Rangers Sign Del Zotto

Don’t forget to check out the article on why the Rangers should keep Nikolai Zherdev, which is below this one.

In another step towards bringing the third of the Rangers 1st round defensemen to the NHL, the Rangers have signed defensemen Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto had a fantastic final year in juniors, putting up 13-50-63, with more than half of his assists coming on the powerplay. Del Zotto has been profiled here, and projects to be a bigtime powerplay quarterback and offensive defensmen, while struggling a bit in his own zone, if he reaches his potential. More conservatively, he projects out to a top-four defenseman and powerplay specialist.

This shouldn’t be all that unexpected, as Del Zotto wasn’t going to play another year in the OHL. Expect him to be in Hartford next year. Looks like he will be back in the OHL if he doesn’t make the club next year. No word on the terms of the deal yet, but expect it to be somewhere around what Sanguinetti got (roughly $855,000 cap hit).

Staal, Sanguinetti, Del Zotto, Girardi….I wonder if there’s a trade coming soon with all these solid defensemen. Or even better, let’s keep all of them and actually have a solid defensive core that can score.

The Importance of Keeping Nikolai Zherdev

Much discussion has been made about what to do with Nikolai Zherdev. Over at Blueshirt Banter, tmranger believes that Zherdev should be let go, while over at Rangers Review, inferno believes that the Rangers should keep Zherdev. I am inclined to agree with inferno, losing Zherdev would be a mistake.

A lot of Ranger fans, particularly over the messageboards/blog comments, have “what have you done for me lately” syndrome. Yes, Zherdev had a crappy playoffs, and was invisible. Put his playoff performance into a larger picture, and you realize that all Rangers not named Lundqvist and Callahan had a crappy, or inconsistent, playoffs. Yes, Zherdev coasts and doesn’t look like he’s trying some of the time, and barely plays defense, but if I remember correctly, Jagr never played defense either, and he coasted through the first half of last year. Excuse me for stereotyping, but the typical Eastern Euro (Soviet bloc) player tends to lose their concentration. Kovalev does it, Jagr does it, Khabibulin does it. Sorry guys, but this argument is nothing new. Just look at his stats, and maybe you’ll realize that having Zherdev around is just worth it, especially because of the lack of scoring this team has.

Last season, Zherdev put up 20 goals and 60 points. I would like someone here to point out who on this Rangers roster can cover for those stats. Meaning, if you say Ryan Callahan, who already scored 22 goals last season, it would mean he would need to put up an ADDITIONAL 20 goals and 40 assists. Now, a combination of players may be capable of covering for Zherdev’s numbers, sure. Callahan has the potential to put up 30 goals, and maybe 30 assists, which is a 10 goal and 10 assist increase from this past season. Dubinsky has the potential to put up 20 goals and 40 assists, which is also a 10 goal and 10 assist increase from last season. But let’s be honest, do you really think that both players are going to increase their production that dramatically? Actually, do you really think that both of them are capable of putting up those numbers at all? And to add more fuel to this, even if they both have career years, wouldn’t you rather have them put up those numbers, and have Zherdev put up his 20 and 60?

Zherdev is 24 years old, and as already discussed here, would cost around $4 million, with a minimum of a $3.5 million qualifying offer (he’s an RFA). Even with all the rumors surrounding Zherdev and Russia (there’s nothing the Rangers can do if some KHL club offers him $6 million a year), qualifying him guarantees that the Rangers get compensation if he signs an offer sheet with another NHL club. He is worth a full season under Tortorella to see if he can come close to realizing his potential. If you let him walk, it means you gave away Tyutin for nothing.

I find it amazing that people don’t even want to qualify him as an RFA. Just let him walk away, without an offer on the table. I mean, really? Come on people, that’s just retarded. The qualifying offer is 1 year at $3.5 million. For Zherdev, it’s worth it. If he signs an offer sheet, the Rangers get a 1st and a 3rd round pick. If not, he’s a a 20/60 guy for $3.5 million. That’s market value.

Zherdev is one of the few affordable scoring options out there. It just works.

Brooks: Go Get Knuble

Larry Brooks at the NY Post wrote that the Rangers will be targeting Mike Knuble come July 1. Knuble is 37 and is a big presence in front of the net on the PP, which the Rangers sorely need. But I have a problem with this article:

Subtracting Antropov, Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev (probably), Paul Mara, Aaron Voros, Blair Betts and Colton Orr from the roster leaves the Rangers with 110 NHL goals on their team. It doesn’t matter that Knuble will be 37 on July 4. It matters that he can score and probably is affordable.

My problem comes from the players listed here. First off, Voros has a three year deal, he’s not going anywhere unless the Rangers unless the Rangers buy him out, or send him to Hartford. Strike one Larry. Strike two: Betts is going to be resigned. Strike three: why even mention Mara, Voros, Betts and Orr in a conversation about goal scoring? Really? But this post isn’t about picking apart the article, it’s about the rumor Brooks is creating, so let’s get to that.

This isn’t the worst of rumors to hear, Knuble is a physical presence in front of the net that can bang home some rebounds on the powerplay, and they do need someone to help replace the goal scoring hole vacated by Markus Naslund. As some people react to this “rumor” (note: quotations), I find it to be completely absurd that people are willing to throw more than one year at him. Since not everyone understands the intricacies of the cap, I’ll point out that if you sign a player over 35 to a multi-year deal, you are hit with that cap number for the entire length of the contract, regardless if the player retires, gets hurt, or just sucks and you send him to the AHL. That cap number remains with the team.

If Sather brings in Knuble at, say one year, and $2 million, I won’t exactly be screaming for his head. I’d prefer him spending money to keep Zherdev around, and maybe trying to lure Radulov back from Russia, but this won’t be a terrible way to spend money.

Anticlimactic Conference Finals

So much for exciting conference finals, filled with back and forth action and tight series. Chicago and Carolina just look completely outclassed in every way shape and form. It is now just a matter of when, not if, we see another Detroit/Pittsburgh Cup Finals. I wonder if either team will make a series out of it, maybe pushing Detroit to a Game 7, or Pittsburgh to a Game 6, but we all know what the outcome will be regardless.

It’s not that bad, Pittsburgh and Detroit should still put on an amazing series, but I was definitely pulling for Chicago and Carolina. Chicago is just fun to watch and so young, and well, I hate Pittsburgh. I think we all do actually. I say Detroit in 7 over Pittsburgh, mostly because of my irrational hatred of everything black and gold.

Twenty Minutes….

That’s how long I had to watch Sportscenter this morning to catch highlights of the Hawks/Wings game. Twenty freaking minutes. They spent the first ten on the Cavs/Magic game, understandable, then they showed Mariners, Yankees, Mets, and Braves highlights, before finally getting to the game, which they spent a whopping three minutes covering.

I guess I should be used to that treatment, but I mean, it’s the playoffs, at least show the highlights after the NBA highlights. And is it too much to ask showing all of the goals? They show the hit on Havlat–wow, what a hit, and wow, what a bad call, there’s no way that’s a penalty–then all of a sudden it’s 3-1? How did it get to 3-1? Come on, ESPN, even though you don’t show NHL games, at least show all the highlights. Give us five minutes. Is that too much to ask?

Rangers Ink Finn Ilkka Heikkinen

In other news, the Rangers signed Finnish defenseman Ilkka Heikkinen to an NHL contract. According to posts on the HFBoards, which are surprisingly reliable, Heikkinen, who will have his name mispronounced and misspelled many times, is an offensive defensman who was third in the Finnish league in points amongst defensemen. He also likes to fight.

I don’t really know if another defenseman is what the Rangers need right now, but I guess it can’t hurt. His money won’t count against the cap unless he makes the team. And if he makes the team, then that will already be more than anyone expects for next year.

Off topic, how soon until someone calls this kid Heineken?

Simmons: NHL is Back

Bill Simmons of ESPN, usually not one known for his hockey love, wrote a very interesting article for ESPN The Magazine about how the NHL is back. Using the Scott Walker incident as his introduction (he’s from Boston), he states how cultural changes in US society had an effect on the NHL diminishing popularity in the 1990s, are having an equal effect in bringing the NHL back to mainstream. He follows this up with how the NBA can learn a thing or two from the NHL.

It’s a fantastic read, and you should take some time to go through it.

