The Staal Factor

While this season the Rangers top defensemen have undoubtedly been the Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh tandem, perhaps one of the most key aspects of a successful first round series against the Ottawa Senators may be the play (and subsequent impact) of Marc Staal.

Without doubt Staal is and has been a number one defenseman but as everyone knows, injury has meant his play has taken a while to get close to his own high standards. Indeed, he’s still not the Marc Staal of old however his play has been steadily improving of late and how Staal handles the quick and tricky Senators offense could have a huge bearing on the series.

Every Ranger fan know of the team’s 1-2-1 record in the four games against the Sens this year and will be acutely aware of how the team has struggled to score against them.  Amid the 14 goals credited to the Sens in the season series it perhaps went unnoticed that Girardi was a -3 in those four games while Ryan McDonagh was -1.

Both players were also held scoreless despite providing the Rangers with solid offensive seasons with 29 and 32 points respectively. Clearly neither player has produced their best performances against the Sens and therefore how guys like Mike Del Zotto, but especially Marc Staal, cope in the series will be essential. The Rangers don’t want the top pairing munching 30+ minutes a night if they have realistic designs of a deep run.

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Flyers making Sather look good

With the recent signing/extension of Nicklas Grossman the Philadelphia Flyers achieved three things. First of all they overpaid for a good but not elite defensive defenseman, secondly they gave themselves potential cap headaches this summer with the likes of Matt Carle, Jaromir Jagr and Jakub Voracek to re-sign (headaches could disappear depending on the Pronger situation) and finally they made Glen Sather once again look like an astute general manager.

Dan Girardi has played an All Star calibre season, has been an absolute rock on the blue line and is once again close to a 30 point season proving he is effective at both ends of the ice. With that all considered, comparing his deal to Grossman’s new deal of $3.5m, Sather managed to produce a bargain with the Girardi deal.

Girardi’s deal comes in at $3.25m for another couple of seasons and his deal in addition to Marc Staal’s (a very reasonable cap hit of $3.9m when health and form allow) are blue line reasons why Sather won’t struggle to reward the likes of Mike Del Zotto and Brandon Prust this summer.

Cap Geek list Dan Girardi as a comparable to Nicklas Grossman but really comparing Girardi to the Swede in anything other than price tag is doing Girardi a disservice. Girardi is a much more rounded player than Grossman. He out hits, out blocks and out scores Grossman and very few players in the entire league play the same minutes as Girardi. Who’s worth more? Girardi without question.

Next season including Pronger, the Flyers have over 20 million committed to their blue line – quite a chunk. The Rangers, without factoring in a raise for Del Zotto and adding another defenseman ‘only’ have approximately 10 million committed to their blue line. I know which blue line I would rather have right now. Keep up the good work this summer Mr Sather.

Is Ryan McDonagh the Rangers best defenseman?

With Dan Girardi tiring in the last few games (not a criticism) and Marc Staal clearly still struggling for consistency following his return, has Ryan McDonagh emerged as the Rangers best defenseman?

It’s a valid question and perhaps just another way of heaping praise on McDonagh for the way he has developed since his call up midway in to last year. A lot of people don’t pay much attention to the plus/minus statistic but even the biggest critic of that stat has to acknowledge McDonagh’s impressive +39 over his first 112 NHL games. That’s more than just being on the ice at the right time.

McDonagh is still learning and he’s still making mistakes; he’s not perfect. The way James Neal picked his pocket in the Pens game a few games ago shows that he’s certainly not perfect but he has progressed at an incredible rate.

The offensive side of McDonagh’s game has developed the most, visibly. However that is because he has such a solid foundation defensively that it allows him to get involved more at the other end. His positional play is exceptional and he takes the body with regularity. Given the style McDonagh plays he doesn’t take a huge amount of penalties and he fits in Tortorella’s system perfectly.

McDonagh has become a minute muncher. He’s playing a shade under 25 a game and while unfortunate for Marc Staal, the absence of Staal has been a blessing in disguise for McDonagh’s development. Nobody could have foreseen this rate of progress and it probably wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for a Staal brother collision last season.

It’s hard not to be excited about the Rangers future given how the club is being built the ‘right way’ (from the goal out). There’s an embarrassment of riches developing in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Staal, Girardi, McDonagh and Del Zotto highlight a corps that still has Mike Sauer as well as Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath in the wings. There’s not another club in the entire league (outside of Nashville) that can boast that kind of pipeline on the blue line. And we said all this without finding a way to thank Bob Gainey again. Oops.

