Anisimov’s Precarious Rangers Future

When the same thing happens season after season you begin to wonder whether a player truly is developing or whether he has already hit his ceiling. Artem Anisimov, every year with the Rangers, has had spells where he looks like a great piece for the future and then periods when he disappears.

Anisimov is pointless in twelve (yes, twelve) games prior to Thursday’s Penguins game. That’s almost impossible given his line mates for the majority of those games and even lately with a reduced role Anisimov is still averaging over 15 minutes/game on the season. That’s plenty of opportunity to make an offensive contribution, one that his team needs.

The Russian is still on pace to hit 40 points for the season but that’s just it. Is the talented forward topping out as a 40 point player or do people still see his skill set, his size and age and think (hope?) he can make it to a 60 point player? It’s looking less likely with every additional barren streak.

What’s more, Anisimov is moving himself into dangerous territory. Derek Stepan has made himself almost untouchable as he develops nicely this year. With Gaborik, Richards and Callahan going nowhere anytime soon and Brandon Dubinsky (prior to injury) showing signs of getting back to his normal, top six self, should the Rangers look to make a significant addition this season Anisimov may be the forward that gets dangled off the roster.

With the Russian’s poor play and the other aforementioned players security on the roster, Anisimov’s potential may play against him. Despite his up and down season his potential is still appealing to other teams as trade bait. A relatively small contract, youth on his side and a solid (but unspectacular) CV, Anisimov would be a solid starting point for many trades negotiations around the league.

As the Rangers continue to move towards the playoffs, Anisimov may either be auditioning to secure his Rangers future or become a trade piece. We discussed it at the start of the season that Anisimov may be in a play-off with Derek Stepan for a long term future in the top six with the Rangers. Right now, he’s losing hands down.  It promises to be an important few weeks before the deadline, for the Russian.

Does Dolan Appearance Hint At Rangers Intentions?

James Dolan has been a rare visitor to the Rangers, at least publicly. After the Nashville victory he spoke to the Rangers media for the first time in almost seven years. The owner of the team spoke openly and enthusiastically about Glen Sather (who has done a tremendous job since the lockout on the whole) and the fact that he saw the Rangers close to a Stanley Cup.

Glen and I made a pact, I actually gave him something which I won’t reveal what it is. I said you can’t give it back to me until we win the Stanley Cup. And I think I’m pretty close to getting that thing back.

Dolan appeared to speak quite openly about the emphasis on development, youth and the turnaround in the organisational approach over the past seven years. It may have surprised many how much Dolan may seem to know about his team.

Dolan’s comment about the Cup will likely spark rumours of how aggressive the Rangers will be in positioning themselves for a cup run so assume any significant player coming on the market will be linked with the Rangers. Don’t forget, for all his shortfalls Dolan has always been willing to spend money on the team when Sather identified a need. Obviously that hasn’t always been a good thing as, for all the Gaborik’s and Biron’s there has been the Redden’s and Brashear’s.

Dolan is very much a Knicks fan first and foremost. Anyone watching the Knicks over the years has seen Dolan get actively involved, too much so in fact. Rangers fans haven’t had that aspect of his ownership to deal with. Truth is, his daily involvement probably won’t change but for the first time in well over a decade Dolan sees a possible championship team in New York and that may mean he puts pressure on Sather and co. to go out and acquire pieces for a run.

Coach Tortorella was (as usual) disapproving of championship talk straight after Dolan’s surprise flirt with the media. However it will be interesting to see if there is any change in how the Rangers go about their business over the next few weeks leading up to the deadline. Could the Dolan conference appearance be a watershed moment in the season?

Dubinsky To The Rescue?

The Rangers paltry offense has been bailed out over the past 9 games (in which they scored a meagre 19 goals) by the stellar goaltending and the overachieving defense. With Marc Staal getting back to his usual game shape the recent dip in play by Stu Bickel (rookie, to be expected) can be compensated for. However, it goes without saying that this offense needs to do more.

With the offense needing a shakeup it has perhaps shown just how important Brandon Dubinsky is to this team, a point which only emphasises the need for Dubinsky to play like he can. Prior to his shoulder injury Dubinsky was finding his feet. He had 8 points in his last 8 games, but more importantly he was playing physically, showing more confidence on the puck and above all making smarter decisions. If he can also improve his finishing when he returns (tonight?) the Rangers offense will get a huge lift.

All this brings us to Dubinsky’s opportunity. The Alaskan’s contract, ability and even future with the franchise has been questioned during a subpar season (and to an extent rightly so) but when he returns he has the chance to show that he can be the difference. Every team can have their star players but it is often those around them that make the difference; Dubinsky can be the Rangers difference maker.

