NYR FA Frenzy: Day 1

Brandon Prust: Prust officially left the Rangers today to sign a 4 year, 10 million dollar contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Obviously the Rangers were no where close to offer Prust the money he received today from Montreal. He told the NY Daily News today that the Rangers "weren't really there or anywhere close to where Montreal was, and it's just Montreal showed just a lot more interest." I guess Prust's tweet last week that irked many Ranger fans, also burned the bridges with Ranger brass.

I wish management wanted me back as much as the fans.. Thanks for the love everyone
— Brandon Prust (@BrandonPrust8) June 23, 2012

John Mitchell: Mitchell also left the Rangers today to sign a 2 year, 2.2 million dollar contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Mitchell will be making nearly double of what his salary was last season in New York. I thought at best Mitchell could have been back with the organization most likely with the Whale, but it seems the Avs see something in Mitchell that the Rangers don't.

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault- This one really stings especially if you are one that is somewhat familiar with the Ranger prospects. JAM signed a 3 year, entry level contract today with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 21 year old Audy-Marchessault was undrafted and went 24-40-64 in 76 games last season with the Whale. It's safe to say that many within the organization wanted this kid back, however, the Blue Jackets offered more money in his ELC and that's what he went with.

Stu Bickel- In the only bit of good news today was that the Rangers re-signed the oft-unused defenseman to a 2 year, 1.5 million dollar contract. Bickel is a nice option for the Rangers to use as depth but will likely be riding the pine in most situations.

Arron Asham- I'm guessing once Sather learned he was definitely out on Prust, he signed journeyman Arron Asham to a 2 year, 2 million dollar contract. Asham, who played for the Penguins last season, as we all remember cross checked Flyers' Brayden Schenn in the throat that resulted in a 4 game suspension during the playoffs. Asham still has to sit for one more game to serve out that suspension. The signing, which stunned just about everybody, got many Ranger fans in an uproar. Personally, I didn't like the signing either at first, especially because I think he is a dirty player. But in an interview with the Daily News, he stated that his goal is to win a Cup. If Asham is able to keep the dirtiness at a minimum and play the right way, I think Ranger fans will warm to him.

Michael Haley- In what is hopefully a minor league move, the Rangers signed Michael Haley to a two-way contract. Other terms are unknown. Haley, a former Islander, racked up 125 penalty minutes in 51 games last season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' AHL affiliate. If anything he'll be an injury/suspension callup if Rupp or Asham get into trouble next season.

Kris Newbury- In another minor league transaction, Newbury re-signed with the Rangers on a two year, two way contract and will spend next year with the Connecticut Whale. Newbury was 25-39-64 with the Whale last season.

Chad Johnson- The Rangers lost minor league goaltender Chad Johnson to the Phoenix Coyotes today. The Yotes continue to pick off Ranger prospects, thanks to former Rangers Assistant GM and now Coyotes GM Don Maloney. Losing Chad Johnson makes the Rangers goaltending depth pretty slim. It wouldn't surprise me if Sather went looking for a minor league goaltender in the coming days and weeks.

Rick Nash- Again no news on the Nash front. Sources continue to say that the window for him to be traded likely begins when Zach Parise is signed somewhere on the open market. Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson has not budged from his demands that the Rangers include a mixture of Stepan, Kreider, McDonagh, Dubinsky and Del Zotto as well as a pick and prospect somewhere in there too.

FA Frenzy: Rangers re-sign Martin Biron

Very excited to be back in NYC for the next 2 years!! See you all in September. #NYR #therightway

— Martin Biron (@martybiron43) June 30, 2012

Congrats @martybiron43 on your new deal! Looking forward to keep working together as we push each other to the next level...See you in Sep!

— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist30) June 30, 2012

The Rangers kicked off their summer by re-signing backup goaltender Martin Biron to a widely reported 2 year, $2.6 million deal. Biron's cap hit over the next two seasons will be $1.3 million. It is only the first of what is likely to be many transactions over the course of the next 48-72 hours as the Rangers look to improve on last years success.

Brandon Prust unlikely to return, test free agency

I wish management wanted me back as much as the fans.. Thanks for the love everyone

— Brandon Prust (@BrandonPrust8) June 23, 2012

As first reported by the NY Post this morning, it's beginning to sound like Prust has priced himself out of a new contract with the Rangers and will hit un-restricted free agency when it opens next Sunday. It's going to be tough to lose a guy like Brandon Prust, who is for all intents and purposes, a heart and soul guy in the locker room and a tremendous Garden favorite. At least, it will give another one of the younger Rangers on the farm a huge opportunity to make the team and potentially contribute more offensively than Prust did here.

Day 1 NHL draft day thoughts

Just like every other Ranger fan watching the draft Friday night, when it finally was the Rangers turn to pick, we were all surprised with the selection.

