Did the Rangers Pay Too Much for King Henrik?

There seems to be a bit of a debate brewing about the Rangers decision to ink Franchise Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to a one-year/$4.25 million dollar contract to avoid salary arbitration and build a bridge to a long-term deal in January. Some, including the New York Daily News' John Dellapina praised Lundqvist for working with the team and agreeing to put off signing a long-term deal to save the team some 2007-08 cap space. Others, including Larry Brooks of the New York Post, have pointed to the $2.667 million salaries earned by comparable two-year veteran goalies Cam Ward and Ryan Miller as evidence that the Rangers are paying Lundqvist significantly more than he would have been awarded in arbitration. Thus, the deal is actually a detriment to the Rangers' already perilous cap situation for the coming season.

I tend to agree with Brooks here. While Lundqvist is certainly the key to any shot this team has at success, the Rangers are not obligated to pay him more than what he should be paid under the CBA. Since King Henrik is an arbitration-eligible RFA, they were right to use arbitration as a way to prevent other teams from extending a cap-busting offer sheet. They also should have calculated what they believed he would have been awarded in arbitration and made that offer to him, with the promise to lock him up to a long-term deal in January. The team would have been in a position to save some cap space this year, while still being able to offer him the kind of big contract he would get on the open market.

Let's understand something here. The Rangers are still going to lock him up to the same 5-6 year deal at $5.5-6 million a year in January that they would have if they had saved the likely $1.5 million by going to arbitration, or signing him to a more reasonable contract. They aren't going to get any discount for giving him the extra money this year. The only difference is they now have an even more difficult cap situation this season than they should. I have no problem when the team signs players like Gomez and Drury to big contracts. They are playing by the same rules put forth by the CBA as everyone else. But, when it comes to a situation like this, the Rangers should also use all of the rules of the CBA to their advantage.

Lundqvist, Rangers Agree to One-Year Deal

Updated:

Various media outlets are reporting the deal is actually worth $4.25 million, not the $2.5-3 million that had been speculated. This undoubtedly complicates matters for the Rangers, and almost certainly guarantees that one or two players will have to be moved to clear out cap space. This also ends any, albeit remote, chance there was of the Rangers landing Souray.

From newyorkrangers.com:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with restricted free agent goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist, 25, appeared in 70 games with the Rangers this past season, posting a 37-22-8 record, along with a 2.34 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. Among league leaders, he ranked fourth in minutes played (4,108), tied for sixth in shutouts (five), ranked eighth in goals against average (2.34), tied for eighth in wins (37), and tied for ninth in save percentage (.917). His 37 wins marked the second-most victories in one season by a Ranger goaltender (Mike Richter, 42).

In his last 44 games of the 2006-07 regular season, Lundqvist posted a 1.85 goals against average and a .931 save percentage, and surrendered two goals or fewer 33 times over the span. He was named the NHL's "First Star" of the week twice in a three-week period in March and was selected as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the second consecutive season.

In the 2007 playoffs, Lundqvist posted a 6-4 record, along with a 2.07 goals against average and a .924 save percentage in 10 games.

The 6-1, 195-pounder has appeared in 123 career games with the Rangers, posting a 67-34-17 record, along with a 2.29 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. In postseason play, he has appeared in 13 career contests, posting a 6-7 record, along with a 2.58 goals against average and a .905 save percentage. In 2005-06, Lundqvist set the Rangers rookie record for wins in a season (30) and now has more wins (67) over his first two NHL seasons than any netminder in team history.

Prior to joining the NHL ranks, Lundqvist appeared in 144 career contests with the Frolunda Indians of the Swedish Elite League, posting a 2.02 goals against average. In 2004-05, he appeared in 44 games with Frolunda, posting a 33-8-3 record, along with a 1.79 goals against average and a .936 save percentage. He ranked among the Swedish Elite league goaltending leaders in several categories, including: wins (33, first), goals against average (1.79, first), save percentage (.936, first), shutouts (6, first) and minutes played (2641:51, second).

In the 2004-05 postseason, Lundqvist turned in a record of 12-2 with a 1.05 goals against average, a .962 save percentage and six shutouts. His efforts led Frolunda to the Swedish Elite League championship for the second time in three years. Following the postseason, he was named to the Swedish media all-star team for the third consecutive season, earned league MVP honors and was tabbed with Sweden's best player award.

Lundqvist captured his first Swedish Elite League championship with Frolunda in 2002-03, posting a 2.11 goals against average in 12 postseason contests en route to the title. While playing for Frolunda's junior team in 2001-02, he was named the League's Junior of the Year.

