Rangers re-sign Anisimov, Sauer, Dates set for Parise, Callahan, Dubinsky, etc.

Two down. Three to go. The Rangers re-signed both Artem Anisimov and Mike Sauer to multi-year deals. Each more than doubled their salaries. Anisimov will earn an average of $1.875 million over the next two seasons while Sauer gets a nice boost up to $1.25 M, avoiding salary arbitration.

A win win for the club who still must deal with Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky. In fact, their hearings are set with Boyle July 25, Callahan July 28 and Dubinsky July 21. That still leaves a couple of weeks for Glen Sather to try to hammer something out with the trio, who were instrumental in getting the club back to the playoffs. Credit to Bleeding All Blue for the correct arbitration dates.

As for Arty and Sauer, it's nice to see both done, allowing Slats to concentrate on Cally and Dubi, who should be harder to sign. It's expected to run anywhere between $3.5 to 4 million for the pair of homegrown forwards that have grown into leaders. Hopefully, they'll come to enviable conclusions not involving the tedious arbitration. Boyle definitely will see a considerable increase as well off his career year. How big who knows.

While the Blueshirts concern themselves with that, the Devils could have to deal with Zach Parise, who's hearing is scheduled for August 3. It leaves Lou Lamoriello more time to see if he can get Zach Attack to take a discount following an injury riddled year that saw the North Dakota standout limited to just 13 games. He earned $5 million. ... Islander forward Blake Comeau is set for the day after, 8/4 while Buffalo defenseman Andrej Sekera goes the same day as Boyle (7/25).

Four Rangers headline arbitration

Yesterday was a busy day for the Rangers. A day following Fourth Of July fireworks celebrating our independence, four players filed for arbitration. The good news is they can't be offersheeted with the likely scenario that whatever's ruled, will have all four signed by next month. Something that's imperative when camp (yes) will be around the corner. Especially in Year One of the Euro Vacation courtesy the World's Most Renovated Arena.

The four players are also key parts with half comprising our two most consistent forwards last season in leading scorer Brandon Dubinsky and do everything leader Ryan Callahan. Both home grown Blueshirts had their best seasons with Dubinsky pacing the club in goals (24), assists (30) and points (54) while Callahan achieved new career marks in goals (23), assists (25), points (48), power play goals (10) and a club best five game-winners despite missing 22 games. Two-thirds of the Draft Line which also features unsigned restricted Artem Anisimov, are essential for Glen Sather to get done. Anisimov didn't qualify for arbitration. So, look for Arty to be re-signed sooner.

Last season, Dubinsky made $2 million while linemate Callahan earned $2.4 M in his final year. The average cap hit was $1.85 M for Dubi with Cally coming in at $2.3 M. The perception is that the organization values Callahan higher than the more skilled Dubinsky, who's proven a tough customer before as a Group II going all the way to September a couple of years ago. While it's been rumored talks between the club and Callahan have been 'amicable,' it's still unknown what the relationship is with our top left wing, who also can take faceoffs if needed and is a standout penalty killer along with his buddy.

Considering an inflated market where a third liner like Joel Ward could get $3 M from the Caps, it's hard to predict what each will wind up with. Of course, arbitration is a bit different from unrestricted status where any team can bid and overpay in an increased cap entering the final year of the CBA. But as Larry Brooks noted in his morning NY Post column, it's better than having a team force the Rangers to match, which is why arbitration exists. I've been consistent in believing the numbers should be between $3-4 million. It's a matter demand and what the organization counters with, which can lead to a bitter process. Arbitration isn't fun. So, if Dubinsky comes in with 4.25 which he might based on his best year, they could be a million apart when it goes to a judge. If I had to guess, I'm going with 3.5-3.7 for each. It'd be easier if they just worked it out.

