Musings: The Grate, The Gaborik and The Girardi

Welcome to Thursday. It’s my 6^th favourite day of the week. Rangers get to mix it up with the Senators tonight. Given the mixed performances in recent games it could a tricky one for the Blueshirts. Any-hoo, let’s jump in to it shall we?

I’d be remiss not to mention him this week: Sean Avery not on the Whale Clearing day roster. He divides opinion and certainly, his on-ice play (while at times highly effective) didn’t deserve all the media attention he got but I can’t help but think he could found a better way to leave this organisation – especially given his apparent relationship with Sather. He truly does burn all his bridges doesn’t he? He’s gone from being a highly promising Ranger to an afterthought. Shame.

I can’t help but think, given the Rangers play in their own zone in recent games, that Lundqvist should start both Thursday and Friday while the team get their play in front of him back on track. Let Biron start a handful of games toward the end of the year.

Anyone else thinks Michael Del Zotto would have a little more hype around the league (as a young offensive blueliner) were it not for the ridiculous Erik Karlsson? This season has seen a number of young defensemen really solidify their reputations: Karlsson, Del Zotto, Edler, Pieterangelo and Shattenkirk and even Nick Leddy have all become quality ‘D’ this year.

• Quietly perhaps but I can help thinking Brad Richards has been better of late. Who knows, maybe he’s gearing up towards the ‘second season’?
• I really would love to hear the full explanation from Tortorella regarding Mitchell’s scratch because he sure hasn’t been worse than a handful of forwards I could name.

Steve Eminger and Jeff Woywitka – at this stage they really are dead weight. That said, I think one of them may have a minor role still to play. Either Dan Girardi is injured (not bruised) or he’s tiring. As Glen (who contributes on the site) and I agree, his high standards seem to have slipped recently. Have all those minutes taken their toll?

Despite a pretty unfortunate game against the Devils, Marian Gaborik has been impressive recently. There seems plenty left in his tank. His burst is still getting him past defensemen. I still think he hit’s 40 goals this year – a milestone his effort would warrant. He’s been pretty damn consistent all year even when he hasn’t scored for a stretch.

Artem Who?

So Brandon Dubinsky scraps against the Devils and has to leave the game as a consequence. Right, so with Scott, Rupp, Bickel and Prust in the line-up he feels the need to get amongst it? File this under yet more unintelligent play this year from Dubinsky. That’s taking ‘setting the tone’ too far.

Michael Del Zotto and Derek Stepan: reason alone to love the 2008 NHL draft. That said, three other Ranger draft picks have made the NHL when you factor in Weise, Grachev and Kundratek and if Steven Fogerty develops it could be a highly successful draft. Again. Hold on, it already is.

As I write this, ESPN America (in the UK) just showed a highlight reel Lundqvist save between programmes. He’s taking over the TV here too.

Question Time:

• Who would you rather as a first round opponent: Ottawa, Winnipeg, Capitals or Jersey?
• Who are the most dangerous team in the Eastern Conference as the playoffs loom?
• Should the Rangers take a look at a player from the Whale before the playoffs?
• (inc playoffs) How many games will Chris Kreider play for the Rangers this season?
• Will Tim Erixon be Rangers property next season?

I want to give some credit to a forgotten player in the organisation: Chad Johnson. Let’s face it, he’s likely to leave in the summer to look for NHL opportunities but he’s had a pretty good bounce back year for the Whale this season. A .922% and a 2.34GAA, with 18 wins is a pretty strong season. Unfortunately for CJ the Rangers have Marty Biron.

Zuccarello who?

One final thing; despite posts about needing more skill (and going out and acquiring it) and posts about Rick Nash and him helping the Rangers I am a strong supporter at what Sather and his team have built since the lock out. The club have built patiently in exactly the right way and Sather, the scouting department and the coaching staff (in which I include Renney’s contribution) have reinvigorated what was a tarnished franchise. The difference is I believe they can help the club – whose development has been quicker than expected – get to where they want to get a little quicker with a few smart decisions this summer.

