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Jeff Gorton deserves credit for a successful offseason
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of the New York Rangers.
Following the Rangers elimination from the playoffs, I had a feeling that this offseason would be extremely important, with the chance to have an impact on the long term future of the franchise and determining if they would compete or be forced to rebuild.
Keith Yandle was a free agent, the team had departures and deficiencies on defense, there were serious cap constrictions and a ton of really important, young RFAs to lock up with new deals. Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes for how the team would turn out heading into next year.
But in a situation with his hands tied behind his back, Jeff Gorton did an admirable job maneuvering through a very tough situation and making the absolute best of it for the Rangers. Read the rest of this entry
Michael Grabner could help rejuvinate the third line
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Gorton didn’t have the same cap space and maneuverability as many of the other GMs in the league, forcing him to make a lot of under the radar, bottom six moves to try and improve the Rangers.
Given the fact that his hands were tied behind his back, Gorton did an excellent job with what he was given, signing quality players on the cheap like Nathan Gerbe, Josh Jooris, Adam Clendening and Nick Holden.
But my favorite signing of the bunch was Michael Grabner, the speedy 28-year old Austrian who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. Formerly a Calder Trophy finalist with the Islanders in the 2010-11 season, Grabner has more recently been used as a third and fourth line forward who excels on the penalty kill. Read the rest of this entry
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
The Resurgence of Mats Zuccarello
Chris Vallely
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
“ZUCC” chants can be heard in every arena during the NHL season. Nicknamed “The Hobbit” by Blueshirts fans, Mats Zuccarello has always been a fan favorite. Standing at just 5’7, he’s one of the shortest players in the NHL. Even though size may be a weakness, Mats plays with a ton of heart and grit.
He plays with a certain edge that fans have fell in love with. His journey to the National Hockey League is a success story on its own. Since he played most of his career overseas and was never drafted, he wasn’t on the radar amongst NHL teams. After putting on quite a performance in the Olympics, Zuccarello was ready to make the jump.
On December 8, 2010, the New York Rangers signed him to a NHL contract. The Rangers wanted to see if he could adjust to North American play, so he started his career in the AHL. Despite dominating in the American Hockey League, Tortorella was unconvinced of Zuccarello’s play. The Norwegian winger only played in 67 games in 3 seasons with the New York Rangers, the rest were played with the Hartford Wolfpack. Read the rest of this entry
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