Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jean-Francois Berube

Vegas Signed Two RFAs, Selected “A Couple” UFAs

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Right from the horse’s mouth, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Bill Foley and the Vegas Golden Knights signed two restricted free agents during the negotiating window and picked “a couple” of unrestricted free agents with which they will continue to negotiate. One of those RFAs is presumably Erik Haula of which we already know, while Jean-Francois Berube is likely one of the UFAs. Brendan Leipsic, rumored to be headed to Vegas from the Toronto Maple Leafs is also an RFA, though there has been no word on whether he has signed or not as of yet. Deryk Engelland is possibly the Calgary pick, which would represent another pending UFA.

Vegas GM George McPhee told us yesterday that there would be a few “throwaway picks” meaning players who the Golden Knights had no intention of signing after the draft. While Berube might represent that option, Engelland does make his off-season home in Vegas and could theoretically sign with the team. The Golden Knights should have no shortage of defensemen to choose from however, making him still a long-shot to spend the 2017-18 season on the strip. The Flames look like they’re getting off easy in the draft, without a side deal reported as of yet.

It’s interesting to see that the Golden Knights don’t appear to have gone after any of the big name free agents, as discussed this morning in regards to Karl Alzner. It’s hard to forfeit your selection in the expansion draft just to sign a player who you can talk to just a week later. With players like Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon available in the free agent hotbeds, the Golden Knights have probably just used the negotiating window to exchange early figures with the pending UFAs.

Jean-Francois Berube Could Be Included In Vegas Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Jean-Francois Berube may be included in the New York Islanders side-deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. That deal in particular has been tough to pin down for all those chasing it, with several different iterations coming out in the last few days. The latest has it involving the Islanders’ first-round pick (15th-overall this year) in order to protect some unnamed group of players from selection, while Mikhail Grabovski’s contract could be headed the other way. This is the first we’ve heard of Berube being involved.

Interestingly, the Golden Knights have been expected to already have too many goaltenders after the draft and will unlikely have room for Berube on their roster. Recently it has been reported that Antti Raanta was not the selection from the Rangers, meaning perhaps Vegas is going for more position players than originally expected. Though Berube has some potential as an NHL goaltender, he played just 14 games for the Islanders this season (seven starts) and put up a .889 save percentage. He was relegated to the third string goaltender early in the season and never really received a chance as the Islanders struggled in net. With the team re-signing Thomas Greiss in early January, the writing was on the wall for Berube’s future in New York.

15th-overall is a hefty price to pay for any trade, but protecting their exposed group and getting rid of Grabovski’s cap hit seems important enough to the team. There have been rumblings of the Golden Knights wanting to move up from sixth-overall in the entry draft, and the Islanders’ pick could be a big part of that. Pierre LeBrun of TSN mentioned early this morning that Vegas had secured ten draft picks over the next few seasons, with several expected in the first round this season. While the team they ice on opening night in 2017-18 might not be incredible, the Golden Knights seem poised to have a quick build through the draft and young assets.

Islanders Notes: Defensive Struggles, Beauvillier, Goaltending

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New York Islanders find themselves near the top of the league in shots allowed at 32.6 per game; only Arizona (35.5) allows more.  As Newsday’s Arthur Staple notes in a reader mailbag, their struggles in that area appear to stem from a systems change designed to compensate for some struggles in their transition game.

The Isles are coached to allow a bit more possession in their back end but strive to allow more shots from the outside as a trade-off.  Unfortunately, they’ve struggled when it comes to retrieving the puck and as a result, they’ve taken a beating in the overall possession game which is one of the reasons for their slow start to the season.

One defense pairing in particular who hasn’t thrived under the changes is their expected top duo of Nick Leddy and Travis Hamonic.  Both players have struggled considerably in their own end but Staple points out that the coaches are pleased with the other pairs which is why they haven’t been split up yet; they worry about doing more harm than good if they change things up.

Given that the Metropolitan Division has quickly become the hottest in hockey and that they find themselves at the bottom, they may soon have to take the risk of changing things up on the back end in the hopes that doing so can take some of the pressure off their goaltending.

