New York Rangers Cut Eleven From Training Camp

This morning the New York Rangers have announced that they have slimmed down their training camp roster by 11 players. Some of them came as a surprise, while others were more expected. The Rangers assigned Chad Johnson, Dale Weise, Evgeny Grachev, Mats Zuccarello, and Wade Redden to Hartford, released Brandon Manning, Alexei Semenov, and Garnet Exelby from tryouts, and will assign Dane Byers, Kris Newbury, and Jeremy Williams to continue training camp with Hartford.

To begin with, I was really surprised that they cut Mats Zuccarello so quickly. He was brought here with the initial thought of being able to produce offensively in a top-six role. There were a lot of high hopes for him, both from fans and management, and he just did not seem to find any groove this training camp. He was pretty much invisible in the three games he played.

Meanwhile, Evgeny Grachev is another player who has gone invisible, two training camps in a row. Last season, there could have been the excuse that he was getting used to hockey in North America, but after a season in Hartford, and a lackluster one at that, he should have been ready this time around. I have the feeling that this Russian forward will go the way of Bobby Sanguinetti and amount to nothing, because let’s face it, he was a third round pick who never got any attention until the unfortunate passing of Alexei Cherepanov.

For Dale Weise, I thought he played well and if the Rangers did not have such a log-jam at forward, he would have made the team. He showed good physical ability and even chipped in an assist in the first game of the preseason.

The Rangers also released Alexei Semenov from his tryout with the Rangers. I was actually very surprised at this because I thought he played well, and his size and strength would have been a welcome sight on the blue-line. However, I believe his cutting means that Pavel Valentenko will make the team, as he has been very physical and even has a good shot to boot. He will battle it out with Ryan McDonagh, but I think he holds the edge. Steve Eminger, meanwhile, will most likely get the job as the team’s seventh defenseman even though I was not impressed with what I saw from him.

Garnet Exelby too was cut, which was expected after the awful game he had against the Devils on Saturday night. The cuts to Newbury, Williams and Byers were also expected, and each one of them has to clear waivers before being assigned to Hartford.

The Rangers are now down to their two goaltenders, but are carrying nine defenseman and 16 forwards. I expected the Rangers to cut two more defenseman and two more forwards in the days to come.

Look for a post later this afternoon by Joe Aiello as he gives us what he expects to be our lineup for the season.

Rangers Deal Sanguinetti; Sather Plays Hardball with Staal

These last two days have been a whirlwind of confusion and anger for New York Rangers fans. First, it saw the team draft Dylan McIlrath in the first round when Cam Fowler and Vladimir Tarasenko were still on the board, then it saw the team, yesterday, deal 2006 first round pick Bobby Sanguinetti to the Hurricanes.

In regards to their draft choice, let’s just be real here– fans were ready to bitch and moan if the Rangers drafted Christ incarnate. Why? Because we can never been happy with anything. Here is poor Dylan McIlrath, torn to shreds by everybody. What do we know about him?

We had not even heard of him prior to Friday (I guess that’s the reason for the anger), but here is this eighteen year old, who all he did was get drafted, and here he is, getting his career, called a failure.

Fans are making it seem like the Rangers took someone who was not even going to go in the draft at all, not a player who was ranked at 15th by TSN, who the Rangers chose at 10th. The myth that the Rangers could have traded down is false, because it has since been speculated that two others teams were interested in him.

The Rangers got their man Friday night, made known by the fact that they already had his name stitched on the jersey.

For years we have been begging for a tough, bruising, S.O.B defenseman that we have not had since Jeff Beukeboom. Although McIlrath is years away from being NHL ready, it is a step in the right direction. So let’s just wait until he plays a game and screws up before we rip the hell out of him.

Now to Bobby Sanguinetti, the shining prospect of the team’s farm system for the last four years. Yes, four years. Maybe that’s why he was traded.

When the Rangers drafted this offensive defenseman in 2005, he was promised to be the next Brian Leetch. Who made that promise? Who knows, but unfortunately it stuck, and fans still have in their heads that Sanguinetti can be of use to the Rangers.

