Confirmed Buy-Out [NYR] Rangers have bought out Henrik Lundqvist

[saluki]

He wouldn't go to CHI to try to win a cup with a contender. He'd go there if he feels like he's not done playing. To potentially be a starter one last time.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Who cares? you cant win them all, eventually picks will bust or guys will get hurt and a rebuild is inevitable. I would still wager money on Detroit winning another cup before the Rangers do. We'll sit in the cellar for a decade until we start winning some drafts and build a proper core and return to contender status - hopefully Stevie sticks around as long as Kenny did and has the same vision and foresight. The Rangers will continue to mire in mediocrity with the occasional cinderella run where they fall just short - likely because they were missing key pieces they couldn't sign because of all their dead cap money.

What? The Rangers have high end talent on the team and their prospect pool is loaded with quality talent. They are going to be a serious contender in the near future. They have 13 million in dead money this year but only 2 million next year. Not a big deal. They still have 23 million in cap space for this year.

 

[One Winged Angel]

Yeah Bergevin doesn't get the respect he deserves. Not a particularly easy market and ownerships to work through and no lottery luck. Some obvious duds like not resigning Radulov but Domi, Pacioretty, Danault, Petry trades all brilliant moves.

New York having 13 million in buyouts while being far and away the most desirable city in the NHL to play in is comical to say the least. They basically torched their cheap money advantage and by the time they can spend to the cap they'll be in the same position as Toronto

You couldn’t be anymore salty and wrong. I know losing to the Rangers in the last 3 playoff series in 96, 14 and 17 has really got you on edge, but at least think logically.

1. 13 million in buyouts for one season, but 23 million in cap space and it goes down to 4 million in buyouts next season.

2. How is that preventing them from doing anything? I’ll wait, this should be interesting.

3. Shaving years off their window? They’re a rebuilding team on the rise that’s actually ahead of schedule lmao.

The Rangers have you so mad you can’t even think straight. It’s comical.

 

[bernmeister]

They did. There wasn’t a market for Georgiev.

That’s nothing but conjecture and a giant stretch at that, considering that the belief is (per tweet from Vince Mercogliano) that neither side wanted him being a backup.

Again, conjecture at best and there’s no way to tell how he’d age.

Or JG could stick with the younger, better goaltender and follow Vancouver’s plan and deal Georgiev later on with more games under his belt and his value is raised. He has less than 100 games under his belt.

Irrelevant, considering that Gorton is making moves for the future of the franchise and those moves were made with Sather having the final say.

They would get less than what Georgiev would get with more games under his belt. Goalie markets are the most unpredictable.

How? Buyout saves 3m in cap space and adds only a 1.5m dead cap hit next year when Shattenkirk’s dead cap goes back down to under 2m.

1. All this is now water under the bridge. What's done is done.
I mean from a cash flow perspective, don't think we could buy him out and re-sign for this yr at league min. allowing us to save cap while keeping, still trade Geo, etc.

2. I agree that for the most part this is a matter of opinion, i.e., is the glass half full or half empty.
I went with the eye test.
Hank keeps himself in shape. Raw skating is not critical for Gs. Reflexes, etc are. Likely need to make an adjustment on angles, etc, if reflexes are going. Now yes, I could be wrong, but I don't believe downgrade in his ability to play will be severely reduced from last season.

Now, Hank played at level he did with team in front of him. If that team, esp D level is improved, logic stands to reason net results w/Hank are likely to be up than from a season ago.

I stand by all that, acknowledging the pendulum could swing heavy in either direction, big up or down grade in his game w/new team if he personally can't produce at roughly same level.


3. The one concession I give you is this stuff about he wanted to stay a starter. Every player has to earn it, including his rank. All I insist on is a fair shake, which, for example, I don't believe Nieves got. Hank has had full chance, He's HoF for a career, but youth will be served and Shesty may be Dryden 2.0. No one, including Hank, has right to tell this or any other kid to go back of the line if he's outplayed.

I worked on assumption he would get decent time as a backup. Next season may not be full one but what, usually 80ish reg season games + preseason + postseason? That would still be 33ish games, assuming nobody gets injured. Now if Hank wants max his NHL records regardless who games are played for vs Ranger records, that's fine, he's earned that, and that changes the discussion.

It is not clear if this talk about starter status is legit, or smokescreen.

Anyhoo, good chatting w/ya.

Respect for taking the time and mental energy to analyze Berns post line by line, you’re a bigger man than I

I'm not that hard to decipher, Gunga Din

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

You couldn’t be anymore salty and wrong. I know losing to the Rangers in the last 3 playoff series in 96, 14 and 17 has really got you on edge, but at least think logically.

1. 13 million in buyouts for one season, but 23 million in cap space and it goes down to 4 million in buyouts next season.

