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Rangers New Defense Might Have Weakened Rest Of Team

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The New York Rangers spent much of their offseason fixing one of their biggest weaknesses in their defense. The team went out and signed free agent Kevin Shattenkirk to a four-year, $26.6MM deal, then re-signed trade deadline rental Brendan Smith to a new four-year, $17.4MM deal. They traded away top center Derek Stepan and backup goaltender Antti Raanta for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and a first-round pick. Perhaps more importantly, they bought out Dan Girardi, who was struggling. With all the changes, the Rangers should have one of the best defensive corps in the league. With Shattenkirk paired with Ryan McDonagh, Smith paired with veteran Marc Staal and young Brady Skjei paired with either Nick Holden or DeAngelo, the Rangers should be in fantastic shape.

But at what cost? The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn writes (subscription required) that the Rangers’ knee-jerk reaction to their second-round playoff loss to the Ottawa Senators have crippled the team in other areas. He writes the goaltending situation is now worse due to moving Raanta to Arizona. Instead, New York signed Ondrej Pavelec to a one-year deal, but there is a huge difference between the two backups. Raanta was a stud backup who now will get his chance to be an NHL starting goalie. Pavelec has been inconsistent in his time with the Jets, but has struggled so bad in the last couple of years that Winnipeg demoted him to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Incidentally, Pavelec played 18 games for Manitoba and finished with a 2.78 GAA in that span — which wouldn’t be acceptable in the NHL.  Probably not the backup you would want when your starter Henrik Lundqvist, who is 35 years old, is coming off the worst season of his career. Lundqvist finished the year with a 2.74 GAA in 57 games and .910 save percentage. Those numbers suggest that his workload might need to be diminished in the future — probably not the best time to be trading your top backup.

The scribe also mentions that the team also has to wonder if they have enough offense to get through the season. The team traded away Stepan, who he admits isn’t that big of a loss, but considering that there is no true center who can take his place, that’s not a good sign. Yes, Mike Zibanejad will likely assume the top role, but he will likely be one of the worst top centers in the NHL. Their other three centers J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes and David Desharnais are all acceptable, but none are outstanding centers. Luszczyszyn adds that what the Rangers really need is a big-name scorer, which they lack. The team instead relies on Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello, who are great players, but not two players you should have leading your offense.

All in all, the belief is the Rangers have traded one concern for many others. Will these offensive changes really change anything?

 

Nash Hopes To Have Comeback Season

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  • NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that Rick Nash is also looking to bounce back this season. The New York Rangers’ veteran, who has been a goal-scoring machine in his career is closing in on 500 goals for his career, but has seen the last two years hampered with offensive struggles and numerous injuries. With two seasons in which he combined for just 38 goals, well below his career average, he must come up big this year, before he hits unrestricted free agency after this season. “Every year I want to have the best year possible. But this year, it’s an important year for me personally,” said Nash.

Minor Transactions: 9/8/17

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The last 24 hours has been a busy one in hockey. There continue to be more and more PTO’s as well as a few traditional contract signings as well, both in the NHL, and the following minor league deals:

