The $6.67 million of cap space the Rangers have gained through the amnesty buyout of Brad Richards will be invested in keeping as much of the Stanley Cup finalists intact as possible — not in acquiring a center-ice bauble ready to hit the open market (Paul Stastny) or one potentially available via trade (Jason Spezza, Joe Thornton or Eric Staal).
This is not a matter of philosophy but rather one of arithmetic. Much of that $6.67 million, in fact, will be eaten in one big bite by the Free-Agent Line of Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot, who stand to go from its 2013-14 combined $5.65 million cap hit to, say, between $11.5 million and $12million next season.
Brassard probably goes from $3.2 million to at least $4.5 million per on a multi-year deal, if not closer to $5 million. Zuccarello, perhaps the biggest bargain in the league in leading the Rangers in scoring (19-40-59) while earning $1.15 million, probably is going to command at least $4 million per on a long-term deal, and maybe $4.5 million. And Pouliot, who rescued his career working for $1.3 million, likely is going to get at least $2.5 million.
Brassard and Zuccarello are restricted free agents with salary arbitration rights who are one year away from unrestricted status. Hence, the Rangers will have to pony up more now on multi-year deals to ensure they don’t test the market in 2015. Pouliot is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Richards’ absence is going to create a void not only in the room — where more responsibility will be borne by Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Martin St. Louis — but on the ice, both in the middle and on the power play point.
It will create an opportunity for Brassard to step up into an unambiguously designated top-six role that will correspondingly create tougher matchups for his unit, and create a third-line opening in the middle the Rangers are fairly desperate for J.T. Miller to be able to fill.
There would be only one scenario under which the Blueshirts would get in on the likes of Stastny, Spezza, Thornton or Staal. And Eric, one year away from unrestricted free agency, would be most effective against all of the western big boys, and thus the one who would beep loudest on the Rangers’ radar.
That would be if management did not believe the Rangers could win the Cup with Brassard as a top-two center. In that case, the club would/should be shopping him now. But there is no indication general manager Glen Sather or his staff lack belief in Brassard, who has had two good playoff runs in his two New York springtimes.
But even then … even if the Rangers were skeptical of Brassard, even if Sather lusted after the Staal clan’s oldest brother the way he once lusted after Rick Nash … there still would be the issue of accommodating Eric’s $8.25 million cap hit. Replacing Brassard with Staal — if that could even be done — essentially would come at the cost of being able to retain Anton Stralman.
So let’s circle back to the top: The cap space saved through the Richards’ buyout won’t go to adding new toys, but to keeping as many of the old ones here as possible. Adding size and strength down the middle is likely a task for the trade deadline.
Richards, meanwhile, did what he was bought — er, brought — here to do. He was a massive influence within the room who filled a primary role on the ice for about 95 percent of his shifts for a team that won more playoff series over his tenure than everyone else except the Kings and Blackhawks. He just couldn’t turn the clock back, is all. He couldn’t quite find the legs on which he won the Conn Smythe a decade ago. He couldn’t block the lockout that created both the cap squeeze and the looming cap-recapture meant to punish big-market teams such as the Rangers.
There is no doubt Richards will receive attractive offers from a number of clubs. He will be made more than whole on his new contract. He will get to choose. But just as this most amicable of divorces wasn’t sought by the Rangers, it wasn’t sought by Richards, either. His heart was/is all here even if his head knew it would not be possible to stay. So it will be another dramatic change for Richards, now 34, who doesn’t like changing routines much at all.
It sounds as if the Rangers have allotted approximately $4 million per to keeping Stralman, likely for a three- or four-year term. … The Blueshirts, by the way, are expected to pass on qualifying defenseman Justin Falk, who played in one game after Dec. 29, 2014 — the season finale when Girardi was rested. Falk, who is owed nearly $1.025 million on his qualifying offer, will become an unrestricted free agent.
Instant karma in Pittsburgh, isn’t it, where ownership and upper management’s hissy fit — which accompanied the dismissal of GM Ray Shero and road to perdition on which coach Dan Bylsma was sent — has been duly noted around the league.
The Hall of Fame selection committee meets on Monday. Dominik Hasek and Mike Modano should be slam-dunks in Year 1 of eligibility. Peter Forsberg is a trickier case, but clearly belongs. Of course, so does Eric Lindros.
Wait: Rob Blake isn’t in yet?
From Page Six: Which former coach turned broadcaster wandered into the wrong coaches’ room at the Garden prior to Game 4 of the finals and announced loudly to Blueshirts associate Scott Arniel (whom our man either did not recognize or did not know for which team he worked): “Get it done tonight so we don’t have to go back to L.A.?”