Meanwhile, the Blueshirts must also contend with Brian Boyle, who destroyed his career numbers with a 21-goal, 35-point campaign, becoming a PK fixture and even chipping in four PPG. The ex-King proved he belonged after an off-ice regimen that improved skating and conditioning, resulting in a reliable checking center who also was capable of scoring the timely goal. He did cool off down the stretch and was a non-factor in our first round defeat to the Caps. Still, Boyle did it on a cheap 525 K salary. His partner in crime Brandon Prust is set to earn $800,000 for a second straight season. It's possible that the former '03 first rounder could double his salary, which would put him at a shade over a million. Still feasible. However, he could counter with something higher. Say $1.25-1.3 based on a career year. Hopefully, it won't be more than 1.2.

The last case involves Mike Sauer, who finally proved healthy enough making the roster out of camp and emerging into a solid second pair guy where he teamed with fellow rookie Ryan McDonagh. Prior to '10-11, the former '05 second rounder had been injury plagued and only got into three NHL games in '08-09 before John Tortorella sent him down. Despite health issues in '09-10, he worked hard and impressed the staff enough to eventually deal off vet Michal Rozsival to Rangers West (Phoenix) for Wojtek Wolski, who may or may not get bought out depending on if they consider him a top six forward. Sauer was arguably the most physical defenseman we had, keeping opponents honest around Henrik Lundqvist's crease while even coming to the aid of teammates, reminding of old hat Beuke. Not only was he tough but also contributed three goals and 17 helpers to go with a team best plus-20 rating. There's much to like about him but the Rangers will argue that he never did it before and hasn't been durable. Sauer must prove it's not a fluke. He earned 500 K. How about a bump to 850-900 before we're paying him over a million?

All four players will be signed unless the club walks away. Highly unlikely. They still must sign Anisimov, whose rookie deal expired following a decent sophomore campaign that saw the former '06 second round pick increase production from 28 points (12-16-28) to 44 (18-26-44) while again playing in all 82. He made 765 K and should get around $1.25 million. Hopefully, they sign him for two or three years. If they think highly of Arty and there's every reason to believe they do, then doing three is feasible. Anisimov indicated he wasn't pleased with his production, which is encouraging. There were too many peaks and valleys. This is a guy capable of 20-25 goals and 60 points. He's already a good all around player who can be used in any situation. Hopefully, his confidence will grow.

Once the Rangers get these five completed along with key acquisition Tim Erixon, they can focus on acquiring a vet D. I'm already on record with Brent Sopel or Shane O'Brien as my preferences with Steve Staios also being an option, assuming Steve Eminger isn't returning.

While our team focuses on these issues, the Devils must contend with star forward Zach Parise, who remains unsigned. It's even harder to gauge what the potential UFA next summer will make due to being limited to only 13 games (3-3-6) following the first serious injury of what's been a brilliant career. It's hard to envision it even reaching armageddon even with Lou Lamoriello having little wiggle room to work with especially if lone arbitree Mark Fraser returns. Matt Taormina is also restricted. Figure him to get done while Anssi Salmella and Matt Corrente could be on the outs unless they take two-way deals.

As for the rest of the 23 on arbitration, the Isles' Blake Comeau and Sabres' Andrej Sekera also are going that route. Since the former '04 second round pick's been in the league, his production's improved every year, going from 15 to 25 to 35 to a new personal best 46 points (24-22-46) last season. He certainly established himself, becoming a PK fixture while being a streaky scorer. If he could ever put it together, who knows? Comeau earned 800 K in '10-11 and definitely should get anywhere from 1.4 to 1.6. Meanwhile, Sekera has a crowded D to contend with but attained 29 points, including 26 assists during a career year that also saw him play 76 games. He made $1.25 M in his final year. What exactly can he get? There could be a divide, especially given Buffalo's cap.

