After reading the article, it sounds like Feds is looking for a bump over this $1M salary from last season... for 2 years. I'm not so sure he is worth much of a bump and I would be extremely hesitant to make it 2 years. He is good player who played well last season for this team, but giving him too big a contract would be a mistake IMO. There are too many bottom six forwards in the pipeline for that. My guess is that he tests free agency and finds out that he isn't worth what he thinks he is.
I'm not sure where this sentiment that Fedotenko takes a spot away from a rookie (Grachev or Hagelin) comes from? The plan should be to reunite Feds with Boyle and Prust (one of Avery or EC should be 13th forward or in AHL). Then there should be two spots open to play wings on Stepan line assuming Wolski stays and he's given another chance on the 1st line with BR or another center and Gaborik. Pack line stays intact to open the season. Not too shabby to compete in the East.
where is there any room for a rookie? let alone two? If one of Avery or EC is the 13th forward, and one is in the AHL, there is room for only 1 rookie forward. If we can't sign Richards, one is the AHL, one is the 13th forward, ok, I can see your math but those are a lot of assumptions. Avery could surprise a lot of people this fall. He is looking at a contract year and with his reputation, he has to show every GM in the league that he is worth signing.
Last year he made 1M and was great in his role. He's probably asking for 2 years @1.5 and they probably offered him 2 years at the same salary. He'll probably be back @ 2 years for 2.5 total. I'd be happy with that. Keep that 4th line together. I don't believe in Boyle to be much more.
As for as where the rookies will come in, just wait for injuries. They will happen.
where is there any room for a rookie? let alone two? If one of Avery or EC is the 13th forward, and one is in the AHL, there is room for only 1 rookie forward. If we can't sign Richards, one is the AHL, one is the 13th forward, ok, I can see your math but those are a lot of assumptions. Avery could surprise a lot of people this fall. He is looking at a contract year and with his reputation, he has to show every GM in the league that he is worth signing.
Who's to say Hagelin or Grachev wont beat out MZA? And yeah maybe avery doesnt play as much, maybe Torts use a rotation. It's not something to worry about until training camp comes. You have to have experienced veterans on your team if you want to have a good hockey team. Torts and the Rangers are going into next season with the intention of making the playoffs and then some. Yeah I hope a rookie or two win roster spots but you need to also have the right role players. Fedotenko fits the system here, he's a perfect guy to sign for the job he did last year and will do again this year. His teammates love him too, I mean how could you not? He's a blue collar type player.
I've been on the Fedotenko bandwagon for a long time. Two years is fine by me. He'll contribute more than Avery will, even if he has to get dropped to a 4th line for depth purposes.
I see a bunch of people complaining about 2 years...Feds is 32...not 35 or 36...32 year olds don't lose effectiveness because of age. If anything, 2 years gets us a lower cap hit and he can settle in here and be even more productive. This is a case where it's not only not a problem to guarantee 2 years to a vet, but where imo it's beneficial.
As to rookies...you don't want to pencil guys into slots that they aren't ready for. It's not like any of these guys has shown us anythibg. Grachev isn't scoring 30 in the AHL, Kreider/Hagelin/etc most likely won't be ready and in Kreider's case he isn't even signed. My thought has always been to make the rookie earn his spot...he has to come to camp and pretty much force his way on the roster. That's the way it should be. If and when that happens we can deal with it. Injuries, ineffectiveness, etc...there's always an opportunity.
not trying to start another thread. but what about brooks laich in rangers blue?
More of the same.
If we're not signing top end talent, we shouldn't be signing them at this point. MAYBE a vet d-man as a 7th, but outside of Richards, I'd rather just stay the course. Maybe explore trade options but stay away from anyone a 2nd liner and below.
