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Rangers can rule trade market with $6 million in cap space |
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When it comes to NHL rental players in the flat-cap 2021-22 season, affordability is the key.
Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg is a desirable right-shot defenseman option. Can play in your top four. Has offensive skill. Boasts 508 games of NHL experience.
But his most attractive selling point in this environment is his $4.25 salary cap hit.
If the acquiring team can persuade the Stars to retain half of his salary, his cap hit is down to $2.125 million. Now it’s inching closer to a number that maybe a contender could make work.
Teams would have interest in Klingberg in any season. But with most contenders snug to the salary cap ceiling, his salary adds to his attractiveness.
How tight is the salary cap outlook in the marketplace? According to CapFriendly.com, the Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes have no cap space remaining.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have $185,000 and the St. Louis Blues are at $63,720. Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic has $73,000 to play with. Don’t spend it all in one place, Joe.
The Florida Panthers, a prime contender, must feel rich with $248,000.
The Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild are in better shape at $1.24 million and $1.3 million respectively.
Even if the Stars retain some of Klingberg's salary, none of those teams could acquire Klingberg without removing a player from their roster.
And Klingberg is going to be one of the easier players to fit under the cap. Other possible defenseman rentals such as Mark Giordano ($6.7 million), Nick Leddy ($6 million) and Rasmus Ristolainen ($5.4) will cost more. Most of the possible forward rentals, such as Claude Giroux ($8.2 million), Joe Pavelski ($7 million) and Thomas Hertl ($5.625 million), have higher salaries than Klingberg.
The most desirable salary cap value in the marketplace is Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot at $3.5 million. But a team is going to have to pay a hefty price -- first-round pick and probably another asset -- to get him.
All of this explains why teams are looking hard at Klingberg. To be honest, the Stars would like to keep him and he would like to stay in Dallas. But the Stars have about $34 million committed already to Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell.
It is presumed he will want a long-term deal that pays him $8 million-plus.
The tight salary situation also explains why Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman is going to get calls from general managers wanting him to be the third team on a team to reduce the salary cap hit .
My hunch is that the Boston Bruins will be one of the favorites to get Klingberg, provided they have decided the price for Jakob Chychrun is too high. They should be able to trade Jake DeBrusk to clear up some space. Some teams at the bottom of the standings (with cap space) should be interested in DeBrusk.
But contenders such as Carolina, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Florida are probably all looking at ways to clear space to make a bid for Klingberg.
I should mention the Rangers, but I think their emphasis will be on Chiarot, a left-shot defenseman. The Rangers are in a position to be king in the trade market. They have more than $6 million in salary cap space.
They are going to end up with a defenseman and a forward. Chiarot and Joe Pavelski or Chiarot and Hertl. There’s a good chance they will be able to improve themselves the most because of their cap space position.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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