With it quiet around Rangers-land right now, I will get back to finishing the player grades. Yesterday, arbitration dates were announced for all RFAs that either had player or club elected arbitration. The hearings are scheduled from July 20 through August 4 with all rulings handed down by August 6. The dates for the four Rangers going through arbitration, at least right now since a deal can be signed anytime up to the ruling, are listed below. Once the last player signs, the second buyout window expires 48 hours after that the signing, at which point, we will have a good idea if Dan Girardi or Marc Staal open 2016-17 with the Blueshirts.
Arb dates:
Dylan McIlrath - July 21
Chris Kreider - July 22
Kevin Hayes - July 27
J.T. Miller - Aug. 2
Jaden Schwartz, Marcus Johansson and Alex Killorn all have their arb hearing dates on July 20. It will be interesting to see what each asks for and the club puts forth as their offer, as those should be a relatively decent comparison to Kreider especially and less so Miller. Below is what can and cannot be used in an arb hearing, the two bolded items, one each in both sides of the ledger are interesting to note.
The evidence that can be used in arbitration cases:
- The player's "overall performance" including statistics in all previous seasons.
- Injuries, illnesses and the number of games played.
- The player's length of service with the team and in the NHL.
- The player's "overall contribution" to the team's success or failure.
- The player's "special qualities of leadership or public appeal."
-
The performance and salary of any player alleged to be "comparable" to the player in the dispute.
Evidence that is not admissible:
-
The salary and performance of a "comparable" player who signed a contract as an unrestricted free agent.
- Testimonials, video and media reports.
- The financial state of the team.
- The salary cap and the state of the team's payroll.
My blog last week highlighted what I thought a decent deal for each might be. The Vincent Trochek, Reilly Smith and Victor Rask signings all are decent comps for Kreider and Miller and since none of them occurred as UFAs, they can be used in the hearings. However, that said, many Rangers' fans believe that Kreider is better than Rask, based upon scoring and advanced metrics, and Miller is better than Kreider, based on similar. Trochek, more so, Smith, less so, is better than either Rangers, so a deal in the $4-$4.5 mil range for Kreider or Miller may prove decent value, though many prefer Kreider on a short-term, e.g., one-year deal, given his inconsistent nature. Two years would make little sense, since he would be an unrestricted free agent after it, so it either needs to be one year or at least 3-4 years. Based on the above criteria, the deal David Backes signed for example can not be used as a comp in the hearing.
Kreider, 25, despite a slow start, matched his career high of 21 goals and added 22 assists in 79 games as he completed a two-year, $4.95 million deal. That deal was signed just before arbitration. If you want a decent comp for him, Marcus Johansson was awarded 1 yr @ $3.75M contract last year in arbitration and will go through the process again this season. If Kreider gets a one-year deal, he should go from $2.475 mil to around $3.5-4 mil. For two years, up that amount slightly to closer to $4-$4.25 mil. If New York opted for a 4-5 year deal, the look for a cap hit of around $4.75-$5.25 million.
Miller, 23, bet on himself last year, opting for a one-year deal at the 874k minimum. That bet played out well, as he had his best season as pro - and his first full one with the Rangers - tallying 22 goals and 21 assists in 82 games. I had predicted last week that Miller will triple his salary on a one-year deal to about $25-2.6 mil. A two-year deal would probably be close to $3 mil a year and a 4-5 year deal would be in the $4-$4.25 mil range.
Hayes, 24, was brilliant in his rookie season, and regardless of what the advanced metrics showed, he regressed last year. He finished with 14 goals and 22 assists in 79 games in an uneven sophomore season. Hayes is coming off an ELC but made about $2.8 mil in performance bonuses his first season. I could see NY giving either a one or two year deal and he will be a test case as to how much the team wants to squeeze him in negotiations. I could see $1.5-$1.75 in one year deal and close to $2 mil in a two-year deal.
McIlrath, 24, spent the full season in the NHL because he would have required waivers to be sent down. Even though he remained up all season, McIlrath dressed for just 34 games with two goals, two assists and 64 penalty minutes. He was on a one-year, $600,000 deal last year and predict he will be in the $850k-$1 mil range.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»