Training Camp Full of Questions

Training Camp Is Here.  Training camp starts today and day 1 is the day that all the players fear the most. As some of the beat writers have already discussed, day one is basically ‘The Test’. It’s where Coach Tortorella runs his players in to the ground. Torts’ camps are legendary and it all begins with the first day. That said, training camp is about so much more for the team than just fitness. Here are a few things that are worth monitoring going through camp.

How many rookies will force their way on to the roster?

The Rangers camp will be different this year because of the European trip.  It affects how many players the Rangers take to Europe with them and could influence how many rookies/prospects have a legitimate chance to make the team from the outset. Tim Erixon seems to have a spot to lose; he’d have to be seriously outplayed by at least 2 players or show that he isn’t physically ready for a Torts camp.

Carl Hagelin has a legitimate chance to make his Rangers debut in his homeland too. He showed skill and great speed in Traverse but his immediate future may be tied to the upcoming camp performances of Christensen and Avery.

The dark horse, which I have maintained all along, is Ryan Bourque. Bourque remained relatively healthy last season and followed up that with a good, if not great Traverse City tourney. He displayed speed and a lot of skill to go with his undoubted team first attitude and terrific work ethic. He seems an ideal option if the Rangers insist on going younger in the bottom 6.

Beyond the Swedes and the Hall of Famer’s son, it would take a remarkable training camp for another rookie to force his way on to the plane to Sweden. The Rangers have a ton of depth but not a lot of vacancies (despite a lot of talent developing in the system) so aren’t likely to rush any prospects unless their play demands promotion.

Join us after the jump for plenty more camp questions.

Read more »

Rangers Training Camp Roster Released

Per Steve Zipay, the Rangers have released the training camp roster. Notably absent from the roster is Wade Redden, as discussed below. Also absent from the roster from the Traverse City roster is Matt Rust, who appears to have been released from his tryout. The full roster is after the jump.

Read more »

Wade Redden Not On Training Camp List

Although the official training camp roster is not officially released, Steve Zipay is reporting that veteran defenseman Wade Redden will not be invited to camp this year.  Although none of us expected him to be on the Rangers this year, it is a bit surprising to see that he won’t even be invited to camp.  Redden was an invaluable member of the CT Whale last season, serving as a mentor to the young defensemen.  Every young player that was paired with Redden showed great improvements with his game as the season progressed.

This may be the first step in voiding Redden’s contract, which is to be expected at some point.  Redden probably wants another shot at the NHL, and his contract can only be voided if he does not report to the Whale.  I’m just speculating here, but it’s possible that since Redden is not on the camp roster, that he plans to part ways with the Rangers soon.  I would think that if he had plans to stay with the team, that he would be at camp as a mentor/on-ice coach for the defensemen, as he was all of last year.

Rangers Invite Collin Bowman To Camp

As per the Moose Jaw Warriors official blog, defenseman Collin Bowman will be attending Rangers training camp as a non-roster invitee.  Bowman, who is 2010 first round pick Dylan McIlrath’s teammate, is a defenseman who played last season with the Warriors after spending his first four seasons with the Kelowna Rockets.  At 6’2 and 200 lbs, Bowman is a big kid and uses his size to his advantage.  Although his numbers look sexy (11-37-48 in 72 games) they are a bit misleading.

Prior to this past season, Bowman has never had much offensive flair, with a previous career high of 26 points.  He is more of a physical, stay at home type player.  However, this season he jumped in production. I am making educated guesses here, but I can assume it’s for two reasons: 1) Being 20 years old and in the league for five years, he is older, bigger, and more experienced than his competition, and 2) He got a swift kick in the rear following a dreadful draft year and a trade to Moose Jaw.

Speaking of that draft year, Bowman seriously regressed that season.  He finished with a -17 rating that year with just 20 points.  His previous season he had 26 points and was +32.  He rebounded with his most recent season, the 48 point season, but it is clear why he wasn’t drafted.  Sometimes guys like him are late bloomers, or just victims of a bad year.  He’s an intriguing option to bring into camp.

Sin Bin Guest Post: Matt J (Again…Someone Else Win Please)

The title of this post is clearly a joke.  Matt J wins this week’s Sin Bin again, I think it’s his 38th win or something like that.  Luckily he writes pretty damn well.  Here is his guest post about which rookies are potentials for this year’s club.

Carl Hagelin- Just graduated out of Michigan and averaged over a point a game in his last two seasons as Michigan’s captain. I must say though it’s hard to compare NCAA players to OHL players. I think when Hagelin finally gets to the NHL he can be a Ruslan Fedotenko like player with more of a scoring touch. I don’t see Hagelin being more than a 3rd liner on the Rangers but I think he can be very effective in that role. Will he get playing time this year? He definitely will see the ice for the Rangers this year but how much ice he will see remains to be seen. If he’s playing well in the AHL, he could be a good injury call up. Does he make the opening night roster? Doubtful. He’s really going to have to outplay Fedotenko, Sean Avery, Erik Christensen, and Mats Zuccarrello to have any chance of making it. But he can’t even let it be close in comparisons between him and other players because Torts is going to go with experience if it’s a tough call.