  • The New York Ranger’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, have signed 2016-17 AHL All-Star Joe Whitney to a one-year contract, the team announced. A Boston College alum and former captain of the Eagles, the 29-year-old Whitney has had a fine AHL career and has played an important leadership role for many teams, but has not lived up to the potential many saw in college. Whitney spent the first half of his pro career with the AHL’s Albany Devils, eventually earning an NHL contract with New Jersey and appearing in five games with the team between 2013 and 2015. More recently, he has been more of an AHL gun-for-hire, signing one-year deals with the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche to be a veteran mentor for their young minor leaguers. Whitney was traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Brendan Ranford at the trade deadline this past season to help support the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners down the stretch. However, the Coyotes and seemingly all other AHL teams weren’t interested in a two-way deal for Whitney’s services this season, leading to his AHL deal with the Wolf Pack. Whitney will still be a valuable research in Hartford, bringing leadership and guidance to a locker room with developing young scorers like Ryan Gropp and Adam Tambellini.
  •  Like Whitney, another former Boston College captain has found AHL employment in Chris Calnan. The big, two-way winger has signed with one of the AHL’s newest teams, the Binghamton Devils, the relocated affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The announcement of the deal by Binghamton received excited recognition from both New Jersey and ECHL-affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. The whole chain of teams hope that Calnan can bring the same character, tenacity, and leadership that he showed at BC to his pro game, regardless of what level he plays at. Calnan, 23, was a 2012 third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, but became a free agent in August after failing to reach terms on an entry-level deal with the team after four years in college. In Binghamton, Calnan will look to show that he has the intangibles to be a reliable bottom-six forward at the NHL level. He may not be his uncle, Jeremy Roenick, but Calnan looks like he may have pro chops.
  • Unlike Whitney, a pair of fellow former Coyotes have been unable to lock down even an AHL job this off-season. Branden Troock signed on with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits earlier today, while Henrik Samuelsson came to terms with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads yesterday. Samuelsson, 23, was a first-round pick of the Coyotes back in 2012, but never came close to reaching his potential, beginning with a scoreless three game stint with the ’Yotes in his first pro season in 2014-15 and only going downhill from there. The team ended up trading Samuelsson to the Edmonton Oilers last season for Mitch Moroz, who signed with none other than the Idaho Steelheads this summer. Samuelsson has just 55 points in his three-year AHL career and will have to work if he wants to add to that point total any time soon. Troock, on the other hand, is neither an Arizona draft pick nor an NHL veteran. The 23-year-old was a 5th-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2012 and was traded to the Coyotes this past February alongside the aforementioned and quickly flipped Brandon Ranford for veteran goalie Justin Peters. Arizona did not make any attempts to re-sign Troock, who was a -7 in 20 games with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners to close out the season. Troock is more familiar with the ECHL than Samuelsson, having skated in 28 “AA” games over his three pro seasons.
  • A player with similar luck is former San Jose Sharks prospect Patrick McNally. A 2010 fourth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks and a standout at Harvard, the bruising defenseman just couldn’t find any production at the pro level, scoring 18 points in two seasons with the AHL Barracuda. McNally today signed with the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, who ironically play in the former home of the Barracuda, then the Worcester Sharks.
  • A pair with better fortunes today was Alex Wideman and Tyler Sikura. The ECHL forwards are now AHL forwards, after inking deals with the Rockford Ice Hogs today, as per a team announcement. Wideman, the younger brother of Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Wideman, is back in the AHL after two full seasons of ECHL playing following a quick stint with his brother on the Binghamton Senators in 2015. The 25-year-old scored 55 points in 70 games last season, the best offensive production of his entire career. Sikura is on an AHL contract for the first time, having only played in the American League on loan after signing with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye out of Dartmouth College in 2015. The former Big Green captain has yet to record an AHL point yet, which will surely be his “goal” when he first hits the ice with Rockford.
  • Journeyman goalie Mark Dekanich will be staying stateside this year. He has re-upped with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 31-year-old Dekanich is a ten-year pro; a 2006 draft pick of the Predators, he made one NHL start in Nashville and many more starts with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, then jumped overseas to the KHL before returning to minor league duty in North America. While Dekanich could end up playing much of the season down in the ECHL, as he has the past two seasons since returning from the KHL, Dekanic’s veteran presence could prove helpful for promising young Flyers goalie prospects Alex Lyon and Carter Hart, especially while Anthony Stolarz remains sidelined. However, between that trio of up-and-coming keepers, the veteran duo of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth in Philly, and Leland Irving and John Muse also on AHL deals, there may be a few too many goalies in Lehigh Valley and Reading this season.

New York Rangers Hire Brian Leetch, Brad Richards

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  • The New York Rangers have named former players Brian Leetch and Brad Richards Hockey Operations Advisors, joining a front office they once played for. Both will work with prospects in the organization to try and unlock their full potential. Leetch is a Hall of Fame defenseman who is one of the greatest Rangers of all-time, playing 17 years for the club before ending his career with short stops in Toronto and Boston. Richards on the other hand spent just three seasons with New York near the end of his career, but is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and was a dominant two-way center for many years.
  • Still with the Rangers, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Filip Chytil’s injury is not as serious as originally thought, and though the first-round pick will miss the rookie tournament, could be available for the team’s training camp. Chytil suffered a groin injury in the Four Nations Tournament this summer, but is an exciting young prospect for the Rangers to get a look at this fall.

