Do the Rangers need Nylander?

Re-visiting a question previously mentioned on Rangers’ posts, would it behoove the Rangers to bring back veteran, play-making Center Michael Nylander? According to Steve Hindle, the Capitals blogger on Hockeybuzz, the team has place Nylander on waivers. This move in and of itself is more complicated than it would seem.

Because of Nylander’s No Movement Clause (NMC), he would have had to have approved this before it could have taken place. This would lead me to believe that there may be a team interested in the services of Nylander that would also interest Nylander. Chances are that no one would claim Nylander because of the hefty cap hit of $4.875 million for each of the next two years. However, it is possible that if the Capitals ran Nylander through re-entry waivers a team would claim him and only be on the hook for half of the cap hit.

Nylander has performed well since going to Grand Rapids of the AHL on a conditioning assignment recording a goal and 6 points in 5 games playing for the Griffins. There were questions about whether or not Nylander was in game shape. His performance in the AHL would seem to indicate that he may be ready to go.

Now let’s assume that Nylander ends up on re-entry waivers; what teams may be interested? Well the team nearest and dearest to our hearts, the Rangers, has certainly had a history with Nylander. We also have a need for a quality playmaking center on the roster. Could the Rangers be a fit?

Two problems exist with bringing Nylander in; the salary cap and the possibility that Nylander’s style wouldn’t fit with the current playing style employed by the Rangers. I believe that if the Rangers decided that Nylander was a realistic option, they could make this move happen.

First off, let’s address the salary cap; according to the website Capgeek.com, the Rangers have approximately $846,000 left in cap space (full season salary). Grabbing Nylander on re-entry would require a commitment of nearly $2.45 million for each of the next 2 years. That means the Rangers would have to trim at least 1.5 million off its current roster.

One move that has been rumored has been a deal with the Ducks that would send F Chris Higgins to Anaheim for C (and former Ranger Todd Marchant. The savings the Rangers would see in that move would be $1.125 this year in cap savings. This leaves us only a few hundred thousand or so away from having the cap space necessary to add Nylander on re-entry. The demotion of another forward or any minor move could realize this savings. Therefore, the cap can be maneuvered to accommodate the addition of Michael Nylander.

Now what about playing style? This was my biggest problem with the possibility of acquiring Nylander when he was possibly available earlier this season. After watching the Rangers and remembering what Nylander’s skill set is, I actually think he could fit in with this group of Rangers. Maybe he doesn’t play a style that would work with a player like Gaborik but maybe he could augment a second scoring line.

Nylander isn’t the type of forward that would ordinarily fit Tort’s aggressive, fore-checking style but then again not all 3 forwards on the ice normally are in on the fore-check. Is it conceivable that adding Nylander to the lineup and putting him with Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury could result in more production from those two players.

It would also be likely that Nylander would benefit the Rangers power play. There is no question that Nylander brings elite playmaking skills that could work well with Gaborik, Kotalik and Del Zotto on the PP.

After last night’s contest against the Flames, the Rangers might be in an even more desperate need for a veteran Center after losing both Chris Drury (concussion) and Brandon Dubinsky (undisclosed injury) indefinitely. Nylander on re-entry might be an appealing option for the Rangers to bridge the gap while Drury and Dubinsky are out.

What do you think Rangers fans; should the Rangers look at bringing Nylander back to Manhattan? Would he fit in with this current Rangers’ roster?

What to Do with Chris Drury?

Following the 6 game, Eastern Conference semi-final loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the 2006/2007 playoffs, many Rangers fans and NHL followers felt that the Rangers were close to being a serious Stanley Cup contender. After all, they had come within just 7 seconds of winning game 5 and taking a 3 – 2 series lead against the Sabres; a loss which may have proven to have been the difference in the series. The Rangers were almost on their way to the Conference Final, except Sabres forward Chris Drury had come through in the clutch yet again and tied the game with just seconds left. What was lacking in the Rangers lineup that could have propelled them further in the playoffs; how about a proven, clutch playoff performer, someone like………well, someone like Chris Drury?

That’s exactly what Rangers GM Glen Sather thought when he presented Chris Drury with a very rich UFA contract following that season. Drury, who had grown up as a Rangers fan in Connecticut, naturally accepted the offer of a 5 year, $35.25 million contract from the Blue Shirts. Would Drury prove to be a missing piece; a proven playoff performer that could help the Jaromir Jagr/Henrik Lundqvist led Rangers achieve even more playoff success? So far the answer has been a resounding no!!

I was all for the Rangers chasing Drury. Like many, I thought he would be a perfect fit for that team. A veteran player who would fit in well as a complementary player and locker room presence to superstar Jagr and one that would contribute when it mattered most; in the playoffs. Drury, who was approaching 31 years of age, was sure to attract a 3 or 4 year offer. Even though he had never been a top scorer, I felt a $4 million annual salary would be close to enough to get Drury to sign in Manhattan and a fair price to pay for someone that brought his intangibles.

I was SHOCKED when I saw that the Rangers had signed Drury to a 5 year deal that would pay him an average salary (and cap hit) of $7.05 million. That cap hit represented more than 1/8 or 12 percent, of the Rangers available cap space. Drury had been a very solid player but to commit that much of the salary cap to him seemed like a bad idea. And boy was it.

Now in his third season as a Ranger and his second as team captain, Drury is struggling immensely. He currently has 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 16 games; a pace that would work out to a 31 point season if he should play all 82 games. Thirty-one points!!! That works out to just less than 4.5 points per million dollars.

The NHL is now in its 5th season of operating in the world of a salary cap. Teams have had to learn to be more frugal than they could be in years past; teams like the Rangers for example. It is imperative for teams to manage their salary structure responsibly.

Today, the salary cap sits at roughly $56.8 million dollars. Drury still accounts for more than 12.5% of their cap space. He is spending most of his time skating on the 3rd line and killing penalties these days. He has gotten some PP time but has done little with it. It’s a real eye-opener when you hear longtime Ranger play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen constantly point out what a good game Drury has had on the PK.

I realize that I may be beating a dead horse but I still marvel at the fact that we are paying $7.05 million to a checker/penalty killer. That is not an example of good cap management. Drury’s struggles go beyond just a slow start to this season though. In his 2+ seasons in a Ranger uniform, Drury has recorded a line of 49 goals, 71 assists for 120 points in 179 games. Those figures work out to an average of 55 points in an 82 game schedule. Why is Drury underperforming his career numbers so severely?

The answer is he isn’t. Drury’s career line average is: 25 goals – 36 assists – 61 points. As a Ranger, Drury’s line is: 22 goals – 33 assists – 55 points. That’s a bit of a drop-off; 6 points over an 82 game schedule but not as severe as it feels. The reason why Drury seems like he is underperforming is because Glen Sather horribly overpaid for him.

Prior to his arrival on Broadway, Drury had never recorded more than 69 points in a single campaign while playing 7 full seasons in the NHL. Drury was remarkably consistent in his first 7 seasons scoring fewer than 20 goals only once and never scoring less than 44 points in any year of his career.

There was absolutely no evidence that Drury was on the cusp of a sudden explosion in production. He had proven to be a consistent and durable performer; not a game-breaker. His salary pointed to him being a big-time player and a critical offensive contributor. Drury was and is a nice 2nd line player that can contribute in all 3 zones. Sather made a mistake by paying him like a marquee player; a player like the one Sather gambled on this past off-season, Marian Gaborik.

Drury’s salary really hamstrings the Rangers. After a run of 4 games in which they only recorded 5 goals, the Rangers clearly could use some more offensive production. The question is where will it come from? As long as Drury and his salary remain, the Rangers will have no choice but to hope for improved production from the players currently on the roster or in the minors. Sather found a saint in Bob Gainey who was willing to take the contract of Scott Gomez (which may be even worse than that of Chris Drury) off of his hands. He isn’t likely to find another saint. Once again we see clear proof that Sather has messed up this team; hopefully not beyond repair.

Gaborik Returns; Rangers Win

After a weekend away in Vegas (for my daughter’s showcase softball tournament, not just for fun) and a brief hiatus from the blogosphere, I am ready to return. I can’t think of a better way to return than to do so the day after Gaborik’s triumphant return. Gabby scored the only goal in a 1 – 0 home win against the Boston Bruins in a Sunday afternoon matinee at MSG.

Gaborik had missed the previous 2 games after banging knees with former Ranger Petr Prucha in the Pheonix game. The Rangers lost both contests and in doing so showed why Gaborik is a big key to the Rangers season. With him out of the lineup, the Ranger scored just 3 goals combined while playing two of the NHL’s bottom feeders; the Islanders and the Wild.

