2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs: May 26 Rangers @ Bolts

Eastern Conference Finals schedule:

We talk a lot at PPP about Tampa's UFAs, but we haven't really talked about New York's. I thought an interesting, less partisan perspective on tonight's game would be to compare the offerings of each team, and see how each pending UFA would fit on a Leafs lineup.

(As for tonight's game, the Rangers are going to play really hard and the Bolts are going to try to end the series here, which reminds me so much of the Canadiens-Lightning series that I don't feel the need to harp on it. No, a better question is, would Stamkos truly suit the Leafs as well as the MUCH cheaper, tried-and-true option of bringing back Dominic Moore?)

Here's my take on upcoming UFAs from the Lightning and the Rags:

Player stats - Rangers

Marty St. Louis, Age 1000

• Too old and irrelevant for the Leafs, so never mind MSL.
• Screw this guy./

Dominic Moore, Age 34

• Nominated for three Selkes, four Byngs, and actually won a Masterton, two of these while with Toronto.
• He's a former Leaf so why not have him back?
• This jerk deflected a puck off his skate into the Lightning net.
• But he knows what it's like to rebound from immense personal tragedy.
• He's a mature, battle-hardened 3rd or 4th liner, probably a great leader for a newly young Toronto team. /

James Sheppard, Age 27

• I don't even know where Lower Sackville is but he's from there.
• Drafted 9th overall by the Minnesota Wild, he's also been a Shark before landing with the Rangers.
• He's had two rather major leg injuries.
• He's playing mostly because Mats Zuccarello has a concussion, but he's a definite 4th-liner. If he were a Bolts player, he'd play on the coveted "instead of Drouin" position.
• He's the answer to "who do we play instead of Brian Boyle?"
• Actually you guys don't want him./

Keith Yandle, Age 28, Good American Boy

• Yandle is doing really well in the 3rd round of the playoffs
• He's not really a defensive defenseman.
• He's more of a ... OK he's kind of a forward who's good at skating backwards.
• He's pretty good, actually. I wish Tampa saw a lot less of him. /

Dan Boyle, Age 38

• #Veteran #Leadership #Grart #GoodintheLockerroom
• Aging ex-Bolt Defenseman with a Stanley Cup ring.
• I mean, he's pretty awesome for a 38 year old defenseman.
• For example, this article: Dan Boyle playing best hockey of season — and still gets booed
• Cheap and pretty solid?/

Cam Talbot, Age 27

• You guys don't need more goaltenders, but if you did this one is pretty cool.
• I mean, his mask alone is awesome.
• But yeah, you have goaltenders out your ears./

Player stats - Lightnings

Steven Stamkos, Age 25

• Boring
• Old news
• This is not the 1C winger you are looking for

Brenden Morrow: Age 36

• First-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars, former Stars C, winner of Gold and Silver medals in the IHWC and Gold at 2004 World Cup. Won Gold for Canada at 2010 Winter Olympics.
• He's not really done much except play in the "not Drouin" slot in this playoff run.
• His strength is that he's willing to sacrifice everything he's got left, as evidenced in this article.
• But #Grart!/

Braydon Coburn, Age 30,

• Born in Calgary. Drafted 8th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers.
• Don't you want a former Thrasher on your team?!
• He does tend to break his feet a lot.
• But he's also a pretty good top-four D, which is saying a lot when he's in Victor Hedman's shadow.
• He's, well, his Flyera smell isn't entirely washed off. /

Mike Angelidis: Age 29

• Is an actual Good Ontariah Boy.
• Captain of the Syracuse Crunch (aka Captain Crunch), sometimes breaks the Lightning lineup
• Affordable, can play the Lightning system, straddles the line between NHL and AHL, could be a leader for the Marlies.
• He punched Brandon Prust in the face. Who doesn't respect that? /

And now, you have enough information to make your own decisions!

With thanks to General Fanager, below is the current cap information available for both the teams playing tonight.

Anyone catch your eye?

Who wins game 6?