My understanding is that Backes plays C more than RW.
So, playing him with Gaborik on the top line is probably a cheaper option than signing a guy like Richards.
Additionally, he will be four full years younger than Richards.
There's no debating that Richards is the better player, but as a UFA he's going to want buku dollars at more years than I want to extend for a 31 year old player. We did that with Drury and we are regretting it.
However, if we can find a home for one of (if not both) Rozy and/or Drury, we can attempt to get both Backes AND Richards and still have some scratch to get that defenceman we are missing.
Gone would be Drury, Rozy, Prospal, Frolov, EC, Gilroy, Eminger
coming in would be Richards, Backes, McDonagh, Grachev, MZA, Valentenko
major upgrade in terms of toughness and talent.
Younger and cheaper than Richards? Sure, but a better option? I'm not so sure about that. This is a guy who has topped 30 goals / 50 points once in his entire career. Is he really what we want trying to be a pivot for our franchise winger? In my opinion, no.
I don't think Richards is at all comparable to Drury. One is a proven PPG play making center, and the other.. well, we all have our own opinions of Drury I suppose. I don't want to go down that road.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hpNYR
He can play center, has played some LW at the olympics, and obviously plays RW.
Backes-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
If he's comfortable on the LW, and the price is right, I'd certainly consider that scenario. However, if he's asking for north of $4MM, then there's no way I even return his call.
By most accounts, if the Blues let him go, it will be because he's asking for too much money. North of $4MM for a guy to play on the 3rd line? No thanks.
Now, if he could play on the first line LW with Gaborik, that might be something I'd consider. That's the kind of "protection" we could use. However, the team needs to be careful to leave room for guys like Kreider, Grachev, and MZA. At least potentially.
Gabs has played LW and is capable of it. Just throwing that out there.
Younger and cheaper than Richards? Sure, but a better option? I'm not so sure about that. This is a guy who has topped 30 goals / 50 points once in his entire career. Is he really what we want trying to be a pivot for our franchise winger? In my opinion, no.
I don't think Richards is at all comparable to Drury. One is a proven PPG play making center, and the other.. well, we all have our own opinions of Drury I suppose. I don't want to go down that road.
If he's comfortable on the LW, and the price is right, I'd certainly consider that scenario. However, if he's asking for north of $4MM, then there's no way I even return his call.
I see him getting around 3.8 as the avg cap hit. I don't see anything north of 4. I would walk away north of 4 as well.
I see him getting around 3.8 as the avg cap hit. I don't see anything north of 4. I would walk away north of 4 as well.
If he's going to sign for that, I think the Blues will retain him. If he's going to the open market, it's because he wants $4MM+. Guess we'll have to wait and see though.
If he's going to sign for that, I think the Blues will retain him. If he's going to the open market, it's because he wants $4MM+. Guess we'll have to wait and see though.
Free Agency is an auction. Multiple teams are after the same player almost all the time. If you expect to come out of free agency without overpaying 90% of the time than you're only fooling yourself. If you've noticed only the players who have been bought out, in a tail spin and showing decline are the ones who come considerably cheap. Except in our case with individuals like Redden and Drury.
I wanted Mikko Koivu, Patrice Bergeron, and David Backes in that order.
Koivu and Bergeron have been re-signed. Backes is still out there. A lot depends on how he plays this season and how that affects his asking price/value. From what I have watched of him he's a very hard working individual with great size, good skill, and adds a power game to the line-up.
If he has a a solid 2 way game, work ethic, size that is used, and a scoring touch that has yet to be maximized -- is 4- 5 mill on overpayment? Not too sure. A lot depends on this season. Let's see if he can crack 30 goals again.
If this is true, the Rangers should go hard after Alex Semin. That would give us two legit 40 goal scorers in the lineup.
Semin-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
And no #1 Center to play between them....
Not interested in Semin, his price will be too high and the guy has a history of injuries. He's never played a full season and has had 2 seasons where he only played 60 some odd games...
Too risky to sink that much money into two injury prone high end forwards...
Assuming we re-sign Anisismov, Dubinsky and Callahan, I would guess that Sather goes after Brad Richards.
IMO, having a #1 center and/or plenty of depth at center is a significant need for any team that wants to be a cup contender. Most, if not all of the current contending teams have at least a true #1 center. Some have very good centers throughout the line up, others make up for it by having 1 or 2 great wingers for depth.
