Blog Archives
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
Are the Rangers hoping for an overhaul?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of the New York Rangers.
It’s been known for a little while that the Rangers are looking to move some players and get a fresh start next year. But the level of change that Jeff Gorton is hoping for is still unknown. It could be some minor moves, or just one big trade, or according to other opinions, the team may be looking to trade away many of their core players, or at least listen to deals with them.
According to Elliot Friedman, it looks more like the latter.
While on NHL Network, Friedman was asked about the Rangers and said that the team is asking other GMs around the league to come at them with their best offers. Just about everyone is available, with the only untouchables probably being Henrik Lundqvist, Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich. 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
According to Larry Brooks, the Rangers offseason plans are absolutely insane
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Last night, Larry Brooks posted a column full of updates about the Rangers and their plans for the future, throwing gasoline on the fire of trade rumors and setting up what could be a potential roller-coaster of an offseason.
First off, Brooks wrote that the Rangers do not plan to buy out Girardi and eat dead cap space, which is understandable to an extent. But they also have not asked him to waive his NMC, and don’t plan on doing it. The 32 year old defenseman has four years left on his contract with a $5.5 million cap hit.
You know where I stand on this deal, and if the Rangers plan on having Girardi penciled in as their top pairing, right side defenseman, then the team isn’t going to improve at all. I understand why you wouldn’t want dead cap space right now but there should be an effort made to try and infuse youth and new, more skilled players into the defense. Read the rest of this entry
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