Blog Archives
Reasonable expectations for the Rangers 2016-17 Season
Bobby Bevilacqua
Before the offseason started, there were talks about Jeff Gorton and the Rangers doing some minor tinkering and potentially entering the first phase of a rebuild. The team looked to have some major flaws and holes, an aging blue line and issues to address before opening night.
But Gorton made a lot of small, smart depth signings during Free Agent Frenzy, a trade for Mika Zibanejad, brought aboard a highly coveted NCAA prospect in Jimmy Vesey, and even made some changes to the coaching staff and management.
The moves made in the offseason show that the Rangers aren’t looking to rebuild and exit the first round this season, they’re looking to contend. 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
Potential Depth Signings for the Rangers
Chris Vallely
The Rangers are going to need to build their third and fourth line around guys like Jesper Fast. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
This offseason is going to be a difficult one for Jeff Gorton, GM of the New York Rangers. The Blueshirts have a projected $15,325,000 in cap space, but a multitude of players to re-sign. Restricted free agents Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, and Kevin Hayes, will take a majority of that cap space away, if both parties can agree on terms. Unrestricted free agent, Keith Yandle, is another highly touted player the Rangers would like to sign.
With these players clogging up most of the cap space, if not all, New York is going to have to look for cheap signings in free agency. Dominic Moore and Viktor Stalberg’s future remain uncertain, and Gorton is going to have to find replacement players. The Rangers top 6 is pretty much taken care of.
With New York’s tight budget, it’s going to be key to find inexpensive depth players to fill out the roster. Here is a list of low-risk, depth forwards the Rangers should look at in free agency: Read the rest of this entry
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
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