Another reason why Kevin Klein has become critical to the Rangers

Rangers’ Kevin Klein: Cap bargain?

It’s amazing how things change in a short period of time. Just last season the bedrock of the Rangers’ success was arguably their defensive depth from one to six. This season however we have seen the inconsistencies of Ryan McDonagh, the misuse of Keith Yandle and the relative regression of Marc Staal but especially Dan Girardi. Last season several people thought Kevin Klein was the organisation’s best trade option on the blueline if the Rangers were to strengthen elsewhere because he was dispensable.

Fast forward to this season and the Rangers have (as has been well documented) struggled to keep pucks out of their own net and most people assume, to maintain a mid to long term competitiveness, the Rangers will need to move Girardi and/or Staal to ease the cap problems. Not so much discussion on trading Kevin Klein any more hey?

Improving #fancystats

Pat went into some nice detail earlier in the week about how Klein has helped McDonagh’s game improve and how his numbers reflect his consistent performances when he’s been healthy. With regard to Klein, there is another important number that needs highlighting and that’s his cap hit.

Given the Rangers’ precarious cap situation moving forward, Klein has gone from trade option number one (and thought to be a tad on the expensive side) to arguably untradeable – for the right reasons. Let’s assume Klein levels out some. Maybe he’s not a top pair guy but he’s certainly proved himself a top four blueliner. Klein has, all of a sudden, become a comparative bargain with his 2.9m cap hit. His actual salary is even less at 2.75m per year for two more years. Solid numbers.

While Klein’s recent play would surely mean a solid return if the Rangers were indeed to explore trade options for Klein in the near future, given the Rangers cap situation, he’s an essential part of the equation (for at least another season) while the Rangers re-arrange their blueline. Consider this; only Dylan McIlrath has a lesser cap hit on the Rangers blueline if you factor in the Coyotes and the Rangers splitting Keith Yandle’s cap cost. Klein has indeed become a cap bargain and the Rangers need as many of those as they can get.

Limiting the blueline turnover

If the Rangers lose Dan Boyle in the summer, if Keith Yandle does indeed depart mid-season (but surely and sadly, before July) and the Rangers can move one of Girardi and Staal then the turnover on the blueline will be significant. That’s not normally a recipe for success. Only McDonagh and Klein appear set in the rotation heading into next summer.

Klein has not just proven he’s a solid part of the Rangers top four but he’s now become essential to its development because of his performance and his cap hit. Kevin Klein’s Rangers future appears to be safe than ever, something that didn’t seem likely less than a year ago.