Today I want to discuss some candidates who could potentially fit within our team concept; players who I think could succeed in our deep forechecking system and under a coach who demands that his players commit to back pressure.

Before I get started, I just want to reiterate that I still believe the Rangers can beat anybody with the personnel they currently have. I’m not opposed to standing pat at the deadline, especially since the demand for top six forwards will likely outweigh supply. However, should an opportunity present itself to acquire some depth, I might make a move if the price is right.

With that said, here are several players I think are worth working the phones for.

Dustin Penner – LW (6’4 240 lbs): The 29 year old is having a down year for the Kings offensively (11pts in 38 gp), but so is everyone else it seems on that roster. Prior to joining the Kings stifling defensive system, he typically averaged 25 goals a season for the Oilers & Ducks.

Penner isn’t going to solve our power play woes on his own, but having a big boy with a nose for the crease could help at least one aspect of it, especially against a team like the Bruins. I’m sure being on the last year of his contract ($4.2M) could motivate him if he gets a change of scenery.

Chad LaRose LW/RW (5’10 180 lbs): LaRose is more of a 30-40 point energy guy for the Canes and not someone with a lot of upside, but I think he’d fit given his ability to forecheck and work the boards. His plus/minus is ugly (-21), but his relative Corsi numbers (a good puck possession metric) puts him 3rd among Canes starters.

LaRose, who has one year left on his contract (at $1.7M), has 21 points thus far, which isn’t bad for a guy starting 43% of his starts in the OZ and only getting 14 mins/game. With the Maple Leafs also in the hunt for for a top six winger – and apparently willing to part with top prospects -pursuing a depth forward like LaRose may be the better play for us.

Dominic Moore – C/LW (5’11 185 lbs): Moore is a pain in the ass to play against. He’s one of those Avery-types who does all of the cheap BS after the whistle like bumping your goaltender, taking whacks at your limbs, etc, which invariably draws penalties. He’s pretty much no use to a non-playoff team like Tampa Bay.

Moore is a good skater, strong on faceoffs (winning 54% to date), and has some pop on offense on the cheap ($1.1M cap hit for around 30-35 points). He may not be physical enough for Torts’ liking, but he’d be an upgrade over someone like Erik Christensen.

Travis Moen – LW (6’2 215 lbs): Moen has typically been a 15-20 point role player, but this season he’s on pace to crack 30 points for the Habs. Whether or not he’s this season’s version of Brian Boyle 2010 remains to be seen, but finishing up a deal at $1.5M per, he could be worth a look. If anything maybe a guy like Moen could take Wolski’s place as a depth LW.

Kyle Quincey – LD (6’2 205 lbs): Quincey possesses some skill on the blueline for Colorado and can play the point on the power play. Though he doesn’t bring the howitzer that everyone covets, he is a good puck mover and is solid in his own end.

Quincey has been a work horse for the Avalanche, leading the team with over 22 mins a night. He is also good at blocking shots and is still only 26 years old. He is on the last year of his contract (at $3.1M), so an audition with a contender could be beneficial to both parties should the Avalanche fall out of the playoff picture.

So that’s my list, short and sweet. I know none of these names really have the appeal of a Doan or a Selanne, but until either of those guys give any indication they’re interested in being a traded, I will look elsewhere. As for what we’d be willing to give up for these guys? That I leave for you to decide. Let’s hear it…

There are several reasons Morrow would be a success as a Ranger. First of all Morrow can play the style employed by John Tortorella. He’s an excellent forechecker, plays a physical brand of hockey but is also a good finisher and has two 30 goal seasons on his resume (as well as four seasons of 49+ points). He’s also not afraid to go in to high traffic areas and look for rebounds.

Then there is the leadership and experience Morrow brings. A successful, cup contending team can never have too much leadership, it can never have too many players willing to assume responsibility and Morrow has never been a player to shy away from responsibility. He’s been a leader on the Stars for a long time now and given his previous success with Team Canada is a man that would instantly command respect in the locker room.

