I know dump. You don't read my posts. You don't read a lot of peoples post. We know how you operate dump. You can leave that comment out when you reply to peoples posts, we'll just assume you don't read them, all good. ANYWAY, I will bet you anything you want that we will not have the lines you wrote above. We will not have Brass as the # 2 C, sign no C to replace Richards, and have two unproven kids on our 3rd line. Just like all the trades you propose, you know the ones that have us giving up scrubs and getting back other teams valuable assets that NEVER happen, this will not happen either buddy. There is just not shot we don't sign any forwards to add to our core. I do think kids will make the team and play good roles, but not two unproven kids on the 3rd line, and no one signed to replace Richards. We'll agree to disagree there dump. All good.
Rangers fans who think the Rangers are going to spend a ton of money in UFA are lost. They have Staal to re-sign before UFA. Zuccarello is a RFA next year and will get a big raise. Moore is going to get a nice jump as a RFA next year. In two years Hagelin and Stepan are RFA's who will get nice raises. Stepan's might be huge. They have to attempt to sign Brassard and probably Pouliot. In other words. The Rangers are not going to be active in free agency.
Kreider, Zuccarello, Brassard, J. Moore, and Falk are notable RFAs. Stralman, Boyle, Pouliot, and Diaz notable UFAs. Not that Glen will or should sign all of them but the ones he has to keep are going to take a considerable chunk of the cap money releasing Richards creates. I also think there will be more opportunity for youth to rise this coming year than perhaps any other in recent Ranger history when you consider the available free agents next year that are young and not looking to sign that one last contract before retirement (a common Sather misdeed). Notable UFAs available in the offseason in their early 30's or younger are Heatley-L, Gaborik-R, Vanek-L, Stastny-C, Cammelleri-L, Hemsky-R, Legwand-C, Pitkanen-D, Michalek-L, Callahan-R, Meszaros-D, Roy-C, Quincey-D, Salo-D, Orpik-D, Schultz-D, Bolland-C, Moulson-L, Jokinen-L, Setoguchi-R, Vrbata-R, Grabovski-R, Klesla-D, M. Green-D, Ott-C, and Kulemin-R. Definitely some great names there many of which will be resigned by their respective teams but you're basically talking 6 LW, 5 C, 7 RW, and 8 dmen the Rangers might show interest in. Then Glen has to factor in how many of those 26 who aren't resigned would fit into AV's game plan. It's a pretty thin crop.
We'll agree to disagree dump. I am not saying we are going to sign guys left and right. I am not saying we are going to throw money around like mad. What I am saying is the cap goes up 6 mill or so. We buy Richards out for 6.6 mill or so. Some lesser guys come off the books. That's maybe 15 mill right there. If you think we won't spend any on a FA forward I simply disagree. We will be right near the cap as we are every season. And to me there is just no way the Rangers under Sather trot out two unproven kids on the 3rd line, and have the 2nd line C be Brassard. I just don't see it. We will add some "impact" type forward in free agency/via trade. And most likely an "impact" type guy on D via free agency/trade as well to round out the top 4. They don't have to sign everyone, they could deal for someone as well, doesn't all have to be done via a signing dump. We'll see... And quite frankly, that lineup you gave is no where near being good enough to compete for a Cup. Two unproven kids on the 3rd line. 2nd line C is Brassard. 4th line that is totally whatever with no real size. Klein in the top 4. McIlrath as the 6th man when he has played 2 NHL games thus far. Thank the lord you are not GM if that is the lineup you would put out. That team is no where near good enough to compete for a Cup dump.
They'll go hard after Stastny which is smart and hopefully someone like Vrbata for more size on the wing. If Michalek had better health i'd put him in the mix too. They stil need a big hitting dman so maybe they look at Orpik, but it depends on whether both Stralman/Diaz return.
People think because it's the Rangers, they will go ad free agents. They have no need to do that. They needed to add another scorer. They did that this year with St. Louis. They won't do jack in the UFA market unless Brassard leaves. They had two forwards that AV tried to get in the lineup this year in Fast and Miller. I expect both to be there next season. Stralman is gone and Mcilrath is absolutely the guy to take the spot. Basically, all you are doing is replacing a 5th defenseman, 4th line center, 4th line wing and 3rd line center with 4 of your young guys. It's really not a big deal to expect that to happen. I've said for 4 years the Rangers would be a 4 scoring line team with McIlrath protecting the team. I'd like to see another real tough guy on the 4th line instead of Carcillo or Dorsett. Don't know how Sather can make that happen with a trade.
I think you are drugs 71. Stastny and Vrbata will get 5+ million in FA. Something this team doesn't need and shouldn't want. Nor should they want Orpik who will get close to 5 million. The only way they go after Stastny is if Brassard leaves. Otherwise, it's dumb. Stepan is starting to play like he did last season now. Michalek sucks, is overpaid and is overrated. If there was 1 free agent I'd take it would be Bolland. Let him center the third line, move Miller to wing where I like him a lot better. That's it.
Dump, there is no point in us going back and forth on this anymore. We don't agree. If you think Sather is going into next season with Brass as the # 2 C, two unproven kids on the 3rd line, a 4th line with no real size or great grit, Klein in the top 4, AND McIlrath in the top 6 I have a bridge to sell you. I am not saying none of that will happen, but NO SHOT it all happens. No shot we are way under the cap. No shot they don't take the Richards money and add a big player via FA or trade. Just no way bro. Again, that lineup you listed is not good. The time is now with Hank 32, and going to be 33 next season. Just no way that is our lineup opening night.
