Blueshirt Boggle

Cap Conundrum

The Rangers' game plan for uniting Jagr and Sundin on their top line may not be possible if there is any truth to a TSN report about the suspension of 2008-09 bonus deferrals into 2009-10 salary cap calculations until the NHLPA formally declines to terminate the CBA, as they have the right to do by mid-May of 2009. That sounds like a mouthful -- the simple version is that there is no 2009-10 salary cap to defer to until the NHL knows for sure that the PA will not terminate the CBA. But here's the problem -- the clause in question, section 50.5(h)(iii)(A), is confusing, perhaps because of a typo:

For the 2009-10 League Year, all of the above-described Performance Bonuses shall be counted against Club's Upper Limit for that League Year (with no opportunity for Clubs to "carry over" any charges to their Upper Limit for the following League Year), unless the NHLPA declines to terminate this Agreement as of September 15, 2009, in which case accounting for the above-described Performance Bonuses in the 2008-09 League Year shall be treated as set forth in paragraph (ii) above [i.e. allowing overage to be deferred to the following year].

As you can see, there is a discrepancy between the two years mentioned -- in subsequent paragraphs covering other potential final years of the CBA, the years mentioned are identical (2010-11 in paragraph B, 2011-12 in paragraph C). Logically, if the idea is to apply the notion to a year that may turn out to be the final year of the CBA, the 2008-09 season would be the one, not the 2009-10 that is seemingly named in error in paragraph A. The error may have been corrected at some point, though it still appears in the CBA that is published on NHL.com.

What this means is that the Rangers can offer the bonuses as planned, but will not be able to exceed this year's cap (bonuses included whether they are hit or not) until the PA takes formal action on their right to terminate, which can happen at any time up until 120 days prior to September 15, 2009 (mid-May). But once that happens (and the PA is likely to extend the CBA, which has turned out to be player-friendly, not terminate it), the bonuses will again become deferrable, and the Rangers may then exceed the cap by up to 7.5% of the $56.7 Upper Limit, which is $4.25 million. It's a matter of timing.

Early Monday Update

Larry Brooks reveals the Rangers' master plan (for real -- not trying to be snide): sign Jagr and Sundin for the first line, team up Gomez and Drury on the second line, re-sign Avery and Rozsival -- see the Post for details. He had it right last year on this day when his source (no doubt the same one this time) told him the Rangers were targeting both Gomez and Drury and were letting Nylander go, so... See also the Times on Jagr and Prospect Park on Chris Doyle. The Rangers have re-signed minor league goalie Matt Zaba.

Quick Sunday Update

Sean Avery has been given permission, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, to talk contract with other teams prior to July 1st, and has already established a market at his asking price of $4 million per season for four seasons. Now it's up to Ranger GM Glen Sather to decide if he wants to play in that ballpark and bring Avery back to the Rangers, where he has been such a huge difference maker. Perhaps tipping Sather back toward Avery is a report that Ryan Malone is close to signing with Tampa Bay for over $30 million -- way more than Avery wants for a player who has not done more than Avery despite playing with superior linemates, as Brooks points out.

In other reading, the Daily News and Newsday have more on the Jaromir Jagr situation (based on the same Czech interview already translated here and elsewhere), Brooks has his Sunday column in the Post, Stan Fischler has a free agent preview at MSG.com, NY Sports Day weighs in on what a mistake it would be to let Avery and Jagr go, and Prospect Park reminds us of the rabbits Sather pulled out of his hat last year -- can he do it again? And, in a man bites dog story, Omsk GM Anatoly Bardin denies making an offer to a Ranger -- he was rumored to have spoken with defenseman Thomas Pock.

Jagr Waiting For a Sign on Where to Sign

Jaromir Jagr doesn’t know what his immediate future holds for him, where he’ll be playing hockey next season -- New York, Omsk, or some other port of call. A deeply religious man, Jagr is leaving his fate in the hands of destiny, awaiting a sign that will point him in the right direction. “I’m waiting for a signal to be able to say, ‘Yes, this is it,” he told reporters in the Czech Republic yesterday. “I have no such signal yet. I don’t know which way to go. I really don’t. I’m not bluffing. One day it looks like I’ll play in Europe, another day in America. I have always believed it will end the best way possible. And if you believe it, you leave it to destiny.”

