I stockpiled a few names from around the NHL that haven't really been talked about much that I feel could be available for the Rangers to explore in a possible trade in light of the Radulov rumors that have floated around the Rangers recently.
Brendan Morrow (DAL)- Morrow is coming off a injury riddled 2011-12 campaign. He missed 25 games last season with upper back and neck injuries and as a result only scored 11 times for a total of 26 points. Morrow's name was beginning to be talked about in the trade winds around the Rangers in early February when he was injured again and was subsequently out for the next 5 weeks. Morrow is only one season removed from a 30 goal season with the Stars. Obviously we can't forget about the Brad Richards connection here as well. The main reason I mention Morrow first is that he is coming into the final year of his contract that also comes with a cap hit of 4.1 million. Perhaps cornering the market on Morrow now, the Rangers can acquire him much cheaper than what they would have to cough up at the trade deadline next February. If Morrow at 33, can re-discover chemistry with Brad Richards could make for a very productive 2012 season for both players.
Ryan Getzlaf (ANA)- Ahh, not the name you were expecting from the Anaheim Ducks were you? Getzlaf, another guy coming off a down year, injury free however, in which he posted his lowest offensive point total since his rookie year. Getzlaf will be a highly sought after commodity if Anaheim has another down season next year. One kind of gets the feeling that Anaheim might be ready to do away with one of their top 3 forwards especially with the 2011 Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry up for a raise with Getzlaf at the end of next season. While Bobby Ryan appears to be the obvious choice on the surface to trade, Getzlaf could be moved for a top 6 center, as well as some picks and prospects to rebuild and retool with Jason Blake and Teemu Selanne nearing the end of their respective careers. Getzlaf unlike Morrow, does not have any known no-trade or no-move clauses in his contract.
Evander Kane (WPG)- Kane just completed his 3 year entry level contract with the Jets and is entering restricted free agency this offseason. He also is just coming off his first 30 goal season in his very young career. Although I find it difficult that the Jets would be willing to part with their young forward through a trade, that won't prevent teams from trying to offer sheet Kane and price out the Jets altogether. Ranger fans would love having this kid on the team, he can outright fly, he can score, and is not afraid to drop the gloves. In fact, you may recall when Kane KO'ed Matt Cooke two seasons ago. Anyway, "offer-sheeting" Kane is definitely worth a look if you are Glen Sather, to bring him and his knack for finding the back of the net to NY.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Stay or Go: Anton Stralman
In recapping the Rangers offseason, the Just Blueshirts blog will one by one go over each and every one of the 2011-12 New York Rangers whose contracts will have to be renewed going into the 2012-13 season.
Today I ask "stay or go" regarding the future of defenseman Anton Stralman.
2011-12 Regular season & playoffs statistics- 73 GP 5 goals 19 assists 24 points
Contract History- Signed 1 year, $900,000 contract in 2011
Cap hit- $900,000K (RFA) (capgeek.com)
Season Review:
Signed a 1 year deal on November 3rd 2011, after Ranger coaches decided that rookie Tim Erixon wasn't quite ready for the NHL and looked elsewhere for depth with Marc Staal still out with concussion symptoms and Michael Sauer playing big minutes with a nagging shoulder injury. Stralman didn't even see the ice until 6 weeks after his signing when Torts benched Jeff Woywitka and inserted Stralman into the lineup where he stayed for the rest of the season. Stralman, who admittedly was a defensive liability in his own end drastically improved his defensive play and was counted upon by the coaches in key situations for the stretch run.
Stay or Go:
This is a tough one. First I can't imagine that if Stralman comes back, his salary and subsequent cap hit will go higher than the $800k he made this season. Second, the health and availability of Michael Sauer will likely have a direct impact on whether or not he does come back as there may not be room on the Rangers top 6 for Stralman. Also depends on any trades that Sather makes in the offseason (Justin Schultz) or competition from Ranger prospects behind Stralman (Dylan McIlrath, Tim Erixon.) Stralman does have a little trade value as well. I have the chances at 50% of an Anton Stralman return to Broadway next season.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Stay or Go: Ruslan Fedotenko
In recapping the Rangers offseason, the Just Blueshirts blog will one by one go over each and every one of the 2011-12 New York Rangers whose contracts will have to be renewed going into the 2012-13 season.
