Rumor: Rangers Working On Two-Year Deal For Fedotenko Return?

According to Larry Brook at the New York Post, the New York Rangers are working on a two year contract for veteran Ruslan Fedotenko.  Fedotenko came to the Rangers this past offseason on a training camp tryout  After doing enough in camp to make the club he was give a one-year, $1 million deal.  His impact on the stat sheet might not seem like much as he only compiled 10 goals and 15 assists, but his impact on the ice was significantly greater as I chronicled in comparing the idea of bringing him back versus Vinny Prospal returning. 

The Rangers are in talks with winger Ruslan Fedotenko about a two-year deal aimed at preventing the impending unrestricted free agent from hitting the market on July 1, but a gap remains regarding the dollar figures, Slap Shots has learned.

Fedotenko is an excellent fit for the system John Tortorella wants to play with this club and is trusted completely by the coach.  He was one of the best players on the forecheck, is a physical if not intimidating presence and fearless in throwing his body at opposition shots.

In addition to the trust and intangibles he brings on the ice he would also bring the Rangers veteran presence that, as of now, they have very little of heading into next season.  The youth movement is alive, with some of younger core players getting older, but inexpensive veterans like Fedotenko are very important to teams.

It is reasonable to expect that Fedotenko would receive a raise from last season’s salary, though it should not raise in a significant way.   There is no way to know what or how large the gap references in the negotiations is, but if Fedotenko gets more than $1.75 million he is probably overpaid.  The bigger concern might be the idea of giving him a two year.  At this stage of his career Fedotenko, while a good veteran presence is a third line player, and the Rangers have a number of those in the system who could come up and fill the role in shot order.  Bringing Fedotenko back for one season is an excellent idea, but automatically committing for the second season seems unnecessary.  

Staal, Fedotenko Could Return vs Wild Tomorrow; Gaborik Progessing, But Not There Yet

The New York Rangers had good news at practice today involving a trio of their walking wounded.  Marc Staal and Ruslan Fedotenko were able to participate fully in practice and both are possible additions to the lineup tomorrow against Minnesota.  Marian Gaborik was also able to skate and practice today for the first time since last Friday and says he has been feeling better the past few days.

Per Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants the decisions on Staal and Fedotenko will be made tomorrow morning while coach John Tortorella has already ruled Gaborik out of the lineup.  If Staal returns it would be a huge boost to the defensive core and would likely mean Steve Eminger would be back in the press box as the healthy scratch, but Matt Gilroy could also be a possibility.  Staal has not played since February 22^nd against Carolina due to the knee injury he sustained on his first shift of the game.  Staal attempted to practice on Monday in hopes of playing against Buffalo, but had a setback and missed last night’s game.  The fact that he made it through the full practice today is a good sign, but with three games in four nights they could wait an extra day to bring him back if there is any concern in the morning.

With Fedotenko all signs point to him being back in the lineup tomorrow as he recovers from aggravating his previous shoulder injury in his first game back last week.  The addition of Feds to the lineup is very important to the way the team forechecks and the aggression they play with.  Those things are contagious and the Rangers have really gotten away from them for long stretches of games lately and hopefully watching Fedotenko do it will rub off on the rest of the club.

Where Marian Gaborik is concerned the cautious approach is the best approach.  That he was able to participate in practice is a great sign, but the real test will be tonight/tomorrow to see how his head responds to the work.  If he is able to avoid the problems he had when he tried skating last week it will be another step in the process to him returning, though I would still not expect him back in the lineup in the immediate future.

For quotes from the players be sure to check out Ranger Rants where Andrew Gross does a great job as always.