[brooks] The Salary-Cap Hell the Rangers are Still Trying to Navigate

[Phil]

But the Davidson/Jeff Gorton crew has been in a holding pattern since July 1. The Blueshirts have discovered that there is no market for Shattenkirk unless they take back an onerous contract in return. They have found no interest at all in Smith, who finished the year as a fourth-line winger. They have not been able to find a team interested in taking on Vlad Namestnikov?s $4 million obligation through the end of the season. They have not begun to talk about a contract extension with pending 2020 free agent Chris Kreider, who knows if/when they will, and there?s no smoke circling around a potential trade of No. 20. They could trade Buchnevich, who will come in at between $3-3.5 million, but wouldn?t they want to see him play with Panarin?

 

They?re stuck.

 

There are good reasons for a team under construction not to buy out players. It is understandable for the Rangers to want to avoid the added dead space in ?21-22 and ?22-23 (a combined $2.579 million), and especially when savings for 2020-21 would represent a paltry $695,834 when the cap is liable to increase by only around 2.5 percent if the PA sticks to its escrow-centric philosophy. If Kreider is in the team?s plans, then buying out the defensemen now won?t do much to relieve the stress.

 

So, and I?ve felt this way for months, I just don?t see a way out of this pickle for the Rangers unless they do in fact buy out Shattenkirk and Smith. The Shattenkirk Saga has been told and retold. Even aside from the contract, what would Shattenkirk?s role be on the right side that will include Trouba, Fox and DeAngelo? Are you going to give him power play minutes ahead of Fox, when the theme of this season is development? Would anyone expect Shattenkirk, at age 30, to gracefully accept a string of healthy scratches? Would anyone want to place the burden of repeatedly scratching this well-respected veteran on the head coach who also happens to be Double-Deuce?s longtime friend?

 

There is perhaps one way out, and that would be if GM Gorton can find a trade match for Shattenkirk that would then allow the Blueshirts to buy out the acquired player and come out ahead on the deal. Like maybe for LA?s Dustin Brown, who has three years remaining on his deal at $5.875 million per.

 

If the Kings were amenable, a New York buyout of Brown would save $4 million this year ($1,666,667 less than Shattenkirk) but would save about $2 million more of space in 2020-21 and provide for a net gain of $3.93 million in space for 2021-22 while adding $1.5 million in dead space for the three seasons starting with 2022-23. That would help to accommodate the first two seasons of a hypothetical Kreider extension.

 

https://nypost.com/2019/07/17/the-salary-cap-hell-the-rangers-are-still-trying-to-navigate/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons

[RangersIn7]

Salary cap hell is an overstatement

But hey, it’s Larry Brooks in mid-July.

[Future]

They're only stuck because Gorton has been too cute since Day 1 of the rebuild. The dumbass "asset management" - where you can never take a loss on a player, even a bad one - approach with Namest and Spooner caused this more than anything else.

 

Christ, they're putting themselves in a position where they're going to have to take a poor return on Kreider because they have to make room for Trouba. Trading Fast because you can't move Namest. There has been absolutely no plan since the beginning, and now it's biting.

[Future]

Salary cap hell is an overstatement

But hey, it’s Larry Brooks in mid-July.

It is if they can't dump Strome and Namest.

[josh]

Turn line changes off, play with 5 guys. boom

[Ozzy]

Turn line changes off, play with 5 guys. boom

 

I knew someone else played my way!!! =)

[Vodka Drunkenski]

Turn line changes off, play with 5 guys. boom

 

No offsides

[ThirtyONE]

They're only stuck because Gorton has been too cute since Day 1 of the rebuild. The dumbass "asset management" - where you can never take a loss on a player, even a bad one - approach with Namest and Spooner caused this more than anything else.

 

Christ, they're putting themselves in a position where they're going to have to take a poor return on Kreider because they have to make room for Trouba. Trading Fast because you can't move Namest. There has been absolutely no plan since the beginning, and now it's biting.

 

I think this is an overreaction, much like the article is an over reaction.

 

"No plan" is just plain panicked fan-speak.

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

I don't want to part with any first round picks, but maybe it's time to start offering good picks along with these players to dump the salary needed. Fact of the matter is that we have a pretty good stockpile of prospects now and it's not going to be as essential to have those picks moving forward

[Gravesy]

There is no “cap hell“. Like every other team in the league, the Rangers have some decisions to make. None of them are particularly significant. This is complete horse shit imo.

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

There is no “cap hell“. Like every other team in the league, the Rangers have some decisions to make. None of them are particularly significant. This is complete horse shit imo.

 

"Cap Hell" is an overstatement but there is certainly cause for worry.

