Stalberg
Viktor Stalberg was a bit of a revelation for the Rangers, perhaps their best free agent signing since Benoit Pouliot. Stalberg, like Pouliot, was grabbed for a cheap one-year deal to serve as a bottom-six player with speed. Stalberg certainly impressed most people this year, even without putting up major points (just 9-11-20 in 75 games).
Stalberg is perhaps the perfect depth player for a team like the Rangers. He’s a great skater, he’s a two-way guy who can score and play in his own zone, and he’s a worker. At just $1.1 million, he was a welcome addition to the third and fourth lines, bringing stability to a forward group that sorely needed it late in the season.
Here’s how Stalberg compares to Mikkel Boedker, one of the more popular free agents this summer. Boedker’s scoring numbers are obviously better, but that could be due to significantly more ice time. Stalberg’s goals, assists, and points per 60 ratios are significantly higher than Boedker’s. That tells us that if Stalberg were to get more ice time, he could –theoretically, based on these numbers– put up comparable scoring numbers.
But for Stalberg, it goes beyond his rate stats. For his salary, he is a bargain when it comes to driving possession and limiting shots against. He is significantly better than Boedker in all these categories. Let’s keep in mind that Boedker could get $4 million this summer. If I’m looking for a bargain, I’m staying away from Boedker and looking right at Stalberg.
Using Josh’s PSAM tool, we can see how Stalberg compares to other’s in his salary cap range. Stalberg’s $1.1 million salary is less than 2% of the cap, so we can compare his numbers to those in his cap range. It’s clear that Stalberg compares favorably to these in his cap range.
Stalberg is a clear keep for the Rangers, depending on his price tag. In using Josh’s PSAM tool, we can make the argument that Stalberg is worth upwards of $2 million, which is approximately 3% of the salary cap. After that, Stalberg starts creeping into overpaid territory. He’s a good fit for Alain Vigneault’s system too, which is a big need for this team. He was a pleasant surprise for the Rangers, hopefully he stays.
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