Devils Going After Gilroy; Barely Missed On Bozak

It's according to N-Everson, but interesting to say the least. Gilroy would be a TREMENDOUS get.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04112009/sports/devils/devs_eye_college_defender_163938.htm

"There's little left for the Devils to accomplish in today's regular season finale, aside from chasing individual records. But tonight, after the NCAA championship game, it's believed they'll be chasing the biggest-name free-agent collegiate prospect.

Nipped by the Maple Leafs in the bidding for University of Denver forward Tyler Bozak last week, the Devils are expected to be a frontrunner to sign Boston University defenseman Matt Gilroy, a 24-year-old native of North Bellmore in Suffolk County.

Didn't Mike Mottau win the Hobey Baker at a younger age?

This guy is so overrated.

Burke will get him.

Burke will get him.
This. I think Burke is willing to put up alot more money on this kid too.

I remember reading somewhere that the Devils were one of the finalists to sign him last year, but Lamoriello encouraged to return to college for another season. I'd love for the Devils to sign him. He's already better than every other D-prospect in the system(Corrente, Eckford, Burlon), and would make up for the trading of Salmela.

He's already better than every other D-prospect in the system(Corrente, Eckford, Burlon), and would make up for the trading of Salmela.

That's just entirely in-accurate. Corrente is a 21 year old defenceman who is a former 1st round pick, playing in his first professional season. Eckford is a 23 year old defenceman playing in his first professional season, and has a pretty damn good year to boot. As for Burlon, are you joking? He's had a simply amazing freshmen year and has huge upside.

Gilroy is older than all these guys and is just getting Hokey Baker noise. It would be nice to add him to the farm, but I don't think he is better than what the Devils allready have.

This. I think Burke is willing to put up alot more money on this kid too.

Yea, plus he's a sneaky rat.

This. I think Burke is willing to put up alot more money on this kid too.

And he has more to spend.

Gilroy is legit. Man among boys. After seeing him play a few times this year I can safely say he'd be above Eckford on our depth chart immediately, probably just behind Corrente.

Sucks we missed out on Bozak but hey, I'd take immediate NHL playing time, too.

Again, put EVERSON in the title when Everson threads are started so it saves people (like me) who dont want to bother clicking on them.

I thought was unofficial super serial HF Board rule #136?

twould be a big get, if for no other reason than it makes every d-man in the organization, especially Corrente and Eckford, work that much harder during the offseason so they don't lose ground on the organizational depth chart.

I don't know why, but I just have a feeling this kid is gonna like the taste of koolaid. If he signs here I bet he signs here again when comes the time.

twould be a big get, if for no other reason than it makes every d-man in the organization, especially Corrente and Eckford, work that much harder during the offseason so they don't lose ground on the organizational depth chart.

I don't know why, but I just have a feeling this kid is gonna like the taste of koolaid. If he signs here I bet he signs here again when comes the time.

Besides, why would he want to go to Toronto and never see a Stanley Cup?

Lou go after a college free agent that is so unlike him. :sarcasm:

Gilroy is going after Lou, you fools.

Yea, plus he's a sneaky rat.

THIS

If we can sign Gilroy I think it gives us all the more reason to try to trade up into the top 12 in the draft.

If we can sign Gilroy I think it gives us all the more reason to try to trade up into the top 12 in the draft.

Trade him to teams that missed out on him

are teams trying ot sign this guy and use him in the playoffs?

are teams trying ot sign this guy and use him in the playoffs?

I don't believe they're allowed to.

I don't believe they're allowed to.

Yes they are allowed to if they sign him. However, I doubt he will play unless the team he signs with sees a rash of injuries.

good to hear. He's a very impressive player and has a good head on his shoulders. Signing him I think would make him our second best D prospect after Corrente but he has much more offensive potential then Matty does.

hes 24, was he drafted? why is he 24 and still playing in college? and if he was so good before, why would he not have been drafted?

That's just entirely in-accurate. Corrente is a 21 year old defenceman who is a former 1st round pick, playing in his first professional season. Eckford is a 23 year old defenceman playing in his first professional season, and has a pretty damn good year to boot. As for Burlon, are you joking? He's had a simply amazing freshmen year and has huge upside.

Gilroy is older than all these guys and is just getting Hokey Baker noise. It would be nice to add him to the farm, but I don't think he is better than what the Devils allready have.

Puh-lease. Gilroy did NOT just receive Hobey Baker noise. He received it last year. Oh, and HE WON IT this season. Also, just about EVERY team in hockey tried to sign him last season, but he decided to return to college for his senior season(there are many reports of this, if you want me to link them). Furthermore, he's only played defense for three seasons(converted from forward), and is already excelling at it. Lastly, thus far you're the only one on this thread who thinks he's not worth the investment. So continue your blind faith in the guys who you've barely ever watched(but they were drafted by Lou, so they must be good, right? Sigh....), none of whom have ever even come close to garnering the kind of attention Gilroy has received. Gilroy next season is a guarenteed starting Top 6(probably top 4) D-man for the Devils. Corrente and Eckford? Enjoy a couple more seasons in Lowell.

I'd love to see him play instead of Mottau to be honest.

Puh-lease. Gilroy did NOT just receive Hobey Baker noise. He received it last year. Oh, and HE WON IT this season. Also, just about EVERY team in hockey tried to sign him last season, but he decided to return to college for his senior season(there are many reports of this, if you want me to link them). Furthermore, he's only played defense for three seasons(converted from forward), and is already excelling at it. Lastly, thus far you're the only one on this thread who thinks he's not worth the investment. So continue your blind faith in the guys who you've barely ever watched(but they were drafted by Lou, so they must be good, right? Sigh....), none of whom have ever even come close to garnering the kind of attention Gilroy has received. Gilroy next season is a guarenteed starting Top 6(probably top 4) D-man for the Devils. Corrente and Eckford? Enjoy a couple more seasons in Lowell.

Ahem.....undeservedly won the Hobey Baker. The best player in college hockey this year was Thiessen. And, while I'm not doubting he can play in the NHL, thinking he's almost guaranteed to be a top 4 dman (by next year, no less)...is a hell of a stretch.

hes 24, was he drafted? why is he 24 and still playing in college? and if he was so good before, why would he not have been drafted?

That's not really all that un-common. The average age of a D1 college hockey freshmen is right around 20 years old. They play in prep schools or juniors like BCHL before going to college. And he is undrafted. In fact, he was a walk on try out at BU.

Puh-lease. Gilroy did NOT just receive Hobey Baker noise. He received it last year. Oh, and HE WON IT this season. Also, just about EVERY team in hockey tried to sign him last season, but he decided to return to college for his senior season(there are many reports of this, if you want me to link them). Furthermore, he's only played defense for three seasons(converted from forward), and is already excelling at it. Lastly, thus far you're the only one on this thread who thinks he's not worth the investment. So continue your blind faith in the guys who you've barely ever watched(but they were drafted by Lou, so they must be good, right? Sigh....), none of whom have ever even come close to garnering the kind of attention Gilroy has received. Gilroy next season is a guarenteed starting Top 6(probably top 4) D-man for the Devils. Corrente and Eckford? Enjoy a couple more seasons in Lowell.

http://booyow.net/mrfrench/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/cranberry-juice.JPG

Mike Mottau won the Hobey Baker

Matt Gilroy=Mike Mottau

/end thread :sarcasm:

One more reason to like Gilroy (other than him having an awesome game tonight): he's a righty. We could use a few of those in the lineup.

hes 24, was he drafted? why is he 24 and still playing in college? and if he was so good before, why would he not have been drafted?