Here's the rest of the list:

Ana-Dan Sexton
Car-Derek Joslin
Chi-Chris Campoli, Viktor Stalberg
Col-Kevin Porter, Ryan Wilson
Edm-Andrew Cogliano
LA-Alec Martinez, Brad Richardson
Mtl-Josh Gorges
Nsh-Sergei Kostitsyn
Phx-Lauri Korpikoski
TB-Teddy Purcell
Van-Jannik Hansen
Wpg-Blake Wheeler 

Rangers Sign Lundquist to 1 Year Deal

Franchise goaltender, Henrik Lundquist, has agreed to a one year $4.25 Million contract. This signing ended up being a compromise for both sides - allowing the Ranger a little more cap room for this year than a long term $5 Million+ contract would have provided. It is also probably more than Lundquist would have received in arbitraton, which obviously both parties preferred to avoid. It is expected that the two sides will hammer out a long term extention after January 1, which will not effect this year's cap.

The Blueshirts can probably now avoid arbitration hearings by signing Avery and Hossa and still stay under the pre-season limit of $55.33 Million. But even under the assumption that Kasparaitis is sent to Hartford at the beginning of training camp, they will almost certainly have to shed some more salary by trading or demoting at least one more player, in order to stay below the regular season upper cap limit of $50.3 Million. The most tradable player right now is Matt Cullen, whose $2.8 Million cap hit, could do the job nicely. This is assuming that the Rangers feel that Dubinsky, Pyatt or Anisimov are ready to step up now.

Sather's Game: Musical Chairs or the Old Rabbit Out of the Hat Trick?

As this is my first post, I will start with a brief introduction. I’ve been a “die hard” Ranger fan long before Bruce Willis borrowed the term for his movie titles. I’m old enough to have seen Rod Gilbert on TV playing in a Rangers’ uniform, but too young to remember any of the details. The pinnacle, of course, was in 1994, but unfortunately that great triumph is fading more and more into history, so let’s move on the present.

Although today has been a slow one around the NHL and for the Rangers, the month of July so far has been a roller coaster ride for the Rangers with no end in sight. Obviously, the most exciting part of the ride has been the free-agent acquisitions of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. Despite the hefty price tags, partially due to the precedent set earlier in the day by Philadelphia with the Briere signing, these were great acquisitions by the Rangers. They added speed, offense and defensive skills, good face-off men, leadership, character, Stanley Cup championship experience, and much more. It was tough to see Michael Nylander leave, but Scott Gomez is a great playmaker himself and a better two-way player - not to mention being seven years younger.

These two great acquisitions, however, did not come without an enormous cost, which in a sense, the Rangers will be paying off all year long. I'm talking, of course, about the deadly tight-rope walk that Glen Sather will be doing all season with the salary cap.

Before getting into the details of whom the Rangers still need to sign and for how much, it is important to take a quick look at a salary cap itself. Having looked at the salary cap rules from every angle, the simplest way to summarize it is that it is very complicated. For openers, there are different rules for the off-season than for the regular season. In the off-season, right up until opening night, a team can exceed the upper cap limit by 10%. However, many signed players, whose contracts you might never expect to count against the cap, actually do – either partially or completely. Once the season starts, teams must be below the upper cap limit, which is recalculated on a daily basis. If a team stays below the upper cap limit during the season, they can actually accrue additional cap space that can be used later in the season.

One of the more common misconceptions is that the cap value for a year is equal to the salary paid for that year. This is incorrect - the cap value for each year in a contract is the total value of the contract divided by the number of years of the contract. Therefore, neither front loading nor back loading a contract does anything to affect the cap value for each year. Another common misconception is that the bonus part of a bonus-laden contract given to a player over 35 years old does not have any cap implications. This also is not true - any bonus money that is earned by the player in the current year counts against the team's upper cap limit for the current year, but allows the team to exceed the cap by up to 7.5% for the year. However, the amount that the upper cap limit is exceeded in the current year due to this bonus, will be subtracted from team's upper cap limit for the following year - regardless of whether the player has retired. This just scratches the surface of the cap rules. For more detailed information go to: http://www.nhlscap.com/ .

