Rangers’ shortsighted thinking on roster could cost them the promising Kravtsov

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Derek

What a difference 24 hours makes. A day ago, I was very excited to post my half glass full expectations for an improved New York Rangers who begin play at old Patrick Division rival Washington on Tuesday night. While that should still be a box office draw for TNT, who debut their NHL coverage in just over 24 hours, the news that came down several hours ago was extremely disappointing.

Of course, I’m referring to the shortsighted decision by the Rangers organization to send down Vitali Kravtsov. When it was initially revealed by the beat reporters two nights ago, I didn’t have a good feeling. It felt wrong. That’s because the former 2018 first round pick belongs on the 23-man roster. A gifted player who is still only 21, the ninth pick of that NHL Draft showed some flashes of why Rangers brass like him towards the end of last season. Although he only was credited with two goals and two assists (really three if you recall the Devil game) in his first 20 NHL games, the right wing looked the part.

Maybe that’s why it’s so mind numbing that the organization foolishly kept ninth defenseman Libor Hajek and bit forward Dryden Hunt over him. Cutting Kravtsov, who only two years ago hated going to Hartford so much that he wound up back in Russia playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, was not the wisest decision. Especially after what Team President and GM Chris Drury told Kravtsov a month ago before training camp. According to USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano, he felt the talented Russian would be on the roster. So, they didn’t include him as part of the brief Rookie Prospects games against the Flyers.

Fast forward to today’s news that Kravtsov not surprisingly didn’t report to Hartford. TSN insider Elliotte Friedman broke the story that the Rangers informed Kravtsov and his agent they have permission to seek a trade with other clubs. It really feels like a very stubborn idea that reeks of Glen Sather, whose dark shadowy ghost won’t go away from Madison Square Garden. So, they really want to throw away a good prospect who is said to have interested suitors, for a depth forward and a young defenseman, who’s blocked? If this seems logical, I’d like to hear why.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1447946815123435528?t=ZAlVTuBeTS5RZ01ydE_p9g&s=19

It’s disturbing how shortsighted this organization is. They’re so afraid of their shadow that they’d rather not lose Hajek or Hunt to waivers than keep Kravtsov, who scored a goal in his preseason return. Even Julien Gauthier, who I feel can have a role due to the flashes he shows, didn’t score in any tuneup. Explain to me what the heck is going on at Penn Plaza. Combine this puzzling news with the possibility that the Rangers will go with six alternates if you believe Gerard Gallant after he promised to name a captain, and you can’t help but wonder why this team operates the way it does.

Whatever optimism there is about the ’21-22 season is still there. But these two subjects aren’t going away if they don’t sit down with Kravtsov and do the right thing and keep him. This isn’t Lias Andersson. They’re not even in the same stratosphere. Oh btw Andersson had a good preseason with the Kings and made the roster. How’s Brett Howden doing these days in Vegas? He’ll start on the fourth line when they likely blow the doors off the Kraken on ESPN later tonight.

The second part would be surprising the press and fans on Thursday by introducing the new team captain at The Garden before they host the Stars. I felt that what Gallant told the media might be a smokescreen. But after this unnecessary chaos with Kravtsov, I’m not so sure anymore. They have to keep everyone in the dark second-guessing. That’s typical Sather. This doesn’t feel right. Nobody knows what’s happening. I thought those days had passed. Apparently not from an Original Six franchise that had no sense of humor if you follow their social media accounts.

The other thing that’s gripping is the way they could’ve handled it. Why the heck did they trade Pavel Buchnevich if they were going to give Kravtsov the shaft? They freed up spots for Kaapo Kakko, who’s looked primed for a breakout season, and Kravtsov, who should be on the third line with Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow. Instead, they look like they would prefer to weaken themselves over some silly waivers nonsense for a disappointment in Hajek, who is never going to play. No disrespect intended to Hajek,who probably is an NHL player. But he failed to live up to expectations like Howden after that Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller trade. Only Nils Lundkvist is left once Hajek goes. Karl Henriksson is a longshot down the line.

The roster for now looks like this:

CENTERS

Mika Zibanejad

Ryan Strome

Filip Chytil

Kevin Rooney

LEFT WINGS

Alexis Lafreniere

Artemi Panarin

Barclay Goodrow

Sammy Blais

RIGHT WINGS

Chris Kreider

Kaapo Kakko

Julien Gauthier

Ryan Reaves

Dryden Hunt

DEFENSEMEN

Adam Fox

Ryan Lindgren

Jacob Trouba

K’Andre Miller

Patrik Nemeth

Nils Lundkvist

Jarred Tinordi

Libor Hajek

GOALIES

Igor Shesterkin

Alex Georgiev

In regards to the current 23-man roster, I don’t feel it’s set in stone. Drury was actively looking to move Hajek. Or maybe I should rephrase it to desperately. I never understood qualifying and re-signing him. What were they expecting his role to be? Once they signed both Nemeth and Tinordi, who ironically will play over Lundkvist in the highly anticipated game at the Capitals, there’s no place for him. How incredulous.

It really dampens the mood. It feels like they’re putting too much emphasis on tomorrow’s game. Will there be more retribution for resident bad boy Tom Wilson? Maybe. Whether it’s Reaves or Tinordi, who knows how dirty the power forward can be, figure something will happen. I’d also include Garnet Hathaway, who’s a tough customer. T.J. Oshie can also get physically involved. A very respected player. Goodrow won’t back down either.

The thing is if it really is supposed to be temporary, then why not put Kravtsov on the roster so he can play Thursday? The whole thing is a mess. Let’s hope Kravtsov doesn’t go anywhere. That cooler heads will prevail.

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Devils 2021-22 season preview

Posted on October 12, 2021 by hasan4978
https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1447693261276069889?s=20

Tonight marks the beginning of another NHL season, sure doesn’t feel that way as a Devils fan though – given that we have to wait another three whole days for our opener. At least three days gives us a little more time for our walking wounded to heal. It’s telling the Devils had to put on their own roster sheet a notation of all the injured players eligible to be activated by Friday. So our ‘final’ 23-man roster is more like an initial 23-man roster with a few surprises that hopefully aren’t long for this world, if they are it means something’s terribly wrong or guys are hurt more seriously than the Devils will let on.

It doesn’t sound like Ty Smith will be ready for the opener Friday, which means one of Christian Jaros (who?), Colton White (meh) or Ranger castoff Mason Geertsen (yikes) could be our sixth D. Hopefully at least Damon Severson, who’s been in and out of camp due to injury will be ready to play, otherwise two of those guys will be in the lineup against the Blackhawks in three days. Having three goalies on the initial roster just serves to underscore the potential mess that Mackenzie Blackwood’s status may well cause down the road although our more immediate concern is Johnathan Bernier missing the last few days due to a lower body injury. Allegedly he’ll be back for the opener, not that he’s going to play that game unless something goes wrong with Blackwood in the interim though.

