The Giants Cut Kyle Lauletta

This makes no sense.  The Giants just cut Kyle Lauletta.  Maybe they're really inclined to keep Eli around beyond his current contract.  If they're not, this is plain stupid because Lauletta looked like a perfect longterm backup for Daniel Jones, who will be taking over soon.  Supposed Shurmur fave Kyle Sloter was cut by Minnesota, so perhaps he's on the way, which might make a little sense.  But a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.  Last year, the Giants cut Davis Webb, who had looked like something as a rookie then like nothing in year 2.  Now Lauletta went in the opposite direction and showed that development was really taking place in Giant-land.  This really seems short sighted.  And Tanney better not be on this team.

UPDATE: So far they are keeping Tanney,  They are also keeping Stupar as a linebacker.  So each side now has its mascot.  Suboptimal.

This Week on the Blog

So, the Yanks are still having problems with the A's, the Giants wrapped up their preseason with a rousing win, the Rangers named their Traverse City roster, and the Knicks were doing good deeds, between endless practices.  Let's take a look at the coming week.

Yankees: the Yanks got Voight back yesterday and Encarnacion should be back some time this week. What's  more, all of the injured pitchers are pitching in games, so that could bolster things.  Also, tomorrow, the rosters expand, so we could see the return of Clint Frazier and others.   We could also see some finagling with the 40.  And it would be nice to beat the A's some now, instead of having to do what they haven't in the playoffs. C'mon, Yanks!

Giants: The Giants are currently cutting down to 53 and still have a ways to go. They also have to assemble a practice squad and have to #6 pick in the waiver line. So they could have a very fluid bottom of the roster for the next few days.  And since Golden Tate will be suspended for the first 4 games, the Giants will have a guest wide receiver for awhile,  Whoever that is will have to play very hard and very successfully and hope he can force the Giants to pick from another position group when Tate becomes eligible.  One other thing, if you watched the Giants in the preseason, they offense was pretty unstoppable aside from fumbles and interceptions -- and that was without Saquon Barkley.

Rangers: the Rangers non-collegiate prospects will be heading off to Traverse City this week for the annual tournament that start Friday.  Training Camp will they start during or just after the tourney and Chris Kreider is still a Ranger.

Knicks: There was some new video of Mitchell Robinson on Twitter this morning and he looked very healthy - exhale. I think they're training camp starts after the NHL camps start, so more toward the end of the month.

So there it is. The Yanks are getting reinforcements. The Giants have decisions to make and the ability to add players.  The Rangers are sending a loaded team to Traverse City, and the Knicks are Knicking.   Have a great week.  Start competing again.

Giants Today

The Giants' last preseason game, their annual tilt with the Pats, starts in a few hours, and other than NO INJURIES, heres what we'd hope to see.  First, that Daniel Jones keep up his dominant work as the prince in waiting.  That a second RB somehow emerge - still not much of a Gallman fan.  That several other positions like WR's, TE's and LB's sort themselves out, and that they give Kyle Lauletta a real chance to be QB3.  No ever really wants to see Tanney again. The cuts supposed to be announced Saturday, but they could start leaking out right after the game.  And the new practice squad could start leaking out thereafter.

Rangers Announce Traverse City Roster

The  Rangers, today, have announced their 24 Man roster for the Traverse City Tournament, which starts September 6th.  Here they are:

FORWARDS

Kaapo Kakko

Vitali Kratsov

Karl Henriksson

Jake Elmer

Nick Jones

Ryan Dmowski

Brett Kemp

Shawn McBride

Cody Milan

Patrick Newell

Anthony Salinitri

Lewis Zerter-Gossage

The surprise above if the Karl Henriksson, this year's second second rounder is in from Sweden for the tourney.  Elmer is the kid who had the outstanding overage season and got signed and Zerter-Gossage is Adam Fox's Harvard teammate - but he's already 24.  I guess he's in charge of buying beer.

