Award Season

The new world of NHL arbitration is fueling speculation about the movement of players who receive awards that their teams can't or don't want to accept under the salary cap. At this particular moment, activity is swirling all around the Rangers, among their two local area rivals and the third New York-based team, making fans wonder if the Rangers are at all interested in those players:

1. Buffalo's Daniel Briere, 29, who had his salary bumped up by more than $3 million to $5 million.

2. New Jersey's Scott Gomez, 25, awaiting a ruling today, who made a little more than Briere did last season and should, based on superior statistics, command a salary higher than Briere's, which would blow the Devils way over the cap, especially with Brian Gionta still unsigned.

3. Islander Mike York [pictured left], the one-time Ranger who got an $800,000 raise to $2.85 million instead of the 50% salary cut his team asked for.

In the cases of Briere and Gomez, their teams are certain to accept their awards and then try to trade them if they find that they can't handle the awards under their caps. In the case of the Islanders, who knows? In his Sunday column yesterday, Larry Brooks of the Post says that owner Charles Wang is micromanaging all aspects of the team at this point, and without any tangible hockey knowledge, who knows how he might decide on York? Apparently Mike Milbury is still wielding much influence with Wang -- another wild card.

Although there are no credible rumors, there is widespread belief that the Rangers have at least one more big move up their sleeves -- Michal Rozsival's continued contract impasse may have moved him to the top of the to-move list for a management team that doesn't care for players who turn down their offers. Could any of the arbitration awardees be among their potential targets?

No one can blame the Rangers for salary inflation this time around. The three teams in question, all tight-fisted with their money, are seeing awards based on benchmarks set by other low-spending teams, particularly Tampa Bay with their Brad Richards contract and Chicago with what they gave Martin Havlat.

Check out the newly redesign NY Hockey Report site, from the folks at NY Sports Day, headed by Blueshirt Bulletin contributor Joe McDonald. The guys did a 20-minute podcast to celebrate the relaunch of the site.

Comments

[al]

Thank you for not mentioning the Hall & Moore saga...time will ultimately tell. Until then, we all must breathe deep and repeat 'serenity now'! Keep up the great work!

[ladyranger79]

That Larry Brooks article, "Wangs' Isles a Mickey Mouse Club" has me back to belly laughing about that organization again! Thanks for posting that!!! LMAO!!!

[Jess]

Since Dubi posted this and asked to move the thread here I am responding to those in the previous thread.

Jas

Connolly is not due to make 5 mil this season which along with a couple of others represents 26% of the Sabre cap space. Besides who do you think brings the most in return in any deal?

Ron

I think you misunderstood my views. I never said "make the deal" but rather reported on what I was hearing. My trade offer was clearly addressed to Volk in response to what he asked was what I would be willing to pay for Briere.

I acknowledge that I like Briere and given a choice of York/Briere/Gomez I want Briere.

However if I created the impression that I was advocating a desire for the trade then I apologize as I did not mean to.

I do know that the Rangers are working on a major move (it is something big because everyone seems to know something is up BUT nobody is coming close to figuring out what)

Angry

Guess someone who has become a proven scorer should come cheap. Thank you for proving my point that hometown fans tend to not be able to honestly come up with realistic trade value.

Mike

Thanks anyway but I did know about the rules regarding the new CBA (I happen to have a copy of it which I have read.

If the Rangers were to make a move for any of the arby players then you have to believe it is because they also believe they can resign him.

I got to meet a gentleman who works for the Rangers who's job I have been led to believe it cap management and contracts. I am told he is very good at his job.

[rangerbill94]

I can't imagine what BIG deal the Rangers are working on. If it doesn't include Ovechkin, Kovalchuk or Stall...I don't want to know about it. The way this team is configured right now looks pretty good to me. As of now, ON PAPER, we seem to have improved the PP, added some scoring potential to the third line, added solid depth at the blueline and added another proven scorer to the second line. We may have hurt the PK a little, but Betts, Ortmeyer and Ward need just one more guy and that should be OK.

[Jess]

Raqngerbill

It is the Rangers and knowing their mindset of the Dolans which is Star Power equals ticket sales and TV ratings I think they are trying to push Sather and Co into going after a big name player (I read that as someone who is North American and is younger than Shanahan).

Like I said it is rather strange (or even one very good smoke screen) that so many people are saying the Rangers are looking to make a big move BUT nobody has been able to put the pieces together to figure it out.

My own sources say the Rangers are looking for still more offense up front hinting at a center (there have been rumors about Jagr wanting someone else in place of Nylander).

I am praying it is NOT Robert Lang (A Jagr pal who supposedly the Red Wings want to dump due to his contract) which is an older rumor.

The better rumors are the ones involving those players who are due for arbitration hearings like the Coyos Nady and Comrie. Very few people believe the Coyos will be able to keep both so are going to shop them once they get an idea what their cap number will be.

Then there is the Briere rumor along with the Gomez and York rumor which have been already talked about.

Oh and once upon a time Neil Smith was the most disliked GM in the NHL for the contracts he gave out while with the Rangers. Well just about everyone nowadays is pointing the finger of blame at the Blackhawks for all the rising arbitration awards.

It seems that the 3 yr 18 million dollar contract given out to Martin Havlat is being used by every single forward who had similar numbers during their arbitration hearings.

Word has it that the players (well their reps) have been pointing out while their client has posted consistent numbers Havlat has not during his career and they deserve the same kind of money. So far it is working as no player has lost his hearing and many more have been called for last ditch settlement offers.

[MattW]

The Rangers current roster is probably good enough to make the playoffs and maybe steal a round. They are missing the #1 center that could make them contenders. How would you like to see a true #1 playing with Jagr. That would put Nylander on the 2nd line centering Shanny and Prucha? I think that kind of offensive 1-2 punch could be hard to overcome.

Remember with the new CBA the amount of time a team can remain at a high level is short and we have a big advantage having Jagr with only using 4mil of the cap room. However that advantage only lasts another year (or is it two?).

At some point Prucha (if he remains a 30-40 goal scorer) and Lundquist will command much higher salaries than they have now. The new CBA will have effects we do not even know about now especially as the UFA age drops.