Goaltender – With that as a lead-in, might as well start with the goalies for this preview. I’ve said my piece on Blackwood and his vaccination status in a prior blog, thank goodness his test scare turned out to be just that and he ‘only’ missed a preseason game that didn’t get played anyway. Hopefully that provides an impetus to get this issue resolved sooner rather than later because there’s already inherent enough risk of him missing games as it is due to an infection, travel restrictions or another ‘inconclusive test’ a la last week. If healthy and available, Blackwood and Bernier should provide our best tandem since Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg in 2011-12. I would say Marty and Cory Schneider in 2014 but without picking at old scabs, that just didn’t work for anyone involved. Given Blackwood’s never started more than 43 games in a season, Bernier provides a complementary guy we haven’t had yet in Blackwood’s career. For all of the consistency issues with Blackwood – particularly last year – you could still see the difference between the Devils when Blackwood played and when other goalies played. On paper, this should finally be an 82-game strength but if Blackwood is unavailable for whatever reason then it becomes a giant question mark again.

Defensemen – A lot of the offseason buzz over the Devils improving their D with the signing of Dougie Hamilton and the trade for Ryan Graves has been tempered with the recent injury news around Smith and Severson. Still, when healthy this D should be much improved over every version the Devils have iced since (again) 2011-12, which not-so-coincidentally was also the Devils’ last extended playoff run. Hamilton gives the Devils a true #1 they haven’t really had at any point in the post-Lou Lamoriello era while Graves also adds skill and some size to a unit sorely lacking both. Smith had a fairly solid rookie campaign and when he returns, more will be expected of him in year number two while perhaps Severson’s consistency improves now that he will be more of a second-pairing D as opposed to the erstatz top-pairing D he’s been forced to be at different points the last few years. Wither PK Subban? Clearly we haven’t gotten the player we hoped we would be from Nashville two years ago as he hasn’t even approached his former Norris-winning form. In a contract year and on a lower pairing maybe, just maybe his production can spike some? 2021 deadline acquisition Jonas Siegenthaler should start with an everyday role in the top six and hopefully does enough to earn a permanent lineup spot.

Forwards – Nine of the thirteen initial roster forwards were expected to be there before camp, albeit with various question marks surrounding them. Can Nico Hischier stay healthy this time around and finally have a spike in his offensive production? Will Jack Hughes have a breakout year of his own offensively? Every other question among our forward lineup pales in comparison to those two – quite simply the Devils need their franchise centers to be impact players if they’re going to improve as a team and if as an offense they are going to make a jump out of the bottom third of the league to somewhere higher with a lot more goals to celebrate in-person this year. Really we have few sure things in our lineup though, which is somewhat to be expected with what’s going to be the youngest roster in the league on Opening Night. Nico and Jack having increased production would also help with some of our other question marks.

To wit: can Pavel Zacha thrive as a center or will the Devils finally be forced to admit he should be a wing? His production the last two years as a center and as a wing suggests that he should play wide but the Devils clearly want some size down the middle and are willing to try to pound a square peg into a round hole one more time. Maybe Zacha doesn’t even get as much of a shot at center as was rumored at the beginning of camp because of the emergence of teen sensation Dawson Mercer though.

If he’s here to stay that would be a big boost for a team needing a third center (especially if it keeps Zacha on the wing). It would also be a big boost if Yegor Sharangovich’s rookie breakthrough wasn’t a fluke and he can pump in another 25-30 goals this year, and if Jesper Bratt’s improved production last year (30 points in 46 games after a camp holdout) portended a full season where it all comes together for the former sixth-round pick. Janne Kuokkanen, like Sharangovich needs to avoid falling victim to the sophomore jinx while former first-round pick Mike McLeod seems to be settling into his fourth-line role quite nicely. Will Miles Wood get healthy soon, or are we going to have to give the likes of Marian Studenic and Freddy Gauthier some run early in the season?

It’s not just the kids that have question marks surrounding them though – can Tomas Tatar rebound from the embarrassment of being a healthy scratch in the playoffs for Montreal to add some scoring punch up front? Will Jimmy Vesey contribute anything after winning a spot on the roster off a camp PTO? Can Andreas Johnsson rebound from a disastrous first year in New Jersey to add something, anything to the lineup in year two? It’s already gotten old detailing all of the question marks but really that’s the story of the team right now. A lot of young players looking to improve and/or maintain consistency.

Management – Perhaps our one sure thing (so to speak) is going into a second season with Lindy Ruff as coach, but putting together most of his staff during a pandemic then getting next to zero practice time last year wasn’t exactly ideal going into a first season with a team. Combined with the Devils’ COVID breakout derailing a solid start and it was little wonder that Ruff suffered only the second sub-.500 season in a two-decade long NHL career. After having dreadful PP and PK production last year, the Devils retained their whole staff hoping personnel changes and more practice time would fix what ailed our special teams last year.

You wouldn’t think it sometimes but Tom Fitzgerald is just as inexperienced as most of his team is, going into just his second full season as GM of the Devils (almost all of it during an unprecedented pandemic). By all accounts he’s done a solid job both in terms of the rebuilding last year and re-augmenting this offseason after the additions of Hamilton, Graves, Bernier and Tatar. He pretty much checked off every item on the shopping list other than #3C, which may well be filled from within now. Does that mean the team will improve appreciably from the last few years? It better be improved now, but to what end depends on both our younger players and the competition from within a normally tough division. I could probably make an argument for the Devils finishing anywhere from 4th (almost a sure wild card) to last in their division, though anything below borderline playoff team would be another step back for an organization that’s been running in place the last few years.

Cautious optimism is probably what best describes my feeling at the moment. If the Devils are ever going to improve, you would think a fast start is required, given we have a lot of home games (and most of them eminently winnable) this month. Of course we’ve had high hopes and letdowns with this team in recent years too so even my so-called cautious optimism is tinged with a dose of worry. At least we’re almost three days away from finally starting to answer those questions.

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Mika Staying On Broadway! Blueshirts sign Zibanejad to eight-year extension

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Derek

Mika Zibanejad is staying on Broadway. The 28-year old first line center got his wish when he and the Rangers reached agreement on an eight-year extension that’ll keep him in New York City through 2030.

The reported new contract that doesn’t start until ’22-23 is worth an average cap hit of $8.5 million. Set to enter the final year of his original deal that pays him an AAV of $5.35 million until the conclusion of the ’21-22 season, it was important to Zibanejad to re-sign with the only team he wants to play for. Broken by the New York Post’s Larry Brooks yesterday, the new contract includes a full no-movement clause (NMC) until seven days before the trade deadline in the final season (’29-30).

While the term might not be great along with the usual NMC that gives Zibanejad the security he wanted, the value is very fair. To get him signed long-term for between eight and nine million over that period is excellent value. He took less to stay for more term. That’s exactly how such a contract is negotiated. Credit goes out to Rangers Team President and GM Chris Drury and Zibanejad for being able to hammer this out before the new season kicks off Tuesday in Washington DC. As usual, there’s a signing bonus as part of the contract along with a base salary for every year. Cap Friendly has the full breakdown.