I really like Feds, but after this season we could potentially see Grachev, Kreider, and Dubi all on the left wing. That also doesnt factor in Avery and Wolski if by any chance the Rangers resign either of them. Just having trouble seeing him 2 years from now. But being a 4th line winger couldnt hurt. I would rather they pull of a Prospal type deal and keeping signing 1 year contracts. That reminds me... what if Prospal comes back?
i'm all for bringing him back if its for 1.5 mil/year or less. he was great last year and you need to have some veteran presence. and i'm ok with a 2nd year cause it likely lowers the salary each year and he isn't 35 so we can get rid of the salary if kids push him out of the lineup (and he has trade value if you decide to move him later). so i see minimal risk in that 2nd year and would much rather him back than prospal for that reason.
and i know that its HF and everyone wants all the kids playing but lets just stop and think about the fact that we could be looking at a team where the guy most deserving of the nickname 'gramps' is only 32. i remember a time (when free agency started at 31) when 32 was young for the rangers lol. i want kids playing too but it might not be terrible if 1 or 2 of the guys are old enough to rent a car on the road LOL
as for concerns of him blocking guys like hagelin or grachev. hagelin has yet to play a pro-camp and the final 30-40 games last year grachev finally showed he can play in the ahl. neither guy is someone that would be hurt from time in hartford and neither is a guy that you pencil into the lineup now. if they come to cap and show they deserve a spot then you can trade a guy like fedotenko or feds becomes a perfect 13th forward. he is not the type of guy that will 'block' a deserving kid. but if those kids can't beat him out for a spot then they probably aren't ready anyway.
honestly my biggest concern about bringing him back is that feds-boyle-prust was so good last year that if we don't upgrade stepan's wingers, i think his line will become the 4th line and i'd worry that stepan won't get enough ice time to develop...but i guess saying your '4th line' is too good is one of those 'good problems to have'
After the season he had his worth is grater than 2 million on the market. The guy has two SC rings. Who else have any besides the coach? I'd let him go. He is too expensive at this point. Plus we do not need his help to win the Cup, since we not not in contention. He takes the spot we can fill from within.
another thing i don't think it makes much sense to bring back wolski, avery, fedotenko and christensen. figure 2 of those guys will play on LW and 2 guys become extras (btw i'd keep feds first over the other 3).
reason i mention this is that it seems a bit odd that they want to get his deal done by july 1st when normally this is the kind of depth move a team makes as camp is approaching and you see how much cap space is left...now this is purely my own speculation and i have nothing to back it up, but my first thought when i read that was they want him inked before july 1st because they want him locked up before the buyout period is over. and if feds is back they will let one of those other 3 guy.
Plus we do not need his help to win the Cup, since we not not in contention. He takes the spot we can fill from within.
This is the only point I agree on with regards to not bringing back a vet presence, since some people seem to unrealistically think the Rangers are closer than in reality.
However, I feel that is a more valid argument for not bringing back a guy like Vinny P. Feds is still young enough that if he is kept around cheaply and to low year deals, he could be worth having around when the Rangers are ready to contend.
As much as I would like to see as many kids on the roster as possible. I'd also like to see them win some games. Guys like Feds help make that happen and can help with experience for younger guys even if there is no Cup run in the foreseeable future.
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"I used to pray for good things . I used to ask the Hockey Gods for puck luck for the NYR .
Now all I want is Torts the smug stupid goatee clown to be fired , . I hate Torts . Please hockey gods make him get fired. Please Sean punch him in face" -- Dorado
Too often people think that because the Rangers didn't win a playoff round this season, we need a BUNCH OF NEW guys. It's often overlooked that the MAJORITY of young players we have as our core are going to improve and simply be better players next season. The answer isn't to bring in that many new faces. No Brooks Laich. No Gagne. No Jokinen. Yes, we need Brad Richards. Bring back Fedotenko. Look into Jagr on a 1 year deal less than 4 mil. It's better than signing any other FA to a multi-year deal, regardless of a lower cap-hit.
Warning: Players on The Rangers are closer than they appear.
