Notes From Last Night

I was at last night’s game, but arrived late because I was watching the Jets game nearby. Just a few things I noticed from last night’s game:

• Wade Redden fought?
• That was a hell of an offensive explosion in the last 40 minutes of the game. I wonder what Torts said to the team.
• Did Wade Redden really fight?
• Ryan Callahan is here to stay. This kid may not be a point-per-game guy, but I’ll take 40 points a year with the way he plays the game. He will be the captain of this team when Drury leaves.
• Did Wade Redden actually win a fight?
• Last night’s game was as scrappy as they come. It looked like there was a lot of bad blood between these two teams. I can’t wait until they play each other again.
• Did Wade Redden really get a cheer from the crowd for his fight?
• What a stupid penalty by Avery that led to the Gionta goal. Stupid stupid penalty. They need to stop doing that.
• I can now say I witnessed a Wade Redden fight.
• Let’s hope this six-goal outburst wasn’t an illusion. The last time the Rangers had an outburst like this (seven in a row against Columbus), they lost the next three by a combined score of 18-6.

Wade Redden won a fight!

Update 11:35am: Here’s the Redden fight:

More Waive Redden Rumors

This past June, Bruce Garrioch wrote that the Rangers were considering waiving Wade Redden. I wrote a quick post on it, but nothing ever came from it. We still have to deal with $6.5 million to play for 14 minutes a game. It is what is.

In his January 10 article, Garrioch (Malkin to the Kings!) mentions that the Rangers are intensifying their talks of waiving the troubled defenseman:

There has been talk the Rangers are going to place D Wade Redden on waivers and then send him to the their AHL affiliate in Hartford. There is nothing to stop the Rangers from doing that because Redden has a limited no-trade clause, but he doesn’t have a restrictive no-movement clause. Signed to a six-year, $39-million deal on July 1, 2007, the Rangers have tried to deal Redden, but haven’t been able to find any takers. Even if New York GM Glen Sather did want to deal Redden, he’d have to get a list from the defenceman of eight teams where he doesn’t want to go.

Garrioch is correct in all his details. Redden has a limited no-trade clause, not a no-movement clause. A NTC does not protect Redden from being waived. Should the Rangers waive Redden and call up Ilkka Heikkinen, then they would be adding approximately $3 million in prorated cap room until the end of the season, not to mention the $6.5 million saved for the upcoming years. I am still unsure what the ramifications are of buying out a player signed to a one-way deal playing in the AHL. I am assuming it is the same as a regular NHL buyout (if someone has any insight to this, please clarify). But, if the Rangers can buy out Redden with no cap penalty if he is in the AHL, then that would be the next logical move.

Yes, Garrioch reports on everything. Keep in mind that talks like these, including any trade rumors, always happen. GMs talk to each other. They check in on each other and available players. If 5% of anything talked about between GMs becomes finalized, then I’ll run naked through MSG (calm down ladies). However, the fact that this is now being reported twice, in two different seasons (off-season, regular season) adds a little bit of value to me. If the Rangers are seriously considering waiving Redden, then now would be the time to do it. Every day he sits on the roster, he is eating up precious cap space for the deadline.

Brooks: Time for Slats to Admit Mistakes

Never short on criticism of Rangers GM Glen Sather, Larry Brooks of the NY Post has called out Slats and says it’s time to admit some big mistakes.

If it is true that pride goes before the fall, then if Glen Sather is too proud to admit his mistakes in signing Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival the second time and Donald Brashear, he has no place running the Rangers any longer.

Brooks is dead on here, for the most part. It has become abundantly obvious that the Rangers are, at best, a mediocre team. It is time that Slats admits his mistakes and cuts ties with the albatross twins and Donald Brashear. Sending the albatross twins to Hartford will clear $11 million in cap room, but unfortunately sending Brashear down won’t clear his entire salary, just $100,000, as per the CBA and 35+ contracts. Clearing that $11 million will give the Rangers much needed cap room to improve the blue line in the short term during the off season, or at the trade deadline.

The Rangers will not be a better team if these three are banished, but they will not be a worse team either. Rozsival and Redden have proven time and time again that they are inconsistent and unreliable. It is truly unfortunate, as I expected Rozsival to be a rock this season. Redden was also showing signs of improvement, but his play has tapered off and he was benched for two games. Although I initially praised Brashear, he has proven me wrong, and shown that he is useless. Hey, I can’t get them all right.

Replacing Brashear is relatively easy, and can be accomplished by inserting Aaron Voros or by calling up Dane Byers for a more permanent stay. Replacing the albatross twins though, is actually harder than it seems. Ilkka Heikkinen appears to be ready to contribute at the NHL level, but it is clear that Bobby Sanguinetti needs another full season at the AHL level. Where would the Rangers get the sixth defenseman from? It’s an interesting debate, and there doesn’t appear to be an in-house solution. Maybe Mathieu Dandenault? He’s not really impressing in Hartford, he’s the best solution available thus far.