2. How is that preventing them from doing anything? I’ll wait, this should be interesting.

3. Shaving years off their window? They’re a rebuilding team on the rise that’s actually ahead of schedule lmao.

The Rangers have you so mad you can’t even think straight. It’s comical.

You can't look at a team that picks #2OA one season and then #1OA the next and say their window is closing or narrowing. They've barely installed the windows....

 

[One Winged Angel]

1. All this is now water under the bridge. What's done is done.
I mean from a cash flow perspective, don't think we could buy him out and re-sign for this yr at league min. allowing us to save cap while keeping, still trade Geo, etc.

That was clearly never the plan. Hank starting 1 in the last 19 is proof.

2. I agree that for the most part this is a matter of opinion, i.e., is the glass half full or half empty.
I went with the eye test.
Hank keeps himself in shape. Raw skating is not critical for Gs. Reflexes, etc are. Likely need to make an adjustment on angles, etc, if reflexes are going. Now yes, I could be wrong, but I don't believe downgrade in his ability to play will be severely reduced from last season.

If this is a one year plan, then there’s no reason for it. Sacrificing a young asset for one year of Lundqvist is just pointless. That’s bad asset management.

Now, Hank played at level he did with team in front of him. If that team, esp D level is improved, logic stands to reason net results w/Hank are likely to be up than from a season ago.

Even if that was the case, sacrificing assets for a goalie on his last legs is just pointless.

I stand by all that, acknowledging the pendulum could swing heavy in either direction, big up or down grade in his game w/new team if he personally can't produce at roughly same level.

Father Time always wins.

3. The one concession I give you is this stuff about he wanted to stay a starter. Every player has to earn it, including his rank. All I insist on is a fair shake, which, for example, I don't believe Nieves got. Hank has had full chance, He's HoF for a career, but youth will be served and Shesty may be Dryden 2.0. No one, including Hank, has right to tell this or any other kid to go back of the line if he's outplayed.

Stop with the Nieves stuff. He’s nothing more than a fringe NHL’er.

I worked on assumption he would get decent time as a backup. Next season may not be full one but what, usually 80ish reg season games + preseason + postseason? That would still be 33ish games, assuming nobody gets injured. Now if Hank wants max his NHL records regardless who games are played for vs Ranger records, that's fine, he's earned that, and that changes the discussion.

It is not clear if this talk about starter status is legit, or smokescreen.

Anyhoo, good chatting w/ya.

The organization has just as much of a right to say that they’re moving on. Remember, as much as he gave them, they gave him the opportunity to play in the NHL and then gave him that deal. Fans become attached to players and forget that it’s a business.

 

[One Winged Angel]

You can't look at a team the picks #2OA one season and then #1OA the next and say their window is closing or narrowing. They've barely installed the windows....

That’s what I’m saying. He’s just a salty Habs fan.

 

[CanadienShark]

That's a sad ending for the guy. Seemed like a perfect lifelong Ranger.

 

[Brunomics]

RIP King Henrik.


He should sign with the Isles if Greiss leaves.

Isles have Varlamov and Sorokin.

I firmly believe that he'll go to the Capitals and platoon or start over Samsonov.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Did Crawford die?

No, Crawford just sucks now.

 

[Kocur Dill]

Meh, I get why the Rangers Org did what they did, but keep in mind that loyalty has a value. Illitch and Holland kept Detroit as an attractive free agent destination+team friendly contracts for 20 years, not just because of the winning (in fact the winning was because of it) but because of the family environment they created and the loyalty they gave players - going the extra mile for them off the ice. Many current and former Red Wings have talked about this in interviews.

If a team has a 'business first' mentality, thats fine, but it will trickle down to the players having a 'business first' mentality - which means no 'hometown discounts', deferring money or signing bridge deals - they'll just play hardball and walk. Rags need to like immediately retire Hank's number (or at least announce it) to try to save some face.

Most of those 20 years were cap free. That is a major factor.

 

[JT Kreider]

Meh, I get why the Rangers Org did what they did, but keep in mind that loyalty has a value. Illitch and Holland kept Detroit as an attractive free agent destination+team friendly contracts for 20 years, not just because of the winning (in fact the winning was because of it) but because of the family environment they created and the loyalty they gave players - going the extra mile for them off the ice. Many current and former Red Wings have talked about this in interviews.

If a team has a 'business first' mentality, thats fine, but it will trickle down to the players having a 'business first' mentality - which means no 'hometown discounts', deferring money or signing bridge deals - they'll just play hardball and walk. Rags need to like immediately retire Hank's number (or at least announce it) to try to save some face.