If Bill Simmons is writing about hockey, we have turned the corner. Next step: Get the damn games on ESPN! Thorne and Melrose! Please! NHL2Night!

RFA Glance: Phil Kessel

I’m going to preface this with a converation I had with Stas:

Stas: You really think there’s a chance of getting Kessel?
Dave: No, but it’s something to talk about.

So, while neither of us think this actually has a chance of happening, it’s worth mentioning. The Boston Bruins are looking at a very tough offseason, with both David Krejci and Phil Kessel being RFAs, and roughly $10 million in salary cap room for next year. At first glance, it appears they will only be able to resign one of them, because they need to save room to resign Milan Lucic and Blake Wheeler in the following offseason.

Why not throw an average of $4 million per year at Phil Kessel? The kid is 22, and is a pure sniper. I mean, the kid has one of the best wrist shots in the league. Sure, it will cost the Rangers either a 1st and a 3rd round pick (for signing under $3.9 million annually), or a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick (over $3.9 million annually), but that definitely is worth it. To reiterate, he’s 22. Do you really think, with Glen Sather’s draft history, that those draft picks are worth more than Kessel? And where would you rather have him spend the $4 million? The enigmatic Nik Antropov? Ales Kotalik? Kessel is the no-brainer there.

And the kicker? The picks wouldn’t be from this draft, so the Rangers would still have a solid opportunity at drafting one of the three wingers previewed earlier this week.

I will give Sather credit if he at least throws an offer sheet out there.

Interesting Fact of the Day

So I was watching Sportscenter this morning, and as per usual, hockey was one of the first items covered. It’s not unexpected, afterall, these playoffs have been exciting, and ESPN does actually need to acknowledge that the sport exists. They spent about 3 minutes covering Game 1 of the Pens/Canes game, which included highlights and “expert” Matthew Barnaby’s opinion on the game.

Immediately following the NHL highlights, were highlights of the Yankee game, again nothing unusual there. ESPN spent 6 minutes covering the Yankee game, and the result of their four-game sweep of the Twins.

So let me get this straight, ESPN spent more time on game thirty-something of 162 for the Yankees than they did of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Utterly amazing.

I have a feeling that this is because the Versus broadcasts are laughable. You ever notice that when ESPN breaks off to the announcers call, it’s always the radio announcer, and never the Versus announcer?

What continues to amaze me is that Versus broadcasts are getting worse and worse. Our usual rants aside, something needs to be done about this. Between the Game 7 debacle, the crazy amount of commercials, bad commentary, bad color commentary, bad intermission reports, no replays, bad camera angles, etc, Versus hockey broadcasts are a complete joke.

As long as the NHL is on Versus, it will never get back to mainstream America.

Disclaimer: This was probably the least organized rant of all time.

Rangers 2009 Draft Preview (1st Round)

With the Rangers bowing out in the first round, and being a 7 seed, it is a fair assumption that they will have a late teens pick, probably somewhere from 17-20. They won’t have a shot at the top picks, so naturally, you have to look a little deeper into the draft to see who might potentially fall to the to those picks.

As these playoffs have indicated, the NHL is shifting back to a speed and goal scoring game. Long gone are the clutch and grab teams that win Stanley Cups. Young, speedy teams with goal scoring ability up and down the lineup are the ones that are progressing through the playoffs. As the ISS Top 30 shows us, the projected first rounders are just that, speedy players with a natural goal scoring ability.

The Rangers have been plagued by ineffective first round picks, whether it is Hugh Jessiman, the only 2003 first rounder to never play in the NHL, or Al Montoya, who was passed on the Ranger depth chart by Mika Wiikman, and thus shipped to Phoenix, or Lauri Korpikoski, who has yet to show the Rangers why they traded up for him in 2004. In fact, the only first rounder to make a difference on the Rangers in the past decade is Marc Staal. Needless to say, the first round is crucial to the Rangers, as they need to rebuild their offensive depth after the tragic passing of Alexei Cherepanov.

Seeing the logjam at center, and the myriad of solid prospects on the blue line, the Rangers most glaring need will be a goal scoring winger with speed. Here are a few that are first round projections that the Rangers should take a flier on.

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