DEFENSE

Adam Fox

Matthew Robertson

Nico Gross

Joey Keane

Yegor Rykov

Tarmo Reunannen

Hunter Skinner

Kade Landry

Here it's interesting that Robertson is coming as he's headed off to college.  Skinner cancelled his college plans and will either play overage in the WHL of make the AHL.  Kade Landry is the only free agent pick up among this group.  Everyone else cost a pick or two.  But this group looks loaded.  While the the Forwards have two possible superstars,  Karl and Elmer, then a bunch of signed AHL or out guys.

GOALIES

Igor Shesterkin

Adam Huska

This could be Igor's first stateside pronouncement, and Huska is also good and homegrown.

This looks like the best team we've ever sent to Traverse City.  That said, some teams will just send 24 year olds to grind on everyone else's teenagers. It's getting close.

Yanks Take Series from Dodgers

The Yanks really should have swept this series but for the shenanigans at second by the Dodgers yesterday.  That seemed to annoy the Yanks and Boone gave the umps an earful before today's rubber game. That may have had an effect as a Dodger who ran right in front of Sanchez while he was muffing a pop-up was called out by the ump. The Dodger then hit Didi under the right shoulder.  So his replacement, Mike Ford, hit a homer and doubled as the Yanks won 5-1.  German gave up a homer to the first batter of the game but that was it, and this was a playoff environment.  Nice work.  Judge homered for the third game in a row and the Yanks need this version of their best player for the rest of the year.  Anyway, huge series win for the Yanks after not looking like the Yanks in Oakland.

Giants: Jones to Start Thursday

At practice today, Shurmur announced the Daniel Jones will start against the Pats on Thursday. This isn't a big surprise because he needs the reps, and it gives us a reason to watch. But it also would have been reasonable to sit him having proved what he already has proved.  Also, this means no 60 minute death match between Tanney and Lauletta.  It will be shorter.

I suppose the starting OL will play - after looking like crap against the Bengals - they also need the reps. I do think they will only keep DJ in until he scores - which is what they have been doing. I don't think he'll play a full half.

In other Giant news, Sam Beal, Alec Ogletree and Deandre Baker all returned to practice today, and they can only help. Though, Beal and Baker have lots of upside, while Ogletree sort of is what he is.

As to the cuts: the Giants stocked their 90 with more 26 and 27 year old street free agents than they usually do. So, the guys on the bubble this year are older and it looks like few if any UDFA's from this spring will make the team.  Compositionally, this will make the team a little more middle aged than it's been due to the vast failures of the drafts since the last SB win. So they'll basically have guys from this year's draft and last, plus a few guys from Jerry's last draft like Engram.  Will that say, win now?  Or is it likely to change even more after other teams start cutting?

This Week on the Blog

A little behind schedule these days, because I am house sitting my sister's pets in Glendale, while she takes my nephew off to college, instead of being home in Hollywood.  That said, the Yanks had a nice bounce back win last night after being swept in Oakland. The Giants won again. The Rangers finally announced their new staffing hires.  And the Knicks kept icing Mitchell Robinson's knee.  Let's take a look at the coming week.

Yankees: Be nice if they scored agains today.  Beyond that, they will finish up in LA tomorrow, and then they'll be off to Seattle, which should be a breather.  At the end of the week, the rosters will expand, so their might be some finagling with the 40 before then, as well as with the 25 if they need it. Mike King had a great start last night and could really help in place of guys like CC and Happ. We'll see and let's hope we're finally seeing the real Paxton. He looked like a game one playoff starter last night. Oh, and Encarnacion is taking groupers and hitting off a tee.

