NHL Fanhouse gives us the top 50 unrestricted free agents going into the opening of free agency on July 1st.
According to Fanhouse it's a shallow pool for forwards, and a bit deeper for defensemen. Shot-blocking, stay-at-home defensemen appear to be the strength.
...i don't see the Rangers making a big splash this summer. And while I'd love to see them grab one of the available physical defensman, unless Sather is planning on not re-signing Girardi or sending either Gilroy or Redden to Hartford I don't see an open spot.
...at forward I see them looking at guys like Plekanic or Stempniak.
...take a look at the list and let the debate begin in the comments section.
10 comments:
Although it will never ever happen, I would love to see Patrick Marleau line up at center next to Gaborik, but he's probably going to command cap space that, frankly, we don't really have, unless the Rangers neglect resigning a majority of their own free agents, and going with the talent farm of Hartford to keep them sustained. Marleau would also be a solid leader in that lockerroom, which could be advantageous to the younger players, as well as Drury, whose offensive production could pick up as a result of the relieved pressure.
two names i like because of their production and price are willie mitchell and matthew lombardi
many will disagree but kovalchuk is the guy i'd go for. his kind rarely reaches free agency and he is still fairly young.
redden to ahl and moving gilroy for starters can help with the cap room. along with the $ 2 mm increase in the cap assuming that actually happens and the players vote for the 5% escalator as they have in previous yrs. although that is not a slam dunk as potentially it could hurt players already signed if revenues fall short.
Plekanek is going to get 5 mill. & he is not worth it so please enough already with all this Tomas Plekanek bs.
I'm with Chris take a run at Lombardi & Andy Sutton would look awfully nice clearing traffic in front of Lundqvist. Forget Volchenkov & Plekanek that latter is Scott Gomez the redux.
Ted, if Plekanic is going to get $5 million then I agree with you b/c no way he's worth it. I was thinking $3M tops.
I'd love to see Michalek, or, if he wants too much, then Willie Mitchell. It does cause a bit of a logjam, though, picking up another D-man... my real instinct is to say trade one of the younger guys, like maybe Sauer or Potter, as well as a draft pick and maybe Christensen (or someone along those lines) for a similar D-man on team dying for some young help.
That being said, I'd take Plekanic if his price was around $3.5.
And I really can't see them demoting or buying out Wade. If they were going to, they would have already. He's stuck here. Hopefully he'll retire early.
can't demote redden now until training camp and buying him out counts way too much vs cap for 8 yrs. cap allowed to be exceeded by 10% during summer.
and each yr would be seperate. even if he's sent to ahl this yr the following yr process begins anew as it has 2 yrs running for rissmiller and will this yr again (despite loan to redwings org he's still rangers property)
wouldnt mind seeing matty cullen back...but more pressing issues are needed to be dealt with...but i liked his time here and hes a solid player who can be shipped around the second/third line.
reminds me a bit of drury, just not getting 7.5 a year
-andrew794
might also take a look at tanguay, especially if we let prospal walk...tangs had a horrible season and really hasnt been all that good the last couple of years...but thats the good part...he would probably take a cheap one year deal...throw him on a line with gabby...who knows?
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