Six Years Later: Reviewing the 2004 Fire Sale

As the 2004 trade deadline approached, and a lockout looming, the Rangers were in what can only be called a terrible place. They would finish the season with a lowly 69 points, which was just good enough to avoid the lottery, but terrible enough for the Rangers to do what New Yorkers thought to be impossible: gut the team and completely rebuild. The 2004 trade deadline saw General Manager Glen Sather make a total of 11 trades beginning on January 23, 2004. These 11 trades involved a total of 29 players and 9 draft picks switching hands. It’s been six years since the now infamous fire sale, which has left enough time to review how each of these trades panned out.

January 23, 2004

Rangers acquire Jamie Pushor from Columbus for an 8th round pick in 2004 (Matt Greer): Pushor played a total of 7 games for the Rangers in which he did not register a point, and 14 for the Wolfpack in which he registered 2 assists. Greer played one game with the Syracuse Crunch in 2008-2009, and doesn’t appear to be making it to the NHL any time soon. Let’s call this one a wash.

Rangers acquire Jaromir Jagr from Washington for Anson Carter: What is lost in this trade is that the Caps picked up half of Jagr’s salary for the remainder of his contract. This would become a big factor in the Rangers success post-lockout, as they had an $8 million player for $4 million. Carter only played 15 games for the Caps before being spun to the Kings (for Jared Aulin). This was a clear salary dump of a disgruntled player for the Caps, to which the Rangers benefited. Jagr was the piece that the Rangers built around post-lockout and was one of the key reasons the Rangers made the playoffs in the years following. Jagr now holds the Rangers single season records for goals and points.

Read the rest of the trades after the jump

Team USA Schedule for Worlds

Team USA won their tune up for the World Championships against France, beating those pesky Frenchies 3-1, behind two goals by Islanders forward Kyle Okposo. Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky picked up two assists and a charging penalty in the matchup. The tournament begins tomorrow, as the USA faces off against Germany in the first of three games before the Qualification Round begins. The other two opponents for Team USA will be Denmark and Finland. The Finns should be the only real challenge for Team USA, but it’s dangerous to overlook your opponents.

You can view the entire schedule here. Universal Sports will be broadcasting the games.

Brandon Dubinsky: Be Careful What You Wish for

Since the moment Brandon Dubinsky skated as a rookie with Jaromir Jagr (and before that) hopes and expectations have followed him. Certain player’s progressions are directly linked with their club’s futures and Dubinsky is one such player. With the problems at centre that have plagued the Rangers (for several seasons) Dubinsky was/perhaps still is expected to be an answer. With Tortorella seeing his future at Left wing however Dubinsky’s future is uncertain, especially as many Rangers fans are unsatisfied with the Alaskan’s play/development thus far. Failure to develop as hoped? Lets see.

From an offensive point of view I often see Dubinsky in the same realm as Travis Zajac. Both are around 24, and both enjoyed solid yet unspectacular starts to their NHL careers. Their paths are similar; Zajac began with seasons of 42 and 34 points and 17 and 14 goals. Dubinsky began with 40 and 41 points and 14 and 13 goals.  

It was in his third season that Zajac took off. In 08/09 Zajac hit 20 goals for the first time and reached 62 points while being excellent both ends of the ice.  Dubi’s third year lagged behind slightly and he ended it with the same 20 goals but 44 points. However with frustration aired by Rangers fans I say be careful what you wish for. Dubi’s stats may not have taken the same leap, and his play was streaky however consider the fact the Alaskan has shown glimpses of clutch. Of his 47 career goals 12 are game winners. 25% is a mighty impressive figure. Throw into the mix that this year Dubi missed 13 games and has been lumbered on a low scoring team and his year could (would?) have projected to over 50 points easily.

Dubinsky is a rarity in the NY franchise. He has a nice blend of size and skill, is willing to use both and is a young player with room to develop. Whether his future lies at center or wing, that’s for the coaches to decide, but the fans need to accept what we have is something a lot of teams would like. Consistency didn’t come to players like Zajac until years 3 and 4, while Jeff Carter also didn’t hit the heady heights until he burst out in year 4 and (no offence Aaron) they didn’t have to play stretches with offensively limited line mates such as Aaron Voros.  You want development? a +9 rating on a low scoring, non playoff team is not bad at all. His shooting percentage in the past 2 years has gone from 8.9% to 12%. Yes Dubi needs to show more consistency but then so does Tortorella with his line combinations, no?

