16 Ranger Games to be Televised Nationally (Update)

The National Hockey League released the schedule for games to be televised Nationally during the 2010-11 season earlier this afternoon. Below I included all of the contests which the Rangers will be taking part in (16) that will be on either Versus or NBC.

On Versus:

October 18th vs Colorado

November 9th vs Washington

November 17th vs Boston

December 15th @ Pittsburgh

January 24th @ Washington

February 1st vs Pittsburgh

February 7th @ Detroit

March 1st vs Buffalo

March 30th @ Buffalo

April 4th vs Boston

April 7th vs Atlanta


On NBC:

February 13th vs Pittsburgh

February 20th vs Philadelphia

March 6th vs Philadelphia

March 20th @ Pittsburgh

April 3rd @ Philadelphia

Note that all of the NBC games are subject to change in case of scheduling problems.

Guest Blog #3: Atlantic Division Preview

Written by Patrick McCormack

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After falling one shot short of making the playoffs last year, the New York Rangers will start the 2010-2011 season looking to find themselves back in the postseason. Looking at their competition in the Atlantic Division, below is how I think things will turn out.

First - Pittsburgh Penguins

After being upset in the second round of the playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens in 2010, the Pittsburgh Penguins are returning to the ice with many members of their Championship team from two years ago. The Pens are led by 21-year-old super star Sidney Crosby, as well as Russian phenom Evgeni Malkin. Not to mention they also have a solid goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury. Due to their explosive offensive attack and stellar goaltending, they should be up there in the Eastern Conference in wins. Even with the loss of Sergei Gonchar on defense, they will not feel the hit because he is being replaced by another skilled defenseman in Paul Martin. Their strong penalty killing, led by Jordan Staal, and their excellent powerplay, led by Crosby and Malkin, will deliver the Penguins’ to success, and another Atlantic Division Title.

Second - Philadelphia Flyers

The Eastern Conference Champs look to return back to the cup finals in the upcoming season. The Flyers are returning almost the same team as last season, which was a group of players who played a hard nose and scrappy style of hockey, led by Scott Hartnell and Jeff Carter. These two individuals are the main men on the penalty kill. They also have Blair Betts who doesn’t score a lot but is one of the best defensive centers in the game. Along with those two, the Bullies also have Danny Briere and Mike Richards, who are two great scorers that help the Flyers have one of the better powerplays in the league. Also added in Philadelphia this offseason was Nikolai Zerdev; a proven scorer in the league which will make a splendid replacement for Simon Gagne. The Flyers tough style of play will get them back into the playoffs, and to the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference standings

Third - New York Rangers

Just missing the playoffs last year hurt the New York Rangers, and they are looking to get back in during the 2010-2011 season. The Rangers are basically the same team as last year, with a few additional upgrades. The first upgrade is the acquisition of Alexander Frolov. Frolov has shown he can be a big time scorer in the NHL, netting 30-goals twice in his career. The second addition is center Todd White. White is an experienced veteran who brings leadership to the club. The Rangers also added an experienced backup goalie to the team in Martin Biron. Biron will make a serviceable backup for Henrik Lundqvist when he needs a game or two off. In addition to this, the Blueshirts have a core of young players who continue to improve. Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Artem Anisimov each could have 25-goal or better years for New York. The young players, along with Frolov and Marian Gaborik (who should score 40 goals this year), will help the Rangers offense and powerplay which has struggled the past couple seasons. The defense, with the addition of Steve Eminger and subtraction of Wade Redden, should also give the Rangers a boost. I believe they will finish third in the Atlantic and get the 7th or 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Fourth - New Jersey Devils

Going into the 210-2011 season, the Devils made a few changes to their team, which was knocked out of the playoffs in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers the previous year. They added Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov, who combine strengthen the New Jersey defense. But with the core of the previous cup teams - Patrick Ellias, Brian Rolston, and Jamie Langenbrunner - all getting older, the Devs will see their stock in the Atlantic Division slide this season. Zach Parise will have to try and help this team as he becomes one of the better players in the NHL. The Devils are still solid in goal with Martin Brodeur, who hasn’t shown any decline in play in the past couple of years. They have also upgraded with the signing of a great backup in Johan Hedburg. Right now I see the Devils finishing forth, but if they can find a way to give Illya Kovalchuk a legit contract I see this team finishing first or second in the division.

Fifth - New York Islanders

The Islanders are young and will improve with that young talent. Nino Niederreiter was a smart pick-up in the draft this summer for the Islanders. Niederreiter, along with John Tavares, Matt Molson and Josh Bailey, will make up a fresh and exciting squad this year, but the main question is can Rick DiPietro stay healthy? Goaltending is an important part of this game, and with the depth of this division soft goaltending will be an Achilles heel for the Isles. They will show a big improvement from last season and probably just miss the playoffs, but in the next couple years, teams will have to watch out for Scott Gordon’s club because of the young up-and-coming talent they posses.

World Hockey Summit and other Thoughts

Writing to you from beautiful Bermuda, where I have been keeping a close eye on all of the happenings in the hockey world despite being on vacation. Let's face it, the real fans of this sport cannot get away from it, no matter how hard they try. Especially when you have a BlackBerry, because then fighting the temptation is even harder.

Anyway, this week they are holding the World Hockey Summit up in Toronto, Canada where popular names in hockey go to discuss different matters involving the sport. Brian Burke (Leafs GM) has spoken already, Jim Hughson (play-by-play Broadcaster) has spoken, as has Brendan Shanahan. And those are just a few of the people who attended. Also there are select members of the media present, which makes it easy for us to hear about what is being discussed at the summit.

Thanks to Jeff Marek of CBC on twitter, below are some of the topics discussed:

• The interference of agents

• Expansion in Europe

• Management of Prospects

• How to get more kids playing the sport

• Fighting

• Bigger rinks

• How to make the sport safer

• Length of off-season

Definitely some important matters listed there, and I think the more concerning ones are expansion, agents, and the size of the rink. Two are obvious, but you are probably questioning the size of the rink. Well, some believe the rink should grow with the players, who are getting bigger. While others, meanwhile, feel the smaller keeps make the game quicker. At the same time though, a quicker game means more chance of injury, which is what Bob McKenzie of TSN was trying to express at today's summit session.

As far as the Rangers go, nothing really to report but here are some links from around the web:

Third Jersey = You Money [Rangers Report]
Still nothing doing with Marc Staal [SNY Rangers Blog]
Grading Glen Sather [Blue Seat Blogs]

The Guest Blogs will continue tomorrow with a preview of the Atlantic Division. Hope you are enjoying them!

Guest Blog #2: Time to Embrace this Team

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Written by Michael Spinner

If ever a time existed for legions of fans to embrace a team, it is this time with this team.

As the summer of 2010 approaches the fall, most hockey experts seem to think the New York Rangers have not quite made the moves to advance the franchise from playoff hopefuls to Stanley Cup contenders. Fans waiting for a big-ticket move to help propel the Blueshirts to contender status were left disappointed as new faces such as Derek Boogaard, Alexander Frolov, Todd White, and Steve Eminger did not exactly create shockwaves throughout the NHL.

However, within the framework of a summer when the biggest splash in NHL free agency was a contract that the league ultimately voided, and a Stanley Cup Champion decimated by attrition and trades, the Rangers made one major move that perhaps ascended the 2010-11 edition to the next level of competitiveness … they did absolutely nothing of note. No hulking, bulky, ‘Reddenesque’ contracts that will bog the Rangers down for years to come. No overpriced former sniper who could notch a hat-trick two games in a row, and then go two months without a point. No multimillion dollar defenseman who ‘used’ to be a grinder down low.

The Rangers made a few tweaks, turned over a few names, polished up a few areas, but at the end of the day, they kept a team intact that most hockey observers felt seriously underachieved during the 2009-2010 season. Instead of trying to recreate the team, Rangers management essentially challenged what should be a good team and a superior coach to accomplish what should have happened a season ago. Combined with a slew of solid prospects who are expected to get a shot to make it to the big club, and - you know what? - this team should not only be better than expected … looking at the Eastern Conference, these Rangers have a shot to be quite good.

It is time to embrace the fact that this is a team that can win if it simply plays to its potential. For perhaps the first time during his absolutely atrocious run as Rangers President and General Manager, Glen Sather (for the most part) did not waste away perfectly good cap space this summer, and instead kept a team together that lacked chemistry more than talent a year ago. One thing the Rangers bring to training camp is a sense of familiarity as most of their key players are back, with very few coming off of a great season. There is a lot of talent on this team, and a ton to prove. Motivation should be high. The attitude of this group should be better. Overall, this team brings to camp a series of ‘ifs’ and potential … all of which could lead to an incredible run should it all come together.