Morrow has experience playing with Brad Richards and adapting to the Rangers way would surely be made easier by being so familiar with someone such as Richards. Morrow would also (possibly on Richards’ line) solve an issue that is affecting the Rangers which is a top six scoring left winger that is. Anisimov has disappeared, Dubinsky has had a very underwhelming season and will all due respect, Fedotenko is not the answer for a team wanting to go deep.

Acquiring Morrow would also see other pieces fall into place to form a quality third line. While his long term future may (should?) be in the top six, acquiring Morrow would likely see Dubinsky dropping to the third line to form a dangerous trio, likely with Boyle and Prust. It allows the team to ice a third line competent both defensively and offensively, something that Morrow’s presence would cause. How does the idea of a Morrow – Richards – Callahan line sound? It would give the Rangers two first lines in theory, something this club hasn’t had much of.

Scared of the contract? Don’t be. Morrow is making a reasonable $4.1m (a similar annual salary Sean Avery makes…tumbleweed) and has one more year beyond this season. He has the quality to contribute this year and next and should he not be a success in New York, a player with his resume possessing an expiring contract should be relatively easy to move and not a subsequent cap anchor.

There are also concerns with Morrow however. He is a controversial character that has had league discipline issues and isn’t afraid to voice his opinion. Would he get along with the coach? Then there is a relatively recent injury history in which Morrow has missed significant time. Throw in the fact that the Stars are in the playoff hunt (albeit it currently on the outside looking in) and Morrow isn’t likely to be cheap if he’s available.

To sum up however, if the Rangers feel like they can contend (as they approach the deadline) Morrow makes sense for so many reasons. This team needs more offense, could benefit from more big-game experience and likely has the pieces to acquire a proven player such as Morrow. In the short term, he’s a better solution than Bobby Ryan financially, and doesn’t block the highly touted prospects (or roster youth like Hagelin) mid-to-long term. There’s a lot to like about acquiring Morrow.

Marc Staal was the only Ranger that I think should have cracked this list.  Staal is one of the best defensive defensemen in the league and has made a career shutting down the league’s best. Obviously Buccigross kept prior seasons in mind when composing this list with some of these rankings.

According to Brooks, the Rangers have supposedly long held Tim Gleason in high regard, but he should only be an option if Sauer is out for the season. The Rangers need to decide sooner rather than later, whether they want help for the powerplay or depth (and size?) on the blue line.

The Rangers have had a great season so far and the way the defense has collectively played over their talent level because of the injuries on the back end suggest they can do so for a while longer. However, this team cannot go deep in the playoffs with the way the powerplay is performing this season. So often in the post season it’s a good, tight defense and great special teams that win you games and playoff series.

The Rangers have the stingy defense, they have an excellent penalty kill, but they have failed to win a few games this season because of their inadequate power play; which brings us back to the dilemma facing the Rangers. Brooks is absolutely right that the team should acquire a blueliner. However, what kind of blueliner they go and acquire could be critical. It could have a massive impact on just how successful this season could be.

If the decision goes in favour of an offensive defenseman then there are a few options available, however, all come with an element of risk. The likely available players include Marek Zidlicky (former Ranger draft pick) who has been a consistent 40 point defenseman in his career but has been in the Minnesota Wild doghouse this year. So far he has failed to repeat his usual power play production and carries a $4m contract for next year.

The Avalanche, who have been very inconsistent this season, could make Kyle Quincey available.  He is another player capable of putting up points and the Av’s already have Erik Johnson. Quincey likely holds more appeal than Zidlicky, as he is a restricted free agent after this season.

Then there are the kind of players the Rangers are routinely linked to such as Sheldon Souray. Big shot, short term contract, but he didn’t impress the Rangers enough to pick him up on waivers during his time with Edmonton, so has half a season in Dallas changed their opinion? Unlikely.

