A.V., Rangers Continue To Roll Lines, Is Zuccarello Contract "Fair?", Rick Nash in Gretzky/Lemieux Camp!

   Despite losing 2-1 in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings tonight, NY played their 2nd consecutive ‘solid’ game since the trade deadline. Detroit is a worth adversary in the polarized Eastern Conference, and it was The Jimmy Howard Show for most of the time (stopping 39 of 40 propelled pucks). Cam Talbot was also in top form, as only 2 goals total were scored in 60 minutes of regulation. James Sheppard made his Rangers debut, playing a team-low 9:58, and going 1-0 in the faceoff circle

• The NY Rangers have now gone 18 consecutive games (12-3-3) without losing a game by more than 1 goal, excluding empty-netters. The streak dates back to the 4-1 loss while visiting The New York Islanders on January 27th. The dozen-and-a-half games since have all been wins, or close losses.
• Coach Alaign Vigneault continues to roll his lines very evenly, which has been helpful to New York offensive surges in the 3rd periods all season long, and could be likewise effective in the postseason. Think about it. The game remains tied for 60, 70, 80 minutes, forcing teams to literally exhaust their benches to the bone. Yet Vigneault's Top 2 lines have been more rested than any of the teams listed below. This is a strength we're not hearing many people talk about specifically, so we created the chart below. 

NY with arguably the most interchangeable forward lines in the Conference playoff picture? Yes, please.

• Coach Alaign Vigneault continues to roll his lines very evenly, which has been helpful to New York offensive surges in the 3rd periods all season long, and could be likewise effective in the postseason. Think about it. The game remains tied for 60, 70, 80 minutes, forcing teams to literally exhaust their benches to the bone. Yet Vigneault's Top 2 lines have been more rested than any of the teams listed below. This is a strength we're not hearing many people talk about specifically, so we created the chart below. 

• Now that Mats Zuccarello's contract has been signed, and been allowed to sink into our thoughts for a few days... do you have any? At first, I didn't know what to make of it. Was it a "good" signing, or was it "relatively costly?" So I eyeballed 10 signings (into UFA years) the past 5 seasons for which I'll submit as "arguably comparable" predecessor contracts to Zucc:

This survey suggest Zuccarello's contract was close to "arguably comparative", which is to say NOT a bad thing. 

• Rick Nash, who registered an assist in tonight's overtime loss, continues to simultaneously lead the NHL in Even-Strength Goals & Shorthanded-Goals. This hasn't been accomplished since 22-year-old Mario Lemieux did it in 1987-88. Only Lemieux, and Wayne Gretzky ('82, '84, '85 & '87) have accomplished it in the past 35 years. Nash would also break Reggie Leach's record as the oldest player to lead both categories, as Leach was 29 when he did it in 1979-80. Nash turns 31 in June. 

• Bob McKenzie seems to think Lundqvist could healthily return to the NY Rangers lineup in 10-14 days. Lundqvist has been doing cardio & doing drills in full equipment, but still has yet to take shots or participate in full practice. 

CHECK OUT OUR NYR SALARY CHART HERE

CHECK OUT OUR NYR SALARY CHART HERE

NYR Salary Chart is Updated, Expanded

  NY Rangers SALARY CHART

( CLICK TO VIEW FULL SPREADSHEET! )

   I've finally updated the NY Rangers' salary chart after the deadline deals were calculated. Click here to view the salary chart.

   This summer the NY Rangers are going to end up giving Stepan at least $6 million per year (via either salary arbitration, extension, or trade-and-sign). This means MSL / Hagelin / Miller / Fast / Sheppard / Hunwick are going to need new contracts for the remaining $6.5 million. That's a tad over $1 million per player for 6 roster spots... and this assuming the salary cap rises from 69 to 72 million, which is probably an optimistic estimate given Canadian dollar's strength.

