Category Archives: In the Crease
Jeff Gorton’s Legacy Will Be Defined by Difficult 2016 Offseason
John Dundon
Photo courtesy of Blueshirts United.
The 2016 offseason is shaping up to be one of the wildest periods of personnel movement the NHL has seen in some time.
General managers of cap-strapped teams will be aggressively trying to shed dollars and shakeup the makeups of their respective teams. With an expansion draft looming, and questions on whether the salary cap will even be as high as it was this past season, make no mistake about it—many GM’s will have no choice in this regard.
The team facing some of the most interesting offseason decisions of the summer? The New York Rangers. Read the rest of this entry
Brady Skjei a perfect partner for Ryan McDonagh on the blueline
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Not a lot of good came out of the Rangers’ five game series against the Penguins. With defensive injuries and a slacking team, the Rangers stood no chance against the now Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Despite defensive injuries and problems, Brady Skjei emerged as a strong, consistent defenseman despite minimal NHL experience. In a high pressure situation, Skjei played better than just about every Rangers defenseman in the playoffs.
On top of showing that he could play in the NHL at a high level, Skjei showed something else that was more important – he can play the right side. Read the rest of this entry
What is the most important area for the Rangers to improve in the offseason?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Over the course of the regular season and the brief playoff run, one thing was clear with the Rangers; changes needed to be made. They were outmatched against top teams, threw away games they should have won, and went “all in” on a trade for Eric Staal that didn’t pay off.
That leaves the team in a weird spot, not ready to rebuild and not ready to win a Cup. Jeff Gorton is stuck making some really tough decisions that could shape the franchise for the rest of the Henrik Lundqvist era and beyond.
Gorton will look to make improvements, but there are quite a few areas that they need to tweak and work on before moving forward and trying to capture that elusive Stanley Cup. But which one is most important? Read the rest of this entry
Ranking the Rangers—The Top 12
John Dundon
This is the final part of a three-article series ranking the best performers on the Rangers this season. If you want to read the earlier parts of the series, click here for part one, and click here for part two.
Without further ado, let’s get to the top 12.
BONUS: The Fans
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
The Blueshirt faithful.
Although the crowds at Madison Square Garden lacked the volume they’ve displayed in the past, the Rangers had the second highest winning percentage on home ice this season. They came in behind the President’s Trophy winning Washington Capitals—an accomplishment that we, the fans, should take solace in. Read the rest of this entry
Buchnevich’s arrival will benefit Kevin Hayes’ play and development
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
So far in the brief Rangers’ offseason, the biggest news has been Pavel Buchnevich signing his entry level contract. Buchnevich is a highly touted Russian prospect with similar KHL stats to Vladimir Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov at the same age, and he’s coming to North America for next season.
Buchnevich has speed, an excellent shot, fantastic offensive instincts, and can also be a playmaker if needed. His ability to both set up chances and create them for himself make it tough for defensemen to commit to him either way.
If Buch develops the way that the team is expecting him to, he could wind up being an impact player and an important one for years to come. Signing him to an ELC means that the Rangers are going to have a cheap depth forward for at least three years, which is a huge help for a team that’s pressed up against the cap. But he will also help someone else on the team; Kevin Hayes. Read the rest of this entry
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