Of course we all said "WHO???" on the social media sites, but when you dig a little deeper, this kid ain't so bad. Brady Skjei, born March 26, 1994 stands at 6' 3" and weighs 200 lbs. Skjei, last season skated for the U.S National Development Team, with a commitment to the University of Minnesota in the fall. Skjei doesn't have mind blowing statistics for a defensive defenseman, but was able to pot 4 goals and 18 assists in 56 games in 2011-12. He has been called the best skating defenseman in the draft and for a guy his size that isn't half bad, look at Kreider for that example. Skjei is said to have a very active stick and uses a long reach to break up plays. Consistency issues are his biggest downside. As dangerous with the puck as he can be, Skjei has been said to rush the puck up the ice by himself too often leaving the defense vulnerable to odd man rushes the other way if there was an offensive breakdown. Hopefully spending time in the college system knocks some of the consistency issues out of him and coaches there are able to mold him into a rock solid defensive defenseman with small offensive upside. Not a bad pick by the Rangers and is likely 2-3 seasons away from sniffing pro hockey.

Elsewhere around the NHL, the Penguins surprised everyone by trading Jordan Staal just one day after the news that he declined an extension with Pittsburgh. Staal was shipped to Carolina for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and the eighth pick in the draft in which the Penguins selected Derrick Pouliot. Hockey fans should know Brandon Sutter is but if you were following Chris Kreider's career at Boston College, you should know who Brian Dumoulin is. In my opinion, Pittsburgh won this trade hands down over the long term, especially if Sutter begins to play at a higher level than he was in Carolina. Dumoulin enters the fray now in Pittsburgh who could potentially see time sooner rather than later especially after the Pens traded another defenseman to Phoenix during the draft. So while Pittsburgh freed up more cap space by trading away Zbynek Michalek to the Coyotes for prospects and the Flyers traded away their former on and off backup goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky to Columbus for 3 draft picks, including 2 today, pressure is slowly beginning to grow on Glen Sather to do something regarding the Rangers offensive depth with Gaborik out until Thanksgiving at the earliest.

Still not talking about Nash. He isn't coming here.

Curious to see if Sather trades away some lesser valued prospects for some later round picks. The Rangers do not have a pick after the 4th round.

Too soon in my opinion to draft a goalie with a high draft pick. Unless the Rangers feel like they are unable to re-sign Chad Johnson and Cam Talbot to contracts, I wouldn't expect a goalie to be selected on day 2.

Names to watch for at the draft

I've scoured the internet once again looking at some NHL mock drafts and have compiled a few names I feel may help the Rangers down the road. Remember, Gordie Clark and the Rangers scouting staff have surprised us for the past couple years when it came to first round picks, so the chances of one of these guys being taken by the Rangers when they finally pick 28th is slim.

Stefan Matteau 6' 1" 209 lbs - C - (USHL)

Of course I had to start with the son of a Rangers hero and legend. Last season with the U-18 US National Development Team, Matteau played 46 games and was 15-17-32. Matteau is ranked 17th in North America by Central Scouting. Matteau's positives are his forechecking ability and his ability to win puck battles along the boards. Has been called an "immovable object" in front of the crease. One of the biggest negatives about him is discipline issues although with maturity comes better discipline so I don't foresee that becoming an issue as he gets older and closer to becoming NHL ready. There are also some concerns about his skating ability and total offensive skillset. Basically what the NHL got from Stephane is the NHL future you hope for out of Stefan. Matteau is considered as a 'safe' mid to late first round pick, although a couple draft boards have him going early in the second due to his discipline issues that might scare away teams.

Phillip Di Giuseppe 6' 1" 200 lbs - LW - Michigan (NCAA)

It could be time once again for the Rangers to tap right back into the Michigan University pipeline by selecting Di Giuseppe with the 28th overall pick this coming Friday. In his freshman year at Michigan, Di Giuseppe scored 11 goals for 26 points in 40 games. Di Giuseppe is listed as a pure goal scorer first and foremost, with the ability to forecheck, win battles along the half-wall and in the corners. Also described as extremely coachable with a strong work ethic and the competitive drive to get better. Di Giuseppe doesn't have too many negatives listed about him other than he is a 'work-in-progress' in his own end, but with time and added experience, scouts feel those concerns will evaporate. Di Giuseppe is widely listed as the No. 1 draft eligible prospect coming out of the NCAA ranks for this cycle. Some mock drafts that are high on this kid have him going top-20, but the majority have Di Giuseppe picked at the bottom of the first round.

Tanner Pearson 6' 0" 196 lbs - LW - Barrie Colts (OHL)

The 2012 draft will be the third time and likely final time Tanner Pearson will sit and wait to hear his name called on draft day. Because Pearson has an August 1992 birthday, a team probably won't hesitate to sign him to a contract and stick him in the minors from day 1. I've tried to figure out why he was passed over in the draft for the past two seasons. Besides being termed as a 'late-bloomer,' I couldn't really find any realistic answers to that question. Pearson has been scouted as a solid two-way winger, with incredible hockey sense and is said to make difficult passes with ease. Pearson's statistics with the Barrie Colts of the OHL exploded from '10-'11 to '11-'12 going from 15 to 37 goals and from 42 to 91 points and doing that in 6 less games from the season before. Pearson led the OHL in scoring going away at one point, but began to tail off towards the end of the season before breaking his leg in the final game of the regular season and missed the playoffs. Scouts say that Pearson doesn't have any major flaws but say his downside is that he has little upside and isn't dominant in any one area. However in my opinion, that can be fixed with a strong work ethic, motivation and heart. To some this also could be considered a reach at 28 but Pearson is forecasted by most to be taken at the top of the second round.

