New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault has met his own timelines throughout training camp. The final measure will be no different.
By Nick Adams
Vigneault’s and General Manager Jeff Gorton’s constraints are: time, roster size limits and the salary cap. In accordance with the NHL’s rules, the Opening Day Playing Roster cannot exceed 23 names and must be submitted no later than Monday. The the league’s current salary cap is $71.4MM.
According to Steve Zipay of Newsday, accounting for the salaries of all 20 players assumed to be on the team at this point yields a total of just over $68MM, leaving an approximate margin of $3.5MM within which to accommodate the remaining 2-3 available roster spots.
Vigneault and his coaches are meeting today to discuss the tough calls on who will be cut. The team will travel to West Point on Sunday for its final days of camp.
There are five players contending for two positions. There is room for a thirteenth forward and a seventh defenseman. The players are: Emerson Etem (F-LW), Raphael Diaz(D), Tanner Glass(F-LW), Jayson Megna (F-RW) and Dylan McIlrath (D).
Let’s take a closer look at each:
Emerson Etem
Position: Forward – Left Wing
Age/Physical Stats: 23/ Ht:6’/Wt:205lbs/Shoots: L
NHL Experience: 112GM 15G/31P (Playoffs – 23GM 6G/8P)
Contract/Cap Hit: $850k/1-year
Notes: Former 1st round pick (2010) acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in the Carl Hagelin trade. The Rangers like his size, speed, hands and youth. There is upside here if Vigneault and his coaching staff can round Etem into a steady performer.
He has spent a lot of time in the AHL over the course of three seasons and has had an underwhelming camp so far, scoring no goals, no points and posting a -2 +/- through five games. AV has attributed Etem’s lack of production to him learning a news system. Some critics disagree and posit that he’s just not that good.
Etem isn’t Hagelin, but we wouldn’t need him to be. What the Rangers need from him is a points contribution somewhere close to Hagelin’s, the disruptive effect of his speed and sound checking. He is signed for the bare minimum and would become an RFA following this season if he makes the cut. Getting close to what a Hags provided for less than a quarter of the cost is a win. If he doesn’t make it, he will be waived and almost certainly claimed by a team looking for a quick winger with undeveloped upside and playoff experience.
Raphael Diaz
Position: Defenseman
Age/Physical Stats: 29/ Ht:5’11″/Wt:197lbs/Shoots: R
NHL Experience: 201GM 8G/49P (Playoffs – 12GM 0G/0P)
Contract/Cap Hit: $700k/1-year
Notes: Diaz has been a Ranger before, he is a bargain and any team in need of a reliable defenseman who can do a little scoring will pick him up off waivers if he is cut. He skated in 11 regular season games and four playoff games in 2014 for New York, after being acquired from Vancouver.
His age and experience level make him a very viable 7th defenseman. He knows AV’s system, knows the room and fits in well for the right price. He has skated well in camp, having scored a pair of goals and five total points in four games.
Common sense says to keep Diaz. He has proven capable of contributing meaningfully and has by all rights earned his spot on the roster with his play. He’s not flashy or terribly big, but he gets the job done and is trustworthy in the back end. Seeing him get cut would be surprising. There is a $100k salary delta between Diaz and McIlrath so cost isn’t really a driver on deciding between the two.
Tanner Glass
Position: Forward – Left Wing
Age/Physical Stats: 31/Ht:6’/Wt:210lbs/Shoots: L
NHL Experience: 443GM (9 sea.) 19G/60P (Playoffs – 56GM 1G/2P)
Contract/Cap Hit: $1.45MM/Year (2nd season of a 3-year contract)
Notes: It isn’t Glass’ fault that the game is going away from his way of playing it, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is. A well-liked teammate and seasoned NHLer, Glass has never played on a sub .500 NHL squad. Commonly referred to as “AV’s guy,” it seems odd that a coach bent on playing an up-tempo speed game would keep Glass around. He’d get outrun by a slightly energized rock.
AV is a big reason, if not THE reason Glass is a Ranger. As entertaining as it can be to watch him maul opponents, the combination of offensive talent surrounding him and a possible replacement pugilist in the form of Dylan McIlrath could cause Glass to ride the waiver wire. If he does, he will be owed $550k and the Rangers would re-capture $900k, giving Gorton some wiggle room under the cap.
Because he is gaudily expensive for a hammer, it’s unlikely that Glass would get claimed off waivers, which means he would end up Hartford-bound. He hasn’t played in the AHL since 2008-09. If that were to come to pass, Vigneault would have a lever to pull to motivate a flagging McIlrath, or a slow-to-grow Etem.
And that brings us to…
Dylan McIlrath
Position: Defenseman
Age/Physical Stats: 23/Ht:6’5″/Wt:220lbs/Shoots: R
NHL Experience: 3GM 0G/0P
Contract/Cap Hit: $600k/1-year
Notes: A 2010 1st Round pick, McIlrath has been a project. He has demonstrated improved skating and decision-making and may finally be rounding the corner. He has had a good camp, has been lauded for his hustle and improved play by the coaching staff, and is the reason AV’s decision on the 7th D-man is going to be difficult.
Opinions on him amongst fans are spilt. Many like his size and see him as the sort of big, physical, crease-clearing defensive presence the Rangers haven’t had in a long time.
Others see a clod-footed, wasted draft pick that has taken too long to mature and still isn’t NHL-ready. It’s hard to argue against his willingness to play physical and drop the gloves. In the second period of Wednesday’s game, Henrik Lundqvist was run into by Bruins forward Tyler Randell and minutes later, McIlrath was ripping Randell’s helmet off in a scrum.
(Dear NHL: people like to see this stuff. Thank you.)
Since he has a one-way contract, if cut, McIlrath will see waivers. He cannot simply be sent back down to Hartford. It seems likely that given his size and recent improvements under Wolf Pack Assistant Coach Jeff Beukeboom’s tutelage, he will find a place to play.
It is possible for Vigneault to opt to carry an eighth defenseman to rotate as a healthy scratch in the 23rd roster spot, but that’s unlikely. AV has said he wants to bring 22 guys into opening night and that is probably what he’ll do.
Lastly, there is…
Jayson Megna
Position: Forward – Right Wing
Age/Physical Stats: 25/Ht:6’1″/Wt:195lbs/Shoots: R
NHL Experience: 48GM 5G/10P
Contract/Cap Hit: $600k/1-year
Notes: It’s not really clear what Vigneault’s intentions are with Megna. He had two goals vs. NJD on 9/21 in the first of three preseason games he’s played in and has been quiet since.
He’s also been scratched for the last two games. One can only presume he’s being given a chance to demonstrate his worth in practice sessions and scrimmages.
Next Steps
Though Vigneault has remained steadfastly non-committal regarding specifics and his plans when speaking publicly, he has maintained or beaten his stated timelines throughout training camp.
He and his staff have made some difficult decisions already in trimming the roster to the tweaking stage, while other teams still appear to be in the midst of broad-strokes regarding player movements. It seems in keeping with his desire to have a fast, decisive start that he quickly and cleanly can navigate the unpleasant task of telling players they’ve had their opportunity and that the club is moving on without them. For now.
The team will head to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Sunday morning for an open practice at 11AM on Monday, Oct 5th. Vigneault’s preference would be to have his roster finalized by the time the team head to West Point. Given his decisiveness to this point, it likely will be before then.
The Rangers 2015-16 regular season is scheduled for next week. The puck drops on the opener at 8 PM EST, Wednesday, Oct 7th at Chicago’s United Center.
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