Lack of Kaapo Kakko offer sheet not all good news for Rangers

The excellent news is that the Rangers, and with seemingly extremely good reason, are unconcerned around the prospect of an provide sheet staying presented to Kaapo Kakko as negotiations on a bridge extension with the restricted free agent carry on at a relatively mystifyingly slow rate. 

Ah, but here’s the rub. 

Is it certainly very good news that no team in the league believes it is value somewhere around $4 million a yr to poach the 21-12 months-previous Finn from a cap-constrained Blueshirts group that would have fundamentally no way to match these kinds of an give sheet? 

Absolutely the payment of a 2nd-spherical draft decide likely the other way on an supply sheet with an yearly ordinary benefit of up to $4,201,488 would not feel a deterrent in trade for the participant just a few yrs eliminated from getting picked 2nd in general in the draft. 

Or does the absence of an provide sheet — or even the danger of 1 at this position — replicate Kakko’s singular want to stay in New York and make it in New York? There is zero sign that the ideal wing or his agent, Mike Liut, has solicited desire from any other group. 

And/or potentially this is just NHL basic administrators conducting enterprise as usual, eschewing the offer you sheet as a device to get gamers. There is the exceptional exception, but GMs generally experience offer sheets will be matched and their have team then will turn into susceptible to retaliation. 

All over again, although, in this situation, Rangers normal manager Chris Drury would be all but helpless to match a $4 million (for every) bid on Kakko. Plus, the cap restraints that loom around the franchise would prevent the Rangers from a retaliatory strike for at the very least a further three decades. 

Kakko is out there, but he is not. 

That is superior information for the Rangers. 

Isn’t it? 

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The Panthers show up to have come to be a vacation spot workforce, at last using advantage of their spot in a no-tax state in this uneven tricky-cap landscape that the NHL and NHLPA have failed to handle — and in fact have promulgated — in a sequence of collective bargaining agreements. 

It’s possible, with Matthew Tkachuk’s acquisition, the fans in Florida will lastly notice, the Puddy Tats ranking 24th in the two NHL attendance (14,811) and percent of potential (76.9) final calendar year though profitable the Presidents’ Trophy. 

Is it as well quickly to pencil in Jonathan Huberdeau and Pierre-Luc Dubois on the Canadiens’ first line in 2024-25? 

Calgary GM Brad Treliving was nimble in performing his way out of the corner in which he was place by Tkachuk, the acquisitions of Huberdeau (30-85-115) and top-four defenseman MacKenzie Weegar possible making it possible for the Flames to remain an higher echelon workforce even accounting for Johnny Gaudreau’s defection. 

But if the Flames are not able to signal Huberdeau and/or Weegar, every single of whom is a pending unrestricted cost-free agent, the franchise will be obligated to move either or the two as blue-chip rentals at the deadline and not repeat the 2022 Gaudreau “Eleventh Hour” mistake. 

Certainly, for sure, the Panthers become a a lot more difficult crew to enjoy in opposition to by swapping Huberdeau for Tkachuk and become a more singular menace to the Lightning in their alligator alley confrontation. 

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By the way, we look to have skipped about just how cutthroat Tampa Bay GM Julien BriseBois (and by extension, Jeff Vinik’s ownership) was in forcing Ryan McDonagh to waive his complete no-trade clause for a team of his decision less than threat of remaining placed on waivers and remaining claimed by a ne’er-do-nicely. 

There is no want to get rid of tears for No. 27, who chose to go to a Nashville club that is bulking up, but the predicament is representative of why no-shift clauses are so valuable. 

But when the Oren Koules-Len Barrie ownership pulled the exact maneuver in 2008 to friend of the column Dan Boyle, the execs were being trashed. 

(By me, even!) 

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If Lou Lamoriello’s insistence on preserving Semyon Varlamov as a $5 million backup to Ilya Sorokin is evidence that the Islanders GM thinks his group is likely to have to participate in a time of 3-2 game titles, perfectly, I’m fairly skeptical that signifies the route to achievement. 

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I speculate. Is it a cap-place concern, agreement inquire, or evaluation of talent and roster requirements (or a combination of all of the earlier mentioned) that is halting the Rangers from re-upping Tyler Motte at the price of holding Dryden Hunt ($762,500) on the squad? 

All over again, even though, if it’s another $500,000, that quantities to a variance of $2.325 million of room at the deadline that Drury need to do every thing in his energy to maintain. 

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If Tkachuk could change seamlessly to right wing very last time soon after five yrs in the NHL playing on his pure remaining, why does it look like the Rangers have an existential crisis with all their natural-born lefties? 

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David Quinn is one particular of the most compassionate, caring individuals I have met in my lifetime in this business, and am delighted he has acquired a second chance in San Jose from lately hired GM Mike Grier, with whom he shares a BU bloodline. 

There is each motive to think that Quinn, who was not aided at all his remaining time in New York by a management that refused to handle the 2020 bubble debacle, has recognized that his up-close-and-individual design does not necessarily translate across the board in the NHL and that he will have to enable his vets more respiration home … on the ice, on the bench, in the room. 

One detail for confident, though. The young’uns on this Sharks staff that is in a identical reset problem as were being the Rangers when Quinn was employed — chat about type-casting — will acquire an education and foundation in participating in 200-foot hockey.