Cullen might very well be a luxury. But it really comes down to what that money is going towards. I'd rather keep Cullen then get rid of him and sign Souray.
And of course Avery is more important than Cullen.
I can't rationalize getting rid of Mara. Trading Ward for Mara and the emergence of Girardi was what really solidified the defense last season.
And again, what is getting lost in the shuffle is the fact that both Malik's & Mara's contract will be coming off the books at the end of the year. They Rangers are going to be right up against the cap this year. The contracts that are expiring will give them manueverablitity next year. It is one thing to simply exchange money for money, it is another when one considers the length of the contract.
I'd rather have a good all around player like Cullen who can kill penalties, take faceoffs, play the point on the power play (like he did in Carolina) and be effective at both ends than a guy like Souray who is a one-trick pony.
I don't think the question is moving Cullen, Mara, or Malik to make room for Souray. The problem is moving one of those contracts just to get under the cap. If my math is correct and using the figures i've seen the Rangers now have $9 million left to sign Lundqvist, Shanny, Avery, & Hossa. Getting those four signed for $9 million might be tough. Taking away a $2.5 - $3 million dollar contract might be needed for some additional cap breathing room.
we DO NOT NEED souray! As for Mara and malik we do need to tradethem for some open cap room, We need shanny, avery, henrik and hossa, that is our team.
WHAT about get Garnet Exebly off of Atl. he is and all around defensive men.
Lets face it, malik and mara can't Quarterback the puck out of the zone.
Also Al Montoya needs to go, i know it's hard to take in, but if we have henrik what room does this kid have to play, we all know Al is awesome, but i would like to see the kid play wither it's here or somewhere else. plus thats 1.6 mil. cap room.
What do you think about giving up a second rounder and Cullen to a team that will take on Malik and Mara? That would save the Rangers $8.5M and allow them to sign Souray and still have money left over (even after signing Shanny, Prucha and Avery)
You might find this hard to believe, but there would be a nice market for Malik if he was available. Expiring contract, $2.5MM cap hit, good +/- and eats a lot of ice time. There's probably a market for Cullen and Mara too. Wouldn't be surprised if one has to go with all the salary juggling. Of course, in a week or so, once the table scrap UFAs are left to fight over small contracts, some sanity will hopefully return to hockey salaries.
I don't see what the urgency is to trade the mentioned players. Mara is a good one, Malik is hated here but really he isn't that bad. Gentle Giants are always hated in NYC. Cullen is a nice third line player.
Trading picks so that another team takes these players is INSANE!!!!
Letting Ranchunek go saved cap space and as mentioned Malik and Mara will be off the books next year. Sauer and hopefully Baranka can step in for them. Sanguinetti should be ready for the NHL in two-three more years
I don't see what the urgency is to trade the mentioned players. Mara is a good one, Malik is hated here but really he isn't that bad. Gentle Giants are always hated in NYC. Cullen is a nice third line player.
Trading picks so that another team takes these players is INSANE!!!!
Letting Ranchunek go saved cap space and as mentioned Malik and Mara will be off the books next year. Sauer and hopefully Baranka can step in for them. Sanguinetti should be ready for the NHL in two-three more years
Exactly, Darth. With the incease in the salary cap, these players have gone from questionable signings to high quality contracts. We probably need to trade one... but it won't be from a position of weakness.
What do you think about giving up a second rounder and Cullen to a team that will take on Malik and Mara?
That would be pure insanity. I don't understand this sudden campaign to get rid of Cullen. Was I the only one who thought the Prucha-Cullen-Cally line was consistently our best line during the Buffalo series?? Cullen is exactly the type of player you need on your team to go deep into the playoffs. He does everything well. He is one of the most under rated players on our team and plays hard every single night. This is almost as baffling as the "trade Prucha" insanity that was taking place during the season. Avery-Cullen-Cally is a fantastic 3rd line.
i just get tired of seeing malik throw the puck around the boards and turning it over. he also cant even bring the puck up. half the time jagr and nylander had to come back to bring it forward. of course he has a great +/- look who he is playing with. duh.....
I just can't imagine that one of Mara or Malik will NOT be moved. We have 8 NHL level defenseman if you count Staal. We need cap space.
One of those guys will not be a Ranger come opening night.
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"Of course giving Sather cap space is like giving teenagers whiskey and car keys." - SBOB "Watching Sather build a team is like watching a blind man with no fingers trying to put together an elaborate puzzle." - Shadowtron
Sestito still on the make a wish tour. - rholt168
Its just unbelieveable how much time and energy the fans have wasted by blaming this one player.
It's going to be a pretty retarded scene this year at the Garden. I have great confidence in the team, but I am expecting people to still boo Malik when they go on a tremendous run and sustain it. I will have a hard time restraining myself from confronting these people 41 times during the regular season!
Its just unbelieveable how much time and energy the fans have wasted by blaming this one player.