   For those unhappy about the "Win Now" mentality reflected in Glen Sather's trades, look at the year 2019 on the salary chart. NY Rangers will be spending one-third of their projected salary cap on 6 players, all of them above the age of 30. I point this out not to slight the players for being bad-value at the end of a long-term contract, nor to disagree with the General Manager for constructing moves akin to "win now, hangover later", as it's the logical cliff to jump from.

   The team NOW is a finely constructed hockey machine. With a healthily rested Henrik Lundqvist returning just in time for the postseason, if injuries can be avoided... trading premium draft picks and premium prospects (Good luck in Arizona, Mr. Duclair) for further depth and skill-per-defenseman is something I won't criticize. With most NHL players typically playing their best hockey prior to, rather than after, their 33rd birthday. If Lundqvist is truly the King, the logical blueprints to the franchise are to revolve around him: how many honest seasons of Cup Contention will feature Henrik between the pipes, putting up high-quality goaltending performances which have spoiled Broadway for the decade.

   Rangers are on overdrive. It may hurt in a few years, but it could seriously be worth it if 16 postseason games can be won this spring. It's seriously not out of the question at this point...

Also...

In case anyone is wondering... here are NYR's remaining draft picks the next few years:

2015 NHL Entry Draft

0 --- 1st Round Picks

1 --- 2nd Round Picks (Tampa's via Callahan trade) 

1 --- 3rd Round Picks 

1 --- 4th Round Picks 

0 --- 5th Round Picks 

1 --- 6th Round Picks 

0 --- 7th Round Picks 

2016 NHL Entry Draft

0 --- 1st Round Picks* 

1 --- 2nd Round Picks 

1 --- 3rd Round Picks 

1 --- 4th Round Picks (Arizona's via Yandle trade) 

1 --- 5th Round Picks 

1 --- 6th Round Picks 

1 --- 7th Round Picks 

* If NY Rangers fail to make playoffs in 2016, NYR will keep their 2016 1st round pick, and Arizona would instead receive NYR's 1st round pick in the 2017 Draft

Tough to Criticize Vigneault Administration... Benefit to Lundqvist's Injury?... Rick "Pay That Man His Cash" Nash...

   If Rick Nash scores 11 more Even-Strength goals in the 23 remaining NYR regular season games, he will be the oldest NHL player to score 39 ESG’s since Phil Esposito’s 1973-74 season. If Nash continues his pace, he’s set to lead the league in not only ESG’s, but #1 in Shorthanded Goals, Game-Opening-Goals, & Home Goals. Oh yeah, all this while playing only 17:36 per game. Yup. Rick Nash is scoring 2.175 goals-per-hour, an unprecedented amount considering it would also be an NHL record should Nash sustain his trajectory and win the Maurice Richard trophy.

   Last year’s Rick Nash has left the building. This year’s Rick Nash continues to own the joint. 

*     *     *     *    *

   I am certainly no “runner,” but I imagine the strategical basics for winning a marathon involve a large element of sustainable-pace running, with bits of sprinting at the final stretch. Well folks, winning a Stanley Cup is a lot like winning a marathon. It involves a minimum 82 regular season games, followed by 16-28 playoff games, any of which could go as long as 12 hours in theory. All the while, it is one of the most hazardous and physically-grueling professional sports leagues in North America. Teams will start hot in October, only to be skydiving in fretful by February (I’m talking to you, Toronto). So why make this point when it comes to coaching?

   John Tortorella was a fine coach for New York in my opinion, but he was a coach who relied (perhaps sub-optimally too much, in fact) on sprinting. There was too much of an unsustainable-pace in play to leave the roster anything but winded by May. To be fair, Tortorella probably needed to overwork certain quality players of others, because simply the team wasn’t good enough to win rolling 4 lines smoothly. If not total oblivion to the detriment of sprinting too much to win a marathon, Tortorella perhaps figured a winded 2nd round exit could keep him from getting canned. But Glen Sather walked out to the mound and took the ball from Torts nearly 2 years ago.