Being 100% honest, I truly believe that if we land Brad Richards we are a top 5 team in the East and a legit Stanley Cup contender. For some reason I feel a huge year out of Avery, I don't know why but I feel as though he will get some good minutes 15-18 a game and he will take advantage of the opportunity and go something like 15-25. This is my ideal line-up that I believe can contend for a cup.
Too often people think that because the Rangers didn't win a playoff round this season, we need a BUNCH OF NEW guys. It's often overlooked that the MAJORITY of young players we have as our core are going to improve and simply be better players next season. The answer isn't to bring in that many new faces. No Brooks Laich. No Gagne. No Jokinen. Yes, we need Brad Richards. Bring back Fedotenko. Look into Jagr on a 1 year deal less than 4 mil. It's better than signing any other FA to a multi-year deal, regardless of a lower cap-hit.
Warning: Players on The Rangers are closer than they appear.
I agree, but Sather won't have any of what you say. Anisimov and Boyle are two easy signings. At the very least they should of been taken care of already. Just like it took Snow a day or two to ink Grabner and Okposo. My guess is they're probably not signed yet because Sather might not be able to pass up the opportunity of including them in a deal for someone with the reputation of shooting the puck hard from the point (Kotalik #2, where are you?).
Same with Cally, Sauer and Dubinsky.
A day in the life of Glen Sather. If he's not busy working on taking care of his RFA's, I can't help but wonder what this guy does all day?
I guess he just fishes for pike and studies the CBA religiously in order to find ways to shave nickels and dimes off the team payroll.
Dolan can probably get one of those drunken sounding zombies from night of the living dead to sign Kolarik faster than sather.
Would prefer a 1 year deal, for sure but a 2 year deal wont be bad if its for the right reasons. I kinda see Feds like i saw Prospal last summer- gave a great season - a surprise - and we brought him back and deservedly so.
The thing with Feds is that hell give you everything you need. He can fill in in basically all spots on the roster up front and has the ability to make some big plays at big times. Hopefully if its a two year deal its less of hit and gives him some insurance to finish his career out with a contract. (if he indeed thinks hes got two years left to give)
Hes a versatile guy who was a big part of the success the Rangers had last year imo, but i just hope Slats doesnt go crazy here- ideally you would want Feds to be a backup - 3rd 4th line guy on a really good team filled with more youth and speed, hes got that veteran leadership and playoff experience under his belt which is always good to have.
My thinking is this will be a good signing with the thinking that he will ultimate be a depth guy to a younger more talented team. Im just hoping that the deal is right. The Rangers have to get the right cap number if they are going to give him two years. He can play this year and hopefully the following be strictly a depth guy.
This also tells me that Torts/Slats want to keep that Feds/Boyle/Prust line intact. Hey for a fourth line im good with that. Id rather have them out there stirring up a forecheck then some goons who cant skate. At times they were the best line out there. But on the other hand if the Rangers actually want to get somewhere in this conference, theyll need to look past lines like these - they need the cash to secure a good frontline arsenal so this line is an afterthought to be quite honest. And thats what his contract should be as well.
Last edited by HockeyBasedNYC: 06-19-2011 at 11:30 PM.
Really thought Feds was a good fit for NYR last season. I'm not opposed to two, as long as the money is reasonable. They have a boatload of bottom six talent yes, but along with Prust, last year Feds was the best and most consistent when he wasn't hurt.
Feds/Boyle/Prust was one of the better lines a good part of the season.
he was a good fit and a great fit for Torts. he did play for Tampa for alot of years. very underrated player in the NHL. teams win with players like him. his scoring may declined but his work ethic wont be questioned. good leader for the youth on the team. cant complain about that.
Feds is still young enough that if he is kept around cheaply and to low year deals, he could be worth having around when the Rangers are ready to contend.
Why should he be cheap? The only reason to get the player for less is to offer him a longer contract. One year cheap contracts must have a reason other than player being border line worth signing. Not a shut at you, but I am tired reading here the suggestions to sign a valuable player for one year at around league minimum. It's time to get real.