Giants: This is cutdown week.  And, once again, they'll go from 90 to 53, while holding the 6th pick in the waiver order - so we could see some new Giants, and probably some new guys on the Practice Squad. The also have to play the Pats, in what is usually what soccer fans would call a friendly. Both teams will have most of their decisions made by Thursday, and so few of the guys they will be keeping will be playing.  Jones may not even play.  So it could be Tanney vs. Lauletta, though if the Giants keep Tanney over Lauletta, it will be ridiculous. Hopefully Lauletta makes them keep three. Because, next year, Eli will probably be gone, and Lauletta could be DJ's long term back up.

Rangers: the Rangers finally announced their new hires.  Interesting they announced Glass and Ruutu for the roving prospect quality control guys but earlier had indicated their would be a third and maybe a 4th, so perhaps they're still looking.  With the multitude of prospects the Rangers now control in North America and Europe, scheduling for Glass and Ruutu could be a logistical nightmare. So more help could certainly be on the way. The Rangers are getting sort of close to the Traverse City Tournament, so a bunch of their prospects - though generally not the college guys - could be flowing back to the training center.  The college players would have to pay their own ways under NCAA rules.

Knicks: the Knicks are probably off practicing somewhere. Expect for Mitch.  He's probably off icing  somewhere.

So there it is.  Hope all of have a great week and I'll be home Tuesday.  Hope the Yanks win this challenge.

Giants Tonight

Alright, the big thing, once again is NO INJURIES.  Aside from that, the third preseason game used to be when teams would play their starters for 3 quarters.  We'll be lucky if they play a half these days.  And really, the offense without Saquon Barkley, Even Engram and Sterling Shepard all pre hasn't really been the offense, so seeing how disciplined and productive they have been has been all the more impressive.

I think we'd all like to see Daniel Jones get a lot of snaps and clean up last week's ball security blip. That is: keep it a blip. We don't need another Eli who fumbles when touched.  Beyond that, it would be good for the health of the franchise for Kyle Lauletta to claim the third spot by thoroughly outplaying Alex Tanney tonight.

And the battle for the second back spot continues.  It would be great to see Paul Perkins do something with a hand off or a pitch, because he's already shown playmaking potential as a pass catcher. Don't know if Gallman's playing yet, but Hilliman looked kind of nifty last week and could also threaten for a job.  Rod Smith has also looked useful, so it's interesting.

The WR's and TE's might also do some sorting out.

On D, it would be good so see more pass rush and more takeaways from the starters and people who are expected to make the team.  Like Man and Love.  Beyond that - no injuries and it will be nice if someone like Carlock can make another play.  Not sure if he's make it through waivers to the P-Squad.

So that's the player stuff.

A point in general, though, is usually when you see a team just handling it's opponents in Pre that team has game planned. The Giants do not game plan for preseason games, thus what we're seeing is players executing vanilla plays and making them work for the most part. Really unusual, and this sort of reminding me of Parcells second year - after he'd gotten rid of the early `80s drug culture in the locker room, the Giants started their rise.  Shurmur's a different cat, but year 2 so far does seem familiar.  These players look COACHED.  Good stuff.

Rangers Finally Announce New Staffing

The Rangers today, finally made formal what looks the actualization of their desired cultured.  They did, as we know add Tanner Glass and Tuomo Ruutu as assistant directors of player development.  And Chris Morehouse, who is JD's son in law, has been named director of North American Scouting. Marshall Davidson (JD's brother or son) and Derek Ginnell have been named amateur scouts. Steve Konowalchuk will switch from amateur to pro scouting.  They also hired another assistant for Hartford in David Cunniff and Chris Hoeler is the new video coach for the Wolf Pack.

Glass will cover North America and Ruutu will cover Europe.

The Lauletta Business

Kyle Lauletta has looked better and better as the preseason has progressed. Remembering that he missed most of the offseason after surgery. This is exactly what the team should want to see, and who the team should keep if they keep three QB's. However; the thinking based on what Shurmur has said is that Tanney is more likely to be #3, because of his value in the room.

This is idiotic.