The Rangers don’t possess anyone else like Dubinsky. His all-round skill set is unique. He can play physical, he is willing to fight all the while he can lead the rush and stick handle to a high standard. Dubinsky can play in every scenario and adjust to it. What he has never been able to show is an ability to do it for long stretches. Dubinsky now has the opportunity to help carry this team to an Atlantic division title.

Dubinsky can be the X factor on a team that has plenty of depth but not necessarily depth in the pure skill department. His presence can help create space for the likes of Gaborik and Richards and create matchup problems for the opposition. Dubinsky has a chance to make people forget about his subpar start and start to justify Glen Sather’s faith and his generous contract. Here’s hoping we’re all calling Dubinsky’s contract value for money come April.

Three Games, Three Playoff Teams, One Test To Get Back On Track

The Rangers have lost two of three, and looked exceptionally poor in those two losses. Sandwiched in between was one dominant performance over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the playoff-bound Ottawa Senators and the woeful Montreal Canadiens took the Rangers to school, beating the Blueshirts by a combined score of 7-1. The Rangers were without Brandon Dubinsky for both games and without Ruslan Fedotenko for one, but injuries are no excuse in this league.

This week, the Rangers will have the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins. All three are playoff bound, with just Pittsburgh on the bubble. Each team has a different style of play that will test the Rangers.

True contenders win games in many different ways. It is something that the Rangers have done all year. They have outscored opponents in shootouts, they have shut down the opposition defensively in defensive battles, they have out-grinded the grinders, and they have out-hit the physical teams. Simply put, they have found a way to win games. This trait is a trait that their next three opponents share.

The Predators aren’t a high scoring team, and they are middle of the road defensively (per total goals for – 120 in 45 games). They just find ways to win by grinding it out and out hustling the opposition. It helps that they have two stud defensemen and a Vezina caliber goaltender as well, but that hasn’t shown itself on the stat line.

The Penguins are roughed up pretty badly, with just seven players that have played in at least 40 of their 44 games thus far. They have been without Sidney Crosby all year, and are currently without Jordan Staal. Through all that, they have found a way to win with James Neal carrying the brunt of the scoring responsibility. Unlike the Predators, the Penguins look to outscore opponents, and will climb back into the middle seeds once they get healthy.

The Bruins are just flat out awesome, and the best team in the NHL. They are the perfect NHL club right now, and something that the Rangers hope to be in the near future. However, the Rangers always play the Bruins tough, and they will need to be perfect in their own right to take down the best team in the NHL. The Bruins are capable of outscoring the Rangers in a shootout, out defending them in a defensive battle, and out grinding them in a physical game.

Three games. Three playoff teams. Three different styles. Three ways the Rangers can prove again that they are among the elite in the league. One chance to get back on track before what is essentially a week off.

But let’s remember, even if the Rangers play .500 hockey over their last 39 games, they still finish with 99 points and what will likely be a top-three seed.

Rangers Recent Form Exposes Key Players

The Rangers still lead the NHL in points, had a hugely impressive win in Toronto on Saturday and yet, the past week has really began to emphasise the Rangers’ necessity for their key players to step up offensively. No team can win purely on their defense. Even Lundqvist needs help from time to time.

Marian Gaborik won’t get too much criticism around here just yet because he has still been the Rangers best offensive weapon and more often than not has been the catalyst – along with his line – for many victories this season. However Gaborik has been running on empty in the past few games much like how Brad Richards is in a hole, while Artem Anisimov has completely disappeared and even Ryan Callahan hasn’t been at his best.

This communal meander towards an offensive slump is terrible timing for the Rangers and only emphasises the absence of Brandon Dubinsky and places too much pressure on the young and overachieving defense. Coach Tortorella needs to find a solution to two offensive problems at the same time; the abysmal powerplay and the top six’s struggles. Given the talent at the coach’s disposal you would think one would answer the other.

One solution may be to remove Wolski from the line-up; he hasn’t added much and has detracted from the team first approach. However, whatever the coach tries in order to awaken his offensive weapons, it comes down to the players being responsible for their own play to change the worrying trend that’s beginning to emerge.

Brad Richards needs to be much better, both on the puck and going backwards. His line need to control the puck more efficiently and generate more scoring chances. However, whatever issue you think of it all comes back to the top six as two complete lines, as a unit, needing to be better. The Hagelin – Boyle led line cannot be the Rangers best line on a consistent basis.

The Rangers need more from the top six, plain and simple. They cannot expect to stay near the top of the conference without more from their offensive go-to-players. Looking at the teams atop the East, Boston is getting production from its key guys, Philadelphia is getting production from its key guys and with Alex Ovechkin finally waking up so too are the Capitals. If the Rangers want to keep pace someone needs to re-ignite this offense.

