik and Havlat still out there.

Update 7:05pm: Chris Neil to make his decision tonight, it’s between the Rangers, Oilers, and Leafs.

If the Rangers sign him to a four year deal, Sather will have officially burned out all his brownie points for dealing Gomez.

Gaborik wants 10/$75 million.

If he gets that deal, what does the over/under start at? 300 games over 10 years? 400?

Update 7:15pm: The Rangers offer to Neil is 4/$8.8 million total.

Update 7:30pm: Matieu Garon to CBJ, 2 years, $1.2 million per.

Update 8:20pm: Gaborik to the Rangers (!!) 5 years, $5.75 million a year (!!!) Great deal! 5 years, $7.5 mil a year. Still a good deal.

Gionta reunited with Gomez in Montreal, 5 years, $25 million.

Neil staying in Ottawa (whew) 4 years, $8 million.