The only reason they would be thinking that way is because when Shurmur was putting his staff together, he didn't hire a QB coach. And if they love Tanney so much, they should talk him into retiring and taking the job. Sparing that, they should dump Tanney and hire a QB coach "for the room."  Lauletta's a guy they should keep developing on top of the development he's already showing post-surgery. If they had a QB coach, they could sort of open a QB school, as the Jags did under TC, and the Pats have, from time to time under Little Bill. Raising talented mid-rounders into viable alternatives for others is a great way to accumulate picks, and the Giants should keep doing that - not using journeymen QB's who force them to sell low on talent.

The Giants should keep three, and add another - if anyone is out there that interests them - to the P-Squad. It would be good to have a school.

In other Giants news, the #2 back may not be on the team yet, and it will be interesting to see that they do with their still, pretty high waiver claim.  But that's after two more games.

This Week on the Blog

Alright, the Giants made it an unexpected 2-0, the Yanks mostly kept serve, the Rangers did nothing and some of the Knicks seem to be off playing somewhere.  As I right this, the Yanks are dropping he 4th game to the Indians after earning at least a series split over games two and three.  Eh.  Let's see what else is cooking.

Yankees: Gleyber Torres is going to hit over 30 homers in his age 22 season. I a little surprised that New York and the entire sports media world aren't flipping out over what this kid is achieving. Odd.  Now we go to the other end of the spectrum.  CC Sabathia has expired as a viable MLB pitcher. It's brutal to watch him, and a reminder that keeping old players, whether they are CC, Eli or Hank, blocks organizational resourcefulness from being deployed, thus creating bigger problems down the very same road where they've kicked the can. I love CC (and Eli and Hank) and believe he is a Hall of Fame. But I don't want these occasional reminders of how far he's fallen, like today's. BTW, if I owned a team, I believe I would encourage any guy who says he's retiring after the coming season, to retire immediately.  Yanks could bring up more pitching help this week.

Giants: The Giants won again Friday Night, and though they were facing the Bear's 2's and 3's, the Giant 1's dominate the 2's, the 2's beat the 2's and the 3's beat the 3's.  The ones didn't play much and Daniel Jone's fumbles and first career incompletions came with the 2's. The first fumble (the snap) seemed like they were rushing a play to prevent the Bears from challenging the previous reception.  They have to come up with something a little simpler if all they are trying to do is prevent a challenge.  The second fumble came after Slade whiffed on a block and the DE had a clean shot at Jones - who made a TD saving tackle.  And that probably wouldn't have happened if Simonson hadn't dropped a pass that him him in the numbers and would have given the Giants second and short on the previous play.

Paul Perkins looked much better in game 2, and I still think the #2 spot is up for grabs, especially after Perkins made an explosive play off a Jones screen pass.

As for the Defense.  They are playing vanilla, but seem to have a group of shamble young athletes who may be productive running something like Betcher was running in AZ.

Rangers:  Kaapo Kakko is excited about Panarin and hopes to play with him. Fair enough.

Knicks: Here's hoping ice and rest are working for Big Mitch, and no one else gets hurt during all of these extra games and practices.

So there it is, the Yanks should start getting players back, the Giants have an interesting roster and a different sideline feel, the Rangers are mostly off, and the Knick need to be careful.   I hope all of you are safe, if not super careful - have a great one.

Giants Tonight

Okay, the Giants play the Bears later, and I'll probably miss it because I'll be traveling. I'll try to catch in on the replay.  The main thing remains: no injuries. For having drafted 4 CB's between last year's Supp and this year's Draft, the Giants are now dangerously thin their with Baker and Beal on the sidelines.  So no more anywhere on the roster, please.

It should be interesting to see how the young players continue to develop and what the OL rotation looks like.  Gates and Slade seem to be pushing Wheeler off the roster.  And, of course we could see the debut of WR Darius Slayton, he of the deep speed.

