If the NHL has its way, the Rangers will be hit with a $5.875 million cap charge for Wade Redden this season even if — and when — the defenseman clears waivers and is assigned to the AHL Whale for the third straight year.
That would increase the Blueshirts’ 2012-13 cap charge to approximately $64.535 million for a shadow roster featuring two goaltenders, six healthy defensemen plus Michael Sauer, who is expected to be sidelined all year with post-concussion syndrome; and 13 forwards, thus leaving around $5.665 million of space with Michael Del Zotto and, presumably, Matt Gilroy yet to be signed.
This, of course, assumes there will be a 2012-13 NHL season.
Members of the NHL and NHLPA’s staff met yesterday for review and clarification of the league’s latest proposal in advance of bargaining between the parties that will begin today.
The league’s proposal mandates that clubs be charged the difference between a player’s NHL cap hit and the NHL minimum salary (proposed $625,000) for those athletes on one-way deals who are assigned to another pro league.
The NHL wants to apply the charge to players on existing contracts while the NHLPA has proposed that the charge be applied only against players who sign contracts going forward.
Redden, who is currently on the Rangers’ roster and is thus locked out, is on the fifth year of the six-year, $39 million free-agent contract he signed with the Blueshirts on July 1, 2008.
Under the NHL proposal, teams would be allowed one “compliance buy-out” that would not count against cap space, but the league stipulation is that these buy-outs could only take place next June.
The risk under this scenario is that a player such as Redden targeted for a compliance buy-out — or, for example Scott Gomez in Montreal and perhaps Vincent Lecavalier at Tampa Bay — might suffer an injury serious enough during the season that would render him ineligible to be bought out.
Pushing all compliance buy-outs to next year not only creates unnecessary risk for teams, but would also increase the number of free agents on the market while teams deal with limited cap space.
The union is expected to propose that compliance buy-outs be permitted before this season.
The NHL has proposed a decrease from this year’s effective $70.2 million cap to $60 million next year. The union is expected to counter with a proposed higher 2013-14 cap number, perhaps $65 million, while also seeking a cap on escrow in order to ease the transition to 50/50.
* The Rangers’ cited shadow roster features goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron; defensemen Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal, Anton Stralman, Steve Eminger and Stu Bickel; and forwards Ryan Callahan, Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, Chris Kreider, Dan Boyle, Taylor Pyatt, Jeff Halpern, Mike Rupp, Arron Asham and Micheal Haley.
While Sauer’s $1.25 million is included on the cap charge, the Rangers would be able to replace his share if they reach the $70.2 million ceiling.