Enjoy your Thursday and Lets Go Rangers! 

Rangers Need More

The Rangers need more skill. During a promising season that potentially could conclude with Lord Stanley’s mug, the Rangers greatest need is becoming more apparent the deeper we go in to the season. More specifically, they need established skill.

With the likes of Chris Kreider coming – likely coming sooner rather than later – there is certainly skill on the horizon, but this Ranger team is ahead of its development curve and how much can you realistically expect from the likes of Kreider, Miller and perhaps Thomas in the short term? To become a legitimate contender beyond this season they could do with some additional help.

Essentially, the Rangers win games because they absolutely refuse to give in, are not an ‘easy out’ and have the best goalie in the world, complimented by a deep and varied defense. They have a forward corps that is difficult to play against, deep and blessed with some skill. But they need more.

The Devils, at least for this season, boast a back-to-form Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and an evergreen Patrick Elias as an impressive skilled forward trio that is complimented by players such as Dave Clarkson. The difference between this trio and the Rangers best three is the presence of more pure skill and it’s simply further down the line that what the Rangers can currently offer.

Elsewhere in the East the Capitals (I promise you this: they won’t be this bad next season) have the likes of Ovechkin, Green and Backstrom. The Penguins have Crosby, Malkin, Neal and Letang (oh the joy of drafting so high, so often). While it’s unrealistic and unfair to expect the Rangers to get this kind of skill without lottery picks, they could stand to add more in the summer.

Recently the Rangers have been outshot, controlled by their opponents and outmatched offensively. They’ve needed to scramble around to stay in games (and shifts) and have ceded far too much possession than is sustainable long term – especially in the playoffs.

The Rangers window of opportunity appears to be opening sooner than expected and as such they should look to help themselves over the summer. This isn’t about throwing James Dolan’s cheque book at another soon to be former Devil. This is about complimenting what is already on the roster (which is a lot) and making some smart decisions over the summer.

And the Rangers draft…

Over the next few weeks attention will naturally be on the Rangers sprint towards the finish line, a possible President’s trophy and home advantage in the playoffs; as it should be. However we like to do things a little different here from time to time. Why are the Rangers looking at the President’s trophy? Good drafting that’s why.

The current roster is littered with Rangers own draft picks; from Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan and Derek Stepan to Marc Staal, Artem Anisimov and Carl Hagelin. The core is very much a home grown one. With the likes of Chris Kreider and JT Miller on the way the pipeline is still very full. That’s because Gordie Clark and the Rangers continue to draft well and keep a focus on the future. With that said, over the next few weeks we’ll begin to look at players that may be called up to the stage in June’s draft by your very own Rangers.

As we do this we’ll consider a realistic drafting position and players likely to fall around where the Rangers are likely to pick. At this stage the Rangers are looking at drafting between 25-30th. Hopefully 30, if you know what I’m getting at.

Without further ado; here are the first few candidates that may appeal to the Rangers.

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The affected few

The Rangers passed through the trade deadline with very little change but plenty of rumour. If you’re in the Larry Brooks camp you’ll have noted that Glen Sather offered half the organisation (comic exaggeration) for Rick Nash. If you’re tending to listen to Glen Sather’s rarely spoken word you’ll believe the reports regarding the Rick Nash proposal were exaggerated (sensationalizing by the press? Never!)

However for sake of argument let’s consider the players – and even pick – named by Brooks in the last offer and think about their futures with the Rangers in the short and mid term.

Brandon Dubinsky

Dubinsky is considered the roster player Sather was ‘willing’ to move. It made sense. Struggling all season, with cap having to go back to Columbus in any Nash acquisition and still a talented player despite his subpar year, Dubinsky was highly likely to have been included.

What does this mean for Dubinsky? Essentially he has the remainder of the regular season games and the playoffs to save his Ranger career and even that may not be enough. He said he needs to play with a chip on his shoulder but mainly he needs to provide secondary offense. If the Rangers fall quickly in the playoffs they’ll likely look to add scoring from outside of the organisation so assume Dubinsky a candidate for change in the summer too. His audition (trial?) has begun.

