Blog Archives
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
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
Mailbag – Offseason predictions, the potential of trading Lundqvist, and a lack of heart?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Welcome back to another mailbag article, where I answer reader questions and give my honest opinion on the topic. With the Rangers being knocked out of the playoffs much earlier than usual, I might be doing more of these to fill the gap between now and the start of the season.
Check on Facebook and Twitter for an announcement for the next edition, and ask me questions about anything Rangers or NHL.
With that in mind, let’s get started!
What are your predictions for Staal, Girardi and Nash in 2016? Will they be kept and will they improve? Or will they be dealt and if so, what do you see coming in return? – Kevin Kelly
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Jeff Gorton should clear cap and sign the RFAs to long term deals
Bobby Bevilacqua
JT Miller and Kevin Hayes (#13, far left) are both RFAs. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
There’s been a recurring theme in a lot of my articles this offseason, as well as many articles from other Rangers blogs and writers; the team desperately needs to shed some cap space. There’s not a lot of room to maneuver and fix the problems they have, and the big contracts to ineffective players will hurt the Rangers both long and short term.
On top of that, the team finally needs to undergo a youth movement. In recent memory, the team has turned to veterans and experienced players to try and propel them to a championship, trading draft picks for rentals and forgoing an infusion of youthful talent in name of a “winning pedigree” among the players. Guys like Brad Richards, Rick Nash and Dan Boyle have all been counted on to play really big roles, and it hasn’t always worked.
But this year has shown one important thing; the young talent on this team is ready for a prominent role. Chris Kreider had another 20 goal season, JT Miller posted career highs in all offensive categories, Derek Stepan hit the 20 goal plateau for the first time, and Jesper Fast took a big step up offensively, recording 30 points. On defense, Dylan McIlrath impressed with his improved skating and his ability to handle tough NHL competition, and Brady Skjei blew people away with his performance in the playoffs despite playing just seven regular season games. Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 