Poll: Who to Add to Grachev Watch

Last season, I started tracking top Rangers prospects playing in Hartford, specifically Evgeny Grachev and Bobby Sanguinetti (see: Grachev watch on the right, underneath the Authors/RSS area). These two were the top prospects playing in the AHL at the time, and it was an attempt to make it easy to keep track of their progress. With Sanguinetti gone, I wanted to poll everyone and see who you want to have in that area in addition to Grachev. Of course, this will be updated if one of the selected players makes the squad. I expect Derek Stepan to lead the voting, but I wanted to open it up to everyone here.

The choices are: Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, and Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. If you want to see someone else, choose ‘other’, and shoot us an email, or comment, about who you want to see on the side of the main page. Keep in mind that this will be in addition to the weekly prospect watch, which I started last season and summarizes each of the top Rangers prospects playing in college, juniors, or the AHL. The poll is on the right, and you can select more than one answer, vote away!

Big Opportunity

Without taking into account Blake Wheeler’s $2.2m arbitration award the Boston Bruins were sitting at an unhealthy $60.3m cap figure. The Vancouver Canucks were stuck with an unhealthy $62m hit plus change. New Jersey was $2.3m over the cap without the Kovalchuk saga resolved (and subsequent cap hit added). Chicago is still over the cap despite purging their roster of role players. Why do I mention this? Because I believe The Rangers have an opportunity.

I am a firm believer that you can build a young roster without needing to lose every year even if it served the Hawks, Caps and Pens well. I believe young players are better off being inserted into a line up that has a successful culture and a winning mentality. So what has this got to do with anything? With the addition of Frolov I genuinely believe The Rangers added an excellent piece and are closer to being very competitive. This is where the above cap-strained clubs come in. Sather, as we all know, is a trade wiz. He can prey on the weak (GM’s) and is known for getting good value. I believe these clubs will need to give up further good players to make cap. Assuming Redden is toast in Manhattan – and it’s still a fairly sizeable assumption at this stage, with the cap space that’s left over from Staal’s re-signing I would go and get another forward.

By all means don’t add a guy with a six year contract who becomes another Manhattan cap anchor but there are quality pieces around that are (or could be) available. Blake Wheeler may be in play and we know Sather had grand designs there before. Troy Brouwer in Chicago anyone? How about sniffing around guys like Mikael Samuelsson, the ex Ranger in Vancouver? Or how about Patrice Bergeron from Boston?

If the Rangers could add a Bergeron or Brouwer I truly believe this club makes a significant stride in its development. They go from a nice top 9 to a fairly stacked top 9. They have the best goalie in the Eastern conference with a young emerging defense in front of him. Not a single contender in the East is without weakness. Pittsburgh cannot rival even the Rangers’ crop of wingers. The Caps can’t play defence and have issues in goal (short term). Boston has issues scoring and Jersey has yet to see how much they’ll have to trim off the roster when Kovy finally gets signed.

Sather has the chance to low ball a club, steal a piece of the puzzle and improve his club going forward. How good could a top 9 of Frolov – Dubinsky – Gaborik; Prospal – Bergeron – Callahan; Avery – Anisimov – MZA potentially be? With an addition of Bergeron’s calibre this team can make noise in the East and not ignore its future. Prospal, Christensen, Drury and Roszival (and others) will all be off this club in 2 years or less. The talented prospects will still have spots to win if they earn them. There’s no reason the Rangers can’t win and progress the youth movement. For years San Jose and Detroit have shown that you can ice a strong club while adding good youth. No reason the Rangers can’t do it too.

The Blue Seat Staff

As we enter into August, and Marc Staal being the only pressing need for Glen Sather, who has had a pretty successful offseason excluding the Boogyman hiccup, now would be a good time for everyone to get to know the Blue Seat Blogs staff. This information can be found in the About section of the blog. Contact information is on the right. Also, you can view the contact information, and posts by each of us, on the right.

Dave:
Dave founded Blue Seat in December 2008, pretty much at the whim of a friend (thanks Becky) and some severe boredom during the winter months. That’s probably not the best way to start a blog, but hey, it worked. As Blue Seat grew, Dave was asked to contribute to Puck Prospectus, and was the lead hockey writer on Stalking Steve Phillips (RIP). In addition to Blue Seat, Dave contributes on a regular basis to Blueshirt Banter.