Today I ask "stay or go" regarding the future of forward Ruslan Fedotenko.
2011-12 Regular season and playoffs statistics- 93 GP 11 goals 16 assists 27 points
Contract history- signed 1 year $1,400,000 contract in 2011
Cap hit- $1,400,000 (UFA) (capgeek.com)
Season Review:
Signed second 1 year contract with the Rangers last offseason and was a stready 3rd/4th liner grinder who potted in some timely goals for the Rangers this season. I was stunned to realize that Feds is only 33 and may still have something in the tank. However, his offensive production has steadily declined since joining the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 up until this season.
Stay or Go:
Feds is one of Torts' guys. Does everything the coach asks him to do, after all Feds did win a Cup with Torts behind the bench in Tampa. Big time veteran presence and Stanley Cup champion in the locker room especially for a younger team like the Rangers is important. To me, it's ultimately up to Ruslan as to whether or not he comes back. I personally would like him back but at a slightly cheaper deal and I would put my chances of his return at 75%.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Stay or Go: Martin Biron
In recapping the Rangers offseason, the Just Blueshirts blog will one by one go over each and every one of the 2011-12 New York Rangers whose contracts will have to be renewed going into the 2012-13 season.
Today I ask "stay or go" regarding the future of goaltender Martin Biron.
2011-12 Regular season statistics- 21 GP 12 wins 6 losses 2 OTL // GA 2.46 SV .904 2 SO
Contract History- Signed 2 year, $1,750,000 contract in 2010
Cap hit- $875,000 (UFA) (capgeek.com)
While I did very much enjoy having Biron as a security blanket for Lundqvist this season, at 34 I really have to wonder how much he has left in the tank, even in a backup role. The Rangers boast 4 goaltenders down on the farm and I'm beginning to wonder if the Rangers are going to give some of those kids a chance the way the franchise has done with the rest of the roster. While none of the Ranger goaltending prospects are legit blue-chip players, it may be worth giving one of them a shot. Notably, Chad Johnson, who split time with Cam Talbot for the Connecticut Whale this past season, is the likely the choice to back-up Lundqvist if the Rangers don't decide to re-new Biron. The franchise must have some faith in Johnson as he was Lundqvist's backup a season ago when Biron was lost to a broken collarbone, although Johnson never saw the ice. While I give Biron a slightly better than 50-50 chance at return, I would like to see what else is out there before committing another contract to Biron.
Today I ask "stay or go" regarding the future of goaltender Martin Biron.
2011-12 Regular season statistics- 21 GP 12 wins 6 losses 2 OTL // GA 2.46 SV .904 2 SO
Contract History- Signed 2 year, $1,750,000 contract in 2010
Cap hit- $875,000 (UFA) (capgeek.com)
Season Review:
Biron was one of the better backup goaltenders in the NHL for a large swath of the season. Marty held a 10-2-1 record in the middle of February and was a unheralded reason for the Rangers success this season. However, Biron only won 2 of his last 7 starts as he began to struggle and allowed some bad goals that usually put the Rangers in the loss column for that night.
Stay or Go:
While I did very much enjoy having Biron as a security blanket for Lundqvist this season, at 34 I really have to wonder how much he has left in the tank, even in a backup role. The Rangers boast 4 goaltenders down on the farm and I'm beginning to wonder if the Rangers are going to give some of those kids a chance the way the franchise has done with the rest of the roster. While none of the Ranger goaltending prospects are legit blue-chip players, it may be worth giving one of them a shot. Notably, Chad Johnson, who split time with Cam Talbot for the Connecticut Whale this past season, is the likely the choice to back-up Lundqvist if the Rangers don't decide to re-new Biron. The franchise must have some faith in Johnson as he was Lundqvist's backup a season ago when Biron was lost to a broken collarbone, although Johnson never saw the ice. While I give Biron a slightly better than 50-50 chance at return, I would like to see what else is out there before committing another contract to Biron.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Stay or go: Michael Del Zotto
In recapping the Rangers offseason, the Just Blueshirts blog will one by one go over each and every one of the 2011-12 New York Rangers whose contracts will have to be renewed going into the 2012-13 season.