Cliff's Notes version:

- Total late bloomer physically. He was 5'7 145 pounds at age 18. Now he's 6'2 205, also converted to D from forward. By the time he hit his stride, he was too old to enter the draft.

- As others mentioned, he was being pursued by teams for the last couple years but opted to stay in school. In part because he wanted to win a National Championship and his younger brother is a freshman on the team this year. And probably not coincidentally, he won't be subject to an entry level contract due to his age.

- Think something along the lines of Matt Niskanen and Tom Gilbert. I don't think this guy will be a perennial All-Star, but a potentially pretty solid 2nd pairing guy you could plug in right away.

Since he isn't going to make entry level money, what kind of money do you think Lou is throwing at him? 2M over two years?

Cause I can see a ******ry team like Toronto willing to outbid us.

Right now, who are people projecting Gilroy to compare to in terms of talent?

Right now, who are people projecting Gilroy to compare to in terms of talent?
Rafalski.

Cliff's Notes version:

- Total late bloomer physically. He was 5'7 145 pounds at age 18. Now he's 6'2 205, also converted to D from forward. By the time he hit his stride, he was too old to enter the draft.

- As others mentioned, he was being pursued by teams for the last couple years but opted to stay in school. In part because he wanted to win a National Championship and his younger brother is a freshman on the team this year. And probably not coincidentally, he won't be subject to an entry level contract due to his age.

- Think something along the lines of Matt Niskanen and Tom Gilbert. I don't think this guy will be a perennial All-Star, but a potentially pretty solid 2nd pairing guy you could plug in right away.

thank you. damn, 7 inches and 50 plus pounds he gained since he was 18? i guess its hard to tell how much he will improve being that he is 24 but has improved so much in the past few years

One more reason to like Gilroy (other than him having an awesome game tonight): he's a righty. We could use a few of those in the lineup.

boy oh boy could we.

So... is everyone after Gilroy?

Why wouldnt this kid just sign with the Islanders?

Why arent the Islanders rumored to be one of the teams in the hunt?

Even if a woodchuck could chuck wood, why would anyone care how much wood it could chuck?

Why, if you're a free agent, would you want to sign with the Islanders? Talk about a Mickey Mouse Organization (tm).

You'd think we'd be heavy in the mix - we've shown you can step right in and play (Greene, Oduya, Mottau????) and we love good defensemen. And we, you know, win a lot. 8th Atlantic title and all that. A cup every 5 years.

Why, if you're a free agent, would you want to sign with the Islanders? Talk about a Mickey Mouse Organization (tm).

You'd think we'd be heavy in the mix - we've shown you can step right in and play (Greene, Oduya, Mottau????) and we love good defensemen. And we, you know, win a lot. 8th Atlantic title and all that. A cup every 5 years.

Eau du smug.

Appropriate, innit?

Why, if you're a free agent, would you want to sign with the Islanders? Talk about a Mickey Mouse Organization (tm).

You'd think we'd be heavy in the mix - we've shown you can step right in and play (Greene, Oduya, Mottau????) and we love good defensemen. And we, you know, win a lot. 8th Atlantic title and all that. A cup every 5 years.

Pardon me Sire, but the Islanders are our allies.

They are? I mean, I hold no animosity toward them. But it's just shocking how they blew it - they had a stable of top prospects and some big draft choices and Milbury blew it all about 2 years too soon, traded good guys away, for subpar replacements.. and now they're back where they were with fewer prospects... I guess Tavares will end up there, but still... I just don't get it.

Anyway, Gilroy'd be better off here. :-)

Rafalski.

Nah, he's much more physical than Rafalski and much bigger, and doesn't quite have those offensive tools.

Big and physical with a good shot and pretty sound defensively. Likes jumping into the play and seems like he can run a PP.

McCabe-like, without the edge, I'd say.

Nah, he's much more physical than Rafalski and much bigger, and doesn't quite have those offensive tools.

Big and physical with a good shot and pretty sound defensively. Likes jumping into the play and seems like he can run a PP.

McCabe-like, without the edge, I'd say.
I just meant, he has Rafi's talent. He doesn't play anything like him, but he'd be REALLY good depth to have.

Eklund says Philly and Chicago are after him and will get it done today. :laugh: Which means that NJ will sign him.

I just meant, he has Rafi's talent. He doesn't play anything like him, but he'd be REALLY good depth to have.

Eklund says Philly and Chicago are after him and will get it done today. :laugh: Which means that NJ will sign him.

aslong as NJ doesn't pop up on Eklund's site i'll feel confident in getting the kid.

aslong as NJ doesn't pop up on Eklund's site i'll feel confident in getting the kid.
Yup. If that happens, then you know someone outbid us.

I just meant, he has Rafi's talent. He doesn't play anything like him, but he'd be REALLY good depth to have.

Eklund says Philly and Chicago are after him and will get it done today. :laugh: Which means that NJ will sign him.

I see. He has a better shot than Rafalski but Raffy sees the ice better. Otherwise I'd say it's a good comparison on the offensive side of things.

Why, if you're a free agent, would you want to sign with the Islanders? Talk about a Mickey Mouse Organization (tm).

A) The Isles should be very good in a few years

B) He was born there

remember we just missed out on wheeler last year as well.

A) The Isles should be very good in a few years

B) He was born there

He grew up in Boston area.

He grew up in Boston area.

If by grew up you mean that's where he's spent the last four years....

Graduated in 2003 from St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, N.Y. Was a four-year varsity hockey letter winner and captained the team his junior and senior seasons, winning the New York state championship both years. Named team MVP as a senior as well as the Athlete of the Year at St. Mary's... Also played varsity lacrosse for four years and was all-league selection as a junior and senior and team MVP as a junior.

http://www.goterriers.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/gilroy_matt00.html

His family did recently relocate to the Boston area however.

Indeed Gilroy grew up on Long Island, not in Boston.

That said, I don't know where he would step in as a prospect but I think he is worth giving a shot too. So many NCAA kids are having success at the NHL level that even though he is older you can't ignore his accomplishments if you have a chance to get him.

Looks like Gilroy to the Rangers.

WASHINGTON -- Hobey is coming to New York.

The Rangers have signed Boston University free agent defenseman Matt Gilroy, winner of the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's best player, The Post has learned.

Gilroy, the 24-year-old who led the Terriers to the NCAA title last week, received serious bids from a half-dozen teams, notably including the Devils, Maple Leafs and Lightning.

It's believed the Long Island native, whose father, Frank, played basketball for St. John's from 1997-81, signed a two-year deal for between $4-5 million.

??? aren't they in cap trouble and have RFA's to sign? They really think someone's taking Rozsival, don't they?

That sucks. He's the enemy now.

grew up an islanders fan and signs with the enemy. oh well.

those rangers sure are great drafting and developing players:sarcasm:

Looks like Gilroy to the Rangers.

Link anywhere?

??? aren't they in cap trouble and have RFA's to sign? They really think someone's taking Rozsival, don't they?

If he's making Paul Mara/Dmitri Kalinin money, it's not terrible. Half their D is UFA. Signing Gilroy is probably better than signing Jeff Finger for 3.5, or trying to sign whichever free agent D are available.

They do have a lot of RFAs next year, but most don't deserve anything past the token raise. And would anybody give a Penner-esque offer sheet for Zherdev or Dubinsky?

Link anywhere?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04172009/sports/rangers/rangers_sign_top_college_player_164913.htm

If he's making Paul Mara/Dmitri Kalinin money, it's not terrible. Half their D is UFA. Signing Gilroy is probably better than signing Jeff Finger for 3.5, or trying to sign whichever free agent D are available.

They do have a lot of RFAs next year, but most don't deserve anything past the token raise. And would anybody give a Penner-esque offer sheet for Zherdev or Dubinsky?