Dave can be reached via email here, or via Twitter here.

Jeremy:
Jeremy joined Blue Seat Blogs before the 2009-2010 season. Jeremy is a veteran blogger, whose works have been published in numerous popular publications, such as the Chicago Sun-Times and AOL. In addition, Jeremy has been featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter. Along with Blue Seat Blogs, Jeremy writes for The Blog of Champions, a sports and political blog, and is the site editor of GiantsGab, one of the foremost New York Giants blog.

Jeremy can be reached via email here, or via Twitter here.

Jurgenno88:

Jurgenno88 – Christian – joined Blue Seat Blogs in the 2009-10 season. A rookie blogger based in the UK, Christian was a main writer for UK Sports website nasports.co.uk as well publishing on several German football websites and writing in MMA publications. A huge fan of the Giants, Rangers and Knicks, Christian jumped at the chance of joining Blue Seat Blogs and is part of a new website focusing on New York sports – from a UK perspective - beginning in August.

Chris/Jurgenno88 (Confuses himself sometimes!) can be reached via email here, or via Twitter here.

Stas / Mike Axisa:

Every now and then, you will see a post by Stas. Stas helped get the site off the ground in the beginning. A hefty work schedule limits his posting, but you will see a few posts from him occasionally.

Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues also posts occasionally. Mike also helped get the blog off the ground in the beginning, posting several links from RAB. As you can imagine, Mike is very busy running the best Yankees blog out there, but he will generally post big news when Jeremy, Jurgenno, or myself are unavailable.

Early, Early, Early Line Predictions

Now that Alex Frolov is in the fold, I think it’s safe to say that the Rangers are done with free agent signings. They have to re-sign Marc Staal, and I think they will. They may demote Wade Redden. They may sign an AHLer. But, for the big club. this is about it.

With training camp getting closer each day, I thought it would time to look at line combos. Yes, it’s early. A lot’s going to change. Players will  find chemistry, a breakout star will emerge, someone will get hurt. So this is very preliminary. But it’s fun. And I’m all about fun. So here goes:

Frolov-Prospal-Gaborik

A very Eastern European flair there. I think you have to put Frolov with Gaborik. You can talk about “separating the scoring” but the Rangers don’t have enough scoring to do that. Give Gabby a legit winger on his other side. All Prospal has to do is feed the puck somewhere.

Dubinsky-Christensen-Callahan

I like this line. Christensen has a lot of skill. Dubi and Cally work the corners, get in the dirty areas. Could be a high scoring line. It’s an actual 2nd line. These are 2nd line players. We’re used to 3rd liners getting 2nd line minutes. No more.

Avery-Anisimov-Prust

Do I love this line? Not really, but there aren’t many other options. We know AA has a lot of skill, and so does Sean Avery. It’s a gritty line. We saw how Prust and AA fit together. Avery is another natural fit. Two rough and tumble guys, one really skilled guy. Christensen and Anisimov could switch, easily.

Boogaard-Drury-Weise

Drury is probably a fourth line center, and I know that’s hard with his contract, but he brings so much in PK and leadership that you deal with it. I think Weise is all but guaranteed to make the team. They really like him. The Boogey man is the Boogey man: He’s gonna rough some people up and stand in front of the net.

MZA, Grachev and Stepan will spend at least half a year in the AHL. I think, of the three, MZA has the best chance to make the team. He’d probably be on the third line, and Prust would move to the fourth. What do y’all think?

Rangers Musings.

I want to take a page out Jeremy’s book and throw some ‘musings’ at you, so here goes.

