New York Rangers Analysis: What Mike Rupp Brings To The Rangers, Update On Brian Boyle
Yesterday Mike put up some great analysis on the Mike Rupp signing. Just to further reinforce the Rupp signing, I reached out to Pensburg Managing Editor Frank for his thoughts on the signing:
Rangers fans will like Mike Rupp. He's a gritty guy who brings size and his own scoring touch to any team. One of his best attributes is his take-no-crap attitude when it comes to standing up for teammates. He's not the fastest guy on the ice, but he does possess some crafty work around the net and isn't afraid to bully guys out of the crease or create room for his teammates.
Paying Rupp $4.5 mill over three years is a pretty solid deal for him and the Rangers, albeit it one that might be perceived as a bit expensive if he's playing on the third or fourth line. If he plays like he did with the Penguins then you can expect to see maybe 8 to 10 goals and over 110 PIMS, most of which will come courtesy of fisticuffs.
Rupp has the potential to exceed expectations, and become a vital member of this team's future. His character and no-nonsense attitude are some of the things I'm most excited about with Rupp. And while the prospect of a potential 10-goal season is nice, I don't think Rupp's offensive numbers will mark how his New York Rangers tenure will be remembered.
Join me after the jump for the Brian Boyle news.
I speculated a few days ago that Boyle's contract negotiations were going to be the hardest, mainly because of his break-out season. It's also slightly concerning that Brandon Dubinsky's arbitration hearing is the earliest one, since he seems to be the farthest from a deal. It's good to see Sather working on the RFA's however, and obviously there's a huge sign of relief that Artem Anisimov is taken care of.
My honest speculation on why we haven't heard anything on Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan's contract negotiations at this point? I think Sather wants to get an idea of what type of money he will have available for when he only needs to focus on the Dubinsky and Callahan deals.
The order might, however, just be the way the blocks are falling. At this point we don't know much. What we do know is that Sather is taking care of business, and he's done well with the two contracts we have seen.
Use this as your open thread for the day as well guys. Obviously we'll update news if any comes down the pike.