Today I ask "stay or go" regarding the future of defenseman Michael Del Zotto.
2011-12 Regular season & playoffs statistics- 97 GP 12 goals 39 assists 51 points
Contract History- Signed 3 year, $2,625,000 entry level contract in 2009
Cap hit- $1,087,500 (RFA) (capgeek.com)
Drafted 1st round 20th overall by Rangers in 2008
Season Review:
Following a miserable sophomore season in 2010-11 in which Del Zotto was a frequent guest in Torts' dog house, struggled with his defensive responsibilities and the best part of his game, his offense on the power play fell off the map. Bigger expectations were expected out of him coming into this season and he did not disappoint. The 2011-12 season was by far his best season as a young pro. Del Zotto was among the league leaders in +/- for a majority of the season and was showing positive strides as far as his defense was concerned. Del Zotto was no longer the defensive liability that he was in his first two seasons as a pro and was thrust into a top 4 role when Mike Sauer was in and out of the lineup with injury issues. Torts even trusted him on the Rangers PK, a move that would have been ridiculed for the past 2 seasons prior.
Stay or Go:
This will be very interesting as to which direction Tortorella and Sather are going to go with the young defenseman. With the names that are currently out there on the market, coaches and ownership will have a tough decision on their hands. The decision is mainly dependent on how coaches feel where Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath's development will be going into next season as well as whether Sather decides to go after McDonagh and Stepan's former teammate at Wisconsin in Justin Schultz. Schultz, a defenseman, has the offensive upside that Del Zotto has, but Schultz has a much better defensive upside as well. Schultz will likely come cheaper than Del Zotto will and with the uncertainty regarding the CBA going into next year might be attractive to the Rangers' financially. Also have to wonder if Sather goes after a big, expensive name on the open market like Shea Weber or Ryan Suter. As of this post, I have Del Zotto at a 75% chance of a return next season although I expect that number to fluctuate violently as July 1 gets closer.
Today I ask "stay or go" regarding the future of defenseman Michael Del Zotto.
2011-12 Regular season & playoffs statistics- 97 GP 12 goals 39 assists 51 points
Contract History- Signed 3 year, $2,625,000 entry level contract in 2009
Cap hit- $1,087,500 (RFA) (capgeek.com)
Drafted 1st round 20th overall by Rangers in 2008
Season Review:
Following a miserable sophomore season in 2010-11 in which Del Zotto was a frequent guest in Torts' dog house, struggled with his defensive responsibilities and the best part of his game, his offense on the power play fell off the map. Bigger expectations were expected out of him coming into this season and he did not disappoint. The 2011-12 season was by far his best season as a young pro. Del Zotto was among the league leaders in +/- for a majority of the season and was showing positive strides as far as his defense was concerned. Del Zotto was no longer the defensive liability that he was in his first two seasons as a pro and was thrust into a top 4 role when Mike Sauer was in and out of the lineup with injury issues. Torts even trusted him on the Rangers PK, a move that would have been ridiculed for the past 2 seasons prior.
Stay or Go:
This will be very interesting as to which direction Tortorella and Sather are going to go with the young defenseman. With the names that are currently out there on the market, coaches and ownership will have a tough decision on their hands. The decision is mainly dependent on how coaches feel where Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath's development will be going into next season as well as whether Sather decides to go after McDonagh and Stepan's former teammate at Wisconsin in Justin Schultz. Schultz, a defenseman, has the offensive upside that Del Zotto has, but Schultz has a much better defensive upside as well. Schultz will likely come cheaper than Del Zotto will and with the uncertainty regarding the CBA going into next year might be attractive to the Rangers' financially. Also have to wonder if Sather goes after a big, expensive name on the open market like Shea Weber or Ryan Suter. As of this post, I have Del Zotto at a 75% chance of a return next season although I expect that number to fluctuate violently as July 1 gets closer.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Stay or go: Brandon Prust
In recapping the Rangers offseason, the Just Blueshirts blog will one by one go over each and every one of the 2011-12 New York Rangers whose contracts will have to be renewed going into the 2012-13 season.
