from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

New Yorkers who have their mail delivered to Midtown addresses are not among the 99 percent required to clip coupons. The Rangers are no exception. The Blueshirts are not pressed for cash considering their ticket sales at Madison Square Garden and television revenue via MSG Network.

In that way, the $13 million they owed Dan Girardi over the next three seasons was not the issue. It was Girardi’s declining performance and $5.5 million average annual value that prompted the Rangers to buy out the defensive defenseman’s contract....

The Bruins had to buy out Dennis Seidenberg, a defenseman with a similar skill set and a $4 million AAV. The Maple Leafs sprinted to rid themselves of Dion Phaneuf’s seven-year, $49 million contract. The Flyers tucked Andrew MacDonald in the minors for part of 2015-16 because his $5 million AAV did not correspond with his inconsistent defensive abilities.

The Rangers would like to sign Kevin Shattenkirk, a New Rochelle, N.Y., native. But they may not be able to afford the point-producing defenseman because of Girardi’s buyout number and the raise due to restricted free agent Mika Zibanejad.

The Rangers are not alone in regrettable defense-first signings. Chicago’s usual cap crunch is not aided by the $6.875 million due to Brent Seabrook annually through 2024. Ex-Bruin Johnny Boychuk is entering the second season of a seven-year, $42 million payday. Defenseman Brooks Orpik has two seasons left on a five-year, $27.5 million deal with the Capitals. All three could be facing future buyouts, not because they can’t play, but because their contracts are not in line with their contributions.

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