Now granted it isn’t as if the Rangers put on an incredible offensive display in Gaborik’s return but his presence in the lineup is crucial to the Rangers’ on-ice success regardless. He is a game-breaker that requires the opponent to account for him whenever he is on the ice. That extra attention can open up the ice for other Rangers. It’s no coincidence that Vinny Prospal is tied for third in assists (14) and tied for 8th in overall scoring (18 points) in the NHL (ironically, he is tied with the Capitals Niklas Backstrom in both categories).

The Rangers are clearly a different and more dangerous team with Gaborik in the lineup. He has had a hand in 38% of the Rangers goals (19 of 50). Without him, there is no one in the Rangers lineup that can pick up the scoring slack. Gaborik literally carries this team offensively.

The one area of the ice that the Rangers don’t need to rely on the efforts of Gaborik is in goal where the Rangers have the King. Lundqvist recorded his first shutout of the season stopping 29 shots in the win. The Rangers, despite an increased focus on offense (where they are currently 7th in goals scored per game, 3.33), are 8th in the league in goals against per game (2.60). Naturally Lundqvist has been the primary reason for the solid defensive standing as he has appeared in all but 2 contests and his .920 save % ranks 4th in the NHL among goalies with 10 or more appearances.

Coming into the season, everyone knew that the two biggest keys to the Rangers season were Gaborik and Lundqvist. If either player suffered a long term injury or underperformed, then the Rangers would likely miss the playoffs. If both can remain in the lineup and stay productive then the team should qualify for the playoffs and have a shot at making some noise while there.

Rangers Victory a Sure Thing Tomorrow? You Bet!!

Alright Isles fans, this site has been way too quiet for my taste. It’s time to stir up some action. Tomorrow, you guys have the unfortunate luck to have to play us. I hope you like only having 1 win to date because that’s what you’ll have after tomorrow’s game.

I’m curious, who are you starting in goal; Rolo the “extremely old” or Martin “I wish I were anywhere but here” Biron? Either way, with the Rangers scoring goals in bunches like they are then neither guy has much of a chance.

I am excited that I’ll get a good look at the future of the Isles. Tavares has gotten off to a nice start for an 18 year-old kid. He’d be a legit Calder candidate if it wasn’t for Michael Del Zotto. Have you noticed that DZ has 12 points in 12 games? Maybe he won’t keep that pace up for the whole season but still, that’s an awesome accomplishment for a 19 year-old kid.

It’s also good to see a guy like Matt Moulson get a real shot in the NHL. Moulson had a strong college career but never got a chance with the Kings to show his offensive abilities. On the Island, he is getting a chance to skate with Tavares on the #1 line and he has produced so far.

Truthfully, I do feel kind of bad for the Islanders. I believe the team already has 4 or 5 OT losses? It seems as if you guys are in games but can’t find a way to put those games away. Several times already the opponent has come from behind in the third period and beaten you in OT or in the shootout. Even your 1 win was the result of a shootout goal by Tavares after Carolina came from 2 down in the 3rd.

Take heart Isles fans; I do think that you’re on the right track. It may take a couple more years of adding talent before you sniff the playoffs again but things are getting better. Don’t feel too bad though; the Rangers will represent New York well come playoff time.

Oh by the way, what’s this garbage I’ve read about Gordon getting canned and replaced by Peter Laviolette. Didn’t you guys go down this road once already? Why can a coach that is getting his young charges to play hard and is keeping them competitive? I think that would be a bad move. Hopefully it’s just rumor and you guys will stick with Gordon. I think he’s earned the right to stay behind the bench for the Islanders; although that could be seen as more of a punishment than a reward. Oh well, enjoy the game tomorrow Isles fans, I know I will.

Rangers Back on Winning Road

After 3 consecutive losses and having only recorded 1 point out of a possible 6, it was nice to get back into the win column last night against a surprisingly tough Phoenix squad. Marian Gaborik again showed why he is easily worth $7.5 million annually when he is healthy by potting 2 goals (#’s 9 and 10 for the season) and also assisting on Vinny Prospal’s 4th goal of the season. Gaborik is now tied for the league lead in goals with the Kings’ Anze Kopitar.

Prospal finished with a goal and two assists giving him 16 points in 12 games this season. New line mate Enver Lisin also scored a goal and an assist against his former team and now has 8 points on the young season (5 in his last 5 contests).

The Rangers jumped out to a 4 – 0 lead mid-way into the second period on goals by Artem Anisimov, Prospal and 2 by Gaborik before the Coyotes doused the Rangers momentum by replacing Ilya Bryzgalov in net with former Ranger farm hand Jason Labarbara. The Coyotes scored 2 goals in the 2nd period including a short-handed effort by Vernon Fiddler just before the end of the frame.

Once again the Rangers came out on fire only to see their opponents take the momentum away from them in period 2. The Coyotes out shot the Rangers for the game 32 – 24 even though Lundqvist wasn’t challenged much besides the two goals. He was still sharp in winning his 7th decision on the season.

Let’s face it Rangers fans, we knew this team was going to be up and down all season. How could they not be when they are breaking in two rookie defensemen and a bunch of new players up front? There are going to be games like the San Jose contest where they are just blown out of the water by a good team working hard and skating fast. They are going to blow games, like the one in Montreal, from time to time. As long as this team keeps working hard and the new players show improvement then we have to be happy.

Clearly this team has improved in a big way offensively. Last season this squad would be buzzing about but couldn’t bury the puck in the net. This year’s edition has some real skill. Gaborik is just tremendous and Prospal has proven to be a steal so far. Lisin is flashing the skill that excites scouts and fans alike and if he can continue to improve in the other facets of the game then the Lisin-for-Korpikoski trade will be a huge win for New York.

The one thing that I find truly amazing is the play of Del Zotto. Not only is this kid maintaining his point-per-game production but he is getting more comfortable and decisive in the defensive zone. He is really starting to step up and play the man more in the defensive zone. His instincts are plain to see. For a kid drafted just a year ago to step right into the responsibility he has earned so far and produce like this is amazing to me. After all, we aren’t talking about a kid like Tavares or Crosby here; someone drafted #1 overall with undeniable gifts. Del Zotto was taken 20th overall in 2008. Half of the players drafted around that spot never make an impact in the NHL much less do so at 19. If he continues his level of play and doesn’t win the Calder it will be because of blatant ignorance on the part of the voters.

One concern was a possible knee-on-knee collision to Gaborik with 5 minutes or so remaining in the game. He has already come out and said that it isn’t “major” and has nothing to do with the groin or hip problems he’s had previously. Hopefully that is the case and Gaborik will be on the ice tomorrow against the Isles. Just in case, the Blue Shirts called F P.A. Parenteau up from Hartford.

This Rangers team personifies why it is important for fans, coaches and players to never get too high when things are going well or too low when things aren’t. This team can go from one extreme to the other within a single game. Even still, there sure appears to be enough talent that with Lundqvist in net, that this should be a playoff team.

Rangers Bring in Dandenault for a Look

Ever since Alexei Semenov backed out of an agreement with the Rangers to be their 7th defenseman, it was thought that the team would pursue another veteran blue liner to fill that role; whether by trade or free agency. Salary cap restrictions and the lack of quality UFA’s on the market made it a difficult task for Glen Sather and his staff to find the right kind of fit for that spot.

A 7th defenseman on this Rangers team has to be prepared to not play for long stretches when things are going well but also be ready to step in at a moment’s notice if an injury occurs or if one of the top 6 guys is not playing well. With the Rangers committed to playing two rookies as much as possible, the large salary obligations to Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden and the presence of young, talented blue liners Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, there would be no guaranteed ice time for a 7th guy.

Carrying just 6 defensemen can be dangerous though; especially when you have two rookies in this year’s lineup and two expensive veterans coming off of dismal showings last season. John Tortorella is not the type of coach to sit idly by and watch as veterans under-perform. He’d like to have an experienced and dependable option available in the event that he wants to bench a struggling defenseman.

Enter Mathieu Dandenault, a veteran of 13 NHL campaigns with Montreal and Detroit and who was cut loose by San Jose after failing to make their squad as a training camp invite. Dandenault has a career line of 68 g -135 a – 203 pts and is a +42 in 868 NHL contests. The 6’1” 210 Dandenault has played both defense and forward in his career and has his name etched on the Stanley Cup 3 times thanks to his time with the Red Wings.

