Hartnett: Rangers Need Help, But Must Remain Sensible In Free Agency
By Sean Hartnett
» More Columns
Far removed from the seismic activity that stunned the NHL on Wednesday, the Rangers quietly held on to their assets while other teams pulled the trigger on desperate deals that could ultimately backfire.
The Montreal Canadiens shocked the entire hockey world by dealing away prime-aged superstar defenseman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators for their captain, premier defenseman Shea Weber.
What will surely hurt the Habs is Weber being under contract for the next 10 years -- from age 31 to 40. He's already logged some tough miles and it will be interesting to see how he fares in Montreal on a weakened blue line. The Preds possess one of the league's most productive defense corps and acquiring Subban puts them in the Stanley Cup conversation.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers paid a premium to fill a gaping blue line hole. Sure, Adam Larsson is a decent defenseman who can log 23 minutes a night, but general manager Peter Chiarelli sent the Devils one of the league's best left wings in Taylor Hall. Keep this in mind that Hall recorded 328 points over 381 games on some dreadful Edmonton teams and is still just 24 years old.
MORE: Lichtenstein: Devils Get A Star In Hall, But Larsson Will Be Missed
MORE: Russian Super-Talent Buchnevich Ready To Make Mark With Rangers
Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make. Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton listened to a number of trade options at the draft, but none were to his liking. Importantly, Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard are still here. You don't blow up your roster unless you're certain there is a deal out there that is a clear upgrade. Steven Stamkos agreed to an eight-year extension to remain in Tampa Bay and elite stars rarely reach unrestricted free agency.
Stepan and Brassard are working pieces for the Blueshirts. Each has proven his playoff mettle and is signed to fair-market deals. Brassard's cap hit is $5 million in annual-average value through the 2018-19 season, while Stepan is locked in at $6.5 million until the summer of 2021.
"I have nothing but good things to say about our group," Stepan said on breakup day back on April 26. "What happens this summer is completely out of this group's control. The things that we can control is for the first time in I don't know how long, we have 16 weeks to prepare ourselves for next season and get ourselves hungry."
The Rangers understand that Rick Nash offers tremendous value as a forward who can dominate in all three zones and retaining a significant chunk of his $7.8 million AAV would only make sense if they receive the right assets in return. Gorton isn't just going to give Nash away.
A five-game first-round elimination at the hands of the faster-skating Pittsburgh Penguins magnified the Blueshirts' need to get quicker and younger, especially on the blue line. Another area that must be remedied is the penalty kill, which fell to 26th overall during the regular season (78.2 percent).
Recently acquired defenseman Nick Holden can offer a boost on the PK. The 29-year-old is a mobile skater and can play on either side. Holden's $1.65 million AAV cap hit means that he will figure into the Rangers' top-six on defense in the upcoming season. The possession-weak Colorado Avalanche generated more shots and greater offensive zone time when Holden was on the ice.
Aging defensemen Dan Girardi and Marc Staal take up 15.3 percent of next season's $73 million salary cap at a combined $11.2 million AAV. The Rangers don't have much wiggle room to chase free agents given their need to re-sign restricted free agents J.T. Miller, Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Nicklas Jensen and Dylan McIlrath.
The majority of star forwards hitting the free agent market are hovering around the age of 30. It's imperative for teams to avoid tying themselves to a bad deal in term or dollars. The Rangers would need to shed salary to get in play for the likes of Andrew Ladd, Kyle Okposo or David Backes.
Retaining Viktor Stalberg could be more cost-effective than a number of UFA alternatives. Stalberg should command a bump up from the $1.1 million he earned last season, but would be inexpensive compared to Matt Martin or Jamie McGinn's potential earning power.
"I really liked it here, I enjoyed my time," Stalberg said on breakup day. "If there's a way to come back here, I would definitely be open to that. I would like to do that."
Some potential bargain free agent forward options include Michael Grabner, Thomas Vanek, Brandon Pirri, Michael Latta and Dale Weise.
Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey
