Blog Archives
Alain Vigneault: Media Day and Training Camp recap
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
On the first day that the media were able to talk to the Rangers and their coaching staff, head coach Alain Vigneault had a lot to say about the upcoming season, his players and potentially alluding to how he plans on setting the roster.
Throughout the offseason, many people have said that this season will be of utmost importance for 24 year old forward Chris Kreider. He’s coming off of the best season of his young career, collecting 21 goals and 25 assists in the regular season, and adding seven goals and two assists in 19 playoff games.
Now, Kreider is in a contract year, and both he and the team will be looking for him to have a massive year, and for him to be a key contributor throughout the year. And that’s exactly the stance that Vigneault took.
“I look at Chris Kreider, and I believe he can be an elite player in this league,” Vigneault told Jim Cerny of Blueshirts United. “He’s got everything to become a dominant power forward in this league. He’s got almost two full years under his belt, except for a couple of games in my first year. He’s been improving, he’s been taking strides.” Read the rest of this entry
Mailbag Monday: Bottom Six depth, Rangers prospects and more
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Welcome to the first edition of Mailbag Monday, something that is popular around the web but new to The Ranger Zone. It’s something that I’ve wanted to start up for a while and increase interaction with the readers, so I’m very glad to be starting it this week.
I want to make this into a weekly or bi-weekly thing, so if you ever have questions you’d like me to answer, leave them in the comments section on Facebook or on this article, message me on twitter @The_RangerZone, or send an email using the Contact Me tab at the top of the site.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
What’s going to happen with Patrick Kane? – Ian M.
There hasn’t been too much news on Kane since the investigation was announced. In the last Quick Hits article (LINK), I mentioned how his grand jury hearing was pushed back for two weeks. Usually, this means that a settlement is being discussed, but that isn’t confirmed either. Read the rest of this entry
The Rangers are being overlooked, and that makes them even more dangerous
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Despite finishing last season with 113 points, the Presidents’ Trophy, and coming within one win of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals, the New York Rangers have found a way to fly under the radar in a very competitive Metropolitan Division. And they’re all the better for it.
The Metropolitan Division is in contention for the strongest division in the entire league. Many people have predicted that they will send five of the eight teams to the playoffs. Teams like the Blue Jackets, Capitals and Penguins all improved their team, with a lot of fantastic scorers and defenders spread out amongst the eight teams.
The Metro really does have the talent to send five teams to the playoffs, with those teams being The Rangers, the Penguins, the Capitals, the Blue Jackets and the Islanders. All five of those teams are extremely good, and they all have potential to make a run in the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry
What to expect: Projecting the Rangers scoring for 2015-16
The Rangers were a strong offensive team last year. Can they score at the same pace in 2015-16? Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Last season, the Rangers were one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL, scoring a total of 248 goals, behind only the Dallas Stars (257) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (259). Carried by a prolific top line and some strong depth forwards, Alain Vigneault created a potent offensive team.
But like every other season, there is always change, this year coming mostly among the depth forwards Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin, James Sheppard and others. With all of the new faces coming into the lineup, that brings uncertainty.
It’s fair to expect that the remaining members of last year’s top six (Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan) will post similar numbers. Players like Kreider and Stepan may even see some improvement. Read the rest of this entry
Quick Hits: The future of NHL advertising, Carl Hagelin may have wanted to stay, NHL top 200 players
Bobby Bevilacqua
Welcome back to quick hits, and here is some of the news surrounding the Rangers and the NHL.
NHL moves to Adidas for production of hockey jerseys (TSN.ca)
Adidas is taking over jersey production, and advertising is possible. Do we really want the NHL to look like this? Photo courtesy of Thomas Oswald/Keystone/AP.
Every once in a while, the NHL changes the makers of their jerseys, usually bringing some slight changes and style choices with them. For the start of the 2017-18 season, Adidas will be taking over the jersey production from Reebok, a sports brand owned by Adidas.
Adidas beat out Under Armour and Bauer Hockey for the jersey contract, a deal which will pay the league $35 million. Neither side commented, but the deal is expected to be formally announced in September.
This could mean some significant changes to the jerseys, including the trademark three stripe design down the shoulders and arms. But there could be an even bigger change coming with Adidas, who design a lot of the soccer jerseys in leagues like the MLS and the Premier League. Read the rest of this entry
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