Dandenault isn’t the big, physical presence that maybe Tortorella would have liked but he is a solid veteran guy who has been a part winning programs in the past. If he proves himself capable of contributing while skating with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers will sign him to a prorated, 1 year deal worth somewhere around the league minimum in all likelihood. If his play isn’t up to snuff then they simply release him from his tryout and move on; a perfect no-lose scenario.

I like this addition for the Rangers. Dandenault is a good team guy who has filled in at both defense and forward during his lengthy career showing his willingness to compete and do whatever is asked of him. He’s been a gritty competitor throughout his career, not afraid to mix it up with the opposition. The fact that he brings some Stanley Cup winning experience makes it an even nicer addition potentially.

This is they type of under-the-radar move that every playoff team must make to ensure they have the necessary depth come playoff time. With his experience, Dandenault is a nice fallback option in the event of an injury to or substandard performance by any of the top six.

The King of New York

Sounds like a great title for a movie doesn’t it? Oh wait, someone has already used it? Darn! Regardless, it is an appropriate title for our King Henrik. Up until last night’s meeting with an improving Kings club, the King hadn’t been asked to win a game virtually all on his own. The Rangers had played their style to a tee and had consistently pressured the opposition into mistakes and had taken advantage of those mistakes. Only for small stretches has Hank been asked to be the King and save the Rangers collective bacon.

Last night, however, was very different. It had always been in the back of my mind that the style of play that the Rangers were employing was not unique to John Tortorella or Manhattan. Other teams could come in with an aggressive fore check and pressure our blue line to the point where they couldn’t execute the “first pass” out of the zone and start our offensive rush. That’s exactly what the Kings did last night.

Look, after years of mediocrity and rebuilding, the Kings look like a playoff team. I picked them to qualify this season in my Western Conference predictions in fact. Ryan Smyth has been stellar and seems to have pushed the ultra-talented Anze Kopitar to the next level of his development. Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson are right now what I hope Del Zotto and Gilroy are in another year or two.

The key to the early season success of the Kings has been the solid play of Jonathan Quick in net. He hasn’t been excellent but with the Kings scoring goals for him a solid performance was all that was necessary to propel the Kings to a 4 game winning streak, (coming into last night) following their opening night disaster against Phoenix.

This wasn’t going to be an easy game but the Rangers came out pretty strong in period 1 recording two PP goals in the first period. Vinny Prospal cashed in both, the first of which was his 200th NHL goal. The Kings trailed going into period 2 by a score of 2 – 1.

Brian Boyle kicked off the scoring in the second with a goal, his first as a Ranger, against the team that dealt him this past off-season. That’s when the Kings took control of the game. The Kings dominated the puck and controlled the play for virtually the rest of the game and it was during this time that the King was at his best. New York was out shot for the game 36 – 21 and by an especially wide margin in the 2nd and 3rd periods (24 – 12). Lundqvist was game for every chance in those two periods with the exception of a PPG scored by Michal Handzus in which a shot from the point by Jack Johnson hit Handzus’ body and deflected by the King for a goal.

Lundqvist made several great saves including a point blank opportunity of a rebound chance by Kopitar from about 12 feet out. Marian Gaborik closed out the scoring with a beautiful wrister into the top corner of the net against Kings’ goalie Erik Ersberg (more on that shortly).

All-in-all, the Rangers were not the better team but they were able to dig this one out. That’s great news for Rangers fans; if you can win against a good team when you are not playing your best hockey then that is something to be proud of.

Other Impressions:

Marian Gaborik - I never saw a lot of Marian Gaborik when he played in Minny. Now that I see him in every game, I’ve concluded that he reminds me so much of Jaromir Jagr; especially in the season right after the lockout in which Jagr set a team record with 54 goals to go along with 123 points.

Every time Gabby has the puck in the offensive zone I think he can score. That is a tremendous threat to have on your side; one that only a few teams can boast. That wrist shot was incredible. He received a pass/clearing attempt from Prospal near the Kings’ blue line and calmly skate into the offensive zone. The Kings d-man (Doughty?) skated over forcing Gaborik to the left wing face-off circle where Gabby let loose of a laser shot to the far corner that beat Ersberg over his shoulder before he could react. I’m not even sure the defenseman realized the shot had been let go until it was already in the net.

The great thing about Gaborik’s performance to date is that all 6 of his goals have come in the third period when they are most needed. He has been absolutely clutch this season. We know that when we need a goal, Gaborik is definitely capable of delivering and that breeds confidence amongst the rest of the players.

Another aspect to like about Gabby is his unselfishness. He had an opportunity to shoot the puck into the empty net late in the game and pad his stats but instead tried a cross-ice feed to Prospal in an attempt to get Prospal the hat-trick. Little things like that go a long way in a dressing room. It would certainly appear as if Gabby and his teammates are having fun and the chemistry seems to be there.

Michael Del Zotto – I keep waiting for the scoring pace to wane some but through 7, the 19 year-old rookie has 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) and is a +2. Those are great numbers for any defensemen at this stage much less a 19 year-old kid. I doubt he can keep up this torrid pace but if he can even crack 50 points this year with a + rating it will be an accomplishment worthy of serious Calder Trophy consideration.

Ales Kotalik – This guy keeps producing points on a highly effective PP (converting at a 26.5% clip in 34 chances) as 6 of his 7 points have been on the PP. I didn’t like the signing when it was announced but Kotalik is doing loads to change my mind. With the play of Del Zotto and Kotalik on the PP points, the Rangers PP looks immensely better than the clueless rabble that the Rangers iced last year.

Protect the goalie please – Over the last two contests, I’ve seen opposing forwards run into (whether intentional or not is irrelevant) Lundqvist with little or no reaction from the Rangers. I don’t expect someone to just start beating an opposing player in this situation but at least get the dude off of our goalie and give him a good shove. Say something! We have to keep the King healthy and in good shape. That won’t happen if he keeps getting run into like that.

Face-offs – Before looking up the numbers, I really expected there to be a larger disparity between face-offs won and lost for the Rangers. It seemed to me as if the Rangers were being beaten consistently and at key times. After a quick review though, it isn’t good but not as bad as I had originally thought. Here is a list of the Rangers 5 face-off guys:

Prospal 53%
Dubinsky 52%
Boyle 48%
Drury 48%
Anisimov 34%

Those numbers, especially Anisimov’s is too low. I may be nitpicking here but I believe that face-off win % is an undervalued stat in the NHL. If Anisimov doesn’t improve then I would suspect Torts would do something different with his line. You can’t have a C taking anywhere from 6 – 12 draws per game when he’s losing 2/3 of them.

After 7 games and a 6 – 1 record about all anyone can do is nitpick. The Rangers have won games a number of different ways. They’ve now won when they were severely outplayed, they’ve won with offense and they’ve won with the King coming to the rescue. All hail the King.

The Rangers Best Performance to Date

The Rangers entered Sunday’s matinee contest against the Anaheim Ducks feeling pretty good about themselves. After all, they were riding a 3 game winning streak and had gotten the hoped for offensive production from FA additions Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. Plus they were catching the Ducks on the back end of two games in two nights.

The Rangers would have to be careful however. Steve Valiquette was making his first appearance of the young season and the Ducks showed some tremendous fortitude coming back from a 2 – 0 deficit against the Flyers; getting 2 late goals from Teemu Selanne in the final 6:47 and finally winning in a shootout. The victory was all the more impressive given it came on the road against one of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers game plan was pretty obvious; work the puck in deep and work over the Ducks defense. The longer the Rangers could pressure the Ducks in their defensive zone, the more likely they would wear down the Ducks and come out on top.

The team executed their game plan to a tee, outshooting the Ducks 13 – 1 in the first period. In fact, using the Corsi Rating, the Rangers directed 29 shots toward the Ducks net while the Ducks only directed 4 shots toward the Rangers net. The Rangers finished with an astonishing +25 Corsi Rating in the 1st period. MSG color analyst Joe Micheletti even referred to the 1st period as, and allow me to paraphrase, the finest period of Rangers hockey in quite some time.

Not surprisingly the Ducks looked flat and sluggish in the first. The Rangers seemed to be a step ahead for the entire period. But the Ducks showed their true colors by playing a much better second period. The shot count at the end of 2: Rangers 24 – Ducks 12. The score at the end of 2: Rangers 0 – Ducks 0.

