Devils conclude surprisingly active deadline acquiring Maroon

Posted on February 26, 2018 by hasan4978

Over the last 72 hours, Devils GM Ray Shero has certainly spiced things up and enhanced the Devils’ chances of breaking their five-year long playoff drought, first by the historic cross-river trade with the Rangers for Michael Grabner on Friday night, then this afternoon getting yet another deal in under the wire with the Oilers for another winger, Patrick Maroon.  Maroon is a rugged forward who put up 49 goals in 154 games as an Oiler, mostly being the protector of Connor McDavid.  Certainly before his tenure in Edmonton, Maroon’s career had been a bit undistinguished but he should add another top nine forward to an already crowded forward core and the cost wasn’t really prohibitive as the Oilers only received a 2019 3rd round pick and middling prospect J. D. Dudek, a 6th round pick in 2014 who’s in his third season at Boston College (6-11-17 in 33 GP).

Admittedly I didn’t expect Shero to be anywhere near this active at the deadline considering we’re not in a championship-or-bust mode yet the way teams like Tampa, the Penguins and even the Bruins to a degree are.  However, when it’s all said and done I can’t say I have very many issues with Shero’s two moves.  Trading a 2nd rounder and KHL prospect Yegor Rykov for Grabner was a bit of a surprise to me and not just cause it involved the Rangers, but because like I said earlier I figured Shero would be looking for depth acquisitions only, or if he did make a big move it would be for a defenseman.  If anything Shero’s been greasing the skids for this cold war-ending trade since he first arrived, saying on more than one occasion he’d be willing to trade with anyone in contrast to previous GM Lou Lamoriello who never made a trade with the Rangers and only one minor deal with the Flyers during his three decades here.

Personally I didn’t really get why fans were making a big deal about the cold war…dealing with rivals is tough, especially since you’re likely to have to pay a tax on any trade.  Admittedly it looked as if we did that a little Friday for the highly-sought Grabner, until I saw some of the ridiculous rental deals today.  A lot of these trades harkened back to the olden days where GM’s routinely lost their minds on deadline day.  A 1, 2 AND a 3 for Tomas Tatar?!  A 1 plus for rental Paul Stasny?  The haul (including another one) the Rangers got for Rick Nash?  With the benefit of hindsight I’m fine with the price paid for Grabner, especially if we do re-sign him which is certainly possible given his apparent interest in remaining in the area and the fact the Rangers are clearly in sell mode after dealing off guys like Nash, Grabner and in the biggest deal of all, trading Ryan McDonaugh and J. T. Miller in a blockbuster to Tampa.  I’m sure Derek will have more to say on that one later, and the apparent underwhelming – at least to me – return for both players

After dealing for Grabner I didn’t really expect much out of today other than the random minor leaguer for minor leaguer move perhaps but lo and behold after 3 PM in the midst of the chaos around the other big-name deals came word the Devils had traded for Maroon.  Twitter was slow to update the details of the trade making me more and more nervous.  First it was a 3rd rounder…for now.  Then it was a 3rd and NCAA prospect.  At that point I was scared Shero had traded one of our real key guys like Joey Anderson or Reilly Walsh but thankfully it wasn’t the case.  Perhaps dealing for two wing players is an indication that Marcus Johansson really isn’t an option to return this year, and I said earlier they more or less had to plan as if Johansson wouldn’t be around after getting two major concussions in a short period of time (thanks again, Marchand).

With the two new forwards thankfully the days of Drew Stafford and Jimmy Hayes clogging up the lineup should be over for the most part.  And maybe they’ll be able to give teen Jesper Bratt a couple of games off now that he’s passed out from hitting the rookie wall.  It’s hard to even imagine what the lineup looks like now – Grabner said he preferred LW and was put there in his first game as a Devil but with acquiring Maroon (another LW) that makes the lineup configuration pretty interesting.  Particularly with PK’er Brian Gibbons another week or so from returning.  When healthy coach John Hynes certainly has options up front to go along with having arguably 8 NHL D (including Steven Santini, still in the AHL thanks to roster flexibility).  My best guess at a lineup when healthy is this:

Hall-Hischier-Palmieri

Wood-Zacha-Bratt

Maroon-Zajac-Grabner

Coleman-Boyle-Noesen

Stafford/Hayes

Then when Gibbons returns perhaps Bratt gets a couple of nights off or Noesen moves back to the press box.  Also because there’s been so much happening in the last 72 hours I originally neglected to post that Hynes did get an extension over the weekend, or rather his fourth-year option got picked up.  Ostensibly it was decided earlier in the season, why it was announced only now who knows?  I suppose you could have worse timing to announce it when the team’s in good playoff position and everyone’s feeling good after the Patrik Elias number retirement ceremony – which was well done pretty much from start to finish.  I won’t recap it much here, but the 90-minute(!) ceremony’s worth watching on YT/MSG/wherever you can find it.

In a sense I’m not so much surprised as intrigued they didn’t move one of their defensemen, especially with this deadline being a seller’s market and John Moore still being an unsigned UFA-to-be.  They still talk up Mirco Mueller and are high on him (especially judging by the decent amount of icetime he gets when he does play) but as of now he’s on the outside looking in of the current six-man D.  Of course if they had dealt a defenseman they really didn’t have anyone else other than Steven Santini to step in, if injury should strike someone else.  One of Lou’s tenets – to my chagrin at times – is you need eight NHL-caliber defensemen in the organization and Shero seems to be following that blueprint this year having Mueller and Santini in reserve.

Although the Devils certainly don’t have the superteam that the Lightning, Penguins or Bruins have (a.k.a. the Warriors, Cavs and Rockets of the NHL now after their recent moves), they do have depth at all positions and are in a good position to make the postseason after their Elias night win over the Islanders on Saturday created a little more distance between them and the bubble.  In regards to why he would give up futures for rental players, Shero had this to say after the Grabner trade:

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/967130617166123008

Whatever you may think of this approach as a pragmatist, it’s music to fans’ ears after five seasons in our own Dark Ages, finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel now.  And Shero did not give up the farm although this year they won’t have a 2nd or 3rd round pick thanks to the Grabner and Sami Vatanen trades, and next year their third went to the Oilers.  Still they kept their first-rounders (unlike many other teams the last couple days) and almost all of their top prospects.

