Making Sense Of The Ryan Smyth Trade Rumor

Larry Brooks reported yesterday that the Rangers are supposedly interested in Edmonton’s Ryan Smyth. According to Brooks, Smyth is willing to waive his no-movement clause to come to New York. While Smyth would probably fit the Rangers style of play, one has to wonder the legitimacy of this rumor.

This past summer Smyth requested that the Los Angeles Kings (a team on the rise) trade him back to Edmonton, so he could finish his career as an Oiler. It seems peculiar that a 35 year old nearing retirement, who chose to go home over competing for the Cup, would want to be traded back to a contender.

Now don’t get me wrong. The net presence of Ryan Smyth is a big part of the Oilers power play and I’m sure he could provide some secondary scoring off the forecheck. But what do you give up for a 35 year old who will likely return to Edmonton this summer? If the rumor is true, my offer would obviously be Wolski.

Of course the Oilers are rebuilding, so I imagine they would also want someone younger like a Mats Zuccarello or perhaps a prospect. Gun to my head I wouldn’t move a prospect for a rental, but I’d consider moving Zukes, as I’m sure he sees the writing on the wall.

Anyway, Brooksie is probably just trying to sell papers, but I thought I’d break this one down for ya anyway.

Trade Deadline: Discount Deals For Depth

Last week during my musings, I briefly mentioned how some of these sites dedicated to spreading trade rumors don’t really see what makes our team successful on a game to game basis. More often than not they attach the Rangers to (supposedly) available players who don’t really fit our blueprint (i.e. Souray, Hemsky, Carter, etc).

Today I want to discuss some candidates who could potentially fit within our team concept; players who I think could succeed in our deep forechecking system and under a coach who demands that his players commit to back pressure.

Before I get started, I just want to reiterate that I still believe the Rangers can beat anybody with the personnel they currently have. I’m not opposed to standing pat at the deadline, especially since the demand for top six forwards will likely outweigh supply. However, should an opportunity present itself to acquire some depth, I might make a move if the price is right.

With that said, here are several players I think are worth working the phones for.

Dustin Penner – LW (6’4 240 lbs): The 29 year old is having a down year for the Kings offensively (11pts in 38 gp), but so is everyone else it seems on that roster. Prior to joining the Kings stifling defensive system, he typically averaged 25 goals a season for the Oilers & Ducks.

Penner isn’t going to solve our power play woes on his own, but having a big boy with a nose for the crease could help at least one aspect of it, especially against a team like the Bruins. I’m sure being on the last year of his contract ($4.2M) could motivate him if he gets a change of scenery.

Chad LaRose LW/RW (5’10 180 lbs): LaRose is more of a 30-40 point energy guy for the Canes and not someone with a lot of upside, but I think he’d fit given his ability to forecheck and work the boards. His plus/minus is ugly (-21), but his relative Corsi numbers (a good puck possession metric) puts him 3rd among Canes starters.

LaRose, who has one year left on his contract (at $1.7M), has 21 points thus far, which isn’t bad for a guy starting 43% of his starts in the OZ and only getting 14 mins/game. With the Maple Leafs also in the hunt for for a top six winger – and apparently willing to part with top prospects -pursuing a depth forward like LaRose may be the better play for us.

Dominic Moore – C/LW (5’11 185 lbs): Moore is a pain in the ass to play against. He’s one of those Avery-types who does all of the cheap BS after the whistle like bumping your goaltender, taking whacks at your limbs, etc, which invariably draws penalties. He’s pretty much no use to a non-playoff team like Tampa Bay.

Moore is a good skater, strong on faceoffs (winning 54% to date), and has some pop on offense on the cheap ($1.1M cap hit for around 30-35 points). He may not be physical enough for Torts’ liking, but he’d be an upgrade over someone like Erik Christensen.

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Morrow Could Make Rangers Cup Threat

Some players simply fit well with certain teams. Brendan Morrow and the Rangers would fit. If Morrow, as suggested by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, is potentially up for grabs then the Rangers should seriously look in to getting him off the Dallas Stars.

There are several reasons Morrow would be a success as a Ranger. First of all Morrow can play the style employed by John Tortorella. He’s an excellent forechecker, plays a physical brand of hockey but is also a good finisher and has two 30 goal seasons on his resume (as well as four seasons of 49+ points). He’s also not afraid to go in to high traffic areas and look for rebounds.

Then there is the leadership and experience Morrow brings. A successful, cup contending team can never have too much leadership, it can never have too many players willing to assume responsibility and Morrow has never been a player to shy away from responsibility. He’s been a leader on the Stars for a long time now and given his previous success with Team Canada is a man that would instantly command respect in the locker room.