Just because Sanguinetti only played five games for the team in four years, it does not mean he is a bust as a draft pick. He is sure to have a solid NHL career in front of him, but due to the Rangers logjam of defensemen, there is absolutely no room for him at all.

So rather than let him rot, the Rangers got a 6th round pick in this year’s draft, and a 2nd for next year. A pretty nice return considering the fact that Sather had no leverage, because it was brutally clear he had no future.

Finally, what everybody is talking about are the recent comments made by Glen Sather concerning cornerstone defenseman Marc Staal. Sather told Michael Obernauer of the Daily News that there is a “chasm” separating the two parties from reaching an agreement. This immediately threw everyone into panic mode.

Let’s take a step off the ledge for a second and think this one out. Do you honestly believe that Sather is going to let Staal get away? Not a chance in hell.

Staal, whose agent is Bobby Orr, is reportedly seeking a deal of $3.5-4 million, according to Larry Brooks of the NY Post. Depending on the angle you look at this from, it could be worth it. Staal has been great defensively, but really does not contribute any offensive punch, at least not as much as the Rangers would like.

Should Staal be seeking a small deal, than $4 million would be an overpayment. However, if the Rangers could lock him up long-term, as in five or more years, than you have to seriously consider giving it to him. Staal will be entering his fourth season, so I suggest they give him a one year contract and see how he does this season. Should he outburst, then he gets the money he is looking for. Should he fail, then he takes Sather’s offer.

Glen Sather will not let Staal get away. It’s painfully obvious that fans hate him so much that they are letting that blind them.

However, if you want to talk about a defenseman the Rangers might let walk away, try Dan Girardi, who is looking for $3 million. Girardi, who was brutal early on last season, was able to settle down and play solid down the stretch. His point totals hover around the mid-20′s, and that does not make him worth as much, considering he isn’t as sound positionally as Staal, and has no physical element to his game at all. And who could forget him playing spectator to this?

One more thing– how come when Sather drafts Lundqvist in a late round of the draft it’s considered luck, but when the Red Wings do it with Datsyuk and Zetterberg it’s considered brilliance?

Russ Cohen Discusses the NHL Draft, Rangers, Free Agency, and More!

Hockey analyst and Sportsology creator Russ Cohen now becomes the person I have interviewed more than any other, with this being our fourth time. Russ has always been kind enough to answer all of my questions and we decided to do another interview exploring the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft that will be upon us June 25.

Russ is also allowing me to run a hockey trivia challenge, that starts tomorrow, using his book 100 Ranger Greats as the medium. For the next three weeks, every Tuesday I will post trivia questions that can all be answered by reading the book. Participants must email me their responses before the next round is posted and the leader after three weeks will win a brand new copy! It is sure to be a lot of fun.

Below is our conversation:

GC: Who do you think the Rangers will take in this year’s draft, and why?

RC: I think the New York Rangers will select goaltender Jack Campbell. Henrik Lundqvist continues to break his own career mark for games played with the Blueshirts and five year’s into his career he has some knee problems. If you consider that most of the Rangers great goaltenders lasted right around 10 years then this year’s draft has to yield a potential franchise goaltender for the team. Goalies take a long time to develop so the time is now. This is a piece I wrote on Campbell.

GC: There is so much talk about who will go first overall in this year’s draft. Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall seem to be the leading candidates, but who do you think the Oilers will take with the first overall pick?

RC: I think the Oilers will take Taylor Hall. He has exceptional speed, he’s a clutch scorer, he can play in every situation and he makes players around him better. He can play in the NHL next season.

GC: What Rangers prospects have a chance of making the team this season?

RC: Derek Stepan has that kind of talent. If he decides to turn pro and not return to the University of Wisconsin then he will certainly get a long look in camp. What’s important to note is the fact that if he could make the team without playing in the AHL then he will be learning on the job and you shouldn’t expect a huge offensive season out of him. I think Bobby Sanguinetti has the talent and he seems to be playing with more of an edge. He had a rocky road with the coach last season so he has to impress him in camp or he won’t make it even though he has the talent to do so. If Evgeny Grachev has a great start in Hartford he could get a late season promotion.

GC: Do you expect there to be many trades at this year’s draft, and do you see the Rangers making any?