In fact, 60 of the $68 million is front loaded. The signing bonus money totals $60 million while the base salary equals $8 million. Considering that the Panthers had just re-signed top center Aleksander Barkov for similar money with the younger player getting an average cap hit of $10 million that’ll take him to age 34 in the tax free state of Florida by committing $72 million in signing bonuses of the $80 million he’ll earn thru 2030, it’s routine for teams to break down the salary as easy as possible. It’s good business.

For Zibanejad, who enters his sixth season with the Rangers where he’s recorded 283 points (136 goals, 147 assists) over 323 games, the time is now for the affable Swede who was named to his country’s Olympic team, to prove he’s worth the investment. A very gifted player who the Rangers acquired from the Senators for popular former playoff hero Derick Brassard that involved an exchange of ’18 picks (second round to NYR for seventh round) on July 18, 2016, Zibanejad has become a vital core piece. A well respected player teammates love in the locker room with a recent MSG feature highlighting line mate Chris Kreider admitting he’d go to battle for him, it was obvious how much he means to the team.

It’s the right move. Of course, any time you sign a player for such a long term, there’s a risk involved. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Zibanejad can stay healthy and continue to be productive for at least the first five years of the contract. That includes his age 28 season which we sure hope includes the playoffs. He turns 29 on April 18, 2022.

That could mean meaningful hockey at The Garden for the first time since 2017. That’s the last time they were in the postseason. It included a huge goal from Zibanejad in sudden death to beat the Canadiens in a pivotal Game Five up at Bell Centre. The Rangers took the closely fought first round series in six. Unfortunately, the second round had a cruel ending with Zibanejad’s former team ousting the Blueshirts in six to effectively end a successful era of Rangers hockey. They’ve been rebuilding ever since.

The best part is Zibanejad left money on the table. He could’ve gotten more next summer. Maybe a big year like the one he had in ’19-20 would’ve pushed his market value to over $10 million. The run he had which was highlighted by the memorable five- goal game in a mesmerizing 6-5 overtime win at MSG, remains a brilliant performance. And he Capped it off in style by winning it on a backhand top shelf. Probably the last time I’ll ever go to a home game.

With Gerard Gallant holding off on naming a captain at least for now, I wouldn’t be surprised if they reveal Zibanejad as the new captain on Thursday night in the home opener versus the Stars. Would you really feed the media what they want? Especially Brooks. I think it would be a nicer touch to do it at home in front of a big crowd. It makes more sense than having six alternates. I smell a smokescreen. Let’s hope I’m right.

If they do announce a captain for the first time since Ryan McDonagh, it’s gotta be either Zibanejad or Kreider. They’ve both been around long enough to remember 2017. Kreider is the longest tenured, having been a Broadway Blueshirt since the 2012 NHL Playoffs. He’s been through the playoff grind. It makes perfect sense to give it to an experienced player who’s got the pulse of the room. Those are my top choices.

Tomorrow, I’ll get to the roster. That’ll be interesting. I have a different perspective on what they decided. More positive. Until then, peace.

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Chytil wraps up preseason in style with a hat trick in win over Islanders, Strome leaves game with hand injury

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Derek

In what was the final warmup for the Rangers before it all begins for real on Wednesday at the Caps on TNT, Filip Chytil made a statement by posting a hat trick in a wild 5-4 overtime win over the Islanders at Bridgeport. Chytil scored in the extra session by converting on a four-on-three power play to win the game.

It was a nice way to wrap up a long exhibition schedule. I’ve been vocal against having six tuneups. It’s pointless and can only put players at risk. Caps superstar Alex Ovechkin is questionable for Wednesday due to leaving a recent game against the Flyers. Now, you can add Ryan Strome to that list. A freak collision with Scott Mayfield had him favoring his wrist before the end of the second period. Hopefully, they held him out for precautionary reasons. He was having a good night by setting up two goals.

A key veteran center, Strome is in the final year of his contract and can turn unrestricted next summer. He’s been a fixture on the second line alongside Artemi Panarin, who got Saturday night off. So did Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider as the Rangers wisely rested three of their top players. However, Strome played mostly with Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. They had a good game together before Strome exited. Kakko continued to look much better and Lafreniere had his best game by recording two assists.

The best part of the win was they defeated a full Islanders roster sans Matt Martin, who’s still recovering from off-season surgery. It was a dress rehearsal for coach Barry Trotz’ club as they played in front of fans in their AHL affiliate home at Bridgeport, Connecticut. A nice thing to do. I kind of wish the Rangers did that for Hartford. They have been without NHL hockey for nearly a quarter of a century. I am still preferential to the old Whalers. It’s too bad they never got another chance while horrible sports towns like Atlanta went through two NHL teams. That doesn’t make sense.

Aside from defeating a full Isles’ lineup that included a healthy Anders Lee (2 goals) and the ever dangerous Mat Barzal (game-tying goal with under a minute left), the Blueshirts got a solid game from possible seventh defenseman Jarred Tinordi. Even though I felt the signing was overreaction to Tom Wilson, the big veteran has settles in to have a good camp. With Zac Jones not surprisingly assigned to Hartford where he’ll get more pro experience with Braden Schneider, it looks like the organization made up their minds from the start. Libor Hajek looks to have no place. That too bad. I hope he winds up on another NHL roster.

As for Jones, he easily could’ve made the roster. But with veteran Patrik Nemeth brought in to help ease fellow Swedish countryman Nils Lundkvist along, the top six is set. It always was. Even if I believe Jones could be a more complete player than the offensive minded Lundkvist. My hope is it’ll all work out. Besides, I don’t want to see Jacob Trouba manning the point on the second power play. Yikes. He was their least impressive defenseman in these games. But remember. It doesn’t count. Ryan Lindgren also struggled. I’m sure they’ll both be ready to go by Game 1 of 82.

I also came away pleased with K’Andre Miller. He got his shot through to set up a goal. He also took the body more when the Islanders were mucking it up. I also am beginning to dislike Kyle Palmieri. He took a cheap run at Lafreniere near the bench. Dryden Hunt had a strong response. They don’t call it a rivalry for nothing. Speaking of Hunt, he also made a nice cross-ice pass for a Chytil one-timer past Ilya Sorokin. He definitely helped himself.

My favorite of the three Chytil goals was the beautiful wrist shot he scored on. He simply whipped a perfect snapshot from the right circle far bar and in. That was a goal scorer’s goal. Seeing him also use the one-timer twice on the power play including the winner was refreshing. Chytil has always shown flashes of brilliance. But most of the goals came in transition. This was better. Especially after Strome’s injury.

Alex Georgiev went the whole way. He was very good in a hectic third when the Islanders upped their intensity following a lackluster second period. Although he let in the Barzal tying goal, he made several strong saves. He dealt with a lot of traffic and also denied Anthony Beauvilier on a breakaway earlier.

I also didn’t care for Ross Johnston running around and roughing up Kevin Rooney. Without Ryan Reaves, who actually could be ready for the opener miraculously, you had this goon picking on a much smaller Rooney and bloodying him. Of course they gave both matching roughing penalties. Typical NHL. Nothing ever changes.

The other positive development was that Vitali Kravtsov returned and scored a goal to even it in the first. He needed one. Although he missed time with an injury, it was nice to see him contribute. I really think he can be a key contributor on the third line. The question is will that be with Chytil and Barclay Goodrow. That could depend on the status of Strome.

If there’s one difference I like, it’s the amount of solid depth this team has. With interchangeable forwards like Goodrow, Sammy Blais and Hunt, they seem better equipped if there’s an injury to a key player. You could add Morgan Barron to that along with Julien Gauthier. Both could start on the roster.

There isn’t much else to add. I’m glad preseason is finally over. Let’s hope for the best with Strome. Who knows. Maybe we’ll even get our wish and see Reaves for the season opener on national TV.

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Blackout and Blackwood’s status (plus injuries) mars the end of preseason

Posted on October 8, 2021 by hasan4978

By most accounts the Devils’ 4-1 preseason was a successful one, certainly in terms of younger players making an impact, guys like Dawson Mercer and Alexander Holtz cemented their status as top prospects and perhaps earned spots on the opening night roster. To quickly answer Derek’s question from a previous blog, I’m probably more sure about Mercer being ready than Holtz, but think due to management’s recent emphasis on not rushing guys that they won’t rush either player and give them too much too soon (though I do think both make the roster and Mercer perhaps for good while Holtz may be more of a look and see). Maybe I’ll have a full season preview when the actual opening night roster comes out.

Then again with all of our question marks it’s hard to imagine the Opening Night roster being our optimum lineup. Jack Hughes missed a couple of preseason games due to a minor injury but should be ready for Opening Night next Friday. Ty Smith? Maybe not so much with an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the preseason and put his Opening Night status in jeopardy. Fellow defenseman Damon Severson’s been a bit banged up throughout camp as well and Miles Wood is also questionable for Opening Night. Not exactly what you want with the opener a week away.

At least they avoided further injuries last night with that disgrace of a blackout which canceled our final preseason game against the Islanders. Makes you wonder what corners former owner Jeff Vanderbeek cut to get the Prudential Center built since this is now the second time the entire building has blacked out during a Devils game, causing a cancellation or postponement (the other team being the infamous January 2010 half-game against the Lightning). Imagine if last night was the actual home opener as opposed to the final preseason game? It would have been nice if the Devils were more forthcoming about their cancellation last night – me sitting at home knew about the game being cancelled faster than some people sitting in the stands. I suppose everyone has access to Twitter or knows someone that does these days, but still it’s a bad look when you clear out the bench and decide on a cancellation ten-fifteen minutes before formally telling the fans in attendance. At least those who had tickets will get to exchange them for a regular season game in the same price bracket, hah.

I’d already used a buyback for my last two preseason games so I didn’t have to worry about wasting my time and parking money for that fiasco. Hopefully whatever issue they had yesterday gets resolved by next Friday as far as the building is concerned. Dealing with the Mackenzie Blackwood issue is another story, however. I said I didn’t want to comment about the then-unnamed player’s refusal to get the vaccine shot last week until it actually wound up hurting the team on the ice, but we may well be getting to that point sooner rather than later, and much sooner than I hoped we’d be getting to it. Blackwood was supposed to play last night’s game – when we were actually supposed to have a game – but was pulled due to what’s now being termed an inconclusive COVID test. Translation: He’s in quarantine until the results of the PCR test come back by Sunday.

God forbid this guy actually tests positive and gets the virus again, missing Opening Night and beyond as a result, then all hell will really break loose. I’ve been fearing boos given how strongly people on all sides feel about the vaccination issue, now I could care less if he gets booed to the sky and if this test is positive and he misses Opening Night, I’ll likely be among the booers. Let’s leave aside putting his own health in peril unnecessarily for a moment, after a bout with COVID last year that was as hard as anyone on the team’s was. And let’s even leave out the fact he was patient zero for said COVID outbreak on the team. Given the increased safety protocols his vaccinated teammates have to deal with in the locker room and on the road due to having an unvaccinated player around them, not to mention the on-ice impact of whatever games he misses, and I’m sure not all of his vaccinated teammates are exactly thrilled about Blackwood’s foot-dragging (which included initially relenting to get the vaccine, then getting out of the chair just before he was about to get the shot per GM Tom Fitzgerald on a podcast – starts about sixteen or so minutes in)

I’m sure that not every player who got the vaccine was really gung-ho about it and some were hesitant. Pavel Zacha – to his credit – admitted as much in one of Corey Masiak’s articles. But they all eventually did it, whether it was just about not wanting the increased protocols or making the wiser health decision in the end IMO, and even if some of his teammates are sympathetic to Blackwood’s feelings, I’m sure it’s not universal judging by the debates around this issue online and in society at large. Besides the additional protocols his teammates have to deal with off the ice, the internal debates this is inevitably causing are one more unnecessary distraction.

I don’t want to hear that it shouldn’t be a rule or a mandate (which it really isn’t, just strongly incentivized) or that the NHL and his team shouldn’t guilt him into this – the NHL, other businesses and entities have the right to have whatever protocols they feel necessary for a worldwide pandemic and all players knew the rules of engagement heading into camp. I’ve heard it dismissed as PR eyewash but most players – including all of the league’s best made one decision, he and a few other stragglers made another. And let’s just bring his own health back into the equation – my goodness, of all the people to be vaccine hesitant I wasn’t expecting it to be the goalie who admitted he didn’t start breathing normally until months after his bout with the virus in February. Heck I wasn’t expecting anyone on this team to be vaccine hesitant after our 2021 season got destroyed by a vast outbreak.

So now we’re in limbo till Sunday at least, and not likely for the last time this season. Imagine if this inconclusive test had occured next Friday or on the day of another regular season game? Given that he’ll be tested every day as an unvaccinated player it’s always going to be a possibility from now until when and if he does get the vaccine. If we have the worst-case scenario by Sunday, not only will he miss whatever games he’d be in recovery for, but even if he changed his mind to get the vaccine after a ‘second’ bout with COVID he’d likely have to wait a certain amount of time after his infection before getting it. So he may well wind up missing games one way or another regardless, given the inability of unvaccinated players to travel into Canada for NHL games (the NBA has an exception that the NHL decided not to pursue).

Not exactly a situation you want to have to deal with, given all of this team’s other potential issues and question marks.

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Subban injures Reaves, Kreider responds like a leader in heated preseason win over Devils

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Derek

When Ryan Reaves got tangled up with P.K. Subban during the first period, the meaningless exhibition between Hudson rivals became something more. With the Rangers ahead on an early Mika Zibanejad goal, Subban collided with Reaves during a scrum in the corner of the Devils end. It was Reaves who got the worst of it by falling awkwardly on his left leg. In obvious pain, he couldn’t put any weight on the leg as he was helped off the ice.

