Rumor: Ilya Kovalchuk will be signing a 2-3 year deal with NYR

[Thirty One]

Gonna be 2 years I bet

Seriously doubt gorts would go to 3

So does McKenzie:

McKenzie | New York is New York and Rangers are Rangers

“Now, on the Kovalchuk thing we need to explain a few things. I don’t doubt for a moment that Kovalchuk is going to end up with the Rangers. And I could probably guess that there’s probably been some conversations, but just for the matter of technicality – he’s not technically a free agent in the NHL until his 35th birthday, which is April 15th. At that point he’s free to negotiate a contract with any team that he wants, and we assume it’ll be the Rangers. But we don’t know that 100 percent. And he can’t technically sign it until July 1, which is neither here nor there. He could obviously agree to it on April 15.
“I don’t believe for a moment the Rangers will sign him to a three-year deal. I think they’d like to sign him to a one-year deal. I think Kovalchuk probably wants a three-year deal. My guess is it ends up being a two-year deal. "

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Switches to 8.

**Rangers are retiring Steve Vickers' number**

Dahlin wears 8.

 

[GregSirico]

If true, what’s the point of this?

Gorton has been so questionable as a GM, and that’s a nice spin on it. So many atrocious decisions.

So he's questionable because he wants to make the team better and rebuild at the same time? Not sure if serious.

 

[Levitate]

Dahlin wears 8.

Rangers retire Dahlin's number

 

[GregSirico]

Rangers sell off established veterans for high draft picks and young prospects, pick up an established veteran to replace some of that lost at no cost in draft picks or prospects.

"Typical Rangers! Never change!"

That's how you rebuild!

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

So he's questionable because he wants to make the team better and rebuild at the same time? Not sure if serious.

Better for what?

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

That's how you rebuild!

They have to not be RangersTown™ for a little more than a few months to not be RangersTown™.

 

[ponytrekker]

Were rebuilding but were signing a 35 year old to a two year deal? I dont know how to feel on this

Jimmy D is drinking again, FTW.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

By the looks of it ol' RD must have intercepted the package of ex-lax I sent to Hank to ensure the tank for the last week of the season.

 

[mouser]

The Underrated part of this. This will help shesty and rykov come over, but Nikitia Gusev is a ufa come next year. I wonder if this helps us acquire him.

To repeat: Gusev is not a UFA next year.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

By the looks of it ol' RD must have intercepted the package of ex-lax I sent to Hank to ensure the tank for the last week of the season.

Gorton probably drank it by accident to take a dump on the team.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

To repeat: Gusev is not a UFA next year.

His SKA contract runs out in April 2019 no?

Would he still be property of Vegas?

 

[GregSirico]

Better for what?

Do you honestly think ANY franchise says "ya know what, we are going to ice the worst team possible and f*** off season ticket holders, fans, and supporters because we won't even try" ... Wake up man. That crap only happens in the movie Major League.

 

[FJB]

3 years for Kovalchuk? LOL same old Rangers

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Can’t we just bottom out for once.

Is Kovalchuk really gonna move the needle in that regard though? And as far as bottoming out, the league took some gigantic steps to discourage that to the tune of the worst team since the lockout picked 4th last year

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Do you honestly think ANY franchise says "ya know what, we are going to ice the worst team possible and f*** off season ticket holders, fans, and supporters because we won't even try" ... Wake up man. That crap only happens in the movie Major League.

Well it happened in actual Major League Baseball with the Marlins and the Rays.

 

[GregSirico]

Well it happened in actual Major League Baseball with the Marlins and the Rays.

Touche w/ that one. But man that is a really bad look.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Do you honestly think ANY franchise says "ya know what, we are going to ice the worst team possible and f*** off season ticket holders, fans, and supporters because we won't even try" ... Wake up man. That crap only happens in the movie Major League.

See ya in another 54 suckers!

 

[mouser]

His SKA contract runs out in April 2019 no?

Would he still be property of Vegas?

Yes, Vegas holds his rights indefinitely because there is no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russian Federation/KHL. He is classified as a "defected player" in the CBA.

Even if Gusev could hypothetically become a UFA at age 27 that wouldn't be until 2020-21 as his birthday is a week after the June 30th UFA cutoff date.

 

[LORDE]

This is a Sather-esque move

I was all aboard the rebuild and fully behind Gorts but this is putrid. Do it right! Jeez

Another spoiled over aged star! Yay perpetuate the NYR affinity for such lazy acquisitions.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Touche w/ that one. But man that is a really bad look.

For sure.

I mean the Rangers have a crap load of options available to them. Of the ones I'd consider to be horrible decisions, Kovalchuk on a 2 year deal doesn't even register on the list.

Short term stop gap with a personality that the room needs who also allows us to move another player to add more assets as well as be a go to guy for the young Russians we have/will have? This is more of a "rebuilding" move than it is a "compete now" move IMO.

 

[Thirty One]

When the Rangers sent out the letter to fans, they were 3 points out of a playoff spot. They sold off enough quality assets to get 2 first round picks, a second round pick, a conditional first/second, and 4 prospects who are now amongst the top of the system.

Can you think of any team, any year, that's done anything like that?

If the Rangers aren't committed enough to adding youth to your liking, it's a you problem, not a them problem.

 

[Beacon]

The Rangers have already restocked the cupboard starting last offseason. They turned Stepan into two players. They turned Mac into 3-4 depending on how the draft goes and how you think that trade went down in terms of value. They turned Nash into 2-3 players, not counting Spooner and the other two cones. Grabner into 1-2 players.

Most of those players will be busts or dime a dozen crap NHLers. The two late first rounders and the Devils' second have about a 30% chance of one of them turning into a top-6F or top-4D. Among Rykov, Hajek and Lindgren, I'll be happy if one of them turns into a top-4 defenseman. People always say, 'but what if someone surprises?' but for every surprise there are dozens of busts. In the last quarter century, only one defenseman (McDonagh) surprised us to become a star when we expected less at the time of the acquisition. Now think of the dozens who disappointed. Even among Lias and Chytil, it would be a good outcome if one of them turns into an impact player and the other into a role player.

Realistically, if the Rangers get 3 impact (top-6F or top-4D) players from the 2017 and 2018 drafts plus the prospects they acquired, that's good progress. Problem is that they already lost 3 top-shelf player (McD and Nash) and one way or another will lose MZA and Shatty by the time the kids are ready. If Chytil turns into MZA (talent, not style), Lias into Nash, Hajek/Rykov into McDonagh (huge surprise if that happens), first rounder into Shatty, another first or second into Grabner, another pick into JT Miller, we are still only where the team was before February (just younger)... and that team was out of the playoffs. And the outcomes for each of these players/picks is extremely unlikely to be as good as what I just wrote above.

The rebuilding must go on. They should run another firesale this season involving MZA, Shatty, Spoon, Names, possibly Staal who might have value with less term left and the cap going up.

• MZA for 2019 and 2020 firsts plus a B prospect (e.g., another Rykov).
• Shatty for #1 and a B prospect.
• Spoon for a second and a B prospect.
• Names for a second and a B prospect.
• Staal for #3.

 

[GregSirico]

See ya in another 54 suckers!

You must be the life of the party ...

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Yes, Vegas holds his rights indefinitely because there is no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russian Federation/KHL. He is classified as a "defected player" in the CBA.

Even if Gusev could hypothetically become a UFA at age 27 that wouldn't be until 2020-21 as his birthday is a week after the June 30th UFA cutoff date.

Makes sense.

Did not know that, so thanks for the clarification!