Three Games Later, Wolski Is Again In The Doghouse

Maybe “doghouse” isn’t the right word to use here, but after three games back in the lineup Wojtek Wolski has found himself back on the fourth line with minimal ice time. Used as an injury replacement for Brandon Dubinsky, Wolski was flying in his first game back (the 3-0 loss to the Senators). After that, it appeared that the winger was back to his old ways, as he played just 12 shifts for 7:20 in the Rangers 3-0 win over Toronto.

Last night, the winger was used sparingly at best, finishing with 11 shifts and 6:20 of ice time. Wolski was on the ice with Kris Newbury –called up to replace the injured Ruslan Fedotenko– and Mike Rupp for three of the Canadiens goals last night. Wolski finished with a -3 rating that was very indicative of his play: sloppy, lazy, and poor in his own end.

The Rangers focus this year has been on a team game, with players willing to go through a wall for coach John Tortorella. Wolski does not appear to fit that mold. His play in his own end has always been poor, but it’s more about the lack of effort displayed by the winger. Wolski can be a great player, but that’s only when he wants to be. The Rangers want to be great players for each other and for the coach –a view Wolski does not share.

When Wolski has played, he has been in the bold of Erik Christensen: some great shifts, but mostly just shifts consisting of poor defensive play, and poor play away from the puck. That does not fit in with this Rangers club.

In the end, Wolski likely won’t be back next year, and there’s an outside chance that he won’t even be a Ranger at the end of the season. Be it by trade, demotion, or straight up cutting him loose, Wolski is not a part of the future of the team. It’s a shame too, because he’s a tremendous talent that could be very successful in this league if he just cared on a daily basis.

Could the Whale and Rangers Both Make Noise?

With potential reinforcements on the way from a multitude of levels the Whale could look quite stacked come regular season’s end and entering the playoffs. The potential for the Whale to win their second Calder Cup is realistic with a bit of luck. Why? Look at the possible line up.

Amid fresh rumours of Sean Avery having another chance at the NHL level the fact remains he’s still a Whale player and according to Glen Sather that won’t change soon. Sean Avery is still an NHL player in terms of ability so over the course of his stay with the Whale it’s fair to expect results.

With his fresh ‘demotion’, one has to assume Erik Christensen can make a solid impact in his conditioning assignment with the Whale and that should help them really strengthen themselves during the regular season. Like Avery, Christensen is an NHL player playing a level below, again one would expect solid results at the AHL level.

Then you have the numbers game that is playing out on the New York defense. While the demoted player may not make it down because of waivers, there is a good chance that the Whale will get one of Stu Bickel, Steve Eminger or Jeff Woywitka to use at some point this season. If (when) Mike Sauer gets healthy the Rangers won’t leave multiple defensemen wasting away in the press box and conditioning stints or demotions become a real possibility. Right now, any of these three – who have all made solid contributions at the NHL level this year – would improve the Whale.

There’s more to come. Looking at the Rangers prospects playing in junior there remains a chance the Whale get reinforcements through this route too. Christian Thomas has improved as the year has progressed (37 points in 29 games) but his Oshawa Generals are outside the playoffs right now and stuck in neutral. A much anticipated prospect, Thomas may find himself with the Whale earlier than he may have hoped this season.

Another junior candidate that could help the Whale and taste pro hockey this year is Shane McColgan whose Kelowna team are close to the playoff cut off line. While they are ‘in’ right now, other teams have games in hand and with a losing record, there’s no guarantee the Rockets can string together enough good performances to stay in the playoff spots.

Perhaps a positive sign for the way Rangers prospect development is trending in recent times is how so many players are currently playing on strong clubs. Mike St Croix, Dylan McIlrath, JT Miller and the Peterborough Petes’ Andrew Yogan and Peter Ceresnak are all battling for top spots in their respective leagues’ conferences. These players, like Chris Kreider with Boston College are unlikely to see time in the AHL because it’s likely some, if not all, could have deep playoff runs at their respective levels.

Meanwhile, the Whale may soon get a player back who is both a former Ranger as well as Ranger hopeful. Chad Kolarik is slowly working his way back to full health and could be a factor this season. Last year, through strong play in Connecticut Kolarik forced his way in to four games for the Rangers (one assist). Should the Whale be able to call on him and the aforementioned list of talented young players, they would have a very deep and talented squad to ice. There’s even still a slight chance of Wojtek Wolski making his way to the Whale at some point too. Not often an AHL club gets to ice a former 60 point NHL player.

It’s early to tell what the Whale will look like come playoff time and with the NHL trade deadline still approaching there’s certainly a lot of moving parts to consider but with a team consisting of established AHL’ers such as Kris Newbury, Mats Zuccarello, Pavel Valentenko and fast developing Jonathan Audy-Marchessault not to mention players such as Brendan Bell, Tim Erixon, Wade Redden and Chad Johnson, adding any combination of the aforementioned prospects and NHL pros makes this a promising campaign the tier below New York. Two Cups in one year? Why not.