For one more year Dubinsky is a cap bargain. He is also a player the Rangers should build around. If he only ‘maxes out’ as a 50-55 point player that’s not a bad core part, a second line staple. Is it? Be careful what you wish for Rangers fans. You want home grown? This is home grown. Traded away, he may just get replaced by a player like Ales Kotalik……..

Dubinsky, Gilroy, Staal, Anisimov Headed to Worlds

As per Kevin Allen of USA Today, Brandon Dubinsky and defenseman Matt Gilroy will be representing Team USA in the World Championships. Both players have something to prove, as Gilroy was a healthy scratch for the final eight games of the Rangers season, and Dubinsky battled inconsistency all year. Ryan Callahan would have participated, but will sit out to help his knee heal.

Bob McKenzie is reporting that Marc Staal will be named to Team Canada. Staal, who was left off the Olympics roster, is a solid addition for Team Canada.

Larry Brooks is reporting that Artem Anisimov will play for Russia. Anisimov was impressive all year in minimum ice time, and should be able to build on this experience and come to camp next year to take the #1 center position.

Top Line Reunited

After the Rangers went down 2-0 in last night’s game against Montreal, coach John Tortorella decided to “shake up” the lines. And by shake up, I clearly mean reuniting Brandon Dubinsky with Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik. With all due respect to Erik Christensen, who played admirably, Dubinsky belongs up front with those two, and is the most productive when he is with them.

Before Dubinsky shattered his hand, this trio contributed for roughly half of the Rangers goals from the forward position. Dubinsky is exactly what this line needs. A tough center who will go to the dirty areas, get the puck to the skilled players, and then plant himself in front of the net, as he did on that brilliant Prospal feed.

It is time to let that line be. No more impulsive line changes, where you insert Sean Avery, or Artem Anisimov, to try and get some new blood flowing. Just leave them alone. Those three are made to play with each other. They just click. It’s not always about putting the best players on a line together, it’s about putting the players that work the best together on a line. Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik just works.

Prospal Back, Dubi Dropped

The injured Vinny Prospal will be back in the lineup tomorrow night against the Devils, which is nothing but great news for the Rangers. As per Jim Cerny’s twitter, Prospal will be back on the top line with Marian Gaborik. A bit of a surprise here is that Erik Christensen will be the pivot on that line. Brandon Dubinsky has been dropped to wing on a different line with Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan.

Christensen has earned his spot on the top line with Prospal and Gaborik. He may not be the most talented player, but he gets the job done. It isn’t always about putting the best center on the line, but about putting the center that works the best with Gaborik and Prospal on the line. Good for Christensen, I hope he can keep it up.

Top Draft Picks of The Decade

Yeah, yeah, I know. The decade ended already. We’re in a new one. But, better late than never, right? I’ve seen a lot of these, and wanted to throw in my two cents. Here are the Rangers top 10 draft picks of the decade (Note: I considered time played with the Rangers. Marek Zidlicky was a great pick, but he never suited up. So he’s not on the list.)

10. Lauri Korpikoski

The “Korpedo” was the 19th overall pick in the 2004 draft. In his one full season on Broadway, Korpikoski established himself as a nice defensive forward with some offensive skills. He was later traded for Enver Lisin. He was 6-8-14 last year. I’m kind of disappointed the Rangers gave up on him so early. While Lisin clearly has some great offensive skills, the “Korpedo”could’ve been another Ryan Callahan type.

9. Bobby Sanguinetti

He hasn’t played much in the NHL, but he clearly has a lot of talent. He has offensive skills, and is improving defensively. He’s playing well in Hartford, but still needs time in the AHL. You’ll see a lot of him next year.

8. Fedor Tyutin

Fedor Tyutin was a stalwart on the blueline for the first couple years of the Rangers resurgence. Big, strong, composed, he had a bright future ahead of him. Still does. Only it will be in Columbus. Tyutin was part of the Nik Zherdev deal. Again, I’m disappointed that they gave up on him. We could’ve used him now.

7. Artem Anisimov

Still only a rookie, Anisimov  is showing flashes of offensive brilliance, with an improving defensive sense. So far, he is 7-8-15, and he seems to improve every game. We know he can score; he scored 37 goals in Hartford last year. I think he has star potential. He’s 6-4 and has room to put some weight on his frame.