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Spooner has good debut in tough overtime loss to Red Wings

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Derek

There was a game last night too. It didn’t start until almost 8 PM. In the latest defeat  which was the seventh straight, the Rangers lost a tough one to the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime.

They deserve credit for rallying from a 2-0 deficit to force extras to earn their first point during the losing streak. The previous six losses all came in regulation.

Newest Ranger Ryan Spooner had a good debut. After coming over from Boston earlier on Sunday as part of the Rick Nash trade that also netted a first round pick, Ryan Lindgren, Matt Beleskey and a 2019 seventh round pick, the 26-year old forward recorded two assists on both Rangers goals.

After looking like he’d start centering the fourth line, Spooner was moved up by coach Alain Vigneault to the second line with Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast. The trio showed early chemistry with Spooner setting up Fast’s second goal in as many games to tie the game in the third period. A nice pass to Fast at the front of the net with the gritty forward’s tough pass to Hayes coming back to him to beat a stingy Jimmy Howard.

The Blueshirts fell behind by two on goals by Andreas Athanasiou (with seven seconds left in first through Rob O’Gara’s legs) and Darren Helm (breakaway) on Henrik Lundqvist. It was his first start in a week after rookie Alexandar Georgiev gave him consecutive nights off.

It was one of those winnable games where the Rangers got plenty of looks st Howard. Even in a back-to-back, the American netminder who wears number 35 for idol Mike Richter played like him by making several fantastic saves. He loves playing in New York and has always played well against the Rangers. He finished with 36 saves with none better than his ridiculous glove stop to rob Chris Kreider in the first minute. A save so good, it left Kreider in disbelief and had the crowd buzzing.

The play was a two-on-one with Pavel Buchnevich waiting before making a perfect feed across for Kreider to one-time. He aimed high but a sliding Howard got across and took a sure goal away. Kreider was again aggressive throughout delivering a clean hit on Dylan Larkin behind the net which led to a brief exchange between the benches. MSG rover John Giannone reported that Kreider told Larkin he let up and didn’t use his feet. It was a good hit.

The highlight though was Mats Zuccarello leveling Detroit defenseman Xavier Ouellet into the Red Wings bench and making sure he stayed there with a push for good measure. It wouldn’t be Zucc otherwise. No wonder no one wants to see him go.

The astonishing thing is Oulett went for the hit with Zuccarello carrying the puck and he took the brunt of it. The pint sized Norwegian has a lot of strength for a little guy and more heart than most. He is beloved for a reason by the Garden Faithful.

Even though they played better, the Rangers found themselves in a two goal hole following a John Gilmour turnover at the Detroit blueline that allowed Helm to break in and beat Lundqvist under the left arm with Zuccarello chasing.

However, a good pass by Spooner to J.T. Miller allowed him to blast a slap shot top shelf by Howard to cut the deficit to 2-1 for a power play goal. It was a rocket by Miller, who got his 13th. His game is coming back. Tony DeAngelo picked up a secondary assist.

Detroit had a goal reversed due to a successful offside challenge by Vigneault and the Rangers bench. A Red Wing was clearly ahead of the play making it a easy ruling.

That allowed the Rangers to go to the locker room still down just a goal. They played a real strong third peppering Howard with 19 shots. He was terrific but couldn’t prevent Fast from knocking in his 10th from Hayes and Spooner.

In the 3-on-3, Kreider was snake bit having a chance clang off the goalpost. That’s the way it’s been going. It would get even more frustrating with Red Wing Trevor Daley beating Buchnevich down low to redirect a Frans Nielsen pass by a frustrated Lundqvist with six seconds left. Lundqvist slammed his stick against the boards as he left the rink.

It’s tough to watch him after losses. He looks heartbroken. But prior to the games and big ceremony, he spoke of why he won’t wave his no-trade clause. He indicated that he couldn’t envision himself in another jersey. Lundqvist is a throwback who loves the Rangers and wants to spend his entire career with one team. He sounded positive about the losing and hopes they can turn it around and be competitive again soon.

I’ve seen people critique him for being “selfish” due to wanting to stay. He’s loyal and loves this team and its fans. How about showing him more respect? He’s a winner.

As for the trade deadline, it’s at 3 PM on the east coast. It remains to be seen if the Rangers will do anything else.

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Rangers surprise Hadfield on Ratelle Night

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Derek

Nobody does these ceremonies any better than The Garden. That’s been known for quite some time. When it comes to honoring their own players, they are top notch.

So on a memorable night in which they finally paid tribute to Jean Ratelle by raising his number 19 to the rafters following a stirring ceremony, the classy center surprised the third part of the Rangers G-A-G (goal a game) Line by announcing with Rod Gilbert that next year, Vic Hadfield will have the same honor bestowed on him. The original number 11 before Mark Messier was so taken back by it that he had to sit down.

That’s how much it meant to the beef of the greatest line in franchise history. It was in ‘71-72 that Hadfield achieved elite status by becoming the first ever Ranger to score 50 goals in a season. He did it playing with cohesive linemates Gilbert and Ratelle, whose 109 point season (46-63-109) came in only 63 games for a then single season Rangers record. It stood for 34 years until Jaromir Jagr shattered it in ‘05-06 with 123 points.

During that special season, the golden trio were way over a point-per-game and of course averaged over a goal a game like their name (GAG Line). Hadfield reached heights he never did again hitting the 50-goal mark with 106 points and 142 penalty minutes in 78 games under The Cat, coach and GM Emile Francis. He was good enough to be on hand for the Ratelle ceremony coming out driven in a golf cart  as a surprise parting gift to Ratelle, who enjoys hitting the green. It was the signature moment with Francis giving a nice speech after Ratelle danced around with the golf clubs.

