In case you missed it, the Rangers have signed Kaapo Kakko to a "prove it" one-year, $2.4 million contract. Kakko will still be an RFA (with arbitration rights) after this contract. The former second overall pick (2019) was held to just 19 points – 13 of which were goals – in 61 games in 2023-24. Part of that lack of production is deployment on a deep Rangers squad, but it is worth mentioning that Kakko's most frequent linemates last season were Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. So Kakko's scoring issues go well beyond lack of opportunity.

One major question for the Rangers these past few seasons was when Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere would break out. Lafreniere took a big step forward in 2023-24, and now we're waiting to see if Kakko can do the same. Kakko was drafted a year before Lafreniere, so at this point Kakko would have a lower upside than Lafreniere. It's worth mentioning that Kakko's 5-on-5 scoring rate is 1.73 PTS/60, so at age 23 it's probably still too early to write him off.

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Also, the Hurricanes have signed Jalen Chatfield to a three-year contract worth $3 million per season. Chatfield could see an increase in icetime if the cost-conscious Canes do not re-sign UFAs Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei or find adequate replacements. Like Pesce, Chatfield is a right-handed shot. Chatfield has been a reliable defenseman in the Carolina system, although it remains to be seen whether he can handle tougher competition. If he can, this will be an ideal contract for the Canes.

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It's been nearly a week since news surfaced that CapFriendly is being bought by the Washington Capitals and would go dark in July. PuckPedia seems to now be the place to go for salary cap information, although it's worth mentioning that each Frozen Tools player profile has salary cap information and term up to 2029-30. 

If PuckPedia eventually goes the way of CapFriendly, it seems likely that someone else will step up and fill the void. Since the NHL reportedly views salary cap information as "confidential," it doesn't seem likely that the NHL itself will be providing this information on its website anytime soon. This is yet another example of the NHL being out of touch with its fans, as there is obviously demand for this information, whether it be for salary cap leagues or the masses of amateur capologists who weigh in with comments and opinions on social media.

This development is something that salary cap league participants should be watching with great interest. Without the vital information of salary cap amounts and terms, salary cap leagues could not effectively operate. Again, I'm sure in the end this information will be listed somewhere, even if it's fragmented or appears in a different format. In the Information Age, it seems impractical and nearly impossible for an entity to be reversing course, so it's probably not something to worry about.

If you haven't already, I'd suggest that you read the Capped article this week whether you participate in salary cap leagues or not.

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Over several recent Ramblings on May 25, May 26, and May 31, I wrote about the advantages of using Zero G, citing my own teams. I have become a big believer in the use of Zero G when building a roster, not only in single-season drafts but also in keeper leagues where possible.

In the interest of balanced coverage and healthy debate (which is becoming less common in our increasingly polarized society these days, quite frankly), it's important to list the potential drawbacks of using a Zero G strategy. In other words, there may still be benefits to drafting goalies early in many leagues.

First, there are going to be risks to drafting any player, not just goalies. Examples of early-round forwards that failed to meet the expectations of their ADP include Tage Thompson, Tim Stutzle, Alex Ovechkin, and Roope Hintz. Jack Hughes could also be thrown into that category, although Hughes missed 20 games due to injury. You'll need more than your early-round pick to win your fantasy league, but one or two wrong early-round picks could sink your chances of winning your fantasy league.

Simply put, is there any guarantee that the goalie you need is available on the waiver wire? Some leagues are so deep that you can't wait on goalies. Minimum starts and a significant percentage of goalie categories may force fantasy owners out of the idea of waiting for a goalie, even if they are tempted to try it.

Keep in mind that you might also get what you pay for. If a draft holds true to form and the top goalies are the top goalies, then you might miss the opportunity of drafting Connor Hellebuyck or Igor Shesterkin. Any system of fading goalies will work because there are always surprises and disappointments, usually more so than at other positions. But the number of surprises and disappointments may vary from season to season.  

Time is also a disadvantage to using a Zero G system. If you want a set-and-forget-type goalie, you're probably better off drafting a goalie early. I know you're dedicated to your team and would put endless hours into it if you could, but we all know that time is limited. Yet if you're faster on the waiver wire than most of your competition, then you're in a better position to strike gold quickly.

In many scoring systems, skaters provide more relative worth to teams than goalies. That holds true for both draft picks and the waiver wire. If you wait until the final round or two to draft goalies, you are more likely to use the waiver wire for goalies each week, which isn't sustainable from week to week. The opportunity cost could be missing out on effective waiver-wire skaters – especially in leagues that limit waiver-wire transactions. You can't completely abandon streaming goalies at the right time, though, such as in the fantasy playoffs if the right goalie comes available.

Here’s another thing: If a top-notch goalie with an ADP of the third round is available in the fifth or sixth round, why not take him? Assuming the reasons the goalie has fallen don't seem legit, it's all about building value on your roster, no matter what the position. If Zero G has caught onto many league members, then goalies will start to fall. Then you may be able to pull real value at the goalie position without the risk of a late-round pick.

After thinking about it some more, what is true Zero G? At what round is drafting a goalie not Zero G? Is it going as far as completely punting goalies? My own rule of thumb is waiting until after pick 100 to draft a goalie, which might be different from Nate's perspective. As well, I don't know if I feel comfortable waiting until the final two rounds of a draft to pick my goalies. The draft might be deep enough where there is simply nothing left. A hybrid of targeting a stud goalie early combined with one or more goalies later in the draft might provide a balanced approach.

If you want a much longer read about the downside of Zero G, I would suggest checking out this piece from the Five Hole Fantasy Hockey podcast. I haven't analyzed this topic like they did with mountains of data. But I think it all comes down to making the right pick at the right time.

Whether you agree with Zero G or not, goalies are simply riskier picks. If you use 2-3 goalies per week, one slumping goalie can do enough damage that the others cannot fix. However, one slumping player can be papered over by a dozen other skaters.

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The Utah Hockey Club… what do you think? I thought those Coyotes Kachina uniforms were garish with the 20 or so different colors and a lot going on, so I'd actually consider the UHC uniforms to be an improvement. Plus the colors aren't bad on these. Call me boring, but whatever. They need a team name ASAP though.

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Oh yeah, and there's that dud of a Stanley Cup Final. If you've gotten to know me either through reading my work here or through social media, then you'll know that I'm not an Oilers fan. Yet I was hoping for a series with a little more drama, not a potential four-game sweep. I'll have more of a breakdown of the series tomorrow following Game 4, whether the Panthers hoist their first-ever Stanley Cup or the Oilers manage to keep their faint Stanley Cup hopes alive for another day.

In the meantime, follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Threads.