Author Archives: robertbevilacqua95
Will Broadway Brad be headed back to New York this offseason?
Bobby Bevilacqua
After winning the Stanley Cup in Chicago, could Brad Richards be heading back to New York for next season? Photo courtesy of Nick Laham.
Now that the Stanley Cup Finals are over, with the Chicago Blackhawks crowned as champions for the third time in six years, it’s time for trade rumors, surprise signings and speculations. And today, I’m starting with my own speculation and prediction, something that I have said since before the start of the 2014-15 season.
Brad Richards will be a New York Ranger for the 2015-16 season.
Before I start, this is pure speculation. I don’t have an insider tip, I haven’t talked to Brad Richards or his agent or a family member, and I don’t have contact with any members of the Rangers’ front office. But I do think that I have some fairly strong arguments for my case.
After the Rangers were defeated by the Los Angeles Kings in five games in June of 2014, Glen Sather used his final compliance buy out on Brad Richards, terminating his contract after just three years in New York. It was a foolish contract by Sather, mainly because it kept Richards until he was 40, with a cap hit of $6.67 annually, and it was a contract that realistically never would have been completed. Keeping him at that hit would have handcuffed the Rangers when trying to re-sign younger, core players in the coming years. Read the rest of this entry
Which Rangers rookie/youngster had the biggest impact this season?
Bobby Bevilacqua
JT Miller and Jesper Fast were two of the bright spots in the Rangers’ lineup, showcasing the future of the organization. Photo courtesy of AP.
This past season, the Rangers saw the growth and emergence of many of their young prospects, with key contributions coming from rookies and second year players. While it’s always great to have experienced players on the roster, whether it be veterans or skilled guys with a few years under their belts, it is extremely important to have youth infused in the lineup, especially one’s that contribute.
There were two rookies on the Rangers’ roster, and both of them were a huge part of the team’s success in both the regular season and the playoffs. Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast were those two rookies, fulfilling two very different roles for the team.
And while JT Miller technically was not a rookie, but this was his first full season with the Rangers, and he certainly started to blossom into the player that the Rangers thought he would be when taking him 15th overall in the 2011 NHL draft.
Kevin Hayes, JT Miller and Jesper Fast all had important roles on the team, showing glimpses of the bright future that all three players have. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Rumors: Carl Klingberg set to sign with KHL
Bobby Bevilacqua
Carl Klingberg, a prospect that the Rangers traded for at this past trade deadline, looks to be heading to the KHL. Photo courtesy of the Hartford Wolf Pack.
At the trade deadline, Glen Sather and the Rangers made three moves, one of them being a trade that sent Lee Stempniak to the Winnipeg Jets for Carl Klingberg, a prospect playing for the Jets’ AHL team, the St. John’s IceCaps.
At first, the trade seemed a bit odd. Stempniak was effective, boasting solid possession numbers and contributing on the fourth line. He had enough talent to step up the third or second line when someone was injured, and on top of all of that, he was cheap, with a salary of just $900,000.
Klingberg came to the Rangers organization in return, and went to play with the Hartford Wolf Pack. In 13 regular season games with the Pack, he totaled 11 points (2-9-11), following that up with seven points (4-3-7) in 13 playoff games during a run to the Conference Finals.
And now, it looks like the Swedish native is on his way out, prepared to sign with the Torpedo in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers interested in Czech defenseman Mozik
Bobby Bevilacqua
UPDATE: Vojtěch Mozík has signed an Entry Level Contract with the New Jersey Devils.
The Rangers have shown interest in 22-year old Vojtech Mozic, a defensive prospect playing in the Czech League. Photo courtesy of HC Skoda Plzen.
According to IDNES.cz, a Czech newspaper, the New York Rangers have expressed interest in signing Vojtěch Mozík, a defensive prospect playing in the Czech League for HC Plzen. Last year he led the league in goals as a defenseman with 10 goals in 50 games, adding 19 assists as well.
Mozík, 22, is 6-foot-2, 189 pounds, and a right-handed shot, and played 51 games in each of the last two seasons, with a total of 18 goals, 25 assists and 154 penalty minutes in those 102 games.
Mozík has been scouted and watched by the Rangers before, with Jan Dajdosik initially discovering him, and Gordie Clark inviting him to the team’s development camp in 2013 and 2014. After the 2013 camp, Clark told him that he performed well, with his skating ability standing out, but that he needed to get stronger. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Player Grades: Dan Boyle and Marc Staal
Bobby Bevilacqua
Marc Staal and Dan Boyle spent a majority of the season together on the second pairing, as polar opposite players. Boyle is the offensive specialist, and Staal is tasked as one of the shutdown defenders. Photos courtesy of Getty Images and MSG Photos.
Marc Staal, a Ranger draft pick from 2005, and Dan Boyle, a veteran, offensive defenseman acquired in the offseason, made up the second pair for the majority of the season, with each player logging around or over 20 minutes a game.
Staal serves as an alternate captain, and team funny man, and Boyle is another veteran leader in the locker room, while also driving passion and quarterbacking the power play. Both of these players have been the target for a lot of blame, especially Boyle, but some of it is really undeserved. Read the rest of this entry
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