• Why does everyone compare the Frolov and Zherdev situations?  Zherdev was also brought in to help a team devoid of genuine top 6 skill but was expected to significantly contribute offense. He was a focal point on the 08/09 squad. This was a team with an aging Naslund, a declining Drury and very inexperienced kids in Dubinsky and Callahan not to mention a team led by a defensive coach. Fast forward to Alex Frolov.  He arrives as a compliment (the key word here) to a legitimate star in Gaborik, solid veteran support in Prospal and the same kids but with a lot more experience. He arrives to a coach that has an offensive mindset unlike Renney. It’s a situation that allows for success. It’s not a square peg in a round hole.
• Why don’t people think Frolov will be considered for an extension already? If he’s a success he replaces Prospal on the roster and the kids slide in behind him. Even when Grachev, Kreider are ready for the NHL, giving them 1^st line minutes/responsibility may be rushing them. Frolov is a genuine top 6 presence and if he does well re-signing him IS an option.
• Barring an outstanding job at camp Grachev is a Wolf Pack come October. If he is a Ranger someone’s job is under threat (and it won’t be Frolov’s).
• When Sather spoke of trying to sign Kreider this summer I wonder if Kreider was aware of any intentions to bring another forward in, making him less inclined to sign this year. Kreider absolutely should not rush himself.
• Things seem very quiet on the Carl Hagelin front. Wonder if there was an attempt to bring him in on an NHL contract or if it was always the intention to let him play out his NCAA eligibility.
• This powerplay can’t get worse can it? Adding Frolov and getting development from the kids surely will see a spike in its performance. Hopefully. Will Drury see alot of PP time? Personally I think he does.
• Artem Anisimov. 50 points. Those words and numbers go together this season. If he has either Prospal or Frolov on his wing the lanky pivot will put up bigger numbers. I see a good season for Artie – and let’s be honest – we need it out of him. Center Production!
• The pressure on Brandon Dubinsky is pretty damn big this coming season. Time to fulfil that promise. With Frolov likely 1^st choice LW if he doesn’t take the top center spot the kids will be in his rear view mirror very quickly.
• Staal’s contract aside, I would be pretty shocked if there was another significant roster move prior to camp.
• A few stat predictions for you: Gaborik 43 goals, Prospal 17, Frolov 27, Dubinsky 21, Anisimov 16. Lundqvist 37 wins, Del Zotto 41 points, Wade Redden: 9 press box visits in the XL Centre (aka Hartford).

It’s Official: Frolov Signs with the Rangers

As per everyone on Twitter, the Rangers have officially signed UFA Alex Frolov to a one year, $3 million deal. Frolov chose this deal over a four year, $20 million deal to play in the KHL. The 28 year old LW adds legitimate scoring from the left side, something the Rangers didn’t have prior. It also gives the Rangers much more depth in the top-six forwards, and provides some help for Marian Gaborik.

This is a very solid deal for the Rangers. No long term commitment was needed, the contract itself is cheap, and it adds some secondary scoring and flexibility in the roster. If coach John Tortorella decides to keep the Vinny Prospal-Brandon Dubinsky-Marian Gaborik line in tact, then Frolov slides to the second line with either Erik Christensen or Artem Anisimov, and most likely Ryan Callahan. With Frolov on the roster, Sean Avery slides to his best role, as a third line winger.

Some will say that the move “blocks the youth”. To that, I say bull. It’s a one year deal, and it’s not like any of the top-six prospects are ready. The likes of Derek Stepan and Evgeny Grachev will need a full season in Hartford. If they impress, then it’s a situation any fan would want to see the Rangers in. A situation with too many skilled players is better than a situation without enough.

Update: With Frolov signed, the Rangers have $1.4 million remaining under the $59.4 salary cap. They also have about $6.8 million remaining on the summer cap. There is more than enough room to sign Marc Staal this summer. However, to fit the team under the cap, some salary needs to go.

The Depth Chart has been updated.

Rangers Announce Traverse City Roster

The Rangers have released the roster for the Traverse City Prospects tournament, to be held in Detroit in September. The roster includes 12 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goalies. Of these 22 players, there are 3 that are undrafted free agents. The players attending the tournament include (undrafted free agents are italicized):

Forwards:
Ryan Bourque, Evgeny Grachev, Roman Horak, Colin Martin, Chris McKelvie, Randy McNaught, Brendan Shinnimin, Derek Stepan, Christian Thomas, Ethan Werek, Jason Wilson, Andrew Yogan

Defense:
Lee Baldwin, Sam Klassen, Tomas Kundratek, Dan Maggio, Brandon Manning, Ryan McDonagh, Dylan McIlrath, Jyri Niemi

Goaltenders:
Scott Stajcer, Cam Talbot

Unfortunately, the NHL Network will not be showing any of the tournament this year, preferring to show us re-runs of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs instead. It would have been nice to see how prospects that are clearly the future of the organization (Grachev, Werek, Stepan, Bourque, Thomas, Kundratek, McDonagh, McIlrath) played with each other. We will have to rely on those attending the tournament to feed us information though. What we do know, is that this Rangers team is very, very strong.

