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.  

Rangers Player Review: Ryan McDonagh

The New York Rangers movement to incorporate more youth in their lineup has been a combination of better drafting and key trades for prospects that have developed into NHL caliber players.  One of those trades was made on June 30, 2009 when as part of the deal that sent Scott Gomez to Montreal, Glen Sather was able to bring Ryan McDonagh to the organization.  After going back and forth on the issue, McDonagh eventually decided last summer to leave Wisconsin after his Junior season and turn professional.

McDonagh came to camp and appeared to be NHL ready, but the team sent him down to begin the year in Hartford.  There were multiple reasons for the decision by the organization to send down the now 22-year-old defender.  In Hartford he was going to get more playing time than he would have to start the season in New York.  Also, with the possibility of losing Michael Sauer to waivers and wanting to keep Steve Eminger on the team, McDonagh not be subject to waivers made the move to send him down the easy one.

After struggling early with the transition to the AHL, McDonagh found his game and was eventually called up the Rangers on January 3, 2011.  Initially the promotion was just a corresponding roster move with the team sending Michael Del Zotto down to work on his game.  However, shortly after he was brought up Michal Rozsival would be taken out of the lineup due to injury.  

McDonagh would struggle some in his debut against Dallas, but the very next night against St. Louis he showed that he was ready for this level.  The improvement from his debut and capability that McDonagh showed in that second game was enough for management to feel comfortable trading away Michal Rozsival just a few days later.  The move was a big vote of confidence for McDonagh and the rest of the young defense.  He would repay that confidence in full over the course of his 40 game rookie season.

Pairing with Michael Sauer for the second half of the season, the rookies gave the Rangers a second set of shutdown defenders.  With each passing game the confidence level grew in the young defenseman and so did the accolades from all around the league at the steady defense he was putting on display.  The easiest aspect of his game to praise is his tremendous skating ability, but it was his poise and intelligence that stood out just as much.  It was rare to catch McDonagh out of position and his willingness to make the simple play was something that all young players could use more of.  Physicality is also part of his game whether just in the normal course of checking the opponent or in clearing the opposition out from the crease in front of Henrik Lundqvist.   That attention to detail on the defensive side of the ice is why McDonagh was able to accumulate a plus-16 rating in his 40 games.

Offensively, McDonagh is still a work in progress as he scored only one goal while adding eight assists for the Rangers.  For those who focus on the point totals, McDonagh is not going to be a flashy player or even a big point producer, but he will use his intelligence, physicality and skating ability to shut down the opposition.  As the season progressed and his comfort and confidence grew you saw a little more offensive play from McDonagh and the hope is that will continue to develop as he grows in the NHL.

If the salary cap relief in dealing Scott Gomez alone was not enough of a win for the New York Rangers and their fans, the 2010-11 season showed how big a coup the deal was as Ryan McDonagh was introduced to the NHL and showed that he is likely to be a stalwart for the next decade on the New York blue line.

Grade: A-

Christian Thomas Invited To Canadian Camp

Yesterday the New York Rangers announced that 2010 second-round pick Christian Thomas was one of 46 players invited to the Canadian Junior Team Development camp later this summer in Edmonton.  Some had thought that Thomas, who was not invited last summer, had a shot to make the World Junior camp last fall due to his hot start in the OHL, but he was not selected.  Following his omission from the WJC team Thomas continued his stellar play and has now earned his shot to make the club.

Chances are Thomas will either be playing for Canada in the WJC this coming December/January or be on Broadway with the Blueshirts.  Not bad for a player who slipped to #40 in the draft just one year ago.  Regardless of the outcome, being invited to this camp shows that the appreciation for his game is growing around the league and being around the top Canadian Junior players will be a great experience for his game. 

Despite Drury Rangers Summer Cap Numbers Show Tight But Doable Scenario

With the announcement yesterday that Chris Drury could not be bought out of his contract this month as was anticipated there was some consternation over what it meant to the Rangers offseason plan.  The biggest question was whether the Rangers had to make other moves in order to sign Brad Richards and keep all the restricted free agents in the fold under the summer cap.  The answer is that they can, but the money will be tight.

