Potter to HFD, Del Zotto Will Play

As the trade deadline has passed, there is some non-trade news. Corey Potter was returned to Hartford, as Michael Del Zotto will play tomorrow against Pittsburgh. Also, Marian Gaborik did not practice today. Unless he partakes in tomorrow’s morning skate, assume he will not be in the lineup against the Penguins.

Del Zotto, Gaborik Not Playing

Some no trade news for you: Michael Del Zotto and Marian Gaborik will not be playing tonight against Ottawa. Corey Potter will replace MDZ. No word on who will replace Gaborik. We’ll keep you posted.

Del Zotto Not Cleared to Play

A bit of old news, but the Rangers returned to practice yesterday, minus a few players. Among those players was Michael Del Zotto, who suffered a skate cut on his right thigh before the Olympics. MDZ was not cleared to skate until the stitches are removed, probably this weekend. It is still unclear whether he will suit up in Ottawa when the season resumes.

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.

Del Zotto’s Leetch-Like Goal

It all started with an innocent clearing of the zone by Columbus. The puck was barely out of the zone by the Columbus bench, and Michael Del Zotto, just 19 years old, picked up the loose puck. Columbus then made a mistake, half the team went for a line change as Del Zotto back skated with the puck, and Del Zotto countered and made them pay.

He carried the puck in the zone, deked out one defender, and used the other as a screen, ripping a shot from the high slot passed the outstretched blocker of goaltender Steve Mason, and the Rangers had a 3-2 lead. Brian Leetch was in the house, and it seems like Del Zotto put on that show just for him.

Ranger fans haven’t seen a defenseman do something like that since, well, Leetch. Del Zotto, in his first 23 games, has shown a poise that most veterans don’t show. As Stas (where art thou?) has seen, I have been raving about this kid since he was drafted (pre-BSB). But even I and my completely biased hyping up of prospects couldn’t have imagined him being this good this early. And how about that ridiculous pass to Ryan Callahan in the first? It was so good that even Cally was stunned.

The Del Zotto effect is seen on the powerplay as well. While Ales Kotalik and his booming shot is getting most of the credit, it’s Del Zotto’s poise with the puck and crisp passing that is making everything click. The last effective powerplay quarterback the Rangers had was, of course, Leetch.

Perhaps the most underrated portion of his game is his defensive abilities. This was something he was doubted on during his days in the OHL. But Del Zotto, while making rookie mistakes, has been a steady defender in his own zone. This was highlighed by those two beautiful plays in the third period to keep the 7-3 (at the time) lead.

We are watching a very special hockey player, who hopefully will become a top-five defenseman in the league as he matures. While it is premature to call him the next Leetch, the comparisons are going to be made for years to come.

It All Started With A Timeout

The Rangers came out flat tonight. Two goals in the first ten minutes by Columbus. So what does John Tortorella do? He calls a timeout. How do the Rangers respond? 7 straight goals.

It’s not often that a timeout will work this well. It will probably never work this well. But for this game, in this very important game, it worked. Rangers savior Marian Gaborik had two goals. Michael Del Zotto looked like Brian Leetch. Sean Avery had two. This team was grinding. Higgins played his best game as a Ranger. They were physical. They stood up for teammates. This was the Rangers team we saw early in the year. This was the team that got us all excited. Will they keep it up? I don’t know. If they do, we’ll know it all started with a timeout.

And kudos to all the folks commenting today, we had a BSB record with 108 comments! Great job guys. Keep it up.

Del Zotto Rookie of the Month

Rangers rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto has been awarded the NHL’s rookie of the month for October. Del Zotto, 19, finished October as the Rangers third leading scorer, putting up a line of 4-8-12 and a +3 in the first 14 games this season, leading all rookies through October (James vanRiemsdyk passed him recently).

Del Zotto has been nothing short of awesome for the Rangers. He adds a new dynamic to the powerplay, and is currently playing as a top 2-3 defenseman on the Rangers. He has been a pleasant surprise. Kudos to him, and very well deserved.

