Vaclav Prospal signs with New York Rangers for one year, $1.1 million

by Dirk Hoag on Aug 16, 2009 12:41 PM EDT

Larry Brooks at the New York Post reports that Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal, who would have made a seemingly perfect fit as a scoring boost for the Nashville Predators, has signed instead with the New York Rangers on a one-year contract for just $1.1 million.

While presumably the chance to play for his former Tampa Bay coach, John Tortorella, was a big factor in this signing, it's regrettable to see a proven veteran talent going elsewhere for a salary that the Predators would likely have been able to afford. In terms of "bang for the buck", Prospal might turn out to be one of biggest bargains from this summer's free agent market.

What remains to be seen is how this signing might impact the rest of the players looking for jobs; is Prospal's surprisingly low salary a sign of meager demand for the free agents remaining? Or was it simply a situation where, given the money he's receiving from Tampa in his contract buyout, he was willing to accept less in order to play for his old coach?

Vaclav Prospal

#20 / New York Rangers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 198

Born: Feb 17, 1975

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Vaclav Prospal	82	19	26	45	-20	52	7	0	2	1	194	9.8

For all the latest NHL free agency news, be sure to swing by the SB Nation NHL Free Agency hub:

Tweet Comment 1 comment | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

prospal signing

unless he just flat out did not want to come play in nashville,there is no excuse why poile could not have made this deal.now he is going to have to pay someone the same amount of money,but without the track record that prospal has.i think it is time as a fan base that the so called genius of the preds management come into question.good grief

by predator63 on Aug 16, 2009 5:13 PM EDT reply actions