Internationally, Lundqvist has represented Sweden in several tournaments. Most recently, he captured a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy where he recorded a 5-1 record, along with a 2.33 goals against average and a .907 save percentage in six games. As a member of Team Sweden at the 2004 World Championships, he backstopped the club to a silver medal finish. In the tournament, he appeared in all eight contests, posting a 5-1-2 record, along with a 1.64 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.

Following the tournament, he was named to the Media All-Star team, as well as one of Sweden's top three players for the Championships. He also represented his country at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2005 World Championships. In addition, Lundqvist participated in the 2001 and 2002 World Junior Championships and the 2003 World Championships.

The Are, Sweden native was the Rangers seventh selection, 205th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Report: Lundqvist Deal Could Come Today

John Dellapina of the New York Daily News reports that with the Rangers finalizing the deal to keep Brendan Shanahan in New York for one more season, the Blueshirts immediate focus is on inking Franchise Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to a one-year deal to avoid salary arbitration. Dellapina reports that, much like Shanny, King Henrik is being flexible in negotiations with the Rangers to help the team navigate the salary cap. Thanks to that flexibility, the report states:

an announcement could come as early as this morning that Lundqvist has agreed to a one-year contract worth approximately $2.5 million. The deal is essentially a bridge to next season and beyond that will enable Lundqvist and the club to avoid their scheduled July 24 salary arbitration case while keeping the Rangers from having to unload players to get under this season's $50.3 million salary cap.

The 25-year-old goaltender will get his big-money, long-term deal soon enough. After Jan. 1, 2008, the Rangers can sign Lundqvist to a lucrative and lengthy extension for 2008-09 and beyond without affecting their '07-08 salary-cap situation. And they almost certainly will do so.


Allowing Lundqvist to hit the market next summer as a restricted free agent would be dangerous, as rival clubs might line up to make him whopping offers that would present the Rangers with this no-win option: match the offer sheet and crush themselves against the salary cap or let their franchise goaltender go for draft-pick compensation unlikely to ever produce a comparable player.

Signing Lundqvist to another short-term deal after this one also would be pointless as he could become an unrestricted free agent following the 2008-09 season.

It appears as though Sather is buying some time here to clear salary and also avoid the wounds that can be opened during salary arbitration. This is a smart move, and I hope they get this taken care of as soon as Dellapina suggests. While I liked the Gomez and Drury moves for a variety of reasons, the moves can't really be judged until we see what the true cost will be in terms of salary cap sacrifices. If players like Cullen and Mara are moved and replaced by kids like Staal and Dubinsky, then these big free agent singnings were well worth it. However, if these moves ever cost them the cap maneuverability to keep King Henrik on Broadway long term, then these moves would be a disaster. I don't see that happening. Both sides want to make this work, and I think they will be able to get a one-year deal done in short order and then a long-term deal done sometime next year.

Sabres take care of Rangers at MSG...

Tom Renney receiving a round of applause as he acknowledges the Rangers' fans support throughout this series and the entire season as well.

Here's a final look at the series, from a Fanatic's point of view, and by no means a Rangers or Sabres fan's (ahem, PW and Ghost, feel free to comment.)

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres played well in general, although, in their first two games on the road, at MSG (their only two losses) they played horribly, actually, uninspired, as if they didn't want to win, and I commend the Rangers and Tom Renney for the great show they gave us this series, it was a roller-coaster ride all the way and every game was decided by a single goal; the most recent (obviously, if you haven't heard yet) being a 5-4 Sabres win on this glorious Montreal (and hopefully, wherever you are) afternoon (or night...or morning).
After two paltry losses to New York in Games 3 and 4, I was beginning to think that they were running out of gas, and that (as the NHL has witnessed a lot in the past century)their fantastic season was all for none.

In Game 5, in Buffalo with the series tied at two, Chris Drury put through a maze of players, behind Henrik Lundqvist off a rebound that even fooled two defencemen trying to stop the puck derrière the Swedish-born goaltender as well.
Drury has shown he is an amazing leader, and Daniel Briere's under-par play this series is only fueling Darcy Regier in one direction concerning both players' contract status, (both are UFA's on July 1st, and it's unlikely that he will retain both.)more precisely, in Chris Drury's direction.
Drury also prompted Ghost to write a spontaneous, emotion-filled post late Friday night when his blood pressure was soaring and his hands were shaking after the Sabres won 2-1 in overtime, with help from Chris Drury's goal at the 19:52 mark of the third period.

