Unfortunately for Gilroy, he struggled mightily after that first month. The truncated NHL schedule (due to the Olympics), coupled with the fact that Gilroy had never played more than 45 games in a season, really started to take its toll on the young defenseman. His production slowed to a standstill, and his +/- rating dropped from +5 to a +1 before he was sent to Hartford in December 2009 to reassess his game. After a five game stint with the Wolfpack, he was re-called by the Rangers. Both sides hoped he had worked out his kinks in the minors.

Gilroy would play in 39 more games after being re-called, he would not score a single goal in that span. In fact, he would finish with a dismal line of 0-9-9, and a -3 rating in those 39 games before finding himself as a healthy scratch in lieu of the veteran Anders Eriksson, who was acquired at the trade deadline and called up from Hartford. When all was said and done, Gilroy’s rookie season was a bit of a head scratcher.

Many, including myself, blamed Gilroy’s lackluster rookie season on lack of conditioning in preparation for the vigors of an NHL season. The NCAA season is roughly 40 games, and is spread out over six months. The NHL season is 82 games in that same span. Gilroy’s rookie season was also during the Olympics, which forces the schedule to be much more compact with fewer days off between games. Many college players who jump straight to the NHL hit this proverbial NCAA wall, and it appeared Gilroy had done so as well.

Coming into the 2010-2011 season, Gilroy was coming in as a bottom pairing defenseman, who was seemingly on the bubble. He had to compete for the final two or three spots with newly acquired Steve Eminger, and rookies Michael Sauer, Ryan McDonagh, and Pavel Valentenko. McDonagh and Eminger were already written into the lineup by many, with Eminger being the veteran presence and McDonagh being the highly touted rookie out of Wisconsin that the Rangers were desperate to sign. In the end, McDonagh and Valentenko were a little too raw to play in the NHL, and the final three spots were awarded to Eminger, Gilroy, and Sauer.

When the season began, there seemed to be a rotation between Sauer and Gilroy for the final spot in the starting six. By the end of October, it was clear that Eminger and Sauer would comprise the bottom pair, and Gilroy was destined for the press box. Gilroy has seen some action since, but it has been as an injury replacement. Deserving or undeserving, it seems Gilroy has a permanent place in the press box. The deserving or undeserving part has been a hot topic for many Ranger fans.

To be rather blunt, the coaching staff knows more about the performance of their players better than fans do. As we saw with Petr Prucha, who was the eternal scratch before being traded to Phoenix, most of the time the coaching staff is right. Prucha was a former 30-goal scorer who seemed to have lost his game. When he played, he played hard. He always gave a solid effort, but the production wasn’t there. It seems both Tom Renney and John Tortorella were on to something, as Prucha now plays with the San Antonio Rampage. He wasn’t even claimed on waivers. Ironically enough, Prucha has found himself on a team with Ryan Hollweg, Jed Ortmeyer, and Al Montoya.

Gilroy’s situation isn’t all that different from Prucha’s. When Gilroy plays, he plays hard, and seemingly does a good job on the ice. In fact, his 1.1 GVT isn’t the worst on the team (Eminger – 0.1), and is only 0.3 behind Michael Del Zotto. However, what the coaches see in Gilroy is not what they are looking for. Although Gilroy has been decent, the Rangers needed someone who would throw their body around, which is why Eminger has been receiving so much playing time. The drop off between Gilroy and Eminger, if any, is negligible at best. So the Rangers coaching staff went with the more physical of the two. It has worked out fairly well thus far.

As for Gilroy, his best opportunity to play for the Rangers will be a long-term injury. His trade value is minimal, but he could be used as a piece to something bigger. For now, it seems that fans are going to have to trust in Tortorella’s decision to keep Gilroy in the press box. Gilroy can be a good piece for a team in need of a defenseman, but that team is not the New York Rangers.

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.