This is where I started to get nervy. After dominating so much in the first and seeing a number of quality chances turned away by Ducks goalie J.S. Giguere, there was a palpable fear that the Ducks would re-create the magic from the night before. Fortunately for the Rangers, Ales Kotalik finally cashed in on the PP at the 2:14 mark. Kotalik finished off a spiffy passing play begun by Gaborik who fed Del Zotto on the left point. Del Zotto then faked a shot before passing the puck to Kotalik at the left circle. Kotalik fired the puck scoring the game’s first goal.

The game went back-and-forth with the score remaining 1 – 0 in favor of New York. At the 11:57 mark, Evgeni Artyukin took a double minor for high sticking Rangers Defenseman Marc Staal. After the Ducks killed off the first 2:25 seconds, rookie Artem Anisimov scored his first career NHL capping off a nifty passing play. Avery skated in behind the net in pursuit of the puck. He beat a Ducks defender and fed Vinny Prospal on the left wing side of the net. Prospal then shot a perfect pass to Anisimov in front of the cage and the rookie wasted no time firing off a perfect shot to stake the Rangers to a 2 – 0 lead.

Things got a bit dicey as Dubinsky took a double minor of his own at the 17:36 mark. Dubinsky was after a puck along the right wing boards when he tried to jump by Ducks defenseman Ryan Whitney. As he did, he was dragging his stick behind him and as he tried to raise his stick to get it over Whitney, he clipped the defender in the face. The stage was set if the Ducks were going to launch a second consecutive come-from-behind win. The Rangers would have none of that however.

Dan Girardi iced the game with a length of the ice shot resulting in a short-handed, empty-net goal. It was Girardi’s first of the year and capped off one of the best 60 minute performances I’ve seen of the Rangers in quite some time.

Here are some of the other things I noticed in this game:

Vinny Prospal – Prospal continues to impress; not only with his skill and savvy offensively but with his guts and determination. He engaged in quite the physical battle with Ducks C Saku Koivu. For a guy that doesn’t have a reputation as being a physical player, Prospal showed that he doesn’t lack in the guts department.

Michal Rozsival - After the 3rd period benching against the Capitals, Rozsival bounced back with a much better performance overall. He seemed more decisive with the puck and worked harder in the defensive zone.

Wade Redden – Maybe the best thing that can be said about Redden is that he has gone nearly unnoticed on the ice. Too often last season he was being noticed a lot, mainly because he was coughing the puck up or because he was being outmuscled on the puck. This season he has been much quieter; a sign that he isn’t losing those one-on-one battles and has made better decisions with the puck. His play is critical this season as he needs to serve as a mentor for rookies Matt Gilroy and Del Zotto. Redden also just missed his first goal of the season when his shot from the point deflected off Giguere and then hit the post in the third period.

Ales Kotalik – I won’t make a definitive “I was wrong,” statement about Kotalik….yet. Some of you may remember that I was very critical of the signing after it was announced. So far, I can’t argue with the production Kotalik has provided. Through 5 games Kotalik has come through with 3 goals and an assist. Two of his markers have been on the power play. To date, the Rangers PP is converting at a 20% clip (5 for 25). Even better, the Rangers have scored all 5 of their PPG in their last 16 attempts (31.3%). Some of that success can be attributed to the addition of Kotalik.

Steve Valiquette – Vally wasn’t severely tested in his 2009/2010 debut but was solid nonetheless. He stopped all 18 shots in recording his 4th career shutout. Tortorella will feel much better about resting Lundqvist if Vally can keep playing at this level.

Sean Avery – Has there ever been a player who needed a team as much as the team needed the player. Despite a 3 – 1 record to start minus Avery, the Rangers record with Avery in the lineup has been so much better than without him. Today he recorded an assist and maybe more importantly didn’t take any penalties while drawing a roughing call against Ryan Whitney that resulted in the Rangers first goal. He also finished tied for second on the Rangers with 5 hits.

Brandon Dubinsky – Whether it’s because he is trying to prove he is worth the money and the holdout or maybe he is invigorated playing with skilled players like Prospal and Gaborik, Brandon Dubinsky is playing like a much different a better player this year. He is not hesitating taking the puck hard to the net. In his first two years in those spots he would have looked to pass the puck off but not now. He is maintaining his aggressiveness while keeping his emotions in check. We’ll see if he can keep up this performance for the entire year but if he does then the Rangers have their #1 Center.
It’s only 5 games into the new season and the memories of last year’s hot start and subsequent disappointing inconsistencies still haunt me. I’m not predicting great things for this incarnation of the New York Rangers but I am very encouraged by what I am seeing. The young players are stepping up and playing well which bodes well for future Rangers’ teams. Gaborik, Kotalik and Prospal are doing what was expected; producing offensively. We’ll see where they are at after 82 games but right now they look darn good.

Blue Shirts Show Resiliency in Win Over Caps

When Henrik Lundqvist allowed a seemingly harmless dump-in from center ice squirt by him for the tying goal early in the third period yesterday my mouth literally hung open with shock. Was this the turning point in what had been a solid effort against a very good Caps team? Were we going to lose a game because our heroic goalie allowed a silky, soft goal?

My fears began to be realized when the “lucky” goal scorer who beat Lundqvist with a dump-in, Niklas Backstrom, scored a power play goal to put the Capitals up 3 – 2 in the third period. A solid all-around effort which bordered on sensational at times in the second period was going to be wasted all because our favorite Ranger made a terrible mistake. Or was it?

Maybe in years past the Rangers would have folded under those unfortunate circumstances but not last night. Marian Gaborik tied the score just seconds after Backstrom put the Caps up. Gaborik then recorded what would ultimately be the game winner a couple of minutes later on a Rangers PP.

Neither of Gaborik’s goals were of the awe-inspiring variety. In fact, Caps goalie Jose Theodore probably should have stopped both shots. That’s the thing with premier goal scorers; the puck tends to find them and those players find a way to put the puck in the net. An “ugly” goal counts the same as a highlight reel goal and both of Gaborik’s goals were closer to “ugly” than they were to highlight reel. Both goals were definitely “goal scorer’s” goals.

That’s the type of production the Rangers paid for and desperately need from their star sniper. It’s nice to know that when you are a goal down you have a guy that can tie the score at any time, from nearly anywhere. When Gaborik is going, you are almost never out of a game until the final horn goes.

I actually sat down last night with pen and paper and took some notes during last night’s game. Here are a few of the things that I noticed in last nights contest:

Marian Gaborik: Looked at times as if he was fighting the puck. Apart from a wrap around attempt and then subsequently a juicy rebound attempt (both of which were stopped by Theodore) Gaborik had trouble with puck possession.

On a second period power play, Gabby took too much on himself trying to skate by three defenders only to have the puck stripped. Use your line mates Marian!
Clutch goal to tie the game in the third just seconds after Caps break the tie. Skated in on a mini-rush and beat Theodore 5-hole.

Ryan Callahan: Great work on the penalty kill in the second period. Just missed on a breakaway opportunity when the defender pushed him past the net and not allowing him to get a shot off. Tremendous stick work again stripping AO of the puck and skating out on a breakaway. Scores on a sweet back-hand beating Theo 5-hole.

Lisin-Kotalik-Anisimov: Some great shifts in the middle period by these guys. Kotalik lifted a back-hand that got over Theo after some nice passing in the offensive zone.

Anisimov: Got caught too high in the D zone on the Semin goal. Left a seam for Pothier to get the puck cross-ice for Semin who planted the puck. Anisimov needed to collapse a little lower and keep his stick on the ice.

Michal Rozsival: Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways!!!! Lazy passes, not decisive. Confidence issue? Took a holding call after being out-hustled and out-muscled by Caps F Chris Clark at the 6:45 mark of the 2nd. On the bench for much of the third.

Matt Gilroy: Still pushed off the puck too easily at times. Unbelievable how often and how deep he’ll carry the puck into the offensive zone. He looks more like a rover than a defenseman. Getting some critical PK time here in the third period; great learning experience under the gun.

All-in-all, this was a gutsy effort by the Rangers. They came from behind on two occasions, Lundqvist gave up the type of goal that gives goalies nightmares and the Rangers gave the Capitals 9 power plays and still came out on top in the end; this coming against a team the really lambasted us (despite going to 7 games) in the playoffs last year. Not bad, not bad at all.