Pittsburgh (Centers: Malkin, Crosby and Staal)
Washington (Center: Backstrom; Wingers: OV and Semin)
Detroit (Centers: Datsyuk; Wingers: Zetterberg and Franzen)
Chicago (Center: Toews; Wingers: Hossa, Kane and Sharp)
San Jose (Centers: Thornton and Pavelski; Wingers: Heatley and Marleau)
Boston (Centers: Savard (IR), Horton, Bergeron, Seguin and Krejci; Winger: Lucic)
IMO, to keep up with teams like those, the Rangers need add a true #1 center, like Richards. If Stepan and Anisimov (hopefully) continue to develop properly and project to be good #2 (or low-tier #1) centers, having them along with Richards creates ridiculously good depth at center. We still have Gaborik on the wing, and will have another decent winger in Kreider or Grachev (again, if they develop properly).
Don't get me wrong, center depth isn't the only thing that makes contending teams. But I believe adding Richards along with our young centers maturing while be huge for this organization.
The only thing with Richards is that he's 30 years old. Typically a players prime ends at around 32. Will he still be at the top of his game in 3 or 4 years? I don't really watch Dallas much, so I'm not really sure. I still think that a 3 or 4 year deal would be great for him, and this team.
Not interested in Semin, his price will be too high and the guy has a history of injuries. He's never played a full season and has had 2 seasons where he only played 60 some odd games...
Too risky to sink that much money into two injury prone high end forwards...
Difference is, we have no potential 40 goal scorers in the system, unless you consider Kreider a potential 40 goal guy. We have Stepan, Anisimov, and Werek in the system, who will make a good 1-2-3 down the middle in a few years. Semin gives us something we don't have AND need. He doesn't need anyone to set him up, he can create his own chances. If we had Gaborik and Semin on the same line, then had the BAR line, that'd give us two dangerous lines.
Difference is, we have no potential 40 goal scorers in the system, unless you consider Kreider a potential 40 goal guy. We have Stepan, Anisimov, and Werek in the system, who will make a good 1-2-3 down the middle in a few years. Semin gives us something we don't have AND need. He doesn't need anyone to set him up, he can create his own chances. If we had Gaborik and Semin on the same line, then had the BAR line, that'd give us two dangerous lines.
You didn't address his cost, his injury history, nor the fact that we don't have a Center for that line... Who is going to Center Semin & Gaborik, Christensen? You're not going to get max production/value out of either Gaborik nor Semin without a qualified Center between them.
And we don't have any pressing need for another 40 goal scorer (in addition to Gaborik) in our system if the scoring depth is distributed throughout the roster, with multiple players capable of 15-25 goals a piece (Dubinsky, Callahan, Anisimov, Drury, Avery, and soon to be Boyle)
If the cap increases by 3.5 million, they will have over 20 million dollars to spend going into next season before they re-sign their RFA's. I would guess that those players will not collectively make 20+ million dollars AND if Rozsival is moved in the offseason you can add 5 million to that number.
Lots to think about IF this report is true.
The bolded are who I would bring back; add Kennedy in there if we can but I am calling for Backes this offseason that is the only signing besides the RFAs and maybe a vet D-man.
You didn't address his cost, his injury history, nor the fact that we don't have a Center for that line... Who is going to Center Semin & Gaborik, Christensen? You're not going to get max production/value out of either Gaborik nor Semin without a qualified Center between them.
Stepan. Gaborik had 40 goals with Christensen/Prospal as his center last season. They don't need star centers to produce. We have 2 potential 1b centers in the system in AA and Stepan, and we don't have any potential 40 goal scorers. Semin is still young at 27, and when the team is fully developed, he'll still be in his prime.
Stepan. Gaborik had 40 goals with Christensen/Prospal as his center last season. They don't need star centers to produce. We have 2 potential 1b centers in the system in AA and Stepan, and we don't have any potential 40 goal scorers. Semin is still young at 27, and y the team is fully developed, he'll still be in his prime.
Stepan looks like he should be in the AHL right now... That's asking a lot of him to ask him to be Centering our #1 line next season...
I think Rozsival is gone, to be honest. I see us moving him at the draft. I don't WANT to move him, but I think we do it to free up salary. Drury will be here till he retires.
