As we wait for the white smoke to emanate from Chicago with a decision by Patrick Kane, the Rangers face three games in four days starting tonight in Detroit. In addition, the Caps look like they have pulled the plug in the season while the East continues to load, as Dimitry Orlov and Garrett Hathaway were dealt to the Bruins for three picks, including a future first rounder. if New York is going to try and create enough cap space to trade for Kane, roter moves will need to be made by Sunday, and even then, it will be tight to fit in Kane with a third party engaged to assume 25% of the remaining cap hit after Chicago takes on 50% of his salary.
News broke just before I posted this that Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn will not be available to play tonight due to roster management reasons. If a deal is to occur, these are the two names that most certainly will need to come off the cap to create enough space. This doesn't mean a deal is imminent but the Rangers are trying to carve out enough room if one is to get done. But they need to be careful not to lose Kravtsov for nothing and to acquire a fourth line center/winger or top-six right winger elsewhere to fill the open roster spots.
To add more fuel to the fire, this information broke as well. Unsure how New York can make the deal now due to cap availability issues, but adding the tweet here. The Rangers will have to add in more than the below to enable the trade to take place, but Kane may have told Chicago it's New York or no one and they are trying to honor his request. The cap hit for Zac Jones, rumored to be in the deal, sits off the books, so including him, besides the talent going back to Chicago, does nothing to impact the cap. Kravtsov and Leschyshyn are the key salary components for deal purposes, but even then, it's not enough. We wait and see the dollar gymnastics taking place.
Per the source, Rangers prospects Vitali Kravtsov and Zachary Jones are involved in the deal, with picks going to a third team to help deal with the financial burden of Kane’s $10.5 million cap hit (Up to 50 percent retained by Chicago)
With Kravtsov and Leschyshyn scratched, the Rangers will roll seven d-man and 11 forwards. Tyler Motte and Barclay Goodrow will rotate in and out of the lineup, playing with a variety of partners. Ben Harpur is listed as the starting left wing, but that may be in name only.
Kreider - Zib - Vesey
Panarin - Trocheck - Tarasenko
Laf - Chytil - Kakko
Harpur - Goodrow - Motte
Leaving yourself shorthanded for possibly three games in four days and then next Wednesday against Philly and Thursday versus Ottawa is suboptimal. If the schedule had normal breaks and no back-to-back games, maybe. But if someone suffers an injury that only sidelines them a day or a few days, they are screwed. The same applies if they get Kane because they will have no cap flexibility to promote someone. I really wonder if Kane is the target or another winger with less cap space to be assumed. Stay tuned, it just got more interesting.
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