Read more »

The Latest on Rick Nash

12:47pm: Via Mark Spector, talks between the Rangers and Blue Jackets regarding Rick Nash have “advanced.” The reported package includes one of Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, a prospect (apparently Tim Erixon), and a first round pick. The Rangers believe this offer gives them the edge over the Maple Leafs, and I would sure hope it would. That’s a serious haul.

As Dave said on Twitter, any deal bringing Nash to New York would have to involve Brandon Dubinsky going elsewhere for salary purposes. Columbus apparently doesn’t want him, which complicated things. It’s worth noting that Wojtek Wolski was not placed on waivers today according to Bob McKenzie, so his rather pricey salary will still count against the cap on Monday, trade deadline day.

I’m of the belief that the Rangers should look for an upgrade over the Stu Bickel/Steve Eminger/Jeff Woywitka trio, not subtract potentially two defensemen. We’ve seen the d-men get beat with speed quite a bit lately, and I don’t think that’s an accident. Dan Girardi, McDonagh, and MDZ have logged a ton of ice time this season, so adding another guy to soak up some minutes down the stretch makes sense. Anyway, I’ll update this post with any Nash-related rumors throughout the day.

Update (2:24pm): Per David Pagnotta, the Blue Jackets badly want Derek Stepan but will settle for Carl Hagelin. He mentions a package of Dubinsky, Stepan/Hagelin, Chris Kreider, plus a pick (not necessarily a first rounder), though it’s unclear if that’s on the table or if he’s speculating. Meanwhile, Larry Brooks hears that there’s nothing to the MDZ talk, but Erixon is in play. After the Wolski trade, the Rangers can add close to $11 million in cap hits at the deadline according to CapGeek. The money’s there if they want to do something big, or even two something bigs.

Musings: The Deadline Day Edition

Reasons to Trust Mr Sather: Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Ryan McDonagh, Mike Del Zotto, Mike Sauer. Thanks to Glen Sather and the Rangers scouting department this club has a wealth of depth on the blue line, with a fair bit in reserve. Note that top 5; all young and all have ability either side of the puck.

You may have noted the direction that first point was going in. Rick Nash. If the rumoured package for Nash does indeed include Dylan McIlrath you don’t let it break down because of his inclusion. I’m sure he’ll be a fine player but thanks to the depth discussed above, he’s a luxury the team can afford to move.

Christian Thomas in a Nash package as well? Also Fine. If Nash became a Ranger – and with Kreider deemed untouchable – not to mention Gaborik, Anisimov, Stepan and Callahan firmly entrenched in the top six (at present), Thomas becomes buried on the depth chart and like McIlrath is a luxury the team can afford to move. All thanks to quality drafting and patience in the organisation folks.

Assuming the Rangers current roster wants to show Sather, his staff and the coaching team no major changes are needed they’re sure going about it the wrong way aren’t they? Three poor games in a row, team wide poor decision making and once again an over reliance on shot blocking and a certain goaltender in net.

Dear Brandon Dubinsky, you must really like the thought of playing out your contract in Ohio. Hey, at least the rock and roll Hall of Fame is a short drive away. When the Rangers are trying to make the playoffs, at this rate you’ll be getting tickets to see Guns N Roses inducted. Buck your ideas up.

The Rangers made Marc-Andre Fleury look good the other night; far too much perimeter play. It’s one thing to get pucks on net but there really is no point if you’re not creating traffic, looking for rebounds and generally making a goalie’s night harder than Fleury’s.

Back to Deadline day thoughts: The Rangers do not need to address the defense. Even if Mike Sauer’s not particularly close to returning, the Rangers block shots, do a good job of allowing Lundqvist to see most shots and are better at moving bodies than most give them credit for. I’d rather use assets to upgrade the offense instead of trying to make a great unit even better.

