RANGERS RETOOLING
Sign three, but Stralman, Pouliot & Boyle are gone
CASH-STR APPED Ran Rangers GM Glen Sather lost a ch chunk of his Stanley Cup Final ro roster to free agency when the mar market opened Tuesday afternoon ternoon, but he also re-signed center D Dominic Moore and retooled b by adding a pair of veteran fre free agents in defenseman Dan Bo Boyle and grinder Tanner Glass.
Two R Rangers free agents, defensema fenseman Anton Stralman (five years, $ $22.5 million) and forward Br Brian Boyle (three years, $6 milli million), bolted for the Tampa Bay L Lightning to join former Ranger captain Ryan Callahan, while fo forward Benoit Pouliot (five yea years, $20 million) slicked off to th the Edmonton Oilers.
The Blueshirts didn’t have much wiggle w room under the NHL’s $69 $ million salary cap. The five five-year terms were nonstar starters. ters Boyle wanted an increased role he wouldn’t get if he retur returned to play for Alain Vigneault gneault. And the Rangers had to leave approximately $15 million rem remaining to pay restricted free agents a Derick Brassard, Mats Zu Zuccarello, Chris Kreider and John Moore, plus add more depth.
So th t hey spent select ively, giving D Dan Boyle a two-year, $9 milli million deal with a full nomove c clause; Moore a twoyear, $3 million contract with a limited no-trade clause; and Glass a three-year, $4.5 million contract.
“In this (salary) cap world, going forward with some of the contracts we have to do, it became difficult (to re-sign players),” assistant GM Jeff Gorton said in a conference call. “But we’re always looking for someone that can help us.”
Dan Boyle turns 38 years old on July 12, but the 15-year veteran can help because he is both a power-play weapon and a righthanded defenseman, both of which the Rangers needed after buying out Brad Richards and letting Stralman leave.
Vigneault made up his mind immediately that Stralman couldn’t play the power play, which will remain to be seen if the Swede gets a shot in Tampa Bay.
The Rangers also likely are looking ahead to signing defenseman Marc Staal to a longterm extension and didn’t want four blue liners on lengthy deals.
Dan Boyle’s agent, George Bazos of Edge Sports Management, told the Daily News that Boyle received offers for more money from five other NHL teams but “chose New York because he has always wanted to play for the Rangers, throughout his whole career.”
Boyle becomes the fifth person the Rangers have plucked from Tampa Bay’s 2004 Stanley Cup-winning roster, including current Rangers forward Martin St. Louis, former Blueshirts coach John Tortorella and former Ranger forwards Richards and Ruslan Fedotenko.
Moore, t h is pa st sea son’s Masterton Trophy winner for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, also took less money to remain i n New York, agent Larry Kelly of Octagon told the Daily News. Just like the departed Stralman, Pouliot and Boyle, Moore — who turns 34 on Aug. 3 — was a major part of the Rangers’ playoff run.
Glass played two years for Vigneault in Vancouver, including the 2010-11 season when the Canucks reached Game 7 of the Final. He will fill a role as a fourth-liner, penalty killer and fighter, even though he couldn’t skate with the Rangers when he appeared briefly for the Pittsburgh Penguins i n their second-round playoff series. Glass’ playing style and the size of his contract, however, makes it unlikely unrestricted free agent Dan Carcillo will be back.
The Rangers also made several depth signings that could affect their NHL roster but more likely will have an AHL impact: Defenseman Mike Kostka, 28, forward Chris Mueller, 28, goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, 28, defenseman Matt Hunwick, 29, and defenseman Steven Kampfer, 25.