The Answer Within?

The Rangers problems on the blue line at NHL level have been much publicized and most people are of the assumption the problem will be addressed externally. However with Dennis Seidenberg’s recent deal setting the bar at an uncomfortably high level and with Glen Sather’s comments about giving those from within a chance, maybe the prospects can make New York…

Within the system there are several options that can help the team. How the Rangers progress as a team as well as deal with the blue line may be influenced by the level of patience the Rangers brass will be willing to show. Are they willing for guys like Mike Sauer, Corey Potter etc to learn on the fly, make mistakes at NHL level but indeed develop? Time will tell, early indication says maybe they are.

One option that hasn’t been given much air time is the curious case of Pavel Valentenko, the Russian ‘throw in’ from the (brilliant) Gomez to Montreal deal. Not seen actively in the organisation as yet, it’s difficult to know what to expect. Back in 2009 Hockeysfuture wrote these words about the young Russian, following his defection back to Russia:

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Rangers Saviour?

It’s a big statement to make about a kid guy that still hasn’t played a pro game at any level. So what is it about Derek Stepan that offers the Rangers such hope and excitement?

Drafted 51^st overall in 2008, the Hastings born Stepan has played in strong programs throughout his young career and has produced wherever he has been. Playing two years at the hockey factory that is Shattuck-St. Mary’s (think Sid Crosby, Zach Parise, Jon Toews etc) Stepan tallied 192 points in two years before going to the NCAA powerhouse Wisconsin Badgers. In 2 Wisconsin seasons thus far Stepan continued to elevate his game. A solid rookie year – 33 points in 40 games – was followed up with an impressive 54 point season (in just 41 games) which culminated in a Frozen Four Final berth.  Stepan quickly became a go-to player for the Badgers.  What perhaps excites Rangers fans more however, is how Stepan raised his game even further on the international stage. Stepan took over the 2010 World Juniors and led the Americans to gold as captain and led the entire tourney in points with 14 in just 7 games. Voted on to the all star team at the tournament , Stepan keeps elite company when one considers the line up featured Alex Pietrangelo, John Carlson, Jordan Eberle and Nino Niederreiter – all elite prospects. Stepan also has blood lines on his side. Derek’s father Brad was a 5^th round pick of the Rangers which was the same draft year (‘85) as Mike Richter.

Looking back at Stepan’s development so far it’s easy to get excited. Whether it’s at prep level, NCAA level or at international level Derek Stepan has succeeded. Considered mature and a good character and having already displayed excellent leadership at various levels, Stepan seems bound for a good pro career. Opportunity (and success) requires being in the right place at the right time and coupled with his talent is the fact the Rangers are crying out for impact at center. As soon as Stepan decides the time is right to leave college he will likely get a shot at making the Rangers straight away and will be given every chance to succeed.

Rangers fans therefore may be thinking: So where will Stepan fit in? Considered close to pro-ready now, it’s likely that in 12 months time Stepan will be able to make the Rangers and hopefully take on a scoring role immediately. It will benefit the Rangers enormously (cap wise) if Stepan can grab a top 6 role when he leaves Wisconsin. With contracts like Redden’s and Drury’s still weighing heavy, cap bargains and cheap youngsters are essential for the Rangers.

Stepan’s game seems ideally suited to Marian Gaborik in that he is a pass first, defensively responsible center with great vision however the role of Gaborik’s center may be a year or two away as the Rangers would be well advised not to throw too much responsibility on Stepan’s shoulders too soon. Could he handle it? Why not. Jonathan Toews’ career took a similar path before he reached Chicago and he became an impact player from the get-go. The two players are quite comparable (another reason the Rangers faithful are so excited about Stepan) and if the Rangers can get a rookie year off Stepan like Chicago got off Toews then The Rangers will be delighted – and dangerous. While a strong rookie year is possible what would be likely? There’s no reason we won’t, can’t see a 15 goal 40 point rookie campaign when he does make the Rangers. As we have seen, Stepan doesn’t appear to rush a decision so he won’t come to NY until he’s ready to make an immediate impact.

For those watching Stepan’s every move, you may be watching a saviour in the making.

Prospect Profile: Ethan Werek

In the second round of the 2009 draft, #47 overall, the Rangers selected Ethan Werek, playing with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. Werek, while not on the first round radar, was a fairly highly regarded pick when the Rangers selected him. Some were surprised he was still available so late in the draft. The 18-year old Werek was coming off a great year in juniors, putting up a line of 32-32-64 in 66 games, with 83 PIMS to match. Hockeysfuture currently has him ranked as the #14 prospect in the system, but that doesn’t include this year he is having at the junior level (17-20-37, +10 in 31 games).

Werek is the definition of a power forward. The 6’0 191-pound center uses his size and reach to go into the dirty areas and get some garbage goals while roughing it up a little bit in front of the net. This work ethic and edge parlays very nicely into strong forechecking skills as well. Werek also showcases a fantastic passing ability, comparable to that of Michael Del Zotto. His ability to win face-offs is average,

Werek’s main weakness is his skating ability. Once he gets going, he has decent speed, but it takes a while for that to happen. He more than makes up for this short coming with the aforementioned play in front of the net, and being unafraid to collect garbage goals. Unfortunately, this grit and edge that he plays with tends to lead to some undisciplined penalties, noted by the 83 PIMS in his draft year.