I can see them going after a Bolland or Vrbata type to add to the top 9. Then maybe add a true bigger guy who is a real banger for the 4th line (I don't see anyway 3 kids start with the big club...maybe 2). On D I still think they will look to add a 2nd pair guy with size and grit to round out the top 4 with Staal. I agree dump in that I don't think we are going crazy with all these signings, but we will add at least one top 9 forward, and I'd say one solid vet dman with size.
So what if they get 5m plus, they're worth it and will make this team MUCH more SC competitive. They'll have about 15m after signing RFA's and maybe Pouliot or Stralman/Diaz, as long as they don't do something stupid and re-sign Boyle or D. Moore. Stepan cannot be your #1C Dump, just cannot, he and Brassard are good #2s and nothing more. I do agree that maybe a Lindberg/Fast make the team, but they may also look to add a guy like Raymond who knows AV well. I'd like to see Lindberg C the 4th line, he's got a good mix of skill/defense. There's no need to skimp on the salary cap, we aren't the Calgary Flames who barely get above the floor. They'll have plenty of space to re-sign people going forward, especially since most of the big names are now out of the way.
Plus the cap will continue to go up....It just will. It's going up next year and that isn't stopping with the way revenues are going Sather cannot help himself with UFA's even if it wasn't a need and with our goalie 32 years old and the window is now t is a need.
Some of you just want the Rangers to spend money just to spend money. Pouliot and Brassard have a combined 67 points and will probably cost about 5.5 million to sign to 3 year deals. Stastny and Vrbata have a combine 96 points and will probably cost 11.5 million to sign to 5 to 6 year deals. That's an extra 31 points in 72 games. It's a terrible investment which can't be disputed. The idiotic, FA signing mentality some members on this board have adopted is exactly what made the Rangers a laughing stock organization for years. Then moron Renney came in and flooded the team with no talent, role players, blocking the kids on the farm. Same mentality some people here are now taking. You do not block Miller, Fast, Lindberg and McIlrath who are pretty much NHL ready to go buy a bunch of overpaid, fat cats in UFA. It's stupid. The team doesn't need scoring. What it needs is for St. Louis to learn the system, Nash to stop playing half the season like a lazy dog, Stepan to play like he is now, Kreider and Zucc to take another step up. The team will score more than enough goals.
Here's the thing, that for some reason you refuse to accept, the Rangers will spend to the cap. The Rangers will not put a lineup out there with Brass as the # 2 C, two unproven kids on the 3rd line, and another kid on the 4th line. Where have you been the past 15 seasons that you think they would do that? On top of that, do you REALLY think that lineup you wrote down is a SC contender...NO SHOT. This team is going for it NOW. You don't make the MSL deal to play a bunch of kids next season as Hank ages. It's like you want to half way it. We go for it, but let's also play unproven kids on the 3rd line, just no shot dude. Plus you know the Rangers will spend to the cap, with your lineup we are not at the cap. And as Dis said, the cap will go up every season. Maybe not 6 mill per season, but a few mill I would think. I know you like the kids. I know you want them to pay. But you need to understand what we are. Kids will get mixed in, no doubt, but not two on the 3rd line. Next season you get 1 or 2 kids in the lineup upfront. Take over for a Boyle and a Moore. That's how this will happen.
A good 4th line next year could be Miller, Lindberg and any of Dorsett, Haggerty or a FA Raymond type. I know Miller has top 9 ability but I think for his first full year he'd be an asset getting his feet wet there plus providing a grit/skill level they need. Plus they may not have a spot up front if Pouliot and a FA wing/C is signed. I'd look to move Dorsett for a pick at the draft, I just don't think he does enough for them. I wish he was a FA and Carcillo was here for another year.
Stastny is going to want a hell of a lot more than $5+, he made $6.6 this year so I would think he'd be looking for $7+ unless his agent is a donkey or a die hard Rangers fan. Colorado is way below the cap so they could easily keep him. The 2014-2015 salary cap is $71.1 mil. Capgeek projects the '14-'15 Rangers at $54.3 mil with 13 players, cutting loose Richards drops $6.6 lowering their base salary to $47.7 with 12 players on the roster. I would think CK and Zuccarello will both want around $3.5 mil putting the Rangers back to $54.3 with 14 players. Hopefully Brassard can be resigned for the same putting them at $57.8 with 15 players. That leaves around $13.3 to sign 2-3 more forwards and 3 dmen. Glen will have to bring in or resign a few of those under $2 mil per year guys like Boyle or call up low salaried youth to be able to land a high priced free agent. If Stralman truly turned down 3 years/$9 mil Glen should immediately rescind and put that money to better use.
John Moore will probably get 1.5m and maybe they bring back Diaz for 1.5m instead of Stralman which would save. They'd probably have 10-12m for a FA or two so it just depends how they divy it up. Stastny/Vrbata would equal that. That's why they shouldn't bring back Boyle(they shouldn't anyways)and go with Lindberg in his spot for a little less. Perhaps they don't resign Pouliot and expect Miller to take his place.
Statsny will get $7m being the only center who is good on the market. That has disaster written all over it
To some of our close minded fans who questioned how good Duclair is. When he got hurt, his team sucked and got destroyed in the playoffs without him. They were nothing without him playing. Watched Skjei play last night. He's big. He looked considerably bigger than most of the guys out there. Shocked that the coach doesn't use him on the PP. I think it's moronic. He had 2 A last night. I would definitely get him away from that program and coach immediately. Get him to Hartford, let him play the PP constantly to develop his offensive skills. He's wasting his time at Minnesota at this point.
Duclair plays in a league where players put up well over 100pts and don't ever become NHL players, that's why some people here are waiting for him to do it at a higher level before calling him the next coming. That doesn't make them close minded.