Christian Thomas- The 54 goal scorer finished second in scoring in the OHL last season in a very impressive season. Thomas has the potential to be a big scoring threat at the NHL level. It’s too bad he’s not eligible for the AHL because clearly he can outplay his opponents at the OHL level. Will he get playing time this year? I’m going to go with no because this all rides on whether or not he makes the team this year and survives cuts, and if does that he has to go back to the OHL and can’t come back. Does he make the opening night roster? He’s got to really outplay everyone in the pre-season and really show what he’s got in Traverse City this year. I’m gonna say no though because I don’t think the Rangers need to rush him to the NHL this year. I think though it’s important that when the Connecticut Whale’s playoffs start that he makes an impact.

Dylan McIlrath- The big heavy hitting McIlrath really got his game going last year and the Rangers staff say he looks a lot better this year. These tough defenseman really take a long time to mature into NHL players but when they do they are really effective. Take Zdeno Chara for example. Even after he got into the NHL he wasn’t at his best and it took 3 seasons for him to really dominate at the NHL level with the Senators. But he became a Norris winner, and one of the best defenseman in the NHL. Do I think or expect Mcilrath to do that? No. But he could be a Jeff Beukeboom, (I’m gonna say better than Beukeboom) and clear the crease, and fight anyone who gets in Hank’s or any other Rangers face. With him on the ice the days of running Rangers would be over. Gaborik would never try to drop the gloves again with McIlrath. Does he see the ice this year? No. Does he make the opening night roster his year? No.

You might ask why I would even bother to include him on the list then if I didn’t think he could make the roster but I think he could make the squad for 2012-2013. I think though it’s very important for him to have a great Traverse City, and a great camp with the Rangers, so the fans could get off his back. We can’t take our anger out on him just because some of us wanted Cam Fowler. And please get over the fact we didn’t take Fowler. Because if MDZ rebounds than him and Fowler are the same player.

Those are the big 3 this year, but I doubt that one of those 3 are on the opening night roster. But I do think those 3 crack the roster for the 2012-2013 season. There’s just too much of a log jam at the forwards position for Thomas and Hagelin to beat out, and Mcilrath definitely get another year at Moosejaw to reinforce his skills. But I do think those 3 players have a big future with the Rangers.

Other players getting an honorable mention to making the squad this year: Pavel Valentenko, John Mitchell (Who had a solid season and playoffs for the Whale in limited games), Dale Weise, and Tomas Kundratek. Also, had Pashnin not gone to the KHL I would have definitely included him on this list.

But the real chance for everyone in our pipeline to make the Rangers is in the 2012-2013 season where we would probably not bring back the following players pending a huge turnaround for them: Steve Eminger, Wojtek Wolski, Sean Avery, Erik Christensen, and Ruslan Fedotenko. Imagine the fight for the roster spots if all those people weren’t brought back? It would be fun to watch.

Euro Tour Means Rangers To Carry Extra Players?

The Rangers won’t play a home game this year until October 27.  In fact, they won’t play a game in the Western Hemisphere for a period of two weeks, which includes four preseason games and two regular season games.  Those last four preseason games, in a normal schedule, are games where the Rangers really evaluate their borderline players and their top contenders for roster spots.  However, with four games in six nights to end the preseason, there could be a chance the Rangers carry some extra players a little bit longer than usual.

Generally, on a non-Euro preseason, the Rangers make a few cuts after some preseason games and slowly trim the roster down. Last year, the kinds who were going to be returned to their CHL rosters were sent back almost immediately.  Those types of moves will still happen.  But, the second round of cuts, the cuts where players competing for roster spots are cut, may be smaller than usual.

Last season, the Rangers made 11 cuts from their preseason roster on September 27, leaving them with three spare defensemen and three spare forwards.  This year, they will be on a flight to the Czech Republic on September 27.  While I don’t expect the overall roster tinkering to be effected that much, it might be prudent for the Rangers to carry one or two extra players while heading to Europe.

The logic here is simple: Hartford is not a bus ride away if injuries occur.  The Rangers had that luxury last preseason, but simply don’t have it this year.  So while players that are not expected to be on the roster will be cut, those who are having better than expected preseasons –or those who the Rangers want a longer look at– will likely be sticking around a little while longer.

The candidates for a later-than-expected cut (assuming they get cut) are the ones you’d expect: Pavel Valentenko, Carl Hagelin, Mats Zuccarello, and possibly Christian Thomas.  That would give the Rangers a spare youngster on the blue line to compete with Michael Del Zotto and Tim Erixon, and a few extra forwards to compete with Erik Christensen and Sean Avery for those final roster spots.  The way the roster is handled this year will be a precursor for following years, as the Rangers will have this kind of schedule until the renovations are complete.