It is highly unlikely that Sather demotes any of the three, but clearing cap space is the first step to fixing the Rangers defense.

Where Sather Went Wrong (Post Lockout): Mark Streit

This will be the first part of a multi-post discussion about the decisions of General Manager Glen Sather. Sather has come under some real heat lately, as the Rangers are in what appears to be a free fall, and have no cap room to make any adjustments. The highest paid players on the Rangers have been, to be delicate, disappointing. Sather’s strength during his tenure with the Rangers has been his ability to make trades, but this does not overshadow his weakness of evaluating the market and making the best decision for the team. In this series, I will analyze where Sather went wrong, and where he lost the fans.

It was the 2008 offseason. The Rangers, in desperate need of a powerplay quarterback, were going to be key players in the free agent market. Brian Campbell was available, and at the time, the clear cut best defenseman available. Wade Redden was coming off a few poor seasons in Ottawa, but was still a premiere free agent, and was poised to get a decent sized contract. There was also Mark Streit, who was coming off a career year in Montreal, putting up 62 points in his breakout season with the Habs.

There were several problems with the Rangers decision with the Redden signing. The most glaring was the contract length and size. However, the most important, and often most overlooked, was that they chose a player based on his name and not on his past production, especially post-lockout. After a career year in 2005-2006, Redden was on a severe decline, and not just in numbers. He was getting beat by younger, faster players who were finally given free reign to skate. His production dipped, and he was booed right out of Ottawa.

Streit, on the other hand, tripled his production from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007, and doubled that in 2007-2008. All told, from his rookie year to his free agent year, Streit’s numbers improved by 600%. Streit was also going to fly under the radar, as he entered the NHL late at age 28, and was surely going to be overshadowed by the free agencies of Redden and Brian Campbell.

We all know what happened next. The Rangers went with Redden at six years at $39.5 million, and Streit later signed with the Islanders for almost half that price, at four years and $20 million. The results, of course, have been well publicized on both ends. Streit had another great year, putting up 56 points for an Islander team that finished dead last in the NHL. He also finished as a +6 for a team that essentially had no goaltender all year. Just to put some more salt in the wound, he also finished with a +18.4 GVT that season. Redden has been a disappointment so far during his tenure in New York, with a GVT 14 goals lower than Streit (+4.4), and a GVS (Goals Versus Salary) of -18.1, which was third worst in the league.

Where would the Rangers be with Streit’s production and an extra $1.5 million in cap space? It’s tough to tell. This is a basic correlation vs. causality argument. Redden is not the cause of the Rangers defensive woes, but there certainly is some correlation between his exorbitant contract, his minuscule production, and the poor team defense.

The Rangers face a tough offseason in 2010. There are some key RFA’s that need to be resigned, specifically Marc Staal, and the current cap situation is not alleviating the problem. Sather won’t be able to fleece another GM into taking a large contract. These signing mistakes are going to have long term ramifications that we haven’t even seen yet.

Chris Higgins Can’t Buy A Goal, And Other Random Thoughts

As we try to digest yet another Rangers loss, I couldn’t help but think. So here are some random thoughts coming from my mind to yours.

-Chris Higgins can’t buy a goal. Honestly. He’s been playing so well. He’s been aggressive on the forecheck. He’s creating chances. He just can’t bury the puck. And I don’t know why. I don’t know why. But,  I have a feeling that he’s going to get hot. He has to at some point. He’s playing to well.

-Lundqvist needs a break. Whether he’s been worked too hard, or whether is mind is elsewhere, having Valliquette start a couple more games cannot hurt. Hank needs to be Hank for this team to win. Right now, he’s struggling.

-Marian Gaborik is close to breaking last year’s high goal total. Markus Naslund had 24. Gabby has 21. He should break it this week.  And it hasn’t even been 30 games!

-Gaborik is why this team is better than last year. Immediately, you have a better scoring presence. Power play is imporved, markedly. This team should make the playoffs. They are better than last year. This is probably just a rough stretch.

-I miss Wade Redden.

-Bobby Sanguinetti does nothing for me.

-Chris Drury looks like a different player, in a good way. Much faster, much better skating-wise. He’s doing a hell of job on the point.

-Ales Kotalik has found his way into the doghouse.

-P.A. Parenteau is pretty good. He should stay for awhile.

-Like I said, this is a playoff team. This is just a rough (very rough) stretch. All teams go through it. If the Rangers can come out of this and get some points, everything will be okay.

Redden Out One Week

It looks like Bobby Sanguinetti is not going to be a ‘just in case’ call up. Wade Redden will be out one week, guaranteeing we will be seeing Sangs play during the three games in four night stretch beginning tonight in Tampa.