There are many Ranger stories to discuss for this game, so let’s break it down a bit:

• The Rangers are playing some pretty terrible hockey lately, and have lost three straight, albeit one in overtime. The Rangers’ problems stem from some pretty bad habits that have developed during the seven game win streak, specifically taking way too many lazy penalties, and no longer challenging the puck carrier to disrupt the opponents’ offensive flow. The Rangers are not a good enough team to win while taking seven penalties a game and playing passive defense. Mike Cammalleri’s OT winner on Saturday night really illustrated the second point, as he walked in essentially untouched, save for a Marian Gaborik poke check (sort of), and ripped a shot that Henrik Lundqvist had no shot against. The defense needs to step up, preferably before hitting the crease.
• Chris Higgins and Brandon Dubinsky were benched for the entire third period against Montreal, each committing an egregious error that led to a goal. Dubinsky acknowledged he was upset, and will probably look to maintain control of the puck a little better.
• Higgins, on the otherhand, has been downright awful so far this year, and, as Jeremy stated, his play is generating a lot of concern. He needs to play better, case closed.
• Tonight marks the return of my old-favorite Ranger, Petr Prucha. Lauri Korpikoski is also making his return, but he didn’t have as much of an impact on the Rangers as Prucha did. Prucha was the first homegrown player since Mike York to score 30 goals in a rookie season, and we were all excited. Prucha’s numbers slipped with the addition of Brendan Shannahan, as Shanny took all of Pru’s PP time, but he still managed to net 22 goals that year. After that, he must have beaten Tom Renney’s dog to death or something, because he never saw the ice again. Pru should get a very warm welcome, and I sitting in Section 323 Row C, sporting my Prucha jersey (come say hi), to contribute to the welcome.

As for the lines, the Rangers are putting the Benched Brothers together with Ryan Callahan. Donald Brashear is no longer sore, and will be playing in place of Aaron Voros tonight. Expect a Tom Renney amount of line shakeups tonight, as our struggling Blueshirts look to find some sort of answer to the funk.

Game time is 7pm on MSG. If you’re going to the game, come say hi. Otherwise, use this thread to discuss the game. We had a lot of comments during the Canadiens game, and we definitely want to keep the chatter going. Enjoy the game.

Prucha, who was traded to Phoenix in the Derek Morris deal, resigned with the club today. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but it’s safe to assume it’s in the same price range, maybe even less, of his previous contract that paid him $1.6 million a year.

In 18 games with Phoenix, Pru put up a 2-8-10 split, while actually seeing the ice for more than one game a month.

Sadly, this will probably be my last post about Prucha for a long, long time. I think I just shed a tear.

My initial reaction to this pickup: Great job by Sather on this deal. Waiving Voros and Reitz and assigning Bell to Hartford cleared room for this deal. We have been calling for Antropov for a while, he adds size and scoring up front.

Now that was the good news.

The price for Derek Morris: Dmitri Kalinin (cap purposes), Nigel Dawes, and Petr Prucha. I am absolutely livid. Words cannot express how fucking pissed I am at this deal. Derek Morris is the last thing the Rangers needed. I covered this already, I don’t want to repeat myself, but WHY?!?!?! He serves no purpose other than to be the 2nd coming of Dmitri Kalinin.

Overall reaction: Can I get a Fire Sather?

The depth chart has been updated to reflect these deals. A poll will be added shortly to gather your feelings.

Update 3:40pm I’m aware that Prucha and Dawes would have seen less playing time with Avery here. But remember, I did not want Avery back (unlike Stas and Mike, I think), so that’s of small comfort.

And Prucha was a RFA, not a UFA.

He gets a team that is 29th in the league in scoring, at 2.33 G/G (Nashville is last). He gets a powerplay that has been god awful at 13.8%, good for 28th in the league. In short, Tortorella gets a team that relies on holding their opponent to 1 goal a game.

Tortorella is the exact opposite of Tom Renney. He is an in your face guy, and most importantly, will hold the high priced guys accountable for terrible play. It looks like the high priced guys knew this was coming, because Gomez and Drury have been playing well lately, and Rozsival and Redden have been better. Yes, Redden has been better. He still cracks a little bit under a rush, but his first passes have been solid.

Torts is a “safe is death” guy. So expect a lot more scoring chances, at the expense of defense. I say chances because we never know if this team can actually finish. Hank will have a little bit more of a workload as a result, but that shouldn’t really worry or surprise anyone.

