Less than a month to go before Camp. Who is in danger of missing out? Which players need a strong camp to make the club and fight their way up the depth charts? For the first time in several seasons the Rangers go into training camp with a lot of competition for places. How many places are really up for grabs remains to be seen but there are a few spots seemingly up for grabs. On Tuesday we considered the Sean Avery scenario however Avery is not alone in needing a good camp. For varying reasons, here are a few more guys under pressure.
Brian Boyle; Boyle may be one of the more frustrating Rangers of recent times. A massive body that was very good at the AHL level for Manchester and who had a good college career, Boyle simply hasn’t done it at the NHL level. Doesn’t play physical given his size and hasn’t finished well when the opportunities have been there. He’ll start the camp without a spot and needing to win one back. It’s hard to see how he fits into the equation at present. His NHL career is in jeopardy so it’d be nice to see some desire and passion in camp.
Dane Byers; The talented Byers could be a useful player for the Rangers if only he could stick and stay healthy. Having been repeatedly overlooked it’s hard to imagine he’ll get another chance if he doesn’t make the team this time around. Good size, aggression and decent scoring ability are all facets of Byers’ game and in theory he’d make an ideal bottom six player. With the signings of Prust and Boogaard, the presence of Boyle and the threat of Weise it’s looking cluttered in the bottom 6. If another year in the AHL beckons, surely it’s either a trade or a change of scenery after his current 1 year deal expires.
Erik Christensen; Yes, EC has a new 2 year deal in his pocket. However, a deal that pays less than 1m annually is easy to move (or rid) and Christensen has by no means secured anything at this stage. Flashed his tantalizing skill set enough last year to equally impress and frustrate the coaching staff (‘why couldn’t he do it more’…) but his spot will be under threat if Anisimov wins a top 6 spot and Prospal, Dubinsky and Todd White battle for the other centre spot. That’s without mentioning X factors such as Ethan Werek and Derek Stepan who come to camp with little pressure. It’s hard to imagine Christensen thriving enough lower down the order, to stick. Top 6 or bust?
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Capgeek has the details on Dane Byers contract extension with the Rangers. Byers signed a one year, two-way contract. His AHL salary will be $90,000 (a $10,000 increase on last year), and his NHL salary will be $500,000, which is consistent with his salary last year. Byers will be a restricted free agent when the contract expires.
This deal surprises me a little, as I thought Byers would have pushed for a one-way deal to guarantee himself more money. As a RFA, he had very little negotiating power though.
The Rangers have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Dane Byers. Byers, 24, captained the Hartford Wolfpack last season, and played five games with the Rangers, netting a goal and 31 PIMs. In 74 games in Hartford, Byers put up a line of 25-26-51 with 100 PIMS.
Byers previous contract was a one year, two-way deal which paid him $500,000 in the NHL (the league minimum), and $80,000 in the AHL.
Terms of the new deal have not been disclosed.
The Rangers, as they approach the 2010 offseason, will have a few difficult choices to make. One of those choices includes the curious case of Dale Weise, Brandon Prust, and Dane Byers. Each player brings a similar game to the table, but only one has seen significant NHL time to prove he belongs. With third/fourth line players Brian Boyle, Aaron Voros, and Donald Brashear already under contract for next season, and Chris Drury very quickly becoming a role player, the Rangers are looking at a few extra forwards. Unfortunately, none of these forwards belong on a team’s top-six. It appears there are only two spots available on these two lines. Those two spots are going to go to two of Weise, Prust and Byers. (For arguments sake, let’s assume that if Brashear isn’t back, that Jody Shelley will be, leaving the same number of open spots.)
Starting with Dale Weise, the only player of the trio under contract for next season, has never played an NHL game in his career. Still on his entry level contract at a $700k cap hit, Weise was called up briefly at the end of last season, only to sit in the press box watching the Rangers miss the playoffs. The 2008 fourth round pick put up 50 points (28-22) in 73 games with Hartford this past season, adding 114 PIMs to his point total. He is a prototypical power forward in the AHL. Those who watch him on a daily basis say that the winger is ready for the NHL. He may not put up 28 goals, but he would be able to skate with the pros and hold his own as a grinder. Weise, to the Rangers, represents a cheap, somewhat versatile bottom-six forward who may or may not succeed at the NHL level. What Weise has working for him is the fact that he is signed, a RW (which the Rangers severely lack), and that coach John Tortorella is on the record saying he wishes he could have found a spot for him to play. What he does not have going for him is that he does not have to pass through waivers, and he is unproven at the NHL level.
