Rangers Active On Eve of Free Agency

Newly acquired Chris Higgins. (Image Credit: svictoria29)

Ben Franklin once said in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.  Perhaps, if Mr. Franklin was alive today, he would add something along the lines of the Rangers being active around the beginning of free agency each off season.  This year has not failed to live up to expectations, with two separate moves before the first day of free agency.  With these moves, the Rangers pick up valuable cap space and solid youth.

First, the Rangers moved their 5th round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the rights to goaltender Chad Johnson.  The Rangers may have a steal here in their newest goaltender.  Johnson graduated from the University of Alaska – Fairbanks where he posted a 14-16-5 record.  While that may seem average, Johnson boasts a 1.66 GAA, a .940 SV%, and 6 shutouts; all very respectable numbers.  In fact, the biggest reason why the offensively anemic Nanooks were able to advance to Joe Louis Arena and the CCHA playoff was because of Johnson’s stellar goaltending, earning him CCHA Player of the Year honors and a top 10 finish in voting for the Hobey Baker, losing out to now fellow Ranger defenseman Matt Gilroy.  Johnson is a solid pick for the Blueshirts, especially considering they currently do not have any goalies besides Henrik Lundqvist under contract.  The Rangers need to sign Johnson before September 15th to retain his rights and they would be wise to extend one to him.  Expect Johnson to vie for the starting position in Hartford this year.

Not content with only one trade, and a minor one at that, before the beginning of free agency, the Rangers packaged Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Michael Busto to the Montreal Canadiens for Chris Higgins, Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh, and Pavel Valentanko.  Now this is the Glen Sather we’re used to!  The Rangers clear Gomez’s 7.357 million dollar cap from their books after a season where he only produced 16 goals and 42 assists in 77 games.  In the pre-cap era, paying over 7 million dollars for that few points may have made sense to the Rangers, but it is unacceptable in today’s NHL.  While it can be argued that Gomez was never given the proper linemates to fully utilize his skills, his salary hampered the Rangers ability to acquire those linemates.  The Rangers will not miss Gomez.  The other pieces sent up to Montreal, center Tom Pyatt and defenseman Michael Busto, are not expected to break into the NHL any time soon.  Pyatt had a good career with the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL, putting up 81 points in 58 games in his final year, but since then has been shuttled between Hartford of the AHL and Charlotte of the ECHL.  In 73 games this year, he produced 37 points, tied for 6th on a team eliminated in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.  Meanwhile, Busto is an undrafted defenseman who cashed in on an offensive explosion in his final year with Kootenay of the WHL during the 2006-07 season, but has yet to show the same skills at the professional level with Charlotte of the ECHL.  Neither will be missed dearly by New York.

In exchange for Gomez and two minor leaguers, the Blueshirts pick up valuable cap space, along with left wing Chris Higgins and defensemen Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh, and Pavel Valentenko.  First, the veteran Janik is an unrestricted free agent and is not expected to sign with the Rangers.  While there are a few openings on the blueline corps, the Rangers are more interested in getting younger, with Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy and first rounders Michael Del Zotto and Bobby Sanguinetti already under contract.  It is expected they will compete for the bottom two spots on the blueline, depending on any other potential signings over the summer.  Also acquired in this trade is prospect Pavel Valentenko, but do not expect too much from him either.  After a season and 4 games in the AHL, Valentenko returned back to the KHL for the Moscow Dynamo.  So far, Valentenko has shown no desire to return to North America, though the Rangers will retain his rights until the NHL and IIHF can come to a transfer agreement.

The two gems in this deal are left wing and currently restricted free agent Chris Higgins and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.  Higgins is coming off an injury plagued season, where shoulder and groin injuries limited him to 23 points in 57 games.  That being said, Higgins has potted over 20 goals in the previous 3 seasons, and his production will improve as he moves past these injuries.  These goals alone will replace those lost with the trade of Gomez. The Smithtown, NY native is now a restricted free agent, coming off a contract that paid him 1.7 million this past year.  Based off his previous production but tempered by his injuries this year, expect a multi-year deal that will be in the 2 to 3.5 million dollar range for salary cap purposes.  Higgins will become loved by Broadway faithful fans for his work ethic.  Like Ryan Callahan, the Rangers gain another high energy player who can score as well.

In addition to Higgins, the Rangers pick up the 12th overall pick from 2007, defenseman Ryan McDonagh.  McDonagh immediately becomes one of the Rangers’ top prospects and perhaps their best defensive prospect.  Named Minnesota’s “Mr. Hockey” in 2007, McDonagh has gotten off to a great start at the University of Wisconsin.  He is a strong, two way defenseman, comparable to someone like Nashville’s Ryan Suter.  Getting rid of Gomez gives the Rangers breathing room under the cap, and Higgins is a bit of a lateral move offensively.  However, McDonagh has the potential to become a future number one defenseman.  If McDonagh does not pan out, he will still be very serviceable on Rangers’ blueline in less than 3 years.  But on the upside, McDonagh possesses a potential ceiling much like that of now hall-of-famer Brian Leetch.

The future is bright on the blueline for the Blueshirts.

By Zak McGinniss

The Hockey Writers

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