Report: Rangers, Kings interested in Alexander Frolov

With Ilya Kovalchuk (kind of) gone from the unrestricted free agent market and Simon Gagne traded, Alexander Frolov remains one of the best options out there. In fact, I’d argue that Frolov’s game is one of the most blemish-free of the available players.

That’s why I’ve been confused by the seeming lack of interest in Frolov. It appears the Russian left winger at least has some suitors, though, according to Puck Daddy’s Dmitry Chesnokov.

Frolov’s agent said the #NYR are very interested in Frolov. Agent also said in the last 2 days the Kings also made inquiries.

We discussed rumors of the New York Rangers thinking about Frolov on July 1, actually, but there haven’t been many details since then. The team has a reasonable amount of salary cap space ($4.44 million with 21 roster spots covered,

according to CapGeek) so signing him isn’t out of the question depending on his salary demands. When you consider the fact that the team is depending on the incredibly fragile Marian Gaborik for a huge chunk of its offense, Frolov would be welcome. Of course, that also might make him really frustrating.

At first it seemed like the Kings were going to part with Frolov, but can you blame them for taking a look too? The team missed out on Kovalchuk and (passed on?) Gagne, so their options come down to the familiar (Frolov) or the risky (someone like Lee Stempniak).

Both the Kings and Rangers would be better with Frolov, but each team needs to accept that he will only provide a boost. If their expectations go any higher than that, they’re likely to be let down.