The Rangers decision on the type of defenseman they (may) go after would likely be influenced by the quality available. This is where the problem lies as most players available come with significant question marks. So while the Rangers may indeed go after a blueliner the choice is far from an obvious one at this stage of the season.

Below is an excerpt (I can’t post the whole thing) of an article out of the Philadelphia Sun that trashes the Rangers organization for honoring Neil Auricchio, the cop and former Iraq vet, who was beaten by Flyers fans following the Winter Classic.

The New York Rangers announced this week that they will honor Neal Auricchio at an upcoming game against the New Jersey Devils, giving him free tickets and bringing him into the locker room to meet the players.

But not for his service to his country as a Marine in Iraq, where he went for two tours, being seriously injured in the first.

And not because he’s a cop in Woodbridge, N.J. – a job that is often underappreciated.

Instead, the Rangers will give Auricchio free tickets and an inside look at the locker room because he attended the Winter Classic on January 2, went to Geno’s Steaks for a bite to eat afterward, wore his Rangers jersey, got loud with undoubtedly drunk Flyers fans waiting in line, then got the crap kicked out of him.

Are you f*&^ing kidding me?!?!?

This is so typical of New Yorkers. “

…But what message are the Rangers trying to send here? That it should be encouraged for other fans of the team to go into the heart of an opposing city – whose fans are infamous for being a bunch of rowdy, over-the-top and sometimes out-of-touch a-holes – and get involved in a bad situation that can’t possibly turn out well?

This is New York Rangers defenseman Mark Staal. His brothers Jordan and Eric are a lot better than him.

“Hey kids, here’s something you can aspire to as a Rangers fan – getting into a brawl in Philadelphia. If you do it when you grow up, we’ll give you free tickets to a game and let you meet the third best NHL player in the Staal family.”

Pathetic.

The Flyers would never think of doing something like this.”

Here’s the full article. Shameful. We don’t want to give the guy pageviews, but I think we have to link them.

Note by Dave: Although Tim Ronaldson, the author of this article, is a complete buffoon, you should not judge all of Philadelphia media or the city itself based on one idiot’s words. The guys at Broad Street Hockey called for the arrest of the assailant, and the Flyers organization assisted in the search for him. This is just one man’s idiotic words, they do not reflect the opinion of an entire city or sports organization.

The Rangers have good depth, an all world goalie and a deep defense (when all are healthy). That said there are still a few problem areas that could get some attention, in particular the power play. Step forward Ray Whitney. The veteran Coyote winger would be a great short term addition for the Rangers. Would he be available? Almost certainly if the Coyotes remain outside the playoff places and their ownership situation remains a concern.

In five of the last six seasons Whitney has registered twenty or more assists on the power play. He recently scored his 100^th NHL goal with the man advantage. This is the kind of guy that shouldn’t break the bank to acquire and would surely help the Rangers’ mediocre PP unit. Of course, given the quality season Whitney is playing there may be plenty of demand for his supply raising the price.

If the Rangers continue to sit among the leagues best they would surely be interested in adding a player to help go on a deep playoff run. While they may not look to make a significant move (their window to win is only really opening this year) they may make a depth addition or acquire a rental such as Whitney. They have built sensibly in reasons seasons so there’s not much chance they make a big splash. Of course, it doesn’t need to be a big splash if it’s the right player.

Whitney could fit on this team. Managing the cap figure wouldn’t be an issue and with flexible parts like Fedotenko, Mitchell, Prust and Hagelin on the roster it would be relatively easy to accommodate him in the line-up. After all, a lot of his ice time would come with the extra man. This is the kind of move that could make sense for the Rangers – low risk, short term, addressing specific needs.

Don’t believe for a second they aren’t looking around the league and don’t forget the extensive history that exists between the two teams as trading partners. I’m pretty sure Maloney still owes Sather a favour for getting Korpikoski for practically nothing. With the Rangers winning and gathering steam, deadline day could make for very interesting viewing.

