Rangers Analysis: TSN's New York Rangers Offseason Plan
by Nick Montemagno on May 22, 2010 9:50 AM EDT
in New York Rangers Analysis
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PrintThis past week, Scott Cullen of TSN wrote up a lengthy and in-depth gameplan for the New York Rangers in the upcoming offseason. He discusses who should stay and who should go, what the team's biggest needs are, and who the Blueshirts should look to acquire in this year's NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles, California. Below, I highlighted some of the more general ideas Scott brought to the table as he first looked at New York's approach as a whole.
Given the Rangers' approach in recent seasons, it's natural to expect them to head to the free agent market for solutions to their woes, but while head coach John Tortorella has indicated he wants changes in the room, he cautions against the Rangers making too many changes.
Since the Rangers only missed the playoffs by one point, rolling with the status quo could yield a playoff team in 2010-2011, but it would be irresponsible to not make an effort to provide better support for Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik, the Rangers' two bona fide stars, who need help if this team is going to do more than merely battle for a playoff spot.
Questionable (to be kind) free agent signings in recent years have left the Rangers in a precarious position under the salary cap.
Wade Redden, Chris Drury and Michal Rozsival aren't producing nearly enough for what they are getting paid and that makes it difficult for the Rangers to provide adequate support to their best players and it's how the Rangers end up with waiver wire pickup Erik Christensen centering their first line down the stretch as they bid for a playoff spot.
If the Rangers are creative enough, or willing to swallow enough salary, they may still be able to make a big addition or two to help next year's bid for the playoffs.
As Tortorella knows, though, there isn't any single addition that will turn this franchise into a championship contender, so a lot will depend on execution from whomever opens the season in Manhattan.
(For a more detailed look, read the remainder of Cullen's article on TSN)
My analysis after the jump.
As he mentions, I think it is likely that the Rangers are going to at least dip their feet into the free agent pool to get a feel for it come July 1st. Whether or not they will make any big free agent signings, I am not sure, because they are working with limited cap space here. I know that they would love to sink their teeth into Montreal center Tomas Plekanec if they could, but a trade or prior move of some sort may need to be made in order for that to happen.
There is no question that Gaborik and Lundqvist need some support on this team. They cannot be the only consistent pieces on the roster; that is not a team. I think just two more 20 goal scorers and a solid defenseman would make a huge difference for the Rangers, helping both Gabby and Hank out in the process. The question is, where do you turn to acquire those assets? And do you have the money/space to do so? These are just some of the questions running through general manager Glen Sather's mind right now.
Now that you have read TSN's offseason plan, I expect to be sharing mine in the coming weeks. Last year, I was pretty much on the money with my offseason predictions as most of them came true. If you never got a chance to read my gameplan from last summer since it wasn't on the Banter, do so here and try to recall how much of it actually happened.
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I totally agree we need more scoring depth but remember last season. We picked up Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik. At the time it looked like a great pickup, especially the Higgins deal. We all thought he would score at least 20 goals and i even said he’d score 25+ goals. Between these two guys and the Gaborik signing we thought the Rangers scoring problems were over. Well we all know how that turned out.
I understand that we need scoring depth but how can you predict how a player will perform? The only way is to look at his previous seasons and hope he lives up to expectations. With Higgins and Kotalik they both were 20+ goal scorers before coming here and I bet no one would have predicted Higgins would score only 8 goals.
We have Dubinsky. We have Callahan. These guys will score at least 20. I think Anisimov will score close to 20 goals. Prospal we should resign and he should provide 17-20 goals. Drury? No way he has as bad a season offensively as he did last year. He has to be better. Right? Gabby you know what you’re getting with him. But can he produce another 40+ goal season? I’ll pencil him in for 35. Avery? Hard to say with him. He had a bad season offensively last year. Can he be better? Dunno. Christenson is unknown. He might score 20 goals but then again i wouldn’t be surprised if he scores less than 10.
I say stick with the players we have and tough it out for a couple more seasons and don’t sign any big salary guys. Free up some cap space leading up to the 2012-13 season all the while bringing up our young players and give them NHL experience.
Lundqvist-Staal-MDZ-McDonagh-Krieder-Stepan-MZA-Cally-Dubi-Gabby-AA-Grachev-Prust
The core of the 2014 Stanley Cup winners!
by 76 Blueshirt on May 22, 2010 1:02 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Well said.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on May 22, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Couldn’t have said it any better myself. I think sticking with this lineup, with maybe an addition or two, should be the path Glen Sather takes.
Blueshirt Banter: Covering the New York Rangers for SB Nation.
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by Nick Montemagno on May 22, 2010 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks guys.
Lets hope Sather has smartened up over the last year. Constant turnover is a recipe for disaster.
I don’t have a problem with signing a couple guys for depth as i’m sure we will have trouble scoring again next season. But let me just say please Sather show some restraint!
Lundqvist-Staal-MDZ-McDonagh-Krieder-Stepan-MZA-Cally-Dubi-Gabby-AA-Grachev-Prust
The core of the 2014 Stanley Cup winners!
by 76 Blueshirt on May 23, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Drury? No way he has as bad a season offensively as he did last year.
Oh ye of little faith.