Sangs has been lighting it up in Hartford, and many fans have been calling for his recall to get Michal Rozsival out of the lineup. So you get half your wish, as he will definitely be playing. Let’s hope that training camp showing was just a blip on the radar, and not a sign of things to come.

The Need for a Seventh Defensemen Intensifies

The Rangers need a seventh defensemen, and the last two games are definitive proof of this. In both games, players that we as fans have come to trust as defensive stalwarts have been playing shaky defense at best. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi have been fairly unspectacular this year, with the latter being downright terrible at points. We saw it last year with Girardi, as towards the end of the year, he has been prone to being beat to the puck. This year, teams are just attacking him and he has yet to adjust.

While Girardi has been consistently bad, Staal is prone to the epic turnover. He made a horrific turnover during the game against Anaheim, but Steve Valliquette bailed him out. He also made a pair of turnovers in the first period against the Devils last night, which eventually led to the Zach Parise goal in the first period.

As a matter of fact, the most consistent defensemen on the Rangers this year, in terms of defensive consistency, has been….wait for it….Wade Redden. That’s right Blueshirt Faithful, the most dependable defensman has been none other than the second (first?) of the albatross twins. He has been uncharacteristically solid in his own end, and conceding the offensive game to Michael Del Zotto. Sure, he isn’t paid to be just defensively solid, but I think we will take a non-liability.

On a team with two rookies (Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy), a downright terrible Michal Rozsival, and the stunningly consistent (but for how long?) Wade Redden, Staal and Girardi were expected to be anchors along the blue line and have been anything but that. Perhaps they have become too comfortable with their role on the team. Perhaps they are tired after an intense training camp. Perhaps teams have watched video and are exploiting their weaknesses.

No matter the case, a seventh defensemen will light a fire under the collective rear-ends of the defensive corps. If someone like Mathieu Dandenault, now with Hartford, winds up with the team, don’t you think that the current defensemen will have some pressure to perform? Competition is a very good thing, especially when someone is knocking on the door to play.

I would have preferred the Rangers go after Cory Murphy, but he was already assigned to the AHL. Instead, we have to count on Dandenault impressing in Hartford. Regardless of who it is (Corey Potter, Bobby Sanguinetti, and Michael Sauer are other possibilities that don’t have to pass through waivers), the Rangers need to apply the appropriate pressure to get the underachievers on their game.

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?

In the “I Can’t Make This Stuff Up” Department…

Some funny item’s I’ve come across lately:

• I bought NHL 10, and before I started the season, the game automatically had to get the Rangers under the cap. It put Wade Redden in the minors. No. Seriously. It did.
• Found this NHL 10 review. Laughed hysterically at “In Front Office mode, the “fire general manager” option is permanently greyed out for the New York Rangers.”
• I was at the Wings/Rangers preseason game, and there was some idiot wearing a Pens jersey. A chant of “Crosby’s female” going around, and my friend, a girl, said “Crosby IS female, and he gives us a bad name”.
• As a part of Pierre LeBrun’s chat:
  

  Michael (Great Neck, NY)

  What do you expect to see from Artem Anisimov this year?
  Pierre
  (4:44 PM)

  very little English

All of this is true. I swear.

Wade Redden’s Second-Half “Resurgence”

Suffice it to say, Wade Redden is not a fan favorite in New York. He was signed as a premier free agent last offseason to a six-year deal worth $6.5 million a year on average, and in return, he had a very poor first year with the Rangers. His first half of the season was downright terrible, and fans mercilessly booed him until his ears bled.

Enter John Tortorella for the final 21 games of the season. All of a sudden, Redden seems more comfortable on the ice, and it’s beginning to show. In those 21 games, Redden put up a goal and five assists, not stellar, but definitely an improvement on what we had seen all season. However, Redden was also a +6 in those 21 games, bringing his +/- from the year to a -5. That’s a vast improvement over what we saw in the previous 61 games. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but over an 82 game span, that averages out to a line of 4-20-24 and +24. It’s not worth $6.5 million, but I’ll take that +24 on the defensive side of the puck.

But let’s break down those offensive numbers a bit. The Rangers had the 29th ranked power play in the league. Enter Marian Gaborik, Chris Higgins, and Ales Kotalik. While I believe that Michal Rozsival should be the focal point of the power play, it will be Redden’s job to lose. There will be plenty of options for Redden to dish the biscuit to, and should Gaborik be covered, there are solid options in Higgins and Kotalik, who will bury their opportunities. This is a luxury the Rangers didn’t have last season.

Maybe I’m being overly optimistic, which considering the constant negativity from every single writer on the face of the earth, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’m looking forward to see how Redden reacts to a full season under Tortorella. Who knows, maybe he can put up the 40 points I’m hoping he can. But if he can’t I’ll take a +24.