Rangers Invite Nicolas Werbik To Rookie Camp

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  • The Rangers have invited Czech prospect center Nicolas Werbik to their upcoming rookie camp, his former Czech team in Zlin announced. Werbik spent last season with Youngstown of the USHL, collecting 39 points (18-21-39) in 54 games after spending the previous year with Rimouski of the QMJHL.  Werbik and New York first rounder Filip Chytil both played in the Zlin U-18 program back in 2014-15.

Filip Chytil Reportedly Injures Leg, Expected To Miss Training Camp

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After trading away their first-round pick in several consecutive years, the New York Rangers selected twice on the first day of the draft picking Lias Andersson at #7, and Filip Chytil at #21. While Andersson is set to try and crack the NHL roster out of training camp, it doesn’t look like Chytil will even be able to take part in the rookie tournament. A report out of the Czech Republic says that Chytil is dealing with a torn leg muscle suffered while playing in the Four Nations tournament.

While this injury hasn’t been verified by the Rangers, it would be a disappointing start to Chytil’s career with the team. He signed an entry-level contract in July, and though he isn’t expected to make the jump to the NHL—he’s just 17 after all—there was still a decision to be made on where he should spend this season. He could have been sent to Canadian junior where the North Bay Battalion selected him seventh overall in this year’s import draft, to the AHL to suit up for the Hartford Wolf Pack, or back to Europe where he could continue to develop on loan.

Brandon Pirri Returns To Florida Panthers On Tryout

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Professional tryout season is alive and well. Brandon Pirri is the latest player to sign a PTO, inking one with the Florida Panthers today. The forward will return to the team with which he found the most NHL success, scoring 22 goals in the 2014-15 season. Pirri will join Nikolai Belov as a Panthers PTO, fighting for the last few spots on the roster.

One of the most interesting things about that 22-goal season from Pirri, is that it came with just two assists. Pirri had never been known as a pure sniper before, posting huge assist totals in the AHL as he dominated competition with his offensive skill. Nearly a point-per-game player in the minor leagues, that level of offense has escaped him since he left Florida, spending time with Anaheim and last year with the New York Rangers. Pirri scored just 18 points in 60 games despite being given a chance on the team’s powerplay. He just didn’t seem to fit in New York, and couldn’t find a job on the open market this summer.

Pirri is just 26, and the Florida Panthers desperately need offensive weapons to fill out their lineup. They have several roster spots up for grabs, but the veteran will have to fight off youngsters like Owen Tippett and Henrik Haapala in order to make the squad.

New York Rangers To Retire Jean Ratelle's #19

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After the Philadelphia Flyers announced this morning that Eric Lindros would see his number retired to the rafters this season, the New York Rangers are also making plans to honor one of their greatest players. Jean Ratelle’s #19 will be retired in February, joining Ed Giacomin (#1), Brian Leetch (#2), Harry Howell (#3), Rod Gilbert (#7), Adam Graves and Andy Bathgate (#9), Mark Messier (#11), and Mike Richter (#35) in the rafters of Madison Square Garden.

Ratelle played 16 seasons for the Rangers during his career, scoring 817 points in 862 games for the franchise. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985 and has been waiting a long time to see his number retired in New York. Jesper Fast, who wore the number last season, will have to change for 2017-18. The ceremony is scheduled for February 25th, before a game against the Detroit Red Wings that will be deemed “Jean Ratelle Night.”

KHL’s Danis Zaripov Considering Coming To U.S.

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that there may be another NHL free agent entering the market soon. KHL’s Danis Zaripov, a 36-year-old winger, who was suspended in July for two years by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is considering leaving Russia and coming to the United States to finish out his career.

According to Friedman, a KHL media release stated that Zaripov samples “contained banned stimulants plus substances prohibited as diuretics and masking agents.”

