Larry Brooks had a handful of Rangers' items in his weekly Slapshots column that runs in Sunday's NY Post (https://t.co/1pq9ggvngf). In addition, he covered the issue of escrow, which is rightfully gaining more and more interest due to the ramifications on next year's cap. I give my view on Brooks' points below.
K’Andre Miller is under contract, Nils Lundkvist should sign at some point during this undefined offseason, and so both youngsters representing the forefront of next wave of Rangers defensemen are expected to be at training camp preceding the 2020-21 season.That is of course welcome news for the Blueshirts, who drafted the left-handed Miller 22nd overall in 2018, six slots ahead of where the right-handed Lundkvist was selected. Who knows? At some point, and maybe not all that far off in the future, they will become a matched set, ala Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren.
But not next year, at least not on Broadway, and no one should anticipate or even hope otherwise. Because the worst thing management could do would be to heighten expectations and then rush either or both of these young men into the NHL. They’re going to need time, both of them, and they should get that time in Hartford with the Wolf Pack.
In fact, once 2020-21 training camp concludes, the Rangers should pretend that Miler, who turned 20 in January, is actually still at the University of Wisconsin, where he encountered a few potholes as a sophomore. They should pretend that Lundkvist, who will turn 20 in July, is still plying his trade overseas in Sweden, where he had a big-time, step-up year for Lulea in which he eclipsed teenaged totals previously posted by the likes of Erik Karlsson.
It is important for the Rangers to get their organizational jewels into the organization, more so since the AHL operation under GM Chris Drury and coach Kris Knoblauch has become a genuine development program. It is important for the 6-foot-5 Miller, more of a stay-at-homer, to learn the pro game. It is important for the 5-10 Lundqvist, a slick driver of offense, to learn the North American game.
Everyone is flying blind here. Personnel decisions will of course be dramatically affected by the cap and the cap may be dramatically affected by this interruption, and hypothetical cancelation, of the 2019-20 season. The cap number may remain stagnant. Amnesty buyouts might become part of the picture.
Regardless, the Rangers should not and must not rush Miller and Lundkvist, even if they have terrific camps and there is some external pressure to bring them to Broadway. They will need time. Management must be wise enough and resolute to give it to them.
This to me is a no-brainer. Miller needs to improve defensively and learn when to rush and when to lay back. Lundkvist has to adapt to the North American game. No need to rush either. What we have seen by Fox is a rarity but he entered the league off playing all four years in college. Lindgren had a prior cup of coffee and several seasons in the minors.
Let both play the whole season at Hartford. Maybe, give them a brief cup of coffee at the end of next year, if they deserve it and the team can afford that move, based on where they are in the standings. Both will be just 21 then, which is the age Fox and Lindgren were this season. Have each play in Traverse City the following year and contend for a roster spot in training camp.
The NHLPA held a membership-wide conference call Friday in which the players essentially decided to defer a decision on how to handle upcoming crushing escrow losses until a verdict on this season is rendered, per a source who participated in the give-and-take.As we reported Thursday (https://nypost.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-could-cost-nhl-players-a-ton-of-money/), the league has informed the union that cancelation of the season could mean a revenue loss of up to $1 billion. That would translate to approximate escrow losses of up to 35 percent per player.
If there is nothing the union can do about that, and it seems to be locked in by the collective bargaining agreement 50-50 partnership on hockey-related revenue, the players are sure going to want to hold next year’s number down as much as possible, which is why it is impossible to predict what that cap might be, and what the personnel fallout might be across the league.
It also was reported by Canada’s TSN that owners will hold another conference call Monday on league financial issues.
The salary cap this season is $81.5 million, To take you in the way back time machine, original projections were in the $83-84 million range before it declined substantially. Less that two weeks, Bill Daly said the 2020-21 cap is projected to be between $84 and $88.2 million. Seeing what's transpired since then and what might be the case the rest of the season, those figures look like major pipe dreams. In fact , for all we know, the $81.5 million cap figure from this season might not even be reached if the revenue hit is to the upper end. If that happens, well, you can fill in the blanks, but Tony DeAngelo, Ryan Strome and others could be playing elsewhere.
One possible solution came from a question in Rick Carpinello's Q&A chat on the Athletic yesterday. Question: "Seeing that Hockey related revenues will fall far short of the goal, and thus the cap will likely stay flat, do you think the owners and NHLPA could come an agreement where teams could buy out one contract at full value without that dollar amount counting towards the cap? This could help teams maneuver in the off season"
Rick's response: "Yes, I do believe that's a possibility, as it was after the previous work stoppages. Probably going to be necessary. Compliance buyouts, they were called in the past." If that happens, New York has three primary candidate for buyout. One is obviously Henrik Lundqvist, as that would save $8.5 million. Second is Marc Staal at $5.7 million. Third is Brendan Smith at $4.35 million. Let you mind wander to if this does go into place and New York gets one free compliance buyout and still has the ability to use one regular buyout.
Buying out Staal would save $2.133 million this year, leaving $3.566 million on this books this season and $1,066,667 in dead cap money next season. For Smith, the savings would be $1,566 million with $2,783,333 remaining on the books. In 2021-22, the dead cap space would be $783,333. In essence, a compliance buyout of Lundqvist with no cap hit and buyout of Staal, if New York went that route, would free up $10.6 million in cap space. I am sure President John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton can figure out how to use that room (one likely locking up ADA).
Here is Coach A, in the Hockey Hall of Fame: 1,400 games behind the bench (10th in NHL history), 684 victories (11th), .556 winning percentage, 183 playoff games (fifth), 94 playoff victories (sixth), two finals, no Stanley Cups.Here is Coach B, not in the HHOF: 1,386 games behind the bench (11th), 672 victories (12th), .551 winning percentage, 173 playoff games (sixth), 96 playoff victories (fifth), four finals, one Stanley Cup.
Coach A is Pat Quinn.
Coach B is Mike Keenan.
Very simple. One was well liked, one wasn't. Keenan grated on teams and management and wore out his welcome. Maybe he gets in someday, having taken three teams to the Cup Finals, winning once with the Rangers in 1994. But we may need to see a changing of the voters for the Hall for that to occur.
And finally …Because you never know what is around the corner, because you never know how much time anyone has, because all of this is so fragile, why wait when there is no need?
So again, only this time with added urgency, when hockey returns, let’s get the number of the second-greatest defenseman of his era and the second greatest defenseman in franchise history up to the pinwheel ceiling of the Garden.
Let’s honor No. 2, Brad Park.
Two words, damn straight. Long overdue. If not for Bobby Orr, Park would have several more Norris Trophies. He was an elite defenseman while in New York. The bad blood that existed after his trade to Boston has largely dissipated. Time to right a long standing wrong by raising his number to the rafters.
Since we don't have live hockey, enjoy this compilation of Mats Zuccarello's shootout goals:
Shouts to the shootout gawd ZUUUUUUUUUUUUC 😵pic.twitter.com/pH28LsN4Rl
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 21, 2020