Lamoriello will be the line for top free agents
Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post: It seems likely that a contract extension for Anders Lee is pretty much done, and just the final details need to be hammered out.
Are the New York Islanders going to also be able to re-sign Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle or are they going to lose them for nothing come July 1st?
The Islanders need top end talent and GM Lou Lamoriello will be at the front of the line for pending UFA forward Artemi Panarin and defenseman Erik Karlsson.
KHL team won’t terminate Rangers prospects contract
Igor Eronko: The GM of Traktor of the KHL said that they won’t terminate Vitali Kravtsov’s contract. Don’t expect him to sign with the New York Rangers this season.
A soft rebuild for the Rangers?
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1260 and was asked about the New York Rangers long-term plan. With their trade deadline and previous moves to get younger and collecting of draft picks, their rebuild continues …
“But it’s kind of a soft rebuild, if you want to call it that. Because don’t be surprised if this summer, when Artemi Panarin is there in free agency, the Rangers are there with bags of money saying, ‘Come see us, come play with us.’ Because it is New York, and they don’t want this to be an all-day sucker, if you will, that’s going to take five, six, seven years.
“They knew they needed to change gears and start accumulating draft picks and young players, and they’ve started to do that. But they’re going to also do other things, and that is dip into free agency or any player that’s available in a trade – a hockey trade – they’re going to look at all of those things because they want to get better in a hurry.”