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.