There's alot of things better than signing Jeff Finger. I also forgot that the Morris trade was a bit of a clean-out to.

lol @ $2.5 for an unproven college player.

Don't get me wrong, Gilroy is a great player, but Sather must be out of his mind offering that much. 1 mil should have been the max for this kid.

I knew we had no chance on this one when I read the SI blurb refering to him wearing
97. :sarcasm:

Seriously...is there anything more this ****ing ****** can do to make me hate him. Plays for the ********* safety school, undeservedly wins the Hobey, now signs with the raggots. Unbelievable.

If he's making Paul Mara/Dmitri Kalinin money, it's not terrible. Half their D is UFA. Signing Gilroy is probably better than signing Jeff Finger for 3.5, or trying to sign whichever free agent D are available.

They do have a lot of RFAs next year, but most don't deserve anything past the token raise. And would anybody give a Penner-esque offer sheet for Zherdev or Dubinsky?
If we assume that Voros is going to be spending time in the AHL next year, and that Gilroy is signing for a 2M cap hit, the Rangers are now at 43.1M with only ten players signed.

I'm pretty sure either Redden or Roszival is going to be seeing a lot of Hartford next year.

If we assume that Voros is going to be spending time in the AHL next year, and that Gilroy is signing for a 2M cap hit, the Rangers are now at 43.1M with only ten players signed.

I'm pretty sure either Redden or Roszival is going to be seeing a lot of Hartford next year.

HAHAHA

http://www.culch.ie/wp-content/uploads/1362599_02bcdea730.jpg

welcome to the hate list, matt

lol @ $2.5 for an unproven college player.

Don't get me wrong, Gilroy is a great player, but Sather must be out of his mind offering that much. 1 mil should have been the max for this kid.

I don't think it's that bad. I would have been quite ecstatic if Lou had signed him for 2 years, 4 mil.

I don't think it's that bad. I would have been quite ecstatic if Lou had signed him for 2 years, 4 mil.

Two year $3.5 mil ONE way Deal....Per TSN
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=275400

Boston University free agent defenceman Matt Gilroy has signed a two-year deal worth $3.5 million with the New York Rangers.

It is a one-way contract however, he is not eligible to play for the Rangers in this year's playoffs.

the rangers organization is a joke. sather doesnt know what the meaning of a salary cap is. the guy KNOWS he has made countless signings and trades that could potentially cripple their organizations future yet he still continues to overpay players just for the sake of signing the biggest name available.

if there is every a running for a certain player, sather ALWAYS overpays for them

yeah, i mean, the Rangers were right to go after him, i think he's a good player. But, two years, 3.5 mil and one-way? It means they're basically stuck with him if he bombs out. I don't think he will, though. But why would you put yourself in that position?

do you need to clear waivers to be sent down or assigned on a one-way?

what a ****ing ********

do you need to clear waivers to be sent down or assigned on a one-way?

yea, you need to clear waivers

If he's making Paul Mara/Dmitri Kalinin money, it's not terrible. Half their D is UFA. Signing Gilroy is probably better than signing Jeff Finger for 3.5, or trying to sign whichever free agent D are available.

They do have a lot of RFAs next year, but most don't deserve anything past the token raise. And would anybody give a Penner-esque offer sheet for Zherdev or Dubinsky?

Teams would likey go after Callahan

yeah, i mean, the Rangers were right to go after him, i think he's a good player. But, two years, 3.5 mil and one-way? It means they're basically stuck with him if he bombs out. I don't think he will, though. But why would you put yourself in that position?

cause it's Glen Sather. he doesn't negotiate.

yeah, i mean, the Rangers were right to go after him, i think he's a good player. But, two years, 3.5 mil and one-way? It means they're basically stuck with him if he bombs out. I don't think he will, though. But why would you put yourself in that position?

1.75 million isn't bad. We were paying Vishnevski that much last year. Vish was "proven" I guess. As I understand it, the one way deal just means he'd get paid that full amount if he gets sent to the AHL. Ie, doesn't mean that the Rangers have to keep him on the NHL roster.

You do realize one-way means only that he gets the same salary wherever he plays, right?

He can still be sent to Hartford (and does not need to clear waivers to do so).

Also, it's $3.5 million total, a $1.75 cap hit. Very surprised he's not a Maple Leaf at this point.

EDIT: Beat me to it, yes you're absolutely correct about what one-way means.

Teams would likey go after Callahan

not over zherdev and dubinsky

1.75 million isn't bad. We were paying Vishnevski that much last year. Vish was "proven" I guess. As I understand it, the one way deal just means he'd get paid that full amount if he gets sent to the AHL. Ie, doesn't mean that the Rangers have to keep him on the NHL roster.

that's what I thought too. all it means is that he ends up being a highly compensated AHL player if he doesn't make the team.

yea, you need to clear waivers

scratch that, crash would know best but actually i think he is excempt from waivers for 2 years, or 60 gp

not over zherdev and dubinsky

it would prob cost them more for those two. Callahan would be sneaky value.

it would prob cost them more for those two. Callahan would be sneaky value.

true, but im sure teams would be willing to pay dubsinky or zherdev over 5 mil, and if they do, the rangers cant keep both of them

true, but im sure teams would be willing to pay dubsinky or zherdev over 5 mil, and if they do, the rangers cant keep both of them

that's very true. i doubt they can keep Zherdev as it is.

1.75 million isn't bad. We were paying Vishnevski that much last year. Vish was "proven" I guess. As I understand it, the one way deal just means he'd get paid that full amount if he gets sent to the AHL. Ie, doesn't mean that the Rangers have to keep him on the NHL roster.

Really? I kind of thought that was the point of a one-way contract. Maybe that's just in NHL 09 every time I send a one-way to the minors they have to go through waivers. haha.

Teams would likey go after Callahan

That's the thing with offer sheets, you're probably going to have to overpay a player to make his current team not match. But if you overpay, the compensation level gets more severe.

It's tough, Edmonton had to give Penner 4.25 million to make the Ducks unable to match. But then they gave up a first, second, and third round picks to get it done. And most on the Oilers board would love to unload that contract. It's also amusing that, at the time, they considered the contract "fair" compared to Parise's because Penner's size would be at a premium for the playoffs.

(insert "Gotta make it to the playoffs first" joke here)

And last summer, we saw a handful of 2.5 mil offers (2nd rounder as compensation) get quickly matched.

true, but im sure teams would be willing to pay dubsinky or zherdev over 5 mil, and if they do, the rangers cant keep both of them

Wouldn't be so sure about that, but even if they do and the Rangers need to make salary cap room they've shown a willingness to bury overpaid players in Hartford (see Kasparitis, Darius). If Sather was pressured he could very easily clear $10million+ to make room for his young RFAs.

EDIT:
Really? I kind of thought that was the point of a one-way contract. Maybe that's just in NHL 09 every time I send a one-way to the minors they have to go through waivers. haha.

Nope, one-way vs. two-way deals don't work the way they do in NHL 09.

The thing that determines whether a player needs to pass through waivers when being assigned to the AHL is total NHL games/seasons played.

scratch that, crash would know best but actually i think he is excempt from waivers for 2 years, or 60 gp
Yeah there's some chart based on his NHL experience that lets you know whether someone has to pass through waivers or not. A decent rule of thumb is if they're a rookie they can pass back and forth, if they played pretty much a full season the year before they would have to pass through waivers, and if they were up and down the year before you'd have to consult the chart.

It ends up being a number like "if he played less than 50 games last year or less than 80 total in the past two years he doesn't have to pass through waivers." Those aren't the exact figures but it's on that order, I have to look it up every time.