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Considering last night’s abysmal performance, it is unsurprising that some roster moves were made. Dane Byers, who played just 5:47 last night for a shorthanded Rangers squad, was sent back to Hartford after the game, and P.A. Parenteau was called back up for the second time this season. These two will be riding the New York/Hartford bus all year. Neither have played enough games in the NHL that qualifies them for waivers, and both appear to be fringe players, at least for the time being.
Some notes:
- As per Steve Zipay, Steve Valliquette will be in net tonight, and Enver Lisin will be returning to the lineup as well.
- As per Andrew Gross, Canucks defenseman Shane O’Brien has been suspended for jabbing his stick at Ranger winger Sean Avery during that melee in Vancouver.
- It is presumed that there will be no lineup changes, in terms of who is dressing, for tonight’s game. As noted above, Lisin is back; and as discussed yesterday, Dane Byers has been suspended for this game.
As per Andrew Gross, Ranger winger Dane Byers was suspended one game by the NHL for instigating the brawl at the end of last night’s game against Vancouver. Coach John Tortorella has also been fined $10,000. This is an automatic suspension / brawl for getting an instigator penalty.
As per SNY Rangers blog, citing Steve Zipay, whom I can’t access anymore thanks to Newsday charging for online content (really?), winger Enver Lisin is doubtful for tonight’s game against Vancouver after taking a shot off the foot against Boston on Sunday. Replacing him on the top line alongside Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik is the struggling Chris Higgins.
This is probably a move that has two meanings: 1) although he didn’t score, Higgins played a solid game against Boston. This is could be some sort of recognition of that, in an attempt to 2) get him on the scoreboard. It is no surprise that fans’ patience has been a little thin with Higgins. We all penciled him in for 20 goals, and 15 games into the season, he is one of four goalless Rangers. When the other three are Aaron Voros, Donald Brashear, and Michal Rozsival, it’s a little bit disturbing to put Higgins in that company. But, there’s a solid chance that this will work, as he’s playing with the two Rangers that average more than a point per game.
Also making the trip out west was Dane Byers, who will likely be filling in for the injured Donald Brashear. The rumor is that he injured his hand fighting Colton Orr way back when. If he produces, both on offense and in overall toughness, something the Rangers have lacked, we may be seeing a lot more than initially anticipated.
The Rangers have recalled Dane Byers this afternoon, but there was no word on P.A. Parenteau being sent to Hartford. As per Steve Zipay’s twitter, Marian Gaborik, Sean Avery, and Chris Higgins are all out tonight. Gaborik is out because of his injury, and it’s safe to assume Higgins is out because he forgot how to play hockey, but the Avery benching is a bit of a surprise. It’s clearly because of either an injury or a benching, but as of now, no word on what the reason is.
A lot of the recent Rangers signings have had undisclosed terms, so it’s been tough to find what they actually signed for. But here’s what I’ve b een able to find:
- Corey Potter – 1 year/$550k
- Dane Byers – 1 year/$500k
- Tyler Arnason – 1 year/$700k
- Brian Boyle – 1 year/$525k
- Jordan Owens – 1 year/$515k
- P.A. Parenteau – 1 year/$500k
- Tysen Dowzak – 2 years/$533k
- Michael Del Zotto – 3 years/$1.087 million cap hit (bonuses)
The entry level contracts on this list are Owens, Dowzak and Del Zotto, so they will be RFAs when the contracts expire. As for the rest, if they are going to be 27 when their contract expires, they will be UFAs, otherwise, they will be RFAs.
The Del Zotto signing, although looks expensive, is standard entry level contract (maximum of $850k base salary) plus bonuses, which bring the cap hit up. if he doesn’t participate in 11 NHL games, the payment slides a bit.
I have no idea when the Rangers signed Dowzak. I must have missed that. Can someone fill me in on when that happened?
Slats still has two key RFAs to sign (Lisin, Dubinsky), as I’m assuming Zherdev is gone. Lisin is important or else they just gave away Korpikoski for nothing.
Salary information courtesy of CapGeek.
Analysis, State of the Rangers | jurgenno88, 20 Aug 10 | 
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