The New York Rangers are an easy team to hate. They hail from the big-market media frenzy that is New York. They have a reputation for shovelling out ridiculous amount of money for big-name players. And although their fans aren't nearly as obnoxious as, say, Yankee fans (though, this could be because the Rangers haven't really won that much in the past decade), they do tend to be a tad out there.

However: there is no basis for coming down on the Rangers for their big spending on Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, and even less of one for people who are whining that this is proof that the salary cap does nothing. People are having a field day with flimsy, flaming spouts about how horrific the Rangers' progress during teh offseason has been.

First of all, the signing of Drury and Gomez is not some ellaborate scheme to build a team consisting entirely of superstar players. Instead, itis exactly what most Rangers fans have pleaded with Glen Sather to do for a long time now. It's a step toward building a well-rounded competeing franchaise that will endure.

Well, with $7 million a year, 
Drury should look like a high roller.

It's no secret that Brendan Shanahan is getting up there in years; chances are he will retire in New York after this season. Jaromir Jagr isn't at all far behind on that list, followed limpingly by Marty Straka. After these three key components leave, there needs to be someone young sturdy to take their place in a figurative leadership as well as a literal put-together-a-full-roster-that-isn't-brutal role. In signing Gomez and Drury, the Rangers have aquired two players to build around when their current older stars leave within the next year or two, not purposely robbed the free agent market in order to spite small-market teams and then run home laughing.

Which leads to the second point: the Rangers are not going to continue (or will not if they have any brains, anyway) on forever signing big-time free agents away from other tems with front-loaded deals.  What people don't hear about within the Rangers' franchise is the ample amount of young home-grown talent. During and before the massive lockout firesale, they aquired many young players that will presumably flank Gomez and Drury in years to come, including but not limited to Petr Prucha, Brandan Dubinsky, Nigel Dawes, Colton Orr, and the dynamic Ryan Callahan-- and that's only those who are slated to play next year. Furthermore, this will hopefully be supplemented by smaller signings such as, say, Sean Avery (although he is not worth the 4 mil he is probably seeking) or Matt Cullen.

Meanwhile, the Rangers are not looking to drain the market of defense, either. For some reason, everyone seems to think that the Rangers are lacking in defensemen. And oddly enough, their solution is to sign a 'star' denfensemen, prosumably so they can commence in complaining. But I digress. There does not need to be some superstar signing to have a reliable defense, as the Rangers proved last year when they had second-best goals against in the Eastern Conference.

Freddy Meyer gives Ryan Callahan
some love.

The pair of Marek Malik and Michael Rosival is very solid, although Malik does in fact skate as if he is dragging a piano. Jason Strudwick was an odd signing, but understandable on the ground that he has had two moderately successful years as a Blueshirt. Paul Mara, although whoever gave him 3 mil/year should be slapped, is a strong guy with a nice shot who played well after his aquisition last season. And again, perhaps more than offensively, the Rangers have the internal talent to back this up. Fedor Tyutin, although he got hurt and had a tough second half, was perhaps the best defensemen while the Rangers struggled during teh beginning of the season. Couple Thomas Pock with the revelation that has been Dan Girardi and the  promise that is Marc Staal, and Henrik Lundqvist is in pretty good shape. On average, he stops 92% of what is thrown at him anyway.

This, in turn, leads to another point. This Rangers' currently being able to hold Drury, Gomez, Jagr, etc. as well as the Flyers' signing of Briere does not mean that the whole cap idea is for nothing. Use your brains for a second.

Assuming that maybe five of the Rangers' young guys become at least moderately successful, good, key players, eventually these guys are going to want big, long-term contracts. What there is to do with $75 million I'm not sure, but they seem to want it. Regardless, there is going to come a point where the young guys mature and demand large amounts of money like Gomez and Drury got.

Now, in the old days, this wouldn't have been a problem. The Rangers would have shelled out as much as necessary-- probably too much-- to keep their guys. However, in the era of the salary cap, you can't spend $45 mil on four guys and expect to run a functioning team. So, they sign maybe two of them, and the rest leave to bloated contracts on other cities, whether they be small- or big- market. This spreads the talents around, and 'evens the playing field' as people seem to like to say, in that the Rangers can't expend ridiculous amounts of money to keep people away from small-market franchises. This effect may take time to work, but it is logically what will happen.

 
If he can connect the dots, so can you!

So stop whining.

Meanwhile, good luck to the Penguins building around that Crosby contract.