At last, I present you with my 2009-10 New York Rangers Season Report Card as we continue to recap the season in its entirety here on The Rangers Tribune. In order to qualify for grading, players had to be in the lineup for at least ten games this season. From there, they were graded on a scale of "A to D", with "A" being the best and "D" being the worst. Enjoy the read and let me know what you think in the comments.
GRADE AHenrik Lundqvist- It may be getting old, but to make sure it is clear, the New York Rangers would have finished in the bottom five in the league this season if it were not for goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. No, he did not have the greatest of seasons in 2009-10, but considering the team he has in front of him, he did one heck of a job even giving this team a chance to make the playoffs. The team’s limited offense forced Henrik to be near perfect, yet he was still able to post a 2.38 GAA and .921 save percentage on the season.
Marian Gaborik- What more could you have asked for from star winger Marian Gaborik in his first year on Broadway. Before the season started, many predicted Gaborik to not even play 40 games with the Rangers because of past injury problems. Well, he ended up playing in 76 of 82, and in those 76 games, recorded 42 goals and 44 assists for a career-high 86 points. Much like Lundqvist, Marian helped to carry this team, specifically on offense, and at times would seem like the only player on the ice. As long as he can stay healthy, the Blueshirts have another four fantastic years of Marian Gaborik ahead of them.
Vinny Prospal- You talk about getting bang for your buck. Vinny Prospal, signed as a free agent after being bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning, was absolutely phenomenal for the Rangers this season. Anytime you can get a player being paid just $1.1 million to 58 points in a season is tremendous, but when that player can also provide leadership and intensity, you have a very special individual on your hands. That is what the Rangers have and they would be very wise to re-sign Vinny for another go before July 1st when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
GRADE BBrandon Dubinsky- In 64 games played, Brandon Dubinsky put up career numbers this season with the Rangers (20-24-44). The reason he gets a “B” is because, like many players, he lacked consistency. When he would heat up, he would go on three, four, sometimes even five game point scoring streaks, but would then cool off and go through an extended slump. If Dubi can improve his consistency for the future, there is no doubt in my mind that he can net 30 goals.
Ryan Callahan- I like to call Ryan Callahan “Mr. Everything” for obvious reasons. He can score, he can hit, he can lead and he can defend. There isn’t much that alternate captain Ryan Callahan cannot do. If Callahan would have been able to match last season’s numbers, I would have given him an “A”, but his 19 goals, 37 points fell a bit short of my expectations. Nonetheless, a solid Olympic performance and a great effort with the Rangers makes him well worth his $2.2 million contract.
Michael Del Zotto- Entering the league as a defenseman is not an easy task, but rookie blue-liner Michael Del Zotto impressed all who follow the team on a regular basis, including many outsiders. His quick start to the season had him leading all rookies in scoring at one point, but as expected, he was not able to keep that pace. He finished the season with 37 points, which, as I said, is exceptional for a rookie on defense.
Marc Staal- Statistically, Marc Staal was the best defensive defenseman in the National Hockey League this season, which is about par for the course by his standards. Marc is quietly effective for the Rangers, and earlier in the season when head coach John Tortorella wanted him to be an offensive defenseman with a lot of bang, things were not working out for Staal. However, he quickly returned to form and was looked upon as the Rangers’ top defenseman for the remainder of 2009-10. Not many complaints about the Thunder Bay native, who will be a RFA come July.
Erik Christensen- Erik Christensen was acquired by the Rangers in the month of December when he was claimed off of the waiver wire. GM Glen Sather saw it as a potential low-risk, high reward opportunity and he jumped on it. Turns out that Christensen became Marian Gaborik’s most successful center and claimed a spot on the powerplay as well. Christensen finished the season with 26 points in 58 games.
Dan Girardi- I believe that defenseman Dan Girardi is an underrated asset in the Rangers World and he had yet another good season in New York. When paired with Marc Staal, he becomes one half of one of the best shutdown units in the league in my opinion. Girardi is a restricted free agent this summer, and I would love to have him back, along with Staalsy. Both are key parts to the Rangers’ blue-line.
Brandon Prust- Brandon Prust was yet another one of those surprise players for the Rangers this season. Acquired several weeks before the deadline in a deal that shipped Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins to the Calgary Flames, Prust came here and was an instant success. The scrappy youngster played the best hockey of his career when playing on a line with Jody Shelley and Artem Anisimov. Without a doubt, Pruster should be re-signed by the Rangers brass.
Jody Shelley- Just like Brandon Prust, Jody Shelley became a very important player since his acquisition from the San Jose Sharks. In my mind, he was a major upgrade from former enforcer Donald Brashear. Shelley is not just a fighter by any means, he has some offensive ability as far as forechecking goes and is surprisingly a very intelligent individual.
