Rangers Very Busy on Second Day of 2015 NHL Draft

Rangers GM Glen Sather is a finalist for 2015 GM of the Year.

New York Rangers’ President and GM Glen Sather and Assistant GM Jim Gorton were very busy on the second day of the 2015 NHL Draft held at Sunrise, Florida.

In fact, the Broadway Blues pulled off three separate deals which actually made the team better and the Salary Cap easier to manage.

The first deal of the day sent speedy Winger Carl Hagelin, a second round pick (the 59th) and a sixth round pick (the 179th), to the Anaheim Ducks in return for Forward Emerson Etem and a second-round pick (41st overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Etem, 23, split this past season between Anaheim and the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 45 games with Anaheim, Etem registered five goals and five assists for 10 points, along with four penalty minutes. He tallied all 10 points in 2014-15 at even strength. Etem tied single-game NHL career-highs with two assists and two points on Nov. 16 vs. Florida. He also skated in his 100th career NHL game on Mar. 1 at Dallas.

The 6-1, 212-pounder registered three goals and posted a plus-one rating in 12 playoff games with Anaheim this past season. He established playoff career-highs in games played and shots on goal (23), and tied his playoff career-high in goals. Etem also tied for fifth on Anaheim in even strength goals (three) in the playoffs.

In 22 regular season games with Norfolk in 2014-15, Etem recorded 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points, along with two penalty minutes. He posted seven multi-point games with Norfolk. Etem registered a three-game goal streak from Jan. 24 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Jan. 31 at Binghamton, and tallied a hat trick on Jan. 30 at Binghamton.

Etem has skated in 112 career NHL games over parts of three seasons, all with Anaheim, registering 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points, along with a plus-four rating and 17 penalty minutes. He has also registered eight points (six goals, two assists) and has posted a plus-five rating in 23 career NHL playoff games.

The Long Beach, California native has represented the United States in several international tournaments; Most recently, Etem tallied four assists/points in six games at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.

He also helped Team USA capture a bronze medal at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Etem was originally selected by Anaheim in the first round, 29th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Hagelin, 26, registered 58 goals and 72 assists for 130 points in 266 regular season games over parts of four seasons with the Rangers.

In the second deal, the Rangers acquired a second-round pick (57th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, a third-round pick (79th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and a seventh-round pick (184th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for goaltender Cam Talbot and a seventh-round pick (209th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Talbot, 27, posted a 33-15-5 record in 57 appearances over two seasons with the Rangers.

And in the third and last deal of the day, the Rangers acquired goaltender Antti Raanta from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Ryan Haggerty.

Raanta, 26, split this past season between Chicago and the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 14 appearances with Chicago in 2014-15, Raanta posted a 7-4-1 record, along with a 1.89 GAA, a .936 SV%, and 2 SO. He allowed two goals or fewer in seven of 12 starts. Raanta made a single-game NHL career-high 40 saves on Dec. 3 vs. St. Louis. In 11 AHL appearances with Rockford in 2014-15, Raanta posted an 8-1-1 record, along with a 2.39 GAA, a .918 SV%, and 2 SO.

In 39 career NHL appearances over parts of two seasons, both with Chicago, the 6-0, 193-pounder has posted a 20-9-5 record, along with a 2.41 GAA, a .912 SV%, and 3 SO. Raanta made his NHL debut on Nov. 19, 2013 at Colorado, and earned his first NHL win on Nov. 27, 2013 at Calgary. He earned a point in 15 of his first 16 NHL decisions, posting a 12-1-3 record over the span.

The Rauma, Finland native originally signed with Chicago on Jun. 3, 2013.

Haggerty, 22, originally signed with the Rangers on Mar. 12, 2014.

The Rangers were able to free up Cap money by trading away Carl Hagelin, who was a Free Agent and his salary would have exceeded what the Rangers would be willing to pay. Etem was making less than Carl and would also be easier to re-sign. The Cam Talbot deal gave the Rangers three draft picks and also allowed Cam to go to Edmonton, where he will be the starter in net for the Oilers. That is something he deserves. The Raanta deal secured the Blueshirts a back-up goalie for Henrik Lundqvist and one that would be half the price of what they would have been paying Cam.

I say good bye and good luck to Carl Hagelin, Cam Talbot and Ryan Haggerty and hello and good luck to Emerson Etem and Antti Raanta. I also say to Glen Sather and Jim Gorton, good job men.