Frolov To Sign with Rangers

As per Laurie Carr, who does a great job breaking news via Russian sources, the Rangers will sign Alex Frolov to a one year deal. Frolov, who had a lucrative four year deal on the table from the KHL, has chosen the Rangers in lieu of bolting to Russia.

Alex Frolov Anyone?

Update by Dave: Arthur Staple has tweeted that the Rangers have offered Frolov a two year deal. The deal is for a less AAV than the four-year offer from the KHL.

Let me start by admitting im unashamedly a Frolov fan. Always liked him in LA and always liked the idea of him in New York. However, im also willing to admit the guy has issues and people question his mental ‘make-up’ a lot.  Specifically there are his consistency issues; Alex Frolov is consistently inconsistent. For proof check out his last five season’s goal totals: 19 (09-10), 32, 23, 35, 21. It’s a very up and down resume. So what should fans expect out of Frolov this year, 30 plus goals again? Who knows? Alexander Frolov to the Rangers throws up a few questions…

Firstly the obvious; can the Rangers afford him? Well that’s easy to answer – with a move here or there, yes they can. How much does he want? That we won’t find out until he signs somewhere. The rumours seem to sway between a return to LA, to New York or the KHL. SKA and KHL president Medvedev has gone on record stating he is a target for his club although Frolov appears to be cooling on that option.

Does he fit in New York next season? For all his ‘issues’ yes he does. He’s proved he can score at a higher level than New York’s other Russian head case Nik Zherdev and would be a good fit on a line with Gaborik or alternatively on a secondary line with Anisimov. Frolov on the Rangers next year makes the club, in the short term, much better. Everyone acknowledges the Rangers need more scoring – secondary scoring – and if Frolov ‘only’ has another one of his sub par year’s, 19 goals and 50 points helps this team a lot. He immediately becomes the 3^rd best scorer on this team and helps the Power Play. In four of the last five years Frolov had double figure PP goal totals and lord does this PP need some more help. With Frolov this team is well in the mix for the 6-8 playoff spots. Whether that’s a good thing long term is a debate for another day. Adding Frolov does not make this team a contender. Not without a lot of variables anyway.

So where is my issue on Frolov? It really depends on what he wants. I’m not so concerned with dollar (although it’s obviously important) as I am with the term. The Rangers have a hell of a talent in Chris Kreider coming through the system (apparently NHL ready according to Sather), Tortorella appears to be sticking with Brandon Dubinsky on the wing and we don’t want the talented prospects’ route to New York to be blocked. I wouldnt say no to Frolov based on our current crop of wings. The Rangers don’t have enough top 6 talent comapred to bottom 6. Anyone can see that.

If Frolov would be willing to sign for no more than 2 years and $8m I’d jump all over him. If he’s a success then you re-sign him to complement Kreider and the kids as Prospal will be long gone by then. It’s when his demands of longer contracts get out of hand I would walk away. 2 years is relatively low risk and certainly a moveable contract given his career to date. I like the fact the Rangers are being linked to him as Laurie Carr points out. Sather should be doing due diligence on this exceptionally talented young man and I’d have no problem taking him for the right price.

Sunday Link Dump

I seem to be doing a lot of traveling lately; North Carolina last week, Atlanta today, Phoenix next month. That means Sundays are becoming travel days for me. The good thing about that is that I make a killing in per diem. But enough of my ramblings, here is today’s link dump:

Arthur Staple of Newsday writes how the Rangers, led by captain Chris Drury, are going to look for consistency this season.

Eric at 5-hole caught the official Rangers Twitter account acknowledging that the Wade Redden contract may have been a tad expensive.

Scotty Hockey explains why that, in the end, Ilya Kovalchuk will remain in New Jersey.

Jess Rubenstein at Prospect Park looks at the Rangers goalie situation, from The King to the draft picks looking to make an impact at camp.