It looked ugly for the veteran enforcer, who went down in discomfort. For Subban, who came across Reaves’ right foot with his left skate tripping up the defenseless Ranger from behind, the question is was it intentional. Replays showed that the play could be classified a slew foot. A no no in hockey. Especially in a tune-up. Accusations flew Subban’s way from aggravated Rangers including Chris Kreider leading the charge. The veteran forward had words with Subban during a stoppage. He wasn’t done. Not by a longshot.

I’ve seen enough replays. I don’t feel there was any intent. However, it was bad with Subban’s left foot coming across the back of Reaves’ right foot. Looks can be deceiving. Subban isn’t that kind of player. He called immediately for the whistle after it happened. He also denied that he would deliberately injure a player.

After several Blueshirts made sure to finish their checks on Subban with even Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome double teaming him, then came the opening face-off to start the second period. Coach Gerard Gallant had his projected top line out for the draw. Once the puck was dropped, an irate Kreider made a beeline for Subban, who ducked his challenge for a fight. As usual, the refs gave Kreider a misconduct to go with roughing. Coincidentally, Subban wound up with an unsportsmanlike conduct even though he kept his gloves on. Kreider continued to yell at Subban as they went to the penalty box.

One thing Gallant made clear is he plans to name a captain before the start of the season next week in Washington. Judging from Kreider’s strong reaction which finally included a scrap with Subban in the third period, it looks like he wants that honor of being captain. The lone holdover from the ’13-14 team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals, Kreider has sometimes been criticized for not always standing up for teammates. However, that’s never been his main job. He’s an important player who can finish around the net and screen goalies. Even though he’s never been a consistent player, Kreider is usually good for between 25 and 30 goals. His combination of strength and speed make him a valuable commodity. That’s why the Rangers decided to keep him.

As for the hockey portion, the Blueshirts won that 6-2 against a mix of Devils, who are still figuring out their roster with more exhibitions left. The score wasn’t a surprise. However, the rag tag bunch that included former forward/defenseman Mason Geertsen, outplayed the Rangers in the first period. They had the better of the shots and dominated a good chunk at even strength following the Subban controversy. But Igor Shesterkin was sharp keeping the Devils at bay. He went the entire way making 34 of 36 saves. It was a good tune-up for the Rangers starter.

After Fox setup Zibanejad for the only goal in the first, Kaapo Kakko gave the fans a reason for excitement. He took away a loose puck and broke away from Subban and made a power move to beat Devils goalie Jonathan Bernier for a beautiful unassisted goal. The new and improved Kakko has looked good in the preseason. Leaner and faster, he looks like he could be poised for a breakout year. He’s playing with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome on the new second line.

After another Fox hookup with Zibanejad for a five-on-three power play goal made it 3-0, the Devils got one back courtesy of Andreas Johnsson from Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha. But before they could grab any momentum, Sammy Blais absolutely undressed the Devils defense by stealing a puck and scoring on a gorgeous move to make it 4-1. Barclay Goodrow followed up with his first of the preseason just 20 seconds later.

The third was all about Kreider avenging Reaves. This time, Subban took the challenge and the two squared off eight seconds in. The fun wasn’t done with Subban and Goodrow earning the rest of the night off with less than 10 minutes left. That’s who the Rangers now are. They will not duck anyone in the upcoming season. Even if that means no Reaves for the foreseeable future, they’ll be ready to go back at opponents. When even Panarin gets physically involved with Fox also putting a good clean hit on Subban, that tells you the mindset.

After the game, Gallant told reporters when asked if the Reaves injury was serious, he didn’t believe so. Right now, it’s being termed “day-to-day.” If that’s indeed the case, that’s encouraging news because it looked very bad. Especially the way Reaves landed. One thing I doubt we’ll see is Reaves lining up against Tom Wilson next week.

What could happen instead is if Vitali Kravtsov is ready after taking the morning skate, he could play on the third line with Filip Chytil and Goodrow. The fourth line could be Kevin Rooney with Blais and Julien Gauthier. Gallant might decide to mix and match due to how good Blais has looked. As I predicted, fans are taking notice of what the former Blues two-way forward can do.

The third period goals were from Marian Studenic of the Devils and Panarin for the Rangers. That’s how it wound up 6-2. They played an NHL roster with Jarred Tinordi dressing for Patrik Nemeth. Zac Jones and Libor Hajek sat out. So did Dryden Hunt and Morgan Barron. Everyone who played could make the final roster. That’ll depend on what the organization thinks is best. No doubt you’ll see Jones and Hajek along with Barron and Hunt in the final tune-up in Bridgeport versus the Islanders on Saturday.

Regulars for the Devils included Bratt, Ryan Graves, Mike McLeod, Subban, Johnsson, Zacha and Bernier in net. Both Nolan Foote and Christian Jaros could make the roster. So could Kevin Bahl. Jonas Siegenthaler is also in competition for a spot on the defense. Vets Mark Jankowski and Frederik Gauthier also played. Jack Hughes missed the game due to an injury suffered in the last exhibition. He left that one after the first period. Also missing were Nico Hischier, Miles Wood, Tomas Tatar, Yegor Sharangovich, Dougie Hamilton, Ty Smith, Damon Severson and Janne Kuokkanen. First round picks Alex Holtz and Dawson Mercer didn’t play. Neither did Mackenzie Blackwood.

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A Devilish question for fans

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Derek

The Devils defeated the Capitals 4-1 in a preseason game Monday night. Once again, former 2020 first round picks Alex Holtz and Dawson Mercer had good showings. Holtz scored another goal while Mercer had a primary assist.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1445172795814694914?t=-U8o9nacMCT37hyqJPIuMA&s=19

The Holtz goal came on the power play in the first period. Mercer assisted on it. With both teenage prospects performing well during training camp and exhibition, the big question is will coach Lindy Ruff decide to keep them on the final roster. There’s still time for him and GM Tom Fitzgerald to assess things.

Given what they’ve shown, how do the Devils Red Army feel about keeping both Holtz and Mercer on the roster to make their NHL debuts for Opening Night? Is it something you want to see, or would it be better for each to further develop before they play a game?

The answer largely depends on how many available spots there are. If Devils brass thinks they’re ready, perhaps they can see what both Holtz and Mercer have in a few games. In a full 82-game schedule, NHL teams have up to nine games to decide if they should burn a year off their rookie entry level contracts. Most rebuilding clubs proceed with caution. But if one of the promising young guns proves ready, it’s possible they could stay with the big club.

New Jersey made the big signing of top defenseman Dougie Hamilton to improve the roster. A great skating and puck possession player who can run the power play, Hamilton should make everyone else better including Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Fitzgerald also made the wise acquisition of Ryan Graves to further bolster a back end that includes Ty Smith, P.K. Subban and Damon Severson. A big physical presence who can deliver checks while being capable of contributing goals. Forward Tomas Tatar is a savvy veteran who is a proven scorer. He should be in the top six while also a fixture on the power play.