RC: Toronto will be trying to move defenseman Tomas Kaberle for sure. I think one of the Montreal goaltenders; most likely Carey Price will be available as well. I think the Rangers might have interest in Kaberle. There will be some lesser talented players moved as well, there always are.

GC: The very private Glen Sather gave a very in-depth interview with Larry Brooks of the New York Post last week. What is your response to this and what do you think he has in store this off-season?

RC: I think he’s trying to add another scorer to play alongside Marian Gaborik. I think they will search for toughness on the blueline as well. They don’t have a lot of cap space so far, but that could change, so that’s why he was essentially saying don’t look for a big free-agent signing. With all of that said it’s nice to say that you want to keep going with the youth but the past few years the Rangers traded some of that youth, and it didn’t get the team anywhere, so it’s hard to put much stock in that statement as well.

GC: Rangers fans seem to be clamoring for Ilya Kovalchuk (obviously) and now more recently Anton Volchenkov. Tomas Plekanec has had his name thrown in the rumor mill as well, even though I do not want him. Which of these free agents do the Rangers have the best shot at signing? And would you personally make a move to acquire any of them?

RC: Tomas Plekanec was almost invisible in the series against Philadelphia so stay away from him; he’s just too soft, even though he has solid scoring ability. Anton Volchenkov could help this team at the right price. He’s the only one of the three that I would have interest in. If Kovalchuk was going to become a Ranger he would ask for $100 million that they don’t have. I’m not sure where he will sign but I’m sensing he might take less money to stay in New Jersey when it’s all said and done.

I would like to thank Russ for taking the time to conduct this interview!

Ranger Fans Voice Their Opinion on Who Should Stay, Who Should Go

In a recent study conducted by Phil Kocher, of Dissension Media, on a New York Rangers message board that will remain anonymous for the time being, he meticulously created twenty-five poll threads, one for each of the players who played for a substantial amount of time on the Rangers this season.

The question he asked was simple; should he stay or should he go? This question was asked of everyone. For the most part, the results were what we would generally expect, but who was voted the player that should stay the most may surprise you, as should several others.

Below are the complete results of the survey:

Who Stays

Artem Anisimov: 100% stay/0 % go. (47 voters)

Michael Del Zotto: 98.55% stay/ 1.45 %go. (69 voters)

Brandon Prust: 98% stay/2% go. (50 voters)

Erik Christensen: 97.96% stay/2.04% go. (49 voters)

Jody Shelley: 97.62% stay/2.38% go. (42 voters)

Marc Staal: 96.36% stay/3.64% go. (55 voters)

Marian Gaborik: 95.16% stay/4.84% go. (62 voters)

Brandon Dubinsky: 91.94% stay/8.06% go. (62 voters)

Henrik Lundqvist: 91.67% stay/8.33% go. (72 votes)

Alex Auld: 90% stay/10% go. (40 voters)

Ryan Callahan: 89.58% stay/10.42% go. (48 voters)

Vaclav Prospal: 84.72% stay/15.28% go. (72 voters)

Dan Girardi: 81.82% stay/18.18% go. (66 voters)

Sean Avery: 75.71% stay/24.29% go. (70 voters)

Matt Gilroy: 67.5% stay/32.5 go. (40 voters)

Anders Eriksson: 61.36% stay/38.64% go. (44 voters)

Who Goes

Stephen Valiquette: 98.04% go/1.96% stay. (51 voters)

Wade Redden: 96.30% go/3.70% stay. (81 voters)

Olli Jokinen: 95.29% go/4.71% stay. (85 voters)

Enver Lisin: 86.49% go/13.51% stay. (37 voters)

Chris Drury: 72.09% go/27.91% stay. (43 voters)

Brian Boyle: 71.19% go/28.81% stay. (59 voters)

Michal Rozsival: 60.94% go/29.06% stay. (64 voters)

P.A Parenteau: 60% go/40% stay. (40 voters)

Aaron Voros: 53.85% go/16.15% stay (52 voters)

As hard on Lundqvist as I have been this season, I am still shocked that his rating did not come closer to 100% than it did. Furthermore, I find it laughable that Jody Shelley, Erik Christensen and Brandon Prust have more people wanting them to stay than the team’s franchise goaltender.

