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Spooner signs two-yr deal, all NYR RFAs inked, trade spec can already begin

July 31, 2018, 5:49 PM ET [203 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Rangers signed their final unrestricted free agent, inking Ryan Spooner to a two-year deal worth $4-million a season. If I would have told you on April 5 that Spooner, Namestnikov, Hayes and Vesey were all back with the Rangers, what would have been the odds? Then add in Namestnikov and Spooner signed for longer-terms than Hayes – granted, different ask years and dollars-wise – what kind of odds would we have gotten? Yet on July 31, here is where we are.

Official press release:



Various looks at the cap space remaining and utilization:









New York has about $5.7 million of cap space, presuming Brendan Smith breaks camp with the team. If you add in Matt Beleskey, because of half his salary already counting against the cap in the AHL, there would be a minimal difference between him and a replacement level player making $700k or so in New York, so the cap hit is small. The lineup is probably all but set, though could change in camp. I would expect Nam on the wing, same with Spooner, lines still to be determined. Zib, Hayes, Chytil and Andersson will be down the middle.

I am surprised at the two years, though that request most likely came from Spooner. But if the Rangers believe he could be somewhat of a piece for the future or the second year makes him more attractive to an acquiring squad, like Namestnikov, then I get it. Right now, Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello are playing out their deals, Hayes on the one-year RFA contract he signed yesterday, and Zucc on his long-deal deal. The chatter around both all season will be: when will each get dealt and what type of return will New York get. I would be shocked if either re-signs in New York, more so Hayes than Zucc, seeing what happened in the negotiations on a long-term deal. My view on Hayes’ deal was made clear in yesterday’s blog, so no need to rehash it here, save to say I wanted a long-term deal for Hayes and one-year deal for Spooner. In that regard, and same with Nam getting two-years, unsure we can praise GM Jeff Gorton for his handling of this situation. I understand the rebuild, but some of these contracts seem to fly in the face of that decision and how the path forwad further plays out.

If you look at the graphs above, New York is in great position, cap not player wise, in 2020-21. The hope at that time is that Chytil and Andersson have taken quantum leaps forward, Howden is a regular and Kravtsov is in the US and on a scoring line. If so, even with the expected pursuit and heavy $ figure for Artemi Panarin or a sniper of that ilk this off-season, the Rangers will have plenty of space to add more assets. Similar will apply when Henrik Lundqvist’s deal expires in three seasons, especially if Igor Shestyorkin has come over from the KHL and become what all of us hope between the pipes. Let’s see if NY does anything else in free agency, maybe a different back-up goalie or a few players on PTO with the hopes of adding depth. Beyond that, a big trade would be a shock but some of these assets could be moved if a deal can be reached.

This is what I wrote on Spooner two weeks ago, I was off a year on the term and 200K at high end of $:

Spooner is the one I expect to be dealt. Acquired from Boston in the Rick Nash deal, Spooner notched four goals and 12 assists in 20 games, though most of that production came early in his Rangers' tenure. Spooner earned $2.825 million on a one-year deal, his third contract with Boston. Regardless of the length of deal he signs Spooner will become a UFA, so if he inks another one-year deal, he earns UFA status after this season.

One knock on Spooner is that he isn't physical enough and won't go into the dirty areas. I didn't notice that in New York and felt that he, Miller and Hayes would have been a nice trio and we saw signs of that in the one game they played together against Detroit following his acquisition earlier that Sunday on Jean Ratelle night. Spooner can be center and wing, though he looks to be better suited to playing outside rather than the pivot.

With New York in rebuilding mode, Spooner probably will get dealt either before the season or during the year at the trade deadline for a future asset, especially if he is on a one-year deal. A player who can play C and W and can score 40-45 points has solid value in the league. Cane's model predicts a one-year deal at $2,605,014, in essence 200K less than before. My prediction is Spooner inks a one-year deal between $3.4 and $3.8 million.

My hope is that all these deals get done before arbitration and no one makes it to a hearing. Vesey will be first up, but not for two more weeks. If no action until then on any of the four, the slow crawl of an off-season will be even more snail-like.


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