But the sly Jagr is not looking for a signal from above -- he is looking for indelible signs from those who will be offering him his next contract, and the dollar figure is only one of a number of signals that will help him reach a decision. In fact, he was the one sending out signals to Ranger GM Glen Sather. “I find that I play my best hockey when there’s a pressure on me," he said. "When the team is built around me and the expectations on me are high. I would like to go to a team where they’ll believe in me and tell me, ‘It’s your team.’ I want to show that I can and know how to play hockey.” That confirms what we thought at the end of the season -- that Jagr, having sacrificed his automatic contract extension to the Rangers’ defensive system, would not want to come back without assurances that he could return to playing his own game.

Meanwhile, he had some interpretations of other signals he thought he was getting from Sather. “If he’s a GM who wants a player to be happy and to stay with the club, he should make the first move,” Jagr said. “He has made some move. But I thought it would be faster, not ten days ago.” Asked about Sather visiting him in Czech, Jagr said, “It would be needless for him to come. I was in New York the whole month. He could have talked to me [there], but nothing happened. I don’t know why he delayed it, whether he had other plans that didn’t work out. Maybe it’s his tactics, because it’s not just about sports, it’s also a business. I’m coming back to the States on Sunday or Monday. Maybe we'll make a deal. I wouldn’t want to be in his place. It’s very tough to be a manager these days. If you make a wrong move, sign a player long-term, it might hurt the team for several years. It’s not like it used to be when the owner paid for the mistakes and other players were brought in.”

Jagr, who has never tested the free agent waters in his career, expects to generate interest if he reaches July 1st unsigned. “I think there will be offers from more teams after Sunday,” he said. “At least I hope so. I’ve waited this long, why not listen to other teams’ offers? We are still talking about the Rangers and Omsk, but there might be someone else next week. I will be a free agent for the first time and I have to decide myself where I’ll go. I’m uncertain now, confused. I think about every step. But it always takes time to realize whether it’s a good one or a bad one. And you never know what it would be like going the other way. I would much rather not to have to make the decision. But I have no other choice.”

He has heard the rumors of the outrageous offers he has supposedly gotten from Russian teams. “Of course I know about them,” he said. “Unlike you,” he added, chiding the reporter. “One sometimes gets a good laugh out of what you read in the papers. It’s nice, but it’s not true,” he said of the $35 million offer he is said to have gotten from Omsk. (To be fair, no one reported that the offer was for $35 million, but that it was equivalent to 35 million after-tax U.S. dollars.)

He also heard about the Rangers possibly pursuing Mats Sundin to be his center. He said he thought they'd make a good pairing, given their complementary styles, but doubted that the Rangers would be able to sign both players under the salary cap, and doubted whether it was even a good idea for the Rangers to sign another center given their current depth at that position.

Jagr shed light on Martin Straka’s situation, solving the paradox between his friend apparently agreeing to play for his hometown team and his agent saying he is still in play in the NHL. “I congratulated him immediately,” Jagr said of Straka, confirming that the initial report was accurate. “And I talked to [Pilsen GM] Tomas Kral too. He gets Martin. Should Martin have a chance to return to the Rangers or some other team where he’ll feel well, he won’t block it. On the contrary. On the other hand, though, if Martin stays in Europe, it’s Pilsen only. He was born there, he speaks Pilsner.” Jagr still hopes to have Straka as a teammate next season. “I would certainly like to have Martin with me wherever I go,” he said. “We are used to each other, we know what to expect from each other. It would be difficult getting used to someone new at my old age.” Could the two end up playing in Omsk together? “Everything is possible,” said Jagr.

Thanks to DaTeL for the translation. You can read various other translations and permutations of Jagr's press conference at Blueshirts Blog, Hockey Rodent, and Czech web sites here, here, and here. The Post has a couple of articles on Jagr's situation (here and here). Slap Shot has a good summary of how the Russians are covering this mess. On Straka, see Blueshirts Blog, Rangers Report, Newsday, and MSG.com. A Czech web site is reporting that Josef Melichar has confirmed he is returning to the NHL but cannot announce the details (i.e. which team) until July 1st -- the Rangers are believed to be in the running. Blue Notes and Prospect Park cover the Ranger draftees involved in the CHL import draft, and Blue Notes has an item on Artem Anisimov making a big impression in the recently concluded Prospect Development Camp. NHL.com has a review of last season, if you can stomach it. Former marginal prospect Rick Kozak signed to play in England next season.