Now back to the Rangers’ situation. If you ask 10 different experts on exactly where the Rangers currently stand in terms of their cap space, you will get 10 different answers. So we might as well go with Larry Brooks’ number from today, which is that the Rangers have $9 million left to sign Henrik Lundquist, Sean Avery, Marcel Hossa, and Brendan Shanahan. It’s not clear whether this number accounts for the extra two or three players needed to round out a 23 man roster, or even the $1 million or so “wiggle room” needed during the season to deal with unforeseen events. Regardless, it is clear that Rangers have left themselves with little to no chance of keeping all their players by opening night. Unless Sather can “pull a rabbit out of his hat”, at least one player (in addition to Kasparaitis), whose cap value this year is over $2 million, will have to go via trade or demotion to Hartford - or in the case of Brendan Shanahan may not be signed at all.

In order to get resolution and/or regroup for further negotiations, Avery’s, Hossa’s and Lundquist’s cases have been filed for arbitration. In Lundquist’s case it was the team that filed, partially in order to ward off any potential RFA poachers. Lundquist’s salary for this year would seem to hold the key. If he makes the $5 million or so that he is requesting, and probably deserves, it will be impossible to keep everyone. If, as Larry Brooks suggests, the Rangers actually do take Lundquist to arbitration, they will be looking for a salary in line with Cam Ward’s and Ryan Miller’s $2 million to $2.5 million. Should this happen, they might just squeeze under the cap with Avery getting about $2 million, Hossa getting about $1 million, and Shanahan getting about $2 million in base plus bonuses.

However, arbitration is a very risky business, and pissing off Avery and Lundquist could end up backfiring in the nastiest of ways. There are many possibilities, including settling all three contracts before arbitration. In the event that the Rangers can't ultimately fit under the cap, speculation is that the most likely candidates to go would be Marek Malik, Paul Mara, or Matt Cullen. This would probably be settled in training camp, depending on the readiness of their young defensemen and centers.

Needless to say, with this mess so unsettled, you can almost certainly forget about Sheldon Souray. The Rangers would practically have to move mountains in order to sign him. With the pros and cons, as well as the plus/minus involved with Souray, it's probably just as well. By the same token you can probably forget about any other free-agent signings. There's just nothing left with which to sign them.

In other Ranger news this week, to show that not every thing is in stagnation, the Rangers did manage to sign Peter Prucha to a 2 year $3.2 million deal. There is also speculation, although I haven't seen confirmation, that the Rangers signed highly touted Russian prospect Artem Anisimov to a 3 year $2.55 million deal. Despite rumors that the Rangers are going to buy out Alexei Cherepanov’s Omsk contract, so that he can play for the Rangers this year, I highly doubt that this is going to happen. By his own admission, Cherepanov is not physically ready for the daily rigors of the NHL - he needs a year to strengthen up. It would be great if he could get acclimated to playing in North America by playing this year in Hartford, which is where I think he would end up if the Rangers do miraculously get him out of Omsk this year.

The Rangers Prospects Camp recently concluded with a number of youngsters who were impressive enough to get a good look from the coaches at the Rangers upcoming training camp this year. The Prospects Camp was a difficult environment to judge exactly where each prospect stands, especially Cherepanov, who wasn't even able to play with his own equipment. There were even two Japanese cultural exchange-type players at the camp, but don't worry, they do not count against the salary cap this year. It is rumored that the only thing they were counting was how many hot dogs 6 time defending champion, Takeru Kobayashi, would eat on Nathan’s July 4th Contest (for the record - 63 in a second-place effort).

The one thing that was clear to those who observed the Prospects Camp – Marc Staal is looking more and more like the stud we all thought he would be, and it seems very likely that he will make the team this year.

I will continue to keep you posted as all these stories unfold. And fear not, future posts will not be this verbose. It's been a busy couple of weeks, and we had a lot of catching up to do.

Rangers Head to Arbitration

with Henrik Lundqvist. Should be interesting.