First, I would like to thank all of those who followed us on Twitter on Trade Deadline Day for the latest news, rumors, and updates.
Now, having had some time to allow the moves to sink in, it is clear that salary cap implications were the impetus behind many of these deals.
Before getting into what salaries moved, let's examine the Rangers' salary cap situation following the season's end:
(Note: please understand that these numbers are estimates based on online data compiled from a variety of sources. It is our understanding that the salary cap hit is based on the average of a player's remaining salary)
FORWARDS
- Scott Gomez: $7.355 million
- Chris Drury: $7.05 million
- Markus Naslund: $4 million
- Aaron Voros: $1 million
- Sean Avery: $1.938 million
TOTAL: $21.298 million
UFAs: Blair Betts, Colton Orr, Nik Antropov
RFAs: Nik Zherdev, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Freddy Sjostrom, Lauri Korpikoski
DEFENSE
- Wade Redden: $6.5 million
- Michal Rosival: $5 million
- Dan Girardi : $1.55 million
- Marc Staal: $0.827 million
TOTAL: $13.877
UFAs: Paul Mara, Derek Morris
GOALTENDING
- Henrik Lundqvist: $6.875 million
TOTAL: $6.875 million
UFAs: Steve Valliquette
TOTAL CAP HIT: $42.095 million
TOTAL PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT: 10
TOTAL CAP SPACE (BASED ON CURRENT $56.7 million): $14.605 million
TOTAL CAP SPACE (BASED ON $52 million est.): $9.905 million
In essence,the Rangers will have options despite having to sign so many players.
First, let's see which forwards the Rangers have to re-sign off their current roster. Dubinsky is a must and will command approximately $3 million. Zherdev will also be seeking money in the same range of $3 million. Callahan may be a bit cheaper, presumably around $2 million.
If the Rangers sign all three, the remaining cap space would be about $6.5 million and 13 players would be under contract.
The lines would look like this:
Callahan - Gomez - Naslund
Dubinsky - Drury - Zherdev
Avery and Voros would be the only other forwards under contract. Let's assume that Voros and his contract is taken off the roster. That leaves about $7.5 million dollars to fill your remaining five forward and two defensive spots.
This is where a question of philosophy comes in. Do the Rangers pursue a free agent like Jay Bouwmeester, Marian Hossa, or Marian Gaborik? Do they attempt to trade for a Chris Pronger or Martin St. Louis?
The real burdening contract at this point is Michal Rozsival at $5 million per year. If they are able to move him in a trade, then the Rangers can comfortably re-sign Orr, Betts, Sjostrom, Morris, and possibly Antropov.
For example, if the Rangers attempted to trade for St. Louis at $4 million, they could move a player like Rozsival, prospects, and picks and immediately upgrade their roster.
Naslund - Gomez - St. Louis
Dubinsky - Drury - Zherdev
Avery - OPEN - Callahan
And you still have your $7.25 million dollars in cap space. Re-sign Korpikoski at $1.25 million to fill out the third line and Betts, Orr, and Sjostrom at an average of $1 million each.
Naslund - Gomez - St. Louis
Dubinsky - Drury - Zherdev
Avery - Korpikoski - Callahan
Orr - Betts - Sjostrom
A full complement of forwards and $3 million remaining for your defense, but allowing Antropov to walk.
This is where it gets a bit complicated if you trade for a forward as you have to sign three defensemen with limited cap space. If Mara re-signs for $2 million, you have just the minimum salary left for the remaining two defensemen. If the scenario is reversed and you traded for a defenseman, then you would have the same predicament on forward.
Again, these are just some hypothetical situations and there are endless possibilities. However, given the Rangers track record. Here is what is MOST LIKELY to occur:
- The Rangers waive Voros providing them about $15.5 million in cap space assuming the ceiling stays the same.
- The Rangers re-sign Dubinsky, Zherdev, and Antropov for an average of $3 million each leaving them $6.5 million.
- Callahan is re-signed for $2 million leaving $4.5 million.
- Korpikoski is re-signed for $1.5 million leaving $3 million.
- Orr is re-signed at $.750 million, Betts at $1 million, and Sjostrom at $1.25 million leaving nothing.
- Rozsival is traded at the NHL Entry Draft bringing back a $2 million player, restoring the open space to $3 million.
- Mara is re-signed to a $2 million deal leaving $1 million.
- Valliquette and a league-minimum defenseman are re-signed with the remaining cap space.
Now, as we are not all "cap-ologists" this is a very crude look at the Rangers cap situation. What is clear is that the Rangers have some work to do, but were able to begin remedying their situation at the trade deadline.
Will all these players be signed to these contracts? No. Some may sign for more, some for less. Some may not sign at all or will be traded. That's why we all follow the team during the off-season.
However, it is clear that if the cap does not increase, the Rangers have some work ahead of them. If it decreases, then get the Metro North ready because the Rangers will be relying heavily on Hartford.