The Devils will look for more improvement from last season’s leading scorer Pavel Zacha, who’s continued to shoot the puck with success in the preseason. He scored another goal last night. If he and Jesper Bratt can continue to become more consistent along with Miles Wood, then perhaps the Devils won’t be as easy to play against. Especially if Hughes takes a big step up in Year Three. Hischier will need to stay healthy and lead by example.

Yegor Sharangovich proved he belonged in his first year. Janne Kuokkanen and Andreas Johnsson will have supporting roles along with Bratt, Mike McLeod and either Nolan Foote or one of Graeme Clarke, Tyce Thompson or Jesper Boqvist. What about Jimmy Vesey, who’s on a pro tryout? He hasn’t quite fulfilled expectations, but has experience. Is there a place for him in Newark?

Do Holtz and Mercer fit the roster? The talent is there. It’ll be up to the organization to decide if they will make their NHL debuts later next week.

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Lafreniere’s hustle wins tuneup over Bruins, Lundkvist inches closer to roster cut down to 27, Lehner and Carcillo speak out

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Derek

On Saturday night, the Rangers played their fourth exhibition game of six in Boston. Despite at times being dominated by the Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, they were able to hang around and defeat the Bruins in overtime 4-3.

Alexis Lafreniere won it when he anticipated a Linus Ullmark pass, stole the puck and in one motion sent a backhand into the empty net to end the game portion. It was a heady play by the second-year left wing, who could be poised for a good season. He is expected to start ’21-22 on the first line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The best part about the winning play is it came at the end of a long shift where he and Kaapo Kakko got stuck in their end during three-on-three. He still had enough energy to takeaway the puck and capitalize on Ullmark’s mistake.

https://twitter.com/HockeyHoundShow/status/1444477685707726848?s=19

After the game ended, the two Original Six rivals took part in a practice shootout. Something the Rangers haven’t been doing at MSG. I’m glad. However, most teams are doing it for fun. In the skill competition, Kevin Rooney and Sammy Blais each scored to take the shootout backed by Tyler Wall, who came in for Alex Georgiev and played well. It’s the second time he’s looked good. Especially against the Boston big shooters.

Playing with another mixed squad that included Lafreniere, Kakko, goal scorer Ryan Strome, Rooney, Ryan Reaves, Blais, Julien Gauthier, Morgan Barron, Ryan Lindgren, Patrik Nemeth, Nils Lundkvist and Braden Schneider, they did alright. Boston took an early lead, but Strome responded by putting home a loose puck past Ullmark. Lundkvist assisted on it. He had a good offensive game with two helpers. It definitely inched him closer to making the roster.

A former first round pick, Lundkvist is a smooth skating offensive defenseman with a good shot. He used it well on the second power play unit. The shot wound up deflecting off the gritty Blais, who had a strong game finishing checks and taking away pucks in the neutral zone. He’s a hard-nosed player. Ditto for free agent addition Reaves, who helped turn the tide with an active shift where he banged bodies. One thing about Reaves. You notice him. That energy can rub off on teammates. It’s why adding high character guys like him, Blais and Barclay Goodrow should provide a healthy balance to the roster.

One interesting pairing from Saturday was Lindgren with Schneider. Normally, Lindgren plays with Adam Fox, who didn’t dress yesterday. However, Gerard Gallant tried out the 20-year old Schneider alongside Lindgren. They were solid together. Especially the former 2020 first round pick. Schneider is rarely caught out of position and is very active defensively. Compared to the other young defensemen the organization have, he looks to be the strongest. He isn’t afraid to deliver hits and plays smart positionally. He obviously isn’t ready yet. But a full season in Hartford should do him well.

One player who struggled in the game was Matthew Robertson. Another D prospect who’s part of a very deep farm system, the 20-year old former ’19 second round pick received 17:21 of ice time including one 40-second power play shift and a 28-second shift while shorthanded. Behind Lundkvist, Zac Jones and Schneider on the depth chart, the Edmonton native had to wait to get into preseason due to an injury. Perhaps it explains why he was caught by surprise from the always dangerous Marchand while shorthanded.

In what can best be described as a Welcome To NHL Hockey moment, the Rat as he’s known, blew by Robertson, who fell down and could only watch Marchand roof a backhand top shelf on Georgiev for a shorthanded goal. This isn’t the Western Hockey League (WHL). Obviously, Robertson will join Schneider in the AHL. Will Jones be joining them? That remains to be seen with two exhibitions left.

Libor Hajek, who’s competing for a roster spot, picked up an assist in 20:18. He is the holdover from the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller trade. A deal that also includes Lundkvist, who they are banking on to turn around a lopsided one in favor of the two-time rating Stanley Cup champion Lightning Bolts. While Lundkvist is the new shiny toy the Blueshirts want to show off on the second power play and at even strength in the offensive zone, Hajek has been totally forgotten. He actually found himself last season on the third pair as a trusted regular under former coach David Quinn.

A good enough skater who isn’t poor defensively despite the analytics crowd who should look at who he played with, I feel bad for him. He took a one-year, two-way contract where they could send him down. He would have to clear waivers. You’re telling me a weaker team like Buffalo couldn’t use Hajek? Let’s be real here. They screwed him over like they did Dylan McIlrath. It happens. Hopefully, the 23-year old Czech catches on elsewhere.

With the club cutting the roster down to 27, Hajek is among nine defensemen left with Lundkvist, Jones and Jarred Tinordi. If you went off preseason, Jones and Lundkvist have been more impressive than incumbent K’Andre Miller. But he’s locked in on the second pair with Jacob Trouba. Tinordi was overkill due to Tom Wilson. He is not better than any of the younger players. My guess is you’re looking at a starting defense of Lindgren-Fox, Miller-Trouba and Nemeth-Lundkvist. They’ll probably decide to keep Tinordi over Hajek and Jones with the latter having the option to further develop at Hartford.

As expected, both Schneider and Robertson were assigned to the Wolf Pack along with Lauri Pajuniemi, Tyler Wall and Adam Huska. The sixth player was feisty 19-year old right wing Will Cuylle, who impressed with his edgy play. He finished a good check at the conclusion of the second period that irked some Bruins. Reaves was on the ice to prevent anything further. The hit came before the buzzer. Cuylle also looked good two weeks ago in the Flyers Rookie games scoring a pair on the power play in front. Keep an eye on him. Ditto for ’21 first round pick Brennan Othmann, who took a lot away from his first NHL camp.