There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic if you are a Rangers fan heading into this season:

1. Henrik Lundqvist is STILL the best goalie in the world, and he is STILL a Ranger: If you don’t think a red-hot goalie is enough to carry the Rangers deep into the playoffs, I have two words for you: Jaroslav Halak. Halak, who - by the way - is no longer a threat to the Rangers in the post-season unless it is the Stanley Cup Finals, was perhaps the story of the 2010 post-season. The Montreal Canadians were simply outclassed time after time during their incredible playoff run, but thanks to some timely scoring and Halak’s brilliance, they were very nearly in a position to bring the Stanley Cup to Montreal for the 25th time. If he needed just a little bit more motivation, Henrik Lundqvist had to take from this year’s playoffs that despite all of the NHL’s efforts to add more scoring, a hot goalie can still lead his team deep into the post-season. All the Rangers need to do is find a way to keep Lundqvist fresh, make the playoffs, and potentially score three goals a game, and Lundqvist is capable, if not probable, to do the rest. The first part of that was taken care of when they signed Martin Biron to be their back-up goalie this summer. If Biron can handle enough of the regular season workload and win some games, Lundqvist could very well peak come the spring, and if he is hot in the post-season, this team can be very dangerous come playoff time.

2. Marc Staal will sign, Wade Redden will not last the season, and the Rangers will be better defensively: Before inserting any and all Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden jokes, let’s assume that Wade Redden either does not make the team or he is not on the team very long. At that point, the Rangers are a better team. The Rangers without Redden in the line-up should be a very capable defensive team, and very consistent down low. Rozsival is a giant question mark, but beyond his play, the team will feature a good group of defensemen. Marc Staal will sign a contract at some point and be with this team, simply because while he is a solid defenseman, he is not good enough to sit out for too long, and he knows that. Staal is one of several outstanding young defensemen on this team, all of which played brilliantly at times. Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi, Matt Gilroy, and Staal give the team a terrific defensive core that has another year of experience under its belt. Steve Eminger - while unspectacular - is good enough and brings a lot of experience to help. Rozsival will always be a major question mark, but he has Lundqvist behind him, and - to be honest - was not terrible all the time last season. Add to the mix a slew of young prospects at the blue line, an outstanding penalty-killing unit returning, and a seeming desire to focus on the defensive end, and the Rangers should be able to keep most teams in check this season. Let’s keep in mind one thing … last season, the Rangers held opponents to two goals or less an incredible 13 times and still lost (including the season-ending defeat to Philadelphia). This was not a bad defensive team to begin with, and all indications are that they should be better this year.

3. There will be no Olympics this year: It’s simple - this team will go as far as Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist will take them, neither of which were as good after the Olympic break last season as they were before the break. Without the challenge of having their best players compete in such a physically and emotionally demanding extracurricular as the Olympics, this season could be a crucial plus for the Rangers.

4. Sean Avery and Chris Drury will be outstanding: Optimistic much? Absolutely! Some people will blame the Rangers failures last year on John Tortorella. Others will look at the Rozsival/Redden mistake. Some will take a look at ‘secondary scoring.’ All of these are perfectly legitimate reasons why the Rangers failed to make the playoffs and pretty much underachieved, but the reality is that if Chris Drury had been Chris Drury and Sean Avery had been Sean Avery, the Rangers would have been a better team. Both Drury and Avery enter the 2010-11 season with a ton to prove, and both are the kind of heart and soul players to respond this season. There are a lot of people who look at Drury’s massive contract as a prime example of Glen Sather’s wasteful spending, and a black hole that will hold the team back until the contract experience. Many question whether or not Drury has earned the captain’s ‘C’ he wears. However, Drury’s first two seasons were consistent with the rest of his career. He is the kind of player who scores 25-30 goals per season, plays the special teams, and is the perfect lead-by-example captain. He is never going to be the charismatic, goal-scoring champion to be a captain like Mark Messier and Jaromir Jagr were, but he does so many important things on the ice that helps teams win. Last season, he was a disappointment on the offensive end, but still scored some huge goals for the Rangers. He also was their best penalty killer (along with Ryan Callahan) and never let his scoring struggles impact the rest of his game. Also, keep in mind, he spent most of the season not on the power play, a role he really should reclaim this season. Drury is a great Rangers captain, and a proud player with a lot to prove. Expect him to do just that this season and have a terrific season, and the entire team will benefit.

As for Sean Avery, his role within the team will always be a question mark. Some love him, some hate him, many think he and John Tortorella cannot coexist. My perspective on Sean Avery is that he is one player this team has who nobody else has. When he is on, Avery is a brilliant hockey player who stands up for his teammates and gets under the skin of opposing players. He is a strong skater, a physical presence, and it just seems when he is ‘on’ the Rangers play at their best. Yes, he has baggage, but at some point, Tortorella and company have to embrace the fact that he is the perfect Ranger, and turn him loose. I think the Rangers will reach that point with Avery, and he will respond with the best season of his career. Remember how great Avery was when Dallas came to the Garden last season? Expect to see a lot more of that this season because no Ranger has as much to prove this season as Avery.

Overall, for Rangers pessimists, if it were to be presented that Chris Drury and Sean Avery would have career years, would the pessimism change? From my perspective, both could very well happen, the impact of which will be huge for this team.

5. Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky are ready for the big time: If it is secondary scoring is the Rangers biggest question mark, it is not free agency to cure the problem, it is player development that will. While perhaps the Rangers could have made a play for Ilya Kovalchuk, instead, they added a talented Alexander Frolov who should serve as a great compliment to Gaborik, and they more or less challenged existing players to do more. If the Rangers are going to go far this season, it is Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinskywho will be the proverbial x-factors. Last season, Dubinsky scored 20 goals while missing some time with injuries, and Callahan scored 19 times during a good season overall. Both Callahan and Dubinsky are in their mid-20’s, both have a ton of experience, and both have proven to be a huge component of the Rangers’ future. Now it is time for them to step up and play even bigger roles. While neither player will likely ever lead the league in scoring, it is not out of the question that both players could emerge into consistent 30+ goal scorers and provide the Rangers with the secondary scoring they so desperately need. Had the Rangers retooled the roster through free
agency and trades this summer, we might never know how good these two could be. By not changing too much, particularly among the forwards, Sather, Tortorella, and company have essentially challenged players such as Callahan and Dubinsky to raise their games even further. Both players were fantastic at times last season, expect even better things this year.

6. The East is not a beast by any means: The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup last year not only because they were the best team in hockey, but because they survived the Western Conference, and had enough left in the tank to survive an upstart Philadelphia team in the Stanley Cup Finals. It is almost a foregone conclusion that the Blackhawks are not going to repeat as their
roster suffered significant turnover this season, but it is also very likely that the Stanley Cup will stay in the west. Chicago is a solid, playoff-caliber team, Vancouver and San Jose were outstanding teams a year ago that should only be better this year, Detroit will likely be back in good form, and Los Angeles and Phoenix (among a few others) have the potential to make a lot of noise in the West this season. How about the east? Pittsburgh will absolutely be in the Stanley Cup conversation and had a very good off-season. But, after Pittsburgh, the East seems to drop-off significantly. Of course, the Washington Capitals were a Cup favorite when the playoffs rolled around, but Montreal’s stunning upset of the Caps proved that the Capitals formula can be overcome, and that Alex Ovechkin is the best player in hockey … during the regular season. The Capitals are not significantly better than they were a year ago, and anybody who thinks that Philadelphia’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals is a sign of things to come is simply wrong. Boston and New Jersey (with or without Ilya Kovalchuk) will be nothing more than a team capable of reaching the second round of the playoffs. What this means for the Rangers is that getting to the playoffs will not require a major feat, and going as far as the Eastern Conference Finals requires this team to keep a hot Henrik Lundqvist rested, and three goals per game. This team can do enough to make the playoffs in a not-so-strong East, and it can win some series if everything listed above comes together. One thing that is absolutely true is that this team is not that far off of the pack in the East. If you don’t believe me, don’t forget that the Rangers were literally a goal away from overtaking the Flyers for the final playoff spot in the East last season, the same Flyers team that went to the Finals. Does this mean the Rangers would have advanced to the Finals had they won that game? Of course not. But does it mean that the Rangers were a step behind the pack last season, and capable of taking the next step this season? Absolutely!