More news from the Islanders:

  • While some have speculated that rookie forward Anthony Beauvillier could potentially be loaned for the upcoming World Juniors, that won’t be the case, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie (Twitter links). The 19 year old has seven points in 20 games this season but has been a healthy scratch more often as of late, suiting up just twice this month.  Beauvillier is expected to sit tonight against Chicago, adds Brian Erni of IslandersPointBlank.
  • The goaltending situation continues to be a strange one, as Erni along with Andy Graziano debate in a separate column. Jaroslav Halak has a below average goals against average and save percentage while Thomas Greiss is much better in both categories.  However, Halak has seen the bulk of the action so far.  Part of that is likely due to the fact he has been on the trade block for a while now but with the team quickly falling out of the playoff hunt, it would be understandable if they opted to go with the hotter hand.  Further complicating things is Jean-Francois Berube, the third string netminder who has played all of six minutes this year.  Graziano notes that if he doesn’t reach 30 appearances this year (highly unlikely at this point), Berube becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency so if they want to keep his RFA rights, they need to play him a lot more as well.

Metro Division Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Islanders, Berube

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been one of the league’s pleasant surprises through the quarter point of the campaign. Expected to again be a lottery team after a 27th place finish in 2015-16, Columbus is off to a 14 – 5 – 4 start and their 32 points are good enough to place them in a tie for fifth most in the NHL. The Jackets also rank in the top-ten in goals scored, goals allowed and have the league’s top ranked man advantage unit. Craig Morgan, writing for Fan Rag Sports Network, explores how Columbus has been able to turn things around after an offseason that didn’t yield any major personnel changes.

Morgan spoke with Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline, who was able to provide his insights into the team. Right off the top Portzline cites three key reasons for Columbus’ early success. First, Sergei Bobrovsky has been healthy and is performing at a high level between the pipes. Second, Alex Wennberg is producing at the level of a top center. Third, rookie blue liner Zach Werenski has shown he wasn’t just ready to play in the NHL, he was ready to be a star in the league.

Among goalies who have played in at least 15 games this season, Bobrovsky ranks 5th in Save % (0.929) and 6th in GAA (2.08). Wennberg, in his third NHL campaign, has 6 goals and 21 points in 23 contests and is tied for 7th in the league in assists. Werenski leads all rookie blue liners in goals (5) and points (16).

In addition to the output of those three key players, young defenseman Seth Jones has also played a vital role in the Blue Jackets unexpectedly strong play. Columbus head coach John Tortorella had this to say about Jones’ impact:

“You can see how he can control the game with the puck. We have a lot of teaching to do with him without the puck, but the God-given ability that he has, it’s at a different level than a lot of other players in this league.”

Whether or not Columbus can maintain this level of play and compete for a playoff berth of course remains to be seen. However, by this point in the campaign, teams that are currently hold a postseason spot have excellent odds of making the playoffs and that should bode well for the Jackets.

Elsewhere in the Metro Division:

  • With new ownership now pulling the strings in Brooklyn, there are rumblings that the New York Islanders may be searching for a high level executive to join their front office, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday. The plan is to add a big name and evidently among those who are under consideration are two former NHL’ers with ties to the New York area: former Islander and Ranger Pat LaFontaine and Brad Richards, who retired after last season and spent three seasons with the Blueshirts. Staple adds that another name linked to the potential new role is Pat Brisson, who just so happens to be John Tavares’ agent and was a contender for the Pittsburgh Penguins GM position two years ago. It’s not clear whether the hire, if eventually made, would join the team as team president and work with Islanders GM Garth Snow, or if that person would be charged with reshaping the organization’s front office.
  • Jean-Francois Berube is currently in a tough spot as the Islanders #3 goalie behind Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss. Fearful of losing the 25-year-old net minder on waivers but apparently unwilling to give him any playing time, the Islanders have planted Berube firmly in the press box for much of the last two seasons. Berube has yet to see any action this season at any level and got into just 12 games – seven in the NHL and five in the AHL – in 2015-16. It’s certainly an unusual situation but as Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes, it’s not an entirely unique one. According to Brooks, goaltender Wayne Thomas spent the entire 1974-75 campaign on the roster of the Montreal Canadiens without even dressing as the backup. Berube has at least been on the Isles bench 10 times this season. Thomas would go on to appear in 243 career NHL contests – including a career-high 64 appearances the next season – perhaps providing some hope for Berube, who has all of seven games to his credit. While Brooks’ story is somewhat anecdotal, Berube and his representation have not been amused with the net minder’s lack of usage over the last two seasons. A resolution of some sorts that allows Berube to get on the ice, whether in Brooklyn or another NHL city, is likely best for all parties involved.