Lololololololol. UFA after UFA have signed with the Rangers, none of them came remotely close to finishing out their contracts and were all dumped in same shape or form not even halfway through, and yet the best free agent ever still signed with us and one of the top prospects in all of hockey schemed his way to become a Ranger.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

1. All this is now water under the bridge. What's done is done.
I mean from a cash flow perspective, don't think we could buy him out and re-sign for this yr at league min. allowing us to save cap while keeping, still trade Geo, etc.

2. I agree that for the most part this is a matter of opinion, i.e., is the glass half full or half empty.
I went with the eye test.
Hank keeps himself in shape. Raw skating is not critical for Gs. Reflexes, etc are. Likely need to make an adjustment on angles, etc, if reflexes are going. Now yes, I could be wrong, but I don't believe downgrade in his ability to play will be severely reduced from last season.

Now, Hank played at level he did with team in front of him. If that team, esp D level is improved, logic stands to reason net results w/Hank are likely to be up than from a season ago.

I stand by all that, acknowledging the pendulum could swing heavy in either direction, big up or down grade in his game w/new team if he personally can't produce at roughly same level.


3. The one concession I give you is this stuff about he wanted to stay a starter. Every player has to earn it, including his rank. All I insist on is a fair shake, which, for example, I don't believe Nieves got. Hank has had full chance, He's HoF for a career, but youth will be served and Shesty may be Dryden 2.0. No one, including Hank, has right to tell this or any other kid to go back of the line if he's outplayed.

I worked on assumption he would get decent time as a backup. Next season may not be full one but what, usually 80ish reg season games + preseason + postseason? That would still be 33ish games, assuming nobody gets injured. Now if Hank wants max his NHL records regardless who games are played for vs Ranger records, that's fine, he's earned that, and that changes the discussion.

It is not clear if this talk about starter status is legit, or smokescreen.

Anyhoo, good chatting w/ya.




I'm not that hard to decipher, Gunga Din

Tho I’ve belted ya and flawed ya by the living gods that made ya, you’re a better man than I Ganga Din

 

[bernmeister]

That was clearly never the plan. Hank starting 1 in the last 19 is proof.



If this is a one year plan, then there’s no reason for it. Sacrificing a young asset for one year of Lundqvist is just pointless. That’s bad asset management.



Even if that was the case, sacrificing assets for a goalie on his last legs is just pointless.



Father Time always wins.



Stop with the Nieves stuff. He’s nothing more than a fringe NHL’er.



The organization has just as much of a right to say that they’re moving on. Remember, as much as he gave them, they gave him the opportunity to play in the NHL and then gave him that deal. Fans become attached to players and forget that it’s a business.

Acknowledged and general agree. In particular emphasize I did not say "sacrifice a young asset". At some pt someone will bend, buckle and break and cough up a decent + price for a G they need. Deal Geo faster if possible but if nec, wait w/3 Gs to get there.

I agree w/you this is a biz.
My comments are not about Hank sentimentality as much as IMO, assuming he can still cut the mustard, it was better to use him and his cap hit than do the buy out.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Crazy to think they wouldn't want Lundquist around to mentor Shesty just because they can't get what they want in a trade for Georgiev. Penny wise, pound foolish in my opinion.

If Gorton isn't happy with the return for Georgiev, he should trade Shesty and get an even bigger return. If Gorton is deadset on Shesty as his franchise goalie for the next decade then trading Georgiev for 70 cents on the dollar is absolutely worth augmenting Shesty with a hall of fame goalie who knows how to be a professional, play in New York, instill over a decade of wisdom and is still suitable to be a high end backup. Oh and he happens to be Shesty's idol growing up too.

Penny wise, pound foolish.

So we should trade our franchise goalie because the back up in a crowded market isn’t generating much interest? No thanks.

I wasn’t against keeping Lundqvist either, but it was always going to be either Lundqvist or Georgiyev that goes. Georgiyev doesn’t have much trade value, so it becomes Lundqvist. It’s not that important either. We are talking about the position of back up goalie.

I think a good benefit from this trade trade is that there’s no pressure to play Lundqvist because of his career accomplishments. Even when Lundqvist was the third string goalie, the storyline was always looming in the background. It’s good to have that storyline go away. There were positives and negatives to keeping Lundqvist and Georgiyev. There’s not a huge difference between either. No one should be so opposed to either move.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

According to capfriendly the Rangers now have 15.9% of the cap tied up in buyouts, i.e. they are paying 16% of their cap for players to play on other teams.

Crazy stuff

Girardi retired and Hank also might.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Who cares? you cant win them all, eventually picks will bust or guys will get hurt and a rebuild is inevitable. I would still wager money on Detroit winning another cup before the Rangers do. We'll sit in the cellar for a decade until we start winning some drafts and build a proper core and return to contender status - hopefully Stevie sticks around as long as Kenny did and has the same vision and foresight. The Rangers will continue to mire in mediocrity with the occasional cinderella run where they fall just short - likely because they were missing key pieces they couldn't sign because of all their dead cap money.