With Rangers legends on hand including former teammates Ed Giacomin, Brad Park (who also deserves recognition) Gilles Villemure, Ted Irvine, Rod Seiling, ‘71 playoff hero Pete Stemkowski, Bob Plager, Steve Vickers, Bob Nevin and current team President Glen Sather, they did a great job making him feel home.

Of course, you had recent Stanley Cup heroes Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and the man who surpassed Hadfield’s 50 goals in ‘93-94 with 52, Adam Graves on hand to take part in the ceremony with legendary MSG Hall of Fame broadcaster Sam Rosen.

It truly was wonderful to see. I was under the weather. So I didn’t go. But this was all about my father, who grew up idolizing those classic Rangers teams. It’s funny too about Gilbert making the great announcement after he and Ratelle were killing Hadfield with their jokes which had everyone going. Before Dad and my brother left, I talked to him about Hadfield and he stood firm on Hadfield deserving to have his place with the other numbers. It’s fitting that he will finally get his due next season.

Long before the franchise started honoring past legends following the ‘94 Four, I always felt that they should’ve recognized their past. Sure. Winning that Cup was huge because it erased a long 54-year drought and a lot of bad memories for longtime fans like my Dad and the older generation. But the Rangers have been around much longer along with the Original Six.

I think the happiest Dad ever was when Andy Bathgate went up with Harry Howell. Bathgate was his all-time favorite Ranger before they traded him away to the Maple Leafs where he helped them win a Cup.

There’s still work to be done. Park belongs up there and so does Original Ranger Bill Cook. Cook was the big scorer from the early Cup teams in ‘28 and ‘33. Playing with brother Bun and Frank Boucher on the Bread Line, he had a brilliant career in New York winning multiple scoring titles and leading the NHL in goals. He totaled 228 goals and 138 assists for 366 points in 475 career games.

Don’t forget the Rangers first season was ‘26-27. Cook was already 28 and played a decade in the league before retiring. He spent the first part of his career in the WCHL and WHL mostly with Saskatoon. Boucher was around for the franchise’s first three Cups including 1940 when he took over coaching for Lester Patrick.

I hope one day the franchise recognizes the Bread Line for their contributions. Both Cook brothers and Boucher are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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Rangers trade Nash to Bruins, Ratelle finally to have number retired tonight

Posted on February 25, 2018 by Derek

The last of the expected players to go before Monday’s trade deadline went early this morning. Rick Nash was finally traded to the Bruins in a complicated deal due to Boston’s salary cap.

https://twitter.com/joeyerdon/status/967852934213054464

The Rangers did well getting back a 2018 first round pick, D prospect Ryan Lindgren, Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey and a seventh round pick. They had to take Beleskey’s contract and retain half of Nash’s remaining salary to make it work. That allowed GM Jeff Gorton to also receive the 26-year old Spooner, who has never quite developed into the player the Bruins envisioned. He is a restricted free agent this summer. There’s no guarantee he stays. He’ll center the fourth line for tonight’s game against the Red Wings on s special night.

The Rangers will finally honor Jean Ratelle by retiring his jersey. Long overdue for the great center of the G-A-G (goal a game) Line of those classic 70’s teams under coach Emile Francis. Ratelle, Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield tormented opponents with their chemistry and scoring prowess.

To hear my Dad tell it, they could’ve won the 1972 Stanley Cup had Ratelle been entirely healthy. He returned for the Final against Boston but wasn’t himself with just one assist in a crushing six-game series loss that saw Bobby Orr skate the Cup at MSG with my father present.

After all these years following the stunning blockbuster trade that sent Ratelle, Brad Park and Joe Zanussi to the Bruins in exchange for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais, Number 19 will finally be up where it belongs next to all the retired numbers including former teammates Gilbert, Ed Giacomin, Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate. Long overdue for the 77-year old legend whose 109 points (46-63-109) in only 63 games during ‘71-72 were single season franchise marks until Jaromir Jagr shattered the record with 123 (54-69-123) in ‘05-06.

Ratelle becomes the ninth Ranger to have his number retired joining Giacomin, Howell, Gilbert, Adam Graves, Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, Mike Richter and Bathgate.

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Young Blueshirts no match for Eric Staal and Wild

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Derek

The losing streak is now up to six. That’s six consecutive games without a point. The younger Blueshirts are learning how hard it is to succeed at the highest level. Even though the effort was better than Thursday night, it wasn’t enough to win. They fell to the Wild 4-1 at MSG.

One-time Ranger Eric Staal and linemate Mikael Granlund did most of the damage combining for all four Minnesota goals and eight points. Each had two goals and two assists to keep the Wild in playoff position in a crowded West. They jumped over the idle Stars into third place in the ultra competitive Central Division. They’re up to 75 points. One ahead of Dallas and three up on St. Louis, who at last check we’re getting blown out by Winnipeg. The Western race makes the Eastern one look weak by comparison. It changes daily.

For the Rangers, Alexandar Georgiev got his second straight start with Henrik Lundqvist getting another night off. Lucky him. For his part, The Czar Gorgy was solid in his Garden debut finishing with 33 saves. A day removed from making 38 saves at Montreal to establish a new Rangers high for a NHL debut surpassing Dan Blackburn (37), he had to deal with more coverage breakdowns and odd-man rushes.

Minnesota moved Granlund up to the top line with Staal and Zach Parise. The line flat out dominated at five-on-five doing whatever it wanted. Parise added a primary helper to give the trio nine points. He also set a good screen in front of Georgiev on a nice Staal deflection for his 29th goal on a power play that made it 3-1 at the 52-second mark of the third period.

It wasn’t all bad for the Rangers. Skating a second game in a row without Rick Nash (healthy scratch due to trade speculation), they did get Chris Kreider back from a blood clot. He recovered nicely from a rib resection and was flying. A early shift in which he used his size and speed to go around a Wild defender in the neutral zone and make a nice rush got a good hand from appreciative fans. He played with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich on the first line. It was nice to see him back. He brought energy all night and was noticeable. So did Buchnevich.

For most of the first period, there was nothing separating the two teams. The Wild came out flat and looked beatable. They needed some good early saves from starter Devan Dubnyk before they got their legs in the second game of a back-to-back. The same situation for the Blueshirts.