   Alain Vigneault, released from Vancouver following a 1st-round sweep to San Jose, was hired by New York shortly after. Vigneault was a staunch contrast to Tortorella in several ways: Tortorella was not a ‘player’s coach.’ Vigneault embodies a ‘player’s coach.’ One is stand-offish and has some wonderful press-conference YouTubes highlighting his temper, the other has vids of him laughing uncontrollably at Vernon Fiddler  impression of Kevin Bieksa. Night and day in aura, both demonstrating successful coaching is found all over the spectrum… but a few other key items also changed under the AV administration.

     ATOI                                                                                                                     

NHL RANK  GIRARDI   McDONAGH     STAAL    Top ATOI/GP Forward     

   2011-12:           4th                 15th           110th          Callahan (T-92nd)

   2012-13:           8th                 22nd           19th           Callahan (71st)

   2013-14:           38th               12th          T-101st        Richards (T-198th)

   2014-15:         T-38th              30th            73rd            Stepan (T-212th)

   Last season and this season, Vigneault has had a balance rotation of attack. He’s called upon, coached, seemingly been uniformly obliged by his cadets, and exercised every bit of supposed “depth” out of the rosters he’s been handed… all while coming through with magnificent results. That’s why both of AV’s seasons as NYR coach, they are also the only two seasons the NY Rangers have not had a forward average 19+ minutes per/game (since its tracking began in 1997). In fact, the only other time a Rangers forward has not averaged 20 minutes a game in any season was the 1999-2000 Rangers, where Petr Nedved averaged 19:54/game. Vigneault’s pine-piloting has been a revelation, totally unseen in Madison Square Garden’s home bench approach.

    Why are the NY Rangers such a successful team this year? Why are they so equipped to protect 3rd period leads under Vigneault’s approach? Simple: The NY Rangers are one of the most well-rounded teams in the NHL when it comes to burning all parts of the candle. When the 3rd frame is underway, players like Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh & Dan Girardi will have exerted several minutes’ less worth of ice time, and will have simply been more rested than their opponents. NYR, along with the Boston Bruins & Florida Panthers, are the only NHL teams with no forward averaging 19+ minutes per game. 

*    *    *    *    *

   There’s some sentiment floating around (and becoming less guilty to think about with more updates of Henrik Lundqvist’s rehab cardio drills) supposing Lundqvist returning for the playoffs with a long rest could be a serendipitous weapon of mass reduction come late April. Incredibly, the NY Rangers are in no need to rush his return, as the team’s parts have come together to stopgap sloppy wins with Cam Talbot suddenly taking the wheel. 

   My thoughts on it?

   Lundqvist won the 2012 Vezina Award, and carried the NY Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals for the 1st time in 18 years. It was certainly his best season at that time, and perhaps arguably his best overall year of hockey in the NHL. It was also the 1st season Lundqvist was rested more than a dozen games in a single season since he took the starting job from Kevin Weekes in early 2006. Last season, en route to the Cup Finals, Lundqvist was rested 19 games (though some form injury), and had his most impressive postseason campaign to date. 

   Lundqvist rested is probably good news for the NY Rangers winning a marathon. The players being administered Vigneault’s soft, diluted, apportioned icetime-per-game is better for a marathon than Tortorella’s strong, fiery, bitter straight shots of 25-minutes-per-game. But that’s not an overwhelming reason why I’m genuinely getting ‘excited’ about this year’s Broadway Blueshirts…

   It’s the adversity. The results from that adversity. When given no room to breathe, this team has held its breath, gone to war, and constantly been able to fight their way out of corners. 