So, is McD the Rangers best defenseman right now? It’s hard to argue against him. When healthy, a valid case can be made for Del Zotto with the way his game has developed this year but either way the Rangers are sitting pretty with a 21 and 22 year old leading the charge to the post season.

Yogan/Ceresnak join Connecticut; Girardi is Masterton nominee

Two little tidbits hit the news waves this morning. First, as said here on Monday, Rangers prospects Andrew Yogan and Peter Ceresnak have officially joined the Connecticut Whale. Both are on ATO’s, which means that Ceresnak can return to the OHL next year. Yogan is playing for his Rangers career, and will need to earn an entry level contract.

The other news is that Dan Girardi is the Rangers nominee for the Bill Masterton trophy, which awards the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. Past Rangers who have won the trophy include Jean Ratelle (1970-71), Rob Gilbert (1975-76), Anders Hedberg (1984-85), and Adam Graves (2000-01).

Rest the Rangers?

At what stage – if any – should John Tortorella consider resting Rangers for a game or two with the playoffs approaching? It’s a key consideration for the coach as particularly in the recent stretch of games some players have started to evidence wear and tear from the long season, probably because of the way this blue collar Rangers team play the game.

The issue of rest is a tricky one because of the hard charging and getting healthy Penguins (winners of seven straight), the benefits securing home ice advantage throughout the playoffs would provide and, don’t discount organisational pressure/desire toward securing home ice and the associated financial advantages an extra game or two would mean. Points mean prizes folks.

Dan Girardi has looked mortal over the last few games. His turnover that led to Jordan Caron’s goal in the Boston game was very un-Dan Girardi and it may have been the result of mental fatigue. Girardi almost always makes the right decision, the sensible decision. In that instance he misread the play and tossed it through center ice – we saw the result.

That said Girardi isn’t the only one who has begun to look jaded. The team generally has been scrambling a lot, has been handsomely outshot in their recent 1-1-1 streak and look perhaps a step off the pace. This team gets away with it and continues to rack up results because they never give in and the effort level is always high. However, once a tank is running on empty there is only so long even the hardest working team can go on.

Players like Dan Girardi and Brandon Prust don’t voluntarily take a seat. They play through pain so a ‘rest break’ would be foreign to them. If anyone takes a seat it will be because the coach has told them to. Not an easy situation to negotiate.

There could be benefits from any rest, aside from the health factor. If a few Rangers sat for a game or two it might allow the team to give more NHL experience to the likes of Tim Erixon at the back or a final gauge of whether Zuccarello can cut it with the Rangers up front; with injuries in deep playoff runs so frequent having potential call ups recently involved in the NHL could be beneficial; plenty to think about for the coaching staff.

Fantasy hockey fanatics out there will worry about Henrik Lundqvist too. Probably the easiest and most likely position to justify an extended break would be in goal. If the Rangers can maintain a healthy lead in the division heading in to the last week or two there’s a good chance Biron sees a few games more than he normally would – a refreshing change to when the Rangers have had to rely on Lundqvist just to get in to the playoffs. A well rested King come playoff time? Sign me up.

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 in unique spot with five top-four defensemen

Defensive depth in the NHL is tough to come by. In the offseason, the best defensemen get the mega millions. At the trade deadline, defensemen always cost the most. In the new skilled NHL, getting just two defensemen who are capable of playing top-four minutes regularly is tough. The Rangers have five such players. Of those five, three are already capable of playing top-two minutes. This folks, is depth at its finest.

Perhaps the Marc Staal concussion was a blessing in disguise. With the injury, Ryan McDonagh was forced into top-two duties, and Michael Del Zotto was forced into top-four duties. Not only have both excelled in the short term, they have proven themselves worthy of staying in those roles. The evidence is in the defense pairings, with Staal playing on the third pairing since his return.

Such depth allows the coaching staff to be creative in how to deploy the pairings, and how to fill out that last defensive spot. The top-five in Staal, McDonagh, Del Zotto, Dan Girardi, and Mike Sauer (although injured) are capable of playing in all three zones. Should the Rangers look to add a powerplay specialist like Marc-Andre Bergeron (just spit-balling here, not advocating for his acquisition), then the burden would fall on the other five to compensate for Bergeron’s lack of actual defense.

The Bergeron case is just a hypothetical, but it does illustrate a point that the Rangers have tremendous flexibility when it comes to filling the hole of sixth defenseman. Right now the Rangers have survived with a rotating door of Steve Eminger, Stu Bickel, and Jeff Woywitka, not exactly much to look at, but at least they have been serviceable.

