Glen Sather last week said that he would not buy out the remaining three years of Valeri Kamensky’s contract. That, however, did not mean that the GM had intentions of including the winger on the Rangers’ protected list for the June 23 expansion draft.
The Post has learned that highly-paid veterans Kamensky and John MacLean are the two exposed forwards on the list submitted to the league yesterday who satisfy the requirement of being under contract for next season while having played at least 40 NHL games this year or 70 over the last two years.
Alexandre Daigle, who will become a Group II free agent on July 1, and Kevin Stevens, who will become unrestricted, are also eligible among the forwards to be claimed by the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, with the Rangers protecting Adam Graves, Petr Nedved, Theo Fleury, Radek Dvorak, Eric Lacroix, Darren Langdon, Tim Taylor and Rob DiMaio from the major league roster. Mike York, Jan Hlavac and Manny Malhotra are exempt from the draft.
Rich Pilon, meanwhile, is the qualified defenseman eligible for selection, with the Blueshirts choosing to protect Brian Leetch, Sylvain Lefebvre, Jason Doig, Stephane Quintal and Hartford pugilist Dale Purinton. Mathieu Schneider and Kevin Hatcher, who will both become unrestricted, are eligible for claim. Kim Johnsson is exempt.
Kirk McLean is unprotected – and quite vulnerable – with the Rangers of course protecting goaltender Mike Richter, rehabbing from late-season knee surgery.
The ages and contracts of both Kamensky and MacLean would seem to mitigate against either being claimed. Kamensky, who turned 34 in April, has three years at $11 million remaining on his deal. MacLean, who will be 36 in November, has one year at $2.6M remaining on his contract.
The 25-year-old Daigle, who was a member of the Oilers for about 15 minutes two years ago before Sather sent him to Tampa Bay after a contract issue, is a different story. If he is claimed, his new team will have to present him with a qualifying offer of $1.1 million by July 1 to retain his rights. That, of course, would not stop Columbus or Minnesota from trying to make a multi-year deal with him for less money per year prior to July 1 if either were to claim him.
Wolf Pack forwards Derek Armstrong, Daniel Goneau, Jason Dawe and P.J. Stock, who will become unrestricted, are eligible to be claimed, but Johan Witehall is exempt.
Each of the Original 26 teams (Atlanta and Nashville are exempt) will lose two players in the draft as the league swells to 30.