Metropolitan Notes: Berube, Rangers, Del Zotto, Carey

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Islanders head coach Jack Capuano and GM Garth Snow plan to meet regarding finding some playing time for goaltender Jean-Francois Berube, reports NHL.com’s Brian Compton (Twitter link).  Berube has been with the Isles all season but has yet to appear in a single game.

This is the second straight year he has been in this situation as a third string goalie after he was claimed off of waivers back in October of 2015.  Clearly the team thinks highly enough of him to keep him around but with Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss both ahead of him on the depth chart, finding playing time for him has been a challenge; he made only seven NHL appearances last year.  It’s clear that New York believes Berube would be claimed if he were to be made available via the waiver wire once again.

The Islanders have put Halak on the trade block but have yet to find a suitable return for him while Greiss is a pending unrestricted free agent.  As a result, it seems quite plausible that they may want to protect Berube in next June’s expansion draft in which case they will likely stick with three goalies for the rest of the season which means that Berube will be in limbo for a while longer, even if they do get him into a game or two sooner than later.

[Related: Islanders Depth Chart]

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers GM Jeff Gorton is riding quite the hot streak when it comes to his acquisitions since the offseason, suggests Newsday’s Steve Zipay. Of their eight pickups, only Nathan Gerbe (who was brought in to battle for one of the final couple of forwards spots) hasn’t panned out.  Considering his contract was mutually terminated last month, there were no real repercussions from that signing either.  Meanwhile, players like Mika Zibanejad, Michael Grabner (who is among the league leaders in scoring), Brandon Pirri, Nick Holden, and rookie Jimmy Vesey are all playing key roles for New York and in all but Zibanejad’s case, were brought in via free agency or for a nominal price.
  • Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto will return to the lineup tonight, notes CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio. He has been a healthy scratch for the past three games after head coach Dave Hakstol wasn’t pleased with his defensive play.  He’s expected to take the place of Brandon Manning, who is believed to have a concussion.  Philadelphia is also making some lineup changes up front, moving Michael Raffl onto the front line with Brayden Schenn dropping down into a checking role.
  • Washington has re-assigned left winger Paul Carey to Hershey of the AHL, the team announced. He has played in just one game with the Caps so far this season but has 14 points (5-9-14) in 16 minor league contests.  The Capitals are off until Thursday so they’ll free up a bit of cap space by sending him down for a few days.

Islanders’ Hamonic To Miss 4 – 6 Weeks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New York Islanders announced via their official Twitter account that defenseman Travis Hamonic would miss the next 4 – 6 weeks due to an upper body injury. Arthur Staple of Newsday originally reported that Hamonic had exited the Islanders shootout loss to Edmonton after blocking a shot with his right arm.

With Ryan Pulock already sidelined with a broken foot, Staple believes it’s likely the team will recall Adam Pelech from Bridgeport of the AHL to cover for the absence of Hamonic. Pelech has a goal and four points in 10 games so far this season for the Sound Tigers.

Hamonic has tallied two goals and five points in 12 games this season despite averaging a career-low 19:47 of ice time per game. He leads the team in penalty minutes with 23 and has the worst plus-minis rating on the club at a -7.

The injury to Hamonic is yet another setback for a team that not only had playoff aspirations but expected to make a deep postseason run. Offseason free agent signings Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera have combined for just four points – all assists – in 12 games this season while the players they were signed to replace, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen, have totaled seven goals and 14 points for their new clubs.

The Islanders are also dealing with controversy surrounding their three goalie system which makes it difficult to find adequate practice time for their netminders. Allan Walsh, who represents Jaroslav Halak and Jean-Francois Berube, criticized the arrangement and the Islanders subsequently announced Halak was available via trade. Berube, ostensibly the team’s third goalie in each of the last two seasons, has seen action in just seven NHL games and five AHL contests – all coming last season – during that time.

