Breaking Down Erixon Price Tag For Those Concerned Rangers Overpaid

The morning after the New York Rangers swapped Roman Horak and two 2011 second round picks to Calgary for top prospect Tim Erixon and a 2011 fifth round selection, there are those who seem unsure of just how well the Rangers did on the deal. 

Update: Thoughts on talent Erixon brings to the ice and the flexibility he gives the front office to make other moves.

For those who are concerned about what the Rangers gave up, mainly citing the vulnerable position that the Flames were in, there is an ignoring of some facts going on.  Just because Calgary had to deal him or lose him for a single second round pick does not mean the Rangers giving up what they did means they overpaid for him in the slightest.  There was nothing that said he had to come to the Rangers and if he went in the draft he was likely going to be a top-10 selection and never on the board when New York came to the podium at #15.  If the question is take the elite prospect when you can guarantee you get him and keep your #15 pick or keep Horak, 45 and 57 while hoping to use the #15 on Erixon, you take the deal without question.  The deal boils down to 45th and 57th for essentially a number 10 overall pick and the Rangers get to use their number 15 pick on some much needed offense.

It is true that the Rangers have had significant success in the second round over the past number of year, even more than the first round, but this is not an 17/18-year old who they are hoping develops, this is a 20-year-old who has proven himself against men in one of the best leagues in the world that is ready to step in immediately.  To assume that in what is widely regarded as a weaker draft that the two second round picks will turn out to be of the same value Tim Erixon will is an assumption I am not willing to make.  It is certainly possible that Erixon will fail to reach his potential and those picks could become valuable down the road, but in the immediate aftermath of the deal there is no way to describe this other than a win for the Rangers.  

Give Glen Sather credit for being in the right place at the right time, and having the assets to pull this deal off.  Erixon is someone the Rangers considered taking instead of Chris Kreider in 2009 and now they get him essentially for a 2011 second rounder, Roman Horak and the mystical trade of Bobby Sanguinetti for a second rounder at last year's draft.  If this was not sports, then Sather might be facing charges for theft.