   On a team with a bare-bone crop of 4 or 5 needed centers, losing Derek Stepan the 1st dozen games of the season was supposed to cripple the team’s expectations to start the year. They went 6-4-2 while juggling Derrick Brassard, Martin St. Louis, Dominic Moore, J.T. Miller & Chris Mueller in various pivot placements. Remember Ryan McDonagh’s ugly-looking injury in November, causing him to miss 4 weeks, coupled with Brian Boyle’s broken hand? While deploying fill-ins like Matt Hunwick, Mike Kostka, Conor Allen, & Dylan McIlrath to defend work assignments of superior pedigree, the team still managed to go a respectable 4-4-3 while the shallowness of depth on the blueline was exposed during the turkey season.

   The come-from-behind comebacks early on against the NJ Devils & Minnesota Wild, as well as the memorable 3rd period rally over the NY Islanders a few weeks ago. These are amazing results. These are efficient hockey players executing a winning system, not without its occasional sloppiness, but assuredly above expectations, even in the mere months following last June’s drive to the Finals.

   Of course the NY Rangers are undoubtedly scavenging the trade deadline rental market, imaginably keen on improving depth, perhaps in center's or defenseman’s position. There is a tight leash as to NYR's financial liberties under the $69-million salary cap, so there’s unlikely a mesmerizing trade to be made. More likely a few additional pieces, to protect a team looking to make a run from a wave of untimely injuries. But, akin to the 2012 trade deadline where the NYR remained neutral, and pursued the playoffs with the same squad that had won the East in the regular season… Is this a team that can go the distance without any significant upgrades, transactions or contractual-outsourcing?

   If they are, it’s of certain thanks to coach Alain Vigneault, the riveting assortment of skill, smart & speed deployed with impressive balance night-in, night-out, fetching continually remarkable results. If this NY Rangers team is for real, the gentle hum of a balanced, hard-working engine sure can be a sweet soundtrack for a taking a drive at hockey’s highest of hardware hoists.

   

Do Faceoffs Matter to Stanley Cup Champions? How pricey are Stepan, Hagelin this summer? Nobody shuts the door in 3rd periods like Henrik Lundqvist.

How Often Are Certain Elements In A Stanley Cup Champion?

I was sifting through some team statistics of NHL postseasons, looking over how strong or weak the last 8 Stanley Cup teams were in Power Play, Penalty Killing, Goals For/Against per Game, Face-off Percentage, & Goaltender Save Percentage. I was wondering how the current New York Rangers look on paper in terms of these stats.

Power Play: Believe it or not, most of the recent Stanley-Cup-winning teams have not had to have an exquisite power play in the postseason. In fact, the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks (13th of 16), the 2012 Los Angeles Kings (12th of 16), & the 2011 Boston Bruins (14th of 16) were amongst the worst PP teams in the postseason. The New York Rangers currently have a league-average Power Play, which is 15th of 30 (or 9th of the 16 currently projected playoff teams*). The average Cup winner the past 8 seasons has also had a 9th-of-16 power play. No championship team since 2006 has been Top-4 (out of 16) in a given playoff! 

Winning Face-offs: Since hockey is a game of possession, its axiomatic having a frequent faceoff-percentage, thus frequent puck possession, sounds like an element absolutely needed for a Stanley Cup campaign, right?... Believe it or not, the latest trend of Cup winning teams have only had to be average-to-slightly-above-average in the face-off circles. The 2013 Chicago Blackhawks (12th of 16), the 2012 Los Angeles Kings (10th of 16), & the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (t-11th of 16) were overall face-off losers. The past 4 Stanley Cup winners have featured 2 strong face-off teams & 2 weak face-off teams, so it’s been a high-variance element in evaluating championship calibre. The New York Rangers are nearly the weakest face-off team in the league, ranking 29th of 30 (or 16th of 16 vs currently projected playoff teams*).

It isn't at all uncommon for teams with a lousy Power Play to find a way to win it all. The 2011 Boston Bruins had the 3rd worst PP of all 16 playoff teams that postseason. 