7. Glen Sather put his pen away this summer: By not having Ollie Jokinen on the team, Glen Sather proved two things - first, every so often, he watches the games carefully, and secondly, he is not the worst GM in hockey. It is simply inconceivable that Calgary gave Jokinen a two-year deal after his flop in New York last season, but I know I am not the only Rangers fan out there scared to death that Sather would give him a long-term contract. The Rangers did make some moves this summer, and it remains to be seen if free agents such as Derek Boogaard and Alexander Frolov will help, but by not re-signing Jokinen, and not forcing a roster decimation by signing Ilya Kovalchuk and creating salary cap super-stress, Sather had a pretty good summer. It would have been nice to have Kovalchuk and Marian Gaborik on the same team, but not at the cost of some of the Rangers strong younger players. Signing Kovalchuk would have been one of those ridiculous, long-term contracts that Sather loves, but with the reality being that Kovalchuk would not have been the final piece to make the Rangers a Stanley Cup contender, not going after him was a good idea by Sather. Sather’s silence leaves the Rangers with a somewhat balanced team with a ton of youth and a lot of talent, and all of the major prospects are still here. By no means was this a great summer for Sather, but he did not hurt the team, either.

8. John Tortorella: For any Rangers fan who will accept the first six reasons why we should embrace this team, I run the risk of losing support in this, the final section. First, while I only sometimes agree with Larry Brooks’ assessment of Rangers affairs, I do believe he was spot-on with his criticism of John Tortorella a year ago. Tortorella was as inconsistent as the Rangers themselves, with random flip-flops of line combinations, unexplainable benchings of some players but not others, and a seeming lack of command of his team. He made a lot of bad decisions a year ago, right up until his final decision of the season to allow Ollie Jokinen to take the final shootout attempt of the Rangers’ loss to Philadelphia. Overall, of all of the Rangers who underachieved, Tortorella is at the top of the list. However, there are certain facts about Tortorella that leave reason for optimism this season. First, he is not a stupid man, and he could not have walked out of last season feeling good about his performance. Secondly, last season was his first full season as this team’s coach, and when you go from a conservative approach like Tom Renney had, to the attacking approach that Tortorella desires, it takes more than a year to achieve success.

Hidden within Tortorella’s disappointing year behind the bench was what can only be considered a growth spurt towards the end. The Rangers, with their backs against the wall, gained points in nine of their last 10 games to just fall short of the playoffs. They were a different team during that stretch, scoring three or more goals seven times, and playing a physical style that was almost enough to get the Rangers into the post-season. There were many reasons for this, one of the biggest was that Tortorella rolled four lines fairly evenly, allowing the Rangers fourth line (namely Jody Shelly and Brandon Prust) to emerge as perhaps its best group of forwards down the stretch. Maybe, just maybe, the Rangers play down the stretch proved to be the wake-up call John Tortorella needed. The Rangers will not have four great lines entering the 2010-2011 season, but they will have 12 forwards in every game who can win. If Avery and Drury can rebound from disappointing seasons last year, if Callahan and Dubinsky can emerge as superstars, if Erik Christiansen and Alexander Frolov can add a consistent playmaking and scoring punch, and if Brandon Prust and Artem Anisimov can continue the development they showed towards the end of the season last year, Torts will have four good lines to roll, allowing the Rangers scorers to rest during game, and allowing players such as Avery, Prust, and Derek Boogaard to establish a physical presence. Tortorella may have been on to something at the end of last season, and if he can prove to be capable of just a little more change heading into this season, his presence behind the bench could be the biggest development of the 2010-2011 campaign.

Ultimately, this is an unspectacular team entering training camp, and the 2010-11 version of the New York Rangers have a ton of question marks, but the fact that the Rangers enter the year very much under the NHL radar is a cause for optimism within itself. While it is hard to enter training camp thinking this team is better than Pittsburgh and Washington in the East and several strong teams in the West, it is also not out of the question that if many of the above possibilities come to fruition, if players such as Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik play as superstars of their caliber should play, and if Sather - who has proven to be an astute GM when it comes to the trading deadline - can pull off a mid-season move or two to supplement a good team, this team may very well find itself not only in the playoffs, but with the best goalie in the world, and the potential to do what Montreal almost did a year ago. Any way you shake it, this team has something to prove after last year’s disappointment, and many of the individuals need to have career seasons or be in a position to fight for their careers. That alone is enough to see an improved product on the ice.

At the end of the day, these are the New York Rangers - our New York Rangers - and it is time to embrace this team.


[Note by Nick Montemagno: I must say Michael did an amazing with this piece and I think he gives great reasons for why we should embrace this team. In fact, Michael has quite the resume in the writing field:

Michael Spinner is currently a Norwalk, Connecticut resident who has more than 20 years of print journalism experience. He is a well known name in the lacrosse journalism community, having worked as an Assistant Editor of Inside Lacrosse, the Managing Editor of the now-defunct 360Lacrosse.com, and is currently a senior columnist for e-lacrosse.com. As a full-time job, Spinner is the Director of Athletics at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, starting in this new position on Sept. 1.

Will hopefully have a post up later this afternoon on the World Hockey Summit taking place up in Toronto. In the meantime, hoping you are enjoying the Guest Blogs!]

Guest Blog #1: The New York Rangers 1970-2010

[Note by Nick Montemagno: Hey guys. As you know I will be on vacation this week, so these guest blogs submitted by readers will be up in place of my usual articles. Below is our first guest blog of the week.]

Written by John Palumbo (aka Pal59)

First let me give you a little background on myself. I have been a Rangers fan since 1968 however it was a little difficult getting much team or game information when you are 6000 miles away in a hot steamy jungle so let me begin with the 1970’s.

In the 1969/1970 season the Rangers struggled to make the playoffs, having to pull Eddie Giacomin in their final game to score enough goals to squeeze into the playoffs, which they did. However they were knocked out by the Boston Bruins in 6 games. But the worst part of that year was after the season ended. Terry Sawchuck and Ron Stewart, who were roommates, got into a fight over some bills and due to the internal injuries suffered by Sawchuck he died 1 month later. Too my knowledge, Stewart never did any jail time.

From 1970-1974 the Rangers averaged 45 wins per year and made the playoffs each year, and in that span went to the finals once in 1972; the same season Vic Hadfield became the first Ranger to score 50 goals. But Jean Rattelle broke his ankle crossing the street and they were eliminated in 6 games to those same Boston Bruins.

The next season we had another good year finishing in 3rd with 94 points only to be eliminated in 7 games by the up and coming Broad Street Bullies who went on to win 2 consecutive Cups in 1973/74 and 1974/75.

From 1974-1979 the Rangers went through many changes, some very unpopular with the fan base. In 1975/76 Emile “The Cat” Francis, who was GM after leaving the bench the year before, did the unthinkable at that time, he released Eddie Giacomin only to have Eddie come back within a few days with the Red Wings and beat the Rangers in MSG. A few months later another unbelievable event occurred. The GM traded away Jean Rattelle and Captain Brad Park for Phil Esposito and a washed up Ken Hodge. The Bruins kept on their winning ways making the playoffs but not winning the Cup. But we took a turn into the abyss when we missed the playoffs in both 1975/76 and 1976/77. But it gets worse!

First we change the jerseys from the diagonal logo to the shield, which I personally hated. We also hired Mr. Sweat Suit Jean Guy Talbot (for any of you that didn’t know this is the coach who wore a sweat suit behind the bench). He looked more like a mob hit man than a hockey coach and the team finished last but made it to the playoffs and were beaten in a best of 3 by the Buffalo Sabers. Mr. Sweat Suit was fired and Freddy “the fog” Shero was hired.

Once Fred took over Ranger fans had hope the team would get back to the playoffs and bring home that elusive prize “THE CUP”. When the season started the Rangers were back in their original sweaters and compiled another 40 win season. They dominated the LA Kings and Flyers, then the best of all eliminated the Fishsticks in 6 games with JD standing on his head! But we fell short to the Canadiens and lost the finals in 5 games.

The 1980’s had many ups and downs but still no Cup and the Rangers, who became “Fat Cats” in the late 70’s, brought in guys like Guy LaFleur, Barry Beck and the “Beezer” in net. We even traded for a coach - Michel Bergeron - in 1987/88, but never got beyond the semis in the years we made the playoffs, which were from 1980-1987, missing in the 1987/88 season. In 1988/89 the Rangers traded for Bernie Nicholls and Mike Gartner, but were eliminated by the Caps and John Druce, who absolutely killed the Rangers single handedly.

The 90’s. We all remember the 90’s for one year; 1994, one for the ages and one I’ll never forget. Remember the sign “now I can die in peace”? I still have the shirt!!! But some interesting events occurred in that decade.
In 1992/93 we thought we had traded for Eric Lindros only to find out the Quebec Nordiques also agreed to trade him to the Flyers, then an arbitrator got involved and we lost….. Or did we really win??

