Rangers give Jarret Stoll a second chance with one year deal
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers got experience, a faceoff specialist, and a Stanley Cup champion in Jarret Stoll, a nice move to help the center depth. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Kings.
In a move that was totally unexpected, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that the team had signed Jarret Stoll to a one year contract worth just $800k, in an attempt to bolster their center depth and improve at the faceoff dot.
Stoll’s future with the LA Kings was already in jeopardy before he was arrested on drug charges. Stoll was busted for smuggling cocaine and ecstasy into a Las Vegas pool party. Though the charges were initially a felony, he avoided jail time, agreeing to a plea deal and 32 hours of community service.
Last year, the Rangers were willing to take a chance on Ryan Malone, who was also arrested for cocain possession and released by the Lightning. While that didn’t work out, it was a one year deal and very cheap, so it did not impact them all that much. Read the rest of this entry
Quick Hits: Brandon Halverson, Carl Hagelin and the Patrick Kane situation
Bobby Bevilacqua
So I’ve decided to continue with the Quick Hits articles. There really isn’t much to talk about right now, and this allows me to talk about things with the Rangers and any other stories around the league.
Brandon Halverson continues to impress
Photo courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images.
Brandon Halverson, the Rangers second round draft pick in 2014, is one of the most talented prospects in the team’s organization. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 179 pounds, the 19 year old goaltender is making a case to be the starter for the United States in the IIHF World Junior Championship. Read the rest of this entry
Dylan McIlrath: What can the Rangers do with you?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Dylan McIlrath is in a bit of an odd situation. He’s one a one way deal, there are already four right-handed shots on defense, and seemingly no room for him. Photo courtesy of Jim McIsaac/Getty Images.
Perhaps the most criticized Rangers draft pick in recent history, Dylan McIlrath, is in a bit of an odd situation in his career. He is 23 years old, and has just finished up his fourth season in the AHL in Hartford. This year, he turned heads after Christmas, really playing well and taking on some tough minutes in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But now is not a good time to be a defensive prospect down with the Wolf Pack. There is currently a logjam of talented, reliable defensemen with the NHL, and practically no chance for someone like McIlrath to finally break in with the big club. There are also four right-handed shots on the blue line, which makes his chance of breaking into the NHL even smaller.
There’s even more of a concern about this because Gorton re-signed him to a one-year, one way contract. If McIlrath doesn’t make the team out of training camp, or after the pre-season, he would need to clear waivers in order to re-join the Wolf Pack. Any of the other 29 teams can claim his services off of waivers. Read the rest of this entry
The Rangers future is bright, and the Stanley Cup window is NOT yet closed
Bobby Bevilacqua
Despite falling short in recent playoff runs, the Rangers future is very bright, and their chances at winning a Cup are far from done. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Everyone mentions the “window” that the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist have in order to raise another championship banner in MSG within the next few years. A lot of people claim that in order to win, the Rangers have only a year or two before it all falls apart.
This past season marked the fifth consecutive year that the Rangers have made the playoffs, with at least one series win in the last four years. They’ve made it to the Eastern Conference Finals three times since 2012, as well as advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years in 2014. Read the rest of this entry
Which Rangers are primed for a breakout season?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan are just two of the young players in the Rangers roster. But which one will have a breakout season? Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Although many fans of rival teams will say that the Rangers’ roster is full of aging players and no youth, that statement is totally false. In fact, the Rangers went from having a very thin farm system, to being loaded with goaltending talent, and having guys like Anthony Duclair, Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich suddenly become well known prospects.
On top of that, the lineup for next season should be mostly fueled by youth, especially with the forwards. Young players like Chris Kreider, Jesper Fast and Kevin Hayes populate the four forward lines, with tons of potential amongst all of them.
Realistically, many of the Rangers young players can all have breakout seasons. Most of them have gotten invaluable experience during the team’s lengthy playoff runs, and for players like Emerson Etem and Oscar Lindberg, who are just joining the big club, there is no shortage of skilled players in the lineup for them to link up with. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 