Using the rumored $62.2 million cap number and the 10% overage allowance as a base to fit all the players under the summer limit of $68.42 million on the Cap Geek Cap Calculator  the following roster emerged...

As you can see the wiggle room in this scenario is very minimal (445K) and the projections on the salaries for the restricted free agents and Brad Richards could obviously vary in either direction, but the estimation gives an idea of what could play out.  Once camp hits however the Rangers would come remove $13.55 million in dead cap space with Redden being moved down, and Drury being moved to LTIR.  There is salary to be brought up in the form of players like Tim Erixon and/or another defender (s) that could be added to the roster.  The potential LTIR relief from Drury would allow the Rangers to go as high as $7.05 million over the cap number, but that cannot happen until September.

One key to this working for the Rangers would be either the belief that players in the minors can fill the remaining couple roster spots they would be unable to sign players for or the ability to get players to take professional tryouts in coming to camp without a contract until the Rangers can have the flexibility to sign them at that point.

Photo: Chara Takes Stanley Cup to Fans That Line Streets In Boston

The Boston Bruins held their Stanley Cup championship parade today in Boston and reportedly over 1 million people lined the streets.  As a sign of appreciation for the support and to prove that this victory was as much for the fans as it was for the team, captain Zdeno Chara got off the duck boat he was riding in and brought the Stanley Cup to the fans who lined the streets.

RFA Market: Could Andrew Ladd's Complete Game Complete Rangers Top Six?

Al Bello/Getty Images

The New York Rangers, like all teams, are looking to add talent to their roster this summer.  The unrestricted free agent market appears to begin and end with Brad Richards in terms of adding potential top line talent.  With the rumors circulating that Richards is seeking $7 million per season for upwards of seven or eight years, and the potential lost flexibility being unable to buy out Chris Drury brings, other options have to be taken into account.  Having already looked at potential trade targets in Stephen Weiss, Patrick Sharp and even Jeff Carter, there is another avenue to consider; restricted free agency.

Before you go getting too excited, this is not going to be a fantasy move for Steven Stamkos, but rather a look at a player who has to decide if he really wants to go with his team on their move to Winnipeg.  Andrew Ladd, 25, is a talented two-way winger who had a breakout season during his first year with Atlanta scoring 29 goals while adding 30 assists in 81 games while captaining the team.  His combination of offense, defense and leadership is very similar to the Rangers own Ryan Callahan.  There is no question that Ladd could immediately step into the system this team forged last season and be successful.  What Ladd brings that the Rangers do not have currently is someone to finish in the garbage areas around the net as he is an excellent net presence.  Ladd can play in all situations with his two-way play shining most on the penalty kill.  Also cannot discount what his experience as a two time Stanley Cup champion would bring to the Rangers roster.

There is a lot of talk about the Rangers need for a top line center and it is always something to consider, but with another year for Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov and Brian Boyle, why not surround them with more talent on the wings instead?  The Rangers have talented prospects in Chris Kreider and Evgeny Grachev in the pipeline for left wing positions, but there is still somewhat of a hole there for the coming season.  Wojtek Wolski has the talent to fill that void for the coming season, but a player like Ladd is brings more of an all-around game to the table than Wolski and leaves the team knowing more what they will get on a nightly basis even if less skilled.  Having a top six of Gaborik, Ladd, Dubinsky, Callahan, Stepan and Anisimov might not be as sexy as the move for a Brad Richards, but could be extremely effective.

The cost for Ladd would likely be around $4 million per season which could seem steep for a player who has only had one big offensive season.  Beyond just the dollars per season, as a restricted free agent the Winnipeg franchise would have the ability to match the contract and if they chose not to do so, which is unlikely, compensation at that level would be a first and a third round pick.  I think the price in terms of salary and compensation could be worth it to the Rangers now and in the future as the team has a deep prospect system and is adding a player heading into the prime of his career. 

