Part I of my post-mortem and tear down blogs was
posted yesterday . Part 2, seen below, covers defensemen, save for
Dan Boyle, who I wrote about in yesterday's blog. Part 3, hopefully posted tomorrow, will cover the forwards.
Just like almost everywhere on this team, the defense could see an overhaul. Despite Larry Brooks column yesterday, I don't foresee
Ryan McDonagh going anywhere. McD had an uneven year and it is possible that he has reached his peak performance. But if he can remain at his 2014-15 level or even what he showed when fully healthy this year, then his $4.7 million cap hit for three more years is an even greater bargain.
To me, the only other given on this team is
Brady Skjei. He took major strides forward this season, proving down the stretch that he can be a fixture on either side of the ice. That flexibility, even though he is a right-handed shot, just adds to his overall value. We saw Skjei display in a small sample his fine skating ability as well as his offensive instincts. Skjei could play on any one of the three defensive pairings but I would start him on the second pair, depending on who is back, and install him on the point of the second power play. If Keith Yandle does go, Skjei's importance to the team grows.
Raphael Diaz signed a five year deal to play in Switzerland during the season. I would have liked him as an inexpensive seventh d-man and possible PP point option. But his long stint in the minors along with no clear path to playing time in NY, which I disagree with, resulted in his locking a long term contract overseas.
Now comes the fun part. Let's start with
Kevin Klein. The first three months of the season, Klein might have been the team's best defenseman. Then, as his responsibility grew and need for him to help carry the blue line, his play flatlined and regressed. Late in the season, Klein was more of a liability than an asset, showing that he is best served on the second pairing and not the first. At $2.9 million with two years left, Klein likely has decent on the open market. His status may also depend on what happens with the rest of the blue line. If room can be created by moving another d-man or Rick Nash, then Klein likely returns, if not, then he could go in a deal as a sweetener to move a contract.
Dylan McIlrath stayed with the team all season, mainly because he would have needed to clear waivers to go down to the minors. There was no way that was going to happen. Due to injuries and ineffective play, McIlrath got a chance to play this season and didn't look out of place. He was best when paired with Yandle, allowing the puck rushing d-man to do what he does best with McI staying back. Unfortunately, AV's misplaced decision to go with vets over kids resulted in McIlrath sitting way more than he should have. McIlrath brings a physical element that is lacking on the rest of the defense and most of the lineup. In addition, he showed improved skating and hard shot from the point. Given his youth and low cap hit plus possible upside, McIlrath should be on the roster again next year with a top-six, likely third pairing, role.
Marc Staal, like much of the defense, regressed again this year. That regression started last season and continued in full force this year. Whether it's due to the eye injury he had or knee injury he played through last playoff that set back his offseason training, Staal like a shell of the player that was signed to a six-year extension averaging $5.7 million per. At the time, most of his thought Staal has regained his early form, compensating for the loss of peripheral vision with better use of his stick and body positioning. But as we saw, the speed to recover wasn't there and in tight, possibility due to the loss of vision, he failed to pick up and play the puck, resulting in open shots. For all the talk of buying out or moving Dan Girardi, that spotlight should be turned on Staal, who still has five years left on his deal. I could see Staal moved with a forward asset to clear up cap space, though the NMC will make that tough.
The next two are the ones that have most of the questions and consternation on what to do with them.
Girardi, coming off a sub-par season, is signed through 2020 with an annual salary-cap hit of $5.5 million. In addition, Girardi has a no-movement clause through 2017 and then a no-trade clause the final three years of his deal.
Girardi admitted that he played much of the season with the kneecap injury that probably should have landed him on the injury list and in the press box for a lot longer than the few games he missed. He also did suffer a concussion on Brian Boyle's boarding hit and had symptoms during Game 1 against Pittsburgh that sidelined him for Games 2-4. I would love to say that the sole cause of his regression was the knee injury but saying or believing that would be fools gold and a major mistake. Girardi's style of play has led to tremendous wear and tear on his body, resulting in the precipitous drop off in play.
