Beyond this season, the Rangers cap issues are going to be an issue and that's without resigning Strome who makes 1.5 less than Mark.
Moving a defender on an ELC for an older player (as good as MS is) is not a deal the Rangers are going to make unless it was stupid for the Rangers to pass such as Schneider for MS with 25% retention.
We both know that is NOT happening.
Future cap is always a concern but you make a spot for players like MS at his salary. That one-two punch up the middle would make the Rangers extremely hard to play against throughout a cup window.
If they didn’t have what they already do on the back end, maybe they wouldn’t move a Schneider. However, there’s certain types of players they probably would move him for. Players who bring different elements and dimensions to their team for their Cup window. Players other teams have to prepare for specifically because of what they bring to the table. MS, who’s not available, is one of those players.
One guy who could be available they’d move him for, would be Tyler Bertuzzi. Him on the Rangers would give them one of the premier pests in the game who does 80% of his damage 5 on 5, who’s not mentally deranged like Marchand and Kadri, who’s in his prime, keeps adding more dimensions to his game, and fits their Cup window.
When we look back at teams who become legit Cup Contenders for 5-7 years straight, they almost all make these significant moves and rarely, if ever, look back at what they gave up. Colorado acquiring Roy, Dallas acquiring Nieuwendyk, Detroit grabbing Shanahan, or recently the Blues acquiring RO. Nobody is sitting their complaining of losing Iginla, all the assets Colorado gave up, including a “can’t miss goaltender” who missed, or Keith Primeau. Not to mention all the picks.
It’s the dumb moves the Leafs, Habs, Philly, etc, used to make that didn’t work out. When they’d send really good prospects and picks away for players they acquired to be foundational pieces to build around. Or signing big name UFAs and then trading prospects for role players.
The Rangers already have many of those pieces. It’s rounding things out now.
So the Rangers wont be extremely short-sighted to pass on difference making players to hold onto an asset, especially one they already have depth at. We’ve seen a hundred young D who come in and look solid at a young age, just to flame out, or never really become better than they already were at 20. Not suggesting that’s Schneider but wouldn’t have suggested that was many who did flame out over the years, or just settled into a 3-4 D role.
4-5 years ago almost everyone agreed the Flyers had all these can’t miss D prospects… and instead of using those assets to round out their team, it blew up in their face for the most part.
So these are difficult decisions but history tells us, when you add these difference makers to an already very good team, without really touching your current roster, they work out more than not.
To acquire those players though, you have to pay the price. If as reported, the Wings are taking calls on Bertuzzi, they will have many teams lining up for him. I’d love to see the Leafs get him but they simply don’t have the assets. Teams like the Rangers and Colorado should be, and would be, at the front of the line trying to get him if he’s available.
Even though Detroit is loaded with legit D prospects, and would likely prefer a high-end C prospect over another young Dman, they’re still where the Rangers were just recently. Grab as many quality players regardless of position and when the day comes to round out their roster, use those assets to do so.
The Rangers are at that point.
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