Anisimov may have a bright future with this organization, but he will probably be my biggest surprise in these results, as he is the only player to achieve 100% in anything. It was also shocking to see Wade Redden n0t get to 100%, although he did come close.

Not many surprises all around, although I was expecting some of these polls to be more unanimous than what they ended up being. Fans are nearly torn on Voros, with close to a 50/50 split. Quite surprising considering that everyone hated his guts midway through the season.

With the buzz factor, Jokinen’s poll generated the most attention, as he garnered 85 total votes. Meanwhile, not many people cared to click on Enver Lisin’s poll, as he received only 37 total votes. Most of these polls had a good enough sample space to generate the overall attitude towards the Ranger players, even though I wish some of the polls in the 40′s had more voters.

Chad Johnson, Bobby Sanguinetti, Corey Potter, and Corey Locke were not polled, because they did not play enough.

Hats off to Phil for taking the time to conduct these.

In a separate poll conducted by myself a little more than a week ago, I asked fans on this same board who they wanted to be the team’s backup goalie. Even though 90% chose Auld in the previous poll series, the results were a little more broken up, almost contradictory to the above.

Out of 45 voters, 16 wanted Auld to be the backup, 15 chose Chad Johnson, 10 wanted Johan Hedberg to be signed, 3 wanted Martin Biron to be signed, and one person voted “other”.

Needless to say, the Rangers have a lot of work to do in the off-season, and I still am not expecting them to do anything major. Probably just a few small moves here and there. If the Rangers wanted to please their fans, they would look at some of these numbers and act on them, but I am sure that will be highly unlikely.

New York Rangers Free Agents: Who Stays, Who Goes?

Even if the New York Rangers manage to slip into the playoffs, they must begin to look to the future, starting with their own free agents and who they will bring back and let walk when the off-season begins.

1. Olli Jokinen (C)

2009/10 salary: $5.500 million

For the past two seasons, Olli Jokinen has been a shell of the player that once scored 30 goals and 90 points with the Florida Panthers. The Rangers stole the one time superstar from the Calgary Flames, in exchange for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik, who have combined for a total of 32 games played, 4 goals, and 2 assists. Jokinen, meanwhile, has 3 goals and 10 assists in 20 games.

He has shown promise is certain situations since being acquired by the Rangers, but a lack of consistency has plagued him, and led to him being called out by head coach John Tortorella a few days ago. Because the Rangers will be in a strong need of offense next season, and Ilya Kovalchuk is on the market, letting Jokinen walk to save that $5 million would be the ideal move.

That’s what the trade really was, a salary dump, and the Rangers should allow the course to run itself. However, if Jokinen were to take a pay cut, and accept a one year deal for $4 million, then I would consider having him back, but that is unlikely.

Final Verdict: Do not re-sign

2. Vaclav Prospal (C/LW)

2009/10 salary: $1.1 million (Receiving $1.167 million from Tampa Bay due to a buyout)

The Rangers signed Prospal this summer to play center alongside Marian Gaborik this season. For the most part, the tandem worked, and Prospal sits second on the Rangers in scoring, all while being paid modest sum of $1.1 million dollars. This can clearly be called the steal of the summer.

Prospal’s natural position for his entire career has been on the wing, and it only goes to show how poor a depth the Rangers have, since their number one center for the majority of the season has been a career winger. But even so, he and Gaborik have found great chemistry, and he has even played well when being moved around on different lines.

The Rangers should look to re-sign Prospal, who will be getting a raise. Given that he is 34 years old and will be getting money from Tampa Bay until 2015, the raise should only be slight, and he should play on the wing if the Rangers can get a real number one center.

Final Verdict: Re-sign for two years/$3.6 million

3. Enver Lisin (RW)

2009/10 salary: $790,000 (RFA)

At the beginning of the season, Lisin showed flashes of brilliance with his lightning speed and heavy shot. Unfortunately, he soon fell into the doghouse of John Tortorella and has not been given ample playing time in months.