Could Rangers Delay Signing a Restricted Free Agent For Cap Purposes?

There is no doubt that the New York Rangers being unable to buy out Chris Drury from the final season of his contract complicates what the team will do this summer.  The rising NHL salary cap, and allowance to be 10% over whatever the final cap number is will certainly help the Rangers to some extent.  The reason the help will not be significantly large is because Wade Redden’s contract will be back on the book and soak up the allowed overage. 

Having to carry the full $7.05 million of Drury’s contract is certainly painful this summer, but those who are looking at the full amount have to remember they were going to have to carry $3.716 next season anyway.  The real difference between what the Rangers will now have to spend this summer and what they would have had if the Drury buy out had been possible is $3.33 million.

While buying out Wojtek Wolski appears to be the popular response, other than Drury retiring, to the Drury news this morning, Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News floats another potential move the Rangers could make.

With the players they currently have on their roster, including Wade Redden, the Rangers should be a little over $55 million on the summer cap once they make qualifying offers to their restricted free agents. With the 2011-12 cap expected to be between $60-63 million, and the summer cap 10% higher than that, the Rangers would have room to operate.

The complication in that scenario would be that if the Rangers were to make a big-money acquisition (read: Brad Richards), they would be hamstrung with regard to actually re-signing their restricted free agents. Brandon Dubinsky, for instance, is not going to sign a contract for his qualifying offer of $2 million – getting a deal done might have to wait until the Rangers can get Drury to long-term injured reserve, and Redden back off the cap in the AHL (or with some other solution). Other teams might be able to force the Rangers into a difficult spot by signing their restricted free agents to offer sheets, but that practice has become quite uncommon in the NHL.

As Jesse points out, the team is required to carry their qualifying offers against the summer cap.  The total of the qualifying offers per Cap Geek for Callahan, Dubinsky, Boyle, Anisimov and Sauer the total is $6.36 million.  Any of those players who signs a contract for next season has the full amount of their deal added to the cap for next season, but until they do only the qualifying offer counts.  Attempting to wait until they can move Redden to the AHL at the start of training camp is a dangerous move because of offer sheet possibilities, but still an option to be considered. 

Also, combining the thought of waiting on signing a restricted free agent and the potential of triggering a second buy out window by taking any of the restricted free agents to arbitration would give the Rangers more time to decide on buying out Wolski if it is the final option. 

The move to buy out Wolski is the most commonly thought of right now because of the large cap savings and his somewhat disappointing play in New York.  There are other options to think about though and if they do have to buy him out it creates another spot on the roster that has to be filled by a contract.  The whole conversation would obviously be moot if Drury retired and saved the Rangers the full $7.05 million and/or the Rangers do not sign Brad Richards.

Rangers Sign Kolarik To Extension

According to Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News, the New York Rangers have re-signed forward Chad Kolarik.  Kolarik, 25, was acquired from Columbus for Dane Byers on November 11, 2010.  Kolarik was very effective for the Whale, scoring 17 goals and adding 14 assists in his 36 games there.   

Kolarik had a brief four game stint with the Rangers in January and showed himself well as a third line type player.  In those four games he had one assist, but what you noticed most about him was his willingness to go to the front of the net and how the puck seemed to have a way of finding him.  Keeping him is a good move for both the Whale, as they need veteran scoring, and the Rangers if there are injuries at the NHL level.  

Rangers Cannot Buy Out Drury's Final Year Due to Knee; Time To Retire?

For those who got all excited about the various reports last week that Chris Drury was going to be bought out by the Rangers, today comes cold water on the whole thing.  Larry Brooks at the New York Post reports the Rangers cannot buy out the final season of Drury’s contract because of a degenerative condition in his left knee that could render him medically unable to play next season.

It was this condition that caused his knee to be in such bad shape this season and miss virtually the entire second half before returning in the regular season finale and playoffs.

While Drury has yet to file the necessary paperwork, sources report he plans to do so. The Rangers, who had been planning a buyout, could file a grievance against Drury, but that is a remote possibility, at best.