Today I ask "stay or go" regarding the future of forward Brandon Prust.
2011-12 Regular season & playoffs statistics- 101 GP 6 goals 13 assists 19 points
Contract History- Signed 2 year, $1,600,000 contract in 2010
Cap hit- $800,000 (UFA) (capgeek.com)
Cap hit- $800,000 (UFA) (capgeek.com)
Season Review: After a career offensive season in 2010-11 and winning the Steven McDonald extra effort award as voted on by the fans, Prust's offense took a hit this season, but his role as a 4th line grinder and tough guy never changed. Played through half of the season with a torn tendon in his finger. Prust is a cornerstone block of the Ranger franchise and exemplifies the Rangers team identity.
Stay or Go:
Little doubt about this one. I want Prust back and I'm sure the Rangers want him back too. Probably the only Ranger that comes back with close to 100% certainty.
Monday, May 28, 2012
2011-12 New York Rangers Season in Review
The end of Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Finals last Friday was a tough, bitter pill for Ranger fans to swallow especially considering how much the Rangers scratched and clawed their way through two equally tough series' against Ottawa and Washington. Fans should be proud of how the 2011-12 Rangers laid the groundwork for the future successes of the franchise in the very near future. The signing of Brad Richards last July was a very large piece to the Rangers' Stanley Cup puzzle and he'll continue to be a big part for the next several years. What was unexpected was the emergence of Carl Hagelin and the immediate dividends he paid as well as the sheer dominance of one Ryan McDonagh filling in for Marc Staal for half of the season. However what was not unexpected was the production from guys like Marian Gaborik, who had a fantastic comeback year from his injury riddled 2010-11 season and new captain Ryan Callahan, who set a personal career high in goals this season.
I strongly disagree with the notion that the Rangers "overachieved" this season. Tortorella had the Rangers giving it 110% in each game and in each practice. When some teams went in the tank in December and January, the Ranger coach would not allow his team to become complacent and always had them pushing forward. Still, one has to wonder how much the Rangers truly had left in the tank at the end of the season. The Rangers did not have the greatest March and had to hold off late season pressure from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In my final State of the Rangers column here, I showed how important it was for the Rangers to have a good final month leading into the playoffs. When you count the entire season, the Rangers finished with a record of 61-34-7. From the trade deadline to game 82, the Rangers were 12-9-1 and extending that record into the playoffs, the Rangers were 22-19-1. Adding up all those numbers, 56% of the Rangers total losses this season came only after the trade deadline on February 27th. Playing barely better than .500 hockey since February 27th is not the mark of a champion. By comparison, the Devils are 25-11-2 and the Kings are 24-7-3 since the trade deadline.
Numbers aside, the question now is what do the Rangers have to do personnel-wise in free agency to get them over this hump and into the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers are very capable of keeping with most of the teams in the Eastern Conference. As far as the offense is concerned, Rick Nash, No. Zach Parise, too expensive. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Rangers move that 28th overall pick in the draft as part of a package for a player the Rangers really like in exchange for one of the Rangers blue-chip prospects. It's too tough to speculate who the Rangers will go out and acquire who they think will put them over the top. Perhaps they move a player like a Artem Anisimov or a Brandon Dubinsky. When you bring in big money salary, somebody has to go and the Rangers cannot stand pat, especially after doing virtually nothing at the trade deadline. Defensively, the Rangers are just fine, although there will be slight tweaks on the back end of the Rangers 6 defensemen. Whether it would be acquiring Justin Schultz's rights from Anaheim or hoping that Michael Sauer is able to recover from his concussion and going with a nearly identical defensive corps is up to Torts and Sather.
