BrooksBurner

Gorton gets half credit for not raising the offer to guarantee the signing. It takes some restraint to hold steady when you know the offer is under what others are offering, and he didn't waiver unlike other Rangers GMs of summers past.

First 2 episodes were bad, but the rest of the season was pretty good.

7.5 should be where it's at. 7 is probably fair and he probably really wants 8. Cut it down the middle and lets move on.

Every player has at least 1 vote. I like how a pretty strong case can be made for any of them. I went with Buchnevich. I expected it last year, but for whatever reason it didn't work out until the latter portion of the season. I still see big things there. Honarable mentions for me are Andersson and Chytil. I personally think Andersson has the makings of a very good player, and his value is very low with the fanbase. If he put up 35-40 points he will probably win this category.

Non-rookies.

Yeah that statement in the ESPN article isn't completely accurate, but it's not far off. Fixed version:

In a way it's only 1 additional year of a dead cap hit if you buy him out now. If you wait until next year, you still have to carry that dead weight contract all of this year, then the 2 dead cap hit years for 3 total years of his contract. I have been against buying him out right now if he can't be traded, but the more I look at this the more I am leaning towards the buyout now because it is really only one extra year of a 1.4M caphit in 2022-23. If they buy him out now, the dead cap hit next year will be 6.083M. If they buy him out next year, the cap hit will still be a large 5.3. Only a 700k difference when you consider what you have to put aside for Shattenkirk next year. By then Namestnikov, Strome, Belesky, etc. are off the books and you can absorb that dead cap hit rather easily.

Agreed. Some of the best casting I've seen.

Season 2 was awesome.

I'd say the Rangers had been in the B grade range when it came to finding quality NHL middle 6 players, but an F at finding franchise type 1st line talents. Has always felt like other teams have been able to find a player with later picks outside the top 3-5, but never the Rangers. Talking about skaters of course, and excluding the Henrik pick 15 years ago.

Even if we didn't get the #2 pick or sign Panarin, Gorton has done a tremendous job acquiring picks, prospects, and replenishing the farm and the scouts look to have done a good job to this point in evaluating talent. Most important, Gorton knew the right time to pull the plug.

The first and last sentences at least.

From your lips to God's ears!

Not concerned in the long term. I'm confident one of the young players will step up, and it may even come from Kravtsov or Kakko. Both have played center at some point I believe and they might be wild cards. This year is a different story though. It will probably be a struggle. I would hope by end of the year we have an idea what might be the path forward starting in 2020.

:palm:

You get on the phone and call 29 other GMs to see if they can beat a 2nd if they match, then sign and trade. If no bites, it is a tough call. Depends how many years.

I lol'd.

Apparently Kreider's value isn't that massive if he wasn't even worth #16 in the draft..or apparently any pick in the 1st round from those interested. Something tells me he signs a reasonable contract, and I'd rather deal with a buyout penalty than lose Kreider for less than he is worth.

It wasn't Miller for Namestnikov. It never was and it never will be. It was a package deal and we have no idea how that trade would have been split up if it was just for McDonagh. If they really can't find someone to take Smith or Shattenkirk at 50%, which didn't look likely, they will need to choose one of the following options to meet the cap: 1) Buyout Smith 2) Buyout Shattenkirk 3) Trade Kreider 4) Trade Buchnevich I've ranked them by my preference, though if Kreider wants too much money then that becomes #1 for me.

Gorton's a wizard. I have full faith he will make the best moves possible to free up cap. I really don't think he will buy any players out. It's too much of a killer on future cap.

Probably, but I wouldn't want them to. I'd just take the 1st/2nd/3rd compensation. It's roughly what we gave for him in the first place.

Estimate: 3m, 2.5m, 2m = 7.5m

Or signing Trouba, Buchnevich, Lemieux, or DeAngelo.

Can't imagine Kreider gets as much as Lee. This puts his price around that 6-6.5 million range IMO.

Only problem is that is charmin soft except for maybe Kakko.