With the rumor mill in full bore, figured I would touch on a few pieces today. I will be back Friday with another column, likely bridging off what I wrote Monday. Following the bouncing puck, which looks like it's MSG ice in the middle of a heat wave, is nearly impossible, since it depends on who you trust and believe. I will cover a few players here.
Edmonton waived
Benoit Pouliot and Columbus the same with
Scott Hartnell for the purposes of buying them out. Neither one should have come as a huge shock. Pouliot rode the analytics wave to parlay a good season with the Blueshirts into a four-year, $16 million deal with Edmonton. The production hasn't matched the salary, somewhat due to usage and injuries, but largely due to the analytics not being aligned with the end product. Hartnell was rumored to be on the way out, either via buyout or exposure to the expansion draft. The latter did not happen, but the two years at $4.75 mil with the Blue Jackets aiming to create cap room either to pursue Ilya Kovlachuk, re-sign Sam Gagner or add another forward to go with the Panarin acquisition, he became expendable.
Here are some of the advanced stats on Pouliot and Hartnell. What they show is that each could be effective in a certain role. With the Rangers looking for bottom-six forwards, including ones that possibly could move up if the need arises, looking at both would be wise. Pouliot has experience in NY and with AV while Hartnell has the experience of being hated by Rangers' fans. But as I wrote in the last blog, so did Dan Carcillo and look what he did in the run to the Cup Finals. In addition, whose path, other than maybe Nicklas Jensen, are you blocking on a short-term deal?
Pouliot:
Pouliot vs Grabner:
Hartnell:
Hartnell vs. Pouliot
One player that might have interesting for the bottom-six was Kris Versteeg. But he re-signed today for a one year deal at $1.75 mil with Calgary. Now compare Versteeg to the two players above, and here is a representation of Versteeg vs. Pouliot, and say that Pouliot or Hartnell at Versteeg money wouldn't be a wise move?
The Rangers lineup, as of now, which I noted the other day is:
Buch-Zib-Kreider
Nash-Hayes-Zucc
Grabner-Miller-Vesey
Fast
There are needs on the bottom six, including wingers for the fourth line, as well as one or two centers, depending on what's done with Miller, due to losses of Lindberg and Stepan. For the bottom-six, Hartnell and/or Pouliot might fit in addition to he rumored centers.
Nick Bonino is another player New York is rumored to have interest in and would be a fit in New York. He has a playoff pedigree, is a good leader in the clubhouse, produces on the PP, plays the PK and is solid between the dots. Bonino made $1.9 mil per year the past three seasons with a salary of $2.1 mil last year. But the tweet below from Larry Brooks makes me think he won't be in NY. I have no interest in him for 4-5 years, let alone the rumored $4-5 mil per season he desires. That's because I view him as a true 3C, who also benefited from with whom he played and pressure taken off him in Pittsburgh. Plus, his production fell off a bit last year, as Ryan Wilson wrote in his blog yesterday (http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=86117)
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