This morning I read Rick Carpiniello’s always informative Rangers Report blog for his game review and got stuck reading the same bullet point a few times. Credit Rick for highlighting this grim fact:

Who officiated that third period, Ed Snider? No, it was Philadelphia native Ian Walsh, who grew up in the Little Flyers organization. How in Holy Hell does he get an assignment for a Rangers-Flyers game ever, never mind this one?

Seriously, what the hell?  Many people throughout the league, and its fans, already complain at the NHL’s apparent ulterior motives, the at-best questionable refereeing and at the apparent favouritism Gary Bettman seems to show certain players and organisations over the years. Did the league really think in a world of mass media scrutiny and extensive fan involvement that the fact they employed a Philadelphia native, a former Flyer no less (to an extent) to be involved in officiating would get overlooked?

I’m still not a conspiracy theorist but this league needs to be transparent. Every team needs to feel equally treated and at least have confidence in the league that when they step on the ice they have a fair chance at winning a hockey game. Assigning guys like Ian Walsh to this game doesn’t instil confidence.

This kind of stupidity (let’s leave it at that for now) in their decision making is terrible. The league needs to be challenged as to why they allowed a Philadelphia native, one with ties to the organisation, to referee the game. Some people will always question a league’s integrity whether it be their handling of discipline or otherwise. This kind of faux-pa really does them no favours. Its bad enough I had to listen to the Roots.

Enjoy!

#10 Media members who diss bloggers on their blogs.

I never really understood or got involved in some of these wars between actual journalists and fan bloggers, which is as old as the medium itself. Twitter seems to have become the newest battle ground these days and while it’s entertaining, it is also really lame at the same time.

My solution? Settle it on the ice. 

#9 Whoever is in charge of distributing Rangers press-releases

This jab probably won’t win us any favors, but at this point we’ve lost interest in communicating with the organization we cover (pretty objectively I might add).

The sports org I work for distributes our official press releases to fan blogs as most savvy organizations do, but for some reason the team won’t throw us a bone. Hell, we don’t even get a response to our emails. Boo.

#8 Creepy Twitters

I was far from an “early adopter” to Twitter and I am still not a big fan of social networking in general, but I understand its power to promote our site.

Still, one thing I will never get used to is reading tweets from fans begging their favorite athletes to wish them a happy birthday, a wonderful life, or any other sort of motivational nonsense.

Extra creepiness to people who tweet messages of adoration to Sean Avery.   

#7 NHL Marketing Department, if such a department exists…

The Guardian Project was god awful, the NBC contract won’t do anything to grow hockey or promote its stars, and the league’s broadcast restrictions are a joke.

The fact that people who live around Albany have Rangers games blacked out in favor of Sabres telecasts is ridiculous. I know the Sabres are trying to grow their fan base, but seriously, good luck trying to get people to care about a team 6 hours and three snowstorms away.

#6 New York Islanders

Just when you thought the Islanders were turning the corner they take one step forward and five steps back. Their third jerseys are almost as bad the old Fishstick jerseys. Their hopes for a new arena in Nassau are as lost as I am when driving around Nassau, and the decision to open a tattoo shop in the Coliseum further cements their eternal spot in the hockey hall of shame.  

#5 Glendale City Council

Glendale spent $25 million of tax payer dollars to keep the ‘Yotes in Glendale. Too bad they will pack up and leave as soon as that brand spanking new arena is completed in Quebec City.

And people wonder why our government can’t balance a budget…

#4 Hockey Hall of Fame

Not inducting Pat Burns before or the year after he succumbed to cancer was a classless move. Burns had a 501-353-151 record, was a three-time winner of the Jack Adams Award, and obviously coached the Devils to one of their Cup victories.