But mostly, we want to see if Daniel Jones can stay perfect, or do even better. Bumps in the road should be expected and let's hope his runs, if there are any, are by design.  That was the dimension we didn't see in last week's perfect series.

Enjoy.

Yanks Promote King and Schmidt

Still don't have all the organizational photos I had had on the old computer, but today, the Yanks promoted Michael King to AAA, and Clarke Schmidt to AA.  King had been injured all year before beginning his rehab assignment last month  He has a tricky mix and knows how to pitch which could come in handy down the stretch.  Schmidt was the first round pick two years ago who had already had TJS and was recovering,  They've taken it slow and easy with him but it really was time to get this polished college pitcher moving.  So this is all good news, witch King possibly helping this year.

In other pitching news, Betances and Severino both threw off the mound at Yankee Stadium today, and next stop will be Tampa to throw to live hitters, then rehab assignments. They could give the Yanks a huge lift.

This Week on the Blog

It was an interesting week.  The Yanks kept winning, until last night.  The Giants established a line of succession, if not a time table for it. The Rangers talked about their options with Kreider.  And Mitchell Robinson got a sore ankle while practicing with Team USA.  Let's take a look at what's coming up.

Yankees: The Yanks ended a 9 game winning streak, last night, by pitching JA Happ.  Dear lord, has he been awful this year.  The good news, though, is that Luis Severino threw 23 pitches off a mound. So maybe he will help this season and good Sevy is better than anyone who was available on the trade market.  Let's see if they can get back on track this week, and maybe if they have an off day, I'll do something about all the emerging players on the farm who were spared at the trade deadline.

Giants: Well, well, well. This is working out just as predicted. After spending the Spring saying the Giants made a mistake by drafting Daniel Jones (after ripping them for not taking Darnold last year) and elevating the historical significance of #6 overall picks (they would literally have you believe they were more important than first picks 1-5), the big about face is underway.  That's because Daniel Jones came out and DEALT in his first preseason game.  And he did it against the Jets, who were "smart" enough to take Sam Darnold last year. Ever since the rookie camp, the Giants have looked more and more like they have their QB of the future. And that future could be now.

Beyond that, the two Gettleman drafts are looking really strong.

Rangers: The Rangers still have some prospects playing in tournaments, before returning to get ready for Traverse City. While the kids were off competing. JD talked about Kreider and said he fully expects him to be at training camp. Expects.  Sounds like they're trading him but they don't like what's being offered yet.

Knicks:  Mitchell Robinson was shut down at the Team USA workouts with a sore knee. This is remarkably bad news for a team with a limited number of viable assets.  It's good that he was invited, though.  Don't think Knocks was and of course, RJ and Iggy are Canadians.

So there we are.  The Yanks had a hiccup, the Giants found their next QB, the Rangers seem to be using the press to get more for Kreider and the Knicks must now be really careful with Big Mitch.  Let's get the Yanks back on track, and have a great week, everyone.

Daniel Jones and the Giants Beat the Jets

No one expected Eli Manning to start tonight, but he did and went 3 and out.  Then Daniel Jones came in  for the second series and went 5-5 with a touch down.  Rosas converted the extra point and the Giants took a 7-6 lead before thunder and lightning caused a delay. Jones didn't come back after the delay so his perfect night ended after one series.  But what a series, talk about pace and superior accuracy and ball placement. We couldn't have hoped for better, only for more and maybe a chance to see him flash those wheels.  What a debut.  Lawrence and Baker were also excellent, and Corey Ballantine appears to be a Sehorn type athlete back there.  Love had his troubles but also did some good things.  Syracuse Slayton was also good, and Connelly looks like a steal. The second year guys like McIntosh and Tae Davis also looked good.  And that undrafted safety turned LB Jake Carlock had a 59 yard pick 6.  Also, Lauletta, who should have played more had a long TD pass and looks improved.  The banged up WR core did their jobs. And the TE Conrad had a nice catch.