Bickel Still Needs To Clear Waivers, Something That Might Not Happen

When Stu Bickel was called up to replenish the Rangers blue line following injuries to Mike Sauer, Steve Eminger, and Jeff Woywitka, no one was really sure what to expect.  After ten games, four assists, 18 PIMs, surprisingly good defense with only one glaring error, and a physical presence that has been missed with Sauer out, Bickel has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season, and looks to be sticking around in the short term.

What was originally supposed to be a short term call up is turning into a bit of a situation that the Rangers did not expect. When the Rangers cut Bickel from the roster in October, he needed to clear waivers. So it should come as no surprise that he would need to clear waivers again if he were to be returned to the Connecticut Whale when the Rangers blue liners return from injury.

That said, while there should be no surprise in his waiver status, the issue here is that he might not actually clear waivers this time around. In October, Bickel wasn’t a known entity, and he only made noise when he was the last player cut from camp. This time around, the league is taking notice of the young kid who has filled in on a decimated Rangers blue line, and played relatively well.

Teams looking for young, physical, reliable defensemen (note: Islanders) are more likely to take a flier on Bickel now than they were three months ago. Such is hockey, such is life. But with Bickel’s likelihood of being snatched on waivers comes a different scenario: Will the Rangers actually waive him?

I stated last week that I believe Bickel to be the odd man out based on a numbers game, and I stick by that. But then again, I’m not running the team.

If they do not waive him, it will not be because they believe him to be better than Jeff Woywitka or Steve Eminger or Anton Stralman. If they are to retain him, it’s because he’s a young kid and they don’t know exactly what they have in him. When a kid impresses, you keep him around to see what he can do, especially if it’s at the cost of a roster spot for someone who likely won’t be back the following year.

In the grand scheme of things, we are talking about the third pairing that is comprised of a combination of place holders until Tim Erixon and/or Dylan McIlrath are ready for the show. Bickel has been a nice surprise, but that numbers game isn’t working for him. John Tortorella loves his ‘jam’, so he may want to keep him around. No one knows but him.

Would the Rangers Tool Up At the Deadline?

The Rangers’ impressive record suggests they may already be contenders this season for hockey’s biggest prize. That would point to the likelihood that they would be buyers (and certainly not sellers) when the league’s feeding frenzy arrives in a few short weeks.

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.

Credit To the All Star Coach

First of all, the news of John Tortorella coaching at the All Star game this season speaks volumes to what the Rangers coach has achieved this season. Several Rangers players have received media kudos and attention for the way they have worked their way to the top of the Eastern Conference this year and rightly so. However one person who has not received enough praise is the man that leads them, John Tortorella.

Perhaps overshadowed by the impressive play on the ice as well as the unnecessary, unfortunate handling of Sean Avery, Tortorella has proved this year that he is still an elite coach. The all star nod helps give the coach credit (for the record, the player voting by fans is a farce and totally de-values the event; however plenty of worth is still in the coaching choices).

Forget about being the winningest coach in US history, even though it’s a great accolade. Tort’s has stuck to his beliefs, gone with youth and transformed this club in to one with a huge future. Naturally there’s many elements of the Rangers return to prominence to tip your Broadway hat to; the great farm system, the great scouting, Sather’s ‘re-awakening’, player development etc, etc – they all deserve huge credit. However so does Tortorella.

The kind of guy Tortorella is, he’ll always have critics, people calling for his head and perhaps even after a Rangers Cup win might never be totally loved. He probably wouldn’t have it any other way. Indeed, here at the blog we’ve been critics of certain aspects of his time with the club, but he has always been the right guy for this team, water bottle tantrum or not.

During the Winter Classic (and well done to NBC for pointing it out – consider me shocked) Tortorella made subtle changes with the lines and tactics that tilted the game back towards the Rangers towards the end of the second period. His manoeuvring was integral to the Rangers comeback and it’s nice that it was acknowledged during the commentary.

Yes, it’s still the players that need to get it done on the ice but the coach remained focussed, calm and thoughtful throughout – even when the ever annoying Pierre McGuire was interviewing him. At the classic Tortorella out-duelled Peter Laviolette, another good coach by the way (when he’s not butting Dallas Stars players) and subsequently Torts sits proudly atop of the Eastern Conference with his team.

The Rangers are well on their way to cementing their place as a contender for this season and beyond. However despite the wonderful season the Rangers coach remains focused to the end, as evidenced by his refusal to acknowledge the team as a contender this season – just yet. It’s time to give a huge amount of credit to the guy that’s steering this team to unrivalled recent success. Tort’s has done well to earn 358 career victories and it’s a nice achievement. Maybe he’ll get to celebrate a second cup soon enough and really get the credit he deserves.