Blog Archives
Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad: Gorton makes a good, yet tough, decision
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
I’d like to preface this article: I haven’t been posting at all for a while, missing out on a busy and exciting time of the NHL offseason, and not covering a lot of Ranger moves. I was interning at MLB Network with varying hours and shifts, making it hard to write articles, work, and balance everything else. Now that my internship is over, I look forward to covering the Rangers again, writing lots of articles, sharing my opinion on signings and trades that already happened, and providing you with steady content again. Thank you for the continuing support.
Heading into the offseason and nearing the trade deadline, it was a huge question mark as to what Jeff Gorton would do to address the Rangers’ many needs. Upgrading the defense would be tough considering the massive, practically unmovable contracts of Dan Girardi and Mark Staal, they didn’t have the cap space to get a big name forward, and locking up all of the UFAs and RFAs would be tough.
The last thing that anybody expected was for the team to trade Derick Brassard, their leading goal scorer from last season.
Jeff Gorton made a trade with the Ottawa Senators, sending Derick Brassard and a 2018 7th round pick in exchange for 23 year old Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 2nd round pick. Read the rest of this entry
Chris Kreider – NHL Renaissance Man
Luanne Duncan
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Christopher James Kreider is not your average NHL player. The 25 year old Boxford, Massachusetts native plays guitar, speaks several languages, has an appetite for literature and is a cerebral guy on many levels. This is in addition to having a full time job as a left winger for the NY Rangers.
Kreider grew up playing ice hockey but like many natural athletes, he played other sports as well – soccer and lacrosse being two he excelled at during his high school years. Chris was good at the game as a child, but at the high school and college level, he was a virtual hockey prodigy. Kreider attended Masconomet Regional High School in Boxford, Mass for two years before transferring to the exclusive prep school Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. He agreed to enter Andover as a repeat sophomore but was able to graduate in 2 years by taking an accelerated summer program at the end of his final year. During his final season at the school, Kreider had 56 points in just 26 games and earned National Prep Player of the Year. He was the highest ranked (14th overall for the NHL draft) and most talked about high school player in the US. Read the rest of this entry
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
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
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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