Morrow has experience playing with Brad Richards and adapting to the Rangers way would surely be made easier by being so familiar with someone such as Richards. Morrow would also (possibly on Richards’ line) solve an issue that is affecting the Rangers which is a top six scoring left winger that is. Anisimov has disappeared, Dubinsky has had a very underwhelming season and will all due respect, Fedotenko is not the answer for a team wanting to go deep.

Acquiring Morrow would also see other pieces fall into place to form a quality third line. While his long term future may (should?) be in the top six, acquiring Morrow would likely see Dubinsky dropping to the third line to form a dangerous trio, likely with Boyle and Prust. It allows the team to ice a third line competent both defensively and offensively, something that Morrow’s presence would cause. How does the idea of a Morrow – Richards – Callahan line sound? It would give the Rangers two first lines in theory, something this club hasn’t had much of.

Scared of the contract? Don’t be. Morrow is making a reasonable $4.1m (a similar annual salary Sean Avery makes…tumbleweed) and has one more year beyond this season. He has the quality to contribute this year and next and should he not be a success in New York, a player with his resume possessing an expiring contract should be relatively easy to move and not a subsequent cap anchor.

There are also concerns with Morrow however. He is a controversial character that has had league discipline issues and isn’t afraid to voice his opinion. Would he get along with the coach? Then there is a relatively recent injury history in which Morrow has missed significant time. Throw in the fact that the Stars are in the playoff hunt (albeit it currently on the outside looking in) and Morrow isn’t likely to be cheap if he’s available.

To sum up however, if the Rangers feel like they can contend (as they approach the deadline) Morrow makes sense for so many reasons. This team needs more offense, could benefit from more big-game experience and likely has the pieces to acquire a proven player such as Morrow. In the short term, he’s a better solution than Bobby Ryan financially, and doesn’t block the highly touted prospects (or roster youth like Hagelin) mid-to-long term. There’s a lot to like about acquiring Morrow.

The Obligatory Bobby Ryan Post

As per Nick Kypreos, the Anaheim Ducks are shopping star RW Bobby Ryan. Ryan is an elite talent and he is incredibly young, just 24 years old. The former second overall pick in 2005 has had a bit of a rough go of it to start the year, with “just” 11 points (7-4-11) in 23 games thus far. That is a far cry from his usual output of about 35-30-65, but it still puts him on pace for just under 30 goals, and just under 50 points. Not too shabby, but not worth the $5.1 million contract he has through the 2014-2015 season.

Let’s start with what a package for Ryan would be. We can start with the packages for Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, which included two young NHL caliber players, a top prospect, and a first round pick. However, this trade is not like the Kovalchuk or Hossa trades. Kovalchuk and Hossa were headed towards unrestricted free agency, and were not 24 years old. Ryan hasn’t even peaked yet and is under contract for another three years after this one. The price will be higher.

From a Rangers standpoint, the conversation begins with a Brandon Dubinsky/Artem Anisimov/Derek Stepan, a Chris Kreider/Christian Thomas, and a first round pick. The Ducks also need a defenseman, so expect a Dan Girardi/Mike Sauer/Ryan McDonagh/Dylan McIlrath to also be discussed in any potential trade. Looks like with a package of Dubinsky, Sauer, Kreider, and a first, we have reached the requirements of this sort of trade. But that price seems very steep.

Let’s take a step back and realize that those forwards are top nine wingers, and the defensemen are top four defensemen. This has already been established league wide. Including both in a trade with Kreider is a severe over payment by the Rangers. In actuality the Rangers would be more inclined to include someone like Ryan Bourque, who is far from a sure thing, in the deal should it include two high quality NHL players. As the quality of NHL caliber talent provided goes up, the quality of prospects provided goes down. It’s an inverse relationship.

Of course, if the Rangers are only willing to pony up one of a Sauer/Dubinsky type, then Kreider is again back in the conversation. It’s tough to really gauge what team is looking for. The Ducks are relatively weak on defense, and don’t have many prospects in the system. That will come into play later on.

Personally, I don’t think the Rangers and Ducks make good trading partners. The Ducks are going to want to gut the Rangers for Ryan, and Glen Sather has been adamant about not doing that for anyone. There will be talks and rumors, but I don’t see this happening.

Side note: When playing Armchair GM, remember this post. Particularly the bottom one. No team wants your scraps.

Rangers In The Rumor Mill, Should They Make A Move?

According to Pierre Lebrun, the Rangers have contacted the Maple Leafs about acquiring one of their defensemen. Although Lebrun didn’t mention which defensemen was discussed, he has been reporting lately that Burke has been dangling 24 year old Cody Franson, whom he acquired over the summer from Nashville.