Grachev Here to Stay -- Straka Done

Evgeni Grachev, the rangy Russian center who was the Rangers' third round selection in this year's draft, is in New York after clearing up visa problems and is ready to start his North American career right away. Without any contractual obligations back home, Grachev told Newsday that he will stay here, probably starting out with whatever CHL team chooses him in today's import draft. See Blue Notes here and here for more on Grachev and prospect development camp. See Prospect Park for reports on Ranger draftee Dale Weise and the status of Antoine Lafleur.

Martin Straka officially announced his intention to leave the NHL and return to his native Czech Republic to play hockey next year. He signed with his home town of Pilsen, where he will also be a team manager. Meanwhile Jaromir Jagr is believed to have met with Avangard Omsk GM Anatoly Bardin in the Czech Republic over the past day or two, with a sweetened deal now on the table that is probably worth more than the equivalent of 11 million after-tax dollars in the U.S. (Thanks to DaTeL for the news from Czech.) Another Ranger UFA-to-be, Sean Avery, stars in a Men's Vogue video about how he trains for the NHL season -- he trashes Darcy Tucker too.

The NHL suspended Ducks owner Henry Samueli from team operations after he pled guilty to felony charges in federal court, and is mulling whether to force him to sell the team outright. And Gary Bettman was reportedly incensed when he learned that two owners close to him on the Executive Committee -- Phil Anschutz of the L.A. Kings and Craig Leipold of the Minnesota Wild -- lent money to Boots Del Biaggio to buy his stake in the Nashville Predators. Del Biaggio has filed for bankruptcy and is facing investigation for fraud for the way he raised the money to buy his share of the Preds.

Now, these are not just two random guys who decided to help out a buddy. Anschutz owns the arena in Kansas City that Del Biaggio wanted to move his team to, and Leipold is the former owner of the Preds who bought into the Wild after wisely getting out of Nashville. Anschutz is lucky not to be in Samueli's postion -- faced with serious SEC insider trading charges and other securities fraud violations, Anschutz, chariman of Qwest, escaped prosecution while a number of members of his executive staff, starting with his CEO, took the fall and pled guilty to the charges.

In the reality-challlenged world of the NHL, deputy commissioner Bill Daly can say, with respect to Samueli, who is now a convicted felon, "Civil litigation happens all the time. That doesn't disqualify anybody from owning a franchise, much less an NHL franchise." This despite the NHL threatening to disqualify Ranger ownership from their NHL franchise for the precise reason that they brought civil litigation against the NHL! Go figure. For more, see the Toronto Star here and here.

In late-breaking news, the Rangers announced the re-signing of Hartford's leading scorer, P.A. Parenteau, who had been rumored to be going overseas next year. For more, see Howlings.

UPDATE: Straka's U.S. agent Rich Winter has denied that the Ranger UFA winger has signed to play with his hometown team in Plsen, according to TSN.ca. ''Marty has made it clear that he will wait until after July 1 to evaluate all his options and make an informed decision at that time,'' Winter said. Actually, Straka made it clear that he would first decide whether he wanted to play in the Czech Republic, since that decision had to be made in time for their earlier start to their training season, and would consider other offers only if he decided against that (you can read what he actually said here).

Renney's Reactions at Prospect Camp

Given the caveat, as Tom Renney emphasizes every year, that Ranger prospect camp is a development camp, not an evaluation camp, here are the coach's reactions to some of the prospects he is watching this week at the MSG Training Center as they go through work-outs and scrimmages.

Mike Del Zotto: "A young guy like that who's just been drafted that high should be able to hold his own," Renney said of the Rangers' first round pick, who acquitted himself well one day before his eighteenth birthday against players who were often two, three, four years older than him. "You can see the difference now in age and experience," he said, comparing Del Zotto to Bobby Sanguinetti, the Rangers' first rounder two years ago. "Bobby's a bigger stronger kid, he's been exposed to us and what we do and training methods that suggest that from a physical perspective he should be a more mature guy, and he is. But with that, the instincts are similar -- the intuition to jump and make things happen. You can see that Mike is willing to jump up and get involved and seems like he's a good passer -- the same attributes as Bobby."

Sanguinetti: "So much of it's contingent on what we do in the next week to ten days," Renney said, referring to free agent signings, about the young defenseman's chances of cracking the NHL this fall. "What type of an opportunity he does get -- he has to go through a process, Traverse City , main camp, and take it from there. We'd certainly like to get him in as many pre-season games as possible, have a good look at him, and give yourself enough of a chance to make an informed decision."

