Glen Sather must have read the Pundit's last post, "Playing With Fire", and decided to put it out before it became a wildfire. He struck swiftly and efficiently yesterday getting both Brendan Shanahan and Henrik Lundqvist under one year deals which prevented Shanahan from bolting and Lundqvist from going to arbitration and eventually to free agency. Shanny put the money where his mouth and heart are. He took $2 mil for one year plus bonuses that will get him over $4 mil/year.
Lundqvist reportedly inked for $2.5-$3/year, though John Dellapina of the Daily News is reporting that the Prince signed for $4.5 million. Boy, has the price of poker gone up. So Glen Sather either has $6 mil or $4.5 mil to play with. Either way, there should be enough bread to ink Avery at $2.5 mil and Hossa for about $1 mil and have maybe $2.5 mil or $1 mil left over. Do you think that Souray will come that cheap?
Signing Lundqvist for one year gives Sather flexibility and allows him to tie up Lundqvist for a long time after New Years. The same logic will apply to Avery. Nail him for one year now at $2.5 and then sign him to a long term deal after New Years. If Sather truly wants Souray he will have to trade some high priced veterans and then hope that the salary cap doesn't drop.
Watching all these salary machinations you have to wonder, what did the lockout accomplish?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Sather The Fireman
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Signing Lundqvist was huge. It would be devastating to lose him. If only they could unload Marek Malik.
What's up with this talk about Jim Schoenfeld becoming an assistant GM?
will Russia not signing this deal hurt Rangers signing first round pick?
anonymous-The Hartford paper reported that Schoenfeld is the new AGM for the Rangers and will remain Hartford's GM position. Messier took himself out of the mix. Nothing will change, Schoenfeld will only echo Sather. Messier might have made waves, can't have that.
anonymous-Money solves all problems. Cherepanov will be here next year.
Cherepanov, Staal, Girardi, Callahan, even Lundquist as a young guy. We have some real contenders the look forward to over the next couple of years.
Hey Mike, money didn't solve any problems for Ted Nolen and the Wang Group over there on the island. Thank God Lundquist believed in the NY Rangers, because Sather kind of mis-stepped -- or just never anticipated that he'd 2 of the best 3 free agents (top 2 in my book) and never anticipated Henrik wanted the same as Drury and Gomez.
Fun Off-Season.
tdr
the dark ranger-Signing Drury and Gomez without inking Lundqvist would have been a disaster.
mike, no disagreement there. Amen brother!
http://www.thedarkranger.com/2007/07/your-attitude-makes-me-defensive.html
Henrik is the most valuable of 'em all.
tdr