Losing Hagelin would hurt more than people think. He is an important piece to our bottom 6 and we have nobody as fast as him right now. Vermette is nice but not for Hagelin
For real. Would rather keep Hags then trade him in the off season, as much as I don't want to lose him he may be a cap casualty. However, he is so important to this team with setting the pace of the forecheck. Just look at him the playoffs, when teams play tight, his speed opens up the games.
Would rather have him than Vermette and certainly would not add to him to get a rental of Vermette.
Vermette is a damn solid player, but he's reaching a crazy status around here.
Well said, gents.
The speed of Hags and Kreider to open the ice up is important at both ends.
Especially in AV system
Moving either, without serious overpay statistically likely to be worthwhile at more than fair value, would be folly.
Hagelin is one year away from group 3. Pouliot got $4 million as a group 3. Hagelin is worth that and more as a group 3. The Rangers don't have the space to pay a 3rd line player that type of money. This summer Hagelin will be arbitration eligible. A one year contract making Hagelin a potential group 3 is a disaster. The Rangers will have a tough time paying him for one year to avoid arbitration after paying their big 3 free agents. The time to trade him is from now until the draft and not for a rental the Rangers can't afford to re-sign. The loonie closed below 85 cents yesterday. $71M cap. All of these players aren't taking paycuts or half to one million less.
Agreed, except I am not certain trading Hags --- which you have not outright said but alluded to as an option --- is our best option.
We should not be looking at an expensive ? in Yakupov who may wake up or may be a bust disaster.
We should max the return we get on Brassard + Zuc as a package for Hall in a package.
Not addressing other pieces for now, Hall is locked in at 6 yrs for another 5 years after his season, if I remember, and his value will be good in that contract going forward.
Meanwhile, we recover the big salary outlay recouping the difference.
That dif could extend Staal, and whether kept or dealt, he is worth more extended.
Or it could be applied alternatively, including Hagelin.
We have enough at C to do this, even without one coming back, and we promote Lindberg, who most say is ready in the wings, to 4C, which helps our face offs, and our cap.
depending on which are our line matchups, the ranking of the Cs would be:
Stepan, fine upped his game from last quarter or third to top 12 or so
Hayes, not a big advance to 2C if playing with Kreider and correct RW
Moore can handle 3C
Lindy