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

The superior information is that the Rangers, and with seemingly extremely very good motive, are unconcerned over the prospect of an supply sheet becoming introduced to Kaapo Kakko as negotiations on a bridge extension with the restricted free agent carry on at a to some degree mystifyingly slow tempo. 

Ah, but here’s the rub. 

Is it definitely superior news that no workforce in the league believes it is worthy of roughly $4 million a yr to poach the 21-calendar year-old Finn from a cap-constrained Blueshirts business that would have in essence no way to match such an provide sheet? 

Surely the compensation of a next-round draft pick heading the other way on an give sheet with an annual typical value of up to $4,201,488 would not seem to be a deterrent in trade for the participant just a few yrs taken off from becoming picked 2nd overall in the draft. 

Or does the absence of an offer you sheet — or even the danger of just one at this issue — replicate Kakko’s singular drive to stay in New York and make it in New York? There is zero indicator that the suitable wing or his agent, Mike Liut, has solicited curiosity from any other team. 

And/or most likely this is basically NHL general administrators conducting enterprise as typical, eschewing the give sheet as a device to acquire gamers. There is the unusual exception, but GMs typically truly feel present sheets will be matched and their own team then will come to be susceptible to retaliation. 

Yet again, even though, in this situation, Rangers normal manager Chris Drury would be all but helpless to match a $4 million (for each) bid on Kakko. Moreover, the cap restraints that loom around the franchise would avert the Rangers from a retaliatory strike for at minimum yet another three yrs. 

Kakko is out there, but he isn’t. 

That is fantastic information for the Rangers. 

Isn’t it? 

The Panthers seem to have turn out to be a vacation spot workforce, at last taking advantage of their area in a no-tax state in this uneven challenging-cap landscape that the NHL and NHLPA have unsuccessful to address — and without a doubt have promulgated — in a series of collective bargaining agreements. 

Perhaps, with Matthew Tkachuk’s acquisition, the admirers in Florida will eventually notice, the Puddy Tats ranking 24th in the two NHL attendance (14,811) and per cent of capacity (76.9) last calendar year even though successful the Presidents’ Trophy. 

Is it also shortly to pencil in Jonathan Huberdeau and Pierre-Luc Dubois on the Canadiens’ very 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 prime-four defenseman MacKenzie Weegar probably making it possible for the Flames to continue to be an upper echelon group even accounting for Johnny Gaudreau’s defection. 

But if the Flames can not sign Huberdeau and/or Weegar, just about every of whom is a pending unrestricted totally free agent, the franchise will be obligated to shift either or the two as blue-chip rentals at the deadline and not repeat the 2022 Gaudreau “Eleventh Hour” error. 

Yes, for guaranteed, the Panthers turn into a additional difficult workforce to engage in against by swapping Huberdeau for Tkachuk and grow to be a additional singular menace to the Lightning in their alligator alley confrontation. 

By the way, we appear to have skipped around just how cutthroat Tampa Bay GM Julien BriseBois (and by extension, Jeff Vinik’s ownership) was in forcing Ryan McDonagh to waive his total no-trade clause for a crew of his preference below threat of being positioned on waivers and becoming claimed by a ne’er-do-well. 

There is no need to shed tears for No. 27, who selected to go to a Nashville club that is bulking up, but the predicament is representative of why no-shift clauses are so treasured. 

But when the Oren Koules-Len Barrie possession pulled the same maneuver in 2008 to close friend of the column Dan Boyle, the execs had been trashed. 

(By me, even!) 

If Lou Lamoriello’s insistence on keeping Semyon Varlamov as a $5 million backup to Ilya Sorokin is evidence that the Islanders GM thinks his group is heading to have to play a year of 3-2 video games, properly, I’m instead skeptical that represents the route to achievement. 

I question. Is it a cap-room problem, agreement request, or evaluation of talent and roster needs (or a mixture of all of the previously mentioned) that is stopping the Rangers from re-upping Tyler Motte at the cost of maintaining Dryden Hunt ($762,500) on the squad? 

All over again, even though, if it is a further $500,000, that amounts to a big difference of $2.325 million of place at the deadline that Drury ought to do anything in his electric power to maintain. 

If Tkachuk could change seamlessly to correct wing last time immediately after 5 a long time in the NHL playing on his purely natural still left, why does it seem like the Rangers have an existential disaster with all their normal-born lefties? 

David Quinn is 1 of the most compassionate, caring folks I have achieved in my life span in this market, and am delighted he has obtained a second prospect in San Jose from a short while ago hired GM Mike Grier, with whom he shares a BU bloodline. 

There is each rationale to think that Quinn, who was not served at all his last time in New York by a administration that refused to tackle the 2020 bubble debacle, has acknowledged that his up-close-and-personal design does not essentially translate throughout the board in the NHL and that he have to allow his vets a lot more respiration place … on the ice, on the bench, in the place. 

A single factor for guaranteed, though. The young’uns on this Sharks group that is in a comparable reset condition as were being the Rangers when Quinn was employed — discuss about type-casting — will obtain an education and basis in actively playing 200-foot hockey.