At only 23 years old, he still has a lot of potential, and as much as I would like to give him a chance, would it be worth it for the Rangers to re-sign him only to have him be scratched or given five minutes of ice time on the fourth line? If John Tortorella is fired, I imagine he will be re-signed, but if not, than the Rangers will have to not offer him a qualifier, because he is a restricted free agent. The Rangers could also look to trade his rights, but I doubt they could really fetch anything for him

Final verdict: Do not re-sign

4. Erik Christensen (C)

2009/10 salary: $750,000 (RFA)

Who would have thought that a third line center claimed off of waivers would end up being the Rangers’ number one center later in the season? Since being picked up off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks, Christensen has played very well in the roles he has been assigned.

Although he does not have the caliber of a number one center, he has formed good chemistry with Marian Gab0rik and Vaclav Prospal. He has a very heavy wrist shot, back checks, and has decent speed. He also has an excellent scoring percentage in shootouts.

The Rangers should look to bring back the 25 year old, to play on the first line, or even slide down to the third line if the Rangers were to acquire a center over the summer.

Final verdict: Re-sign for two years/$1.8 million

5. Jody Shelley (LW)

2009/10 salary: $725,000

After being quiet during his first few games as a Ranger, Shelley has quietly found himself a nice role on the fourth line. After forming chemistry with Artem Anisimov and Brandon Prust, he has also been seen as defensively responsible, and has been on the ice for late shifts when the Rangers have a lead.

He is a better skater than Brashear and Orr, and has been a decent fighter. He also does not

take dumb penalties, which is the fault of many enforcers. I should hope that the Rangers would look to bring him back for another season.

Final verdict: Re-sign for one year/$750,000

6. Brandon Prust (RW)

2009/10 salary: $525,000 (RFA)

Since being acquired by the Rangers, Prust has been relatively calm and unnoticeable. He led the league in fighting majors at the time the Rangers acquired him, but really has not been as active with the Rangers. He has shown good speed, and the willingness to stick up for his teammates, but if the Rangers choose to re-sign Shelley, and keep Voros, there really would not be a need to have him back.

The Rangers should try to give a youngster the spot next season; a player like Dane Byers or Devin DiDiomete could fit in well, and for less money.

Final verdict: Do not re-sign

7. Dan Girardi (D)

2009/10 salary: $1.6 million (RFA)

When Dan Girardi hits free agency, I would hope that the Rangers run as fast as they possibly can. Aside from not being physical, Girardi has been a shell of that ultra-calm defenseman we saw two seasons ago, and for the beginning of last year. He has been, in one word, brutal.

As an unrestricted free agent, the Rangers simply cannot just walk, but they can choose to not offer him a qualifying offer, or even try to trade his rights for a late round draft pick. Getting a 5th or 6th rounder could be a pretty good return.

The Rangers then also call up Potter or Sanguinetti for next season, to give them a chance.

Final verdict: Do not re-sign

8. Marc Staal (D)

2009/10 salary: $765,000

The one thing that is on the mind of every Rangers fan out there is what the Rangers will be paying Marc Staal, and how can they afford him. First of all, I am not Staal’s biggest fan, and consider him to be an ordinary defenseman, who is so highly overrated by fans and analysts alike, simply because of his last name.

That said, I would like to see Staal brought back for next season, but without breaking the bank. Should Staal sign for only one year, to bridge the gap until the Rangers can pay him more the season after, than he would get less. But if the Rangers can lock him up long-term, then they can pay him more.

Final verdict: Re-sign for one year/$1.8 million or four years/$12 million

Other Players

In the last few games, P.A Parenteau has been playing very well, now that it seems he will finally be given a chance to prove himself. He has skated well and has shown offensive prowess on the top two lines. However, there is a catch– Parenteau is a top-six player or bust. He is useless on a checking line, and the Rangers should only bring him back if they can guarantee him a spot on the top two lines. Should this scenario be possible, then I think a one year/$600,000 would be fair.

Anders Eriksson has been unnoticeable in the two games he has played since being called up from the Wolfpack, after being acquired from Phoenix in a deadline day deal. On this defense, though, being unnoticeable is almost as good as actually being good. At 34 years old, the journeyman can be the epitome of a 7th defenseman, and can be valuable down the stretch for the Rangers next season, without hurting the development of any of the Rangers young defensemen. He should get a one year deal for $550,000.