No doubt the greatest minds in Detroit will fix the hockey club as well as they did the public school system.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Girardi retired and Hank also might.

Don't you dare compare Lundqvist with that multi million dollar traffic cone. It's like comparing Yashin with Trottier on the NYI forum and then I'm being harsh to Yashin being compared with a cinder block player like Girardi.

Perfect $ather GM style to sign two traffic cones with zero mobility and puck sense to albatross contracts while throwing out the only one worth a damn at that time (Strålman). Fantastic. It's like going all-in on Derian Hatcher in modern hockey.

Lundqvist's career highlight video could last more than an hour. Girardi's would be the commercials in between. Girardi was a warrior that always gave his all to not suck. Lundqvist gave his all to save the game. Get the difference?

It's not Girardi's fault of course. It's the premise that Glen $ather was a great GM just because he got Gretzky, who carried $ather on his reputation wave of the Edmonton cups. One of the most incompetent GMs in NHL history based on reputation. He ruined all chances of winning a cup in New York with Lundqvist in net with all his outrageous UFA signings that basically all sank like stones in a lake.

He signed a dozen terrible contracts in a decade. Maybe two good ones. And the decision making? Utter barf material. That Lundqvist managed to get NYR so close to a Cup win with $ather as the GM is truly remarkable and worthy of a HHOF spot in itself. It's more a monument how terrible $ather was that Lundqvist couldn't win a cup on such a reputable franchise and how all strategical decisions were so BAD to be up to the task.

Apart from the legendary albatross trio of Drury, Gomez and Redden whom all NYR fans want to forget, how about signing Gaborik when you have Torts as the coach and Nash when you have Vigneault? It's so idiotic I miss words. No plan, no strategy. Just names.

Then Vigneault doesn't have Strålman, so he replaces him with Boyle, Yandle, Shattenkirk. Just great. All disasters with their responsibilites and roles on the team.

NYR are STILL in dead cap space hell because of the water rings of $ather. What an absolute idiot. I would also like to add that Alain Vigneault is the most incompetent NHL coach I've ever seen apart from $ather as a GM buffoon.

You want a summary? To compare Girardi's situation to Lundqvist's is simply put laughable and your insinuation is bafflingly stupid. Lundqvist is still a capable netminder. Girardi should've quit 5 years ago. Staal will apparently be an absolute train wreck in Detroit for another season. He also should've quit 5 years ago. If Detroit accepts Staal as a legit top #4 defenseman, you know they will absolutely suck balls.

 

[TGWL]

Who cares? you cant win them all, eventually picks will bust or guys will get hurt and a rebuild is inevitable. I would still wager money on Detroit winning another cup before the Rangers do. We'll sit in the cellar for a decade until we start winning some drafts and build a proper core and return to contender status - hopefully Stevie sticks around as long as Kenny did and has the same vision and foresight. The Rangers will continue to mire in mediocrity with the occasional cinderella run where they fall just short - likely because they were missing key pieces they couldn't sign because of all their dead cap money.

The dead cap money argument. Love it! We should keep players making more against the cap who aren't contributing, instead of less money in "Dead cap hit". That makes total sense! If we aren't winning with those players holding more cap, then what difference does it make if they're not on the team and count partially against the cap? Don't give me the "Well, you save some money but have to replace the player against the cap", argument. In the end, if it's not working, what difference does it make?

Gorton didn't sign Staal, or Lundqvist, and we all acknowledge getting Shattenkirk was a mistake. The saving grace was that he took somewhat of a bargain deal consider the cost/term we expected. You can look at it as dead cap space, but in the end he's given us more cap space.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Next, to the SHL?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I don't really know how many feasible landing spots there are for Hank. I mean outside of backing up Vasi in Tampa for another cup run, where else does he go? Colorado?

I can't see him wanting to go to somewhere like Edmonton or Calgary even though they could use him.

 

[tucker3434]

Is he going cup chasing in a backup role or retiring? Seems like he’d still have a lot of suitors if his contract was priced like a backup.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Is he going cup chasing in a backup role or retiring? Seems like he’d still have a lot of suitors if his contract was priced like a backup.

I can't imagine he would want to go be a backup on a team thats not a legit contender.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

Assuming his main motivation to continue is to win a cup before its too late, does he feel like he has enough left to lead a team to 16 win in the playoffs as a starter?

If not, coming to the Lightning for league minimum (like Shatty did after getting the buyout money) as a solid backup to Vasy might be a good choice. Probably his best chance to get a cup.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

Is he going cup chasing in a backup role or retiring? Seems like he’d still have a lot of suitors if his contract was priced like a backup.

This screams Lightning at league minimum like Shatty did.