Where Art Thou, Brandon Dubinsky?

Today is July 19. Brandon Dubinsky has been without a contract for quite some time, and it just makes you wonder why. Sather and Torts are both on the record saying they believe Dubinsky can be the #1 pivot alongside Gaborik, but yet he still remains unsigned. One would think that if he is such a critical piece of the puzzle for next year, that there would at least be something out there, at least a rumor that they are close to a deal.

With no offer sheets to date, and the threat of one staying at minimal, I guess Slats and company have no desperate urge to get something done. It really does make you wonder what the hold up is. Are the sides that far apart on the table? If so, why? What does the Dubinsky camp want? What is Slats offering up?

With Callahan’s contract at $2.4 million for two years, you have to figure that Dubinsky will get the same type of money and terms. I mean, they put up the same amount of points last season, just at different times. They both were also the best skaters on the ice during the Washington series. There’s really not much difference in terms of value between them at the current moment. And to just throw in my two cents, I think we have barely even touched at Dubinsky’s potential.

A blip on the radar would be nice to hear. Just so that we know something is getting done. I’m not worried yet, but come August, I will start to get a little nervous.

Enough on Heatley

With the Gaborik signing, the Rangers essentially walked away from the table with the Sens. They simply do not have the cap room to take on another $7.5 million contract, and we all know Ottawa won’t be taking Redden back in a deal.

The choice between Gaborik or Heatley will always be debated. But look at it this way, it was either Gaborik with Dubinsky/insert 2 prospects here, or Heatley without Dubinsky and the prospects. When healthy, they are both comparable players with comparable salaries. Clearly, the issue here is his health.

The doctor that performed Gaborik’s hip surgeries, Dr. Marc Philippon, is the worlds’ top orthopedic surgeon, and has treated Mario Lemieux, and performed the same surgery for Alex Rodriguez and Michal Rozsival. It’s safe to say that Philippon has a very good reputation and recovery rate, at least when the player doesn’t rush back too soon (see: Rozsival, A-Rod).

So just, relax for a bit, and enjoy the fact that we have a top-5 winger in the organization, and it didn’t cost us anything other than money. Sometimes, the best deal you make is the deal you don’t make.

Q&A with Evgeny Grachev

Alessandro Rosso over at HockeysFuture did a Q&A with Ranger prospect-extraordinaire Evgeny Grachev, and it’s definitely worth the read. Some highlights:

HF: The last couple of seasons are seeing some tension between the NHL and Russia because of some questionable moves from one country to another. What do you think about the current relationships between NHL and KHL regarding players’ transfers?

EG: I haven’t got the faintest idea about how the ties are going. And I have to say that I’m not interested in this argument since my plan is to play in America.

It’s good that his plan is to stay in the States, but I guess you have to expect them to say that for now.

HF: Can you compare your game last season and now?

EG: I can’t really do such a comparison. But I can say that I’ve added a lot of confidence and of course you don’t play around 100 games in a season for nothing. Every year I learn more and more about playing as a forward. After all I’ve played as forward only since I was 14.

I didn’t realize he had only been a forward for a few years. Considering how he tore up the OHL last year, things can only get better for him. Confidence is a huge thing too.

As of now, it looks like the Rangers struck gold with their third round pick last year, let’s hope his development continues. I still don’t see him making the team next season.

h/t to Mika Axisa for sending me this.

Guess That Economy Doesn’t Affect Ranger Fans

After finishing up grad school and starting my job last summer, the first thing I did was put my name down on the wait list for season tickets. I figured I wouldn’t have to wait long, with hockey not being as popular and an economic crisis on our hands.

Guess not.

There are currently 1680 people on the wait list, and yours truly is #1484 on that list.

Safe to say I won’t be getting season tickets this year. Who knows, maybe I’ll luck out and 1484 people won’t want season tickets.

Quick Salary Tidbits

A lot of the recent Rangers signings have had undisclosed terms, so it’s been tough to find what they actually signed for. But here’s what I’ve b een able to find:

• Corey Potter – 1 year/$550k
• Dane Byers – 1 year/$500k
• Tyler Arnason – 1 year/$700k
• Brian Boyle – 1 year/$525k
• Jordan Owens – 1 year/$515k
• P.A. Parenteau – 1 year/$500k
• Tysen Dowzak – 2 years/$533k
• Michael Del Zotto – 3 years/$1.087 million cap hit (bonuses)

The entry level contracts on this list are Owens, Dowzak and Del Zotto, so they will be RFAs when the contracts expire. As for the rest, if they are going to be 27 when their contract expires, they will be UFAs, otherwise, they will be RFAs.

The Del Zotto signing, although looks expensive, is standard entry level contract (maximum of $850k base salary) plus bonuses, which bring the cap hit up. if he doesn’t participate in 11 NHL games, the payment slides a bit.

I have no idea when the Rangers signed Dowzak. I must have missed that. Can someone fill me in on when that happened?

Slats still has two key RFAs to sign (Lisin, Dubinsky), as I’m assuming Zherdev is gone. Lisin is important or else they just gave away Korpikoski for nothing.

Salary information courtesy of CapGeek.

Prospect Profile: Ryan McDonagh

Ryan McDonagh, whom the Rangers acquired as part of the Scott Gomez deal, was the 12th overall pick of the 2007 draft, taken by the Montreal Canadiens. McDonagh, a defenseman, and often overlooked as a solid acquisition in the Gomez deal, has a solid build at 6’1 203 lbs, and is flourishing at the University of Wisconsin after leading his high school to a state championship.

