NY Post: Stralman rejected a 3 yr/ about 3m per extension before the Olympics. Post calls the rejection "somewhat shocking" and says the front office will try again this offseason. Post also says that if Stralman and the rangers agree it would "throw a detour into Dylan McIlrath's path to broadway." Well first things first, I said there was no way we'd try to resign Stralman because, among another reasons, he sucks. Apparently I was wrong about that. Second...what the fukk are we doing? Why are we trying to bring this guy back for 3m a year and essentially ensure there is no room for Big Mac? Either the front office now thinks Mac will be a bust (that can't be the case), or maybe they have an indication Staal is planning on bolting to Carolina after next year. It also begs the question..if Stralman wouldn't resign and we landed Diaz, why wasn't Stralman shipped out at the DL for some size? Glen?
Why do you think it can't be the case that Sather thinks McIlrath will be a bust OR at the very least won't really fully be ready from day one next season? I am not saying the former is the case, who knows, but I do think the latter could be the case for sure. So far that pick looks at best questionable considering where we took McIlrath. But that also can clearly change quickly if he gets his act together and plays well in the NHL soon.
As for Stralman at 3 mill per for 3 seasons, yeah I don't get that. Stralman is at best a 3rd pair dman IMO. He doesn't do much well, but he does a few things okay. He is the definition of a whatever type of dman. Just there. Not a negative per se, but certainly not a big positive. Not sure why we would offer him that contract. What I find even more amazing is he turned that down. I wouldn't want that type of deal for Stralman. I guess Sather and team like Stralman a lot more than a lot of us fans do. I don't see it, but I guess they do. Simply put I like our top 9. I think adding MSL was a great move. I wish Nash would do more, but our top 9 is solid IMO. What we need now to really take that next step is size. Add a big forward with some ability to play in the top 9. And add a big physical dman to round out the top 4 with Staal. If we did those two things I think we'd be there. I really don't think we are far away after the MSL deal. Just get a solid forward and a solid dman with size in here and away we go. I really think we are that close now.
I agree he may not be ready to take the spot from day 1. But if that's the case, the solution is to sign Stralman for..3 years? G just signed for 5, Klein is signed for 4 or so more, and if Stralman gets 3, that's 3 right Dmen right there with not much room for Dylan to even get a chance to play. I didnt think we'd go into the season with him handed a spot at all. However, a more logical move would seem to sign a guy like Diaz to a 1 year deal. That will push Dylan, provide depth, and not keep a spot locked up for years to come.
Forget McIlrath when discussing Stralman is how I will view this. To me regardless of McIlrath, I don't want Stralman signed for 3 seasons, that is crazy. I stand by what I said. Our focus should be replacing Richards with another big C (I still believe Richards is gone this summer). Then adding a big physical forward for the top 9 AND a big physical dman to complete the top 4 with Girardi, McD, and Staal. We do that and we will be on the level with every team in the NHL. And we have the money to easily get it done IMO. The C takes Richards' spot. And the cap going up over 6 mill should make it very easy for us to afford the other players we need (another reason why dealing Cally was the right move 100 times out of 100). We have a great base with Nash, MSL, McD, and Hank leading the way. Now finish it off this summer. As a side note, McD is on pace for 14 goals and 40 points this season. That is really great stuff. He could be a legit 15/50 guy next season, or very close to it. This kid is a flat out stud, and now he is fully rounding out his game.
Signing Stralman to a 3 year, 9 million deal means you could get max value in a trade for him. Obviously, the moron who wrote the article couldn't comprehend that. Sather simply doesn't want to lose him for nothing. I don't see any way other than health that McIlrath isn't the 6th defenseman on this soft team next season. McIlrath is ahead of schedule now with his development IMO. I didn't expect when they drafted him for McIlrath to make the NHL until at least 22. Let's face it, the Rangers could trade Stralman on draft day with a Dorsett to jump up 5-6 spots in the first round to a team who had interest in those players.
We should have packaged Stralman, Boyle, and Dorsett for another teams top 4 dman at the trade DL last week. That is the move we should have made. Maybe some team would have also thrown in a top 9 forward for those 3 guys. That is where Sather failed last week...
Boyle should have dealt for some pick and Miller should have taken his spot. Signing Stralman would be a good move for trade value. Stralman will find some crap team with tons of cap room to offer him a dumb 5 year 22 million contract.