A Girardi buyout https://www.capfriendly.c...ut_calculator/dan-girardi would create $3.75 million in cap space next year, as the cap hit would just be $1.75 million. But eventually you will have to pay the piper. After next year, the cap hit jumps to 3.75 million for a couple of years, then drops to 1.25 million for the rest of the eight years in the buyout. While there is a short term benefit next year and a mild break thereafter, the spike after 2016-17 and number of years for the buyout means that the team will be hamstrung for a while.
The problem though is he may be untradeable, unless the sweeter you add in or cap portion eaten to make a deal is somewhat draconian. The other option is to keep him as a sixth or seventh d-man. But that's an awful lot of money tied up for that type of player. Girardi has given his body and soul for the team but management's decision on how long and much to extend him and others requires tough decisions to be made with this one of them. If expansion does occur after near year and the NTC/NMC issue is ironed out allowing players with either to be available for selection, then keeping G one more year to see if he can rebound might be the wiser option and more palatable to take.
Whither
Yandle. On the one hand, Yandle brings a skill set lacking on the rest of the defense. The flip side however is what Yandle giveth, he taketh away with a poor defensive play. That risk-reward is what can be so maddening. Yandle is like the girl with the curl; when he is good, he is really good, but when he is bad. For all the platitudes he gave about staying in NY, he also wants to explore the market and maximize the contract he receives.
Yandle did notch 42 assists and became the first Rangers defenseman since Brian Leetch in 2001-02 to record 40. In addition, as Sean Hartnett pointed out, following the All-Star break, Yandle led the NHL with 13 power play assists and 14 power play points. But on the flip side, the blown coverages, turnovers and eye-covering plays in his own zone negated some of the points he posted or created.
Yandle was on pins-and-needles at the trade deadline. Much of the talk on the media centered on if NY would deal him to recoup the assets lost to acquire him and others. But management was swayed by the run the team went on before that deadline, which is likely why he stayed as opposed to going for someone like Valeri Nichuskin, a move disagreed with by many.
The other considerations include what happens with the rest of the team and how much money Yandle wants. If Girardi or Staal or Nash can be moved with little cap retained, then signing Yandle moves up the priority list, even if he wants $6 mil per. The past year-plus, Yandle only costs $2.625 mil per season, so even though he cost Anthony Duclair and a first, that cap hit and production was more palatable. At a salary around $6 mil per and the lack of a real howitzer from the point coupled with his known defensive woes, is paying that high price worth it? I would say it's 60-40 Yandle is back with that percentage dropping as players like G Etc remain in New York.
What I wrote in December played out the rest of the season: Under Torts, they were a zone D where each player knew what area to cover - both forwards and d-men. Under AV, they moved to a man-to-man style. That style works if you have the talent to play it and the forwards know who to and actually pick up their assigned men. This year, it's pretty clear that most of the defensemen, including Girardi and Staal, don't have the talent to stay with forwards in their own zone. When that happens, it creates further breakdowns and openings requiring the other skaters on the ice to fill those gaps. There is seemingly such a lack of knowledge amongst the Rangers, that no one knows how to do it. At worse, go to the front of the net and prevent the easy tap in goals, but even that has proven to be an anathema to this team.
One interesting part to watch is what style does New York play next year. If someone like a Shattenkirk is brought in to play along McDonagh and Skjei, then the Rangers could retain their man-to-man style of D. If Yandle returns or is allowed to walk and he isn't replaced by someone like Shattenkirk, then I think the team will need to go back to a zone style, because of the reasons I listed in the prior paragraph. The Rangers need players like those noted above in this paragraph for the speed and transition game to work. Without them, the squad lacks players who can go from D to O as well as make the quick tape-to-tape pass leading to a breakout. If McD/Skjei/Yandle or Shattenkirk are here, it's possibly AV moves from the puck passing to puck breakout style. In addition, if Ulf Samuelsson doesn't return and he is replaced by Jeff Beukeboom, as I wrote yesterday, that too could impact the style of play.
Antti Raanta, after a very slow start, rounded into form. He finished the season, 11-6-2 with a 2.24 GAA and .919 save percentage in 25 games this season; fine production for a backup, especially one making just $750k this season. While New York has to start developing a future option between the nest - which meet be Halverson or Shesterkin - for next year, Raanta should be brought back to reprise his role.
Part 3 of the blog - the forwards - up next.
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