2012 NHL Free Agency: Who Should The New York Rangers Target Aside From Shane Doan? Part One
It appears as though Shane Doan is pricing himself out of New York. And if a report from TSN can be believed, then Doan will probably be pricing more than a few teams out of his services.
If Doan is actually looking for a $30-million deal, then it's time for the Rangers to look elsewhere, but where should they look? The Rangers would have loved to bring in Doan for even more secondary scoring, including possibly putting him on the third line to give New York three legitimate scoring lines.
But with Rick Nash playing on Broadway, the Rangers already have two lethal scoring lines, so there's no need for them to overspend on a 35+ contract (remember, his cap hit stays with his new team even if he retires). So what other cheap options are out there?
Join me after the jump to see.
Jason Arnott: An older option -- he's 37 -- but someone who can certianly give the Rangers some needed depth on the third or fourth line. Arnott did score 17 goals last year, and can play some power play minutes if needed as well. His addition could slot Jeff Halpern down to the fourth line, or Arnott himself could play on the fourth line. It remains to be seen if the Rangers would want to add even more age to their bottom six, but Arnott's veteran presence can't be ignored.
Dominic Moore: A former Ranger who has had an interesting career to say the least. Moore had the best year of his career offensively in 2008-2009 when he scored 41 points. He's never gotten back to that plateau, but the 31-year-old did post 25 points last year and was valuable on special teams, playing 1:38 of shorthanded time a game. He's younger, has some speed and could be a useful utility player for John Tortorella down the stretch if needed.
Radek Dvorak: Another former Ranger who might get a look thanks to his defensive game. Dvorak is also older (35-years-old) but played significant penalty kill time for the Dallas Stars last year (1:49 a game). He's another player who could play on the third or fourth line, and provide some depth for the Rangers as well. His offensive game probably won't produce much, but his defense would be a nice bonus for the third or fourth line.
These are more of the safer options the Rangers might look at this offseason. In part two were going to look at some of the riskier options the Rangers might make a play for. But for now, what do you guys think about this?