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Michael Grabner – Unlikely Scoring Sensation for the NYR
Luanne Duncan
For those who didn’t see, I posted a brief recap of last night’s game against Winnipeg. You can read that HERE.
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
If NY Ranger fans and analysts were asked at the start of this season, who would be leading the NYR in goal scoring after 13 games, who would be the top pick? Mats Zuccarello? Chris Kreider? Maybe one of the new kids – Jimmy Vesey or Pavel Buchnevich? Wrong, wrong and wrong. The answer is the surprise pick-up of the year, #40, Michael Grabner. The NYR acquired the 29 year old Austrian native from Toronto on July 1st to little fanfare. Grabner fetched a 2 year, $3.3M contract which is turning out to be the deal of the century for what this guy is now producing.
Most fans, if they even recognized the name at all, remember Grabner from playing five years with the NY Islanders. In 2010-2011, his first and best season with the rival franchise, he garnered 34 goals and 18 assists in 76 games. In September 2015 he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 80 games there, he scored a paltry 9 goals and 9 assists. It was no surprise he was not able to contribute significantly to the offensively challenged team ranked near the bottom of the league in goal scoring. However, with the way Grabs is currently playing for the Rangers, he is set to blow his best season stats out of the rink. 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
Rangers agree to terms with RFAs Emerson Etem, Oscar Lindberg
Bobby Bevilacqua
Oscar Lindberg and Emerson Etem are locked up, with both players accepting their qualifying offers on Tuesday afternoon. Photos courtesy of MSG Photos and Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports.
This afternoon, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that the team had agreed to terms with two more of their Restricted Free Agents, with those players being Oscar Lindberg and Emerson Etem, who was acquired from the Ducks during the second day of the NHL Draft.
Both players accepted their qualifying offers, which thankfully means that there is no arbitration required. That’s good, because I think that both players will be in the starting lineup on opening night, and I think that they’ll both be important players next season.
Oscar Lindberg’s deal keeps him under contract for the next two seasons for a cap hit of just $650k, which is excellent for the Rangers if they plan on using him at the NHL level (they should). Read the rest of this entry
therangerzone.com 