Happy Friday, BSB’ers!  Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for…the unveiling of the Off-Season Plan Contest Finalists.  I am going to run all three final submissions throughout the day, today.  Once they have had a chance to be read, dissected and discussed, our tech-savvy, fearless leader will place a poll on the sidebar for you to vote for your favorite plan.  I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who submitted a proposal.  Some very good ones were left on the cutting room floor.  That’s enough from me, here is your first finalist….

Introduction

It is easy to overreact and call for drastic changes when the season ends in such a disappointing manner, but let’s not forget that this team was 20 minutes away from returning to consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and won a President’s Trophy. Yes, this roster has its flaws, but show me one team in this league that doesn’t. The bottom line is that the New York Rangers do have some talented players and a remarkable chemistry that has allowed them to have this bittersweet run over the past two seasons. The Rangers were not an elite possession team, but it is undeniable that Vigneault’s system works with this group of players. The charts and graphs are a useful guide, but wins and losses trump all and this team has consistently won games. When you make it as deep into the playoffs as this team has, sometimes it just comes down to being healthy, being a little lucky, or your guys getting hot at the right time. The Rangers struggled with all three of those elements at points this postseason. I’m not making excuses for this team, I’m just saying that it is important to be realistic and keep things in perspective. This team has been so consistently effective and has a lot of youth that will only continue to blossom throughout the next year. That’s why my plan revolves around keeping this core together. The improvements will come through the continued development of Miller, Skjei, Hayes, Fast, Kreider, Stepan, and even McDonagh, who I believe is still yet to play his best hockey. Sometimes the best path is the simplest one. With the limited flexibility Sather has provided with some of his contract blunders, along with the above reasons, I believe it absolutely is in this case.

Trades

Rangers trade Cam Talbot for a 2nd round pick – Contrary to what many believe, I think a 2nd rounder is the best the Rangers can do for Talbot. As much as I like him and appreciate everything he’s done, I think the Rangers can really use the pick given the number of 1st rounders Sather has handed away. I also don’t want to risk losing him for nothing next offseason.

Rangers’ Free Agents

Unsigned/Buyouts

Martin St. Louis – Given St. Louis’ age, absolutely abysmal playoff performance, and likely price tag, I think it would be wise to let him walk at this point.

James Sheppard – I thought Sheppard was effective in stretches, but certainly didn’t do much to aid Rangers’ puck possession. There are younger, cheaper, potentially more effective options on the current roster.

Dylan McIlrath – I think it’s time to move on from 2010 1st round pick as he has shown little to no progress at the AHL level and his skating continues to be a major concern

Dan Boyle – While it hurts to eat the money given out just a year ago, I think it has to happen in this case. I don’t need to get into all of the aging Boyle’s struggles because they are well-known, but the $3 million buying him out will free up will prove absolutely critical to locking up the Rangers’ necessary players.

Signed

Derek Stepan (5 years, $5.3 Million Per Year) – While Stepan has yet to reach the level we have all hoped for, it’s easy to forget (with his 5 years of experience and hairline) that he will turn just 25 this offseason. His struggles with possession and faceoffs have been well documented, but his superb vision and passing, ability to finish (although he needs to shoot more), defense, and PK ability make him a must sign. I’m sure he will push for more, but I think this is more than reasonable based on his production and I’m ok giving it to him based on what I expect him to produce going forward.

Carl Hagelin (4 years, $3.3 Million Per Year) – I think this is a reasonable deal for a player who has been indispensable with his speed, back-checking, and PK ability. While I’d like to see him finish more opportunities, he contributes enough offensively with his skating and passing. I don’t think he gets enough credit for how many different roles he can play and how hard he works night in and night out.

J.T. Miller (2 Years, $1.4 Million Per Year) – I think his relatively limited playing time will work in the Rangers’ favor and allow them to re-sign Miller for a reasonable deal despite his emergence down the stretch. Miller will of course want to sign over the short-term, hoping to prove his worth and land a significant deal in a few years. Yes, he struggled to score in the playoffs, but his playmaking ability was on full display and with how much he has improved as a two-way player, I think he is just scratching the surface of what he can do.

Jesper Fast (2 Years, $1.1 Million Per Year) – Fast proved this postseason that he can play in the Top-9 as he stepped up admirably in Zuc’s absence. He is a strong skater, solid two-way player, and excellent PKer who surprised a lot of Ranger fans (myself included) with his ability to shoot/finish as displayed in Game 3 of the ECF. I think he is still finding his offensive game, but that was a tremendous flash of what he can be capable of. This signing and Fast’s development can have a significant impact on next year’s team.

Matt Hunwick (1 Year, $800K) – Hunwick played well when called upon last year and deserves a slight raise and an opportunity to compete for the spot on the 3rd pairing opened up by Boyle’s buyout. He is a strong skater who is not shy about jumping into the offense and fits this team’s style well.

Oscar Lindberg (2 Years, $800K Per Year) – Lindberg has excelled in the AHL and deserves a shot to compete for a spot on the big club during the preseason. He is a gifted scorer at the AHL level and showed some flashes of his playmaking as well as some defensively responsible play in very limited time with the Rangers this season.

Sign Danny Kristo, Connor Allen, and Chris Borque to two-way deals with intentions of keeping them in the AHL

UFA Signings

Thomas Greiss (1 Year, $1.2 Million) – Greiss is a cheap, serviceable backup to replace Talbot. This is the only move the Rangers can really afford to make after re-signing their own players. Greiss’ numbers aren’t anything impressive, but he has shown some flashes. It also seems as though Benoit Allaire just makes everyone better, so we have that going for us too.

Call-ups

Brady Skjei – He is obviously immensely talented and may need more time to develop, but being sheltered on the third pairing could help him get acclimated more easily. If it doesn’t work out, we know what Hunwick can do at this level and you can call up Summers as the extra defenseman, but I’d like to see him get some opportunities early.

Ryan Borque – Borque played very well in limited opportunities with the Rangers last season and can add a little more skating/scrappiness to that 4th line. He should compete with Lindberg, Kristo, and his brother Chris for a chance to play with the big club this year. As you can see, my roster still leaves a spot for another depth player as well and I expect it to be one of them.

Finalist #1 Roster (2015)

Click for larger view

Closing Thoughts

This may not be the most exciting or earth-shattering plan for the future of this team, but I believe it’s the most realistic one that will put the Rangers in the best position to win next season. I want to also address some of the moves I chose not to make. Let’s be honest, no one is taking Tanner Glass’ contract in a deal this offseason, that’s why I didn’t move him. I also don’t think it would be wise to move Yandle at this stage contrary to popular opinion. He has tremendous talent and will only be more attractive as an asset as the deadline approaches, especially with a friendly cap hit the rest of the way. I think you have to give him a chance this season, and his offensive ability can be a huge plus. This plan obviously hinges on the ability of the team’s young players, especially Kreider, Miller, and Hayes, to be able to continue to grow and flourish. Every time each one of them has been asked (or forced) to step into an increased role, they have thrived, as has Fast. I see no reason why they won’t continue to next season. The future is now.

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