New York Rangers: Should I Stay or Should I Go? 2012

This series discusses New York Rangers' players who are currently unrestricted or restricted free agents, examining their unique situations from the player’s point of view.  Today we examine the situations of unrestricted free agents John Mitchell and Kris Newbury.

John Mitchell, Center

Reasons to Stay:
Played 63 games with the Rangers this year and was solid, if unspectacular.  Rangers are truly competing for the Stanley Cup now.  The club seems to need him to win face-offs.

Reasons to Leave:
Plays only 10 minutes a game.  At 27 years-old, Mitchell is unlikely to be pleased with a two-way contract offer.  The Rangers currently have a dozen players under contract that play his position.

Analysis:
John Mitchell is a checking center, that can win face-offs.  He plays about 10 minutes a game.  He is a plus player.  He is good for around 15 points a season.  He hits, and can go to the net.  Outside of these things, John Mitchell’s game is ordinary.  His future with the Rangers depends on how quickly the Rangers’ young prospects develop that play his position.

Speculation:
The Rangers as a team, aren’t that great at winning face-offs.  As long as none of the Rangers’ youthful prospects can better Mitchell’s skill set, his job is probably safe.  The Rangers offer Mitchell roughly the same money as before on a 1 or 2-year deal.  If the club’s young centers aren’t ready, he’ll continue to play with the Rangers.  If Mitchell falters, or begins to get outplayed by younger players, he will see time on the farm at Hartford, and perhaps find himself on the trading block.


Kris Newbury, Center

Reasons to Stay:
If he is offered a renewal of his current contract, things aren’t likely to get much better at age 30.

Reasons to Leave:
Change of venue.  May feel he is toiling in the vacuum of the AHL with no reward in sight.

Analysis:
Newbury is a point-a-game player in the AHL.  The Connecticut Whale need him.  He is experienced, and physical (averages about 3 minutes a game in penalties).  Having said this, Newbury has only scored 1 assist in 18 matches for the Rangers over the last two seasons, and has trouble staying out of the penalty box.  Although the Whale can’t spare him, the Rangers can.  He has never scored more than 2 goals in an NHL season.  The Rangers need Newbury as an injury fill-in, and to continue lighting the lamp in the AHL.

Speculation:
Rangers will offer Newbury a deal.  Probably a 1-year renewal of his current contract.  At this point in his career it may be the best offer he will get.  Should Newbury begin to get consistently outplayed by one of the young prospects,  he may become expendable.


Tomorrow’s segment will feature New York Rangers’ unrestricted free agents Andre Deveaux and Steve Eminger.

New York Rangers: Should I Stay or Should I Go? 2012

This series discusses New York Rangers' players who are currently unrestricted or restricted free agents, examining their unique situations from the player’s point of view.  Today we begin with unrestricted free agent Left Wings Ruslan Fedotenko and Sean Avery.

Ruslan Fedotenko, Forward

Reasons to Stay:
Rangers are strong enough to compete for a Stanley Cup.  It’s pretty cool when you win one of those.  His previous contract with the club paid him $1.4 Million, a yearly salary that most of us would cut off a finger for.  He is comfortable playing for Rangers’ Head Coach John Tortorella, who is known to be a demanding taskmaster.

Reasons to Leave:
You would be hard pressed to come up with any, unless he is considering retirement.

Analysis:
In his two seasons in Manhattan, the 33 year-old Fedotenko has been a fine servant of the club.  Over the course of his professional career, Fedotenko can be counted upon to play 65 to 75 games.  This establishes his durability and also his quality (regular selection in the first team). He can be expected to score somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 goals and 15-30 points based on recent form.  Resistance to injury, experience, and scoring make him an asset to any team intelligent enough to sign or re-sign him.  In addition to his skillful hands, Fedotenko plays the game with a bit of an edge.  More importantly, He manages to play this moderately rugged style while steering clear of the penalty box.  Fedotenko is a proven pro, and has been an important component in galvanizing the Rangers’ current mix of youthful and experienced personnel.  The Rangers would be foolish to not offer him at least a one-year contract.  Counting against Fedetenko are his age, and the fact that the Rangers organization currently has 9 left wings under contract, many of whom are young and hungry to prove themselves.

Speculation:
Rangers offer Fedotenko a contract for one year in the range of $1.5-1.7 million.  This contract offer will likely contain incentive bonuses.  Fedotenko will intelligently sign and bolster his bank account accordingly.

Sean Avery, Forward

Reasons to Stay:
I can’t think of any, unless he can somehow regain respect and trust from Rangers’ management.

Reasons to Leave:
Tortorella has washed him out of the Rangers’ lineup.  At one point, it was essentially stated that Avery’s services were no longer needed, and that he needn’t attend training any longer.  What makes the last sentence interesting is that it was decided during the AHL season.  Clearly all bridges have been burned in the New York Rangers organization, and Avery has been blackballed as a toxic liability.

Analysis:
When you look at the numbers, Avery, 32, is a player that has produced rather consistent results on the ice.  In fact Avery scored 3 goals for the Rangers in the 2011-12 season.  This is a statistic made more remarkable that he did so in only ten minutes of ice time.  Off the ice, it’s been a completely different matter, and the notorious incidents he has generated are too many to list.  Avery, when focused and controlling his aggression, is a very good hockey player that can score, pass, check, agitate, and skate with pace.  His actions and statements on and off the ice, however, have irreparably damaged his relationships with Rangers’ management.  Avery publicly stated that he had retired from hockey, but apparently his agent said he was joking.

Speculation:
The Avery scenario suggests that there are two likely resolutions.  The more plausible one is that Avery retires from hockey and pursues his interests, which include fashion writing, and collecting wines.  The other possibility is the revenge game, less plausible as revenge requires focus, commitment, and motivation.  Avery, aided by his agent, signs with one of the Rangers’ major rivals (New Jersey, NY Islanders, or Philadelphia) for the sole purpose of making it his mission in life to generate a never ending source of misery for Tortorella and the NY Rangers organization.  Tortorella’s low opinion of Avery is a matter of public record.  The Rangers will not tender a contract offer to Avery, for the purpose of releasing him from the organization.  Having said this, professional ice hockey is a game of heroes and villains, and just as in comic books, villains never quite disappear…



Tomorrow’s segment will feature New York Rangers’ Unrestricted Free Agents John Mitchell, and Kris Newbury.