Tim Bozon 6' 1" 178 lbs - LW - Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

A player who has seen his draft stock rise recently, Bozon, a French national and son of former Blues forward Philippe Bozon, played for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL and was a point-per-game player this past season registering 36 goals and 71 points in 71 games in addition to another 5 goals in 11 games in the  WHL playoffs. Bozon may have one of the best hands in the draft. He is lauded for his superb puck-handling skills with a fast release on his shot, passing the puck through small windows and a strong work ethic. Some negatives is the defensive aspect of his two-way game and has been called "lanky." Bozon earned a WHL Rookie of the Year nomination this past season. Seems like a bit of a reach with the 28th pick but still a name worth pondering over.

Slater Koekkoek 6' 2" 183 lbs - D - Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Don't ask me how to pronounce this guy's name. Koekkoek has been sidelined since November with a torn labrum, which has extremely affected his draft stock. However, Koekkoek was considered as a consensus top-15 pick before his injury and has slid far enough down draft boards to where he may fall to the Rangers at 28. Koekkoek was logging 30+ minute nights for the Peterborough Petes scoring 5-13-18 in 26 games before his injury. Scouts love his size/speed/skill, he possesses a low, hard, heavy shot from the point and is not afraid to jump into the play on offense and knows when to stay back. Koekkoek is a superior skater with the hockey IQ to make sound decisions with the puck. There isn't a whole lot of negatives besides improving his game in his own end and could look to add a few pounds of muscle to his frame as his shoulder continues to improve. I've got to imagine the Rangers would be thrilled to see this kid fall on their laps at the draft and add him to the embarrassment of riches the team has had on their blueline recently and their depth would allow Koekkoek to come along slow and not be forced to rush to the Rangers roster too quickly.

Ville Pokka 6' 0" 198 lbs - D - Karpat (SM-liiga)

I've seen this young Finn in several mock drafts taken between 25th and 35th overall and felt compelled to do a small write up about him. Pokka was a key blueliner for Team Finland in the U-18 and U-20 World Juniors. Pokka was good for 6 points in 7 games at the U-18 juniors and had 7 points in 12 games at the U-20 tournament. I've read that Pokka in transitioning from defense to offense makes an excellent first pass out of the zone, which was a noticeable area of deficiency for the Rangers in the playoffs. Pokka is also a right handed shot which is a valuable commodity in today's NHL.  Worked out well at the scouting combine. Some listed negatives about Pokka is that he is not fast and will probably get turned around by the elite skaters in the NHL and has a poor reach for a man his size. Although Pokka is likely about 3 years away from playing North American hockey, he is labeled as a sure fire high end second round pick who may sneak into the first round.

Stay or Go: Best of the Rest

For the final part of the blog's Stay or Go Series, a quick run down of the remaining Rangers up for contract renewal.

Mats Zuccarello- Zuccarello had his own entry to this Stay or Go series, but admitted on twitter on June 1st, that this past season was his last as a Ranger.

Steve Eminger- I can't imagine a scenario in which Eminger is on the club next season if the Rangers sign/trade for another defenseman either from the outside or call up a prospect such as Erixon. Also dependent on whether Stralman's contract is renewed.

Stu Bickel- Likely back to the Connecticut Whale next season.

Jeff Woywitka- Filled in admirably in Staal's absence, but only played one game in the 2012 calendar year. Slim to none chance at return.

John Scott- Ugh...

Just say 'nyet' to Radulov

Ever since Larry Brooks' article (and subsequent firestorm) in the NY Post last weekend over the Rangers calling up Nashville to kick the wheels on a possible deal regarding acquiring the rights to Alex Radulov, I given it little thought as to whether I really want this guy on my team. First off, it's virtually impossible for the Rangers to truly replace a 40 goal scorer without selling the farm to another team and Sather has made it clear he is under no circumstances about to do that. Radulov in any potential deal to the Rangers won't require Sather to really give up anything valuable in a trade. The Predators have zero leverage in any deal because of their outright willingness to get rid of him, so in that aspect it makes some sense that the Rangers would be interested. However, what does not make sense is exactly how he would fit on this team. If you read in-between the lines of quotes from Nashville brass from this offseason so far they couldn't wait for this season to end so their organization can finally wash their hands clean of Alex Radulov. I think Radulov would be a terrible fit in Torts' system. Forget about blocking shots, if Radulov ever gave effort back-checking it would be a shock. If and a big if, Radulov take a big paycut to play here on a 1 year contract, then by all means, but ultimately unless he's absolutely ready and willing to do what it takes to win the NHL and specifically the Rangers and not KHL Russian brand of hockey...

Pass.