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.
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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!]