Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Rangers Ink McDonagh to Six-Yr Deal worth $4.7Mil AAV per Season

July 8, 2013, 9:55 AM ET [602 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
One down, one more to go. The Rangers made signing Ryan McDonagh to a long-term deal their first priority, and per all accounts, that deal has now been finalized and is slated to be announced today. Next up will be getting Derek Stepan in the fold long-term.

As I wrote back on June 24 in my view on RFA signings , I recommended six years, $30 million, with an escalating salary after the first two seasons. I think that rewards the future upside, and when you also factor in what Slava Voynov got, six years, $25 million, it is more than fair and rewards Mack Truck for being a top-two defenseman. The Rangers reportedly have given McDonagh, six-years, around $28 million, which if you look at what Letang received as well what Enstrom, Carle, Martin, Ekman-Larsson, Seabrook, Bieksa, Wideman, Gonchar, Streit etc. are receiving, the Rangers may have gotten him at a bargain and possibly a steal. Especially when you consider they bought out two years of McDonagh's prospective unrestricted free agency and the expected offensive gains he should make in AV's system.

Now on to Stepan, in the same blog referenced above, this is what I proposed: "my opinion, if you can lock up a 23-year old, first or at worse high-second line center for five years at around $22.5-24 million, you do it and don't look back." Let's see how close to accurate I am. Of course, what has to be factored in is that the Rangers now have around $6.5 million of cap room, excluding JT Miller at 1.2 mil but including Asham's and Powe's combined $2.1 million hit, which will be $200k after they are sent down when the season starts, making it closer to $7.4 million to work with to sign Stepan, Hagelin, Zuccarello and Falk. If Stepan gets that kind of money, New York may only be able to sign Hagelin to a bridge deal as expected and have to walk away from MZA, based upon what salary we thought he would get, while signing Falk to a low-level deal to give them some cap flexibility.
Join the Discussion: » 602 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Jan Levine
» Rangers find way to notch 3-2 shootout win over Avalanche
» Rangers face Avalanche as Ryan Lindgren returns to the lineup
» Rangers clinch playoff berth with barn burner 6-5 OT win over the Flyers
» Rangers face Flyers with chance to clinch playoff berth
» Rangers rally twice to defeat Panthers 4-3 in a shootout