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There
is a little over a month left until the frenzy that is free agency begins and
the Rangers will certainly be looking for offense when the market opens on July
1. In looking ahead to the free agent market there have already been
looks at Brad
Richards for the first line center role and James
Wisniewski as a puck-moving defender than could also aid the power
play. Beyond Richards there is little
out there in the forward rankings on the unrestricted market, but one possible
option is Brooks Laich.
Laich
has had a solid career in Washington having topped the 20 goal mark three times
and the 50 point plateau in two different seasons. Beyond just the pure numbers
Laich has been known for his presence in and out of the locker room on a
Washington team that at times seems to lack any sense of leadership.
Laich
has the versatility to play either center or the wing with a measure of
defensive awareness and willingness to go to the front of the net and do what
it takes to score goals. That style
meshes with the Rangers system and he would likely fit very well with coach
John Tortorella in how he carries himself both on and off the ice. The issue for me with Laich is not how he
plays or if he would add to the Rangers skill level, but whether given the
depressed talent available he is going to be overpaid for what he actually is.
There
is no way to rationalize Laich as a replacement if the Rangers miss out on
Richards this summer and paying him upwards of $4 million a season would be a
mistake that the Rangers would regret in the long term. The Rangers need more skill in their lineup
and Laich does not bring enough of that to the table alone to be an answer for
the Rangers. Maybe if it is a scenario
where the Rangers have Richards in place and are looking to move pieces around
Laich would be a viable player at the right price. The problem is that the market will allow him
to get more than he deserves and for what he is likely to get paid in terms of
money and years, the Rangers should pass.
