I think the Rangers are serious about bringing him back.
Here is something I read from a blog at the NY DailyNews:
IF AVERY?S ON WAIVERS, HE SHOULD BE ON RANGERS
I?m not guaranteeing that no other NHL team will claim Avery if the Rangers place him on re-entry waivers Monday at noon, but I think it?s unlikely, and here?s why:
When the Rangers scooped Avery off re-entry waivers from Dallas in March 2009, they split his salary and cap hit with the Stars. My understanding of the NHL?s collective bargaining agreement is that if another team claimed Avery after the Rangers placed him on re-entry waivers, the Blueshirts would still be on the hook for half of both his salary and cap hit - it?s the Stars who would get Avery off their books.
So if the Rangers, say, wanted to clear money to acquire a defenseman, that CBA language shows that losing Avery through re-entry waivers wouldn?t accomplish that goal. The Rangers wouldn?t gain any salary or cap money, so it seems that point is moot.
Furthermore, if the Rangers wanted to give the rest of the league ample time to decide whether they wanted Avery, they could have placed him on re-entry waivers Sunday, giving NHL opponents 48 hours until Tuesday at noon to enter a claim.
Instead, they are expected to enter the claim on Monday, when the re-entry waiver will take only 24 hours to process, also at noon Tuesday.
Finally, the Rangers knew earlier this fall when they placed Dale Weise on waivers that he would likely be picked up, and he was, by Vancouver. John Tortorella and Glen Sather know the lay of the land here, so I think they already know whether Avery will be picked off or not, and based on the factors, I?m going to say that at 12:01 p.m. Tuesday, Avery again, officially, will be a Ranger.