Alexei Cherepanov: "We'd sure like to see that," he said of the Rangers' first rounder a year ago coming over from Russia for training camp in September. "They're working on that right now. Whether or not it happens remains to be seen. You always like to know where your guys are, how far away they are. But there's a bit of a political thing to it as well. It's part of a contract thing we have to work through. If we can get him to Traverse City [for the Prospect Tournament], that would be great."

On the prospects of getting Cherepanov over to the NHL after his contract in Omsk expires after next season, Renney said, "We shouldn't be so naive as to suggest he's going to come over here [no matter what]. It might be good enough that that's where he wants to make his living -- it could be very good money, he's in his homeland, culturally it's very easy. Why torture yourself by coming over here when everything's hunky dory over there?"

But he said that in the context of knowing that all three of the Rangers' Russian prospects have set their sights on the NHL, including Cherepanov. "Our guys can't wait to get over here and play in the Canadian Hockey League, never mind Hartford or Charlotte or the New York Rangers," he said. "We've got two guys right now that want badly to come over and play in the CHL. They continue to identify with the [NHL] as being the best in the world and they want to chase the Stanley Cup." One of those players, this year's third rounder Evgeny Grachev, may be on his way to development camp after straightening out visa issues that have kept him away to date.

Artem Anisimov: "You sure like the way he thinks the game, his instincts," Renney said of another of his Russian prospects, one who only went back to Russia briefly after the end of last season to straighten out visa issues. "His skating's good, he's strong. Is he NHL ready? I don't want to say too much because I want the kid to stay motivated and determined to make it, but -- not so much from a skill perspective or where he is mentally -- he could be 12 or 14 pounds away from playing the NHL. We'd like to see him get stronger in the summer and see where he is in the fall."

Tom Pyatt: "Tommy's frame is only going to allow him to get so strong," Renney said. "He's strong now. What he needs to do is assert himself. His physique is not much different that Nigel Dawes, and he's always in tremendous shape, so that's no the issue. He's had a couple of opportunities like this -- now he can start to assert himself in those areas of the game he's completely good at and those he has to continue to work on to see in his own mind if he can pull it off. It's as much psychology in recognizing that he can do these things against men. What Tom can do now is really push the envelope, be a proactive player, and I think that's in him. If there's a need for some mental training, we'll definitely look into that for him. But Tommy's a very good hockey player, he's a thorough thinker -- what Tom needs to do now is come back in the fall to make this hockey team. It's not about the experience of what it takes to get here anymore -- it's about getting a job."

David Kveton: "He's still Ranger property," Renney said of the Czech forward. "You never want to give up on young guys. He's a very good skater, he's very strong, he's got good skill. We were as much concerned about the hit he took as anything, and he's come out the other side of that well. So we're just going to give ourselves a chance to look at him this week and see how's he doing -- he looks fine. Absolutely," he said when asked if Kveton was enthusiastic about coming back to North America. "There was no hesitation whatsoever. He was hurt -- he got popped pretty good by the number one pick in the draft. Stamkos rocked him big time [in the WJC], hurt him pretty good."

Tomas Zaborsky: "You see these kids a year older, those that have been here, they carry themselves with a bit more confidence, more assertiveness," Renney said. "A kid like that, he'll start to emerge even more so. We certainly like his skill and his thought process -- you can never have too much skill."

Ivan Baranka: "As the coach, I was disappointed that we weren't able to have another look at him," Renney said of the defenseman who defected to Russia. "But he's still our guy. From a personal perspective, I'd like to have seen Ivan back at training camp with an opportunity to make our team, because I think he's got what it takes to make the NHL."

On free agents trying out at camp: "There'll be some guys that will emerge here by the end of the week. We have Traverse City coming up -- there's a reasonable chance you'll see a couple of these guys participate in that."

For more on prospect camp, see Newsday, Blue Notes here, here, and here, Rangers Report, and Prospect Park. Catching up on other news, the Post reports that the Rangers have gotten permission to talk with impending UFA Mats Sundin, Blueshirt Blog catches us with other details on Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery, and Blue Notes adds a few tidbits too. And if you haven't seen it yet, here is Avery's Vogue diary.

Prospect Camp Photos

Quick Hits From Prospect Camp

Got a lot to write about, including conversations with Tom Renney, Mike Del Zotto, and Mitch Daulton, but not enough time to get it all done until late tonight. So in the meantime, here are some quick hits. The three best players on the ice were Artem Anisimov, Tomas Zaborsky, and Del Zotto. Renney said Anisimov, all other things aside, was still 12-15 pounds away from being NHL ready, and that Zaborsky too needed to get himself physically ready for pro hockey -- but in both cases, the talent is there, and it never hurts to have talent. Bobby Sanguinetti did not have a great day -- he said it was typical of his first day on the ice after a layoff ("Stone hands," he said, laughing).