It was the third line of J.T. Miller, David Desharnais and Jesper Fast who generated the best quality chances. They were good all night and eventually combined on the only Ranger goal. They could’ve had more if not for Dubnyk and a couple of near misses.

Unfortunately, the team broke down late in the first allowing the Wild to strike twice within a 2:37 span. The first mistake was made by Tony DeAngelo. Looking to make a play behind his own net, his pass got intercepted by a aggressive Staal who tipped the puck right to Granlund for a easy finish in front at 16:06. That part of the game continues to be a problem for DeAngelo, who rebounded to have a good game.

The second miscue was a simple three-on-three through the neutral zone. Granlund got the puck to Parise who cut into the left corner and slid a perfect backhand feed across to a open Granlund for what looked like his second. However, MSG replays eventually confirmed that it was Staal who got his stick on it to beat Georgiev at 18:43. It was his 28th goal matching last year’s total in Minnesota’s 61st game. That’s how well he’s playing. He just recorded his 900th career NHL point with a empty net goal in last night’s 4-2 win at the Devils.

Trailing by two entering the second, the Rangers responded. A good play started by Miller in the neutral zone resulted in Fast scoring his ninth off a give and go that cut it to 2-1 at 2:41. It was a very nice play by Miller. He passed for Fast, who got the puck back to him and then gained the Minnesota blueline onside. DeAngelo smartly drove the net to create a distraction which allowed Miller to make a great pass across for a Fast one-time blast past Dubnyk. It was his first point in 12 games. His last one came on 1/25 when he scored a goal in a win at San Jose.

One of three the Rangers have had in nearly  month. Since the All-Star break, they’re 2-10-0 in February. That explains why they’re sellers at the deadline which got much trickier with the Pens odd three team blockbuster with Vegas and Ottawa to acquire Derick Brassard and use the Golden Knights to offset enough salary to make it work. Ottawa would up with Swedish goalie prospect Filip Gustavsson, a first and third round pick along with ex-Pen Ian Cole. Vegas received a fourth round pick (Canucks) and Ryan Reaves. This is who the Pens got with Brassard in this complicated mess that the NHL allowed. 😕🙄

I am not gonna comment any further. I know what Hasan would say. Why not just hand the Pens the trophy while they’re at it? I must say the Sens did good long-term. But nobody outside Pittsburgh wants to see a three-peat. That’s the truth.

As far as the rest of the Rangers game, they couldn’t get it tied. They had a couple of chances mostly created by the Desharnais line. They only wound up with six shots in the second. Not enough pressure on Dubnyk, who was able to see most of the shots to finish with 22 saves. Credit Georgiev with giving his team a chance by making several big stops in a busy period that saw him have 14 saves.

The difference was Minnesota’s execution. On a iffy Rob O’Gara hooking minor he took with 39 seconds left in the second, the Wild took full advantage at the start of the third. Granlund worked the puck to Ryan Suter at the point. He let go of a wrist shot that Staal was able to redirect past Georgiev with Parise screening him for a 3-1 lead at 52 seconds for a power play goal. Gorgy had no chance.

The Rangers didn’t give up. They had their chances throughout. The best came when they still were down only one late in the second when John Gilmour used his speed for a great rush forcing Dubnyk into a tough save. His skating is a strength that’s worth watching. Maybe he will stick. The competition is going to be a lot tougher next training camp with all the new additions to the defense. That includes O’Gara who looked good paired with Marc Staal in his second game as a Ranger.

On their lone power play, DeAngelo got a hard low deflectable shot through which Miller got a piece of. But Dubnyk covered it. DeAngelo showed off his skating and offensive instincts in this game. So did Neal Pionk, who also had a tough go of it in his end.

It’s not all negative. Right now, it’s about finding out what some of the new faces can do. Kevin Hayes had a solid night. But Mats Zuccarello and Jimmy Vesey weren’t good enough. Vinni Lettieri played over 15 minutes on the fourth line with Paul Carey and Cody McLeod. Alain Vigneault rolled all four lines and three pairs.

Brady Skjei showed some of his ability making a couple of good defensive plays transitioning to offense. We need to see more of that.

The Wild finally put it out of reach on a odd-man rush. On a play started by Eric Staal in the neutral zone, Jason Zucker led Granlund on a two-on-one. Gilmour was the only player back and took the pass away. But Granlund was able to walk in and beat Georgiev low underneath the glove for a 4-1 lead halfway through the third.

That finished matters. The effort level was a improvement. But as Vigneault noted, it’s a results oriented business. With 20 games left including the very special and long overdue Jean Ratelle jersey retirement Sunday against Detroit, it’s going to be interesting between tomorrow and Monday.

Once the dust settles, it’ll probably be easier for the veterans who stay moving forward. The kids will eventually get it. When the season winds down, they’ll be able to recall first round picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil for a brief look. Neither will surpass nine games. The organization is on record indicating they won’t burn a year off their ELC’s.

Here’s a interview GM Jeff Gorton was nice enough to do with MSG’s Amanda Borges. He’s very honest and open things including the first ever trade with the Devils. I like it.

 

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Georgiev impresses in debut for Rangers, Brady Tkachuk is my 2018 Draft Target

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Derek

I have to be honest. It’s hard to get used to this again. When the team has had so much success since ‘05-06, it’s not easy to watch the Rangers lose regularly. They dropped their fifth in a row on Thursday night by a score of 3-1 to the Canadiens in a lopsided game up north.

All five defeats have come in regulation. So as the mediocre Blue Jackets, Islanders and Canes compete for the last playoff spot with the Panthers quietly sneaking up from behind, the Rangers remain stuck on 59 points entering tonight’s match against the Wild.

At this point, it’s more about watching some of the new players shift to shift. Two new guys made their Rangers debuts yesterday. One was defenseman Rob O’Gara who was acquired from Boston in the Nick Holden trade. The other was goalie Alexandar Georgiev, who finally made his NHL debut.

