Shanahan stays in the Big Apple
Brendan Shanahan stuck to his word and agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old left winger had 29 goals and 62 points with the Rangers last season, his first with New York. Following the Rangers' second-round playoff elimination, Shanahan said he wanted to continue his career and had no interest in playing anywhere but New York.
Well, this, combined with new deals for Henrik Lundqvist (which will likely come in higher than the Rangers would like) and Sean Avery, will put the Rangers right up against (if not over) the salary cap.
Even with Darius Kasparaitis likely banished to the AHL next season, Glen Sather's going to have to move out salary on this team, and reports have indicated that's a shuffle that's going to happen on the team's already average blue line.
I think New York might just offer Example 2 (next to Tampa Bay) of how you can't buy big with a few scorers and expect to keep the requisite pieces together for a championship run. Time will tell.
by James Mirtle @ 5:26 PM
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Except that the Rangers also have it where it counts: in goal. The Lightning don't have that one figured out.
Bye-bye to Marek Malik, and maybe Paul Mara if anyone can be found to take them off the Rangers' hands.
you could write a textbook explaining how the New York Rangers screw up.
If they send Kasparaitus down that leaves them with about $8.5M to allocate to Lundqvist, Avery, and Hossa.
So with $4M to Lundqvist, $1.75 to avery and $1.5 to Hossa, they'll have $1.5M left to add a 3 more forwards to round out the team. Tough but doable.
Next year should be as interesting for them since Shanahan will count for $2M to the 08/09 cap once he plays 10 games this season and half their defense will be UFAs.
It's a good thing that Marc Staal should be the real deal for them; that gives them at least a hope that the Rangers can ice an NHL calibre defence to go with all that firepower.
you could write a textbook explaining how the New York Rangers screw up.
Not in one volume.
I'd like to see a documentary, with the appropriate deep-voiced narration, ie
"Having learned nothing from their pre-cap spending sprees, the Rangers, seemingly intoxicated from second straight playoff appearance,signed the two of 2007's free agents to huge contracts. Sadly,they neglected to conserve any of their budget for an NHL calibre defense."
Meanwhile the camera pans over black and white photos of the Rangers' lineup.
I think New York might just offer Example 2 (next to Tampa Bay) of how you can't buy big with a few scorers and expect to keep the requisite pieces together for a championship run.
Tampa Bay has three stars making around $20 million. Instead of dumping on them, we should be congratulating Jay Feaster for having a brain. The more that cap goes up, the cheaper those boys become.
For one, the Lightning aren't planning on spending to the cap.
Besides, look how well that gambit has paid off so far.
Oh, so they would have been a better team without the top three?
Didn't Richards, St. Louis and Lecavalier all get their names engraved on the cup?
Andy, have you seen how Tampa Bay's fared with $20-million tied up in those three? I don't think they'd be worse.
Brad Richards certainly didn't earn his $7-million last season.
And the Lightning won the Cup before the salary cap and these deals.
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