Yeah there's some chart based on his age and NHL experience that lets you know whether someone has to pass through waivers or not. A decent rule of thumb is if they're a rookie they can pass back and forth, if they played pretty much a full season the year before they would have to pass through waivers, and if they were up and down the year before you'd have to consult the chart.

crash, dont go anywher, i want to pick your brain for a second

i saw the chart, it really depends on age. 18-19-20 year olds have 160 nhl gp to work with to be exempt(or 6-5-4 years respectively)

the cba also says that any 24 year old signing his first contract must sign a one year entry level contract too, why didnt gilroy, was it cause he wasnt drafted?

aslo will gilroy be an rfa when his contract is up? i would find that odd considering he already was a free agent

He'll be an RFA (for one year) after he finishes this contract.

It's a somewhat strange, but not bizarre situation. Good example to show he'll be a RFA is looking at Dan Girardi. Rangers signed him as an undrafted UFA too and he's a RFA after next year (and was also one coming into this year before he signed his current contract).

Similarly, Blake Wheeler signed with the Bruins when he was an UFA. When his current deal is over he'll be a RFA.

For clarification, the number of games he needs to play is 60 to become no longer waiver exempt.

He'll be an RFA (for one year) after he finishes this contract.
I'm pretty sure he'll be an RFA for two years after this contract is up. For him to become a UFA at 27 he'd have to have 4 years of NHL experience (Unless he turns 25 before July 1 in which case he'll only need 3 when he turns 28 I'm pretty sure.)

I'd have to check in to that 24 year old rule because my first instinct is that since he was undrafted it doesn't matter but if what you read said "24 years old+" I'd have to take a look at it because for a drafted player to sign his first contract at 24 there would have to be a large number of extenuating circumstances for a team to still own his rights. If it said "over 21" or something it may be for a different case. Let's look at Bergfors for example. He signed a 3 year entry level deal when he was 18. Had he made the NHL that year the clock would have started ticking, since he didn't the entry level deal extended for another year until he reached a certain age.

Year Age Years Left
Draft 05 18 3
05-06 19 3
06-07 20 3
07-08 21 2
08-09 22 1
09-10 23 RFA

So if we signed Bergfors when he was 22 we could have only signed him to a 1 year entry level contract and then he'd be an RFA. This is done because entry level deals are special, they can include bonuses and I'm pretty sure the base salary figures are set by where you were drafted, at least it seems that way.

http://nhlscap.com/els.htm

there it has this chart for entry level contracts

Age Length of ELC
18-21 3 years
22-23 2 years
24 1 year
25+ Not Subject


also this article says

Definition: Players between the ages of 18 and 21 must sign "entry-level" contracts for their first three NHL seasons. Those aged 22-23 are entry-level players for two years, those aged 24 for a single year

http://proicehockey.about.com/od/hockeyglossarydg/g/entry_level.htm

I would've liked him at that price. Sather does a lot of stupid things but I wouldn't include this signing.

Homer glasses off this is a good signing for the Rangers I think. He's going to be solid.

Eww, the Rags! Why?

I hope he ends up a bust for the Rags, plays in the AHL for a few seasons, and then is given number 27 after he signs with the Devils.

If we assume that Voros is going to be spending time in the AHL next year, and that Gilroy is signing for a 2M cap hit, the Rangers are now at 43.1M with only ten players signed.

I'm pretty sure either Redden or Roszival is going to be seeing a lot of Hartford next year.

Redden can't be sent to Hartford because he has a NMC.

Eww, the Rags! Why?

I hope he ends up a bust for the Rags, plays in the AHL for a few seasons, and then is given number 27 after he signs with the Devils.

he's from New York........arent they all Rags fans over there ???

Redden can't be sent to Hartford because he has a NMC.

Redden has a Limited NTC which he can block a trade to 1/3 of the league.

Homer glasses off this is a good signing for the Rangers I think. He's going to be solid.

It's completely insane.

It would be a fantastic low-risk deal for any team with decent cap room. But for the Rangers? With the cap coming DOWN a few million soon? This is completely nuts, especially for a rookie defenseman.

It's completely insane.

It would be a fantastic low-risk deal for any team with decent cap room. But for the Rangers? With the cap coming DOWN a few million soon? This is completely nuts, especially for a rookie defenseman.
Think about it this way for the Rangers, if he's ****** they're rich enough to absorb the hit as he plays out his contract in Hartford, if he's good they can move Roszival in a trade or to the minors, either way they end up saving around 3M while making a somewhat lateral move.

I hate the Rangers as much as anyone, but this was a good move.

Think about it this way for the Rangers, if he's ****** they're rich enough to absorb the hit as he plays out his contract in Hartford, if he's good they can move Roszival in a trade or to the minors, either way they end up saving around 3M while making a somewhat lateral move.

I hate the Rangers as much as anyone, but this was a good move.

yup this is a fantastic low risk signing for them. There is no way to spin this as bad.


BTW I haven't seen you around here in like forever.

Think about it this way for the Rangers, if he's ****** they're rich enough to absorb the hit as he plays out his contract in Hartford, if he's good they can move Roszival in a trade or to the minors, either way they end up saving around 3M while making a somewhat lateral move.

Potentially blowing $3.5M is no way to run a business (regardling Hartford), and I'm not so sure it will be easy to move any of SG, CD, WR or MR. Regardless, I do view the potential to shelve players in the AHL as a glaring loophole in the cap that should be addressed. Because it favors teams with neverending $$$$ like NYR, Flyers, or Blues. So far, it hasnt been an issue or a problem, but the potential for abuse is high IMO, and only a matter of time.

Potentially blowing $3.5M is no way to run a business (regardling Hartford), and I'm not so sure it will be easy to move any of SG, CD, WR or MR. Regardless, I do view the potential to shelve players in the AHL as a glaring loophole in the cap that should be addressed. Because it favors teams with neverending $$$$ like NYR, Flyers, or Blues. So far, it hasnt been an issue or a problem, but the potential for abuse is high IMO, and only a matter of time.

It helped us out too with Mcgillis. The NHL should have the age dropped to 32 or 33. Anyway as is the Rangers can afford to throw away 3.5 million. Also its no different then a team playing a top ten draft pick. Top rookies make well over a million a year too.

I think the Gilroy signing is a good one, too, but the issue with the salary is when Gilroy is good enough to make the team as a #5 - #7 defenseman. The Rags already went through the Prucha ordeal this year, paying a spare part $1.6MM. Can they afford to do that when the cap goes down? If we were paying Oduya $1.75 last year (instead of $600k), imagine how much more people would have hated him and how much harder things would have been with our cap situation?

$1.75 seems like a reasonable deal - but as others have said, I would have expected this from the Leafs or another rebuilding team with money and cap space.

I think the Gilroy signing is a good one, too, but the issue with the salary is when Gilroy is good enough to make the team as a #5 - #7 defenseman. The Rags already went through the Prucha ordeal this year, paying a spare part $1.6MM. Can they afford to do that when the cap goes down? If we were paying Oduya $1.75 last year (instead of $600k), imagine how much more people would have hated him and how much harder things would have been with our cap situation?

$1.75 seems like a reasonable deal - but as others have said, I would have expected this from the Leafs or another rebuilding team with money and cap space.

In a nutshell, the truth behind the Gilroy signing:

NYR brass are panicking because Bobby Sanguinetti, Mike Del Zotto and even Marc Staal show either no offensive potential or an incredibly limited offensive potential.

Sather is a horrible drafter. The only standout is Henrik Lundqvist and they got lucky with him. Proof: If they knew Lundqvist would turn out so well, then why the heck did they waste a #6 pick on Al Montoya???