In a game Montreal controlled from start to finish, I came away impressed with the 22-year old Georgiev. He was under siege at times but did quite well in stopping 38 of 40 shots. Neither goal the Habs scored was on him. Both were tap ins on poor coverage breakdowns.

Tomas Plekanec and Jeff Petry were left wide open for easy finishes against a struggling New York defense which includes the forwards. The same story of almost every loss. O’Gara got baptized literally when he forgot where Plekanec was for Montreal’s first goal. He will learn. There was no support from the top line on Petry’s 10th.

So, you get what you get. A overmatched team that skated without now ex-Ranger Michael Grabner and soon to be traded Rick Nash. He won’t play tonight either. There’s no reason for him to. He will finish with 145 goals and 252 points with 111 of those goals coming at even strength. When he gets dealt between now and Monday’s 3 PM trade deadline all depends on what GM Jeff Gorton feels is the best return. He did well with Grabner getting Russian D prospect Igor Rykov and New Jersey’s second round pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. That gives the Blueshirts eight draft picks. Once Nash goes, it should increase to nine, which will give Gorton the opportunity to package a few in a attempt to move up.

I’m on record as wanting the Blueshirts to get big power forward Brady Tkachuk. The younger brother of current Calgary Flame Matthew, who has been on fire in the second half. I would know since I’ve decided to keep him in my fantasy league where I’m dead last with very good keepers.

Brady Tkachuk was very good in the 2018 U20 World Junior Championship posting three goals and six assists for nine points while playing on the top line with Sabres 2017 first round pick Casey Mittlestadt for Team USA. They helped lead them to a bronze medal following a disappointing loss to Sweden.

Tkachuk has a similar pedigree as brother Matthew from great American hockey player and father Keith. Brady has the size, net front presence and puck skills to become a imposing power forward. He’s doing well in his freshman year for Boston University. His 25 points (7-18-25) are tied for fourth on the team with recently drafted Jordan Greenway, Shane Bowers and potential Ranger trade target Dante Fabbro the notables.

Given where they currently are, the Rangers will have to continue losing. With Florida finally passing them and Detroit a point behind, there’s still room to drop further increasing their slim chances at winning the Draft Lottery for Dahlin. The favorites remain last overall Arizona, 30th Buffalo and 29th Ottawa who is on the verge of trading Derick Brassard to the Pens. Though the latest is it’s gotten complicated due to his salary. We’ll see where it goes. I don’t want to see Brassard in a Pens jersey.

When the Rangers play after 7 PM in a little bit, they’ll have Chris Kreider back. He will help them obviously be more competitive. What that means in the final 21 games remains to be seen.

If Dahlin and American D prospect Quinn Hughes are out of reach, I’m hoping Tkachuk will be there when they pick. It’s rare that you can draft a big scoring forward who plays with the edge this club has lacked since Ryan Callahan went to Tampa. He pales in comparison size wise. He is a overachiever. Now that he’s healthy, the Lightning are benefiting again from the trade that brought Martin St. Louis to Broadway for the memorable run in 2014 and a near return to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 before he retired.

There’s nothing else to discuss with this team. Outside the trades, young players and draft, that’s it. The games for the most part are uninteresting. You have to pay close attention to the kids during their shifts. I’ll try my best.

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Rangers trade Grabner to Devils in history making deal by rivals

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Derek

The last time a trade was made between the Rangers and Devils, they were known as the Colorado Rockies way back in 1979. Before moving to New Jersey, the Rockies dealt star defenseman Barry Beck to the Rangers for Lucien DeBlois, Pat Hickey, Dean Turner and future considerations.

Since then, nothing had ever happened between the Rangers and Devils. That is until following last night’s games each played. The Hudson rivals made history with the first ever trade when the Rangers confirmed that they sent forward Michael Grabner to the Devils in exchange for 20-year old defense prospect Igor Rykov and their 2018 second round pick.

Indeed, you can mark down February 22, 2018 on your calendars. No. It won’t be remembered for another Rangers loss. The fifth straight in regulation this time at Montreal 3-1. It won’t be remembered on the Devils’ side either following a disappointing 4-2 loss on home ice to the Wild.

With the two clubs going in opposite directions, each saw a need to improve themselves. No longer does Lou Lamoriello run the Devils and neither does Glen Sather the Rangers. At least not directly. The Cold War between rivals is indeed over. Current Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and Devils GM Ray Shero made the first deal between the teams official.

Gorton made it with the future in mind acquiring puckmoving D prospect Rykov, who currently plays for St. Petersburg SKA on the KHL’s top team which includes  top Rangers goalie prospect Igor Shestyorkin along with former NHL stars Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk. The former Devils 2016 fifth round pick has developed into a good defenseman posting two goals and 12 assists with a plus-13 rating in his second full season. He was a standout for Russia at the 2017 U20 World Junior Championship with a goal and six assists.

Being able to get a good young defenseman who they’ll still have to sign along with a second round pick which becomes their eighth pick of this year’s NHL Draft is a quality return for Grabner. The 30-year old two-way scoring forward was brilliant in his two years scoring 52 goals as a Blueshirt. He leaves for New Jersey with a team best 25 markers. Now he’ll be asked to provide the same scoring and checking for a Devils team in playoff contention.

Even after a second straight loss, the Devils are ahead of schedule in their rebuild. They’re sitting fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points which locks them into the first wildcard. With the Islanders losing in a shootout to the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jackets falling to the Flyers who are now up to 74 points in third place, the Devils are five clear of each who are tied for the second wildcard with 65 points. Due to one less game played, Columbus would get in if the season ended today.

The Devils are hoping Grabner can provide a similar spark to a offense in need of secondary scoring help with Marcus Johansson still out with a second concussion. They have been carried by emerging darkhorse Hart candidate Taylor Hall, who extended his personal point streak to 20 games in a row with a goal. It’s considered 13 due to him not playing 20 straight. The 15 goals and 13 assists he’s totaled over that span have been remarkable.

On a team still without starting goaltender Cory Schneider and devoid of scoring depth outside the lethal top line featuring Hall, improving 2017 first overall pick Nico Hischier and slumping rookie Jesper Bratt, Shero had to do something. Too often, it hinges on Hall and Hischier to deliver the big goals.