The remaining forwards still being considered are Barron, Gauthier, Dryden Hunt and veteran Greg McKegg. Updating reporters on Vitali Kravtsov, Gallant termed him “day-to-day.” Hopefully, they get good news. The remaining two exhibitions are Wednesday against the Devils and Saturday versus the Islanders. If Kravtsov is ready for Opening Night at MSG against the Capitals, I can see Gallant opting for a bigger lineup due to Wilson and Garnet Hathaway. Maybe we see Gauthier dress on the third line with Filip Chytil and Goodrow while Rooney plays on the checking line with Blais and Reaves. I believe Gauthier deserves to be on the roster. It’s just a question of who they choose as a 14th forward. Hunt or Barron, who can win draws and kill penalties. McKegg likely will be cut and either clear or go elsewhere.

With Keith Kinkaid clearing waivers, Gallant has decided to go with Igor Shesterkin and Georgiev. Kinkaid isn’t a bad guy to keep around as a third netminder. But what does that mean for Huska and Wall in the ‘A?’ We’ll see.

There really isn’t much else to add regarding the Rangers. The preseason is too long. You hope your team escapes serious injuries. Personally, I would cut down from six to four games tops. There’s no point in having so many players in camp if you already know where most are ticketed. Gallant has intentionally held Artemi Panarin out of the lineup since the first Boston game where he was sharp putting up three points. He could play in the final two tuneups.

I want to comment on a very hot 🔥 topic. It has everything to do with the serious accusations Robin Lehner made which Daniel Carcillo fully supported. It’s in reference to how teams push prescription drugs like Ambien and benzodiazepines. Nicknamed benzos, they are psychoactive drugs that can be very addicting. Exactly the kind of dangerous drugs that have cost former NHL players their lives. Steve Montador remains one of the tragic tales. The former defenseman who spent time with the Blackhawks, was basically blackballed according to former friend and teammate Carcillo. He tweeted some very interesting stuff about how poorly the Blackhawks treated Montador.

It’s sad. We remember Derek Boogaard for the same reason. It’s been a decade since he died of an accidental drug overdose. It still hurts. The NHL wants to speak with Lehner on what he said. He’s one of the few players with the balls to speak up about a very serious league issue. They probably want to silence him. Everyone knows how much damage control the NHL has done regarding this topic. We could name more casualties who couldn’t survive off the ice without those highly addictive drugs. Rick Rypien. Wade Belak. All suffered from depression. They relied on painkillers that were prescribed by team doctors.

This stuff has gone on for a long time. It needs to be addressed by both the NHL and NHLPA. They can’t keep pretending it doesn’t exist. Having concussion protocol in place helps make sure players who sustain head injuries are medically cleared to return. But when you have a former tough guy like Carcillo citing that Montador had up to 19 concussions, that is mind numbing. There needs to be accountability. I’m curious to see if anything happens. Good for Lehner, who overcame his off ice issues to become a good NHL goalie.

Let’s hope they don’t ignore the problem anymore. COVID isn’t the only issue. Maybe it’s time for the biased media to pay closer attention to what Carcillo and Lehner have said instead of treating the few unvaccinated players as if they’re criminals. The real criminals are employed by the NHL. They have gotten a free ride long enough.

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So far, so good for the Devils in preseason

Posted on October 2, 2021 by hasan4978

As a fan you only want two things out of the preseason – good health, and younger players giving you a reason to get excited. Through the first two games of the exhibition season the Devils have accomplished both, scoring twelve goals in their first two games – many of them by younger players. Especially in Wednesday’s preseason opener against the Caps where every goalscorer was 23 and younger after Yegor Sharangovich, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer and Alex Holtz all scored in a 5-4 win against the Caps. While the first three guys are already established top six options that the Devils are looking for even more production from this year, the latter two were both 2020 first round picks looking to either join Sharangovich, Hischier and Hughes on the team, or at least pull themselves up the organizational depth chart.

Both Mercer and Holtz are still just nineteen years old, and both have different – but equally necessary – skill sets this team needs. Could Mercer wind up filling the Devils’ hole at third-line center even sooner than expected? He at least seems like he’s got a nose for the net with goals in his first two games so far, and a handful of other great chances that he couldn’t cash in on. Although there’s always the concern about rushing guys, mistakes the Devils acknowledge they’ve made in recent years with guys like Pavel Zacha, Blake Speers and Stefan Matteau – sometimes guys just prove they’re ready, and Mercer’s scouting report says he plays a 200-foot game, which translates to maybe earning a spot in the NHL sooner rather than later. It would be fitting if Mercer plays in the NHL in his age 20 (he turns 20 in late October) season a la another first-round pick with high IQ that played center for the Devils who retired this offseason. Mercer has been compared to Travis Zajac in some Devils fan circles – even that kind of career would be a win for a first-round pick, never mind if Mercer actually wound up being more consistent offensively.

Holtz of course has an NHL ready shot which of course this team needs badly, but is the rest of his game there yet? He’s certainly making a case for a longer look from the staff with points in his first two games. Like Mercer, he’s still 19 and doesn’t even turn 20 until January. I’m sure the Devils will probably be a little more cautious with him given his lack of production last year in the Swedish league and the AHL in his first post-draft season while Mercer was quite productive in the Q during his first post-draft year. Sometimes guys do take big jumps in one offseason though, ask Sharangovich who went from a pre-pandemic afterthought to integral top six forward in one shortened season.

It’s harder for me to get into the ‘veteran guy on a PTO trying to earn a spot’ camp story considering the youth movement and where this franchise is at the moment, but clearly a guy like Jimmy Vesey needs to play well just to earn a job and stay in the NHL. After scoring a brace in a scrimmage, he added another goal in last night’s 7-1 rout of the Rangers against one of his former teams. In fact he had three seasons with the Rangers where he scored 50 goals but still his career never quite panned out as much as some thought it might when he joined New York as an UDFA out of Harvard, and he’s bounced around the league as bottom six depth since. Even young teams can use guys like Vesey though, especially since you have a healthy scratch or two every night and don’t want younger forwards serving that role. Plus if he does draw into the lineup more than expected, he could help on the PK which was an unmitigated disaster last year.

Those are guys who the preseason matters to, not so much Dougie Hamilton although you wouldn’t be able to tell by his icetime last night. Guess you can’t really be in shape to play 25 minutes a night unless you practice that way though. Even more important than how much he plays, or the goal he scored last night is the fact that early in his Devil tenure he’s assuming a mentorship role with at least one of the most important future Devils in Mercer.

Hamilton himself seems like a guy who’s just totally at ease with himself and who he is. I didn’t see his first intermission interview but I heard he was doing it shirtless – perhaps the first instance of Dougie being Dougie as a Devil.

I didn’t watch much of the Caps game, I did watch a good chunk last night – because I went for my first trip to the Rock in nineteen months. Although preseason games bore me at this point (and even last night I only stayed for just over half of it), that was a case where I had to go just for the sake of going. My prediction of it being a bigger crowd was wrong a few days ago though – there was plenty of social distancing last night for me since nobody else was in my row, the row in front of me, the seats directly behind me or the row across from me and I’m not exactly sitting in the upper corners. It was an announced attendance of just over 10,000 which was fine by me.