First Impression of the New Look Rangers

Three games into the new season and the Rangers find themselves 2 – 1 – 0 heading into a big early season match-up with the team that knocked us out of last years postseason. I will be watching intently to see how the new Rangers players and the Torts’ style of play compare to the offensive juggernaut that is the Capitals. In last year’s playoffs, the Capitals dominated the Rangers and only the play of Lundqvist and a couple of timely goals got us to seven games. That series is what prompted some of the off-season additions to the Rangers lineup as the team struggled to generate anything offensively.

Before tonight’s game, I’d like to look back at the first three contests and offer up my impressions on the team so far. Three games is a very small sample size and won’t necessarily predict the future performances of either the players or the team but it is enough to give us an idea of what kind of team we have here and whether the squad is moving in the right direction.

The kids on D: We expected the young guys on the blue line to struggle with their play in the defensive zone; they are just kids after all. Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto didn’t earn roster spots because of their stellar defensive play. They earned spots because they can bring offense to a team sorely lacking it last year.

To date, the kids haven’t disappointed; they’ve struggled at times in their own zone just like everyone expected. They’ve lost some one-on-one battles for possession of the puck. But they’ve also scored goals. The two rookies have combined for 3 goals through 3 games including 2 game winners and a PP goal among them.

I’m willing to live with some of the defensive miscues as long as they can produce offensively like that and also as long as they show improvement in their own end. I’m pretty sure Torts will be drilling them all season on that score.

Goaltending: We already know we’ve got one of the best between the pipes in the “King”. We also know with the style of play Torts wants to implement and the inexperience on D, the “King” was going to have to be on top of his game all of the time for us to be a playoff team.

So far, he hasn’t disappointed either. He was real strong in the home opener against Ottawa and made several quality stops in the Pittsburgh and New Jersey games that kept us in the game. He hasn’t had to “steal” a game yet but that chance might come tonight when the high-octane Capitals play host to the Rangers.

Improved offensive production: I’ve already touched on the kids’ contributions but the Rangers, after finishing just above the Islanders in goals scored last season in the Eastern Conference, needed big-money newcomer Marian Gaborik to prove he’s healthy and to start producing points quickly. Through three he has 4 points (2 goals and 2 assists) and he looks dynamic on the ice.

Fellow newcomers Vinny Prospal and Christopher Higgins have also done a good job of creating chances. Higgins hasn’t been rewarded much for his efforts but his time should come if he continues to play as well as he has. Prospal has a goal and two assists so far and the top line of Dubinsky centering Gaborik and Prospal has clicked to the tune of 5 goals and 11 points so far.

The Rangers really need more production from the third line of Anisimov, Kotalik and Lisin as they have combined to score just 1 goal (Kotalik on the PP). These three have the skill to be key contributors offensively for the Blue Shirts. Now it’s time for them to produce.

Turning the Power Play into an advantage instead of a disadvantage: The Rangers flat out sucked last year on the power play converting at a paltry 13.9% clip. Not only did the team finish next to last in power play efficiency they also gave up the second most short-handed goals (14) in the entire league.

To put it bluntly, I used to hope that the referee wouldn’t call a penalty against the opponent because I didn’t want to see the putrid Rangers power play. I was afraid that the Rangers would just upset me by giving up a shorty instead of converting themselves. Last season, the Rangers PPG for versus SHGA ratio was 48 – 14. That’s a +34 goal differential. The league average was nearly +57. Only Columbus had a worse differential finishing +29.

So far, the Rangers have converted 2 of 15 chances; which computes to a 13.3% success rate. That’s even worse than last year. Of course three games isn’t enough to use success rate as a useful statistic. At this point the power play does look better creating chances for and limiting chances against. Del Zotto clearly will be a force on the PP while Ales Kotalik and his hard shot are a welcome sight after seeing so many shots passed on by Rangers point men last season. All signs are at least encouraging on the power play.

I like the way the team looks so far. They will be a lot more exciting than past Rangers squads. The high pressure attack will surely create more scoring chances; both for and against. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that there will be times when a rookie screws up or a vet makes a bone-head play or maybe Gaborik gets hurt. I can deal with that. As long as I’m seeing a commitment to some of the younger guys and as long as the up tempo game yields more goals for us. With Lundqvist in net I’m confident that we’ll have a good year if we can just score more goals.

Follow me on twitter tonight as I post updates throughout tonights contest. “Gkmkiller”

Trent Hunter's Tale and the Hunter Hate Debate

In the 2001-2002 Islanders so-called “Renaissance” season, a rookie by the name of Trent Hunter was in Bridgeport breaking former Bridgeport records and establishing himself as a good prospect coming up through the Islanders system. Ironically enough, the New York Islanders did not draft Hunter. He was actually drafted in the sixth round, 150^th overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the previously named Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Less than two years later, general manager Mike Milbury saw something that he liked in Hunter, and he struck a deal for Hunter that only cost the Islanders a fourth-round pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Although he appeared during the 2001-2002 playoffs for the Islanders, as well as eight games in 2002-2003 for the Islanders, Hunter’s true rookie season did not come until the 2003-2004 season, and he broke into the NHL in storm-like fashion. After compiling a team-high 25 goals (tied with Mariusz Czerkawski), 26 assists, and a team-high of 51 points (tied with Oleg Kvasha…this is your cue to laugh), Trent Hunter finished third in voting for the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year (ironically, again, behind Andrew Raycroft who played for the Bruins at the time).

Unfortunately for a developing player like Trent Hunter, the NHL went into a yearlong lockout immediately following his rookie campaign. For a player who had just had a highly successful season, it was very unfortunate for furthering his development.

The 2005-2006 season would be the first season back from the lockout, and Hunter’s second full season in the NHL. Although not as effective as his rookie season, Trent Hunter still managed to put up 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points. Since that season, Trent’s numbers are as followed:

2006-2007: 77 GP, 20 Goals, 15 Assists, 35 Points, 22 PIM

2007-2008: 82 GP, 12 Goals, 29 Assists, 41 Points, 43 PIM

2008-2009: 55GP, 14 Goals, 17 Assists, 31 Points, 41 PIM

For a player who had showed such a tremendous amount of promise in the American Hockey League, these numbers can be considered somewhat subpar. However, it has become visible that since the changeover from the old-style National Hockey League play to what many call the “New-NHL,” Hunter’s lack of speed has been his shortcoming. That does not mean he is ineffective, and this is where I must begin the Hunter Hate Debate.

Almost anytime the name Trent Hunter is mentioned in any Internet article, it seems to me that a majority of the passionate Islanders fan base becomes fired up over his inability to score goals and the fact that he is even playing on the third-line for us. The comments range anywhere from asking why he is in the NHL, to why he gets as much ice time as he does, to why he isn’t scoring 30 goals. The one thing I don’t understand though is why people overlook everything else he brings to the game.

If you watch every game that Trent Hunter plays in, you will obviously notice a guy that maybe isn’t as fast as those around him, however, you will not notice a guy who lacks effort, who lacks heart, and who lacks the desire to be there. Each and every shift, it is obvious that Hunter doesn’t mind taking the body to make the play, he doesn’t mind going into the corners and fighting for the puck, he doesn’t mind standing in front of the net to take a beating if it means that a goal will come about, and he doesn’t mind getting back into his own defensive zone to make the proper defensive player.

Furthermore, have you ever seen Hunter scrap for the puck along the boards with an opponent? Eight out of ten times, Hunter comes out of the scrap with the puck, and he proceeds to make an intelligent first pass. Rarely do you see a pass leave Hunter’s stick that doesn’t arrive at its desired destination, and you rarely see Hunter just give up the puck without any pressure on him. For a guy that is slower-footed, his intelligence and knowledge of the game truly help him to make up for his shortcomings. This is not something that can be said about several of the other Islanders on the current roster.

Trent Hunter is a third line winger, and he will remain a third-line winger for the better part of his NHL career. If you don’t agree with any of the points I made, or you still feel that he should be contributing more offensively, there are several things you must take into account. First, during the 2006-2007 season and the 2007-2008 season, Hunter was playing under a very defensive-minded, trap-style Ted Nolan that discouraged offense greatly. Under a more wide-open, offensive-minded Gordon, Hunter was doing extremely well offensively until his serious injury that knocked him out for quite a lengthy period of time.

If you still don’t buy into this, then here are some numbers from other third-liners that may strike interest into Hunter’s play:

Jordan Staal, third-line center for the Pittsburgh Penguins:

2008-2009: 82GP, 22 G, 27 A, 49 Points, 37 PIM

Sean Avery, 2007-2008 stats for the New York Rangers:

2007-2008: 57GP, 15G, 18A, 33 Points, 154 PIM

Tomas Holmstrom, third-line winger for the Detroit Red Wings:

2008-2009: 53GP, 14G, 23A, 37P, 38PIM

Two out of the three players on this list were integral members of teams that went to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. To take it further, Staal played appeared in 27 more games than Hunter last season.

