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

Rangers deal Stepan/Raanta to Arizona for DeAngelo/#7 overall pick, updated

June 23, 2017, 1:35 PM ET [536 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Update: I posted in an earlier blog (http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=85979) some thoughts on the 21st pick. Given all the questions surrounding if the Rangers will keep the seventh pick, especially using that pick to obtain a top-center, I will keep it brief.

Perfect world, Cale Makar slips to seven, but I don't see that happening. If he does, I think he ends up the pick. Other names to look at, especially with New York now needing a center are Elias Pettersson, Gabe Vilardi and Martin Necas. Also factoring in will be Cody Glass and Casey Mittelstadt. My gut says that if Makar is gone, Mittelstadt ends up being the pick. One possible sleeper though at this pick is Timothy Liljegren.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Rangers made a move that many of us expected to happen, dealing Derek Stepan. New York traded him along with Antti Raanta to Arizona for the seventh pick in the draft and Anthony DeAngelo. For the Coyotes, they get the leadership they need in acquiring Stepan along with a #1 or #2 center while also keeping Jakob Chychrun and also parting with DeAngelo, who has a world of talent but character issues in the past.

Bob McKenzie's explanation for why New York made the deal:




Not mentioned in here is Stepan's pending NTC, which kicks in July 1. In addition, New York appears to be looking to change over the leadership in the locker room, buying out Girardi and moving Stepan. I know that we rail on Stepan for the receding hairline, lack of foot speed and weak shot, but he still finished with at least 50 points in each of his last five full seasons with the Rangers. In addition, he was by far the most defensively responsible center on the team, especially when paired with several wingers who were not.

Dom Luszczyszyn graph on Stepan production:




In dealing Raanta, New York now does not have a backup goalie for the at least 20+ games that Henrik Lundqvist misses. My view is that Raanta will be Cam Talbot 2.0, rolling with a full-time job when he gets it. As a UFA after the season, Raanta will be the top netminder in Arizona playing for a new contract. New York now needs to go in the market to find one and hope that Benoit Allaire can mold whoever they get as he did with Martin Biron, Talbot and Raanta to maximize his talent.

New York now has a ton of cap room. This is what I wrote this morning: "the Rangers currently are about $13.3 million under the new salary-cap ceiling of $75 million, according to capfriendly.com, including the cap hit from Dan Girardi’s buyout (but also the $2.9 million savings difference between his salary and dead cap space), but still need to sign the remaining restricted free agents Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast, now that Oscar Lindberg was selected by Las Vegas. Defenseman Kevin Klein ($2.9-million cap charge) is considering retirement with one year left on his contract. He might play in Europe next season, and if he leaves, that bumps the cap space available to $16.2 million. That space should easily allow the team to re-sign Brendan Smith, likely to a four year deal around $4.5 mil per. In addition, if Stepan does get dealt, the return should be for players with a much lower cap hit, enabling NY to be aggressive in free agency, see Shattenkirk, Kevin."

Add in the $6.5 mil savings from Stepan, offset by the $683K DeAngelo makes, and NY now has $19 million of cap space, not including the possible Klein retirement. In addition, and likely more important, the Rangers have the seventh and 21st picks in the draft. Unclear is if they will keep those picks or package them for a player, maybe to try and get Alex Galchenyuk or Matt Duchene, though the prices for each may be through the room.

DeAngelo was the 19th pick in the 2014 draft by Tampa Bay but was traded to Arizona for a 2nd round pick last year. He had 5 goals and 9 assists last season for Arizona, his first in the NHL. DeAngelo is a right handed shot and had 43 points in 59 games for Syracuse in the AHL. He is a good puckmover but comes with serious character questions, as seen here from his OHL days: http://www.theobserver.ca/2014/02/14/ohl-announces-disciplinary-action-for-deangelo.

I preferred, as did all, Chychrun, but Arizona wasn't parting with him. The jury is out if DeAngelo could be a top-four d-man. The offense is there but defensively he is still a bit shaky and his development has been as clean as one would like. In addition, he grew up a Flyers' fan, as seen by several of his tweets.

My view: As noted, the trade gives New York plenty of cap space to either a) land a No. 1 center or b) land top pair d-man. In addition, they now have two first rounders as assets to use for a or b or possibly retain the draft. They are in a bit of cap retrenchment and leadership upheaval, looking to bring a new voice and one that's a bit more of a vocal not behind the scenes leader. I don't love dealing Raanta with Lundqvist aging, despite knowing what Allaire has down in the past. In addition, not in favor of dealing Raanta and Stepan for the package they got, as it looks light, especially if Chychrun not in it and Raanta included in it. But of course, this all depends on what they use the #7 pick and the cap space for as well as what DeAngelo becomes.
Join the Discussion: » 536 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Jan Levine
» 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
» Rangers ride hat trick from Panarin and play of Quick to 5-2 win over B’s
» Rangers face Bruins on the road, Rempe back in lineup