Blog Archives
Keith Yandle trade rumor update and how Vigneault is wasting his talent
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
For the past few weeks, trade rumors surrounding Keith Yandle have been flying around. He’s a UFA after this season, the Rangers don’t have much maneuverability under the salary cap, and Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are above him on the depth chart.
When the Rangers shipped Anthony Duclair, John Moore and some draft picks for Yandle, they got one of the best puck-moving defensemen in the NHL, a power play specialist, and a 50 point scorer. It gave Vigneault and the Rangers their best offensive-defenseman since Brian Leetch.
But flash forward to this season. Keith Yandle is a third pair defenseman. He averages 19:05 of ice time per game but plays under 17 minutes at even strength. He’s on the second power play unit and hasn’t been utilized with the best teammates. Read the rest of this entry
BREAKING: Etem traded to Vancouver Canucks for draft pick and a prospect
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Bobby Bevilacqua
TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted out that a deal between the Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks is getting done. The Canucks will get Etem and the Rangers will get a draft pick as well as winger Nicklas Jensen. The draft pick is a 2016 6th round pick.
Etem to VAN is being done. Nick Jensen and late pick going the other way.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 8, 2016
Etem, 23, has played in 19 games with the Rangers, recording three assists, a minus four rating and 23 shots on goal. He’s played on all four lines, but has not gained traction in Alain Vigneault’s system. He hasn’t had the offensive impact that many had expected, and other players have won roster spots over him. Read the rest of this entry
Should the Rangers explore trading options with Chris Kreider?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
It seems like many people had predicted that Kreider would break out and become a consistent 20 goal scorer, maybe even hitting the 30 goal mark, including myself. Head coach Alain Vigneault had high expectations for Kreider before the season started.
But he hasn’t lived up to expectations. While the offense has been very good this year, scoring 2.93 goals per game, Kreider is one of the forwards that hasn’t been a big part of the scoring. Despite playing on the second or first line for almost every game, he has just six goals in 39 games. He’s scored just two goals in the last 14 games, and three in the last 22 games. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers have “significant” interest in Drouin; Gorton reportedly interested in Atkinson
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photos courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Four days ago, I wrote a speculative article about how the Rangers should go out and acquire the recently ousted Jonathan Drouin, who made his trade request public this week.
The day after that article went up on the site, the NY Post published an article that stated that the Rangers “are in big time” on Drouin, according to sources close to the paper and Larry Brooks.
Blueshirts’ GM Jeff Gorton first contacted Lightning GM Steve Yzerman when the Rangers were in Tampa Bay for last Wednesday’s 5-2 Rangers win. That conversation came before the trade request went public. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers Rumor Mill: Gorton is “looking to shake things up”
Photo courtesy of the New York Rangers.
Bobby Bevilacqua
Craig Custance, an NHL reporter for ESPN, spoke to some of the general managers around the league, and it appears that Rangers GM Jeff Gorton has been making some calls. Because the general consensus around the league is that Gorton “is looking to do something to shake things up” after a lackluster start to the season.
The Rangers have won just four of their last 15 games, seeing their big lead in the Metropolitan Division fall apart. The defensive structure has collapsed and become disorganized, there has been inconsistent production from the top six.
As a result, it seems like Gorton wants to make a few tweaks, and he’s looking at the trade market to help make some adjustments. Read the rest of this entry
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