 

My theory is that we have contracts in place for all of our RFA's but that we are waiting as long as possible to get them penned while we figure out who/how we buyout/trade for cap relief. I'd rather we don;t have to retain on Smith/Shattenkirk since they are two year deals but I'd absolutely retain some of Namestnikov's 4 mil for a year if need be. As much as I'm not a fan of his, I have a hard time believing there isn't a team with some cap space that wouldn't take a flyer on him for one year and see if he clicks

[RJWantsTheCup]

Trade Kreider & Shattenkirk to Colorado for their number one in 2020.

Trade Names for a 2nd rounder or 3rd rounder.

There's moves to be made. They are just waiting to see what they can get.

[ThirtyONE]

I don't want to part with any first round picks, but maybe it's time to start offering good picks along with these players to dump the salary needed. Fact of the matter is that we have a pretty good stockpile of prospects now and it's not going to be as essential to have those picks moving forward

 

Don't agree. Rangers should not be parting with 1sts. Not not. Not 4 years from now. It can't happen.

 

Shattenkirk can be moved. Kreider can be moved. Namestnikov can be moved. Buch can be moved. etc, etc, etc.

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

Don't agree. Rangers should not be parting with 1sts. Not not. Not 4 years from now. It can't happen.

 

Shattenkirk can be moved. Kreider can be moved. Namestnikov can be moved. Buch can be moved. etc, etc, etc.

 

yeah i meant later picks, maybe 2nds more but likely 3rds

 

If we can give up Namestnikov with nothing retainined and a 2nd/3rd to a team like say Ottawa, who is barely over the floor and wants to stockpile picks, for a prospect + a later pick, I think I do it.

[Future]

I think this is an overreaction, much like the article is an over reaction.

 

"No plan" is just plain panicked fan-speak.

They don't, and they haven't. Their "plan" has been to be patient and opportunistic. How can you see them not having any resolution on Kreider, in July, and think "yea, they've had a plan!"

 

The article is only an overreaction if they truly can't move Namest and Strome without retention. I doubt that - even though it probably means dumping an asset with them - but they are very much in trouble in the short term.

[ThirtyONE]

They don't, and they haven't. Their "plan" has been to be patient and opportunistic. How can you see them not having any resolution on Kreider, in July, and think "yea, they've had a plan!"

 

The article is only an overreaction if they truly can't move Namest and Strome without retention. I doubt that - even though it probably means dumping an asset with them - but they are very much in trouble in the short term.

 

Because Kreider is not priority?

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

they have almost a year to figure out Kreider's contract if the plan is to keep him

 

if the plan is to not keep him, we can get a good haul for him at the next trade deadline, or if we feel like taking a gamble if we are in the playoff hunt, we keep him for the rest of the year

[Future]

Because Kreider is not priority?

Then I guess neither were Zucc, Hayes, Miller, Nash or Mac.

[Ozzy]

Larry Brooks: "THE SKY IS FALLING!!!"

 

Translation: Let's see how I can piss on the hopes of Ranger fans this month, since I have absolutely nothing to bitch about.

[Fatfrancesa]

It was always going to be a problem. They should trade who they have to to get under the cap. If that means trading kreider for less than fair value so be it. Fact is signing a free agent isn’t free from costing you other players. They made their decision on their direction and they had to have some idea of what the next step is. IMO future cap space, picks, and current prospects should be the last place they should trade from. If Fast has to go than fine. The cap squeeze isn’t going to stop.

[BrooksBurner]

We all knew signing Panarin meant other changes. If it means 1-2 trades are done at under market value than that is the cost, and well worth it.

 

It isn't really cap hell. They have an easy out if they buyout Shattenkirk as there's enough money coming off the books next year to absorb it. It seems apparent this is the least preferred option, as it should be, but it is a viable option.

[josh]

Not a problem.

Plenty of summer left.

 

- Dont give away assets

- Dont compound cap "issues" by making moves that hurt cap space in subsequent seasons

[Gravesy]

Then I guess neither were Zucc, Hayes, Miller, Nash or Mac.

No, and rightly so.

[Fatfrancesa]

It is going to be a problem though. Money comes off soon but only to give to raises that will be due. The problem here is the rangers salary structure is screwy. They are heavily investing on the wing. Defense and center is what costs and if you don’t develop your own your going to need cap space to acquire it. The rangers are going to have 8-10 players on elcs this season and they have a cap problem. How do you not see the future problem when it’s already here and going to get worse if they buyout players.

[ThirtyONE]

Then I guess neither were Zucc, Hayes, Miller, Nash or Mac.

 

I have no idea what you're even talking about now.

 

You're upset they haven't either traded Kreider or signed him yet. What does that have to do with players from two seasons ago?

 

Kreider is not priority because Trouba is. Then Buch. Then defense.... Kreider is somewhere down the list but he's also signed and the Rangers don't technically have to do anything.