It's been several weeks now since the New York Rangers placed forward Sean Avery on waivers and later assigned him to the Connecticut Whale of the AHL, where he is playing now. Being that it was the second time the Blueshirts had put Sean through this process, many, myself included, felt that they should have put him out of his misery and sent him to another organization within the league. This way both parties would finally be at peace with the situation and the saga would drag on no longer. However, Avery ended up clearing through waivers and, as we know, then assigned to play with the Whale.
Just yesterday, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that another NHL team has inquired about Avery and requested that the Rangers place him on re-entry waivers so that he could be claimed for half of his normal cap hit. According to Brooks, however, GM Glen Sather rejected the suggestion and has decided to hold on to Sean for the time being.
From The Post...
Sean Avery will remain a member of the AHL Whale for the time being despite the fact the Rangers have been asked by a NHL club to place the exiled winger on re-entry waivers, The Post has learned.
Sources have told The Post general manager Glen Sather rejected that request, instead offering to trade Avery in a minor-league deal under which the Rangers would take back additional dollars but the responsibility for placing Avery on re-entry would then pass to the acquiring club that would then bear the burden of carrying dead salary-cap space upon a claim.
The Post has learned there is at least one other club also prepared to claim Avery, who cleared waivers on Dec. 30 and was thereafter assigned to Connecticut for the second time this season, if the Rangers place him on re-entry.
Why the Rangers would pass up on this opportunity is something I cannot wrap my head around. Avery being claimed on re-entry would leave the team with just $445,000 of dead cap space - something they can afford to take on.
We all know the coach wants no part of Sean with the team playing as well as they have lately, but more importantly, this is unfair to Sean as well. The man wants to play NHL hockey and is ready to do just that if given the opportunity. He will not get that opportunity here, therefore the Rangers are trapping him in a situation he doesn't want to be in.
It's unhealthy for both sides.
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