Goals Allowed per Game: What’s the scoop on allowing goals en route to winning the Stanley Cup? Well, it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out the teams that win championships don’t allow many goals. In fact, the past 8 Stanley Cup teams were all Top-5 in GAA (average rank of 3rd of 16). Fortunately, the New York Rangers are 2nd of 30 in the NHL (and 2nd of 16 amongst projected playoff teams*, only behind Chicago). 

Penalty Kill: Well if a strong Power Play isn’t always an absolute ingredient in winning 16 playoff games, is Penalty Killing any different? Well, looking over the past 8 years, Penalty Kill has been considerably better than Power Play. The 2014 Los Angeles Kings (9th of 16 in PK) were the weakest penalty-killing team in a decade to win it all. Otherwise, all winners from 2007 to 2013 were teams exclusively sporting a PK that was Top-6 in the postseason. The New York Rangers are currently 9th of 30 on the kill in the NHL (7th of 16 vs currently projected playoff teams*). Conclusion? With occasional exception, a tight PK is a must. NY Rangers, while there’s always longing for improvement, must utilize their playoff PK execution, perhaps even more than their playoff PP.

It isn't at all uncommon for teams with a losing face-off winning percentage to still find a way to win it all. The 2013 Chicago Blackhawks had the 5th lowest face-off winning percentage en route to the Stanley Cup.

Conclusion? 

In this era, having a lethal Power Play or top-tier faceoff winning percentage can definitely help... but doesn't seem all that required in the average recent Cup winner. 

Penalty Kill and Save Percentage are slightly more important, both averaging out to be all over the Top-10 spectrum in championship campaigns.

The categories of postseason Goals-For-Per-Game & Goals-Against-Per-Game are most critical. It constantly and consistently takes a Top-5 goal-differential club to win the Stanley Cup. The previous categories had a lot of leeway and variance, Goal Differential does not.

*When comparing NYR to ‘currently projected playoff teams’, I am ranking NYR vs MTL, DET, NYI, TBL, PIT, WSH, BOS, NSH, STL, ANH, CHI, VAN, LAK, MIN & WPG.

*   *   *

How Much Money Would Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin Receive in Salary Arbitration?

Carl Hagelin: What is Hagelin’s value? There has been only 1 single salary-arbitration case the last few summers… Vladimir Sobotka’s in the Summer of 2014. Oddly enough, Sobotka appears to be a very similar player to Hagelin statistically. Specifically…

• Hagelin will be 27 years old this summer when he is eligible for arbitration… the same age Sobotka when he had his case.
• Sobotka went 9-24-33 in 61 games the season before his hearing, and had a STL career of 29-72-101 in 247 games.
• Right now, Hagelin is 14-14-28 in 59 games, and has a NY Rangers career of 55-68-123 in 243 games.
• Hagelin has a slight edge in career stats, but projected to have a lesser-pedigree of ice time and points than Sobotka had in the year before his arbitration
• Both have a career differential of 20 seconds contrasting career average ice time per game of the two

It would seem Hagelin likely gets a similar salary increase as Sobotka received, or perhaps a bit more considering better career numbers (despite a slightly worse season). Sobotka was awarded 1-year, $2.725 million settlement (which remains pending as Sobotka had already defected to the KHL), or 3.95% of the incoming $69 million salary cap. Considering Hagelin may get slightly more than Sobotka, and the salary cap may only slightly increase next season…

My estimate, for a 1-year arbitration result, would be something like 4 or 4.1 percent of $70 million (assuming a modest $1 million increase of the cap). That math gets us somewhere between $2.80 - $2.87 million cap hit on a 1-year deal. Of course, a sluggish or hot-handed regular season finish and/or postseason performance can always change these numbers for better or worse.

Carl Hagelin turns 27 years old this summer. As his speed and mobility are perhaps the largest part of his utility and effectiveness as an NHL-calibre 3rd-line winger... A stunted salary cap, and a less replaceable, exponentially more daunting Derek Stepan will probably be priority-one in reaching a long-term contract. A mutual 1-or-2 year deal slightly under or around $3 million/year would be my prediction.

