NHL offseason thread

I'll preface this by saying I really like adding Trochek.

But I am not sure why they chose him @ 7 years for the same salary Copp is getting for 5 years, when they were so high Copp. Part of it has to be Gerard Gallant's experience with Trochek, whose career took off with Gallant as his coach.

The Rangers are really going to be cap constrained. They will either need to trade or buyout Patrick Nemeth, but that will clear up enough room to afford Trochek, sign a very inexpensive back up goalie and give Kaapo Kakko a 2 or 3 year bridge deal. I have no idea how they are going to make Lafreniere's and K'Andre Miller's next contracts work.

I can live with Trochek centering Panarin, but unless Lafreniere is ready to revisit playing on his off wing, they have a real winger imbalance. On the left side, Kreider and Panarin leave Lafreniere in no-man's land. On the right side, really only Kakko (and he still hasn't turned a corner), although Chytil is a right winger if they give up on him playing center. It will be interesting.

 

Damn. I was really hoping he would be the Rangers' backup choice, would have been nice for him to play with his brother, too. The price Washington paid is right where I thought he'd come in and just what the Rangers have for a backup.

 

Ah. I was busy. ... So the Rangers were able to trade Nemeth to clear the cap room the way I said. They packaged him with a second round pick and another conditional pick to get Arizona to eat the contract.

 

I am just catching up. ... Been a busy day. Reports that the Rangers went with Jaroslav Halak for the backup. 1-year for $1.55 mil.

 

Here is the thing about Drury. ... I think he mostly goes for the right players, is steering the team in the right direction.

But he has a penchant for overpaying or giving too much term on contracts.

Nemeth didn't work out, but what made it an abomination was that they slightly overpaid and gave him 3 years instead of 2. Who would they have been bidding against for the services of Patrick Nemeth. Which is why they had to give up picks to get rid of him/

Barclay Goodrow. ... right player, exactly what they needed. ... they way overpaid and went too many years.

Ryan Reaves. ... didn't love it, but fine. But why extend him another year at the same salary when he is 35 (and showed it last year after they extended him).

Now Trochek. The price is in the ballpark of what he should earn. But 7 years, when the guy is 29?

I get that they are going for it right now. ... but Drury has shown no ability to haggle or bargain or get the right guys without extra years or slightly overpaying.

This is going to bite them in the ass with the money Lafreniere and Miller are due on their next contracts. The only small saving grace on Trochek's length of contract is that the cap should be going up about half way in. But if Copp at a year younger signed for 5 years, why exactly did they go 7 years on Trochek?