I really want to know who has the final say on the powerplay. Tortorella? Obviously Allaire is in charge of the league’s best goaltending unit. Does Mike Sullivan assume responsibility? Is it shared amongst the coaching duo or do the ‘special assistants’ (guys like Messier) have a major influence? I know it’s hard to grumble too much given the team’s record but there is plenty of talent on the roster to at least have a top 15 powerplay unit. Maybe changes need to be made elsewhere. Maybe…

Gaborik has 4 goals in his last 20 games. He’s not finishing but he’s still playing well. He’s making plays, creating goals and getting assists. The lack of goal scoring may be because teams are zoning in on him now that goal scoring has begun to dry up elsewhere. Could a Nash-like addition free Gaborik up some more? Absolutely

Question Time

• Are you vehemently behind keeping Brandon Dubinsky and his 6 goals for 4.2m?
• Do you start Martin Biron against the Islanders or, given the team’s recent play, do you go ‘all-in’ to make sure you get a win (and go with the King)?
• Do you think the Rangers make a major addition before the deadline?
• Which of the top four defensemen on the current roster, not inc. Sauer due to injury, is the most expendable all things considered? (i.e. skill set, age, reliance, upside)
• Can the Rangers win multiple playoff rounds without adding more scoring?

Food for thought: Despite the roster purge of 2003-04 and given the way the Rangers entire organisation has developed in the past five years, is this potentially the most fundamentally-changing deadline day in the Sather era?

Without question, the Islanders game is huge Friday night for so many reasons. Above all (regardless of deadline day potential) the team needs to avoid any losing streaks getting out of hand. Especially given how the Devils and Pens have been playing.

Final Thought: Antoine Vermette. Steve Downie. Their trades have nothing to do with the Rangers? Wrong. Brandon Dubinsky is better than both players. He also has more upside. Yet Vermette essentially got shipped out for a 2^nd plus change while Downie got moved for a package that included a first round pick. When discussions about Nash come to a head Sather can point to these two players’ value in regard to Dubinsky and that could help establish a package for Nash – or any other significant trade. The Vermette and Downie deals have a massive knock on effect to the likes of Dubinsky. Any good GM will have taken note.

Rangers Prospect Report

Kreider Doing His Thing

As the Nash rumours continue to circulate, Chris Kreider continues to go about his ‘job’. There’s been a lot of turbulence in college hockey recently. Amid the news of Paul Kelly leaving his post at College Hockey Inc., there has been racist chanting at NCAA games so all is not well at the college level. With prospects such as Nash being touted as trade deadline assets, it can’t be an easy time for the young college kids to deal with.

Despite all that, Kreider managed to stay focussed on his game and grab an assist during Boston College’s 2-1 win over Merrimack, a game in which the division leading Eagles were outshot and suffered through an ineffective powerplay. Despite going 1 for 5 on the PP, Kreider’s assist did come on the special team’s unit as he had the primary assist on Brian Dumoulin’s tally.

For the season, Kreider has moved on to 36 points in 32 games with 19 goals. Some people in Rangers-fan-land are throwing out numbers of former college stars that were borderline NHL’ers and pointing out the negative and indeed, they all (people can bend statistics to cater for their arguments) had better, more dominant numbers than Kreider.

That said, that was a long time ago and the focus these days is very much bigger on the better college scorers. Pressures to be the next big thing are simply bigger, media coverage of college hockey is much wider and team’s expectancies of these college kids are much more intense than even just 15, 20 years ago (at times due to draft status, financial necessity, dependency on prospects). It’s not comparable to say “Jay Pandolfo scored this and Kreider only scored that”. Oranges and Apples folks.

Barring a stunning turn of events Kreider will be a Ranger prospect next season, he may even be a Ranger. He’s physically ready, he made the sensible decision to stay in college this year (kid seems to have a sensible head on his shoulders) and he has always seemed to handle the pressure of being a much anticipated prospect well. Assuming he’s not packaged for Wayne Gretzky Rick Nash, the Kreider talk should settle down and the winger should be left to play out a solid season with the Eagles.