New York is currently in seventh place in the Metro Division, just one point ahead of Carolina, who has two games-in-hand on the Islanders. Obviously it’s way too early in the season to completely write the Isles off just yet but this is clearly not the start the team was hoping for or expecting.

 

The Jack Capuano Situation

at CDT | by 1 Comment

After finally breaking through to the second-round of the playoffs in 2015-16, following six consecutive first-round postseason defeats, it was expected that the New York Islanders might be ready to take yet another step in their progression. After all, the team returned its roster nearly intact and boasts a legitimate franchise player in John Tavares. Though it’s early, the Islanders are off to a disappointing 3 – 5 – 0 record and currently reside in a last place tie with Carolina. This combined with other factors has led Brandon Cohen of Today’s Slapshot to conclude that Jack Capuano has surpassed his expiration date as head coach of the Islanders.

In addition to the slow start to the 2016-17 campaign, Cohen points out that despite moving on to the second round last season and winning game one against Tampa Bay, the Islanders “crumbled” when it mattered most and turned in a disappointing effort in the series-clinching 4 – 0 loss to the Lightning in game five. Cohen also notes that a year earlier, with a chance to advance with a game seven win over Washington in the first round, the Islanders mustered just 11 total shots on goal in a performance that can best be described as “flat.”

Capuano was elevated to head coach early on in the 2010-11 campaign and is in his seventh season with more than 450 games running the Islanders bench. He’s guided the team to three playoff appearances and back-to-back 100-point seasons but as noted earlier, just a single playoff series win. It’s rare for a coach who has achieved little postseason success to be allowed that much time but GM Garth Snow has obviously exercised patience when it comes to Capuano.

The Islanders handling of their goaltending situation has elicited criticism in the last couple of days. The team has carried three goaltenders for much of the last couple of seasons due in large part to the fact Jean-Francois Berube is not waivers-exempt and would almost certainly be claimed if exposed. Because of this, it’s been hard to find appropriate practice time to keep the team’s goalies sharp. Of course some of the blame for this falls on Snow for his inability or unwillingness to move one of his tenders to clear the logjam while obtaining some value in return. But Capuano shoulders some of the responsibility as it is on him to schedulea nd plan practices.

Capuano has also found it difficult working offseason additions Jason Chimera and Andrew Ladd into the lineup. The duo has accounted for just four points, all assists, while taking up $7.75MM in cap space this year. Over the last six years, Ladd has averaged 0.33 goals-per-game and has tallied at least 23 markers in each of the last five full seasons he has played. Yet he has just one helper to date through eight games even though he has had John Tavares and Josh Bailey as linemates 63% of the time, according to the website Left Wing Lock.

Again, you could find fault with Snow for handing out those free agent deals but Ladd has been a steady producer for a long time and the onus is on Capuano to find a way to help jump start the veteran winger’s game.

Capuano has drawn praise for focusing on the development of young players. In addition to Tavares, Kyle Okposo has developed into a solid power forward who has tallied at least 60 points two of the last three seasons. Frans Nielsen turned into one of the game’s best two-way centers, mostly under Capuano’s tutelage. Meanwhile, Travis Hamonic and Calvin de Haan have grown into solid top-four defenders.

Of course there have also been several high draft picks who have yet to reach their potential. Josh Bailey was selected 9th overall in 2008 but has yet to score more than 16 goals or 41 points in any season. Ryan Strome had a 50-point campaign as a 21-year-old sophomore but his production tailed off tremendously in 2015-16, scoring just seven goals and 28 points last season.

As with any coach, there have been plenty of ups-and-downs for the Islanders under Capuano. But while Snow has demonstrated plenty of patience to date with his head coach, the time to make a change behind the bench might be drawing near if the Islanders can’t shake off the early season doldrums.

 

Potential Short-Term Replacements For Quick

at CDT | by 4 Comments

With Jonathan Quick set to possibly miss 3 – 4 months due to a groin injury, the Kings are for the time being expected to ride it out with internal options Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj manning the net. But the Kings are well within their window of Stanley Cup competition and with several of their key players – Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik and Alec Martinez – already or nearing 30, and the team may not want to let the season get away should the Zatkoff/Budaj combo struggle between the pipes. In that case L.A. could visit the trade market to look for a short-term solution.

