Before Glen Sather, John Tortorella and the Rangers’ hockey department can form a strategy to add a layer of elite talent atop the foundation, there are myriad immediate issues for the general manager and coach to address concerning the NHL salary cap and the current roster.
THE CAP: Preliminary projection for the 2011-12 cap is approximately $62.2 million. Using that number, the summer cap, in place from July 1 through the end of training camp, would be approximately $68.4 million. The summer cap includes all one-way contracts within the organization, plus two-way contracts pro-rated by the number of days spent on the 2010-11 NHL roster.
The Rangers’ summer cap number is approximately $47.6 million, but this calculation does not include a cent for restricted free agents Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Michael Sauer, Artem Anisimov and Matt Gilroy. Figure that signing all six would amount to about another $12 million. This would bring the Rangers to about $59.6 million, leaving about $9 million of space with which to work.
WADE REDDEN: Unless the exiled defenseman signs his retirement papers before July 1 and thus simply walks away from the remaining $16.5 million he is owed on his contract, there is no mechanism by which the Rangers can remove his $6.5 million charge from the cap until he is waived during training camp.
CHRIS DRURY: The captain has one year at a $7.05 million cap hit remaining on his contract, a number that is not sustainable for a fourth-liner specializing in penalty killing and faceoffs. Drury was nailed to the bench for the final 13:15 of Saturday’s 3-1 Game 5 elimination loss in Washington, during which he received a team-low 6:49 overall.
A buyout would save the Rangers $3,333,333 of cap space, but would cost the team $1,666,667 in space in 2012-13 as the CBA is currently constructed.
There is this, however: If Drury requires further knee surgery prior to the June 15-30 buyout period, the Rangers would be precluded from buying him out.
WOJTEK WOLSKI: Carries a cap charge of $3.8 million on the final season of his contract. Mirroring his regular season, Wolski was reasonably good in Game 1 against the Capitals, was a fourth-line spare part the next three matches after a desultory start to Game 2, then rebounded with a strong performance in Game 5 in which he got 18:23 and scored the Rangers’ goal.
A buyout would save the Rangers $3,333,333 of space, but would cost $666,667 in dead space in 2012-13.
SEAN AVERY: One year at a $1,937,500 cap hit remaining on his contract. Either Tortorella recognizes he has an important asset in Avery or he doesn’t, but it’s ridiculous to go through another season like this one in which the winger is devalued.
A buyout would save the Rangers $1,333,334 of space, but would cost the club $666,667 of space in 2012-13.
MICHAEL SAUER: Coming off a contract under which he earned $500,000, the impressive rookie defenseman is the impending restricted free agent most likely to attract an offer sheet should he get to July 1 unsigned.
MATT GILROY: The Rangers won’t offer Gilroy the $2.1 million necessary to retrain his rights, but management is expected to extend the sophomore defenseman a two-year offer worth about half that amount per. If Gilroy declines, he will go on the market July 1.
RUSLAN FEDOTENKO: Of the group of impending unrestricted free agents including Vinny Prospal, Bryan McCabe and Steve Eminger, Fedotenko is the only one likely to receive a contract offer for next season. An important player whom the coach trusts implicitly, the winger should get a bit of a bump on his $1 million deal.