St Croix Approaching Milestone

There’s still a lot of hockey left to play yet Michael St Croix (of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL) is approaching a fine milestone, and once again making the Rangers draft team look good. St Croix is just 8 points off the magic 100 mark as he continues to have a great season in the WHL. Good for 6^th in the league, he only trails blue chip prospects such as Emerson Etem (an insane 52 goals in 54 games), Ty Rattie and Jordan Weal in the league scoring race.

St Croix is showing he can do it all. With 38 goals and 54 assists St Croix appears equally at home dishing off the puck as well as looking to score himself. St Croix is leading his club in scoring by a wide 17 point margin, has an excellent +34 rating and has scored 16 PP goals as well. Thanks, in part to St Croix, the Oil Kings lead the Eastern Conference by 4 points and have an excellent 39 wins in 60 games. Drafted 106^th overall (fourth round) by the Rangers in 2011, St Croix has seen his performances improve every year (from 46 – 75 – 92 points so far) and appears a solid prospect. The WHL is notoriously the hardest junior league to score heavily in, yet St Croix is doing it impressively.

Fasth Still on Sidelines

It’s hard to find a timetable for Jesper Fasth’s return from a foot injury as the young winger has still not hit the ice over in Sweden.  He was expected to be out approximately three months following injury in late November which has derailed a hugely promising start to his year.

The young winger had matched his previous SEL career high of 16 points in just 21 games and at one stage was among the leading scores of the SEL – no mean feat for such a young player in a veteran heavy league. Fasth had previously reached 16 points in 26 games which also was a solid return as a teenager in Sweden. Hopefully Fasth can get some games in before his season comes to a conclusion and get back on track in his development. An organisation can never have enough promising scorers.

Chris Kreider: Is he a possibility for the stretch run?

Chris Botta of the New York Times published an article yesterday stating that the Rangers may be interested in bringing in top prospect and Boston College star Chris Kreider for a stretch run and possibly the playoffs. Kreider’s last game, at the latest, would be April 7, and would give the Rangers enough time to get him signed and over to New York for some much needed scoring help.

Kreider has already chosen college over the Rangers for the sake of his development, and while he was wrongly ripped by many, it was the right decision. Kreider is dominating the college level, which he didn’t do last year. He is likely ready to make the jump to the pros, but that may mean a stint with the CT Whale in the AHL first.

If Kreider signs with the Rangers and plays one game with the Blueshirts, the Rangers would lose an entire year of control on his entry level deal. In the new cost-conscious NHL, salary controlled players are at a premium, so that would be a big gamble by the Rangers if they do so.

The more likely scenario is that Kreider signs an amateur tryout (ATO) with the CT Whale for their playoff run, and then signs his entry level deal in the summer. By going this route, he won’t burn a year of his entry level deal*. In doing so, Kreider would lose his NCAA eligibility.

*-I believe this to be the case, and I can’t find otherwise. Please correct me if I’m wrong here.

The rule of thumb with prospects is that the organization should allow a player to dominate a season at his current level before moving him up. The Rangers messed this up with both Michael Del Zotto and Evgeny Grachev, of which only Del Zotto appears to have turned the corner. They learned their lesson though, and took that route with Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, and Ryan McDonagh.

Of that trio, only Hagelin signed an ATO with the CT Whale. If Kreider chooses that route, he can’t play in the NCAA anymore, and would be committed to the Rangers organization the following season.

Boston College Dominate Without Kreider Contribution

Surely no need to panic for Rangers fans but could there be something to read into how Boston College dominated Northeastern (in the Beanpot semi-final last night) while Chris Kreider was pointless and deployed on the third line?

Chris Kreider was deployed on the BC third line with Kevin Hayes, while regular line mate (and fellow BC offensive leader) Bill Arnold lead the Eagles with 1+1 as their top line scored 4 of the team’s 7 goals. This game, and recent weeks, is perhaps why Kreider is still in college – at least from a sporting perspective.