The Kids! The Kids!

My dad has a saying for success in sports: The Kids! The Kids! Play the Kids!  He says that kids provide enthusiasm, exuberance, talent. It seems the Rangers were listening. After three games, it’s hard to tell if Michael Del Zotto is going to play as well as he has. It’s hard to tell if Matt Gilroy is going to play as well as he has. It’s hard to tell for Enver Lisin, even Brandon Dubinsky. It’s hard to tell for Artem Anisimov. But for three games, these guys have shown that they can produce, that they can infuse life into a team.

Let’s take last year’s team for example. Pretty veteran laden team. How many rookies did they have? Just Lauri Korpikosi. Include Callahan and Dubinsky, and that’s only 3 kids. Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes were traded midseason. You see, the problem of the Rangers in the early 2000s was the lack of youngsters. You can overpay for veterans, and your team could be very talented, but unless you have that youthful exuberance, that youthful spirit, you’re not going to go very far. The Red Wings always call up a rookie or two for their playoff run. The Yankees in baseball infused youngsters and vets on their way to the best record in baseball this year. Youngsters are crucial to success in sports. 

Now you have MDZ, Gilroy, Anisimov, Lisin on the ice nightly, and playing in all situations. It’s been three games. It would be foolish to get over excited. But, it’s exciting to watch these guys develop, produce, it’s good for the team. The Rangers might not win the Cup. But their success is crucial to the team’s success. It’s all about the kids. My dad was right all along.

A Look at the Defensive Pairings

With Michael Del Zotto officially making the team, I thought it would be interesting to look at defensive pairings. Who fits well with who? Let’s take a look:

1st pair: Staal-Rosival

Ideally, your first pair is your best. You have a good offensive defenseman, and a strong shutdown d-man. This combination gives the Rangers just that. Staal is the Rangers best defender. He has the potential to shut down one side of the ice. He’s an All-Star for years to come. Michal Rosival, however, has been struggling, and looked absolutely awful in the last preseason game against the Caps. But, that’s exactly why I put him with Staal. If he makes a mistake, he has Staal back there. Will this limit Staal’s offensive capabilities? A bit. But that’s what Gilroy and Del Zotto are for. This is not the best first pair in the NHL. No where close. But, it’s solid.

2nd pair: Gilroy-Girardi

I really debated where to put the rookies. I settled on Gilroy and Girardi for a couple reasons. One, Girardi, even with his preseason struggles, is a solid defensive defenseman. Gilroy, while solid in his own end, is a tremendous offensive player, who will look to lead and join the rush. He showed that during the preseason. This combination combines offensive and defensive players. In a defensive pair, you want a combination of both. This is a nice 2nd pair.

3rd pair: Redden-Del Zotto

Yes. Wade Redden as a third pair defenseman. It’s true. That’s where he belongs. I expect him to take a leap forward in his play this year–he really improved once Torts came along. He may not be the offensive player he once was, but he’s not awful as a defender. Del Zotto has shown great offensive instincts, as well as a good understanding of positional play. Having a veteran like Redden to learn from would be very beneficial to MDZ. If he gets sent back to juniors, I would put Semenov or whatever defenseman they sign off the scrap heap in this spot.

The Rangers defense core is solid. Not great. Solid. They have an emerging young star in Staal. Two really promising rookies in Gilroy and Del Zotto. Girardi, Rosival and Redden round out a solid group. I expect good things from all of them this year. What do you think of the defense core, and what are your ideal defensive pairings?

Del Zotto Officially Makes Team

As per Steve Zipay’s Twitter, rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto has officially made the team. Kudos to him. He really deserved it.

This is the first time in a long time that I have been excited to see a young kid on the Rangers. Let’s hope he can keep it up. He looks like he is the real deal.

Update 3:45pm: According to Bob McKenzie, Del Zotto “will be running the Rangers powerplay”.

Thanks for the update Bob.