Blog Archives
Trade deadline implications: The Rangers are going all-in
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
- The Rangers made one move at the trade deadline, and it was a big one, acquiring Eric Staal from the Hurricanes for two second round picks and Aleksi Saarela. In exchange, they acquired a versatile forward who still has quality years left in him, all without giving up a roster spot.
- That was the key for the Rangers; they didn’t surrender a first round draft pick or a roster player. So they were able to add Staal, but they were able to keep guys like Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes, as well as important depth players like Jesper Fast and Oscar Lindberg. They plucked Staal from Carolina and added him to a roster that’s already pretty good.
- Some people were confused as to why Gorton didn’t acquire a bottom six PK specialist or some defensive help. When Rick Nash returns, they’ll have their best penalty killer back on the ice, so that’ll help. And if they got a defenseman, where would he go? None of the current six players would be taken out of the lineup, and the new guy would join McIlrath in the press box. It just wasn’t worth it.
Raanta brilliant as Rangers take down Columbus in Eric Staal’s debut
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
In Eric Staal’s debut, the New York Rangers (37-20-6) came away with a thrilling late victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets (26-30-8) thanks to a shorthanded goal from Derek Stepan, and 26 saves from Antti Raanta.
That extended the Rangers win streak to three games, including wins in five of their last six games. They also are 10-2-1 in the last 13 games, and 23-6-3 on home ice.
Eric Staal made his debut as a Ranger tonight, skating for 15:43 at center and on the wing. He didn’t pick up a point, but won 53% of his faceoffs and was solid defensively as well as with the puck. As he get practices and more games in, I’m sure he will be more comfortable and more effective. Read the rest of this entry
Staal in the family: Eric makes Rangers debut at MSG against the Blue Jackets
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennet/Getty Images.
With the trade deadline looming at 3 PM, there’s no certainty about what the lineups will look like for tonight’s game, but the Rangers will definitely have a new face on the bench. Eric Staal was at morning skate and will make his New York Rangers debut tonight at Madison Square Garden.
Alain Vigneault got a lot of help from Henrik Lundqvist on Saturday, with Hank making 36 saves in a tightly contested victory over the Dallas Stars. Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Klein all scored goals to help pick up the team’s second straight win, and giving them nine wins in the last 12 games. Read the rest of this entry
BREAKING: Rangers acquire Eric Staal from the Hurricanes
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Welp, the Rangers have done it again.
For the third straight year, the Rangers have made a splash at the trade deadline, acquiring Eric Staal, the face of the franchise and captain of the Carolina Hurricanes. But with Jeff Gorton in charge and not Glen Sather, things were handled a bit differently.
In exchange for Staal, the Rangers sent two second round draft picks and Finnish prospect Aleksi Saarela, a 2015 third round draft pick. On top of that, the Hurricanes agreed to retain 50% of Eric Staal’s salary, giving him a cap hit of just $4,125,000, which they can afford without placing Rick Nash on LTIR. Read the rest of this entry
The Case for trading Keith Yandle
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
When the Rangers sent away draft picks and Anthony Duclair to the Arizona Coyotes, they acquired Keith Yandle, one of the most talented offensive defensemen in the entire NHL. The price was high, but he helped the team during their playoff run as well as shouldering heavy minutes while other players were injured.
In the year he’s been here, Yandle has delivered, showing off his elite level skills and driving possession while generating the most amount of offense from the blueline than any other player. Yandle leads the team in assists (31), he’s third on the team in points (35) and first among all defensemen, and he’s tied for second on the team in power play points with 12.
Despite everything that he has shown, and all of the offense he’s provided, Alain Vigneault continues to bury him on the third pairing when all six defensemen are healthy. When Ryan McDonagh was injured and Keith Yandle was on the top pairing, he was regularly getting 22 to 25 minutes of ice-time a night and playing extremely well. Read the rest of this entry
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