__________________
"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
I think Rozsival is gone, to be honest. I see us moving him at the draft. I don't WANT to move him, but I think we do it to free up salary. Drury will be here till he retires.
Do you know which defensemen are projected to be UFA's this summer?
I think Rozsival is gone, to be honest. I see us moving him at the draft. I don't WANT to move him, but I think we do it to free up salary. Drury will be here till he retires.
Agreed. I think he gets moved to Nashville or Dallas, specifically, as Rosi makes 3 mil in actual salary, which is a steal for what he brings.
FORWARDS XX UFA/trade / Derek Stepan ($0.875m) / Marian Gaborik ($7.500m)
Brandon Dubinsky ($3.800m) / Artem Anisimov ($2.200m) / Ryan Callahan ($3.600m)
Chris Kreider ($2.500m) / Chris Drury ($7.050m) / Evgeny Grachev ($0.816m)
Sean Avery ($1.937m) / Brian Boyle ($1.000m) / Brandon Prust ($0.800m)
Derek Boogaard ($1.625m), MZA/Weiss/Hagelin/vet
DEFENSEMEN
Michal Rozsival ($5.000m) / Marc Staal ($3.975m)
Daniel Girardi ($3.325m) / Michael Del Zotto ($1.087m) XXX UFA/trade / Ryan McDonagh/Valentenko ($1.300m)
Michael Sauer ($0.750m)
GOALTENDERS
Henrik Lundqvist ($6.875m) /Martin Biron ($0.875m)
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled using the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $63,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $56,891,667; BONUSES: $1,650,000
CAP SPACE (20-man roster): $8,158,333
2 positions to fill. Very interesting....
I have to say the two lines i like in your lineup are the bottom two. I think drury would be a good fit in between those two young guys who have a boatload of talent (and yes I still believe in grachev, i've liked his play so far, though limited). Boyle has been stellar this year. And I love the work ethic of prust and avery. That makes for a great, relentless 4th line.
Its too early for me to speculate on UFAs. You dont know who's going to be available and you need to retain your own first. Especially because the PACK line is really coming into its own and showing that maybe it can be a solid 2nd scoring line, with all 3 of them topping out for their potential.
I kinda hope so as long as the price is right. I'd love to play him on the 3rd line for less. Nothing to lose when you have a defensive specialist like that. We all see how well a team plays when they block shots.
Semin is not coming here. He's a wierd guy and apparently the Caps have shopped him around the league. Doesn't fit the Ranger profile.
Methinks that if there is enough money to sign a blue chip free agent (and remember, we've still got to account for Redden on the summer cap) it will be a top pair defenseman.
Free Agency is an auction. Multiple teams are after the same player almost all the time. If you expect to come out of free agency without overpaying 90% of the time than you're only fooling yourself. If you've noticed only the players who have been bought out, in a tail spin and showing decline are the ones who come considerably cheap. Except in our case with individuals like Redden and Drury.
I wanted Mikko Koivu, Patrice Bergeron, and David Backes in that order.
Koivu and Bergeron have been re-signed. Backes is still out there. A lot depends on how he plays this season and how that affects his asking price/value. From what I have watched of him he's a very hard working individual with great size, good skill, and adds a power game to the line-up.
If he has a a solid 2 way game, work ethic, size that is used, and a scoring touch that has yet to be maximized -- is 4- 5 mill on overpayment? Not too sure. A lot depends on this season. Let's see if he can crack 30 goals again.
I know that free agency is an auction. I just don't like bidding on players who haven't proven to be what we think they're going to be. Backes is a considerable step down from Koivu, and even Bergeron who, if he regains his form, can be a #1 center in this league.
Someone is going to gamble on the side that he's a 30+ goal scoring power-forward. I don't think we're in a position to do that.
He should be in the AHL right now? Please cmon thats ridiculous. The kid has played a sound game. He just hasnt scored. Patience is a virtue.
Not ridiculous whatsoever... Have you read Tortorella's latest comments on him? Have you noted his playing time the last few games? He doesn't look anything like he did during the pre-season right now and if his play isn't going to warrant him a significant amount of playing time, he should be in Hartford getting top line minutes, and top PP/PK time...
Quote:
Originally Posted by azrok22
He's played fine, but since the first few games, he's definitely closer to the AHL than he is to centering a top NHL line full time.
He's 20 years old, so that's to be expected -- it's not a knock on him.