While Kreider has been having a consistent season, likely posting career high numbers across the board, he has somewhat gone off the boil in recent weeks and isn’t dominating any longer – at least on the scoreboard. Kreider came out of the blocks this season exceptionally fast; scoring almost at will, while averaging well over a point per game.

Recently, while Kreider has been contributing, his numbers have come back to earth slightly. The big winger still has an impressive 30 points in 28 games (including 16 goals) but he is no longer the dominant threat he was earlier in the year. It’s known that the BC coaching staff like to use him in a variety of ways and ice time on such a strong club is spread out quite evenly which may be the reason the team has seven players with at least 20 points but it’s hard not to read in to the offensive  ‘decline’ – to an extent.

Many Rangers fans clamoured for Kreider to turn pro this year and it seemed there was a chance it could happen as the club tried to openly sign him in the summer.  However, with the way the Rangers have progressed this year, with the way Carl Hagelin (who played out his full eligibility in the NCAA) has grabbed a roster spot on the wing, the Rangers have no need for Kreider this season. The right place for Kreider has been college where he can progress in relative discretion.

Hopefully, Kreider and Boston College will continue to have a strong year, will contend and go to the Frozen Four. More on-ice success for Kreider will stand him in good stead should he turn pro in the summer. Kreider appears to have made the right decision to stay in Boston this season. It will be interesting what decision he makes this summer.

Crucial Period Ahead for Christian Thomas

After a season in which he reached 50 goals and played to a level where most considered him a blue chip prospect, it seems odd to suggest Christian Thomas’ next twelve months is almost a cross road for him in regards to his Rangers future. However, Thomas is indeed facing a critical period in his career.

This season has been somewhat of a struggle for Thomas. Playing on a middling Oshawa Generals team, getting a long suspension, struggling with his own form (compared to his previous year); the first half of his season was summed up by his failure to make the Team Canada roster for the WJC – a side that hardly covered itself in glory. Thomas’ season has been anti-climatic.

Thomas is still a good young hockey player. However, he is an undersized scoring winger – the type that usually cannot play in the bottom six. Thomas needs to be on a scoring line to thrive and this is why his future with the Rangers is in doubt. With Marian Gaborik enjoying a bounce back year, Ryan Callahan firmly entrenched as captain (and fan darling) and Brandon Dubinsky very much part of the core, there doesn’t remain much space for players to crack the top six that already reside in New York.

Things get even murkier for Thomas when you consider his competition for the wing spots beyond this season. Chris Kreider is enjoying his best season with Boston College and is widely tipped to be a Ranger next season, so Thomas has at least one elite prospect in front of him.

With JT Miller enjoying a solid WJC for Team USA and having a fine season in Plymouth, Thomas may indeed have two first round talents ahead of him without factoring in anyone else. Tough competition indeed. In fact, because of the apparent prospect depth the Rangers enjoy, Thomas may be a deadline asset the Rangers use if they decide to grab a player for a run this season. The fact Thomas is even in the discussion as potential trade bait speaks volumes about his current status.

Thomas currently has 38 points in 31 games for Oshawa. With 18 goals and 6 power play goals Thomas is still a key offensive contributor for his team, but they are hardly awe inspiring numbers. It may have benefited Thomas to have been traded to a contender at the OHL deadline, but instead Thomas found himself stuck (?) in Oshawa. The smallish winger needs to have a great end to his domestic season. He needs to try and be the reason his Generals team sneak in to the playoffs. He needs to score heavily to remind everyone why he was regarded as a quality Rangers prospect. However, that’s just half the task at hand.

Starting next summer, Thomas needs to have a great camp and make sure he plays a solid role in preseason culminating in either a Rangers spot (absolute best case, but unlikely scenario) or more likely, when he arrives in Connecticut for the 12/13 season. He has to play so well that he forces himself a future in New York. Thomas has a lot of talent, but also a lot of work ahead of him. The path is not nearly as clear as it once appeared. While that is a testament of the depth in the Rangers’ organisation it is clearly a rocky road to New York for Christian Thomas.