We were led to believe the NYR were set on their defense for a long time to come, due to Staal, Sanguinetti & Del Zotto.

It's actually a panic move, especially since how the NYR defensive prospect pool was incredibly overhyped by fans, the media and these very HF organizational rankings.

Think about it: This is a gamble (despite the relatively low cap hit of Gilroy) that a team already confident in their drafting, farm system development and prospects would not make.

Think about it: This is a gamble (despite the relatively low cap hit of Gilroy) that a team already confident in their drafting, farm system development and prospects would not make.

It's clearly a gamble. He's a 24 year old rookie defenseman that has only played US College hockey.

On what planet does that warrant a $1.75M contract in the age of the salary cap, especially when the salary cap is going to be decreasing and your team is already mired in salary cap hell?


No offense, but people on HF Boards always tend to overemphasize, exaggerate, and drool over prospects.

The reality is that the odds are greater that this kid either flames out or makes an insignificant to average impact in the NHL. For every Blake Wheeler you get lucky with there are 10 or 12 that fail to make the college-to-NHL jump quickly, and Gilroy "aint not" Blake Wheeler (high 1st round pick) to begin with.

In a nutshell, the truth behind the Gilroy signing:

NYR brass are panicking because Bobby Sanguinetti, Mike Del Zotto and even Marc Staal show either no offensive potential or an incredibly limited offensive potential.

I don't think anybody expected Staal to be an offensive dynamo. Even in his draft year, most folks put his offensive upside more in the Mattias Ohlund 30-40 points range. Del Zotto has another year of junior eligiblity.

Or getting a guy like Gilroy means they can more easily dangle a Sanguinetti in a trade. Not unlike signing Madden suddenly made trading Denis Pederson a viable option circa 2000.

I think some of you guys are trying too hard to hate this signing.

I don't think anybody expected Staal to be an offensive dynamo. Even in his draft year, most folks put his offensive upside more in the Mattias Ohlund 30-40 points range. Del Zotto has another year of junior eligiblity.

Or getting a guy like Gilroy means they can more easily dangle a Sanguinetti in a trade. Not unlike signing Madden suddenly made trading Denis Pederson a viable option circa 2000.

I think some of you guys are trying too hard to hate this signing.

In, Muttley's case, yeah he most definitely is.
I swear - the man has a raging hard on for anything NYR related.

I don't think anybody expected Staal to be an offensive dynamo. Even in his draft year, most folks put his offensive upside more in the Mattias Ohlund 30-40 points range. Del Zotto has another year of junior eligiblity.

Or getting a guy like Gilroy means they can more easily dangle a Sanguinetti in a trade. Not unlike signing Madden suddenly made trading Denis Pederson a viable option circa 2000.

I think some of you guys are trying too hard to hate this signing.

Offensive dynamo? Come on, no one said that. He was highly touted as being a defensive-defensman with an "offensive upside". We were told this ad nauseam back then in 2005 and are still told by some that he does indeed have an offensive upside.

Prior to the 2005 draft, NHL Central Scouting had him projected as being selected in the Top 5, then later the Top 10 and as draft day approached, analysts and experts were doubting his supposed offensive potential and on draft day used this to explain why he fell out of the Top 10 draft order. I feel that was a very fair reason for why he dropped to #12.

For me, Paul Martin has an incredible "offensive upside" that he has yet to even fully approach. I don't see anything in Marc Staal's offensive game that even approaches what Martin showed us in his first 2 seasons.

Instead of attributing this to NYR "hate" (or perhaps troll the thread posting about throbbing male members) can you please answer this:

Why would a team at the cap ceiling, that is known for having much depth with their defensive prospects and has a plethora of upcoming RFA signings to attend to this summer, spend over $1+ million in precious cap room (for a cap that will more likely go down) on yet another defenseman?

I base my opinion on this Gilroy signing due to Glen Sather's track record of incredibly bad drafting, from the 1990's in Edmonton through right now.

Either Glen Sather is a genius with this Gilroy move and knows it's worth it, or he's mostly an incompetent moron.

You know my answer, but apparently you are more enamored with his decisions than I am.

Offensive dynamo? Come on, no one said that. He was highly touted as being a defensive-defensman with an "offensive upside". We were told this ad nauseam back then in 2005 and are still told by some that he does indeed have an offensive upside.

Read slower next time. I said "I don't think anybody expected Staal to be an offensive dynamo." Ie, what he's doing right now isn't too far off from what most expected.

Prior to the 2005 draft, NHL Central Scouting had him projected as being selected in the Top 5, then later the Top 10 and as draft day approached, analysts and experts were doubting his supposed offensive potential and on draft day used this to explain why he fell out of the Top 10 draft order. I feel that was a very fair reason for why he dropped to #12.

I imagine several of those teams who passed on Staal wouldn't mind a redo right about now. Teams just have different rankings that don't coincide with Central Scouting. Else we wouldn't have Parise right now.


Why would a team at the cap ceiling, that is known for having much depth with their defensive prospects and has a plethora of RFA signings this to attend to this summer spend over $1+ million in precious cap room (that will more likely go down) on yet another defenseman?

Apparently you are more enamored with Glen Sather's decisions than I am.

Mara and Morris are UFA. Morris in particular is likely too expensive for them to retain. Gotta find a replacement somewhere. The UFA market for D is kinda bland this year, especially if you can only afford a mid-level guy.

Del Zotto could use another year in juniors. Sanguinetti may or may not be ready. The Gilroy signing seems independent to any of those two, and more in relation to finding a Morris replacement for next year.

And it's not that I'm enamored with Sather, but I like Gilroy as a prospect. It's not like Jason Bonsignore or any other past Oiler draft pick has anything to do with Gilroy. And 1.75 mil isn't the end of the world. Remind me how much Vitali Vishnevski's cap hit was last season?

Opening night 2008: Redden-Roszival-Staal-Girardi-Mara-Kalinin
Opening night 2009: Redden-Roszival-Staal-Girardi-Gilroy-Sanguinetti

The latter group will probably be a bit cheaper as well.

Zherdev may be an RFA target, but how many teams are going to be willing to fork over 4+ million and give up a 1st round pick (and more) as compensation.

On a similar note, Dubinsky and Callahan seem more in the Bernier/Backes level of RFA offer sheet. I don't think the Rangers would balk at matching those kinds of offers either.

Ie, what he's doing right now isn't too far off from what most expected.[/B]

I totally disagree with this. We obviously remember things differently and I already explained what we were being told about Staal 4-5 years ago.

Let's skip the silly "read slower next time" comments btw.



Mara and Morris are UFA. Morris in particular is likely too expensive for them to retain. Gotta find a replacement somewhere. The UFA market for D is kinda bland this year, especially if you can only afford a mid-level guy.

Del Zotto could use another year in juniors. Sanguinetti may or may not be ready. The Gilroy signing seems independent to any of those two, and more in relation to finding a Morris replacement for next year.

And it's not that I'm enamored with Sather, but I like Gilroy as a prospect. It's not like Jason Bonsignore or any other past Oiler draft pick has anything to do with Gilroy. And 1.75 mil isn't the end of the world. Remind me how much Vitali Vishnevski's cap hit was last season?

Opening night 2008: Redden-Roszival-Staal-Girardi-Mara-Kalinin
Opening night 2009: Redden-Roszival-Staal-Girardi-Gilroy-Sanguinetti

The latter group will probably be a bit cheaper as well.

Take a risk on an an untested college player because the defensive UFA free agent pool is bland? And on top of that, there's perhaps no cap room to keep & re-sign Mara and/or Morris, not to mention they have to worry about signing your boatload of offensive RFA's as well?

Sounds like the work of an incompetent GM to me.

