The New York Rangers have been very quiet this offseason. Except for a flurry
of contract agreements with their restricted free agents prior to salary
arbitration hearings, there hasn';t been much news. General manager Jeff Gorton
 has remained focused to stay on course with his rebuilding effort.

Case in point, in past years, the Rangers would typically be first in line
chasing Erik Karlsson, who seems to be the next big name to be traded this
summer. Instead, the Rangers have refrained from getting into a bidding war
with other organizations for the talented defenseman. From various media
reports, it seems the Tampa Bay Lightning are one of three teams pursuing
Karlsson, but they would need assistance from a third team in any proposed
trade as they must take an existing contract off their hands. This will help to
 alleviate all financial restraints and make the Karlsson acquisition fit under
 their projected salary cap for the coming season.The Tampa Bay Lightning must
dump a salary like that of forward Ryan Callahan to gain cap space before
potentially acquiring Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson. (Marc
DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports)

The Rangers have available salary cap space and have been linked as a logical
trade partner for the Lightning. The key player rumored to be going back to New
 York has been Ryan Callahan, who has two years remaining on a $34.8-million
deal, with a $5.8 million cap hit each of those seasons. Before the Rangers
agree to any deal, they must use their leverage to force the Lightning to
sweeten their offer. Gorton must come back with a package of Callahan, a top
prospect and a high draft pick or run the risk of being heavily criticized by
the tough New York media for handcuffing the Rangers'; financial flexibility
down the road.Rangers Must Secure Right Package in Trade Talks

Why would the Rangers accept this type of package? Well, it';s good business to
 eat a large contract if you can gain the necessary assets that help to achieve
 the goal of rebuilding your roster. Gorton must decide if it';s worth taking
on the salary of an often-injured but proven NHL commodity like Callahan, but
it doesn';t benefit him to acquire middle-of-the-road prospects in a bloated
trade package. Instead, Gorton needs to extract a talented young player like
Cal Foote or Taylor Raddysh, who are perfect fits for what he is trying to
build in New York.Rangers GM Jeff Gorton must be smart and aggressive in any
potential trade talks with the Lightning. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

There are lingering questions if Callahan will start the season, as he is still
 recuperating from shoulder surgery last spring. When healthy, Callahan is a
dependable point producer who can play anywhere in the lineup. He averaged 21
goals in six full seasons during his first tour of duty with the Rangers, but
injuries over the last two seasons have hindered his production (seven goals
and 22 points combined) considerably. No question that Callahan is primed for a
 bounce-back campaign, especially if he can remain healthy for an entire
season. Returning to New York might be the right remedy to rekindle his career
once again.What Does Callahan Gain From a Reunion?

Callahan does have a modified no-trade clause in his contract, so he has some
control over where he will play next season. He has to consider what the
benefit is of returning to a team that shuffled him out the door in a 2014
blockbuster trade-deadline deal. The hope for Gorton would be that Callahan
does not hold a grudge against the Rangers, as he was a pending unrestricted
free agent who was going to command a big-money deal from the highest
bidder. The organization couldn';t meet his contract demands, so they cut
their losses and moved him to Tampa Bay for Martin St. Louis.Could Ryan
Callahan have a reunion with the New York Rangers in his future? (Rich
Kane/Icon SMI)

He might be swayed to return to New York because of a sense of familiarity and
a feeling of it being the right time to come home to the organization that
originally drafted him. On the business side, Callahan has to recognize his ice
 time could diminish in Tampa next season, but it could increase with the
Rangers because of the uncertainty on their roster. He is the perfect
candidate to assist with the rebuild, and it wouldn';t surprise anyone if
Callahan became the Rangers'; captain once again should he return to the
organization. Callahan is the ideal mentor for this inexperienced roster, as
they can gain insight into what it takes to become an NHL player.

Collectively, this group can observe him inside the locker room as Callahan
stands in front of his stall each night to answer the media';s questions,
regardless of the game';s outcome. On the ice, he sets the tone by pressuring
the opponent to turn the puck over in the neutral zone, which should increase
the amount of scoring chances near the crease. Plus, no one can argue that
Callahan sacrifices his body in the defensive zone, as he has blocked over 600
shots in 13 seasons played. Callahan is the perfect candidate to mold the
Rangers'; top prospects into reaching their full potential on and off the
ice. It would be a fitting conclusion to an outstanding NHL career.

Chasing a Stanley Cup does come with a price. Too often, the Rangers tweaked
their roster at the trade deadline to acquire that one player who could make a
difference come playoff time, but it came at the expense of dealing away young
talent and high draft choices. Trades of this nature put a tremendous strain on
 your minor-league system. Suddenly, the pipeline from Hartford ran dry.

In reality, the Rangers began their rebuilding process last summer with the
blockbuster trade prior to the NHL Entry Draft. They sent Derek Stepan and
Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes for the No. 7 overall choice and Anthony
DeAngelo, and the Rangers in turn selected Lias Andersson with that pick. From
their perspective, it';s important to continue adding more high-end prospects
that to replenish the minor league system.

Patience will be needed as this rebuild of the roster will take some time, but
the Callahan trade adds more young talent to the mix. Gorton';s job will not be
 complete until Hartford begins to produce more impactful players who are ready
 to make the jump to the NHL.

The post Return of Ryan Callahan Makes Sense for the Rangers appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.

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