Welcome to the 2011 edition of the Rangers and the Cap where you help decide should he stay or should he go. We klcked it off with Sean Avery, but thanks to Alex for pointing out that if I was going in alpha order as I said I was going to, then AA, Artem Anisimov, should have been first.

As a reminder, in each of these blogs, I will present a player, include his contract and status, either RFA, UFA, or signed, if signed, year's remaining, buyout hit, pros and cons and then odds on returning and throw it to you for your view and comments. I will go alphabetically and mainly concentrate on the RFAs and UFAs but also include players that many of us think could be moved even if under contract. We all know that to make these decisions, you can't operate in a vacuum and that one decision impacts several others. Plus, it's also impacted by how much the cap rises. Notwithstanding that, please provide your comments as to if you think a player will be back and why and this is also why I am asking for comments and not just a yes or no.

Artem Anisimov

Contract and Status:> Made $821,667 in 2010-11 in last year of three-year, entry-level deal he signed in July 2007 and is an RFA

Buyout: Not applicable as an RFA

Pros: fairly successful move from fourth-line center in 2009-10 to second line center in 2010-11...questions as to his ability and desire to step up were somewhat removed given his increase in points from 28 to 44...played in all 82 games...solid skill level...meshed extremely well and had most of his success playing on a line with Dubi and Cally...fourth among Rangers' forwards in blocked shots...good wrist shot

Cons: needs to add some bulk to be able to create space on the ice and do the dirty work around the hash marks and half-boards required in Torts' system...would benefit from a more wide-open style of play that didn't require him to do much of the dirty work and neutral zone forecheck...too many major gaps in scoring, especially down the stretch and in the playoffs...struggled when not on the Pack line (as Jesse Spector pointed out, 17 of his 28 assists came on goals by Dubi and Cally, who assisted on most of his markers)

Odds on Returning: 75%, Rangers will definitely offer AA the $803,250 qualifying offer...his name has already come up as a possible trade chip for the Rangers to acquire a scoring center or wing...if Rangers think he can get to the next level, 25-30 goals and similar assists, they could offer him a 2-3 year deal for around $1 mil per to retain him at a cap friedly contract, enabling him either to stay or be dealt...but because his trade value is very high, given his age, likely contract and cap hit, expect his name to be mentioned very prominently in nearly any trade rumor involving the Rangers.

Prior "Clash" Blogs:
Sean Avery - http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jan-Levine/Rangers---The-Clash-Edition---Sean-Avery/89/35644