And Sanguinetti may/may not be ready.

They lost a solid (and cheap) Fedor Tyutin for a soon to be expensive and overpaid Zherdev and his marginal goal scoring.

So to correct all these uncertainties and in a panic move, Sather signs Gilroy.

You indirectly suggest that Sather has put himself in this mess. We've come full circle now.

And I don't know why you keep bringing up Vishnevski, because we were out of our 2005 short term cap trouble by that time, he was an established NHL player at that point in his career and Lou had a track record of bringing in highly touted defensive reclamation projects (Andrei Zyuzin & Oleg Tverdovsky)

I imagine several of those teams who passed on Staal wouldn't mind a redo right about now. Teams just have different rankings that don't coincide with Central Scouting. Else we wouldn't have Parise right now.

This is an interesting point, but I'd rather have Oshie, as opposed to Staal or our selection in Bergfors.

And Lou coveted Zach Parise, regardless and independent of what Central Scouting said.

Take a risk on an an untested college player because the defensive UFA free agent pool is bland? And on top of that, there's perhaps no cap room to keep & re-sign Mara and/or Morris, not to mention that have to worry about signing your offensive RFA's as well?

Sound like an incompetent GM to me.

Morris' price tag this year was 3.5 million. Only reason the Rangers could fit him under the cap was that they were only on hook for a prorated amount. I don't think the Rangers anticipate being able to keep Morris. That's where Gilroy comes in.

And Sanguinetti may/may not be ready.

So to correct all these uncertainties and in a panic move, Sather signs Gilroy.

Remind me how old Sanguinetti is. Was signing Salvador a panic move because Corrente wasn't ready? Or the fact that Salvador's signed for another three years means Lou is really down on Corrente?

Was the Bruins signing Blake Wheeler a panic move because Zach Hamill wasn't progressing like they'd hope? Hell, Wheeler's cap hit is 2.8 mil this year.

Panic move, or an opportunity to add a decent asset without giving up a draft pick?

And I don't know why you keep bringing up Vishnevski

To make the point that a crappy free agent NHL defenseman can command 1.8 million, virtually the same price as an "untested" Gilroy.

At some point, the Rangers have to field six defensemen next year. My point was that with Gilroy, they'll probably be cheaper and better than their opening night 2008 D. Which in turn would free up some cash for their "plethora" of RFA forwards.

This is an interesting point, but I'd rather have Oshie, as opposed to Staal or our selection in Bergfors.


Oshie is an awesome player. He's got some of the best moves for a young player and he lays some demolishing hits. A line of Parise-Zajac-Oshie = http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wgh3P0eqLmk/SPTCahsacrI/AAAAAAAABgE/Rk7Uz0adMzc/s400/drooling_homer.gif

Oshie is an awesome player. He's got some of the best moves for a young player and he lays some demolishing hits. A line of Parise-Zajac-Oshie = http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wgh3P0eqLmk/SPTCahsacrI/AAAAAAAABgE/Rk7Uz0adMzc/s400/drooling_homer.gif

For real...


The Toews-Duncan-Yosh line at UND was :amazed::amazed:

Duncan should have to chop his hobey in half and give each a piece. lol

Morris' price tag this year was 3.5 million. Only reason the Rangers could fit him under the cap was that they were only on hook for a prorated amount. I don't think the Rangers anticipate being able to keep Morris. That's where Gilroy comes in.



Remind me how old Sanguinetti is. Was signing Salvador a panic move because Corrente wasn't ready? Or the fact that Salvador's signed for another three years means Lou is really down on Corrente?

Was the Bruins signing Blake Wheeler a panic move because Zach Hamill wasn't progressing like they'd hope? Hell, Wheeler's cap hit is 2.8 mil this year.

Panic move, or an opportunity to add a decent asset without giving up a draft pick?



To make the point that a crappy free agent NHL defenseman can command 1.8 million, virtually the same price as an "untested" Gilroy.

At some point, the Rangers have to field six defensemen next year. My point was that with Gilroy, they'll probably be cheaper and better than their opening night 2008 D. Which in turn would free up some cash for their "plethora" of RFA forwards.


I don't expect them to keep Morris and I don't think anybody else is either. I also think it's ridiculous to compare Gilroy to Derek Morris at this point. Besides, who is saying that Gilroy is the heir apparent to Morris?

I know Sanguinetti's age. You penciled him in the lineup next season for some reason.

Salvador was Lou's classic trade deadline depth move. You didn't know this??? He was a physical defenseman that this team needs and was more insurance for Colin White's eye injury than it was because Corrente not being ready.

So now every college player automatically becomes Blake Wheeler worthy and is a can't-miss deal? Can we see Gilroy play 1 NHL game before we start making comparisons?

We're obviously never going to agree about this. You base your opinion on conjecture and and expectations and I base mine on Glen Sather's body of work.

And why are you indirectly taking pot shots at Lou and the Devils to try to somehow rationalize Glen Sather's moves?

Can we wait until next October to continue this discussion? That would only be fair.

Oshie is an awesome player. He's got some of the best moves for a young player and he lays some demolishing hits. A line of Parise-Zajac-Oshie =

For real...


The Toews-Duncan-Yosh line at UND was :amazed::amazed:

Duncan should have to chop his hobey in half and give each a piece. lol


Ugh, I know. I read through that thread someone posted hear recently about Oshie.

Ugh, I know. I read through that thread someone posted hear recently about Oshie.

Yeah that thread consists mostly of me posting Oshie highlights and then damning Lou to hell for taking Bergfors over him.

"ZOOOMG GIVE BERGY MORE TIMEZ!"

No, I wanted Oshie no homo.

Ugh, I know. I read through that thread someone posted hear recently about Oshie.

Oshie also likes peeing in elevators....:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I don't expect them to keep Morris and I don't think anybody else is either. I also think it's ridiculous to compare Gilroy to Derek Morris at this point. Besides, who is saying that Gilroy is the heir apparent to Morris?

Not so much heir apparent as the guy who will likely be in their opening day lineup. Just part of the salary cap era, you're going to let some high priced guys go for cheaper ones.

I know Sanguinetti's age. You penciled him in the lineup next season for some reason.

Of their guys under contract. You could put Potter or undetermined UFA D if it makes you feel better.

Salvador was Lou's classic trade deadline depth move. You didn't know this??? He was a physical defenseman that this team needs and was more insurance for Colin White's eye injury than it was because Corrente not being ready.

I know, that's the point. Signing a player doesn't necessarily mean it has anything to do with a prospect's progress. You could sign Salvador and still have room for Corrente. Much like the Rangers could sign Gilroy and have room for Sanguinetti.


So now every college player automatically becomes Blake Wheeler worthy and is a can't-miss deal? Can we see Gilroy play 1 NHL game before we start making comparisons?

Again, just making a point. Wheeler didn't cost the Bruins anything outside of cap space. If Wheeler sucked, it's not like they blew a first round pick.

Did the signing of Peter Sejna set the Blues back as much as their drafting from 1996-2004?

If Gilroy busts, it's not going to set the Rangers back into the stone age.


We're obviously never going to agree about this. You base your opinion on conjecture and and expectations and I base mine on Glen Sather's body of work.

Again, I don't see what Jason Bonsignore, Steve Kelly, or Al Montoya have to do with Matt Gilroy.

That's like saying Brian Rafalski, Johnny Oduya, and John Madden have some sort of effect on how Anssi Salmela, Jari Viuhkola, or Rod Pelley will turn out.

And it's not like Gilroy wasn't being pursued by a number of teams. Most teams just objected to giving out a one-way deal as opposed to questioning his talent.

And why are you indirectly taking pot shots at Lou and the Devils to try to somehow rationalize Glen Sather's moves?

