Rangers Should Target Savard, Forget About Marleau

The center on the free agent market this summer that will be number one priority for teams lacking depth up the middle will be Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks. Marleau, who has struggled pretty badly in 07/08 has since bounced back with two impressive seasons, recording 71 and 83 points, respectively.

Because of this renaissance, Marleau will be a hot commodity in the coming weeks, and the New York Rangers will most likely find their interest peeked at the free agent’s availability. However, his salary was $6.3 million last season, this coming after a career high 44 goals. Marleau will be set to make $7 million or higher, depending on the desperation of the bidder.

The Rangers will not be able to afford his salary, what with Chris Drury making $7 million to score fifty points, and the Rangers having impending RFA’s Dan Girardi and Marc Staal to sign. And even if the Rangers were to free up space, such as by miraculously getting rid of Wade Redden, I still would not want him.

As good as he has been, Marleau seems just like the player the Rangers would sign. At 31 and coming off his best season ever, he is past his prime, or at least on the cusp of passing it. He is going to command big bucks as mentioned earlier, but also a long term deal.

I do not see Marleau eclipsing the 44 goals and 83 points he scored this season, even if he would be playing alongside Marian Gaborik.

Fact is, if the Rangers do sign him and put him on the top line, even if he and Gaborik score 100 points each, where will other offense come from? Signing Marleau will only allow that one signing, with no space available to bring in secondary scoring.

However, with Marc Savard now available in Boston, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the Rangers have a cheaper option that they can target.

The Bruins already have a slew of centers, including newly acquired Nathan Horton, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and the soon-to-be-drafted Tyler Seguin. The Bruins will have no room for Savard and can use the cap space.

Should the Rangers bring in Savard, they would have a highly skilled center locked up for the next seven years (I know, it seems daunting) but the cap hit is a very manageable $4.007 million. Savard is only one year older than Marleau, and has put up 63 or more assists in four out of the last five seasons. He failed to reach that last season due to injury, where he only played 41 games, but still managed to put up 23 assists.

Savard also has experience playing in New York, albeit very brief. He was drafted by the Rangers in 1995 and played two seasons with the team from 1997 to 1999. In 98 games he scored 10 goals and 41 assists for 51 points. He was then shipped out by Neil Smith for Jan Hlavac.

But what would it take to get Savard?

Boston will most likely ask for Dubinsky and a draft pick, because remember, they need to clear up salary and could also use Dubinsky as a bottom six, checking forward, something he would be on the Rangers if it was not for such a severe lack of skill.

If the Bruins are desperate enough, than perhaps Dubinsky and a second round pick will be enough. I really cannot see any other moves that would work between the two teams that would be cap friendly. Obviously, the Rangers would love to shed Rozsival or Brashear in a deal, but to be realistic, that is just not going to happen.

Should Savard get traded, I expect we will see something on draft day, but it is just a hunch.

As a side note, Jonathon Ragus from Ranger Nation and MVP Gotham just posted this Facebook status: “Stupidity is a terrible thing. Ranger fans who think they should sign Evgeni Nabokov to be Henrik Lundqvist’s backup, I have one question for you– What the [expletive deleted] are you smoking? Sipping the stupid juice today?

I thought that was hilarious. I know Rangers fans aren’t that dumb, so for the sake of everyone’s IQ, I pray that July 1 will get here sooner rather than later.

Russ Cohen Discusses the NHL Draft, Rangers, Free Agency, and More!

Hockey analyst and Sportsology creator Russ Cohen now becomes the person I have interviewed more than any other, with this being our fourth time. Russ has always been kind enough to answer all of my questions and we decided to do another interview exploring the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft that will be upon us June 25.

Russ is also allowing me to run a hockey trivia challenge, that starts tomorrow, using his book 100 Ranger Greats as the medium. For the next three weeks, every Tuesday I will post trivia questions that can all be answered by reading the book. Participants must email me their responses before the next round is posted and the leader after three weeks will win a brand new copy! It is sure to be a lot of fun.

Below is our conversation:

GC: Who do you think the Rangers will take in this year’s draft, and why?

RC: I think the New York Rangers will select goaltender Jack Campbell. Henrik Lundqvist continues to break his own career mark for games played with the Blueshirts and five year’s into his career he has some knee problems. If you consider that most of the Rangers great goaltenders lasted right around 10 years then this year’s draft has to yield a potential franchise goaltender for the team. Goalies take a long time to develop so the time is now. This is a piece I wrote on Campbell.

GC: There is so much talk about who will go first overall in this year’s draft. Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall seem to be the leading candidates, but who do you think the Oilers will take with the first overall pick?

RC: I think the Oilers will take Taylor Hall. He has exceptional speed, he’s a clutch scorer, he can play in every situation and he makes players around him better. He can play in the NHL next season.

GC: What Rangers prospects have a chance of making the team this season?

RC: Derek Stepan has that kind of talent. If he decides to turn pro and not return to the University of Wisconsin then he will certainly get a long look in camp. What’s important to note is the fact that if he could make the team without playing in the AHL then he will be learning on the job and you shouldn’t expect a huge offensive season out of him. I think Bobby Sanguinetti has the talent and he seems to be playing with more of an edge. He had a rocky road with the coach last season so he has to impress him in camp or he won’t make it even though he has the talent to do so. If Evgeny Grachev has a great start in Hartford he could get a late season promotion.

GC: Do you expect there to be many trades at this year’s draft, and do you see the Rangers making any?

RC: Toronto will be trying to move defenseman Tomas Kaberle for sure. I think one of the Montreal goaltenders; most likely Carey Price will be available as well. I think the Rangers might have interest in Kaberle. There will be some lesser talented players moved as well, there always are.

GC: The very private Glen Sather gave a very in-depth interview with Larry Brooks of the New York Post last week. What is your response to this and what do you think he has in store this off-season?

RC: I think he’s trying to add another scorer to play alongside Marian Gaborik. I think they will search for toughness on the blueline as well. They don’t have a lot of cap space so far, but that could change, so that’s why he was essentially saying don’t look for a big free-agent signing. With all of that said it’s nice to say that you want to keep going with the youth but the past few years the Rangers traded some of that youth, and it didn’t get the team anywhere, so it’s hard to put much stock in that statement as well.

GC: Rangers fans seem to be clamoring for Ilya Kovalchuk (obviously) and now more recently Anton Volchenkov. Tomas Plekanec has had his name thrown in the rumor mill as well, even though I do not want him. Which of these free agents do the Rangers have the best shot at signing? And would you personally make a move to acquire any of them?

RC: Tomas Plekanec was almost invisible in the series against Philadelphia so stay away from him; he’s just too soft, even though he has solid scoring ability. Anton Volchenkov could help this team at the right price. He’s the only one of the three that I would have interest in. If Kovalchuk was going to become a Ranger he would ask for $100 million that they don’t have. I’m not sure where he will sign but I’m sensing he might take less money to stay in New Jersey when it’s all said and done.

I would like to thank Russ for taking the time to conduct this interview!