His rookie season with the Badgers was nothing short of a success, being named to the WCHA All Rookie team. Although his stats appeared to be underwhelming in his first year (5-7-12, 42 PIMs in 40 GP), the often overlooked stat is that he led the Wisconsin defensemen in goals, which is no small feat for a rookie. This Wisconsin defensive corps also led the entire nation in goals with 26, with McDonagh at the top of that list.

Last season, his sophomore season with the Badgers, saw McDonagh improve slightly in the points category, but greatly improve in both his defensive and physical game. He again put up 5 goals, while adding 11 assists and 59 PIMs in 36 GP.

In addition to his physical and defensive play, which is top notch at the college level, McDonagh showcases his speed, which is one of his key assets, and his ability to make that first breakout pass on the rush. Defensively solid in his own end, McDonagh uses his speed and his passing ability to help develop the rush.

Entering his junior year with the club, McDonagh is one of the key components of the Rangers defensive prospect depth. McDonagh, along with Bobby Sanguinetti and Michael Del Zotto, are three blue chip prospects. While Del Zotto and Sangs are predicted to be solid offensive defensemen, McDonagh looks to be that anchor on the blueline, the one that will dish out the hit and play solid defense. As much as Ranger fans loved getting Christopher Higgins in the Gomez deal, McDonagh is definitely the one we should be focusing on.

Future pairings of Del Zotto-Staal and Sanguinetti-McDonagh, all first round picks, definitely get Ranger fans excited for the future on the blueline.

Rangers Trade Fahey for Nigel Williams

The Rangers today traded Brian Fahey, who was somewhere between 6 and 10 on the defensive depth chart, to Colorado for Nigel Williams, another defenseman, a 2nd round draft pick in the 2006 draft. Aside from the fact that Nigel could be the single coolest first name ever, Nigel is a big kid at 6’4 225 lbs and can skate and handle the puck well for a player his size.

The 21 year old finished up his first full season at the professional level, putting up 7-14-21 and 55 PIMS with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.

Fahey, 28, put up a solid season with the Wolfpack last season, putting up 4-20-24 while playing a solid defensive game, and many believe he is NHL ready as a 3rd pairing/7th defenseman.

This trade is nothing to write home about, but I get the feeling one of my buddies will be happy that there is another Nigel on the team.

(h/t to jurgenno88 for pointing this out)

Tortorella: Youth WILL Play

The long going Ranger youth movement got an endorsement this morning, courtesy of coach John Tortorella. In the NY Post, Larry Brooks has quoted Torts saying that youth will be the backbone of this organization:

“I don’t want to put a number on it, but I can tell you that it’s my objective to come out of training camp with a handful of young guys who were not here last year. The candidates for jobs will identify themselves by the way they show up for camp and play at camp, but I promise that these kids are going to get every opportunity to make our team.”

So for all of you clamoring for a youth movement, saying that with all these free agents the kids won’t get to play, you can rest easy. There will be an old school competition for the spots on the roster. And Torts wants it to be known, if you show up for camp out of shape, or with no game, or with no desire, you will not make this team.

You can bet that the competition for those two defense spots and the last three to four forward spots will be intense. There is a plethora of players vying for those spots, with at least five players looking to fill two spots on the blue line, and about seven players looking to fill those last forward spots.

Step one to making this roster, be in shape when you arrive to camp.
Step two, survive camp.

Ranger Tidbits: Sullivan and Cherepanov

As expected, but definitely taking longer than initially planned, Mike Sullivan will be the new Rangers assistant coach for next season. The announcement will be coming today. This should actually qualify as old news, but since the announcement is coming today, it’s worth mentioning.

Also, Blueshirt Banter is reporting that the Avengard Omsk doctors have been cleared in the death of Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov, and are not to blame for his tragic death.

The committee said medical experts suspect Cherepanov felt unwell because of his condition but hid the fact from team doctors for fear of being pulled from games.

“Avangard team doctors not only could not have diagnosed Cherepanov with chronic myocarditis while he was living, but could not have even suspected it,” the statement said. It said detailed annual checkups since 2002 revealed no heart or circulation problems.

Extreme Makeover: New York Rangers

Last year, we saw the departure of key elements of the Rangers, with Jagr, Straka, Shanahan, Avery and Tyutin leaving New York for various destinations. The entire makeup of the roster was changing, as the team was seeming left in the hands of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. At that point, I thought that was the largest roster turnover we would see in the post-lockout era.

Boy, was I wrong.

Now, turnover isn’t all that bad, as this year’s roster is clearly better and more balanced, than last year’s roster.

This year, we are looking at six new forwards (Higgins, Gaborik, Kotalik, entire 4th line) to replace the likes of Gomez, Betts, Sjostrom, Orr, Dawes, Antropov, and Zherdev (well, and Prucha, but he barely played). That’s 50% of the forwards. Half of the forwards this year did not play on the Rangers last year. That’s quite the turnover, and this doesn’t even include Voros or Anisimov (who I am not counting as an “old” Ranger) in the equation.

On the blueline, we are definitely going to see two new defensemen replace Mara and Morris. We may not know who yet, but regardless, it’s still a 33% turnover. While 1/3 of the defense being turned over isn’t exactly earth shattering, many teams have that same rate, it’s worth noting.

But hey, the goalies are consistent. That is definitely the one area where you don’t want to have turnover. The Rangers have a rare luxury in the NHL, a goalie that is not only reliable, but All-World caliber, and a very capable backup.

Twenty players will dress opening night, and eight of them will be brand new Rangers, just getting their feet wet. That’s a whopping 40% of the roster.