   Carl Hagelin probably receives 1-year, $2.85 million salary arbitration award with the data as of 02/25/15.

*   *   *

Derek Stepan: The semi-retired great NYR blogger Hockey Rodent last posted an analysis comparing Stepan’s looming pay raise to that of Ryan O’Reilly’s last summer with The Colorado Avalanche. In it, Ro’ logically predicts Stepan will top O’Reilly’s $6 million per year cap hit. O’Reilly, as of Summer 2014, had 73-118-191 in 345 career NHL games (18:20 ATOI). Stepan, in contrast, reigns is at 84-156-240 in 339 career NHL games (18:18 ATOI). That’s 49 more points in 6 less games! Stepan is 8 months older than O’Reilly, both are vital centers for their respective clubs, & both have virtually the same exact career ATOI per game

• O’Reilly avoided arbitration by signing a 2-year, $6 million/yr deal with Colorado. The incoming salary cap was $69,000,000 (so this was 8.7% of salary cap per-year deal). If Stepan is indeed more valuable and statistically productive than O’Reilly, let’s play with some numbers. A 1-year deal would be perhaps 9 to 9.5 percent of an incoming salary cap of $70 million (6.3 to 6.65 million), a 2-year deal being 9.5 to 10 percent (6.65 to 7 million/year). 
• Stepan is the 1st New York Ranger to reach 40 points in each of his first 5 NHL seasons since Tomas Sandstorm (’85-’89). He missed the 2014 training camp over a contract holdout probably less than $100,000 in disagreement. Stepan, who has been incredibly healthy and NHL-calibre, only to improve each season and now tinker with a point-per-game 2015 season as he is the #1 center in a seemingly seriously contending NY Rangers team. There is no reason why Stepan shouldn’t be expecting to break the bank. This is one restricted free agent Glen Sather will not be able to leverage, as he’s infamously been known to brink-push. 
• Option 1: Let Stepan go to arbitration, and accept whatever 1-year deal is awarded. Perhaps $6-$6.5 million in a 1-year settlement. Compared to a multi-year deal, with a cap hit closer to $7 million than $6 million, and a possibly stagnant salary cap increase… NYR can take the cheapest possible salary cap for 2015-16, but risk losing him to unrestricted free agency in 2016. 
• Option 2: Negotiate an amicable long-term extension, the sooner the better if this is the decided route, as any star player’s price gets higher the closer he gets to reaching unrestricted free agency (a little over 16 months away for Stepan). 
• For a long-term extension, looking over relatively comparable players in similar situations/similar stats as Stepan this upcoming summer, I would estimate the following… 1-yr: $6.30 mil/yr… 2-yrs: $6.70 mil/yr… 3-yrs: $6.90 mil/yr, 4-yrs: $7.00 mil/yr, 5-yrs: $7.10 mil/yr, 6-yrs: $7.15 mil.yr, 7-yrs: $7.20 mil/yr, 8-yrs: $7.25 mil/yr. I’m not so sure one of the other 29 NHL clubs could offer $7.5 million/yr long-term on Stepan, especially if big-money market teams all experience cap crunch in 2015-16 (as the Canadian dollar remains bleak).

"Derek, will you lower your asking price if the salary cap decreases next season?..."

Derek Stepan probably receives a 1-year, $6.3 million salary arbitration award with the data as of 02/25/15. Multi-year contract extension could be anywhere from $6.7 million to $7.25 million, or perhaps higher on the open marker in July 2016. 

I would not be shocked if Stepan, Rangers ended up going to arbitration in 5 months. 

Fun Facts!