I can understand where a small amount of the Trent Hunter scrutiny comes about, however, for a player that is not only a leader on and off the ice, but also a smart and decent contributor on the ice, I cannot understand where the hatred and harsh words come about. Now that it is a new season, I can only hope that Hunter is able to play in Gordon’s wide-open system for 82 games so that we can see just what he can do when he is given the opportunity to perform offensively as well. In one game already this year, he has one goal and one assist, so it’s not a bad start by any means.

Trent Hunter is a good hockey player, and I think he is going to show that this season. Let us lay off the overly harsh words as he finally is on a platform to prove himself. It’s only his fifth season in the NHL, and I think he will silence the large number of Hunter Haters.

What do you think?

-Justin (IslesNet@Gmail.Com)

Drop the Puck Already!!!

The day that all Rangers fans have been anxiously awaiting for since the disappointing end to our playoff run last season is finally upon us. Tonight is game 1 of 82 in the 2009-2010 NHL regular season. Not only do we have the excitement of the puck dropping on the new season but what better way to start than for the Rangers to open on the road against the defending Stanley Cup Champs on the night that the Penguins third championship banner will be raised to the rafters at Mellon Arena?

In an interesting twist, Coach Tortorella has said that the Rangers players will observe the ceremony from the visitor’s bench. I’m not sure how common it is for the visiting team in this scenario to do this but Tortorella is adamant that the team will show their respect for the Penguins, the NHL and the sport of hockey with this act.

As is typically the case with Torts, he also has an ulterior motive with this move. He feels that it will be good for the team’s younger players to experience the ceremony to reinforce to them what the goal of the Rangers is; to win the Stanley Cup for themselves. Considering only Chris Drury has had his name etched on a Cup, it wouldn’t hurt for the team’s veteran players to pay attention tonight too.

So, what are the keys for tonight’s contest between the Rangers and the Penguins?

1. Weather the opening storm. It is likely that the Penguins will be flying on a tidal wave of emotion after witnessing their championship banner raised to the rafters. The crowd will certainly be into it. The Rangers need to stay in the game early until some of that opening emotion tapers some. If they go down a goal or two early then that wave may never dissipate and it could be a long night for the Blueshirts.

2. The play of the defense. The Rangers will introduce two rookie defensemen to the fire in Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy. Additionally, Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden and Dan Girardi didn’t perform up to expectations last season. For the Rangers to be competitive both tonight and all season it will be critical for this group to make quick, smart decisions with the puck. Pittsburgh will be attacking in waves and if the Rangers get stuck in their own zone too often tonight then the Penguins will have the advantage.

It is also imperative for this group to quickly secure and then move the puck up ice to start the offensive attack. Torts will also expect this group to be active in jumping into the play offensively. Torts’ strategy already lends itself to creating odd-man against opportunities and poor decision making by the defense will only serve to exasperate this situation.

3. The King will need to be the King. Let’s face it; if Lundqvist plays like anything other than one of the best in the world then the Rangers are in big trouble. He’s already starting off at a disadvantage given the influx of youth on “D” and the aggressive style employed by Tortorella. Henrik is going to see some very good chances against as a result and a substandard effort from Lundqvist will sink the club tonight and any night.

4. The new look offense must generate quality scoring chances. Glen Sather invested heavily into forwards Marian Gaborik and Ales Kotalik (8 years and a total of $46.5 million combined) and they along with Chris Higgins and Enver Lisin, both of whom were acquired via trade, must do their part to improve on last season’s moribund offensive performance. The judgment of whether it was wise or not to invest in Gaborik will begin tonight. A solid performance from him and the other newcomers is necessary for the Rangers to have a chance tonight.

5. The power play must become an advantage rather than a disadvantage for the team. There were times last season where it was more palatable to be a man short than it was to have a man advantage. Not only did the Rangers power play click at a paltry 13.9% clip but they gave up the 2nd most short-handed goals last year (14). Kotalik was brought over in part for his booming shot and its potential on the PP point. Del Zotto at 19, made the team and will likely be entrusted to man a point on one of the PP units primarily due to his offensive skills.

We’ve all already overanalyzed the Rangers off-season; their additions, subtractions and the things we thought they should have done. Predictions were made, some of which were ridiculed. Now its time to finally see whether this team is a Glen Sather masterpiece; or just another flop in a long line of flops. The puck finally drops tonight.

Roster Starting to Take Shape

The New York Rangers official website is reporting that D Bobby Sanguinetti has been assigned to the team’s AHL affiliate in Hartford. That leaves 7 defensemen on the roster and pretty much concludes the competition for the last roster spots. Those left on the roster and whom have presumably made the final team are; Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, rookies Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto along with veteran Alexei Semenov who is likely to fill the role of 7th defensemen.

The biggest surprise was Del Zotto making the team as a 19 year-old. Coming into training camp it was expected that the 6th spot would go to either Ikka Heikinen or Sanguinetti but Del Zotto impressed Torts with his confidence and aggressiveness in the offensive zone. It’s best that Sanguinetti was sent down instead of being kept as a 7th defenseman since he will get a lot more ice time in Hartford than the 7th defenseman will in New York. Additionally, Torts would not have been comfortable with 3 rookie defensemen on the roster.

Semenov was a pleasant surprise, making the squad after being invited to camp on a tryout. He has been around the NHL for a few seasons with the Sharks, Panthers and Oilers prior to his stop here in Manhattan. Torts told Newsday, “He’s a better passer than I thought and he’s added some jam back there.” Semenov brings some size to the Rangers blueline that they sorely lacked.

With the defense and goaltending roster spots locked up that leaves only a spot or two in the forward ranks up for grabs. Currently the Rangers still have 14 forwards in camp by my count (Enver Lisin, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Vinny Prrospal, Ales Kotalik, Marian Gaborik, Sean Avery, Brian Boyle, Aaron Voros, Donald Brashear, Artem Anisimov, and Evgeny Grachev). Assuming the Rangers only keep 13 forwards then it looks like Evgeny Grachev would be the most likely to be sent to Hartford.

Grachev has had a great camp to date but Torts seems set on converting the big Russian to Wing from Center. Tort’s was quoted by Newsday saying, “He is not a center, he's a wing. He has just got that prototypical winger body -- all legs, and he’s strong.” I’m sure that we’ll see Grachev up here if an injury hits one of the top 6 forwards.

If Grachev doesn’t make the team then that means that Aaron Voros will. After getting off to a hot start last season playing on a line with Nik Zherdev and Brandon Dubinsky, Voros cooled off considerably and was a frequent healthy scratch after Torts took over. He’s come to camp in great shape and has worked hard to win a spot, even if it is just a 4th line spot.

For better or worse, it looks like the 2009 – 2010 New York Rangers roster is set. This group represents a large departure from last year’s team with likely 12 players suiting up that weren’t in New York to open last season. For that reason alone, this should prove to be an interesting season for the Blue Shirts and their fans.

Patience is a Virtue with de Haan

We all remember the Islanders draft party vividly. We all remember the days leading up to it, the excruciating hour prior to the pick, the heart wrenching and terribly false Newsday report which had the Islanders all-but-certainly selecting Matt Duchene first overall, and then finally, the euphoric explosion that centered at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and quickly had its ripple effect across all of Islanders Country once John Tavares was selected by Garth Snow.

What came shortly following that pick was truly unexpected…

Garth Snow and company, who also had the 26^th overall pick thanks to a fine trade earlier in the year with the Ottawa Senators, began their process of going after that “targeted player.” By moving up first from 26^th to 16^th, and then unexpectedly from 16^th to 12^th, the Islanders obviously had their minds set on one specific player who probably wouldn’t have been their much longer. With Zach Kassian, Chris Kreider, Jordan Schroeder, and many other big names still left on the board to help the Islanders weak offense, Garth Snow made a surprise splash by selecting Calvin de Haan, the projected 26^th overall pick.

Why, you ask, is this significant nearly three months after it happened? That answer is simple: Scott Gordon and Garth Snow are apparently thinking about keeping the youngster around for his first NHL season. If the Islanders go through with this, and sign him to an entry-level contract, I will be the first to say I am not a fan of this move. I don’t even think I’d advocate keeping him up here for nine games this season, and guaranteeing the beginning of his contract next year.