While Zaripov stated he’d appeal, he also started the process to become eligibile to play in the U.S. and according to Friedman, that process might come to a conclusion next week. His former team already voided his contract, so he has no contractual commitment. There has already been some interest from a couple of teams, including the New York Rangers and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Zaripov, who has played his entire career in Russia, put up 16 goals and 29 assists last season with Magnitogorsk Metallurg. However, it was his playoff run last year that turned some heads. He scored 15 goals and added seven assists in 18 playoff games to reach the championship finals.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $71,949,444 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Pavel Buchnevich (Two years remaining, $925K)
D Anthony DeAngelo (Two years remaining, $863K)
D Brady Skjei (One year remaining, $925K)
F Jimmy Vesey (One year remaining, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

DeAngelo: $400K
Vesey: $2.85MM

Total: $3.25MM

Vesey, the top prize out of the 2016 August free agent group, got off to a strong start with New York but tailed off as the season progressed.  Now that he has gone through a full professional season, expectations will be higher and if he can live up to them, he’ll get a nice boost on his next deal.  Buchnevich was held back by injuries for a good chunk of last year but he should be in line for a bigger role next season.

Skjei was a major bright spot in 2016-17.  Although he had just 12 games of NHL experience (regular season and playoffs) heading into the year, he wound up locking down a regular spot and was extremely productive from the third pairing with 39 points (5-34-39) in 80 games.  If he comes even close to that next season, he will be in line for a significant raise.  DeAngelo now finds himself with his third organization since June of 2016.  He was productive at times in a limited role with Arizona last year but there’s no guarantee he locks down a full-time spot.  If he winds up going back and forth between the Rangers and the AHL’s Wolf Pack, he might be a player who takes a smaller NHL AAV next summer in exchange for more guaranteed money (or a one-way deal).

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F David Desharnais ($1MM, UFA)
F Michael Grabner ($1.65MM, UFA)
F Kevin Hayes ($2.6MM, RFA)
D Nick Holden ($1.65MM, UFA)
F J.T. Miller ($2.75MM, RFA)
G Ondrej Pavelec ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Matt Puempel ($725K, RFA)
F Rick Nash ($7.8MM, UFA)

Nash is by far the most notable name on this list.  His production has nosedived the past two years (injuries haven’t helped either) but he still has the reputation of being a quality goal scorer.  He hasn’t lived up to his contract and shouldn’t land close to that in free agency but even though he’ll be 34 next summer, he’s likely to garner a fair amount of interest based on his reputation alone.  It was noted earlier today that no extension talks have taken place between Nash and the team.

As for the other forwards, Miller is wrapping up his bridge deal in 2017-18 and expectations will be high.  Not only is he coming off of a career year, he will also be asked to take on more of the load with Derek Stepan now in Arizona.  It’s certainly reasonable to think that he could double his current deal if he eclipses the 50 point mark again.  Hayes is in a similar situation and is also coming off of a career season with 49 points.  He is also likely to shift up a notch with Stepan gone which can only bode well for his next deal.  Grabner was a pleasant surprise as he finished second in goals last season on a team-friendly contract.  He has been hot and cold over his career but another 20-goal campaign would make him a much more coveted player next summer.  Desharnais was added to give them some extra depth down the middle while they wait for their prospects while Puempel will once again attempt to lock down a regular spot on the fourth line.

Sep 29, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Nick Holden (22) in action against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY SportsHolden struggled with Colorado but saw his fortunes take a turn for the better with New York.  He set career highs across the board offensively and cemented himself as a top-four option.  His name has been involved in trade speculation throughout the summer as someone they could move to find a replacement for Stepan but being a rental player that should land a bigger deal next summer, his value around the rest of the league may not be as high as it should be based on the way he played last season.  If he makes it to free agency, he’ll be in line for a considerable pay increase.

With Antti Raanta also being moved to the Coyotes, the Rangers moved quickly to bring Ondrej Pavelec in as their new backup goalie.  He’s coming off a rough year that saw him spend a long time in the minor leagues but on a new team and lower expectations than he had with Winnipeg, he’s a good candidate to bounce back.

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