The Kings have little in the way of cap space, according to Cap Friendly, with just around $1.5MM available. They could add $5.8MM if they place Quick on LTIR, should they choose. But with Quick under contract for six seasons beyond this one, it’s likely the club elects to stick with less expensive options or, at the very least, limit their search to goaltenders in the final year of their deals. Within these parameters, here are a few goaltenders who could be made available by their current team and who might prove to be of interest at some point to the Kings.

Ondrej Pavelec – He was waived by Winnipeg at the end of the regular season and after going unclaimed, was assigned to the Jets’ Manitoba AHL affiliate. Pavelec’s only above-average NHL season came during the 2014-15 campaign when he posted a Save % of 92.0% and allowed a GAA of 2.28. That’s the only season in the last five Pavelec has posted a Save % above 90.6% or a GAA lower than 2.78. He is in the final year of his contract and set to earn $2.95MM; a figure the Kings could find reasonable enough for a stop-gap solution. NHL reporter Brennan Klak agrees with the premise the Kings don’t want to commit much in the terms of money or term, and mentions Pavelec as a hypothetical option.

Ryan Miller – Miller is expensive, $6MM cap charge, but has a solid track record of success at the NHL level and like Pavelec, is in the final season of his deal. It’s possible, if the Kings can tread water in the interim,  their interest increases as the trade deadline approaches and the team can better afford that cap hit. If the Canucks find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs, they could field offers for the veteran netminder. This would likely represent a worst-case scenario in that it assumes Quick wouldn’t be ready to return at the end of four months.

Thomas Greiss – Greiss had a good year with the Islanders in 2015-16 and when Jaroslav Halak went down with an injury late in the season, the German goalie guided New York into the second round of the playoffs. Greiss is in the final year of a deal that comes with a cap hit of just $1.5MM, and would represent a low-cost option on an expiring contract. The Islanders chose to keep three netminders on the roster to begin the season, likely out of fear that Jean-Francois Berube would have been claimed on waivers. It’s feasible they could take a reasonable offer for Greiss and commit to Berube and Halak for the rest of 2016-17.

Scott Wedgewood – The Kings could have had Wedgewood for just the cost of assuming the remaining season and $587.5K left on his contract but of course Quick was healthy when Wedgewood was available on waivers. It seems apparent the Devils still value Wedgewood’s potential but with Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid holding down the top two spots in New Jersey, it’s conceivable they could entertain offers for the 24-year-old goalie. Wedgewood has little NHL experience – four starts – but would represent a low-cost, low-risk flier for the Kings.

Metropolitan Notes: Alzner, Berube, Rust

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Washington defenseman Karl Alzner is one of a slew of Capitals players who aren’t currently under contract for next season.  As Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post notes, a potential hold up to re-signing Alzner may be the looming Las Vegas expansion draft next June.

Teams can protect three defensemen under what will be the most common option used by teams (there is also the ability to protect eight skaters regardless of position but it’s unlikely that many teams will go that way).  The Capitals already have John Carlson and Matt Niskanen that are likely to be protected which would leave one slot for Alzner and pending RFA Dmitry Orlov.  Keeping Alzner unsigned would allow them to safely protect Orlov but GM Brian MacLellan noted it could be a priority to get Alzner signed to an extension before then:

“Depending on the value, it would be, yes. We can protect three defensemen, so there’s going to be a decision to be made here at some point. I mean, we have guys that are pretty good.”

Alternatively, the team could come to an agreement on terms and just wait until after the waiver draft to make the deal official.  That way, the team could leave Alzner exposed, allowing them to protect Orlov or another defender.  MacLellan doesn’t anticipate going that route, nor does he expect other teams to:

“I think that’d be a risky move. I don’t know that anybody’s going to try that. There’s probably a window, I mean, but I don’t know that you can really wait until then. … I don’t think there’s a guarantee. I don’t think you can come to an agreement and say, ‘We’ll sign you after that,’ you know? I don’t anticipate that would work.”

