Anyone else chuckling at the folks who point to the
Pittsburgh Penguins as the model way to rebuild a
franchise?

As if Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin were part of a
strategic vision rather than luck (Crosby lottery),
incompetence (bad record leads to Malkin), and a
desire to have an NHL team with ECHL salaries.

In that same discussion, a fan might point to the
Rangers' lack of "blue chip" or "superstar" young
players in their system. You know, like Staal in
Carolina or Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh.

The reality is this:

1. A team needs to be bad, really bad, to have a
chance at a top-3 draft pick. And even then, a
lottery system and that prospect class means that
a disastrous season does not guarantee a young star.

2. Young star players will be more available in
the new NHL than ever before, which means drafting
one is not as vital as it was prior to the lockout.

Star Stores Now Open

Vancouver GM Dave Nonis made a hilarious statement
bemoaning that Pittsburgh would put "seven years
of development money into [Crosby] and he can
leave at 25."

But it's even worse for such GM's who pine for the
glory days when they could luck into a star young
and keep their job for 12 years because of it:

Payday hits after their 3 year entry deal is up.

Even in a time when financial restraint was key,
star restricted free agents got their money in the
new post-lockout NHL.

Kovalchuk got $6 million after 4 years. Staal got
more than $4 million after 3. Havlat got $6 mill.
Hossa got $6 million.

You can expect those numbers to rise quickly to
the salary cap maximum (20% of team's cap) now
that the GM's cba gloves are off.

And there is a distinct limit of what each team
can afford. Just ask Tampa Bay, straining from
the weight of Richards, Lecavalier and St. Louis.

So in the coming years, getting marquee attractions
will not be a problem for a team with cap space.

Key is Depth

Good teams will be separated from the pack by the
quality of the rest of the roster.

So ... that the Rangers have a deep farm system with
above average talent but no superstars is a GOOD
thing.

Theoretically, we won't need to overpay an above-
average player because legitimate competition for
the spot.

Lundqvist, Montoya, Tyutin, Staal, Sanguinetti,
Dawes, Dubinsky, Korpikoski ... there is a wealth
of talent developing in the system.

Pick a position, and there is legitimate competition
to join the Rangers next year and beyond.

And as for stars, Sather and Maloney have been better
than most at keeping veterans to short term deals and
maintaining cap flexiblity.

Right now, we have two superstars in Jagr and
Shanahan.

When the time comes for new superstars, and if
none are on the roster, then we use the available cap
space and get one.

But criticizing the prospect pool for a lack of star
talent, or getting frustrated because players have
ceilings on their potential, are positions that don't take
into account the NHL's new financial landscape.

-Gabe

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