Offseason Recap (July, thus far)

• The Rangers made a gigantic splash in the free agent market by signing centers Scott Gomez (age 27) and Chris Drury (age 30). Both players are American born and proven winners who wanted to play for the Rangers. As a result of these signings, the team let the much older Michael Nylander (age 35) sign with the (Oilers... errr) Capitals. The Gomez deal was for 7 years at approx. 7 million a year and the Drury deal was for 5 years at approx. 7 million a year. Both deals also include either a no movement clause or some variation of the clause, so these are some serious contracts that weight heavily against the salary cap. My opinion on the signings completely centers on Nylander. If he asked for more than 3 years at more than 5 million a year, then the organization had to let him go, given his age. If he could have settled for 2 years at (or below) 5 million, then the Rangers blew it. The ideal situation would have been to resign Nylander to play with Jagr and to sign Gomez to play with Shanny. This no knock on Drury, who is a dynamic two-way centerman with a knack for the clutch goal. It is just difficult to match the chemistry that Nylander and Jagr had.
• Soon after the signings, the organization took care of their own free agents and resigned Strudwick, Prucha, Shanahan, and Lundqvist over the last several weeks. The only players left to sign, Avery and Hossa, have arbitration cases in the next few weeks.
• The most recent move that might have come as a surprise to some, was the trading of Matt Cullen back to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers received jorneyman power play defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, a prospect, and a third round pick in return. I personally think that Cullen's fate was etched in stone after he failed to produce as a second line center with Shanny last year. Don't get me wrong, Cullen turned into a successful third line center with Peter Prucha and Ryan Callahan, as well as a key penalty killer, but he was being paid way too much money for that role. Especially considering the outrageous but necessary cash handed out to Gomez and Drury. The Rangers were floating way too close to the salary cap and Cullen was the odd man out. Either the team will look within (possibly Brandon Dubinsky) to replace Cullen or sign a cheaper third line center (a lot of rumors about Mike Peca). I just hope it isn't Blair Betts, because although he is a great penalty killer and role player, he sometimes has trouble completing a pass.