Alzner has spent his entire career with the Capitals, playing in 509 regular season games.  While his point total in that time isn’t particularly strong (16 goals and 88 assists), he has been a reliable shutdown rearguard and would have no shortage of suitors if he were to hit the open market.

Other news from the Metropolitan:

  • The Islanders considered placing goalie Jean-Francois Berube on waivers, Newsday’s Arthur Staple reported in a reader mailbag. However, they feared that at least one team (San Jose) would have had interest in claiming him so they have opted to keep three goalies up again at least to start the season.  While the Sharks didn’t claim a goalie off the waiver wire, one possible suitor for Berube is no longer on the market for a backup with the Penguins adding Mike Condon from the Canadiens earlier this week.  With Jonathan Quick out for the Kings though, it’s possible that they could have some interest in repatriating their former farmhand in Berube.
  • Pittsburgh right winger Bryan Rust skated for the first time since the playoffs on Wednesday as he works to return to the lineup from an undisclosed injury, notes Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Rust had a quiet regular season with 11 points in 41 games but played an important role for the Penguins in the playoffs, picking up six goals and three assists in just 23 postseason contests.  While he is now skating, there remains no timetable for his return to game action.

New York Hockey Notes: Halak, Tavares, Rangers

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The New York Islanders face an interesting choice when deciding who will be between the pipes to start the 2016-17 season. They have three goalies on one-way contracts – Jaroslav Halak, Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube – though realistically when it comes to the starting job, the choice will be between Halak and Greiss.

Halak had a solid season in 2015-16, winning 18 of his 36 starts and stopping nearly 92% of the shots he faced. The advanced stats crowd holds Halak in particularly high regard due in large part to his ability to limit goals against on high danger shot attempts. Over the last two seasons, Halak has stopped 84.03% of shots against from high danger scoring areas in 5v5 situations. That figure is good for seventh overall in the NHL among goalies who have seen at least 1,500 minutes of 5v5 play. Halak ranks higher than bigger names like Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist.

Greiss was excellent in goal for the Islanders in the postseason with Halak unavailable due to injury. He also ranks among the best goaltenders in preventing goals in high danger situations. His 84.97 HDSv% at 5v5 is the fourth highest over the last two seasons. It’s his strong play last season and the presence of Berube that has led some to postulate the Islanders could look to trade Halak to address other needs.

This issue was addressed by Arthur Staple of Newsday in this reader mailbag. Staple points to Halak’s strong play in the World Cup as the starter for the surprising Europeans and indicates that the Islanders organization is intent on keeping him on board. That means Greiss is likely headed back to the #2 role while Berube is likely to have to wait his turn while suiting up for Bridgeport in the AHL.

Other points of interest in Staple’s mailbag and roster notes on the Islanders Big Apple rivals:

  • Staple takes an early stab at what it will ultimately cost the Islanders to extend captain and face-of-the-franchise John Tavares. He reasons that since Tavares is the “one true star” of the team – unlike in Chicago (Toews/Kane) and Pittsburgh (Crosby/Malkin), he will be able to command a larger piece of the Islander salary cap pie. Staple refers to it as a “blank check situation for him,” and a max length deal in the range of $9.5MM to $10MM annually is where the negotiation will end up. Tavares likely could push for more and certainly the Islanders would prefer a lower number but the team will undoubtedly do whatever necessary to ink their captain to a long-term deal.
  • Answering a query regarding the continued development of defenseman Nick Leddy, Staple feels the 25-year-old blue liner can take the next step and become an “elite” defender. Staple suggests the Islanders will limit Leddy’s ice time by cutting his penalty-killing duties in the hopes he will remain fresher and produce better numbers at five-on-five.
  • Steve Zipay of Newsday projects the Rangers opening night roster and notes the team will have a significant amount of cap space remaining for one of the few times in recent memory. The Blueshirts had just $200K in cap space to open the 2015-16 campaign but assuming Zipay’s projections are close to accurate, the team will have in excess of $3MM with which to play with. Of course having that flexibility would allow the Rangers to add salary at any point during the season, rather than waiting until the trade deadline, should they find a deal to their liking.

 

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top