What can I say about 94 that we all haven’t seen or heard? We had a great ONE year coach in Keenan, the ultimate leader in Messier to go along with Leetch, Graves and Richter. For the next 3 seasons, 94/95-96/97, we made the playoffs but even with the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky could not go far. Then the playoffs disappeared for the next 7 years!

In the new millennium there was a lockout, a salary cap instituted and a Ranger great traded. In the 2003/04 GM Glen Sather did the unthinkable as Emile Francis did some 30 years earlier; trade away a fan favorite and a Ranger great Brian Leetch, who went to the Maple Leafs. We all thought the salary cap was going to put an end to wild spending and poor decisions for awhile but we would soon come to know this was to be a short lived.

Now we come to the more current and present day Rangers. Once Jagr was hurt and we lost to the Devils in the 05/06 playoffs and with Brendan Shanahan on board for the 06/07 season, we were knocked out by the Sabres and Captain Clutch. After this the Sather free agent feeding frenzy was on. When free agency opened Sather immediately signed Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, moves which 99.9% of Rangers fans applauded but would soon come to regret. Even tough we made the playoffs and were knocked out by the Penguins, it was a disappointing year. In 08/09 we again made the playoffs, but were eliminated by the Capitals.

In the summer of 2008 Sather continued his bad decisions and wasteful spending by severely overpaying Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival. We soon came to realize that Scott Gomez was not going to work out here and Slats traded him to Montreal in June 2009, with the principal player we got back being Chris Higgins. Also soon to be on the move was young defenseman Ryan McDonagh. So we got some cap relief but are still buried with the Drury, Redden and Rozsival contracts.

Then last year we finally make a smart signing in Gabby, but were quickly fooled when Brashear was signed and overpaid and never added anything to the team. This can also be said for Rissmiller and Voros, and thank goodness all three are now gone.

Now here we are, August 2010, after making another questionable signing in Derek Boogaard and finally getting some secondary scoring help in Alex Frolov. The team is looking forward to a fresh start after the horrific shootout elimination from the playoffs last year.

Even though we seem to be a borderline playoff team at best, I like the infusion of young talent the Rangers have acquired via the draft and a key trade or two. We have a top flight scorer in Marian Gaborik and a world class goalie in Hank, and with a defensive group of young up and coming defensemen there is hope for the back-line.

Now we can watch players (I hope) like Dubi and Cally pick up their game and Anisimov develop into a second line center. With Brandon Prust, Sean Avery and the “Boogie Man” we have enough toughness on the team. I’m confident Redden will be waived and the defense learns to grow and come up big especially after Staal is re-signed.

If we get Gabby help in scoring from Frolov, Dubi, Cally, Prospal, Prust and Avery up front (maybe little Mats Zuccarello-Aasen steps up and we get some pop from him) we can tell THN to stick it.

We need to keep going with the young players and have them become our core for years to come and turn this team back into contenders. Let’s all hope that Slats doesn’t make any moves that trade away our young guys for some over the hill 35-year-old.

All in all I have high hopes for this team, and I hope you all enjoyed some Rangers’ history and my take on things to come. Thank you all!

Guest Bloggers to Invade Rangers Tribune

Okay, not really. But as I have mentioned on the blog and in our chats in the past, I will be on vacation this week meaning I will not be around to update the site as often as I have been throughout the summer. In my place I decided to allow five readers of the site to turn into writers of the site for the week and get their shot in the spotlight by submitting a guest blog. Starting Monday and going through Friday, here on the site I will be posting a guest blog submitted by a reader everyday while I am away. Looking over them all, these guys did a fantastic job and will certainly grab your interest with what they have to say. I strongly suggest you read each and every one because they were written by die-hard fans just like yourselves.

To be honest, I was not sure what to expect because it was the first time I was trying something like this on the site. But to my surprise, the selected guest bloggers gave me ace material in return. I was extremely impressed by what was submitted and thank all of the guest bloggers that are filling in for me while I am lounging in the pink sand of the Bermuda beaches. They all wrote from a fan's perspective and some even shared some personal stories that I found amusing.

I will be checking in as often as I can and will post any updates surrounding the Rangers if news breaks, but there is a slim chance any does. When I get back, which will be next weekend, it will be time to prepare for the upcoming Rangers season which we will be welcoming with a new and improved look here on the Rangers Tribune. Included in that new look will be a guest blogs section of the site, where any reader can submit a post - just like the guest blogs you will be reading over the next five days - on a separate page of the site.

I am very anxious to publish the new platform, which I will be doing on Monday, August 30th, because I think you all will love it. It will welcome readers' opinions even more so than now because that, in total, is our goal here on the site: to serve all fans in every way we can.

So until I get back, enjoy the week and enjoy the guest blogs! And if for any reason you need to contact me, just shoot me an Email by submitting a message to the Contact form which is located on a designated page up top, or you can always send me a message on Twitter. Either way I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

Shame on the Toronto Sun, and all those who disrespect Bloggers

Over the past year, while establishing myself as a mainstream blogger, the only thing that has turned me off about what I do is the disrespect Bloggers are shown. I have seen it every now and then and it got to me a little bit. I am usually not one to care what others think, because quite honestly if you are going to cover a team publicly you need to have thick skin and know how to take criticism. But something that happened earlier today over in Leafs Nation caught my attention, and most hockey bloggers' out there as well.

Pension Plan Puppets, a fabulous Toronto Maple Leafs blog, recently had a friend of theirs translate an article from Czech to English, which revealed information about defenseman Tomas Kaberle. Now when I say translate, it does not mean that the individual ran it through Google's translation program. I mean that they actually sat there and word-by-word transformed a piece written in a foreign language so that all of their North American readers could comprehend what was being said. That sort of work takes hours to do, especially when it is a full article they are translating. Just ask Laurie Carr of Beyond the Blueshirts, because she does something similar to that for Ranger news that comes from overseas.

Anyway, three days ago the guys over at Pension Plan Puppets published the translation for their readers to see. Today, three days later, the exact translation was found in an article written by the Toronto Sun, which is a media source/newspaper up in Canada. The story was then picked up by major sources such as TSN, who gave the Sun all of the credit thinking that they were the ones who originally translated it. Mind you that no credit was given to Pension Plan Puppets.

When PPP contested the Sun on their word-for-word plagiarism, the newspaper responded by saying things like "the source of the translation is irrelevant" and to "get over it". So not only did they go out and copy someone else's work, but they are blatantly admitting to doing so and telling the bloggers to "get over it". Unprofessional, unclassy, and pure disrespect. Those are the traits the Toronto Sun displayed in their pathetic actions.

The reason I am writing about it and making my readers aware is because it all goes back to the lack of respect Bloggers are shown. Okay, I understand that any random Joe can go out there and start a blog and claim themselves to be a "blogger" and curse on the site, and just display unprofessional qualities. Those kind of people I can understand not being shown respect by the mainstream media. But when an individual takes time out of their life to provide non-stop coverage of a team in a professional matter, work many hard hours, and take on the task as if it is a job, then I disagree with anyone who thinks they should be looked down upon just because they are not credentialed by the team that they cover.

Blogging is what I like to call new media, and it is gaining attention quickly. You see it right here, as we have built a large community of readers even though the guy behind it all, myself, is just another fan like the rest of you. Sure I have been credentialed for events before, but I am in no way affiliated with the Rangers or Madison Square Garden where I could go and sit in the press box for every game. But is that really what matters to readers? No, the opinion and the way in which it is presented matters to readers and that is why blogs like myself and Pension Plan Puppets become a part of the media, even though newspaper writers and what not try to shoot that down and tell us were are nothing. If a site is getting over 1,000 hits a day they are doing something right and are not "nothing".

Now I cannot speak on behalf of all bloggers, but I take what I do seriously. I see this as a job and my goal is to give my audience of fans the best possible coverage of the New York Rangers possible, just as PPP does with the Leafs. And whether or not the "old media" will admit that or not, they know it, especially if they are going as far as to plagiarize blogger's work.

And just to clarify, not all newspaper writers are stuck up like the Toronto Sun. There are plenty of beat writers out there that understand what we do and praise us for it. And those are the people I have great respect for and those are the people I am more inclined cite as a source when information about the team is released. So thank you to all of those who respect blogging and all of the hard work that goes into it.

What to do with the Shootout

Getty Images

What is now labeled the "skills competition", shootouts in the National Hockey League have become far too common since their creation following the lockout. Winning and losing in sports has always revolved around a team effort, but the shootout has worked its way around that concept by putting a game, or even a season in former Ranger Olli Jokinen's case, in a single player's hands. That, to me, is unfair and takes away from the sport. It proves nothing because anyone could become consistent in the shootout even though they are most often a fourth line player (remember Fred Sjostrom?), and any goaltender can be unstoppable one-on-one even though they have a goals against average of five during regulation time.