Preseason Schedule Released

The preseason schedule for the Rangers is now official.  This has been a hotly debated topic with the Rangers trip to Europe to start the season.  The Rangers will play seven preseason games before opening the season on October 7 in Sweden:

• 9/21 @ NJ (Albany)
• 9/23 @ NJ (Newark)
• 9/26 @ Philadelphia
• 9/29 @ HC Sparta (Only three days between games in the US and Czech Republic? Ouch.)
• 9/30 @ Frolunda (Sweden)
• 10/2 @ HC Slovan (Slovakia)
• 10/3 @ EV Zug (Sweden)

That’s a very tough schedule, even if it is just preseason.  Expect the Rangers to carry a lot of bodies for their Europe trip, including the first two games of the regular season.

Rangers Euro Trip Expanded

It seems the Rangers are trying to play a bigger European tour than any major rock band. Today it was announced by the league that the Rangers would play on October 2^nd in Slovakia, against Bratislava based side HC Slovan.

It’s fair to say that the Rangers will be busy during their trip over to Europe. They play the following pre season games:

• Sept. 29 – HC Sparta Prague at TESLA Arena in Prague, Czech Republic
• Sept. 30 – Frolunda Indians at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden
• Oct. 2 – HC Slovan at SLOVNAFT Arena in Bratislava
• Oct. 3 – EV Zug at Bossard Arena in Zug, Switzerland

After cramming in four games in four different countries, the Blueshirts head to Stockholm, Sweden to take on the LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks in their regular season openers on October 7^th and 8th. Yours truly will be there (good times assured!).

How many Swedes will make the Rangers starting roster for the regular season openers? Only one is guaranteed thanks to Swedish national hero Henrik Lundqvist but Tim Erixon and Carl Hagelin both have legitimate chances while it’s too early to rule out a prospect such as Oscar Lindberg. In addition to the Swedish contingent is the potential return of former SEL star Mats Zuccarello. If 4 of these guys make the roster there’s no doubting which team will garner the most support in Stockholm.

A Look At The Potential Cuts

With the final Rangers cuts expected to be announced today, the Rangers find themselves having to make decisions that are going to be much more difficult than initially planned. There are currently 16 forwards and nine defensemen in camp for 14 forward spots and seven defense spots. Although Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal are injured, the Rangers are still expected to cut at least one forward and two defensemen before the season starts.

Prior to last night’s game, center Todd White was the person most in danger of being cut, due to salary, age, and injury concerns. However, White had a strong game last night, and Tim Kennedy had a relatively weak game after being invisible for most of hte preseason. Erik Christensen is also having trouble finding a spot on the roster with the emergence of both Derek Stepan and Ruslan Fedotenko, who have both earned spots on the roster. Although it appears that only one forward will be cut today, there will eventually be another cut when the injured Rangers return. Whoever remains after today will have the benefit of an extended tryout.

On the blue line, the situation is a little bit clearer. Pavel Valentenko had a solid preseason, but is still a little raw, and will likely be sent to Hartford for a season. That leaves Ryan McDonagh, Mike Sauer, and Steve Eminger for two spots on the roster. It looks like Eminger might be a lock for the #7 defenseman, as he is the only person that the Rangers organization isn’t going to be upset over not getting legitimate playing time. So with Eminger locked in, and Mike Sauer requiring waiver clearance, it looks like McDonagh might be the odd man out, even though he too had a strong preseason. Sometimes, it’s not just about performance, but about the business too. Sauer would definitely be claimed on waivers, and has arguably been the most consistent of the two.

All of this is barring a trade in the works, as it appears there is. A trade of any of the bubble players would definitely make the final roster a little clearer, as will any waiver claim made by the Rangers. It’s going to be tough for the coaching staff to make these decisions, but it is also going to be tough to really find a flaw in any decision made. One thing is for sure, this was the most interesting and exciting preseason in New York in a long time.

Preaseason Game 6: Rangers at Ottawa

OPPONENT: Ottawa Senators

2009-2010 RECORD: 44-32-6

2009-2010 LEADING SCORER: Daniel Alfredsson (20-51-71)

GOALIE: Brian Elliott, 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage

RANGERS LINEUP:

The lines were not confirmed as of 2:30pm when I wrote this, but here is the lineup:

Brandon Prust, Todd White, Tim Kennedy, Brandon Dubinsky, Ruslan Fedotenko, Brian Boyle, Erik Christensen, Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan, Derek Boogaard, Dale Weise, Mats Zuccarello-Aasen

Michael, Del Zotto, Ryan, McDonagh, Mike Sauer, Matt Gilroy, Pavel Valentenko, Steve Eminger

Martin Biron will likely play the entire game.

STATE OF THE BLUESHIRTS: After a 4-1 start to the preseason, the Rangers are looking to end the preseason on a high(er) note tonight against Ottawa. It feel strange to say this, but the positional battles at camp have been very exciting to watch, and has many fans buzzing about the Rangers this year. The fourth line has been solid, the offense has been balanced, the penalty has been the status quo (solid), and the powerplay has been clicking. Dale Weise and Mats Zuccarello-Aasen are up for tonight’s game, taking the place of Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik, who are out for rest. The final cuts will be made tomorrow, and the decision has definitely not been an easy one for the Rangers coaching staff.

CRAZY THOUGHT: Valentenko scores.

OPPONENT BLOG: Silver Seven

FINAL PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Senators 1

The game is at 7pm tonight.