Part of the reason I wanted to go is just to get used to the trip again and see what’s changed in the building. I missed my normal exit to go toward Newark but that was just laziness, I was able to get there in a roundabout way and got home just fine, my regular parking lot was not only still open but the same guy who collects the money and gives out the tickets was still there too – at least one slice of normalcy I suppose. I can’t say the same for the PA guy, who is changing for the first time since the move to the Rock due to some off-ice issues with long-time PA guy Kevin Clark. Apparently tonight was an audition for one of the three finalists, with the other preseason games being done by the other two. Whatever, that’s gonna take some getting used to just like going from Bob Arsena to Clark at the Meadowlands did.

I’ve already gone through my displeasure over the lack of a vaccine mandate but certainly it wasn’t an issue last night with the sparse crowd. Neither was getting in, one of the Devils’ e-mails warned it could take up to 45 minutes to get in. Maybe that’ll be true for the home opener in two weeks but last night it was more like 45 seconds. What’s more annoying for me in theory than in actuality (since I rarely will get concessions at the arena) is the new cashless policy. I mean really guys, you should want people to have more ways to pay, not fewer. I guess it saves them time and money not dealing with cash and they can pass it off as some health service eyewash. It’ll probably be a nightmare the first few games for people that do want to get stuff at the arena since not everyone will know about the new no-cash policy. Hopefully they don’t have a machine issue at any point…

It was certainly nice to be back in any case, my only hope last night was to hear the goal horn at least once, which the Devils took care of with three quick tallies in the first and another in the second. Certainly it was worth watching and always good to win – though at 4-1 part of my motivation for leaving late in the second was just that nothing else was going to happen that was particularly meaningful on the positive end in a preseason game, plus I thought the new-look Rangers (who now have a public mandate to get tough) might start to turn the game into Slapshot and drag it on. I got home in time to see the last two goals on TV anyway. My first full game can be in two weeks when it counts.

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Kravtsov injured in forgettable preseason loss to Devils

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Derek

In what can best be described as an eyesore of a game from a Rangers perspective, the play on the ice isn’t too much of a concern. The Devils easily handled an AHL roster with a few exceptions to win handily 7-1 in Newark.

While the young stars shined brightly on future Devils Dawson Mercer and Tyce Thompson, it was a forgettable night for Vitali Kravtsov. The rookie forward who’s expected to make the roster and play on the third line, left the game in the first period. Only playing 5:44, he didn’t return due to a lower-body injury. The dreaded term we’ve come to accept in hockey due to teams being less than forthcoming on the actual injuries.

What that means for Kravtsov who knows. If it’s serious, then he won’t be penciled into the lineup for Opening Night. With three tuneups left before they have to submit a final roster, hopefully the injury to Kravtsov isn’t bad. That would be a tough break for the former ’18 first round draft pick. In 20 games last season, he posted two goals and two assists. There is an opportunity for the 21-year old Russian. With the kind of skating and instincts he possesses, the right wing has a bright future. If he isn’t able to go by season’s start, the organization should make sure he’s back to 100 percent.

In a disjointed performance that saw the Devils do whatever they wanted including burning the tandem of K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba for four goals at even strength, Julien Gauthier was a bright spot. Playing with Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow, Gauthier had some moments. On a two-on-one rush, he showed a burst of speed and all but setup Chytil for a goal. But he missed. The 23-year old former Carolina first round pick was kept over Colin Blackwell, who the Seattle Kraken selected from the Rangers in the Expansion Draft. If he’s to have a role under new coach Gerard Gallant, now is the time.

There aren’t many lineup openings. With Dryden Hunt looking good so far, that could signal even fewer spots to make the roster. Morgan Barron and Gauthier are competing to make it. At this point, I’d say Gauthier has more upside than Barron. Especially if Kravtsov can’t start the season. Gauthier also can play right wing unlike Barron, who’s a depth center that can win draws and kill penalties. The problem is he’s behind Kevin Rooney, who filled that void on the fourth line and penalty kill in ’21.

In terms of key defensemen, neither Nils Lundkvist or Zac Jones did anything to hurt their chances. However, Lundkvist assisted on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal. Taking a Goodrow feed, he passed across for a Zibanejad one-timer that beat Devils goalie Jonathan Bernier for the Rangers’ only goal in the first period. Lundkvist played with Jarred Tinordi while Jones again teamed with Braden Schneider. Neither pair were as bad as the established one between Miller and Trouba, who had a rough night. He also took a penalty that the Devils converted a power play goal on with Pavel Zacha sniping one home on a pass from big addition Dougie Hamilton (2 assists).

In truth, there wasn’t much to go on. Zibanejad played with Chris Kreider on the right side. A new experiment Gallant wants to give a try due to Alexis Lafreniere being more comfortable on the left side. Kravtsov was supposed to play the right wing on that top line, but his mystery injury finished that. So, they played the rest of the game with 11 forwards. Igor Shesterkin got the first half allowing four goals on 20 shots. Adam Huska came in and gave up three more on 14 shots.

Among regulars included Sammy Blais, Chytil, Goodrow, Kreider, Miller, Trouba and Zibanejad. As already mentioned, Gauthier and Barron are in direct competition while Lundkvist and Jones are. Tinordi had a better game than his first one. Hunt is also in the mix for a spot. We’ll have to wait and see about Kravtsov.

The Devils had Bernier go the whole way. He did well making 24 saves on 25 shots. Aside from Hamilton having a good debut, Tomas Tatar had a goal and helper. Both Zacha and veteran P.K. Subban recorded a goal and assist. Alexander Holtz assisted on a Janne Kuokkanen power play goal. He’s been good so far. Holtz used his quick wrist shot to score in their first preseason game. Both he and Mercer (goal) have looked good. If either makes the club, that’ll give the Jersey side of the Hudson Rivalry a boost.

If you put too much stock in a meaningless exhibition, I feel sorry for you. There are still many players who won’t be playing when it all starts up in two weeks. Take it with a grain of salt. Teams want to avoid injuries. Hopefully, the Rangers get good news on Kravtsov.

All six players cleared waivers to be reassigned to Hartford training camp. That includes Keith Kinkaid, who could be in a numbers game due to Huska and Tyler Wall. Kinkaid is good insurance for Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev. It’s never a bad thing to have goalie depth. Especially over a full schedule. You never know what could happen.

Recent first round pick Brennan Othmann was appreciative of being able to experience his first camp. He took away a lot of positives from team practices and the one game he got into. It definitely will serve as motivation for the 18-year old forward to excel at the OHL level after being assigned to his junior team. He made a nice first impression. So much so that he thinks if he can become one of the best players in the Ontario Hockey League, maybe he can come in next year and make the roster. He acknowledged that he will need to get stronger. A wise observation from a teenager.

Only Will Cuylle is left over who can be assigned to his junior club. They might take another look at him this weekend before sending him back. That’ll do it for this post. I’ll have more either Saturday or Sunday.

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