I'm just saying any GM has a laundry list of questionable moves. Just listing a couple from Lou since you could probably relate to those a little better than others.

Again, I don't see what Jason Bonsignore, Steve Kelly, or Al Montoya have to do with Matt Gilroy.



You forgot to add Hugh Jessiman to that list.

More proof that Sather is an incompetent, arrogant moron, hence why I think his decision with Gilroy is stupid.

Why is pointing out Sather's errors (especially when I think he just made yet another error in signing Gilroy) so hard to understand???




If Gilroy busts, it's not going to set the Rangers back into the stone age.

Let's stop comparing Blake Wheeler's 875k cap hit on a Bruins team with $2.5 million in cap space vs. Gilroy's $1.7 million cap hit on a NYR team with a token 300k of cap space.

Given what is said above, I fail to see the risk for the Bruins as opposed to the NYR.

If he turns into a bust and his $1.7 cap hit could have been somehow been used in some sort of smart trade for a better defensman as the season unfolds, then it will indeed set them back into the stone age. (As if that's a bad thing. :sarcasm:)

Again, can we please wait until next season, as I'm convinced it's more of a case of you being incredibly enamored with Gilroy, as opposed to my bias at doubting the wisdom of the NYR?

I'm pretty sure all Hobey Baker winners of the past that ever became good in the NHL were drafted 2-3 years prior to winning the award. Kariya, Leopold, Drury, Ryan Miller...all drafted years before winning the award.
This guy is undrafted, so why would he be any good? Pro scouts are pretty good at their jobs no? how could they miss this guy?

I'm pretty sure all Hobey Baker winners of the past that ever became good in the NHL were drafted 2-3 years prior to winning the award. Kariya, Leopold, Drury, Ryan Miller...all drafted years before winning the award.
This guy is undrafted, so why would he be any good? Pro scouts are pretty good at their jobs no? how could they miss this guy?

I don't like the guy at all (BU to NYR, my 2 most hated teams in their respective leagues)...but supposedly he was a very late bloomer growth wise, and he didn't even play defense until college. Like 5'7ish at 17/18 to being 6'1-6'2ish now at ~24/25. He was a walk on forward at BU his freshmen year before being converted to defense.

I guess just a case of growing up, and being put in the right situation to really blossom.

You forgot to add Hugh Jessiman to that list.

More proof that Sather is an incompetent, arrogant moron, hence why I think his decision with Gilroy is stupid.

Why is pointing out Sather's errors (especially when I think he just made yet another error in signing Gilroy) so hard to understand???

Because we can list out similar errors that the Devils organization made. David Hale, Adrian Foster, Ari Ahonen, J.F. Damphousse, Lance Ward etc don't have any bearing on how guys like Tedenby, Cormier, etc will turn out. Basically you're just saying anything the Rangers do is obviously bad because of an awful draft pick from five years ago?

I just get the feeling that if the Devils had signed Gilroy, you would be singing an entirely different tune.

Let's stop comparing Blake Wheeler's 875k cap hit on a Bruins team with $2.5 million in cap space vs. Gilroy's $1.7 million cap hit on a NYR team with a token 300k of cap space.

Given what is said above, I fail to see the risk for the Bruins as opposed to the NYR.

You might want to get your cap figures straight: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=BOS

Wheeler's base salary might be 875K, but his cap hit is 2.825. They have 47 million committed next year and they have Phil Kessel and David Krejci as RFAs, along with a handful of UFA spots to fill. They got some cap dancing to do.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=NYR

Rangers are in a similar spot. With Gilroy they're at 47 million for next year with a handful of RFAs and UFAs to replace.

~8 million to sign Kessel/Krejci/filler. ~8 million to sign Zherdev/Dubinsky/Callahan/filler. Seems pretty similar to me.

I'm pretty sure all Hobey Baker winners of the past that ever became good in the NHL were drafted 2-3 years prior to winning the award. Kariya, Leopold, Drury, Ryan Miller...all drafted years before winning the award.
This guy is undrafted, so why would he be any good? Pro scouts are pretty good at their jobs no? how could they miss this guy?

Rafalski was undrafted. As was Madden. Plenty of good undrafted talent has passed through the NHL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_undrafted_NHL_players

Some guys just fall through the cracks. It's just gonna happen when you're predominantly drafting 17-19 year olds.

As BigE7 mentioned, Gilroy was tiny at age 18. By the time he hit his growth spurt, he was too old to be drafted by the rules.

It happens, a guy like Johan Franzen would have been an undrafted free agent if the current CBA rules were applied in 2004.

Why are people comparing Blake Wheeler, who was an elite top-5 draft pick to Matt Gilroy, an undrafted 24 year old playing against 20 and 21 year olds in NCAA hockey?

Who knows how Gilroy will turn out, but he's a much bigger risk than Wheeler

By the way

Blake Wheeler - 2 years at $875,000
Mike Gilroy - 2 years at $1,750,000

Why are people comparing Blake Wheeler, who was an elite top-5 draft pick to Matt Gilroy, an undrafted 24 year old playing against 20 and 21 year olds in NCAA hockey?

Who knows how Gilroy will turn out, but he's a much bigger risk than Wheeler

By the way

Blake Wheeler - 2 years at $875,000
Mike Gilroy - 2 years at $1,750,000

One difference is that Gilroy wasn't drafted and Wheeler was a first round pick, who had the opition to sign with who ever he wanted. I don't know anything about Gilroy, but, I sure would like to see him play first before comparing him to Wheeler.

Jesus. The issue here isn't the money but the fact that it's one-way. I'll bet any number of GMs, though primarily those of non-playoff teams, would have offered him in the vicinity of 1.5-2M/year. If they have any confidence his transition to the NHL will go well then that much money for let's say a bottom-3 defenseman who can contribute to the powerplay and may one day yet be top-3 isn't a bad deal. As a national champion and Hobey Baker recipient, it's hard to really bet against his pedigree. As has been said, top draft picks can have even bigger cap hits as 18 and 19 year olds.

Where Sather probably distanced himself from the pack is by agreeing to give him a one-way contract, which means Gilroy makes all that money regardless of whether he's playing in MSG or Hartford. 3.5 million dollars is a ton of money to essentially guarantee a kid with no professional experience, especially if he has no incentive from a financial standpoint beyond just earning another contract when this one is up. The two-way contract exists as an insurance policy on the development of club's prized assets because if they ever want to make the real money they have to earn it first, so it behooves them to better themselves. Without such insurance on Gilroy, there is the increased risk that if the kid doesn't make the team out of camp and finds himself in Hartford riding buses and realizing that the whole professional hockey thing is a lot harder than he expected that he could grow disenchanted with the idea of being a professional hockey player. He certainly wouldn't be the first to make a whole bunch of money before realizing he didn't really have the willpower to consistently be competitive. I could think of many worse scenarios than being a 26-year-old with $3.5 million in the bank and a BU education suddenly looking for a career change.

And if there's any validity to the rumors/allegations I've seen around the boards about Gilroy insisting upon his contract being one-way so he can "make back the money he would have made had he not gone to school" then it doesn't exactly bode so well for him as a pro. The guys that come to the league with that entitled "I-deserve-x" attitude before they ever set foot on the ice are the ones who have the hardest time adjusting and living up to their potential. It's the special ones like Zach who just feel grateful to be able to play and want nothing more than to win who become great.