The powerplay should also look a lot better. Torts will get in Rozsival’s and Redden’s faces about shooting more. We may actually see Marc Staal on the powerplay, which will make all of us very happy.

Basically, expect to see the Rangers evolve into a different type of team. They will attempt to play an up tempo game. Torts was the best hire that Sather could have made.

A few side notes from the Torts hiring:

• Torts does not like Avery. Do not expect him back with the Rangers any time soon.
• Torts is not the savior of this team. It is still a very flawed team built by a flawed GM. Sather should be praised for this move, and the Zherdev move. But his signings have been ridiculous.
• Don’t underestimate the value of having Schoenfeld behind the bench as an assistant. He knows this current team better than anyone within the organization, and will help Torts get acquainted.
• Expect a transition period. The Rangers will be going from a defensive system to an offensive system, and there will be some collateral damage. Expect them to make some glaring mistakes while they adjust.

Who knows what Torts will do. Maybe he reads this blog and knows that we want Prucha in the lineup in lieu of Voros. I can only hope.

A loss would also stop any momentum built from a well played game against the Islanders on Wednesday.

In a shocking development, Petr Prucha will not be the odd man out tonight. Aaron Voros will sit in the press box, and the Korpedo will return to the lineup after missing a game with an upper body injury, taking Voros’ spot on the Zherdev line.

Hank in net tonight, no surprises there.

It’s a Saturday night, no live blog from me tonight.

Update 6:30pm: With Montreal’s win this afternoon, the Rangers sit in the 6 spot at the moment. A loss tonight drops them to the 7 seed, just 3 points ahead of the 9th place Hurricanes, and 4 points ahead of the 10th place Penguins.

Jane McManus also reported on some (surprise!) new line combos, as Aaron Voros skated with Scott Gomez and Markus Nasund this morning. The Betts-Orr-Sjostrom and Drury-Dubinsky-Zherdev units are still in tact, while Nigel Dawes was skating with Lauri Korpikosi and Ryan Callahan. Petr Prucha will again be a healthy scratch. I’m sure Dave’s thrilled.

Renney feels that Prucha — who, as we know is not afraid to play a physical game for a smallish player — wears down. And wears down significantly, to the point where it affects his skating.

“With a guy like Pruch, it’s a matter of him getting in and being able to sustain it,” Renney said. “He’s not a big guy. For our needs, at least, a guy like Petr is good for a while and then it seems to dry up on him. Then I can get him back in again. The bottom line is it’s his size. It’s getting banged around, and then because of that, not being able to sustain what he can deliver over the period of more than four or five games. And that’s the dilemma that I have.

“And it’s too bad,” Renney said, “because he’s a helluva guy.”

I don’t get it, earlier in the season Renney said that Prucha was the best conditioned Ranger on the roster. But yet he wears down after a few games? Maybe I’m missing something, but that seems extremely contradictory.

But let’s give Renney the benefit of the doubt, and say Pru does wear out a little faster than you would expect. Does that mean that he should play 7 games, then sit out for 10? How about play 5, and rotate in Voros when you need some size in the lineup?

I don’t buy his excuse for the Prucha treatment. But then again, if you read this blog often, this shouldn’t surprise you.

Update 2:15pm: Corey Potter has been called up. I’m guessing he will make the trip as the 7th defenseman, with Kalinin still hurt.

As for Prucha, he’s sitting again. I guess Voros’ presence in front of the net is worth 3 minor penalties a game. I don’t know how Prucha can keep his positive attitude while getting benched for no apparent reason. More power to him.

So tonight the Rangers again will have two forwards sitting in the press box, and the same six defensemen playing. Seriously, just waive Fritsche. What does he bring to this lineup?

Update 3:00pm: I guess the Rangers management reads this blog. Fritsche has indeed been waived (Note, this is in French):

Fritsche au ballottage

Les Rangers de New York ont placé le nom de Dan Fritsche au ballottage mardi.

Translation:
New York Rangers have placed? the name of Dan Fritsche to the ballot Tuesday. (Translation coming via Google Translate). Obviously “to the ballot” means “waived”. That should free up some cap room.