http://www.nypost.com/sports/rangers/52724.htm

Ok, here's the premise.......

"JOE Thornton won't be available next summer, and neither will Vincent Lecavalier. Martin St. Louis and Marian Hossa are locked up, too. In other words, all that cap space the Rangers will have available for a franchise player in 2006 is looking more and more as if it will be nothing more than vast, empty air.
Moreover, it is likely to remain that way in 2007 and 2008. Liberalized freedom in the NHL has essentially erased the distinction between restricted and unrestricted free agents. If a new paradigm has been established in this first capped off-season in league history, it's that teams will pay whatever is required to keep young, marquee talent off the open market. "

Which makes sense, so ol' Lar says the Rangers should do this.

"the Rangers should immediately extend a six-year, maximum-contract offer sheet of $7.8 million per year to Atlanta's unsigned Ilya Kovalchuk"

Now why exactly???????

"The compensation for signing Kovalchuk — should Atlanta decline to match — would amount to four first-round draft picks..... if the Thrashers do match, Kovalchuk's $7.8 million would push Atlanta's payroll almost squarely against the $39 million cap for this season.It would all but certainly prevent Atlanta — a conference rival — from making any improvements this season. It might even force the Thrashers to deal one of their important support players in order to create a buffer against injury issues. And with $6 million committed to Hossa for each of the next three years, the additional $7.8 million to Kovalchuk would completely eliminate the Thrashers as competitors to sign any elite free agents who enter the market over the next two summers."

Huh?

Teams won't allow "elite free agents" to hit the open market anymore, so the Rangers should go out and tie the hands of the Thrashers so that Atlanta faces either letting Kovalchuk go for 4 first round draft picks or not being able to sign "elite free agents" for the next three seasons that won't be available anyway..........

I swear, ol' Lar would fit right in on the Caps message boards........

But it wouldn't be a Brooks column without a jab at the new CBA.....

"With a cap, it's not only about a GM's own team's cap situation, but about that of his competition, as well. Is it fair? It's business. It's certainly as fair as the small-market clubs banding together with the league imprimatur to impose a hard cap on big-market teams."

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Ted Leonsis Recommends: http://capsnut.blogspot.com/

Everybody Wang Chung......

Please load brain before shooting off mouth.™