Traditionally, teams are built from the net out. This means that proper teams are built starting with a goaltender, then the defense, and finally with depth down the middle at center. The Rangers have built themselves a solid club with their defensive depth, and may just be a perennial Cup contender for years to come.

ESPN’s Top 100 Players: Five Rangers In 20-100

John Buccigross at ESPN listed the top 100 players in the NHL. The highest ranked Rangers were Brad Richards (20), Marian Gaborik (26) and Henrik Lundqvist (27). Ryan Callahan came in at #61 and Dan Girardi came in at #91.

Marc Staal was the only Ranger that I think should have cracked this list.  Staal is one of the best defensive defensemen in the league and has made a career shutting down the league’s best. Obviously Buccigross kept prior seasons in mind when composing this list with some of these rankings.

NHL Skills Competition Participants

The NHL has announced the participants of the NHL Skills Competition, to take place tonight. The four Rangers participating will be in six events:

Marian Gaborik

• Skills Challenge Relay
• Elimination Shootout

Dan Girardi

• Shooting Accuracy (passer)

Carl Hagelin

• Fastest Skater (side note: he only loses if he blows a tire)
• Elimination Shootout

Henrik Lundqvist

• Elimination Shootout

The remaining contest listings can be found here.

The Prospect Quagmire

As the trade deadline approaches, no time is more fun to play armchair GM.  Its easy to swap underperforming players and picks like trading cards and instantly transform the team into a playoff power house.  This enjoyable little exercise usually leads to us giving a deeper examination to the value of prospects and roster players we could see being moved for a deadline upgrade.

Prospects were once traded with relative anonymity and by the time they blossomed into stars, we had probably forgotten what organization originally drafted them (I know I had long forgotten that Adam Graves was originally a Red Wings draft pick).  Today, we can follow the career of a young player from the junior hockey/college ranks, even some in prep school.  This type of access allows us, as fans, to form bonds with these players and the potential impact that they may have some day.  Just like children, everyone loves their own kids more than anyone else’s and this is an especially important concept come prime trading times.

Let me preface this by saying that I am tremendously excited for the future of the Rangers organization.  They have drafted and traded well over the past 5+ years and the system is starting to bear the fruit of that work.  There is serious prospect depth in the minors/juniors and we have seen homegrown stars in Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan come into their own right before our eyes.  Players like Brandon Dubinsky and Michael Del Zotto have found success at the NHL level and Carl Hagelin has made an immediate impact since his call up.  Also, we can’t leave out everyone’s favorite 7^th round draft pick, Henrik Lundqvist.

We all like to envision every member of the farm system representing another piece in an all homegrown Rangers Stanley Cup champion.  After all, young, cost-controlled players with upside are the best way to manage the cap and avoid the potential albatross deals that have been something of a blight on Glen Sather’s record.  From a practical standpoint however, one of the biggest benefits of a strong farm system is the ability to trade from an area of strength to shore up weaknesses on the big club.  As Dave has astutely pointed out in his Scouting the Deadline series, it is important to be able to accurately value these assets and make a business decision about whether to proceed with a given move.

What we all need to remember is that prospects are essentially lottery tickets.  We have all lived through our fair share of first round busts, and unfortunately the vast amount of players simply don’t live up to their ceiling.  Take Chris Krieder, for example.  Every scouting report I have ever read about him says his physical gifts are truly elite.  On the other hand, there are serious concerns about his hockey IQ and awareness/anticipation on the ice.  Now, this obviously isn’t to say he cannot succeed or be every bit as effective as his skills will allow him to be.  It’s just to say that he is not a known quantity at this point.  Depending on the other pieces, I wouldn’t be opposed to including him in a trade for someone like Bobby Ryan for instance.

As the deadline draws near, the Rangers’ are in somewhat of a precarious position.  Their window of contention is opening a little earlier than most expected, and it takes careful management not to overplay your hand and set your organizational development back.  Stripping down the farm system for an elite player could potentially be that final piece that brings Lord Stanley back to Broadway, or it could mean losing several key pieces that could help achieve the same result in 2-3 years.  This is the $64,000 question.

The ability to follow our teams prospects from the amateur ranks to The Show has added a new layer to hockey fandom.  It helps give up a more three-dimensional look at the management of the organization and it’s a lot of fun to see where the next crop of great Rangers is going to come from.  When it comes to evaluating moves or non-moves made this deadline season, it’s important not to hug prospects too tightly and look rather at the whether the move is good asset management and will help the team deliver its goal of raising the Stanley Cup in the very near future.