Check out my pic a day for a year project-
Life Through My Lens
LOL
It is pretty sad how his production has fallen so badly over the last 2 seasons. Laughable actually. A 7 million dollar man scoring 14 goals?
Lundqvist-Staal-MDZ-McDonagh-Krieder-Stepan-MZA-Cally-Dubi-Gabby-AA-Grachev-Prust
The core of the 2014 Stanley Cup winners!
by 76 Blueshirt on May 23, 2010 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm with you on most of your points...
And they were all well said.
The one you are most precise on are Avery and Christensen. Inconsistency is paramount with them. No, I’m not looking for a big money free agent signing; but trading for an RFA or a player like Thornton (who only has one year left on his deal) or Sharp (far less money than Thornton for two years) is how I would start this offseason.
Kovalchuk, Marleau….no thanks.
I Am HockeyMan!!
"When I tap my stick like this (thump, thump, thump), put the puck on the tape, and I'll take care of things." Jaromir Jagr, for Bud Light.
Joe
PAVELSKI… RFA Qualify offer is 1.6 mil… Go get him… I would give up the first round pick to sign him… he’s 25, can score, can pass, and I think he will be able to center Gaborik… Not only will he be able to center him… he is fast enough and dynamic enough to keep up with gabby… He also doesn’t mind getting his nose dirty by going to front of the net… Currently he’s playing Right Wing with Thorton, but thats because Heatley has been struggling as has marleau so they’ve tried switiching stuff up… His natural position is Center…
we would have to give up way more than one first round pick for him...
hes gonna be a 4m a year player, minimum 3.5 on a short term deal
by Ahmad Bradshaw on May 22, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
Agreed it will take 4 million plus to sign him.
Also it will be next years first round pick if we were to sign him. This years draft is the 25th of June i believe. Free agency begins July 1st.
Lundqvist-Staal-MDZ-McDonagh-Krieder-Stepan-MZA-Cally-Dubi-Gabby-AA-Grachev-Prust
The core of the 2014 Stanley Cup winners!
by 76 Blueshirt on May 23, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Reading through the entire report
We have about $13.5 million in cap room going into this offseason. Considering the need to resign Staal, we could butt ourselves into the postseason cry of the Sharks and make a run at Joe Thornton. Kinda similar to a deal I saw posted (wanting to give credit to the guy who proposed this) on a possible offer we could make with Dallas for Brad Richards and James Neal.
I put the numbers together on this deal I’d propose:
NYR gets: C Thornton
LW Mitchell
SJ gets: D Roszival
LW Avery
RW Lisin
2010 second round pick
We would incur less then $500K in incoming salary, and since Rob Blake likely doesn’t return, Rosi’s contract and playing time will fit right in. Lisin’s speed makes for a asset to a run-and-gun team like the Sharks. Avery will be annoying only on the Left Coast.
Gives us the opportunity to give Gaborik a big, forechecking center who is 85% pass; which says to me “Gabby’s 43 will become 63”.
I Am HockeyMan!!
"When I tap my stick like this (thump, thump, thump), put the puck on the tape, and I'll take care of things." Jaromir Jagr, for Bud Light.
If Sather can get Thornton AND someone else for Avery/Lisin/Rozsival, I"ll build him the statue myself.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on May 24, 2010 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you sure between Ranger and Smurf isn’t Grouchy?
Anyway…considering the current economics of both teams and the fact that Joe Pavelski will indeed take the Sharks into the team’s future, I’ll even replace Rosi with Girardi and add Weise…and it still gets done.
Reason: The better parts of the Sharks are after the current first line (except Heatley, he’s staying). The Sharks upper management knows the team is better behind Pavelski and Heatley. They’re not willing to give up any part of that, without getting something VERY worthwhile in return. Besides, this isn’t about us, as much as it’s about them needing the shake-up.
It’s the same argument we had regarding the Chicago Blackhawks posts we went toe-to-toe on. You need to look at something far more broad than raw numbers. You need to look at team needs and depth; also, position of strength in a trade. Those things [intangibles] are how a GM thinks, and where he deals from. Not just numbers and contracts, Dude.
I Am HockeyMan!!
"When I tap my stick like this (thump, thump, thump), put the puck on the tape, and I'll take care of things." Jaromir Jagr, for Bud Light.
It’s the same argument we had regarding the Chicago Blackhawks posts we went toe-to-toe on.
Yes, and it’s as insane now as it was then.
And yes, there is more than numbers, but there aren’t enough ‘intangibles’ in the world to justify trading your #1 C and one of the ten best players in the league for essentially roster fodder.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on May 25, 2010 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Tomas Plekanec
Despite being a life-long Rangers’ fan, I’ve always admired the Montreal Canadiens — as such, once the Rangers failed to qualify, I’ve been rooting for the Habs. It was bittersweet to see Gomez rediscover his game, but I have to say that Tomas Plekanec is NOT a playoff performer — he pretty much disappeared down the stretch, especially in the Philly series. He was not strong on the puck, ran away from physical contact or lost physical battles, and was ineffective on offensive. Contrast with the play of Cammelleri — 13 goals in the playoffs, involved physically, two-way skater.
No, Plekanec will be just another journeyman in a long line of promises-unmet free agents signing (Bure, Lindros, Redden, being prime examples).
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