Imagine this: a Rangers fan sitting excitedly on his couch staring at his television screen, feeling the unavoidable power of victory approaching.
But then, all is lost when Drury scores, and his coffin is sealed with Afinogenov's blast from the point.
Now? Well, now he's probably in Heaven, wishing he were in Hell.

No but really, Rangers fans have nothing to hold against their team, Glen Sather put together a terrific team, even more terrifically coached by Tom Renney.
Led by Jaromir Jagr (...at home) on the scoresheet (with a little help from Michael Nylander) and with Henrik Lundqvist stopping the puck in their own end, you can say bad luck was the reason the Rangers lost this series.
They played so well, and deserved to beat them Sabres, but, sometimes, logic prevails over reason.

The Buffalo Sabres are the better team, the best team in the NHL and have been tops ever since the new NHL was born, it was just logic that Buffalo won, and frankly, I thought it would have been a lot easier for them to put the Rangers away, but no.
New York fought till the bitter end, and it was bitter.

The return of Paul Gaustad to the Sabres' lineup was more valuable than thought, he was an all-around smashing success in his return to the lineup after missing 35 games with an injury.

I'll let the Ghost and PW fill you out on the players, these were just my general impressions.

Oh, and PW would like for me to present to you this little pic of his, showing Henrik Lundqvist's backdoor, his weakness, where the Sabres didn't shoot in Games 3 and 4.



--BBR

Rangers pursue their Quest

Tomorrow, the Rangers will face the Buffalo Sabres in the 5th playoff game of their series. After tying the series up at 2 games-a-piece after a controversial play, the Rangers are looking to grasp some kind momentum going into the HSBC Center.

Some Rangers have shown up in this series whereas some others do not even seem to be present on the ice surface. Among the first group, are captain Jaromir Jagr, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and pest-in-chief Sean Avery. Each helping the Rangers in their own way, Jagr with the goals, Lundqvist with the saves and Avery with "pi**ing off the oppostion", have, all combined, given the Rangers a chance at a task, a dream that was out of proportion a mere week ago.

Even though having lost their last game in Buffalo, the Rangers kept the Sabres' explosive offense to a slim 3 goals, but failed to tie the game in the final minutes, thus losing the game 3-2.
But something happened after that loss, something stronger than that very Sabres' offense, that sparked the Rangers' and their defense. The result to that "something" was the fact that the Rangers would only allow 2 goals to the Sabres in their next 2 games.

Hopefully, that streak will continue and the Rangers will be able to net (at least!) one on Ryan Miller tomorrow in Buffalo.

Go Rangers Go

Rick DiPietro makes 59 saves in 2-1 shootout loss to cross-town foes

Rick DiPietro shut the door for the Rangers with a 59-save performance last night, however he could not stop Matt Cullen in the shootout, giving the Rangers a 2-1 win over the Islanders.

Rangers 2, Islanders 1 (SO)

That was what I saw last night while watching Sportscentre at 11:00 on their ticker at the bottom of the screen, and then all of a sudden to the right of the score appeared the words: L-R. DiPietro, 59 saves.

The first thing that came to mind was "wow".

Despite the Islanders' loss, DiPietro shone all game long, making great saves and saving the Islanders from a potential embarrassing outing.

DiPietro made a team record 59 saves in a losing cause to the cross-town Rangers.

"It's my job to make as many saves as I can. I was able to do that for the most part," said DiPietro, who made a career-high 15th straight start. "It's always tough to lose."

The Rangers got an early 3rd period goal from Petr Prucha, ending DiPietro's shutout bid and what would be, an Islanders win.
After Prucha's goal, the Rangers pushed frantically for the lead, bombarding DiPietro with a meteor shower of shots for about 7 minutes in a row.

DiPietro came up one save shy of putting the Rangers away and heading to the showers, but he could not stop Matt Cullen in the 2nd round of the shootout, allowing the only shootout goal of the night.

"It was a good move," DiPietro said of Cullen's goal. "He made a quick shot."

Jason Blake scored the Isles' lone goal on a power play in the first period, sending a shot past Lundqvist that caromed off of newly-acquired defenceman Paul Mara and to the back of the net.

Henrik Lundqvist himself played a great game, obviously overshadowed by DiPietro's performance and continued to be phenomenal in shootouts, notably stoning Randy Robitaille on the final shot of the tiebreaker.

With this win, the Rangers move up to the 10th spot, one point behind the 9th place Canadiens, and two behind the 8th place Hurricanes.

The Islanders remain in the 7th spot with a solid 94 points and it seems now, barring any late-season losing streak, they have locked down a playoff spot.
Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.