Perhaps a change to the Rangers offense philosophically is in order. If you look back on the playoffs, the Rangers generated most of their goals from shots on net by their defensemen. Girardi, who had just 5 goals in 82 games this season, scored 3 times in 20 postseason games and was second on the team in postseason points. Think about that, Dan Girardi, ahead of Gaborik, Callahan and Stepan who were all top 5 in points in the regular season. Del Zotto had 2 fantastic rounds scoring 9 points in the first 14 games, before being consistently victimized by the Devils 4th line all series long and only contributing 1 assist in the Conference Final. So perhaps that kind of offensive style that starts with shots from the point with 2 forwards in front of the goaltender to get to rebounds rather than the cycling along the half wall and behind the net looking for the perfect pass to the middle of the slot is an idea the Rangers can toy with leading into next season. Boston works it to perfection and they aren't half bad, are they? No the Rangers don't have Zdeno Chara but that doesn't mean it can't work.
As I said up top, Ranger fans should be very proud of this team. The Ranger players themselves were far too proud to admit at the end of Game 6 that they just didn't have enough legs to keep up with the Devils in the end. Whether or not the Rangers will be able to replicate their regular season success into the 2012-13 remains to be seen, but that shouldn't prevent fans getting even more behind their hockey club in what is only the beginning of the most successful period in Rangers hockey.
I strongly disagree with the notion that the Rangers "overachieved" this season. Tortorella had the Rangers giving it 110% in each game and in each practice. When some teams went in the tank in December and January, the Ranger coach would not allow his team to become complacent and always had them pushing forward. Still, one has to wonder how much the Rangers truly had left in the tank at the end of the season. The Rangers did not have the greatest March and had to hold off late season pressure from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In my final State of the Rangers column here, I showed how important it was for the Rangers to have a good final month leading into the playoffs. When you count the entire season, the Rangers finished with a record of 61-34-7. From the trade deadline to game 82, the Rangers were 12-9-1 and extending that record into the playoffs, the Rangers were 22-19-1. Adding up all those numbers, 56% of the Rangers total losses this season came only after the trade deadline on February 27th. Playing barely better than .500 hockey since February 27th is not the mark of a champion. By comparison, the Devils are 25-11-2 and the Kings are 24-7-3 since the trade deadline.
Numbers aside, the question now is what do the Rangers have to do personnel-wise in free agency to get them over this hump and into the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers are very capable of keeping with most of the teams in the Eastern Conference. As far as the offense is concerned, Rick Nash, No. Zach Parise, too expensive. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Rangers move that 28th overall pick in the draft as part of a package for a player the Rangers really like in exchange for one of the Rangers blue-chip prospects. It's too tough to speculate who the Rangers will go out and acquire who they think will put them over the top. Perhaps they move a player like a Artem Anisimov or a Brandon Dubinsky. When you bring in big money salary, somebody has to go and the Rangers cannot stand pat, especially after doing virtually nothing at the trade deadline. Defensively, the Rangers are just fine, although there will be slight tweaks on the back end of the Rangers 6 defensemen. Whether it would be acquiring Justin Schultz's rights from Anaheim or hoping that Michael Sauer is able to recover from his concussion and going with a nearly identical defensive corps is up to Torts and Sather.
Perhaps a change to the Rangers offense philosophically is in order. If you look back on the playoffs, the Rangers generated most of their goals from shots on net by their defensemen. Girardi, who had just 5 goals in 82 games this season, scored 3 times in 20 postseason games and was second on the team in postseason points. Think about that, Dan Girardi, ahead of Gaborik, Callahan and Stepan who were all top 5 in points in the regular season. Del Zotto had 2 fantastic rounds scoring 9 points in the first 14 games, before being consistently victimized by the Devils 4th line all series long and only contributing 1 assist in the Conference Final. So perhaps that kind of offensive style that starts with shots from the point with 2 forwards in front of the goaltender to get to rebounds rather than the cycling along the half wall and behind the net looking for the perfect pass to the middle of the slot is an idea the Rangers can toy with leading into next season. Boston works it to perfection and they aren't half bad, are they? No the Rangers don't have Zdeno Chara but that doesn't mean it can't work.
As I said up top, Ranger fans should be very proud of this team. The Ranger players themselves were far too proud to admit at the end of Game 6 that they just didn't have enough legs to keep up with the Devils in the end. Whether or not the Rangers will be able to replicate their regular season success into the 2012-13 remains to be seen, but that shouldn't prevent fans getting even more behind their hockey club in what is only the beginning of the most successful period in Rangers hockey.
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