P.A. Parenteau- Each time P.A. Parenteau was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack, he always seemed to make an impact when in the lineup. All call-ups combined, Parenteau compiled a total of eight points, and I have a feeling he has a good chance of making the squad out of training camp next season. It all depends on what holes the Rangers need filled.
Artem Anisimov- I originally predicted Anisimov to bury 15-20 goals this season, which was slightly off the mark by three. Regardless, Artem produced right in the target range of a rookie with his potential. I would like to see Artem put on some weight and some muscle in the offseason, which will eventually enable him to maneuver his way around the offensive zone with force.
GRADE CSean Avery- To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Sean Avery’s season this time around. Sure injuries had a major impact on him only scoring 11 goals, but I feel like he could have been much better. I do not fully blame Sean for that, though, as the coach was trying to control him too often instead of just letting him play his game, which is when Sean is most effective. Towards the end of the season, Tortorella realized that he needed to let up. He did just that and there was an immediate (positive) response from Aves.
Michal Rozsival- Michal Rozsival, believe it or not (and I am ready to take criticism for this), showed some improvement this season. He was nothing great, we know that, but at the same time, he had some great performances and was not “horrible” along the way. That being said, I wouldn’t mind seeing his contract shipped away. For what he contributes, he does not deserve to be making $5 million per year.
Matt Gilroy- Matt Gilroy had a decent start to the season this year, but as the months went on, his confidence slowly diminished, as did his overall game. I think Tortorella made some poor decisions in handling Gilroy, such as sending him down to Hartford for a while in the first half of the season. If he was going to do that, they might as well have let him play the season in the minors or with the Pack.
Brian Boyle- Heading into the season, it was not expected that Brian Boyle was going to make the team out of camp. Once he did that, many thought he would be a scratch more often than not. Wrong and wronger were those predictions as Boyle made a very strong case to remain in the lineup consistently. His penalty-killing was superb and he took over the role of Freddy Sjostrom/Blair Betts as a direct result of this.
Chris Drury- Captain Drury, I felt, had a better year than the prior one. The veteran center recorded 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points, but took his leadership a step further with the things he did on the ice. Of course, intangibles and a few goals are not worth $7.5 million, which is why he gets a “C”. However, if he were maybe paid 3-4 million, he would have gotten a “B” from me.
Alex Auld- It feels unfair giving Auld a “C” since he only had one legitimate start, but I will say this much. When he was given the nod, Alex Auld was very impressive in goal for the Blueshirts. Auld will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and I think he would be the ideal back-up for Henrik Lundqvist next year.
GRADE DOlli Jokinen- All Olli Jokinen has proved to me this season is that his career in the National Hockey League is coming to a close. He no longer can skate with the puck, he does not have the same shot and overall he has slowed. The trade served its purpose by dumping Kotalik’s contract, but now the Rangers should just let Jokinen walk. Luckily he is a free agent in July.
Wade Redden- There is not much to say here really. $6.5 million and you give us 14 points. That is pathetic and I think Glen Sather should make it a top priority to get rid of this albatross contract. Redden is not the player he was in Ottawa, and Slats needs to admit that and admit that he has made a mistake.
Enver Lisin- Lisin was a huge disappointment in my eyes. I expected a lot out of him in 2009-10, but all he produced was six goals and 14 points. I am aware that Tortorella did not give the Russian youngster the opportunity he deserved, but even still, he did not play how I thought he would. The Blueshirts may have been better off keeping Lauri Korpikoski, because at least he could play well defensively and was not one-dimensional.
Aaron Voros- I have said it over and over again. Voros is useless to this team. I would love to see him somehow him traded away or sent down to the minors, but if not, he is a free agent after the upcoming season anyway.
Donald Brashear- The day Donald Brashear was sent down to Hartford was probably one of the most celebrated dates by Ranger fans this season and rightly so. Brashear can no longer fight, he cannot skate, and certainly cannot score. Brandon Prust/Jody Shelley have taken over his spot on the roster and I am pretty confident in saying that his time with the Rangers is done. Quite frankly, it never should have started.
Ales Kotalik- Ales Kotalik was yet another failure on this team, hence the reason he was sent to Calgary before the deadline. His powerplay production was horrendous, he was invisible at even strength, and towards the end of his time in New York, Tortorella could no longer trust him in any situation. I was delighted to see his contract go bye-bye.
Chris Higgins- Snake-bitten could only be used for a few weeks until it becomes clear that a player simply cannot finish. That is what happened with Chris Higgins this season, who many of us had high hopes for heading in. Smart move by Sather to also send Higgins to the Flames before we had to suffer from Higginitis any longer.
Steve Valiquette- Steve Valiquette was given his chances, but after blowing the seven-game winning streak in October at the hands of the Sharks, and then allowing eight goals to the Penguins in November, there was no doubt that Valiquette was done as Lundqvist’s back-up. He may be a world-class guy off the ice, but he was a liability on the ice. If there was one player that surprised me the most this season, it may just have been him.