Del Zotto actually lost weight going into the Draft Combine, dropping from 211 to 195-200. Must not have been the right kind of weight -- he now looks ripped, but is otherwise not an imposing figure stature-wise. Then again, he hasn't even turned 18 yet (tomorrow is his birthday), so he has room to grow. The smarts and quick puck movement we heard about were plainly in evidence on the ice today. Daulton, friendly with Del Zotto from the time the two played together in a junior tournament, said he got a text message from Del Zotto after the Rangers made him their sixth round choice saying, "Let's go Rangers!" He speculated that he would have been a second round pick had he not missed almost all of last season with an elbow injury.

Speaking of injuries, Ryan Hillier did not skate today -- the hernia he battled through throughout last season worsened to the point where he needed a cortisone shot, and a decision on surgery will be made at the end of the week. Should he go under the knife, he would miss three to four weeks of his summer workouts. Michal Rozsival, who underwent what Renney characterized as a minor arthroscopic procedure on his hips, was at the training center working out today -- Renney won't admit to having any clue about what is going on with the Rangers' free agents, but would admit that he'd be more comfortable with players he knew rather than those he didn't know.

The large crop of free agents was largely unimpressive. One player stood out -- Joe Ryan, the only one in the group who had once been drafted. The space between his ears was the reason for his fall from grace, according to one observer present who knew a bit more about him than the rest of us. But he looked good on the ice. Another player stood out for the wrong reasons -- Radek Meidl, who is bigger than we expected, can barely skate. The other big guy, 6'6 Justin Wallingford, demonstrated why a player of his imposing size was left undrafted and unsigned -- he simply doesn't have the requisite skill level. He was beaten badly by Justin Soryal, who looked pretty darn good himself, and was then unable to check Soryal out of the play the next time he came down on him.

Other stand-outs, in our opinion: Derek Stepan, who is skinny but otherwise looks older than a mere high school kid, Max Campbell, who often flew down the left wing and was creative with the puck, and David Skokan, who did a lot of different things to make himself noticeable. Dale Weise looked good. David Kveton looked like a player who had already played pro hockey -- Renney said his problem last year was an injury that resulted from a devastating hit by Steve Stamkos at the WJC, and that he is excited about getting another opportunity to show that he can play hockey in North America.

Prospecting for Talent at Development Camp

Ranger Prospect Development Camp gets under way Monday when 28 young players convene at the MSG Training Center for instruction and skating. As in past years, the roster includes most of the Rangers' recent draftees, a few players who just completed their first pro season in Hartford, and a larger contingent of try-outs than usual -- the size of the latter group (nine) has left no room for the local area fill-ins that have been used in the past to ensure that there are enough skaters to participate in drills.

Five of the seven players drafted this past weekend will get to show their stuff to the coaching staff for the first time -- defensemen Michael Del Zotto, the team's first selection (20th overall), and potential steal Mitch Gaulton, now healthy enough to participate after recovering from elbow surgery; centers Derek Stepan and Chris Doyle; and winger Dale Weise. Missing will be Europeans Evgeny Grachev and Tomas Kundratek -- both were at the draft in Ottawa, but are not at camp.

Two of last year's draftees are missing too -- first rounder Alexei Cherepanov, who is expected to come over for Ranger training camp in September, and Carl Hagelin (college players have to pay their own way and therefore do not always participate, especially since this guy would have to pay his own way all the way from his home in Sweden). In camp from this draft class will be goalie Antoine Lafleur and forwards David Skokan, Max Campbell, and Danny Hobbs (soon to be a collegian himself).

Two 2006 draftees who are probably no longer on the Rangers' radar screen are also not here -- Eric Hunter, who is now in college in Canada, and Lukas Zeliska, who went home to the Czech Republic last year. That year's top five picks will participate -- first rounder Bobby Sanguinetti and recent signees Tomas Zaborksy and Ryan Hillier, each of the three set to begin his first pro season in Hartford, Artem Anisimov, fresh off a promising first sesaon in Hartford, and in what has to be considered a surprise, Czech forward David Kveton, who appeared to be on the scrap heap a year ago when he returned to his homeland only to have his team fold (he ended up playing a partial season for another team). One would have to believe he is getting one last shot to impress the team that drafted him.