Protecting 3rd Period Leads: NY Rangers are only team in the last 15 years with no more than 1 regulation loss over a 150-game span when leading after 2 periods (140-1-9). via EliasSportsBureau

'94 Officially A Generation Ago: Making his NHL debut last weekend was NY Rangers goalie prospect Mac Skapski. Skapski was the 3rd youngest NYR netminder to ever start a game (behind John Vanbiesbrouck and Dan Blackburn respectively). But, perhaps unbelievably, Skapski was the first NYR goalie to play a game without having been alive for a NY Rangers Stanley Cup since Mike Richter broke the curse the day before he was born! Earlier in the year, prospect Anthony Duclair became the 1st NYR skater to have not been alive for a NYR Stanley Cup since the entire team in Game 7, 1994 vs the Canucks. How the years have flown by!

NYR Salary Chart: Can we get a uniformed CapGeek replacement site going on, internet? Here's the NYR salary info.

Rick Nash is on-pace for HISTORIC season, IMPRESSIVE records

* Rick Nash is averaging 2.2001 goals-per-hour, which would be the NHL record (since individuals' icetime started being tracked in '97-'98) if the season ended today.

*In fact, only Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 (2.0589/hr) & Jonathan Cheechoo in 2005/06 (2.0539/hr) have scored at least 2 goals-per-hour and and placed top-5 in goals in a single season. 

*Unbelievably, if Rick Nash actually goes on to lead the NHL in goals... at the ripe old age of 'almost 31 years old, Nash would become the oldest player to lead the league in the past 40 years!

* In the past 60 years, only Phil Esposito ('73-'75) and Gordie Howe ('63) have been older than Nash is now and gone on to lead the league in goals.

* If Rick Nash wins the scoring title this season, it will be his 2nd award, with his 1st being the '03-'04 season... This would also mean than Rick Nash would tie Nels Stewart's record (1926 & 1937) of going 11 years in-between NHL scoring titles. 

* Rick Nash is the youngest player to lead the NHL in goals in a season (41 goals in '03-'04), at age 19.

* Rick Nash is the most recent (6th youngest) NHL player to score over 40 goals in a season.

* In the '14-'15 season, Rick Nash would be the most recent (and 5th oldest) NHL player to ever lead the NHL in goals

* Rick Nash is leading the NHL in Even-Strength Goals (ESG). If his pace continues, he is set to score 39 ESG's. If so, he would be the oldest NHL player to score 39 ESG's in the past 41 years!

* Rick Nash is also currently leading the NHL in...

 -  0.6458 goals-per-game [minimum 10 goals scored]

 -  Shorthanded goals (4 SHG's)

 -  1st Goal Scored of Game (7)

 -  1st in Home Goals scored (17)

 -  1st in Goals vs Division (14)

 -  2nd in Away Goals (14)

 

 -  5th in Game-Winning-Goals (5)

Calling on NHL Salary Nerds to Come Together & Pool Spreadsheets for Post-CapGeek Era

I have created a salary spreadsheet for the NYR New York Rangers of the NHL. It is admittedly a work in progress, but it is a start, following the cold days of internet since CapGeek tragically & unexpectedly shutdown. I want to get 30 'contract beat-writers' of each NHL team o come together and start a network, based on salary & salary cap data in the NHL. I'm very interested to go nuts and see if there's enough interest to establish a new site, is there anyone out there interested?

Please contact me via E-Mail @ HockeyStatMiner@Yahoo.com... or if you're on Twitter @HockeyStatMiner

HERE is my New York Rangers salary page. Feel free to bookmark it!

Salary Page FAQ's
- Long-Term Injury Reserve credit (LTIR) is not tracked... yet
- This simply shows the contracts of the team's top 25 contracts (5C-10W-8D-2G)
- This is not reflective of current NYR cap space today
- It gives a projected 7-year outlook on the team's finances, as well as estimates for future salary caps. - A player with * attached to cap hit signifies the player's contract has a bonus
- QO is qualifying offer

Raw Link:
http://bit.ly/1tJb7dr

NY Rangers Notes - Wed 10/22/14

- The oldest player on the team is playing the most minutes. Martin St. Louis, who turns 40 years old next June, is leading all NY Rangers forwards in icetime per game (18:31). Behind Nash, MSL is quietly also enjoying a great start to the 2014-15 season. He is tied with Kreider for 2nd on the team in points (1-5-6), tied with Nash for 1st in plus/minus (+6). 