The average defenseman in hockey, upon being drafted, takes anywhere from two to five years to develop into a true top-six NHL defenseman. This estimate is obviously taking into account the fact that the kid has the potential and desire to work himself into an NHL defenseman, and isn’t just some early or late-round dud. Furthermore, this estimate does not include above-average star-players who can make the jump into the NHL right away, a la Victor Hedman (yes, I really do think he will be very successful in his first year).

Do not take my antipathy towards keeping him on the NHL roster this year as me disliking the player and/or the selection. On the contrary, I actually think the selection of Calvin de Haan was a rather intelligent pick for the Islanders, and I do think that he has loads of potential as a number two defenseman who can also run the power-play in the future. His above-average speed, his quick-feet, his excellent stick-handling abilities, and his vision for the game will allow him to develop into an excellent new-NHL type defenseman who can play both on both sides of the puck.

The reason I am against him staying on the island is simple. Calvin de Haan truly needs to develop and mature further as a hockey player and athlete before he can begin his development as an NHL player. While he may be of average height for an NHL player, he is still underweight, and not nearly strong enough to be working against some of the most talented, strong, and intelligent hockey players in the world. I just think it would be a shot to his confidence when he is getting run over numerous times.

While he has done well in his preseason games, it must be remembered that he has been going up against players from other teams who also will be sent down to juniors and the American Hockey League. Can you truly envision, at this moment in time, de Haan being able to press and contain Atlantic Division players such as Jordan Staal, Travis Zajac, and Daniel Briere?

Garth Snow, who is finally doing this rebuild in the proper manner, should continue to follow his stringent rules and allow the development to happen naturally. By allowing de Haan to put on muscle and develop his game further with his junior team in Canada this season, both the Islanders and de Haan will benefit in the long term. By rushing him into the NHL immediately, de Haan is going to be faced with a quick adjustment process, a shot to his confidence which is flying high after going 12^th overall, and he may develop bad habits to compensate for his immaturity and lack of strength.

We all know the expectations for the Islanders this season. Calvin de Haan is not going to make the projected 15^th place Islanders into a playoff team. The Islanders might as well allow him to develop properly so that when he steps on the ice next season, he will be truly ready to make a difference.

Wouldn’t you agree?

-Justin (IslesNet@Gmail.Com)

A Possible Enforcer for the Islanders?

The Islanders enter into this season once again looking rather young and rather inexperienced. Even more than that, the Islanders enter into the season looking rather vulnerable considering the fact that they lack a true NHL enforcer and instigator on their roster. The lack of an enforcer has been one of the hottest Islander discussions this summer, and today, a solution may have been found, albeit a very unpopular one.

The Ottawa Senators beat writer for the Ottawa Citizen is reporting in today’s sports section that the performances of Senator prospects such as defenseman Erik Karlsson and center Peter Regin is forcing general manager Bryan Murray to keep his eyes open for any cap-clearing and roster-opening moves. One of the major names in play for a trade is none other than the extremely-hated Jarko Ruutu, who has not only become known for his heinous words and ways, but for his ability to put up some numbers as a fourth-line instigator and fighter.

To be fair, Ruutu would be able to find a good role here on the Islanders. He is a pretty decent skater, so it would not cause too much of an issue for him to be able to keep up in Scott Gordon’s up-tempo system, and he has averaged about 7 goals and 9 assists each year throughout his career. Furthermore, the Islanders need for an instigator and fighter would be answered by him, at least for the time being.

On the flipside, bringing in a player like Ruutu would be like bringing a whale into the room. He isn’t always the cleanest player on the ice, and the Islanders have had bad past experiences with a player very similar to him in Chris Simon. Furthermore, he isn’t considered the best all-around locker room guy, even if he is protecting his teammates on the ice. With two years left on his contract at $1.3 million per year (NHLNumbers.Com), it is quite a gamble.

Trade-wise, since this is obviously very important to this decision, I believe it would be relatively inexpensive for the Islanders to acquire him. Considering Ottawa’s desire to open up two roster spots and dump salary, the Islanders may only have to give up a late-round pick (5^th or 6^th) to acquire him.

So, I put the question on the table. Considering he is available, do you think that Garth Snow should try to acquire Jarko Ruutu?

I’ll post my opinion later tonight, as I don’t want to sway anyone one way or the other!

-Justin (IslesNet@Gmail.Com)

The Less Obvious Key to the Rangers Season

When asked what the keys to the Rangers upcoming season are, most fans would point to the obvious: the health of both Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist; a return to form by Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden; and the ability of coach John Tortorella to implement the up-tempo playing style and the high-level conditioning he favors are answers I would expect to hear.

There is another, less obvious key to the potential success of the Rangers this season; the play of Marc Staal. Is it really fair to pin so much on a 22 year-old defenseman who is entering only his 3rd NHL season? As a matter of fact, yes it is.

Staal has already earned high praise from around the league. In fact, The Hockey News just listed Staal in its list of top defenesmen under the age of 25. But he has more to offer and for the Rangers to qualify the postseason this year it would help if Staal became their best defenseman.

The Rangers have invested a lot of money in Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden to be their best defensemen but the results just weren’t there last season. In fact, Redden’s play has been in decline for the last few seasons and there is no guarantee that he will return to the form he displayed before the lockout. Rozsival is a nice player but shouldn’t be anyone’s #1 or #2.

In addition to Rozsival, Redden and Staal, the Rangers will be employing 4th year defenseman Dan Girardi and possibly 2 rookies among their top 6 this year. If you’re looking for someone to step up and become a true #1 the answer may have to be Staal.

Staal has all of the tools to be successful. Torts would agree with that sentiment as he was quoted as saying when asked what areas Staal needs to improve, “Offense and jam. We’re going to give him the opportunity. He’s got all the tools." If Staal can start putting it together this season then the Rangers would not be so reliant on Redden and Rozsival to be their best defensemen.

Gaborik Makes Long Anticipated Rangers Debut

The main criticism mounted against the Rangers signing of star sniper Marian Gaborik was a result of his inability in recent seasons to stay healthy. Any hockey fan would have told you that the Rangers desperately needed goal scoring after finishing 28th in the league in goals scored and the addition of Gaborik could certainly go a long way towards addressing that problem. The question was would Gaborik be able to stay on the ice enough and produce enough offense to justify the lavish contract Sather had bestowed upon him.

Our worst fears were confirmed when it was reported at the beginning of training camp that Gaborik was held out of certain conditioning exercises because of groin tightness. Groin problems were one of the reasons Gaborik had missed time in the last few seasons and to see him already dealing with the same problem was frightening.

Rangers’ coaches and management did their best to reassure us as fans that holding Gaborik out of some portions of training camp (including the first 4 exhibition games) was done as a precaution. Well, Rangers fans weren’t going to be satisfied until we saw our new marquee name on the ice and healthy. We finally got that last night.

Gaborik’s debut was almost ended before it was fairly begun as less than 30 seconds into the opening period he was smoked on a hit from Red Wings forward Johan Franzen. Gaborik was alright though and showed why Sather felt he was worth the huge investment by assisting on Enver Lisin’s 1st period power play tally making a nice cross-ice, backhand feed to Lisin. He also led all Rangers with 5 shots on goal.

Coach Tortorella’s take on Gabby’s debut was a mixed bag. “I thought he did some good things,” said Torts. The coach followed by saying, “Obviously you can see his talent. He did some good things in our own zone, he did some lousy things in our own zone. I think he’s gonna add a dimension to our team that you need in winning and that’s his creativity and just the dynamic player he is. I’m sure it was hard for him; he wants to be healthy and I thought he gave us some good minutes.”Not exactly a ringing endorsement but those words are still music to the ears of many Rangers fans.

Don’t get me wrong; I know it’s only one exhibition game and Gabby certainly has done nothing to date in training camp to prove the naysayers wrong. However, the important thing is that Gaborik is on the ice contributing. For Gabby to follow through with a relatively injury-free and successful season it’s going to have to start with one game. One game is in the books.

A New Face at Camp

“Isle Be Watching You” – Garth Snow

Alright, so obviously this is not a direct quote from Garth Snow himself, however, it still does not take away from the fact that there are several under-the-radar names that Garth Snow and Scott Gordon will be keeping their eyes on during this year’s training camp. Although we are already a week into the Islanders training camp, this player is still working his tail off, and still trying to make a name for himself in Saskatoon.

Matt Moulson: A 6’1, 210 pound speedy and skillful left-winger, Matt Moulson excelled in his four years at Cornell University, averaging over 35 points each season he was there. His senior year, as captain, Moulson put up 38 points and was a leader in every aspect of the game.