I'm not really sure there's someone 100% ready to fill Feds roster spot out of training camp...I think it's more likely that unless someone really surprises at camp, the Rangers will start without any rookie forwards up front (or someone beats out MZA, who's hardly a lock). But those guys in Hartford will be important depth for when injuries inevitably occur and could earn their NHL roster spot during the season
where is there any room for a rookie? let alone two? If one of Avery or EC is the 13th forward, and one is in the AHL, there is room for only 1 rookie forward. If we can't sign Richards, one is the AHL, one is the 13th forward, ok, I can see your math but those are a lot of assumptions. Avery could surprise a lot of people this fall. He is looking at a contract year and with his reputation, he has to show every GM in the league that he is worth signing.
Teams normally carry 2 spare forwards. Both Avery and Christensen could be spares. And Wolski could still be bought out. Players can also get traded or sent down, they can also get hurt. We can't assume that all those players will actually make the team.
Every year we go through this and it's beyond ridiculous. Everyone cried when we signed Voros and Rissmiller, but did that stop Korpikoski from making the team? No. Everyone cried when we signed Prospal and invited Nedved to camp, but did that stop Anisimov from making the team? No.
No team is going to hand a rookie a spot. Spots have to be earned. If the rookie doesn't earn the spot, the team has to have someone to take that spot. If he does earn the spot, he will get it. What in the last 6 years have you seen to suggest anything else?
Just last year we had Stepan and Sauer make the team out of camp. MZA got a lot of time and McD was a midseason callup that stuck. Roszival was traded to make room for him. If the player earns the spot, he will get it. End of story.
Why should he be cheap? The only reason to get the player for less is to offer him a longer contract. One year cheap contracts must have a reason other than player being border line worth signing. Not a shut at you, but I am tired reading here the suggestions to sign a valuable player for one year at around league minimum. It's time to get real.
I don't think anyone is suggesting league minimum, but neither are they saying he should get 2 mil per year.
No one wanted Feds last year. He came to camp as a tryout and earned a contract, making 1 mil. Part of what made him so valuable last year was that he out-produced his cap hit. So should he get a bump? Perhaps. But he's still a guy who could have been without a job last year. Giving him a 2 year deal gives him security. There are no more big paydays in his future, so if he can get 2 years @ 1.25 mil per year, he will take it.
where is there any room for a rookie? let alone two? If one of Avery or EC is the 13th forward, and one is in the AHL, there is room for only 1 rookie forward. If we can't sign Richards, one is the AHL, one is the 13th forward, ok, I can see your math but those are a lot of assumptions. Avery could surprise a lot of people this fall. He is looking at a contract year and with his reputation, he has to show every GM in the league that he is worth signing.
im not convinced yet that all of the bolded players will be on the team
but in reality i can see one rookie (mza included) making the team out of camp
im hoping grachev is good enough to win the spot but we'll see
where is there any room for a rookie? let alone two? If one of Avery or EC is the 13th forward, and one is in the AHL, there is room for only 1 rookie forward. If we can't sign Richards, one is the AHL, one is the 13th forward, ok, I can see your math but those are a lot of assumptions. Avery could surprise a lot of people this fall. He is looking at a contract year and with his reputation, he has to show every GM in the league that he is worth signing.
Rookies have to earn their spots. If either and all of Avery, Wolski and Zuccarello from your roster are better than Grachev and Hagelin so be it. However, there is no reason to think that it's not going to workout otherwise, i.e. that is if Grachev and / or Hagelin are going to outplay A, W and Z - they are going to be playing for the Rangers and get their minutes. This is not pre-lockout Rangers organization nor they are Renney's Rangers. The last three years proved (at least to me) that Torts is going to find spots for the players who deserve them.
very underrated player in the NHL. teams win with players like him. his scoring may declined but his work ethic wont be questioned. good leader for the youth on the team. cant complain about that.