Miles Wood has been instrumental in his second season scoring 16 times. He returned to the lineup after serving the second game of a two-game suspension for a dirty hit from behind in a recent big win over Tampa. Wood assisted on Stefan Noesen’s tally that made it 2-0 before the Wild rallied for three straight goals in less than a six-minute span. Eric Staal iced it with a empty netter.

Maybe Grabner can relieve some of the pressure on Bratt, who hasn’t scored a goal since Jan. 20. His ice-time has decreased the past couple of games under coach John Hynes. Growing pains are part of the process for the 19-year old Swede who’s been a pleasant surprise scoring 12 goals with 21 assists after being stolen in the sixth round in 2016.

Kyle Palmieri is finally healthy. He picked up a helper last night. If he can find the touch, it would go a long way to helping the Devs secure their first postseason berth since 2012.

They have plenty of checking in inspirational center Brian Boyle, Travis Zajac and Noesen. They’re looking for more scoring. Betting on the smart, speedy Grabner who has done almost all his damage at 5-on-5 is smart. He has 24 of his 25 goals at even strength with one shorthanded. That includes seven empty netters. He is proven 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill where his gamebreaking speed can give the Devils another shorthanded threat.

For Grabner, who can test the market this summer if he makes it to July 1, he becomes the 12th player in NHL history to play for all three locals. He began his career with Vancouver before scoring a career high 34 goals and 52 points for the Islanders in ‘10-11. He lasted nearly five years before getting dealt to Toronto where he played on the fourth line but couldn’t rediscover his scoring ability that helped him become a two-time 20 goalscorer on the Island.

It was under coach Alain Vigneault that Grabner excelled. Emphasizing a speed, skating system based on transition, it was a perfect fit. To think he signed for two years at $3.3 million. Grabner has always had great wheels and defensive instincts that create breakaways and odd-man rushes. He finished his chances on Broadway becoming a fan favorite. His 27 goals were second to Chris Kreider last season and his 25 paced the team.

Now, he gets to complete the trifecta by playing for the Devils after successful runs with the Islanders and Rangers. Will it only be a rental? Time shall tell. He definitely should help the Devs.

A few notables to play for all three teams include Sergei Nemchinov, Arron Asham, Mike Dunham, John Vanbiesbrouck and Kevin Weekes.

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Elias part of another special franchise moment

Posted on February 22, 2018 by hasan4978

On Saturday, the Devils have a relatively big game against the rival Islanders, who are currently chasing us and other teams for a playoff spot, and before that another important two points are on the line tonight against the Wild and a certain ex-Devil captain’s team.  However, the Devil franchise and fanbase has Saturday circled on the calendar for another special reason – the raising of franchise legend Patrik Elias’s number 26 to the rafter.  Elias will become the fifth Devil to have his number retired (and so far the the only forward, after goaltender Martin Brodeur and defensemen Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko).

It’s somehow fitting that Elias is the only forward to have his number raised to the rafters, since he’s one of the few forwards who consistently thrived in a defense-first system that sacrificed numbers for the team.  Well-rounded is the adjective that comes to mind when describing Patty.  Elias arguably combines an old school sensibility with new school personality and flash better than any other Devil past or present.  Consider that he broke in and became a star under Robbie Ftorek who was previously his AHL coach and had his best numbers statistically under Larry Robinson (a players’ coach).  Elias also scored 38 goals in 2003-04 under the ultimate disciplinarian in Pat Burns and played at an MVP level under Lou himself in 2006 after rallying back from a life-threatening case of hepatitis.  After re-signing as a FA that summer, Elias continued to excel with a 31-goal, 78-point season under another disciplinarian in Brent Sutter in 2009 – the season after he unjustly had his C taken away, then had his last great year in 2012 under Pete DeBoer, who had more of an attacking system and a more relaxed personality than most of Patty’s previous coaches.

So many memories come to mind with Patty – although he debuted in 1995-96 as a 19-year old, he didn’t become a lineup regular for another two years, then it took another two seasons for him to fully blossom as a member of the transcendent A-line.  A simple name for a line that was anything but simple, combining size and physicality (Jason Arnott) with skill and brainpower (Patty and fellow Czech-mate Petr Sykora).  For the better part of three seasons they were among the most skilled lines in hockey and team success followed, with a Stanley Cup in 1999-2000 and another trip to the Finals in 2000-01.  Elias played a starring role in the team’s 2000 Stanley Cup run with the only two goals in a tense 2-1 win over the Flyers.  Everyone remembers Elias’s game clincher with less than three minutes left in a tie game – see above – but few remember he also scored the first of the night as well.  Yet that was only his second most memorable moment of that postseason behind THE PASS.

As if the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals wasn’t exciting enough, the last two games of the Stanley Cup Finals provided the highest drama with Dallas extending the series and spoiling a possible home ice celebration after Mike Modano’s triple OT winner – also the only goal of a 1-0 game.  With the Devils still leading the series 3-2, the sixth game back in Dallas also went multiple OT’s in another defensive struggle.  Despite having lost Sykora earlier in the game after a cheap shot by Stars defenseman Derian Hatcher, Elias and Arnott still had enough chemistry between them to conjure up this moment of brilliance that won the Devils’ second Stanley Cup:

In the celebration afterwards, Elias had the presence of mind to get Sykora’s jersey from the locker room, at first obstructing his own name with his buddy’s jersey during the celebration before coach Robinson had his finest moment, taking the jersey and putting it on himself.

However, following the 2000-01 season things started to get rocky for Elias and the A-line.  A substandard 2001-02 led to the in-season trade of Arnott to Dallas and the subsequent offseason trade of Sykora to Anaheim.  Although both Arnott and Sykora had long, distinguished careers themselves after 2002 and both players eventually came back to the Devils for cameos later on, all three would never play together again.  Yet, that short period of excellence as an elite line arguably is what Arnott and Sykora are best remembered for in their careers.

