The Stepan Situation

As the Ranger pre-seasom moves along, they are still without one of their best players - Derek Stepan.    Once he finally got over the Orpik hit from 2011, he played at an elite level last year.   He makes the players around him better.    And he's sitting out right now because the Rangers had to show they are smarter than the world and passed up buying out Richards when that window was open.   They were able to lock up McDonagh but unable to, thus far, lock up Stepan.

They've had all summer to make a deal to create more cap room, but instead of getting proactive,  during last night's skate around  the Rangers rolled a tape of Glen Sather criticizing Stepan for listening to his agent, and not signing a bridge deal like Sather's other guys have.   That was bush league, and an example of Sather blaming the player instead of his mismanagement of the cap for the current situation.

As it is, right now, it looks like their best chance of signing Stepan will come next week, when the Rangers can tweak their cap space by sending down Asham, Pyatt and some others.  A trade would have created more relief.    And it will take him time for Stepan to get up to speed, and they'll be on that long road trip to start the season, where points will be at a premium.    Nice going, genius.