It is clear to me they do not want Miller here to play on the 4th line, and I don't disagree. He is not a 4th line player. YES he is much better than Boyle, but Miller is a top 9 player, and with our top 9 right now he won't have a spot there. As it stands now, Dorsett is on the outside looking in as well. Miller needs to be down unless we can give him a top 9 spot, and we cannot right now.
That really is strange that Stralman rejected the offer though. $3m per year is on the high side of what I would expect him to get in free-agency. And regarding the cap space they will have going into next season...keep in mind, the cap goes up for all teams, so it won't just be the Rangers with the ability to pick up some highly-coveted power centers, wingers and defensement...Free agency hasn't exactly been where the Rangers have shined over the last 15 years or so. I just don't want to see them miss out on bringing in a true difference maker(s) and then overpaying for a marginal player. Old habits.
For sure Greyv. All I am saying is we have the room to get it done. No idea if we will. But on paper, in theory, we will have the room to add what we need, which is not much IMO. We'll see if Sather can get it done. I happen to think the MSL deal was a HR...a big HR.
HR may be a little strong...it's only been two games. But it's clear they would have had to grossly overpay Callahan to keep him signed which would really have hamstrung them in the offseason. With not having $6m+ tied up in Callahan they will have a lot more room to manuever in the off-season.
If you want to continue to be mediocre, then you continue to offer contracts to mediocre players. If Sather believes Stralman can help the Rangers going forward, then he needs to go as well. Of course that will never happen, because as long as the Rangers continue to show a profit, Dolan will not lift a finger.
Boyle is the biggest player this team has (which is sad), who has shown in the past that he plays better in the playoffs. You don't give somebody like that up for a pick during the season, unless you have somebody with size (either in the system/or trade) who can take his place. He's a hard worker who has no problem going to the front of the net, or into the corners, who unfortunately can't fight (yet tries). If they are going to get rid of him, it will probably be after the season.
I think it was a HR. Not a little strong IMO...not at all. 1. We get the clearly better player in MSL. 2. We get the clearly better player who is signed for under 6 mill next season (5.625 mill). 3. We avoid signing a player like Cally to a 6 year 6 mill or more per terrible contract. HR no doubt about it in my mind. That simple to me.
Agree chuck, absolute hr with St. Louis. Cally is an average player at best now strictly 3rd liner to be kind. 6 million plus a year would have had him booed mercilessly by the fans and would have been an albatross on the teams cap back. St. Louis will play at least 3 years after this one and will be better than cally when he's 45. Stralman at 3 is a joke and 3 plus is a disaster unless like dump says we have a team that will trade for him locked up for a few years but sather better make sure its a sign and trade deal so we're not stuck with him. Strahlman sucks in any game where teams bup into him. Bigger concern for me is getting Staal signed and I don't want to wait till trade deadline to try and get him as those deals got reduced value. Slats needs to push to get him signed now and if still not signed by the draft look to trade him for max value. Really hope he signs Staal though as he is a giant part of the team. Girardi and mcdonagh have each other while Staal is good out there playing with mediocre players. Mcilreith ready or not needs to be up here latest at the start of next season as this team needs a physical presence out there. Wish they would bring the kid up right now so a lot of the cheap shots we're taking after the whilstle stops.My prediction next season is cally doesn't sniff anything near 6 mill outside of maybe buffalo
For sure mrm. What gets undervalued here is not having that terrible deal for Cally. That deal would have been a real crusher as we moved forward. That is a clear hidden gem in this deal. AND we get the clearly better player as well. So better player AND avoid a terrible Cally long term deal. That equals a clear HR IMO. No doubt.
If Stralman dosen't re-sign there's a bunch of other FA dmen who could fill his role. Niskanen and Hainsey are both better even if they cost a little more. I don't mind the guy but I'm surprised he turned that down. I think they probably feel DMc needs one more full year of development in Hartford which sounds about right for him. I still have doubts about him making it but we'll see. They should think about re-signing Carcillo for a year and finding a way to lose Dorsett with a pick/prospect at the draft.
Totally disagree. You absolutely trade Boyle for a pick in the season rather than lose him for nothing. You have Miller who is completely superior to Boyle that can take his place. I understand trading some picks for St. Louis because he will still be a dynamic player the next 4-5 years and the Rangers have to go for it. However, there is no reason why at the same time Sather can't acquire more 2's, 3's, 4's and 5's by trading role players he won't sign in the off-season. It's a dumb strategy holding onto players that you don't plan on keeping long term rather than getting something for them.