6. Brandon Dubinsky

Dubinsky is starting to live up his potential, as he’s getting first line duty with Marian Gaborik. Selected in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft, Dubinsky is a talented forward. Score, hit. He can do it all. He has the potential to be a big time player.

5. Petr Prucha

One of the surprises coming out of the lockout, Prucha posted 30 goals in his rookie year. Of course, he fell into the doghouse after that, and saw his goal totals dip, before being shipped off to Phoenix. A fan favorite, Prucha really got the short end of the stick. Once Jagr left, he wasn’t getting the same chances. Making this pick even better was that it was in the 8th round of the 2002 draft. A steal, to say the least.

4. Michael Del Zotto

Taken in the first round of the 2008 draft, MDZ surprised some by making the team this year. He quickly took the lead on the power play, and has been one of the best rookies in the NHL. He has Leetch-like skill. Great vision, unbelievable passing, and a good shot. He’s a keeper, that’s for sure.

3. Ryan Callahan

Taken in the 4th round of the 2004 draft, Callahan’s rise has been breathtaking. He’s an energy winger, who works hard, but it pays off as he scored 22 goals last year. A great penalty killer, and he loves to hit. He is the alternate captain of the Rangers, and was named to the US Olympic team. He’s a future captain.

2. Marc Staal

Another first round pick, Marc Staal is quickly becoming a shut down defenseman. His offensive skills are still a work of progress, but he is always paired against opposing teams best players. He is one of the best young players in the league, and will anchor the Rangers blueline for a long time.

1. Henrik Lundqvist

Some may say this was the best pick of the decade for the entire NHL. He was taken in the 7th round of the 2000 draft. He wasn’t even the first goalie the Rangers took. They took Brandon Snee in the 5th  round. Who is Brandon Snee? Exactly. Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the league. He led Sweden to a gold medal. He has been nominated for the Vezina trophy multiple times. He is the key to the Rangers success. What a draft pick.

There are others who didn’t make this list. I didn’t include promising youngsters such as Chris Krieder, Derek Stepan, Ryan Borque, or Evegeny Grachev. They haven’t played a game yet in the NHL. Alexei Cherepanov would be on this list somewhere, if not for his tragic death. But, in the last part of the decade ,the Rangers have done a great job of drafting. Some really promising players in the system. I can’t wait.

Dubinsky, Boyle Exchange Fists

The fire in the Rangers eyes seems to have boiled over to practice, as Brandon Dubinsky was seen exchanging fists with Brian Boyle. It must have been tough for Dubinsky, who had to jump to even land a punch on Boyle. Ever jump while on skates? Landing is tough. The fight was over very quickly, and both players were joking about it after the optional skate.

Dubi Coming Back Tonight?

It looks like Brandon Dubinsky is ready to return to the Rangers. According to Andrew Gross, Dubinsky is likely to play tonight against Atlanta.  As Gross said, it’s not 100% confirmed, but looking that way. Here are the line combos if Dubi plays:

Christopher Higgins-Brandon Dubinsky-Marian Gaborik
Vinny Prospal-Chris Drury-Ryan Callahan
Sean Avery-Artem Anisimov-Ales Kotalik
Donald Brashear-Brian Boyle-Enver Lisin

Getting Dubi back is huge. Prospal can play his natural wing full time. It takes some pressure off of Gabby. And, this whole slide really started when Dubinsky got hurt. Hopefully, he will have a positive impact.

Dubinsky Placed On Long Term IR

Now that Ilkka Heikkinen has been called up, the Rangers needed a way to get his salary under the cap. They did it by placing Brandon Dubinsky retroactively on Long Term Injury Reserve. Basically, and Dave can explain this better than I can, LTIR allows teams to go over the cap to fit in a replacement player. Putting Dubi on LTIR allowed them to call up Heikkinen.

Update 5:45pm (Dave): Just to expand on what Jeremy stated, when a player is placed on LTIR, a team is allowed to go over the salary cap by that player’s cap hit. In this case, the Rangers are allowed to go over the cap by $1.85 million, which gives them enough room to recall both Chad Johnson and Ilkka Heikkinen. However, the downside to this is that it does not help them save on cap flexibility at the end of the season, so the temporary (prorated) hits of Heikkinen and the extra forward(s) will stay with the cap number for the rest of the season.