I guess you can call it a Messi situation...

The Rangers were the one team to give him a chance, and he wants to give them a chance. He wants to stay with the team and realizes the financial crunch were under. There might be something that Sather threw out there under the table to MZA as far as resigning next year, some incentives, for a juicy raise.
- aecliptic

So, what you're say is, if some other NHL team had offered him 2 mil. he would have said "no, I will take less to play for the Rangers".?

Unwritten (i.e. verbal) agreement as to ST and LT deals could help that from Stepan's perspective
- airjan23

There is a nice benefit to a bridge deal, you retain Stepan's RFA status if you can keep him to a 3 year deal or less. If you can get a 3 year deal structured so that it pays him $3.5M, $4.25M, $5M, you can get an AAV of 4.25M which would put us in okay shape. Asham and Powe will need to clear waivers again before the season starts and with a little luck, someone who needs that grit or PK ability will pick up one or both eliminating the entire contract.

***There's a lot of talk about Miller, Kristo, McIlrath, etc... One thing that everyone is forgetting is that their Cap Hits aren't really $1.2M or $1.5M etc... Here is the actual cap hit for each player:

JT Miller $925K
Danny Kristo $875K
Dylan McIlrath $650K

And Guess what the other interesting fact is? Chris Kreider's Cap hit is only $900K!!!All of these kids have performance based bonuses in their contracts. These bonuses are only added into the Team's Annual Cap at the end of the year at which point, the CBA allows for 7.5% extra cap space for year end bonuses. Anything over that 7.5% just gets added as a starting penalty the following year.

I think we are in pretty fine shape. CapGeek's overall Team Cap Payroll at the bottom says "including all performance bonuses". The funny thing is, they don't add the 7.5% bonus overage to the overall capspace. There is a little more capspace than we all are saying.

EDIT: John Moore's actual Cap Hit is $810K. Every penny counts!!

I guess you can call it a Messi situation...

The Rangers were the one team to give him a chance, and he wants to give them a chance. He wants to stay with the team and realizes the financial crunch were under. There might be something that Sather threw out there under the table to MZA as far as resigning next year, some incentives, for a juicy raise.
- aecliptic

yeah, I think it's a very plausible scenario.

And, with callahan and hagelin out in the beginning, Zuccarello is going to get a chance to get some major minutes early on.

So, what you're say is, if some other NHL team had offered him 2 mil. he would have said "no, I will take less to play for the Rangers".?
- OLDSCHOOL#6

no other team had the opportunity, Zucc was a RFA, not a UFA

zuc needs to fire his agent, cuz he got hosed

zuc needs to fire his agent, cuz he got hosed
- flyerscup2011

no other team had the opportunity, Zucc was a RFA, not a UFA
- jimbro83

actually every team had the opportunity to sign him to an offer sheet

actually every team had the opportunity to sign him to an offer sheet
- flyerscup2011

no they didn't, once you are going to arbitration, that cancels that option.

zuc needs to fire his agent, cuz he got hosed
- flyerscup2011

I think there is 2 things to consider. Zuccarello has stated before he ONLY wants to play for the Rangers. He can make substantially more, maybe 3 or 4 times more playing in Europe. He has a love for the Rangers, the core players, the city of New York. He's not gonna play for $800K more but get stuck in Middle America playing in for example Nashville. He wants to be in NY, we all know that. He signed a 1 year deal only because he is a team player and understands the Cap problem. If he performs, he knows he will be regarded as one of the top 6 next year and get a good contract. The other thing to consider is, he really had no leverage. He was an RFA heading into arbitration. He would have only been awarded a 1 year deal, he could not get any offersheets, and if the arbitration ended up handcuffing the Rangers, you better bet that Sather would be upset and that would turn any future with him and the organization sour. He did the right thing in this situation, if NY is truly where he wanted to play.

Good signing.

no other team had the opportunity, Zucc was a RFA, not a UFA
- jimbro83

MAN, I'm all screwed up today.

I think there is 2 things to consider. Zuccarello has stated before he ONLY wants to play for the Rangers. He can make substantially more, maybe 3 or 4 times more playing in Europe. He has a love for the Rangers, the core players, the city of New York. He's not gonna play for $800K more but get stuck in Middle America playing in for example Nashville. He wants to be in NY, we all know that. He signed a 1 year deal only because he is a team player and understands the Cap problem. If he performs, he knows he will be regarded as one of the top 6 next year and get a good contract. The other thing to consider is, he really had no leverage. He was an RFA heading into arbitration. He would have only been awarded a 1 year deal, he could not get any offersheets, and if the arbitration ended up handcuffing the Rangers, you better bet that Sather would be upset and that would turn any future with him and the organization sour. He did the right thing in this situation, if NY is truly where he wanted to play.
- xcheckmajor

Solid post, all good points. Happy he is back as most of you know.