Werek’s greatest asset is his drive to play in high traffic areas. He’s not an agitator like Sean Avery, but he will finish his checks and look to knock people off the puck. If he’s comparable to anyone on the current Rangers roster, it would be Ryan Callahan.

Expect Werek to show up on many people’s radar after he finishes up this season with Kingston. Next year, he will get an invite to camp, and will be in the same position that Michael Del Zotto found himself in this past preseason. Play well, earn a spot on the roster, or else be returned to the OHL for an over-age year.

Image Credit: ranger.nhl.com

Traverse City Update

The Traverse City Prospects tournament is underway, and the Ranger prospects went 1-1 over the holiday weekend, losing to the Hurricanes prospects 5-3 and beating the Thrashers prospects 4-1.

Goals in the win over the Thrashers were scored by Sam Klassen, Tomas Kundratek, Evgeny Grachev and Dale Weise, while Chad Johnson made 28 saves for the win. In the loss to Carolina, goals were scored by Daniel Bartek, Ryan Bourque and Roman Horak. Scott Stajcer was solid in net, making 35 saves.

The next matchup is tomorrow at 7pm against Detroit.

Grachev Finished in OHL, Rangers Looking at Seidenberg?

This info courtesy of Beyond the Blueshirts and their Twitter page. Just note that this news is unconfirmed as of this moment.

Evgeny Grachev’s time in the OHL is over. The Rangers have informed the Brampton Battalion that they will not be returning him to juniors next season. If the 19-year old Grachev does not make the Rangers out of camp, which is still a very strong possibility, he will be in the AHL with the Wolfpack to start the season. My bet is still AHL.

For those of us keeping track, the AHL has an age restriction of 20 years old. This rule only applies to North American players, and European players who were drafted out of the CHL. Grachev was drafted out of Russia, thus this rule does not apply to him.

Initially, I was surprised the Rangers are doing this. The kid is 19 and could definitely learn a lot from another season in Brampton. However, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Grachev has shown he is a class above the junior level, and it’s time to show it at the AHL level. Hartford, with Anisimov probably headed to the NHL, will need a front line scorer, and Grachev is now their man for this season. Hopefully, if all goes well, the Rangers won’t have to rush him through the AHL, and it will allow him to adapt to the increased speed and intensity of the AHL game.

I’m looking forward to seeing Grachev on a line with Gaborik, or Callahan, in the future. That will be fun to watch.

In other news, the Rangers are apparently interested in Dennis Seidenberg, the 28 year old defenseman who played with Carolina last year. He has some offensive touch, but was a -9 with the Canes last year. He would be the 5th defenseman, which means the Rangers aren’t all that content with starting two rookie defensemen every night.

They have the cap room to match his $1.2 million salary from last season, which leaves about $3.2 million in cap room for Brandon Dubinsky, a 13th forward and a 7th defenseman. If the rumors are true, and Dubinsky will play for his qualifying offer, then the Rangers are in good shape cap-wise for this season.

I know, I’m shocked too.

Ranger Prospects Make Cut, Contribute in Win

I’m still in LA, and still with limited access to the internet. Luckily, there hasn’t been much going on in Ranger land other than the Zherdev to the KHL rumors.

In promising news, all three Ranger prospects made the cut for the US National Team (Chris Kreider, Ryan Bourque, Derek Stepan). Both Bourque and Stepan contributed points (1 G and 1 A respectively) in the US’ dominating win over Russia, 8-1.

It is good to see the prospects contributing on their level, and we should hope their development continues.

Stepan is going to be gold.

Artem Anisimov Interview

The guys over at NYRangerscast did an interview with prospect, and soon to be Rangers center, Artem Anisimov. They did a great job, and you should definitely head over there to check it out.

U-20 Rosters Set

The guys at Beyond the Blueshirts have the inside scoop on the rosters for the USA/Russia U-20 four-game series to be played in Lake Placid this year. The US roster has three Ranger prospects participating: Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, and Ryan Bourque. Kreider, the Rangers 1st round pick in 2009, and Stepan, the Rangers 2nd round pick in 2008, will both be participating in their first U-20 tryout. This will be Ryan Bourque’s (2009 3rd rounder) second go-round with the club.

It will be interesting to see how Kreider, who has never played against this level of competition before, fairs in this tryout. He is definitely skilled, but hasn’t had the chance to showcase it against all-world talent his age.

Notably left off the Russian team was OHL rookie of the year, and Rangers prospect-extraordinaire, Evgeny Grachev. This definitely wasn’t a slight to Grachev, and the logical reasoning is that the Rangers requested he be left off the roster for fear of injury, which really shouldn’t surprise anyone. I guess this means the club believes that Grachev may actually have a shot at making the big club next season. Personally, I think he goes to the OHL for another season, and then may actually spend a year in the AHL. No need to rush him.

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.

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.