Ranger Plans for FA

I actually have no idea what the Rangers plans for FA are, but here's what I think they should do.   First, unless they can trade a big contract, be that Nash, Staal or St. Louis, I don't they should go after any outside FA's.  It's a bad class, and the only value in it is Stastny and as such he will get crazy money.   Instead they should sit tight, lock up their RFA's and let most, if not all of their FA's go.  I wouldn't mind keeping Dom Moore, and Dan Carcillo, but the rest will be overpaid by some team, and it should not be the Rangers.  Though in any event, I expect them to hire a thug as soon as the market opens.

Instead, the Rangers should keep their powder dry, and keep refining their core from what's in the system and the young players they may be able to trade for.  They already have their current core locked up, and really, why not use camp to really fill out the roster?   It will be great for the young guys like McD, Step, Kreider, Hags, Brass and Moore,  to break in some even younger guys, like JT Miller, Fast, Lindberg, McIlrath, Connor Allen, and the other talented guys in Hartford.  They are a little like the Giants, in that they only have to find their way into the playoffs to make a run.

So, use the first half of the year to go through the growing pains with the kids, then be a kick ass machine down the stretch and in the coming years?

Also, if we do make a trade of one of the big deals, we have to get picks back, including a one for next year!   We'd be in much better shape right now if we had our first two picks from 2013 in the replacement mix.

But that's really what they should do.  Keep the powder dry, refine the core and make smart trades that bring back assets and picks.