The option now is to put Drury on Long-Term Injured Reserve, but that does not make the cap issues easy as Brooks points out.

But in order to gain the full value of the $7.05 million exemption, the Rangers would have to go that far over the cap. In other words, if the cap is $62.5 million (an estimation before it is officially established by June 30), the team would have to get to $69.5 million (including Drury) before the season-opener in Stockholm to reap the full LTI benefit.

If Drury is going to be medically unable to play next season it is likely that his career is over in the NHL and would potentially set the stage for him to have one last act of leadership in retiring to leave the Rangers in a better position for next season.

Player Review: Henrik Lundqvist Backbones Rangers Team Once Again

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

After watching the tremendous performance of Tim Thomas to lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup it is only fitting that today we take a look at the season put in the by the backbone of the New York Rangers’; Henrik Lundqvist. 

There is no position in the NHL that seems to be as volatile to performance as that of the NHL goaltender in the post-lockout era.  Year after year a goalie will rise with a career season and be unable to back up that performance the following season.  While many teams in the league are unsure of what they are going to get from the man between the pipes, the New York Rangers always know what they can count on from Henrik Lundqvist.  Lundqvist turned in another stellar campaign in which he was the most valuable player on the team (fifth straight season) during possibly his best statistical season of his career. 

In 65 games, Lundqvist posted a 2.28 goals against average with a .923 save percentage to go along with a league leading 11 shutouts.  Those numbers certainly warranted him his fourth Vezina trophy nomination, but in large part due to the team only finishing 8th in the Eastern Conference, he was overlooked for goaltenders that had better team success.

There is no way to quantify what the consistency of Lundqvist meant to the New York Rangers during what was otherwise a tumultuous season in terms of the roster.  With injuries mounting all around him and the incorporation of multiple rookie defenders into the lineup in front of him Lundqvist was once again a steadying influence for the team.  Beyond the saves themselves, the most impressive thing about Lundqvist is his compete level.  There is no doubt that he will give up the occasional soft goal, but when the night is over he will stand up and freely admit it with no excuses.  That level of competitive fire and self-accountability is something that filters through a locker room and is something every New York Ranger could learn from.

One key to the season for Lundqvist was the strong play of backup Martin Biron.  The play of Biron allowed Lundqvist to stay fresh longer during the season and also gave the coaching staff the confidence to sit Lundqvist during two different rough patches over the course of the year.  The first rest period came in November and after Thanksgiving Lundqvist went on a tear posting a 13-6-2 record with a 1.70 goals against average and .943 save percentage.  The run was culminated with the Rangers’ finest performance of the season in a shutout win over the Canucks at home.

After another slip, Biron was installed again for two games and just like the first time it appeared to reenergize Lundqvist and the team certainly needed it.  Following the second sit down Biron would break his collarbone in practice meaning that Lundqvist was the man for the last 26 games of the season and he responded once again with another huge stretch drive to get the Rangers in the playoffs.

It is possible that the two lulls Lundqvist had and the way he responded to them made him 2010-11 campaign even more impressive than those we have seen before.  When a player struggles, especially one that has been so consistent, there is always a hint of worry that they have lost something, but with Lundqvist it is more a loss of his technique that he has to get back to and then he takes off again.

The only thing to change about the 2010-11 season for Lundqvist would be having Biron remain healthy so Henrik could have gotten at least a couple games of rest down the stretch to be mentally and physically fresh for the playoffs.  If Biron can stay healthy for the entire 2011-12 season and keep Lundqvist fresh, then the Rangers become even more dangerous come playoff time.

With another year of experience for the core of the defense and the lessons Lundqvist has learned about taking care of his body and dedication to hockey, expect the 2011-12 season to be another tremendous one for Lundqvist.  There has yet to be a season in his six years with the Rangers where Lundqvist had the best statistical season amongst NHL netminders, but over the course of his career he has certainly been the most consistent of them all.  It is now up to the rest of the Rangers to match the exploits of their netminder if they are going to get him the championship he deserves.

Grade: A