Tommy Pyatt and Brodie Dupont, the only 2005 draftees to remain Ranger property other than Marc Staal, who is already beyond prospect status, and Mike Sauer, who is recovering from knee surgery, will be in camp after completing their first pro seasons, mostly with Hartford -- each will be looking to build on disappointing rookie seasons. Free agent Justin Soryal, who never got a chance to play in Hartford when his OHL season ended after signing an NHL deal last spring, will be there, as will former Harvard captain Mike Taylor, who played eight games with the Wolf Pack last spring on an amateur try-out contract, and Mike Busto, a free agent who had an up and down year with Hartford and Charlotte.

The players here on try-outs are almost all coming out of the CHL at age 20 or 21, with two exceptions. They include a pair of goalies -- Jean-Christophe Blanchard, who split his season between Rimouski and Victoriaville of the QMJHL, and Andrew Perugini, who split his season between Barrie and Sarnia of the OHL. There are also two forwards -- center Oren Eizenman, the only pro in the group who spent most of last season in the ECHL after finishing four years at RPI, and winger Radek Meidl, a Czech native who returned to the WHL after representing his nation in the WJC.

But the bulk of the hopefuls are defensemen, led by Joe Ryan, the only draftee in the group -- he was selected in the second round in 2006 by L.A. but went back into this year's draft after being left unsigned (he was not re-selected). Ryan was a member of the Quebec Remparts' 2006 Memorial Cup winning team -- Quebec GM Patrick Roy personally took Ryan under his wing. He was traded in mid-season after missing games due to injury and due to overage player rules and played 19 playoff games for Gatineau, who went to the Memorial Cup tournament before being ousted by the Kitchener Rangers.

Another interesting player is 6'6-226 pound Justin Wallingford of the Kingston Frontenacs. Aside from being a big boy who likes to hit and fight, Wallingford added offense to his game as part of the Frontenacs' power play. He was also team captain. Rounding out the list are Chad Greenan of the Kootenay Ice (WHL), Nick Pageau of the Belleville Bulls (OHL), and David Urquhart of Canada's McGill University. Wallingford was invited to San Jose training camp a year ago but was cut, as was Greenan after being brought into LA camp in 2006 and Detroit prospect camp last year. Is there another Dan Girardi in this group?

UPDATE: We've learned that the two goalies invited to prospect camp were starters for the teams they were traded to, not back-ups. See Prospect Park for more on the invitees to prospect camp, as well as Howlings. In other reading, see the Post and MSG.com on the Jagr situation. We're off to Greenburgh for the opening of camp -- will have a report this evening. Unfortunately, today is the only day we can attend -- hopefully we can get to talk to some of the new draftees and other prospects after they finish their work-out. If things go according to past experience, we will get to talk to Tom Renney about the draftees and the free agent situation.

Back to the Present

Glen Sather spoke to reporters yesterday after the draft in Ottawa about his top three free agents. Everything he said boiled down to one statement that he made: "So, you know, it's negotiating," especially with respect to the salary cap and the desire to bring along more young players. He said he wants Jaromir Jagr back, the question being the dollar amount and one- or two-year contract length. He said he wants Sean Avery back but more along the lines of Chris Kelly's $2 million-plus contract, not the $4 million range he's been supposedly asking for. And he said that he told Brendan Shanahan that he has to wait to see who else the Rangers sign before his own status can be addressed.

While Sather did not talk about the other two Ranger free agents -- Martin Straka and Michal Rozsival -- Larry Brooks of the Post reports that he has gotten permission to talk to free agent offensive defenseman Brian Campbell, which indicates strongly that he has a desire to replace Rozsival as the team's #1 defenseman. Other clubs have also asked San Jose for permission to talk to Campbell prior to July 1st and will owe the Sharks compensation in the form of a draft pick should they succeed in signing him. For full details and quotes from Sather and Avery's agent Pat Morris, see the Daily News here and here and the Post.

The Rangers' newest draftees will join other prospects in Development Camp tomorrow, hitting the ice at 1:00 PM. The team has not yet released a list of participating players. Recapping the Rangers' second day of drafting, Prospect Park has some interesting information and insights on several of the new prospects. You can read more about them at the Journal News, NYR.com, and Blue Notes here, here, and here. Howlings explains why Alex Bourret was so easily expendible for a low third round draft pick. In other news, the Post checks in on the NHL's vendetta against the Rangers, as does the Record.