I'll give Gilroy the benefit of the doubt and say he just took the deal that he felt was the best. This puts the onus on Sather for again acting like the compulsive fool we all know him to be. Gilroy was the most coveted item on the lot, and lo and behold, Sather is the last guy to hold up his number. It's just part and parcel of the whole NYC spend because we can attitude that pervades all its professional sports teams. $3.5M isn't all that much for them to lose if Gilroy fizzles. Yes it just eats more cap space if he makes the team, but we all know Sather is a "worry about that when the time comes" GM, which is why the Rangers will never be as good as the Devils, so really we should all be happy about this signing for just reinforcing the trend of managerial ineptitude. If Gilroy earns his keep and becomes a stud then congratulations Rangers, the gamble paid off. Enjoy watching the next few frivolous bets bust and cripple your team for years on end.

Why are people comparing Blake Wheeler, who was an elite top-5 draft pick to Matt Gilroy, an undrafted 24 year old playing against 20 and 21 year olds in NCAA hockey?

Who knows how Gilroy will turn out, but he's a much bigger risk than Wheeler

By the way

Blake Wheeler - 2 years at $875,000
Mike Gilroy - 2 years at $1,750,000

Comparing situations, not pedigree. Highly sought after "unproven" free agent, we can use Fabian Brunnstrom as an example if you like that better. Brunnstrom didn't set the world on fire, but it's not like he was the reason Dallas fell apart this year. If anybody expected Brunnstrom to immediately become the next Daniel Alfredsson, they were setting themselves up for disappointment. Ditto if anybody expects Gilroy to be anything more than a 4/5/6 D in 2009.

I'm still not seeing where the "risk" is at either. If Gilroy is awful, they can bury his salary in the minors, ie, no different than what we did with McGillis. Rangers just opted to sign Gilroy rather than spend similar money on a "proven" retread like Dmitri Kalinin.

I'm not sure why you added "elite top 5 pick" when the pick came out of the blue in a particularly shallow draft year. Is Andrew Ladd elite since he was taken one pick ahead of Wheeler? Even at the time, the pundits lamented that the talent dropped precipitously after Ovechkin/Malkin. We've gone over why Gilroy wasn't a draftable prospect, even when he was 20.

Wheeler's salary is one thing, but his cap hit is 2.8. Ask the Bruins which number is more important as they're trying to stay under the cap next season. Muttley's argument was that Gilroy's contract was a cap killer for the Rangers.

It's just part and parcel of the whole NYC spend because we can attitude that pervades all its professional sports teams. $3.5M isn't all that much for them to lose if Gilroy fizzles. Yes it just eats more cap space if he makes the team, but we all know Sather is a "worry about that when the time comes" GM, which is why the Rangers will never be as good as the Devils, so really we should all be happy about this signing for just reinforcing the trend of managerial ineptitude.

I agree with everything until you get to this point. $3.5M is a ****load of money. As fans, we tend to think of professional sports teams as bottomless financial entities, but unless you're the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or a handful of others, it's simply not the case. So, IMO, it's not a "risk free" deal, as if the kid is a bust, that's $3.5M in assets that the Rangers could have been deployed elsewhere.

I agree with everything until you get to this point. $3.5M is a ****load of money. As fans, we tend to think of professional sports teams as bottomless financial entities, but unless you're the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or a handful of others, it's simply not the case. So, IMO, it's not a "risk free" deal, as if the kid is a bust, that's $3.5M in assets that the Rangers could have been deployed elsewhere.

whether you want to believe it or not the Rangers have that extra disposable money. yes 3.5 million is a good bit of cash but to the Rangers it's not a significant loss to them if he does fail. For them its pretty obvious that to them the potential reward of a really solid top 4 dman is well worth the risk.

You might want to get your cap figures straight: [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central

Whoop de do, I accidentally typed 875k as the actual cap hit instead of $2.8 million. (875k is his actual salary) and the Bruins do indeed have $2.5 million in cap space.

http://www.nhlnumbers.com/overview.php?team=BOS&season=0809

Regardless, I still can't figure out why the heck you are comparing the Bruins/Wheeler situation to that of the NYR/Gilroy.

Your mancrush is stronger than my NYR disdain.

I agree with everything until you get to this point. $3.5M is a ****load of money. As fans, we tend to think of professional sports teams as bottomless financial entities, but unless you're the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or a handful of others, it's simply not the case. So, IMO, it's not a "risk free" deal, as if the kid is a bust, that's $3.5M in assets that the Rangers could have been deployed elsewhere.

It was more a relative statement. Compared to past gambles, $3.5M isn't all the much for the Rangers, and, compared to the overwhelming majority of other NHL franchises, the Rangers are much more able to absorb that kind of loss. And given their market they have a much greater ability to remunerate these types of losses by jacking up ticket prices without adversely affecting attendance, or, as we've recently seen, finding creative ways to generate more advertising revenue with those ****ing Subway graphics.

I mean, if this kid getting 1.75 is going to make you guys laugh, just wait til you see what Sather pays to keep Zherdev and I'd bet Dubinsky too, while letting the more effective Callahan walk and sign for less elsewhere. Avery will probably have the best contract on the team next year.

Whoop de do, I accidentally typed 875k as the actual cap hit instead of $2.8 million. (875k is his actual salary) and the Bruins do indeed have $2.5 million in cap space.

http://www.nhlnumbers.com/overview.php?team=BOS&season=0809

You do realize I was talking about 2009-10 in regards to salary. While Wheeler is taking up 2.825 million in cap space, the Bruins still have to sign Kessel and Krejci. And yes, "Whoop de do", nearly 2 million difference in the figures you stated.

Irish Blues' more accurate site (http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/) left the Bruins with 346K in available cap space this season post deadline where their one pickup was Mark Recchi (prorated 1.5 million). Not 2.5 mil.

I dislike giving hockeybuzz more hits, but IB's site is more accurate. NHLNumbers is a good quick reference, but not completely accurate--hell they have a disclaimer that says as much.


Regardless, I still can't figure out why the heck you are comparing the Bruins/Wheeler situation to that of the NYR/Gilroy.

Team X: 47 mil committed towards the cap next season with rookie free agent taking 2.8 mil against the cap while having a couple pretty good RFAs to take care of.

Team Y: 47 mil committed towards the cap next season with rookie free agent taking 1.75 mil against the cap while having a couple pretty good RFAs to take care of.

Your argument was that the Rangers' cap situation is wrecked because of the signing. My argument is that their situation is potentially tenuous in two years (regardless of whether they had signed Gilroy) but salvageable, plus not uncommon.

Your mancrush is stronger than my NYR disdain.

You make it seem like I proclaimed Gilroy will be a Norris Trophy candidate next season. You might have missed the part where I said I expected Gilroy to be a bottom pairing type defenseman next year. You can fill your team with the Josef Melichar and Ossi Vaananen's of the world, or pay a little more for a guy with some upside. Rather than a proven guy that stinks.

But whatever. I guess I'll concede your point as I have no counter to "Whoop de do."

I mean, if this kid getting 1.75 is going to make you guys laugh, just wait til you see what Sather pays to keep Zherdev and I'd bet Dubinsky too, while letting the more effective Callahan walk and sign for less elsewhere.


I can't wait.... ;)


And they are going to have to pay Zherdev (probably a lot $$$) if they want to retain his services as he will become an RFA

http://www.hfboards.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=16307996



O.K. I got you.

As much as I'd like to see them overpay with RFA offers to both Zerdev & Dubinsky, I think they will be stuck with the big contracts they have on most of the rest of the roster and will not have any room.

In this economy and with the cap not rising and expecting to fall, coupled with ridiculous contracts to like half their team, I believe that Sather and the NYR are in the worst possible position right now. Granted you might get some crazy GM to trade for one of those stiffs, but I am really starting to doubt it.

Regardless of what happens, I rather enjoy watching Sather continually botch things up, especially over the last 2 seasons.

http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=590528&page=29