The Leafs have a logjam on defense, as both Mike Komisarek and Cody Franson have sat in the press box this season. Whether or not the Rangers are really interested in either of those two remains to be seen, but with TSN reporting that the Rangers also have an offer out to former Blue Jacket Anton Stralman, it would seem these rumors may have some legs.

Obviously the uncertainty of Marc Staal’s situation is driving all of this speculation, so perhaps Sather and Torts aren’t comfortable with either Steve Eminger or Jeff Woywitka going forward.

The question is, if Staal ends up being out long-term, who do you acquire and how much are you willing to give up? In my opinion, I’d like to see a little more of Jeff Woywitka. The dude is 6’3 225 lbs and knows how to use his size, which is something we lack on the blueline (minus Sauer of course).

I was at the Sharks game the other night and I thought Woywitka handled rushes in his direction well. Obviously one game of an in-arena “eye test” is a bit anecdotal, but I’d like to see how he fares over the next couple of games before pulling the trigger on a trade.

Should one be necessary, Franson did put up 8g/29 points last season, so he would be interesting given his age and ability to provide some offense. Stralman also can contribute in the OZ, as he put up 6g/34 points two years ago. But neither are particularly known for strong defensively play, so I’m not sure how much of an overall upgrade we would really be getting.

Perhaps swapping those listed in our poll isn’t the answer. Perhaps the best move is to just stay the course. Either way, this is New York, our star defensemen is out, so expect the Rangers to be attached to more rumors moving forward.

Breaking News: Sean Avery Being Placed On Re-entry Waivers

According to Larry Brooks via Twitter (his source was Bommer Esiason and Nick Kypreos), Sean Avery will be placed on re-entry waivers tomorrow, making him eligible for Thursday’s tilt against the Ducks.

Whether another team is interested in acquiring him is uncertain, but chances are Sather is giving the fans (well half of them anyway according to our polls) what they want for the time being.

For the other half of this fan base, all we can hope for now is that Torts and Sean can somehow get on the same page. Maybe Richards can be a middleman if issues arise? Who knows…

Sean has some skill no doubt, but his coach-ability has been questioned by every NHL coach he has ever played for. If this rumor is true, and he does end up back on the team, hopefully the relationship between Sean and Torts is somehow salvageable. I mean you would have to assume Torts gave the okay to Glen to make this move? Maybe, maybe not.

Either way, things are about to get interesting…

Get well soon Rupper

The Obligatory Paul Mara Post

With one single article, Katie Strang of ESPN New York sent all of New York into a frenzy.  Per his agent, the Rangers “might” be looking at Paul Mara as a veteran defenseman.  One simple sentence, and every single Ranger fan was questioning the health of Marc Staal. I have to admit, it was kind of funny to witness on Twitter.

Yes, the Staal concussion is a concern, but it is not a big concern yet, and it is not something the Rangers would really be planning around at this stage, especially because Staal partook in practice yesterday. He is not going to scrimmage or play in preseason games for a week or so, but he is at least on the ice and taking part in Camp Torts.  Reading between the lines here, I don’t think a Mara signing would be because of Staal’s injury.

In fact, I think it would be an insurance policy against Tim Erixon and/or Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto has been having a relatively rough camp, per the beat writers.  Erixon has been looking very smooth, but he’s still a kid, and nothing is guaranteed.  For the sake of this post, let’s assume one isn’t ready, and none of the kids are ready to assume a full time role. That thrusts Steve Eminger, who is having a strong camp, into a regular defenseman role.

All of a sudden, the Rangers are without a seventh defenseman. That gives them little flexibility in case of an injury, especially because in this scenario, the other kids further down on the depth chart aren’t ready.  Insert a veteran presence as a seventh defenseman in Mara to serve as the seventh guy.

Remember, the roster on October 1 is never the roster on April 1. It may not even be the roster on January 1 either. Last year is a perfect example. With a rash of injuries, the Rangers were forced to promote Mike Sauer to top-four duties, and call up the most ready of the AHL defensemen in Ryan McDonagh. Both exceeded expectations, so they traded Michal Rozsival.

Of course, that is one scenario, and no two scenarios are the same. In this case, since Mara is demanding a NHL contract, it is unlikely that he signs with the Rangers.  That’s a very good thing, since Mara is unfortunately a shell of his former self, and it mostly has to do with his skating.  He simply can’t keep up anymore, and it’s the reason why he went unsigned this offseason.  He can’t skate, he can’t pivot, and he just gets burned by faster skaters now. The beard is glorious, but the feet are not. If anything, I would be bet that his agent is name dropping to boost his value.