This has been a growing issue that is sitting on the league's plate right now, and is also a topic that was discussed at this week's research and development camp. With the Rangers having their playoff hopes crushed at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers in a shootout in the final game of the season last year, this issue has come to the attention of league officials a bit quicker than they may have expected. The format must be changed because an entire 82-game season should not end with a one-on-one match-up. It should be the team's responsibility if they win or lose, not just one player's.

They could always go back to the old format where games end in a tie after a five minute overtime period goes by without the game-winning goal scored. Or they could make overtime like it is in the playoffs where it is continuous until a team scores and wins, but that would result in some long nights and extra fatigue that players would not want if they have to play the next day or are on a road trip.

So the league has a big decision to make when it comes to the shootouts, because I do not see them figuring out a way to totally get rid of them. I do not think that is their goal in all of this anyway, the objective here is to make them less frequent. Although the Rangers have always seen an advantage in going to the shootout since they have Henrik Lundqvist back there who is one of the best netminders in the game one-on-one.

In fact, Lundqvist is second in the league in shootouts played so he has a boatload of experience in that area. His ability to out-wait forwards is incredible and is something that not all goaltenders are able to do. In the 2008-09 season it almost felt like the Blueshirts would coast through overtime and try to get to the shootout because they knew they had a better chance at winning. Most often they did with Hank in net and Zherdev, Sjostrom and Naslund shooting on offense.

But nonetheless this is something the league is looking into and I agree with it. Like I said, winning and losing in sports has always been about a team effort and it should not come down to a single member coming in on a goalie. As a hockey player myself, I was never a fan of them because I always felt there was too much pressure. I must admit that I was pretty good at them as a shooter, but even still, it did not sit well with me taking credit for the win because of a goal I scored one-on-one with the goalie. I would think players in the NHL would feel the same way, especially since they are on a much larger stage.

Also, head over to Blueshirt Banter and read my feature story on Brendan Shanahan, who we picked as the best Ranger to ever wear the number 14. 

Dear THN: Rangers are better than 13th (Update)

Reuters Pictures

Talking to fellow fans, hitting up other blogs, and reading The Hockey News' article myself, the fans' disgust with the Rangers being predicted to finish thirteenth in the Eastern Conference next season is as clear as a bell. While the Rangers may be a team that has struggled year in and year out, trust me when I say they are much better than thirteenth in the Conference. Maybe ten, maybe even eleven, but thirteen is too much of an exaggeration for my liking.

I know it may seem like a biased opinion coming from me since I am a fan myself, but for those of you that have followed the blog for a while know darn well that if something is wrong with this team, I will not hold back from saying it. But in this case, I am going to defend the Blueshirts in a situation where I think they are being taken advantage of.

But first, here is The Hockey News' rankings of the teams that will not make the playoffs:

9. Carolina Hurricanes
10. Ottawa Senators
11. Atlanta Thrashers
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
13. New York Rangers
14. New York Islanders
15. Florida Panthers

And here is their reason why the Rangers "should" be ranked so low:

"Why: Missing the playoffs on the last day of the regular season must still be stinging the Rangers and it won't help we've slotted them in at unlucky No. 13 for 2010-11. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist is about the only reason the Rangers are still afloat and you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who believes Marian Gaborik will make it through another season untouched by injury."

I will be hard-pressed to find anyone who believes Marian Gaborik will be untouched by injury? I have two things to say to that. First of all, I do not think he will pass by without any minor injuries. He had a few minor ones in 09-10 but that did not put an end to his season like The Hockey News is trying to make it sound. Secondly, I bet I could gather at least 500 people that visit this site today that believe Gaborik will play for majority of the season, which is a much more likely scenario. So keep telling me I will be "hard-pressed" to find others that believe he will be healthy this season, because I have an entire pool of fans right here that believe otherwise.

Then they go on to talk about Henrik Lundqvist, saying he is the only reason the Rangers went anywhere last year. Well, then how do you turn around and tell us that the team is going to finish lower in the standings with the same goalie that you claim is the reason they finished tenth last year? It is not like Henrik will lose all of his skills over the summer, so explain to me why, if Henrik - who has more support offensively and defensively this year - will not be able to carry the team higher than ten this time around? Why lower? There is no logic to that, absolutely none.

And I will also add in that, on paper, the Rangers will be putting a better product out on the ice this season compared to last season. With the additions of Alexander Frolov and Martin Biron, accompanied by the subtraction of Wade Redden (assuming he is waived), Olli Jokinen and Aaron Voros, the team is much stronger than last year and I believe will have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. They will be in the race for the final few playoff spots, not thirteenth.

And if I am wrong, I have a feeling I will be getting a nice Email from The Hockey News in April with a link to this article. However, that is a risk I am willing to take because I highly doubt they will finish thirteenth.

You are probably wishing you could fast forward to April right now just to find out what happens, aren't you? Unfortunately that is not possible so I will end this riveting piece like any other attention grabbing film or book would end:

To be continued........

UPDATE: I had to add this comment from Vin, a dedicated reader of the site, to the article because I felt that it was so well said and goes even further in proving my point:

"You're absolutely right, it is unfair and completely baseless. To assume that Gaborik will get injured so the team won't do better than 13 is ridiculous. Especially when he just came through a whole season relatively unscathed on a much less tough team. It's just plain lazy reporting. Not a mention of offensive signings in Frolov and MZA, nothing about the great prospects in McDonagh, Stepan, Grachev, etc.

But I love being the underdog and sticking it to them. Look forward to April and sending them an email asking when they plan to eat their words and if they would like some mustard with that."

Rangers Tribune Off-season Weekly Chat #9

Live Chat Tonight at 8!

Tonight will be the ninth off-season chat here on the Rangers Tribune (that was fast), and like the past few weeks we will again do it up Q and A style to start things off and then work from there. Last Thursday's chat, I felt, was one of the best yet so I am looking forward to an even better one this evening. We will probably start talking training camp a bit because that is just around the corner and I know fans are getting more and more anxious as the days go on.

As a side note, tonight's chat will be the second-to-last off-season weekly chat here of the summer. There will not be a chat next week since I will be away on vacation, but we will hold one last chat for the summer the following week and then it is time to kick it into gear as the season will be approaching us. I am hoping to hold chats throughout the season - not as often - but I have not figured out exactly when just yet. Will keep you posted though.

Day One Recap of the NHL's Research and Development Camp

A few weeks ago I told readers about the National Hockey League's research and development camp run by former Ranger Brendan Shanahan. The camp, which is being used to test out some new ideas for rule changes, began yesterday as amateurs took the ice on a rink that may have looked a bit unfamiliar to them. Why? Well thanks to Chris Johnston, a beat writer for the Canadian Press, we have pictures to show of some of the changes Shanahan put to the test during day one on Wednesday.

First Up: The one faceoff circle per zone 

I do not remember this being mentioned in the list of what will be tested, but either way I am not a fan. The whole point of two faceoff circles is so a) the goalie does not have a faceoff right in front of his face and b) whichever side the shot came from or whatever stopped play, that's where the faceoff is held. Here, it is right in the middle which means coaching staffs would have to rearrange how all of their players line-up at a faceoff, otherwise the goalie will be blinded by bodies.

Thumbs down to the single faceoff circle.

Second: Thicker Blue-lines

Now this is something I like, even though I may be in the minority. I believe that thicker blue-lines will help prevent offside calls during a game and here is why. Most often, and offside call occurs when a player is carrying a puck into the offensive zone, and his linemate is trying to hold back so both of his skates do not cross the line. That is usually a difficult thing to do when you are moving at high speeds and the blue-line is always 12 inches wide. By making it 24 inches, it gives skaters more time to brace themselves and pull up before the puck crosses the line. And remember, a player is allowed one skate over the blue-line and offside will not be called. If both cross before the puck does, however, then play is stopped and the faceoff comes outside.

Third: Line Changing Zones

When I fist heard of this idea I thought it was going to make the ice too "busy" in a sense, but what we see above is not as bad as I originally pictured it. However, I am not crazy about the concept because I can assure you that it is very rare that a player waiting to jump over the boards will wait until the player coming off is such a short distance away from the bench like the shaded area shows above. I think this will cause a great amount of confusion and will result in more "too many men on the ice" calls rather than reduce them. I like the rule the way it is now.

