Blog Archives
Quick Hits: Brandon Halverson, Carl Hagelin and the Patrick Kane situation
Bobby Bevilacqua
So I’ve decided to continue with the Quick Hits articles. There really isn’t much to talk about right now, and this allows me to talk about things with the Rangers and any other stories around the league.
Brandon Halverson continues to impress
Photo courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images.
Brandon Halverson, the Rangers second round draft pick in 2014, is one of the most talented prospects in the team’s organization. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 179 pounds, the 19 year old goaltender is making a case to be the starter for the United States in the IIHF World Junior Championship. Read the rest of this entry
Dylan McIlrath: What can the Rangers do with you?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Dylan McIlrath is in a bit of an odd situation. He’s one a one way deal, there are already four right-handed shots on defense, and seemingly no room for him. Photo courtesy of Jim McIsaac/Getty Images.
Perhaps the most criticized Rangers draft pick in recent history, Dylan McIlrath, is in a bit of an odd situation in his career. He is 23 years old, and has just finished up his fourth season in the AHL in Hartford. This year, he turned heads after Christmas, really playing well and taking on some tough minutes in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But now is not a good time to be a defensive prospect down with the Wolf Pack. There is currently a logjam of talented, reliable defensemen with the NHL, and practically no chance for someone like McIlrath to finally break in with the big club. There are also four right-handed shots on the blue line, which makes his chance of breaking into the NHL even smaller.
There’s even more of a concern about this because Gorton re-signed him to a one-year, one way contract. If McIlrath doesn’t make the team out of training camp, or after the pre-season, he would need to clear waivers in order to re-join the Wolf Pack. Any of the other 29 teams can claim his services off of waivers. Read the rest of this entry
What Metropolitan teams will challenge the Rangers in 2015-16
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers look to be a top team in the East yet again, but which teams will rival them in their own division? Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
That trend continued this year, with the team making it all the way to the Conference Finals yet again, falling in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and just missing out on a second straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
Alain Vigneault and his squad appear to be in good shape again for another run at a Stanley Cup Championship, keeping the majority of their core intact, and bringing in some nice pieces through trades and free agency. Some work remains to be done, like re-signing Derek Stepan, but for most part, this team is in good shape.
But the Metropolitan Division is getting better and better with each passing year. No longer is it dominated by two teams, which has really been the Penguins and Rangers for a few years. There are other teams in the division that have been getting better and better. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers re-sign Mat Bodie to one year deal
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Elsa Garrison/Getty Images.
New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced this morning that the team had re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Mat Bodie to a one year deal. He rejected his qualifying offer, but used that as the basis for his new salary.
Mat Bodie agreed to a two-way deal, with an $80,000 salary at the AHL level, and a $575k NHL cap hit. The potential NHL salary is actually less than his last contract, but he got a $10,000 raise in the AHL, which is realistically where he will spend the entirety of next season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers agree to terms with defenseman Dylan McIlrath
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers re-signed defenseman Dylan McIlrath to a one year deal, a “show me” deal for him to prove to management that he’s ready to be an NHL defenseman. Photo courtesy of Jim McIssac/Getty Images.
Shortly after signing Oscar Lindberg and Emerson Etem to deals, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that the team had signed RFA defenseman Dylan McIlrath. The deal is for just one season with a cap hit of $600k.
Like Oscar Lindberg, McIlrath will need to clear waivers this year, so this is the year that he needs to prove himself to the Rangers management.
McIlrath is the highly criticized first round pick from the 2010 draft, mainly due to who the Rangers passed up on (Cam Fowler, Jaden Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nick Bjugstad). McIlrath showed improvement in his first fully healthy season since 2011-12. But he is yet to crack the Rangers roster, and needs to work on his game more.
At the age of 23, McIlrath needs to make an NHL roster soon, or he may find himself a career AHL player. Unfortunately, the Rangers have an absurd amount of depth on the blue line, as well as another top defensive prospect in Brady Skjei.
The Rangers need to create cap space, and the easiest way to do so is by trading a defenseman, but I really doubt that will happen. Nonetheless, McIlrath needs to prove to Rangers management this year that he is capable of being an NHL defenseman, or he may find himself stuck in the AHL or on another team.
This past season with Hartford was probably the biggest jump in progress that McIlrath has ever made, and perhaps his best season as a professional. Jeff Beukeboom, assistant coach for the Wolf Pack and long-time Rangers defenseman, served as his mentor throughout the season. And it really showed.
Beukeboom was known as a fierce hitter and physical force in his days, but also as a reliable defenseman. And slowly but surely, McIlrath is starting to take on that same form. He’s still an intimidating presence on the ice, with the ability to throw crushing hits and clear the front of the net, but he’s developed the more central aspects of his game.
The biggest improvement this year was in his skating. Beukeboom said that at times, McIlrath would fall and have his feet slip out from under him.
When discussing the steps taken for his development, Beukeboom said, “we had a great skating coach here and we came up with a game plan and did stuff with his skates that I did as far as balance and not only that, Dylan has worked really hard and consistently working on his skill set and everything, his skating and it’s the first season that he stayed healthy. It all came together at the right time for him.” (SNYRangers)
From December, McIlrath showed big strides, shouldering heavy minutes and tough assignments in the AHL. He played very well in the playoffs, a plus player in every series, and playing well defensively. He finished with 17 points (6-11-17) in the regular season, adding two assists in the playoffs.
Personally, I would trade a defensemen and make room for Brady Skjei, or in this case, Dylan McIlrath on the roster. The team needs more cap space to sign their core players and continue to add depth players, and investing so much money on defense and in net has really handcuffed the team. It’s time to start trusting these young defensemen and giving them NHL time.
It’s now or never, make or break for first round draft pick Dylan McIlrath.
therangerzone.com 