Without his linemates, Elias struggled at times in 2002-03 under the ultimate defense-first coach in Burns and took a back seat at times during that magical playoff run.  However, in the Finals he skated around like the Patty of old and helped stymie old buddy Sykora’s attempt to play spoiler with his new team, as the Devils beat the Mighty Ducks in 7 games.  This time Elias, and Devil fans would get their home-ice party after a hard-fought postseason that was 24 games long, a then-NHL record.  I was one of the 19040 in attendance that night, and despite having a flu I soldiered my way there for a likely once-in-a-lifetime event.  And so far it has been.  I don’t even want to think about how annoyed I would have been with a loss haha.

Almost as if liberated from the rocky period before his second Stanley Cup win, Elias roared back to dominance in 2003-04 before he and the NHL lost an entire season due to the season-long lockout in 2004-05.  Although Robinson was back for his second tour of duty, he never got to coach Elias – who spent the latter part of 2005 recovering from a life-threatening case of hepatitis.  By the time Elias came back in late December, Lou was the coach, after stress/health problems forced Robinson to step aside with the team struggling.  Ironically it was during this period that I had quite the unexpected encounter with Elias himself – which is a story I may or may not have told on this blog before.   I was at a Devils-Rangers game at the Garden ironically enough, which turned out to be Lou’s first game behind the bench.  Elias was still a couple weeks away from returning, but the Devils did win 3-1 hinting at their later turnaround.

After the game I was wearing my Elias jersey (you can’t make this up) on the train ride back and a couple of fellow Devil fans excitedly told me ‘Patty’s in front of you!’…at first I literally didn’t know what the heck they were talking about.  Then when I figured it out I looked up at the seat in front of me and WHOA, there was the man himself – on the same train back to NJ as I was.  Eventually I wound up sitting by and talking to him for a half hour on his way back to West Orange, which isn’t to say I talked his ear off per se but certainly my jersey proved to be a nice conversation starter.  Most of the particulars of our chat have faded with time but the important thing is that it happened and how down-to-earth the man was.  At one point he asked me what I thought of the arena in Newark (still a season and a half away), and unsolicited told me he was looking forward to it himself.  While I wasn’t really thinking in those terms at the time – nor was I going to ask him – his prompting me about the new arena gave me a good feeling he was going to return even as his UFA status showed an uncertain future in red and white.

From that point on, Elias was my favorite Devil through thick and thin.  And certainly for the 2006 portion of the season, things were almost all sunny as Elias returned for the final 45 games, playing at an MVP level and leading the team’s resurgence into the playoffs and past the Rangers in a spectacular sweep.  Arguably one of Elias’s top five games ever was the first game of that series where he scored two goals and four assists in a 6-1 romp that set the tone for the Devils finally beating the Rangers in a postseason series after coming up short in 1992, 1994 and 1997.  Yet, after the Devils’ second round loss to Carolina Elias nearly joined another dubious list of ex-Devil marquee players who went to the rival Rangers.  At the time I thought Elias was just more or less using the Rangers to extract a no-trade clause out of Lou, but the real details of that offseason (disclosed by Patty himself in recent days) paint a more complete – and stunning – picture.

In fact, it was Lou himself who gave up on signing Patty before the offseason even started – essentially telling him he was a great player, we probably wouldn’t have the money to re-sign him and good luck if it came to it.  For weeks if not months there was no communication between Elias and Lou.  And yes the reason he’s not a Ranger is because Glen Sather wouldn’t give Elias a no-trade, that I already knew – but one other revealing detail that came out recently is when Elias finally got frustrated enough to call Lou and tell him of the particulars of the Rangers’ offer, suddenly Lou got down to brass tacks and they negotiated a deal in minutes.  Honestly this story is astonishing to me, not that I would ever doubt Patty but…really Lou?  How could you be so dense not to even attempt to negotiate a contract with your best player?  Especially one that actually did want to stay.

Fortunately things did work out in the end and Elias signed a seven-year contract, essentially guaranteeing he would start and end his career as a Devil.  Yet things weren’t all happy and smooth during this period either.  For one, the Devils didn’t have quite the playoff success post-lockout as they did pre-lockout, as other free agents like Niedermayer and Scott Gomez did walk out the door and their drafting also became weaker as the years went on.  And after his first year under the new contract, where it was intimated he struggled with the weight of being newly-appointed captain (despite putting up 69 points in 75 games, hah some struggling), Lou’s latest ‘new coach’ Sutter stripped the C from Elias before his first camp in charge.  Elias admitted recently it bothered him that Lou didn’t have his back with that incident.  Arguably losing the C affected him more than having it did, as he struggled under Sutter’s defense-first system in 2007-08, but the next year Sutter had to open things up out of neccesity and Elias thrived again, showing his resilience as a player who could play in all styles.

It was during this campaign that Elias set the franchise record for points scored, ironically on the same night Brodeur set the NHL record for goaltender wins, on St. Patrick’s Day no less.  Only Patty could pull that off, with a green hat to top things off

Ironically after that game, the team struggled down the stretch losing a hideous seventh game against the Hurricanes, where Sutter committed one final indignity having Elias play just 14:27 in the deciding contest, fewer than all but four forwards.  After choking away Game 7, Sutter ran home to coach for brother Darryl in Calgary becoming just the latest Devil to leave for greener pastures.  More hard times were ahead as the team again struggled in the second half of 2009-10, ignominiously losing in five games to the Flyers before the John MacLean meltdown of 2010-11.  Less said about that season, the better though Elias again led the team in points despite the much-ballyhooed acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk at the previous year’s trade deadline.