Fourth: Painted Nets

I did not include a picture of this one because it was difficult to see, but basically the white mesh that makes up the netting part of the goal was spray painted red, which the NHL thinks would result in more goals scored. It is possible because a player skating at top speed looking to take a shot may better pick up red netting than white netting, but the problem is once the puck goes in, it is much easier to tell with a white net than a red net. I mean, I know the league keeps their nets loose so when the puck does go in you see the net move, but if they are banking one in off the post or the crossbar, it may be hard for officials to see if it actually went in, especially if it bounces back out like many hard shots do.

Again, special thanks to Chris Johnston who posted all of these pictures on his tweetphoto account yesterday.

A Chance to Meet Some Hockey Legends

Had this Emailed to me recently and I thought I would pass it along to my readers since it includes several New York Rangers' legends. I would definitely recommend attending this event if you are free. Those are some incredible names and Steiner always does a fabulous job with their events.

Here is the Press Release:

MESSIER, LEMIEUX, HOWE, LEETCH, GRAVES, HULL AND MORE TO APPEAR AT IONA COLLEGE’S MULCAHY GYM SATURDAY, SEPT. 25TH AT 10 AM FOR STEINERFEST IV:

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - It will be like a summit meeting of the Hockey Hall of Fame when Rangers’ Stanley Cup hero Mark Messier, two-time Penguins Stanley Cup champion Mario Lemieux and “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe are among the ice icons convening at Iona College on Saturday, September 25, for Steinerfest IV.

Steiner Sports (http://www.steinersports.com/) will present its fourth fanfest, which has grown in popularity with hockey zealots.

In all, 14 stars of the ice will be on hand to meet fans Iona’s Mulcahy Gym, beginning at 10:00 AM through 5 PM. Joining Messier, Lemieux and Howe, an elite trio which has amassed a staggering 6,199 total career points, will be fellow-Hall of Famers Brian Leetch, Brett Hull, Paul Coffey, Andy Bathgate, Harry Howell and Scotty Bowman, as well as past standouts Adam Graves, Ron Greschner, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios and Mike Keenan.

Admission is $10, and $5 for children 12 and under. Fans will be able to purchase player autographs, win raffle prizes, participate in silent auctions, take pictures and more. Tickets can be purchased at the Steiner Sports Store and at Last Licks locations. For more information contact Steiner Sports at 914.301.1000 or www.steinersports.com.

Mulcahy Gym is located at 715 North Avenue in New Rochelle, NY 10801.

The Rangers Tribune Newsletter is Here

As a part of the reconstruction here on the Rangers Tribune, we are introducing a monthly newsletter for the upcoming season. The newsletter will be sent to readers via Email free of charge, and will be sent directly to your inbox once every month. The following will be included in each issue and will be content that is both exclusive and original:

• State of the Rangers
• Player of the Month
• Who's Hot and Who's Not
• Injury Report
• NHL Headlines

All of that will be compacted into one single Email newsletter that readers will receive. I will not be the only one contributing to it, either, as I have a few other Ranger bloggers/contributors that I will be working with as well. I think that will give subscribers a better overall experience since it will be several different opinions all in one Email. 

If you wish to subscribe to the Rangers Tribune Monthly Newsletter, all you have to do is send an Email to [email protected] saying that you would like to be added to the subscriber's list. We will take it from there and you will start receiving the newsletter once a month beginning in September. Remember, it is absolutely free of charge; just another way for us to reach out to our loyal readers.

Just a Month Away

AP Photo

Today, August 17, we are exactly one month away from the opening of training camp for the New York Rangers. It has been approximately four months since we have watched our beloved Blueshirts take the ice at Madison Square Garden, and I know I speak on behalf of the entire fanbase when I say it has been a very lengthy and depressing four months to endure. The Rangers' off-season has not been overly exciting, there has not been the usual stream of legitimate rumors surrounding the team for us to sink our teeth in, and overall it has been one of the worst summers as a Ranger fan since the lockout. Not making the playoffs hurts, and it hurts for a long period of time. Hence the reason we are still feeling the pain.

As much as we may criticize the team during the season. As much as we may hate them when they pull their usual antics. And as much as we may flow with the ups and downs they go through from October to April, the truth is, it is tough living without Rangers hockey so we should be grateful there is only one more month to go in this never ending summer. Only one more month until there is news to report about the team each and every day of the week. Only one more month until there are games to cover every other night. Only one more month until we all can come to this site and discuss something other than what "maybe" will happen or what we "hope" will happen, because it will be happening. When hockey picks back up again, this blog is hopping so I am counting down the days until training camp begins, just as you are I am sure.

Nothing more is expected to go down in Blueshirt-land for the remainder of the summer, except of course a Marc Staal re-signing, which I anticipate will occur eventually. Other than that, a lot depends on training camp. In fact, I think the 2010-11 camp will be one of the more meaningful ones in recent history for New York because there are so many questions that will be answered then. So many roster spots that will be filled. This year's preseason camp is crucial to the Rangers' future and the coaching staff is well aware of that. I, for one, feel it will be action packed with drama, surprises, and stress. All we can do as fans is sit back and watch it unfold. Then, before you know it, October will be here and we all will be filling the seats at MSG once again.

Getting excited yet?

Gaborik goals, Lundqvist saves, Del Zotto outlet passes, and Prust beatdowns for us to get hyped up about. It will all be back and better than ever in 2010-11 and that time could not come soon enough. The first time we see number 10 raise his arms immediately after snapping a shot, the first time we see Lundqvist make a post-to-post kick save, the first time we see Del Zotto send a forward on a breakaway with a pass from his own goal line, and the first time we see Prust drop the gloves at center ice and put his heart and soul into every punch, we will officially know Rangers hockey is back and the joy running through our bodies will be indescribable.

I bet your heart is racing now, eh? Well I hope it is because then that means my mission to refresh your memories (and emotions) of what watching this team is like was successfully accomplished. And the best part? We only have to wait a month until it is happening again live.

Let's Go Rangers!

Rangers and Flyers to Share ECHL Affiliate

Rumors have been floating around lately stating that the New York Rangers would be announcing that they have joined forces with Neil Smith's Greenville Road Warriors as their ECHL affiliate, since their time with the Charlotte Checkers expired after last season. Today this was confirmed by the Road Warriors and they also announced that the Philadelphia Flyers would also be using the Warriors as their ECHL affiliate. Considering the Warriors will be used as an overflow for players that do not have roster spots with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), there is room for the Rangers and Flyers to share.

I know, it seems a bit complicated but it really is not. Either way, we do not hear a whole lot about the Rangers' ECHL affiliate during the season anyway. The more important prospects that we should be keeping an eye on are, for the most part, members of the American Hockey League, QMJHL, OHL, and NCAA.

While on the topic of affiliate teams, there is another rumor out there that the Wolf Pack (AHL) will be renamed the Whalers, which was Hartford's original NHL franchise. There has not been any confirmation on this yet by the Rangers or Wolf Pack, but I thought I would make readers aware since there seems to be a chance it goes through.

Tortorella Makes Redden's Situation Known

AP Photo

If you have been following, MSG Network's Stan Fischler did a two part interview with New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella over the past week in preparation for the 2010-11 season. Fischler asked about the Wade Redden situation and Tortorella was not hesitant at all to give him an answer.

"Wade is a great and proud guy. But I don’t think he played well last year and I told him so. I also told him that if he expects to be in the top six of the defensemen, he’s got to beat out people."

As obvious as it was that Redden did not play well last year, I am not sure every coach in the league would be willing to tell him that straight to his face, let alone make it public in the media. Therefore, I applaud you Torts for showing the "Italian" in you and putting that big mouth to use. I mean we all know that Redden was awful last year, we do not need Torts to point it out for us to realize it. However, it is good to know that the fans and coaching staff are on the same page for once. 

I realize Wade is a veteran defenseman with a plentiful amount of experience in the National Hockey League, but I still have my doubts about his ability to regain his game and build it back up to how it used to be. The thing that bothers me the most about Redden is his speed. Fans are always throwing reasons out there explaining why he is so disgraceful, but speed never seems to be one of them. The guy is as slow as a slug out there and that, I believe, is digging his grave quicker than anything else. If you cannot keep up with the changing speeds of the game now-a-days then you are close to worthless to your club.

This goes back to Tortorella being hungry for young blood, and there is a lot of it available for the defensive position. Right now I believe Ryan McDonagh has a much greater chance of making the team than Redden does, based mostly on the age factor. McDonagh has much more upside and a lot more potential, giving the coaches more to work with. Redden, meanwhile, is what he is and at this point there is no changing that. Plus he is making about six times what McDonagh is.

