- Craig Custance of ESPN: Priorities for Rangers this offseason.
1. Use a compliance buyout on Brad Richards: It’s more about the math and not about his performance. They can’t risk the cap recapture penalty.
2. Sign Anton Stralman: His playoff performance increased the money he’ll get as a free agent.
3. Sign Derick Brassard and other restricted free agents: Mats Zuccarello is a pending RFA that needs to be re-signed. It would be smart if the Rangers also re-signed pending UFA Benoit Pouliot. A comparable for Brassard could be Bryan Little’s five-year, $23.5 million deal.
Three potential free agent targets for the Rangers
1. Paul Stastny – If the Rangers buyout Brad Richards, they’ll need bring in a center to replace him.
2. Dan Boyle – If Stralman leaves, they’ll need to add a top-four defenseman.
3. Mikhail Grabovski – Grabovski could thrive in Alain Vigneault’s system.
- Ian Mendes: Senators GM Bryan Murray sounded pretty optimistic that he’d be able to re-sign pending UFA Milan Michalek. There is an offer on the table and are awaiting a response.
- Jeremy Rutherford: Blues GM Doug Armstrong on pending UFAs: “The one player we’re hoping to have a little more dialogue w/ is Ott. We had initial conversations but that’s gone quiet. The other players we told we’ll wait till we get into free agency. We never shut off (talks) but I think we’ll get into free agency.”