Giants Tonight

Giants play the Jets tonight, which should make for some ugly internet.  The main thing is NO INJURIES.  Beyond that it will be fun to see Daniel Jones, the rest of rooks and wether or not last year's kids have progressed. We should also look for cohesion in the passing game, which we might not see with Sterling Shepard out. It will be interesting to see the new offensive line. Though they have supplemented with veterans, they should still get maximum reps to jell. Likewise, the D-line should be observed for signs of possible dominance.  I'm not kidding about that. I think Dexter Lawrence is a difference maker.  We'll get a good look later.  Also, let's see what the X-Man can do, and what Connelly looks like witch his quick get-off.  And how will last year's third rounders, Lo Carter and BJ Hill will look.  Likewise how will a healthy RJ McIntosh help?

Have fun, and NO INJURIES!

More Rangers Stuff

We've already talked a bit about how K'Andre Miller is the Rangers Unicorn, and he basically had his coming out party last week in the Summer Prospect Showcase.  He was as good as any prospect there.  And much as I love Cole Caufield, and would have traded back in to get him, Miller is a foot taller and won't need a separate policeman. But they were the two most impressive kids on team USA.  Anyway, there's an article up on NHL.com regarding what Miller and Jones accomplished at the Showcase, and it had some comments from Chris Morehouse.  Who?

Chris Morehouse is apparently the Rangers' new Director of North American Scouting.  I don't think there was an old one, but I have had a sneaking suspicion that Gordie Clark might be on the way to an emeritus position, if not out the door.  He was not featured in the Rangers.com draft videos, accept in one showing twenty seconds of a scouting meeting.  He did not make the picks on the stage at the draft as he had over the past few years. And he was not interviewed after the draft or during or around the Development Camp.  He had long been the media focus of all draft and prospect related stuff. As for Morehouse, I believe JD brought him over from CBJ, where, they do, indeed seem to have a pretty good handle on North American players.  And a little research shows him to be JD's son-in-law.  Hmm.  I think JD's brother Martin Davidson also worked for him at CBJ, but, thus far he hasn't been announced with the Rangers.

I wish they'd make an announcement about all these hires, and changes or at least a score sheet.

This Week on the Blog

It was a weird week.  First, the Yanks didn't add a big league pitcher at the deadline, after paying lip service to the idea since the offseason. But that was just weird, not stupid, and no prospects were lost in the process.  The Giants seemed to have fewer injuries in week 2 of camp.  The Rangers gained control of their cap. And the Knicks were probably off practicing somewhere. Let's take a look at the week to come.

Yankees: The Yanks got an encouraging start from James Paxton last night. Let's see if he can keep it going and give German some company in the "reliable starter" group. Gleyber Torres at 22 is doing what 22 year old Hall of Famers do. Whoever thought the Yanks should consider trading him for anyone on the market not named Mike Trout was an imbecile. I think he's also making Didi unnecessary. That will be an interesting situation this offseason.  Cashman said Severino might start pitching from the mound this week. They need him. Betances is further behind and Giantcarlo Stanton isn't even taking part in baseball activities at this point.  As the season goes on the Yanks really could add sustantial  talent for their own IL.

Giants: The Giants have their first preseason game tilt this coming Thursday against the Jets.  Jets have been the third game for a long time, but not anymore. The Pats are still the last game and the two other opponents are the Bears and the Bengals.  I suppose we'll get our first look at Daniel Jones come Thursday. Let's hope no one cheap shots him, like the Panthers did Eli in his first preseason. That will be exciting, but if the Giants are to have any luck this year, that young DL is going to have to produce and they have the horses to do just that.  So let's look for signs of an emerging DL.  On the OL, at least they have 2 great guards for the first time since the days of Snee and Seubert. We'll need to find out if we have a C and an RT. I don't think we'll see much Saquon Barkley through the preseason, but it feels like we could see the rebirth of Paul Perkins. He's faster and has better hands than Wayne Gallman. So it would be nice if he could replace Gallman in the rotation.