As of right now, I would say Redden is as good as gone - meaning he will be sent down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League come September. The eventual decision in the Marc Staal disaster will play a part in Redden's fate as well, but even so all signs are pointing to him being waived and buried in the minors. Tortorella's statement to Stan just further reassures that.

That is one of the things I cannot complain about when it comes to John Tortorella. He keeps nothing a secret and lets everyone know where things are. That is unless it is valuable information such as an injury report of some sort that the opposition has no business finding out via the media. Anyway, by the sounds of it, and based on what I have heard about Redden's exit interview, Tortorella does not want the former Ottawa Senator anywhere near his squad next season.

Oh and do not let Torts saying "Redden is a great guy" fool you, because I can promise you that the two do not get along very well at all. That was made evident by when Redden confronted Torts about being benched against the Islanders back in December. And you know that Torts did not back down from him, so clearly there were some fireworks there.

Speaking of fireworks, I am sure plenty will be launched the day Redden is waived. The fanbase has their fingers crossed that management follows through with this move, and does not leave them in disappointment.

Site News: Launch Date, Guest Blogs, Newsletter

Nothing hockey related to report on this Sunday in mid-August, so I thought I would take the opportunity to give readers an update on some site related stuff. As you probably know by now, we have been working hard here on the Rangers Tribune to introduce a new layout for the blog in time for the new season. After many long hours put into this, it looks like we are going to be able to launch it earlier than expected. Monday, August 30 will be the official launch date of the new site and all of its features. You may have been noticing some changes in the layout already, which is in preparation for new site.

I have spoken briefly about this in the past, but there will be a "Guest Blogs" section of the site once the new layout is applied. Basically what this will do is enable readers to make posts of their own and share them with other readers on the Guest Blogs page. I think this will be a great way for users to interact with other fans on the site and give them the opportunity to share their opinions about the team. I will have more details on this on August 30, but I am sure you have already noticed the page up top labeled "Guest Blogs".

Speaking of Guest Blogs, for those of you that signed up to submit one the week of August 23 when I will be away on vacation, I would really appreciate it if you could get me the finished product sometime this week, that way I can go through them all and schedule them to publish. Remember, my Email to contact me at is [email protected] if you have any questions. If anyone else still would like to do a guest blog for that week, please let me know as soon as possible and I will do my best to squeeze it in.

Also, for the new Rangers' season we will be introducing The Rangers Tribune Newsletter, which will be a subscription newsletter via Email that you can sign up for absolutely free. Other than just site news, every month we will send out a full newsletter talking about the state of the Rangers, which will be a piece exclusive to subscribers and will not be available on the site. I should have more information on this later in the week and will start allowing readers to subscribe once I have it. I am just waiting on a few minor details to be finalized with that, but I felt it was another neat feature to add to the site.

One last thing. I have a cool story to tell that I think you all will enjoy. Friday afternoon I received an envelope in the mail addressed to me from an address in Los Angeles, California. I opened it and pulled out a printed copy of my interview with Wayne Gretzky from back in April. I was wondering why someone would be sending me a copy of my own interview, but then I noticed some writing in pen at the top of the printout. The writing said "Good Job!" and just beneath that was the signature of the one and only Wayne Gretzky. Just goes to show why he is called the "Great One"; not only for what he did on the ice, but for what he is doing now off of it.

Callahan Ready for 2010-11 Season

Getty Images

Recently Rangers alternate captain Ryan Callahan did an interview with the Rangers Official website, talking about his preparation for the upcoming NHL season. As always, the 25-year-old winger is determined to take this team places as a leader and hopes that the Blueshirts will make some noise unlike last year. Below I quoted some pieces of the interview I found to be interesting and analyzed them. Nothing else to write about on a Saturday in August so why not start looking forward to next season?

On the youth movement: "I think it means a lot because you get really used to the guys that you are around," said Callahan, the first member of this group to assume an official leadership position on the team. "We have grown up through the system together, starting from the prospect camps when we were drafted. I think that's a big part of why we're going to have success in the future. We have gone through these bumps in the road and all these learning curves all together, and we've had to lean on each other and support each other through different times."

And just to add to what Ryan is saying here, not only is it great that all of these young players are going through the system together, but for players like Evgeny Grachev, Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider, they have Callahan, Dubinsky and Anisimov to turn to for guidance since all of the current NHLers have gone through the same process and went down the same road in order to join the Rangers. I think having someone to give a rookie guidance is always crucial in development, especially since now you have kids coming into the league at age nineteen.

On moving forward after last season's disappointing ending: "I think one of the biggest things about last year is that even though we didn't make the playoffs, we have all of these core guys coming back and we'll use that as motivation," said Callahan. "Everybody knows what we went through last year and what a disappointment it was at the end of the year. So it's pretty important that we're all still together and we all can look back on previous years and what we've been through together.

"I think we're all definitely a lot more hungry. It was tough and I know, personally, it has been a long summer. I think the biggest thing is coming back and not looking at not making the playoffs as a negative, but to turn it around and take it as a positive and as a learning experience."

Could not have said it any better myself. Callahan mentions how it was a long summer. Us, as fans, are well aware of that as we were already looking towards the draft in April. The team, for the first time since the lockout, felt what it was like to watch the playoffs from home and I am sure that is an extremely tough thing to do for a professional athlete. It gives you a feeling of failure that you were not used to growing up and having so much success throughout your career in juniors and all.

That being said, I do not think a single member of that team would like to sit next year's playoffs out as they did this year. Even if they are eliminated in the first round by the first seed, they can at least say they made it and had a chance. Oh and another thing; hopefully they do not wait until game 82 to decide their fate either.

On the new acquisitions: "I think (Alexander) Frolov is a really talented player. We definitely needed some more offense coming to the team, and I think he'll bring that," said Callahan. "Then there's a guy like (Martin) Biron, who I actually just met in Rochester about a week or two ago at a charity event. He seems like a really great guy, and he's going to help Hank out and give him some support where he can take some more games off than he normally would, which I think will help us at the end of the year. And a guy like (Derek) Boogaard speaks for himself in what he does and what he brings to the table."

Artem Anisimov Moving Up in the Lineup

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A good topic that came up in last night's chat was where Russian forward Artem Anisimov will fit in the lineup this season. Last year, a freshman at the time, Artem was switched between third and fourth line minutes by head coach John Tortorella until he eventually found a permanent home on the fourth line towards the end of the year. To me, I felt like talent was being wasted that way because Anisimov is clearly much more than a fourth line player. He is a skilled, slick goal scorer who knows his way around the rink quite well. There are some things he still has to learn, but he showed enough in his rookie season to prove that he deserves to move up in the Rangers lineup.

Anisimov was one of the few Rangers who played in all 82 games last season, and in that span he recorded 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points. And remember, he did that playing on the third and fourth lines, which means ten minutes of ice time per game at most. Offense was not the only area of Artem's game where I noticed much improvement, as he was very strong defensively as well, in contrast to most Russian players the Rangers have brought in over the years. Tortorella was even at the point where he would put Anisimov out on the penalty kill if he had to. These are all good signs for a rookie.

With all of that general and obvious information out of the way, I would like to talk about this kid's offensive skill and potential. I did not know what to expect from him heading into training camp last year, I was just basing my opinion on the good things I heard about him out of Hartford (AHL). Then once preseason came and Artem scored that pretty goal against the Red Wings in Detroit followed by the brilliant tally in Boston I knew we had a future star on our hands.

Most of Anisimov's goals came from right outside the crease around the net. Not all were dirty goals (rebounds, deflections etc) but most were from in close. This is the difference between scoring 12 goals in a year and 25; many of those goals around the net were plays started by other players that Artem finished. Go back and look at his highlights and most plays were started from elsewhere on the rink and Artem befitted from that. The kid knows how to get to the net, but last year, he was not experienced enough to do so while carrying the puck, therefore unable to create scoring chances of his own.

Over and over again you probably heard me say that if he puts on some weight and strength he will be something special. You probably heard me say it a lot in my postgame recaps, and you probably got sick of hearing it. But you know what? Putting on some extra pounds will allow Anisimov to get to the net while carrying the puck because he already has the hands to do so, but the rest of his body is not as well equipped.  Defensemen took advantage of him and he got rocked when he brought the puck into the slot. If he applies himself to the right diet and exercise, this will be a problem no longer.

Taking all of this into consideration, Anisimov should be given the opportunity to play on one of the top two offensive lines and as of right now, that seems to be the plan. When talking to Rick Carpiniello of Rangers Report last week, he told me that the Rangers want Artem centering the second line next season depending on how he performs in training camp. Put him with Callahan and Dubinsky and you have a second line worthy of making some noise. And if Frolov does not work out on Gaborik's line, the Russian-Russian combination is never a bad idea either.