Although drafted 263^rd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Moulson and the Penguins never came to terms on a contract, and he became a free-agent after the three year window had passed. On September 1^st, 2006, Moulson came to terms with the Los Angeles Kings on a three-year, entry-level contract, and he was immediately sent to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, as expected.

For all of the 2006-2007 season, and a majority of the 2007-2008 season, Moulson spent his time with Manchester, and he put up some very promising numbers (57 points and 56 points, respectively). When he finally got the call to come up to the big club throughout the 2007-2008 season, Moulson was able to put up 5 goals and 4 assists during his 22 game stint, including a goal in his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks.

The 2008-2009 season would prove to be more difficult for the left-winger, as he was expecting to earn himself a full time position with the Los Angeles Kings. Although he held reasonable expectations, he failed to live up to his potential and was once again placed in the minors, only to appear in 7 NHL games over the course of the entire season.

On July 1^st, 2009, Matt Moulson became a free agent. On July 6^th, 2009, Moulson opted to sign a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders in hopes of establishing himself as an NHL player on a team that severely lacks offensive firepower.

As he enters this year’s training camp with his second NHL team, Moulson hopes to be able to crack the Islanders line-up. Currently, the Islanders depth chart up the left wing includes Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau, Jon Sim, and Jesse Joensuu, so it is obviously going to be quite a tough road for Moulson. To be fair to him, though, the Islanders depth chart up the left side does not nearly compare to that of the Kings (or many of the other NHL teams), therefore it is a smart career choice for him to take his shot here on Long Island. If anything positive comes out of this, it is that the other left-wingers vying for spots are going to have to work harder to beat out one other player.

Whether or not he cracks the lineup is still to be decided, but one thing is for sure, both Scott and Garth are going to be keeping a close eye on him.

-Justin (IslesNet@Gmail.Com)

2009-2010 Eastern Conference Predictions

Each and every year, I decide it is humorous to put myself on the line here (and at the wrath of every single individual), and put forth my predictions for the final standings. While I am only a blogger, I like to think of myself as somewhat of a smart hockey-mind, and I understand that I will be ripped apart by fans of all backgrounds who feel that I betrayed them by not putting their teams at the top of each conference or in the playoffs. That being said, here are my Eastern Conference predictions for the 2009-2010 National Hockey League season.

1.Washington Capitals: This was a tough choice, considering the Boston Bruins and their tremendous season last year, however, I feel that Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Green, and company are ready to come through and finally take it to the top of the Eastern Conference this year. The only question I have for the Capitals is whether or not Jose Theodore or Simeon Varlamov will be the starting goaltender for them.

2. Boston Bruins: The entire Northeast has changed dramatically over the offseason, with the exception to that being the Bruins. The loss of Phil Kessel’s speed and scoring is a big reason that I pushed the Boston Bruins to number two in the conference, and I feel they will have one hell of a year again.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Atlantic Division, besides the Islanders, holds four teams that all can make the playoffs this year, however, the Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be the powerhouse team who has the ability to make it out of the Eastern Conference. The loss of Rob Scuderi, Miroslav Satan, and Peter Sykora are not the end of the Penguins, however, I just believe that both the Bruins and Capitals are better teams all around. They could win it all again this year if everything falls into place.

4. New Jersey Devils: They won the Atlantic Division last year behind stellar goaltending from relatively unknown Scott Clemmensen and a hardcore defensive system, and this year will prove to be the same situation in New Jersey as Jacques Lemaire brings his old-fashioned, defense-first system back to New Jersey. The loss of Brian Gionta and John Madden do not effect the Devils standing too much, and Parise, Zajac, and Clarkson are all ready to have stellar years once again. They will perform well in the regular season, but can Brodeur hold up into the postseason this time around?

5. Philadelphia Flyers: The Pronger trade goes to show you that the Flyers believe they can take it all now. With their true number one defenseman now on the roster, the Flyers are going to have a great year. Another great year can be expected from Jeff Carter, whose offensive output last season was fun to watch. Mike Richards, the captain of this team, will again prove why he is going to be a Selke candidate every year for the next decade. The only question on this team is whether or not Ray Emery can keep his head straight and display his talent on the ice.

6. Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes proved they were for real last year when they not only upset the New Jersey Devils, but also the Boston Bruins on their way to the Eastern Conference finals. A quick, aggressive, and young team, they will have another good year and should find themselves returning to the playoffs behind solid goaltending from Cam Ward.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman was an excellent pick for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who immediately addressed their need for a defensive prospect who can turn into a number one defenseman. He will be ready for this upcoming year, and I would not doubt seeing him on the top shutdown-unit with Mattias Ohlund, who was the other big name acquisition this offseason. With a year of experience behind Stamkos, and the return of all-stars Lecavalier and St. Louis, it is going to be a return to the playoffs for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

8. New York Rangers: As much as I hate to admit it, I feel that the Rangers are going to find a way to squeak into this year’s playoffs. Tortorella is just the no-nonsense guy that the Rangers need behind the bench, and if their skill alone doesn’t get it done, the Rangers conditioning will help them win games late into the season. They lack a true first-line center, but Dubinsky and Prospal will do their best to fit that position. The biggest question marks for the Rangers will be the health of Marian Gaborik, and whether or not Redden and Rozsival remember how to play hockey.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs: I know I am going to take a lot of heat for this one, however, I just do not see the Leafs making it this year. Brian Burke proved he’s a strong-minded general manager by going after Kessel and getting what he wanted. Kessel’s return to the Leafs in November will be a nice boost, however, there are still too many questions surrounding the Leafs for them to crack the line-up this year. Next year will be the year they make it, unless they have a surprise for us all.

10. Ottawa Senators: After finally unloading Dany Heatley to the San Jose Sharks, the Ottawa Senators finally are on track to building up a solid winner. With two good lines leading the attack, a solid defense featuring Campoli, Volchenkov, and Kuba, and a number one goalie in Leclaire, there will be a slight adjustment period this season for the Senators. It will be a tough season again in Ottawa, but hopefully for them it will all fall into place soon.

11. Montreal Canadiens: After last year’s horrid collapse, the Montreal Canadiens had a complete roster overhaul this offseason and seem to be a team searching for their identity. They got completely hosed on the Gomez trade, giving up promising, young defenseman McDonagh in the trade. Hopefully the Canadiens can pull it together going into this season, otherwise they are going to find themselves in a long rebuilding process.

12. Buffalo Sabres: A team who had a tremendous number of questions surrounding them last season just simply did not improve enough this offeseason to answer those questions. Ryan Miller is their only hope of making it into the playoffs this season, and even that is going to be a long shot. The Sabres had their best days two and three seasons ago, respectively, and need to find an identity before they can proceed forward.

13. Florida Panthers: Another year, another playoff-less ending for the Florida Panthers. Jay Bouwmeester is not an easy player to replace, by any means, and his presence will be sorely missed by a team that is only somewhat strong up front. Bringing in Clemmensen to back up Vokoun was a smart move, but unfortunately, it was the only smart move this offseason by the Panthers. There is still a long way to go in Florida, and hopefully they can get it right soon.

14. Atlanta Thrashers: Although they have brought in Antropov (for a ridiculous salary), and Afinogenov will most likely make the team thanks to the Thrashers lack of depth, the Thrashers will once again struggle this season. Bogosian will demonstrate why he is going to be an elite defenseman in this league for a long time, and he will get plenty of help from Kubina, Hainsey, and Enstrom, however, it will not be enough to take the Thrashers out of the Eastern Conference basement.

15. New York Islanders: The drafting of John Tavares was a move in the right direction for an organization sorely lacking any type of identity, however, it was their only positive offensive move as the Islanders focused on bringing in Mathieu Biron and Dwayne Roloson to fill in the goalie vacancy until DiPietro is ready to return sometime in November. It will be fun to watch Bailey and Okposo develop further this season, along with the rest of the Islanders youngsters, however, they will still find themselves in the basement of the Eastern Conference and with a chance to select first-overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. As my partner Glen Miller said in his predictions blog, the lottery watch for 2010 begins on Long Island on October 3^rd.

Well, there you have it, my personal predictions for the 2009-2010 Eastern Conference. I know you will not agree with every single team and their placement, however, I do believe these will be somewhat close to the final standings.

As always, comments and questions are greatly appreciated and can be emailed to me at IslesNet@Gmail.com, or left in the comments section below.

-Justin