This was back in 2015, when the Lightning were pushing the talented Nikita Kucherov to a second, below-market contract. That's because the then-22-year-old winger had zero system leverage from his entry-level contract.
Kucherov fired his agent. He signed after missing camp. But the hard feelings seemed to go away. Two Stanley Cups later, No. 86 is enjoying another heart-worthy season while aiming for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Lightning attacked Steven Stamkos harshly when he first became a free agent eight years ago, and they may do the same again. They forced Dan Boyle to waive his no-trade clause and accept a move to San Jose while threatening to be put on waivers and claimed by a lesser player like Atlanta. They performed the same stunt with Ryan McDonagh two years ago.
The organization has walked a fine line between loyalty and ruthlessness. They have used the cap loophole and the absence of a Florida income tax to their advantage. they never apologize. The Lightning may be one of the best teams of the Cap era.
You can't win championships with emotion alone. There is no trust. It's a reality the Rangers and president and general manager Chris Drury must realize between now and the March 8 trade deadline in order to expand their roster for a Cup appearance.
Putting Nick Bonino on waivers, as the club did Thursday before losing 5-2 to the Golden Knights on Friday night, is a sign that Drury and his leadership recognize that. . It couldn't have been easy for the GM, and it certainly couldn't have been easy for head coach Peter Laviolette, who spent three years with Bonino in Nashville.
But the 35-year-old center's time was up, and after Filip Sitil went down in the 10th game of the season, he was thrust into a third-line role he was not equipped to handle. His fortitude was never an issue, nor was his courage or character. However, although he had speed, he also lacked offensive skills. Bonino's goal percentage of 28.57 is the sixth-worst in the league among forwards who have played at least 425 minutes. His expected goal percentage is the fourth-worst at 38.08 percent.
Bonino has played in 868 NHL games. He won back-to-back Cup titles with the Penguins. He gets the respect he deserves, but he's not guaranteed a spot on the roster because of what he did a long time ago with another organization or two. As the trade deadline approaches, it's not about what happened in the past, but what the players can do for the Rangers now.
Of course, this isn't just about Bonino, as Drury looks to get through the next six weeks. There are other veterans who have contributed to the club's 18-4-1 run, but they could be in jeopardy. Among them is 37-year-old Blake Wheeler, who was given a third shot to nail down the right wing spot alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider in Friday's game against Vegas at The Garden. will also be included.
Wheeler skated with BFF from Games 12 to 22 and from Games 26 to 39. According to Natural Stats Trick, he scored 14 goals and conceded 12 goals in 228:21 for a winning percentage of 53.83. However, the expected goal share in the division is only 45.69 percent. It seemed overwhelming.
It's the last thing Drury and management want to do, but if Wheeler can't stick to it this time around, the Blueshirts will have a veteran of the NHL who played in 1,165 games and totaled 939 points (319-620). You may have to sever ties with him. ) As with Bonino, you earn points.
Bonino and Wheeler were among the best players to acquire July 1 with an investment of $800,000 or $825,000. And Drury, facing a cap crisis compounded by the restricted free agency twins of Quandre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere, signed Wheeler, Bonino and Jonathan Quick. , Erik Gustafsson and Tyler Pitlick came out of the overstocked box.
They recognized that the free agent market would be squeezed in year four under a flat-cap system, and they hired a veteran who did everything in his power to fill one of the vacated chairs before the music stopped and the money dried up. was.
I've been concerned about the team's front age since July 1st, among other issues. If Sitil returns to the roster, he, Will Quill, Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko would be the only forwards under 30 on the club. When I raised this issue over the summer, I was told by people on social media that these veterans were just replacements.
But the truth is that the veterans are still holding their spots because the younger players at the bottom, like Brennan Osman, Brett Berard, and Adam Sikora, don't seem ready. As a result, the Rangers have been battling veterans since Dec. 5, with a record of 11 wins, 11 losses, and 2 draws.
But on Thursday, reality hit Bonino. As the deadline nears, he's not alone.
Emotions don't matter now.