Anisimov's 2009-10 Highlight Reel:

Rangers Tribune Off-season Weekly Chat #8

Live Chat Tonight at 8!

Last week we tried something different for our Off-season Weekly chats, as I had readers come on and ask me any hockey related question they had on their minds; sort of like a Q and A session. It went surprisingly well and everyone there enjoyed it. It was much more organized than our usual chats and was easier to follow (replay here). So for our eighth chat of the summer we are going do another Q and A session.

The chat will begin at 8 p.m. eastern time right here on the Rangers Tribune and anyone is welcomed to come. If you have a question about the Rangers, NHL, or anything hockey, don't be afraid to ask it.

My co-writer on Blueshirt Banter, Joe Fortunato, may also join us to answer some of your questions as well. See you at 8!

New in Blue: Mats Zuccarello-Aasen

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Only six days after the New York Rangers were eliminated from playoff contentions, a rumor broke about the signing of forward Mats Zuccarello-Aasen out of the Swedish Elite League. The 5-7 23-year-old was a highly sought after player by National Hockey League teams, as the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings , Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs were also in the bidding. For a young kid with such a little frame, Mats has done nothing but impress over in Sweden and his high scoring ability is what caught the attention of North American clubs.

While playing with MODO Hockey last season, Zuccarello-Aasen recorded an astounding 64 points in only 55 games, which is an average of 1.6 points per game. Even though it may not be competition like here in the NHL, those are extremely impressive numbers for a player his age playing in a mostly men's league. In fact, the Swedish Elite League was rated one of the closest leagues in the world to the NHL, next to the KHL of course. He has incredible hands and a brilliant scoring touch. Combine all of that with his lightning quick speed and you have a severe offensive threat.

Some may say his size is something that will drag him down, which it might, but he is already on his way to proving that it will not. First off, as I mentioned above, Mats was playing in a league with mostly men, five to ten years older than him. Secondly, injuries have never really been a problem for him throughout his career, and you would expect the opposite for a little guy getting thrown around by players much older than him.

The adjustment that worries me is that the rinks here in north America are dramatically smaller than what Mats is used to playing on in Sweden. In our interview last week, beat writer Andrew Gross had this to say about the change in rink size affecting the "Norwegian Hobbit"......

"The Norwegian Hobbit was not at the prospect camp so my first chance to see him in person will come in September. He comes advertised as a speedy skater with a great scoring touch, a person who knows how to get to the net. The biggest adjustment will be in adapting to the North American game. Playing in smaller rinks than in Europe, Zuccarello-Aasen will be facing much more physical opponents. If he quickly shows he can handle that, he stands a very good chance of making the team out of training camp. Otherwise, he’ll need some seasoning at Hartford."

I think Andrew hit the nail on the head there. Zuccarello-Aasen already possesses the skill and ability to crack the lineup out of camp and be a contributing forward to the Blueshirts. However, he will have to prove that he can handle physical play first, which he will be given the opportunity to do during training camp and the preseason. If the coaching staff sees that the kid could take a hit without it affecting his game, then I would expect them to consider strongly having him on the starting lineup in game one of the regular season. And if not, a year with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League will not hurt him, and would prepare him even better for when it is time to make the jump to the NHL.

Zuccarello-Aasen is a low-risk, high reward acquisition, and a smart one by general manager Glen Sather. If everything pans out and he becomes the scorer he is supposed to be, then the Rangers will be getting a big bang for their buck. You never know, this kid could evolve into a prolific scorer and be used by New York as a "secret weapon" as they say. I would just like to know how they plan on fitting his name on a jersey, or if it will be cut down to just Zuccarello.

How Do You Value Marc Staal?

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When discussing restricted free agent defenseman Marc Staal with fellow fans, it has come to my attention that the fanbase, as a whole, apparently does not value the 23-year-old defenseman as highly as I thought it did. Now I think all of the rumors saying Staal does not want to be a member of the New York Rangers (I still don't believe) have helped to contribute to fans looking down upon him, but some of the opinions fans have shared with me took me by surprise.

I guess I should briefly share my thoughts on Staal before I go ahead and tell you what others have been saying. I believe Marc Staal is one of the top players in the new breed of shutdown defensemen for several reasons. First and foremost, last season he was statistically the best defensive defensemen in the National Hockey League - that is special in itself. In addition to that, he has been the Rangers' top blue-liner for about three years now, both with Tom Renney and John Tortorella. Both coaches have used him as their go-to guy on defense in crucial situations.

Also, tell me who you see out there opposite every team's top offensive line during the season? Marc Staal, that is who you see. Whether it is Crosby's line on the Penguins, Ovechkin's line on the Capitals, or Thornton's line on the Sharks, Staal is almost always matched up against them by the coaching staff. And not only is he just paired against them, but he actually stops them. If you have followed the Blueshirts for the past couple of years, you are well aware of the battle between Alex Ovechkin and Marc Staal every time they play each other. Ovechkin once mentioned he enjoyed having to go against Staal because it was a challenge of both skill and physical toughness.

I watch a lot of Ovechkin (how could you not when he is on Versus every other night) and majority of the teams he plays against have trouble just slowing him down, let alone keeping him off the scoresheet. Many clubs do not have a player in which they can throw out there and give "The Great Eight" a run for his money. The Rangers do, though, in Staal, and that alone makes him a bit more valuable than your routine defensive defensemen.

The thing that drags him down the most is, I think, the lack of offense in his game. When playing with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League, Marc was an offensive threat, sort of like Brian Leetch in his prime. He had that ability to take the puck end-to-end and bury a goal. But once he hit the NHL he had to make an adjustment and that adjustment was to improve his defensive game instead of his offensive one; a decision I respect. That is the only flaw I see in Staal's game, because otherwise he is near perfect.

Now for what the fans think. Yesterday afternoon I proposed a question on twitter asking followers what the maximum price tag on Staal should be. I got answers ranging from $2.5 million to $5 million. I can understand fans holding back after seeing what has happened with Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival, but $2.5 million? And trust me; there was more than just one person who said that to me (no offense to those that did).

If you think Staal is going to be paid $2.5 million when Dan Girardi just received $3 million then I have a bridge to sell you. There is no way that will ever happen, and if it does, I will make the background of the site pink for an entire week.

If the Rangers go short-term with Staal - which is what he wants - then expect them to be paying around or just over $4 million per year. If they go long-term - which is what the Rangers want - then I expect him to get around $5 million per year because then they are buying into his unrestricted free agency years.

So, how do you value Marc Staal?

New in Blue: Todd White

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It was 1:00 a.m. on August 2 when the New York Rangers announced a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers that would bring veteran center Todd White to the Blueshirts. At that point, the feeling was that the transaction was one that would benefit the Rangers since they would be acquiring a depth scorer that could be buried in Hartford (AHL) if he did not contribute the way coach Tortorella wanted him too. This was before it was even announced who New York had sent to Atlanta, as that was released later that morning. Dumping Donald Brashear and Pat Rismiller made the swap even better from a Rangers standpoint, since unneeded salary was now off the books.

White began his career with the Chicago Blackhaws, where he was rarely placed in the lineup over the course of three seasons. Despite spending a year in Philadelphia as well, Todd made a name for himself with the Ottawa Senators and even more so with the Minnesota Wild. And yes, White and current Ranger Marian Gaborik did cross paths in Minnesota and in fact played together on the same line at times. This was before White moved to the Thrashers, where he would play for three seasons. His best year came in 2008-09 when he recorded 22 goals and 51 assists for 73 points.

That consistent production did not last long, though, as the Ontario native had a poor year last season in Atlanta. Just 7 goals and 26 points was a huge drop in numbers from the prior year and that is why Glen Sather got him at such a cheap price. His stock rapidly plunged after 2009-10 and the Blueshirts are hoping they can build it back up.

Putting last year behind us, I believe that White can contribute to the club's secondary scoring if given the chance. I believe the coaching staff should allow him to show what he's got in training camp and preseason, and then from there make the decision of whether or not to send him to Hartford. And remember, White can play the wing in addition to center, so that raises his chances of making the team.

Putting White on the third line would not be a bad idea, especially since he is a fantastic two-way player. He is strong on both sides of the puck and can score a goal when he wants to. Yes, he may be 35-years-old but if he is giving Torts what he is asking for then I do not see why he shouldn't be on the squad. If it works out, he is a perfect match for the Rangers.

Plus, having Gaborik - a former teammate - to guide him will be a tremendous help. When coming to a new city it is always a boost to have someone you already know on the team to show you the ropes. And considering he is coming from Atlanta to New York, it is a pretty large jump.