- Kevin Hayes, who got his 1st career assist last night in the 4-3 overtime win against the Devils, is now dead-last in the NHL in faceoff win % (among those to take 10+ faceoffs). He is 15-46 (24.6%).

- Chris Kreider continues to be a young man with tremendous upside. Behind Nash, and tied with MSL, Kreider is 2nd on the team in points (2-4-6), but has taken 9 minor penalties in 7 games. Kreider turns 24 years old in April. What a nifty game-winning pass to Klein last night in overtime... Remember when Kreider was riding pine in tight 3rd periods/overtimes last regular season? Good news: The Kreider Project is progressing.

- The NY Rangers lead the NHL in takeaways (57). NYR are also 24th in faceoff win % (47.8), 24th in Power Play % (10.0%), 20th in Penalty Kill % (78.6%), tied for 13th in Goals-For-Per-Game (2.86), and 23rd in Goals-Against-Per-Game (3.29).

- Duclair sat out his 2nd consecutive game, as the Rangers have outscored their opponent 8-3 in those 2 games. With Chris Mueller's impressive early performance, and Dominic Moore seemingly set up to play 3rd line minutes until Stepan returns, does this edge out Duclair's chances at a full NHL season? Or is it looking like he will be returned to his junior team (Quebec Remparts - QMJHL)? If Duclair played center, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Yet NY has a plethora of wingers, and Duclair's NYR residency is uncertain, or at least at this time.

- With Henrik Lundqvist's 4-0 shutout last Sunday, he surpassed Eddie Giacomin's NYR record of 9 straight seasons with a shutout, cementing a shutout for the 10th consecutive year. Since allowing 14 goals on 76 shots to begin the season, Lundqvist has stopped 90 of 94 since (.957 SV%) his last 3 games (3-0-0). 

- Rick Nash is the hottest goal-scorer in the NHL thusfar. In fact, not only is he leading all NHL players in goals scored, but this is the fastest year Rick Nash has accrued 8 goals. His previous record was 8 goals scored in his first 9 games for the Blue Jackets in 2007-08 season. Nash has scored a goal, or game-winning shootout goal, in all 7 of NYR's game so far this season. 

Nash 8 Goals first 9 GP in 07-08

Nash 6 Goals first 9 GP in 09-10

Nash 8 Goals first 7 GP in 14-15

- For the 2nd consecutive game, Matt Hunwick played more minutes per game than John Moore, and looked competent in doing so. With Mike Kostka rightfully in the doghouse, the spot of 7th defenseman (as Dan Boyle remains injured until November) is Hunwick's to lose at this point. While playing almost exclusively even-strength minutes, if Hunwick continues his play, he could be the club's best bargain at 1-year $600,000 in contract salary.

- MSL is leading forwards in icetime at 18:31/game. Last regular season, the highest icetime-per-game by a forward was Brad Richards at 18:41/game. Vigneault continues to roll lines and spread out his forwards' icetime. Before the AV administration, the NY Rangers hadn't gone a season with a forward averaging under 20 minutes/game since the 1999-2000 (Muckler/Tortorella) season. Speedy wingers & fresh legs remain a signature advantage for this team, at least up front. However on the back end, McDonagh & Girardi are both averaging over 29 shifts per game. McDonagh ranks 10th in icetime/game in the NHL (25:36) & Girardi ranks 27th (23:31). Can we expect the team's top pair to play these minutes another 75 games, only to raise expectations for additional 4-28 playoff games? And people are talking about Marc Staal as if he's expendable? Go figure