From John Dellapina of the NY Daily News:
One of the few loopholes in the NHL collective bargaining agreement would enable the Rangers to sign Jagr, as a player over 35 years old, to a one-year deal in which bonuses could be deferred to count against the following season’s salary cap (as the Blueshirts did this past season with Brendan Shanahan). In that way, the Rangers probably could easily get Jagr close to the $8.36 million he made last season while being on the immediate hook for no more than the $4.9 million they paid him – Washington paid the rest as a condition of the 2004 trade that brought him to New York.
Avery would cost significantly less than Jagr. But Sather has so far refused to budge beyond a midseason offer of approximately $2.75 million per year, while Avery is seeking at least $3.5 million per.
Read the entire article here.
The Rangers need Jaromir Jagr on their team because he was hands-down their best player during the playoffs. I believe that both sides will come together on some sort of agreement within the next few weeks. As for Avery, I just don’t see Glen Sather paying him $3.5 million per year. To be honest, I wouldn’t pay him that either. He is a good player, but to give him that much money to be a second line winger is just too much in my opinion.