#3 Vancouver Rioters

Speaking of classless…

#2 Incarcerated Bob

Without WFAN’s backing this guy would be a nobody, but for some reason they give this guy a platform to spew his BS. Recently, Incarcerated Boob tried to spread an ugly rumor about Ryan Callahan’s wife. The rumor obviously went nowhere.

It’s almost sad people actually think Boob is a legitimate insider. Let me assure you that the only suits this guy is in contact with are his lawyers.

#1 Mike Milbury

How this guy is still a representative of hockey after the things he has said and done is beyond me.

So that’s my list of forgettable folk, what’s yours?

Pointing out that potential milestone is just one way of acknowledging the tremendous year the Slovakian winger is having. Gaborik’s goal scoring exploits and overall form this season this may also a question as to his status among the game’s best. Is the Rangers winger the best right wing in the game this season?

Gaborik is doing so many things right this season. First of all he’s playing a better defensive game and showing a much better (and more consistent) effort to get the puck back. In the offensive zone he’s putting the puck on net as much as possible while he’s very effective on the power play (on course for 13 powerplay goals, which would be his second best return).

Above all, Gaborik is going to the high traffic areas to score a lot of his goals. How many have you seen come from rebounds and right in front of the net? A lot. He’s effective too as his 17% success rate suggests. In short, there isn’t anything Gaborik is doing wrong right now and he deserves to be acknowledged among the best.

When people think of the best right wings in the game people usually think Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Martin St Louis, Jerome Iginla and Corey Perry. Gaborik stands eye to eye with all of them. Perry sports an ugly -11 and isn’t leading the Ducks to any kind of success this season. St Louis is having a solid but unspectacular season in Tampa, while Iginla isn’t the same force he was in recent seasons. Only Kane and Hossa of the aforementioned few are having excellent years offensively. Which brings us to another point in the argument for Gaborik as the league’s best right winger.

Gaborik is doing everything so successfully this season with two kids as line mates. While Derek Stepan is absolutely on his way to forging a fine career and Artem Anisimov is improving every season, Gaborik doesn’t have the benefit of a Jonathan Toews, Steven Stamkos or Ryan Getzlaf as an elite center as Brad Richards is doing just nicely on the second line. Gaborik doesn’t have a Bobby Ryan or Patrick Sharp on his opposite wing. Yes, Gaborik is part of a line blessed with chemistry and has two very talented youngsters to assist him but he certainly hasn’t the same calibre of line mates (yet) to feed off.

As Gaborik potentially works towards career highs in total shots, power play goals, game winning goals and most importantly total goals the Slovakian star deserves to be – at the very least – in the discussion as the league’s best right winger. He deserves an all star nod and hopefully when he pots number 50 later this season he’ll be deserving of a huge ovation from the Garden faithful.

When Bobby Ryan was (apparently) on the trade block the Rangers (apparently) sniffed around but refused to make a move for the power forward. More than likely, they baulked at the price. The Senators weekend acquisition of Kyle Turris shows how overpriced young talent is in the league right now. It proves the Rangers right in their recent, patient approach.

On the whole, the Rangers are playing well this season, growing as a unit and have a great nucleus going forward. We’ve seen how asking prices for players in recent times are astronomical and the Rangers don’t seem willing to pay the going rates to add to their line up. Rightly so.

Some fans clamoured for Bobby Ryan, some liked the idea of Turris while many wanted a marquee name when Marc Staal went down long term. The Rangers stood pat. They made a minor, risk free addition. The Rangers are amid a fine year and if they end up contending this year it’s a pleasant, unexpected bonus. Their real window begins next year and its then, that the Rangers may (perhaps should) look to add to their core through a trade.

If the Rangers are storming the league come deadline day they may look to add to the roster but there’s no need to gut the organisation for talent when the prices are out of control. It’s a change from early Sather seasons but credit Sather and the Rangers staff for showing restraint. They didn’t blink when the Stars asked for the earth for Brad Richards and are still being patient now. The organisation is deep and it’s the (relatively new found) patience of the decision makers in New York that we have to thank.