There is a nice benefit to a bridge deal, you retain Stepan's RFA status if you can keep him to a 3 year deal or less. If you can get a 3 year deal structured so that it pays him $3.5M, $4.25M, $5M, you can get an AAV of 4.25M which would put us in okay shape. Asham and Powe will need to clear waivers again before the season starts and with a little luck, someone who needs that grit or PK ability will pick up one or both eliminating the entire contract.

***There's a lot of talk about Miller, Kristo, McIlrath, etc... One thing that everyone is forgetting is that their Cap Hits aren't really $1.2M or $1.5M etc... Here is the actual cap hit for each player:

JT Miller $925K
Danny Kristo $875K
Dylan McIlrath $650K

And Guess what the other interesting fact is? Chris Kreider's Cap hit is only $900K!!!All of these kids have performance based bonuses in their contracts. These bonuses are only added into the Team's Annual Cap at the end of the year at which point, the CBA allows for 7.5% extra cap space for year end bonuses. Anything over that 7.5% just gets added as a starting penalty the following year.

I think we are in pretty fine shape. CapGeek's overall Team Cap Payroll at the bottom says "including all performance bonuses". The funny thing is, they don't add the 7.5% bonus overage to the overall capspace. There is a little more capspace than we all are saying.
- xcheckmajor

Think it's easier to view the cap hit as such, to avoid having a carry over cap hit until next year by staying under that amount in this one.

Think it's easier to view the cap hit as such, to avoid having a carry over cap hit until next year by staying under that amount in this one.
- airjan23

Yes but in our penny crunching situation those bonuses are vital.

Think it's easier to view the cap hit as such, to avoid having a carry over cap hit until next year by staying under that amount in this one.
- airjan23

I agree, its much less confusing, but when your penny pinching this year and next year is basically a rewrite the book year, we have to use everything we can to solve this year's problems. It also allows us to keep this team together.

Yes but in our penny crunching situation those bonuses are vital.
- rangerdanger94

Why the (frank) is Richards here

write up saying Luongo is 3rd best goalie in NHL

http://sports.yahoo.com/b...oalies-nhl-192914809.html

Why the (frank) is Richards here
- mrhattrick27

been there, done that already...if you have a fresh take, would love to hear it

write up saying Luongo is 3rd best goalie in NHL

http://sports.yahoo.com/b...oalies-nhl-192914809.html
- jimbro83

"Quick was better than hank the season hank won the vezina"

Why the (frank) is Richards here
- mrhattrick27

The Rangers will re-sign Stepan. They will shed some fourth liner to make it work. And then they will be a better team with Richards around this year. The long term implications are the problem.

The Rangers will re-sign Stepan. They will shed some fourth liner to make it work. And then they will be a better team with Richards around this year. The long term implications are the problem.
- Pete V

Have to assume unless Richards has the most unbelievable season on record, and even if so, he is gone after the season

Have to assume unless Richards has the most unbelievable season on record, and even if so, he is gone after the season
- airjan23

You'd think that logically but it could be a hossa situation if he scores 95 points and performs amazingly in the playoffs.

Have to assume unless Richards has the most unbelievable season on record, and even if so, he is gone after the season
- airjan23

Nothing... NOTHING... can save Richards unless he pulls a Messier '94.

... and even still, he might not be untouchable.

Nothing... NOTHING... can save Richards unless he pulls a Messier '94.

... and even still, he might not be untouchable.
- aecliptic

What do you think happens if richards puts up 80 points, stepan regresses and scores 55, and brassard fizzes out to a permanent 3rd line center? Could be an interesting decision. My money's obviously on richards being gone but then again I thought he'd be gone by now 110% too.

What do you think happens if richards puts up 80 points, stepan regresses and scores 55, and brassard fizzes out to a permanent 3rd line center? Could be an interesting decision. My money's obviously on richards being gone but then again I thought he'd be gone by now 110% too.
- rangerdanger94

I dont think it matters, youre paying for 2 or 3 decent seasons of Richards... then were on the hook.

We get a "get our of jail free" card with Richards.

Trading him isnt an option either because we would still get penalized for the contract should he retire early.

If Stepan doesnt maintain the level of play... Thornton, Statsny and Sedin (as a pair) are available to fill a 1C role.