Brooks: Rangers Working On Two Year Deal With Fedotenko

As per Larry Brooks, the Rangers are in the process of negotiating a two year deal with LW Ruslan Fedotenko. Fedotenko, brought on for a professional tryout last season, made the team, and presented the Rangers with one of the best bargains in the NHL. For just $1 million, the Rangers got themselves a reliable grinding winger that found chemistry with Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle. That trio turned into the best fourth line in hockey, and graduated themselves to third line duties halfway through the season.

On paper, Fedotenko’s numbers were not impressive. After all, he only finished with ten goals and 25 points. However, his value to the Rangers isn’t measured in points. Fedotenko was clearly one of coach John Tortorella’s workhorses and most reliable wingers. Tenk played some of the most important even strength minutes, and was a fixture on the Rangers penalty kill. Fedotenko missed time with a sprained shoulder and appendix surgery. In that time he was out, the Rangers went just 5-10-1.

Per Brooks, it looks like the two sides are working towards a good price for Fedotenko’s services. It is clear that Tenk will get a raise from his $1 million, but how much of a raise is the issue. Personally, I think a $1.5 million annual salary for Fedotenko would make him a good fit. In the end, he’s still a third line player for this team.

Jagr to New York Won’t Go Away

In a rumour that just won’t go away Jaromir Jagr remains a possibility for the Rangers as his agent Petr Svoboda has ‘offered’ him to five clubs – including the Rangers. Even more odd than the veteran winger being linked to the Rangers is the fact he is being linked to another ex club; the Washington Capitals. Jagr’s exit from Washington to New York may be one of the bitterest departures from a club in league history so to see him linked to the Caps is amusing.

With several sources including TSN reporting the rumours, there seems to be some legitimacy to it all ,however Jagr back to New York simply doesn’t make much sense. Yes the Rangers need scoring and yes, personally I would like to see one of my hockey idols return as he has proved in the KHL (and more recently the World Championship) that he still has a lot of game. However the Czech legend is 39, was never known for his speed and has a huge ego – all reasons why he doesn’t fit on this Rangers club, a club trying to be known for speed and collective effort.

Could he make a (positive) difference to the Rangers? Perhaps. He adds a lot skill; would help the power play and would take some pressure off of Gaborik and should the Rangers really manage to get Brad Richards, Jagr on the second line would give the Rangers real offensive depth. At this stage it is unclear what Jagr would expect to return to the NHL but the rumours of other involved parties such as the Montreal Canadiens (who could really do with Jagr’s size) seem to be much more realistic than a surprise return to Broadway. When will these NY rumours end? The day he actually signs somewhere else, so get used to hearing about them.

Conflicting Wolski Reports Fuel Rumors, Confusion

After the news broke that the Rangers would indeed be buying out captain Chris Drury, rumors ran rampant about what the Rangers would do with LW Wojtek Wolski.  Jesse Spector of the NY Daily News suggested that Wolski will likely be bought out.  I asked him the same question on Twitter, in which he responded that the Wolski buyout isn’t as set in stone as Drury’s, but it will more that likely occur.

Less than 3 hours after Spector answered my question via Twitter, Larry Brooks of the NY Post released his article stating that Wolski will not be bought out.  This of course led to a feeding frenzy among the blog-o-sphere, as many were quick to post the Brooks confirmation, as if the Spector confirmation never occurred.  I have to admit, I penned a post as well, but decided last minute not to post it (courtesy of some coaxing by The Suit and Chris).

Instead, let’s take a step back and look at a few factors here.  Both Brooks and Spector are respected mainstream media members, who have been very generous in answering many fans questions, and giving us breaking news as it occurs.  When reading their articles, Spector uses logic to suggest that Wolski will be bought out.  The logic makes sense, and I agreed with him that it makes sense for the Rangers to buy out Wolski for the $3.3 million in savings next year, with just a $667k cap hit the following season (details here).  Spector was not the only beat writer to believe Wolski would be bought out, as Arthur Staple of Newsday believed so as well.

Brooks, on the other hand, is citing an anonymous source that Wolski will in fact not be bought out.  I can see the logic here too, in that Wolski has tremendous skill, and might excel on a line with Brad Richards (assuming he winds up a Ranger) and Marian Gaborik.  His inconsistencies generally level out when he is paired with a playmaking center, which he was not during his half season here.

When taking a step back from it all, Brooks is generally right when he breaks this kind of information.  I am inclined to side with Spector and Staple that he will be bought out to make more room for Richards, but keeping Wolski isn’t exactly the worst thing in the world for the Rangers.  They would be taking a chance on a 26 year old who would still be under team control when his current contract ends.  He is also a short term commitment, compared to any UFA the Rangers might chase after.  I still think he’s bought out, but I won’t exactly be crying if he isn’t.