Rangers: Everyone's mad about the buyout. All buyouts are suboptimal, perhaps this one more so than most because of the big cap charge next season. But it was the one move that could make them cap compliant without getting help from another team.  Now they can make trades and add more talent or not without other teams using their cap status as leverage against them.

In happier circumstances, K'Andre Miller's combination of size, skating and power is blowing minds at the Summer Prospect Showcase. Not sure why he's not a top 10 prospect in all of hockey, but he will be. He is the Ranger Unicorn. Rare.

Knicks: The Knicks are off, but they're probably still practicing. They traded their Unicorn.

So there it is.  Yanks have to keep finding ways to win. The Giants have to start progressing. The Rangers could still make a trade, and the Knicks have to keep doing whatever it is they do between posting practice videos.  Have a great one.

Wolf Pack Hire Gord Murphy as Associate Head Coach

I remember this guy since he was a player back in the `90s. Anyway, he's been an NHL assistant since, as well as helping coach the Canadian National U18 team. And like every Murphy, if he's an O'Murchada Murphy, we are related. Anyway he's 52 now and was most recently on the deposed Flyer staff with new HC Kris Knoblauch. I guess they share a lot of the same development ideas.  Let's hope if works, and let's hope that they draw from a few different wells to fill out the rest of the staff.

Rangers Stuff

Seems like a lot of people are calling the Shattenkirk buyout stupid. And I really don't know how anyone can make that judgment, right now. First, if we've noticed anything about "the plan" it's that exhaustive patience and thoroughness of task have been clearly observable. Look how long it took them to hire Knoblauch.  Look how long it took them to hire Quinn, for that matter.  They really stay on task. So, I don't think buying out Shatty was done capriciously or without careful consideration of all of their options.

The Rangers had three bits of massive good fortune once the season ended. First they lucked into the second overall pick in the draft, Kaapo Kakko(!).  Then they were able to flip the Jets originally first plus one of their 3 2's to get the rights to Jacob Trouba.  Finally, they were able to get Artemi Panarin to become a Ranger for less than everyone else was offering him. Still, it was a lot, and still the Rangers didn't even know for sure that they were getting Panarin until the morning they announced it.   So, they already had to leave their comfort zone for a guy the braintrust just loves and who, on his own, talked about what Messier did for the Rangers during his interview. I'm sorry, but that's the kind of guy you overspend on.

Similarly, the Rangers were negotiating with Trouba and his agent from the moment they got him, and the moments right after they got Panarin. It took so long that Trouba filed for arbitration, then ahead of his arbitration date, he agreed to take all 8M of the Rangers remaining cap room. With 4 other RFA's to sign, the Rangers suddenly had a problem.

This the time to make a trade. No one was going to help the Rangers - who may be more resented than usual because Fox, Trouba and Panarin all basically forced their ways them - and other teams don't root for stuff like that to happen. Also, any trade help was going to come at steep discount on the Rangers take.  So was making two or three bad trades really better than having 6M in dead cap next year?  Even though so many players will be on their ELC's?

The Rangers didn't think so. So they took their cap into their own hands and bought out Shatty.  Now that they're cap compliant they can revisit some trade ideas.

I've thought all summer that their intention was to trade Kreider rather than having him play out the last year of his deal or sign him to an extension.  I think that could happen now because the Rangers don't have to move him for current cap issues. They could even trade him for a young NHL player who needs a change of scenery like Jesse Puljujarvi or someone. Had they traded him in the First Round of June's draft, I expected them to go after Gusev with the cap savings. Instead the Devils did. And that really is perhaps the biggest opportunity cost from this little bit of cap hell they just ended.  But there are still some players and prospects who could, with a first round pick attached, represent good value for Kreider.  And I wouldn't be surprised if that happens soon.