Finally in 2011-12 came one last great resurgence under DeBoer, one of the few coaches who actually did treat Elias with the respect he earned as a player and a person long before that point.  At 35 years old, Elias’s icetime spiked back up to twenty minutes a game and he played in all situations.  Also buoyed by the return of an old friend (Sykora) that year, a rejuvanated Patty put up 78 points and played in 81/82 regular season games plus all 24 games of the team’s unexpected playoff run to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

As it turned out that run would be the last gasp for both Elias as an upper-echelon player and the Devils as an upper-echelon franchise under Lou.  His last three full seasons, the Devils missed the postseason entirely, bottoming out in 2014-15 with a horrible second half that finally ended Lou’s tenure as the franchise czar.  Yet even after franchise legends like Lou, Stevens (relieved of his duties as an assistant) and Marty (left for a higher management position in St. Louis) were saying goodbye, Elias was the one symbol of the past that’s still been around to shine during the new regime.  Even throughout an injury plagued 2015-16 where he played his final sixteen games (including a spectacular four-point finale against Lou’s new team, the Leafs) and 2016-17 where he skated but didn’t officially retire until late in the season, he was still a part of the team thanks to the respect both GM Ray Shero and coach John Hynes hold for both the player he used to be and the man he still is.  A nice little piece from outgoing beat guy Andrew Gross in The Record show how even this season, during the team’s resurgence, Elias is still sought out by management for advice and suggestions.

If you’re still reading this blog clearly you like and respect Patty about as much as I do.  His number retirement is somehow more resonant to me than the others – and I’ve been to all of them.  Maybe in part cause I actually did meet the man while guys like Brodeur, Stevens and Niedermayer were just guys I knew through a TV screen and watching them above in the stands for years.  In the case of Ken Daneyko, it didn’t seem like a legendary player having his number retired cause really Dano wasn’t legendary – his number retirement was more of a celebration of Mr. Devil and what Dano as an original Devil meant to the franchise off the ice more than on it even.  Maybe it’s because Patty in part was the perfect bridge from the old Devils history to the new is why he resonates more with me.  Not in terms of being in awe like with Marty or Stevens, but in terms of personal emotion and personality, Elias was a man for all seasons and all teams.  He could fit in with the Lemaire/Burns Defensive Devils as much as he did with the Robinson/DeBoer/Ftorek teams that were more liberal on the attack.  Or dare I say the current ‘fast, attacking and supportive’ Devils.  Unfortunately he never got to play with this Devils team.  If his final game in 2016 (on my birthday no less) was any indication, he would have been just fine on this team too.

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Grabner and Nash won’t play tonight

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Derek

Updating the situation surrounding the Rangers, it looks like they’re closing in on potential deals. Rumored forwards Michael Grabner and Rick Nash aren’t going to play in tonight’s game at Montreal.

They just recalled a extra forward Vinni Lettieri from Hartford. He and Paul Carey will dress in their place as GM Jeff Gorton works the phones trying to get something done.

Per the New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis, Nash will also be out of the lineup.

Both have had good seasons. Grabner is leading the team with 25 goals giving him a combined 52 in less than two seasons since joining the club. He scored 27 last year to finish one behind team leader Chris Kreider.

Nash has been playing very well since the new calendar year. He’s up to 18 goals with half the production coming since the New Year. The proven finisher who plays power play and penalty kill has attracted plenty of interest. If it’s not Nashville with it looking to be kaput, it could be Boston or Dallas. Plenty of teams can use a player of his caliber.

If this is it for Nash, he is one point shy of 800 for his NHL career. The former Blue Jackets first overall pick in ‘02 came over to the Rangers in the summer of 2012 in a trade involving Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky with other pieces Tim Erixon and a 2013 first round pick (Kerby Rychel) going to Columbus. The Rangers also received Steven Delisle and a 2013 third round pick that turned into Pavel Buchnevich. So, they did quite well. Anisimov was eventually dealt to Chicago for Brandon Saad, who became Artemi Panarin when he was reacquired by the Blackhawks last summer.

In his sixth season on Broadway, the 33-year old Nash who will become unrestricted this summer has been part of two teams that made deep playoff runs. They reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 and came within a period of returning in 2015. A disappointing shutout loss on home ice that basically ended their championship aspirations. Since, the Rangers have been eliminated in the first and second round of the postseason.

In 375 games with the Blueshirts, Nash has registered 145 goals with 107 assists totaling 252 points and a plus-64 rating. The breakdown of the goals is this:

Even Strength-111

Power Play-26

Shorthanded-8

He also has totaled 29 game-winners. Of his seven career hat tricks, two have come as a Ranger on Dec. 23, 2014 vs Washington and Nov. 21, 2015 at Florida.

Nash has never been the best postseason performer. However, enough isn’t said about his skating and forechecking. He has always brought a strong work ethic and good leadership. In the ‘14 run, he totaled 10 points (3-7-10). In 2015, Nash went 5-9-14.

Even as it winds down, it may not have had the dream scenario both he and the Rangers envisioned. It’s hard to win. They came close twice. Nash was a big part of that.

If he has in fact played his final game, good luck wherever you go. Though he has admitted how much he’s loved being a Ranger. There’s always a chance he could return if he so desires. But it will depend on a lot of factors. Some which we won’t know until after the season.

Regardless, there are still 22 games left to play. Fans will get a chance to see more new faces once Nash and Grabner are gone.

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Georgiev and O’Gara debut for Rangers in Montreal

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Derek

When they visit Montreal at Bell Center later tonight, the Rangers will have two new faces debuting. Alexandar Georgiev will make his NHL debut in net after missing a chance last weekend due to illness.

It’ll be a rare game between Original Six rivals where neither Henrik Lundqvist nor Carey Price will be starting. That’s how bad the Rangers and Canadiens are. While the Blueshirts still have 59 points despite a lot of losing since the All-Star break, the Habs are even worse. They haven’t won in a while with a overtime loss giving them 52 points, which ties them with Edmonton and Ottawa for the league’s third worst record. Arizona has 44 points for the worst and Buffalo has 45.

So, a year removed from a very intense first round series won by the Rangers in six games, both teams are headed for early vacations without the playoffs. The Rangers haven’t missed since 2010 on the last day of the season when the Flyers edged them in a shootout. The only time the Lundqvist Blueshirts haven’t qualified since he joined them in ‘05-06.

In unfamiliar territory with GM Jeff Gorton working the phones after sending Nick Holden to the Bruins for Rob O’Gara and a 2018 third round pick, they’ll soon learn where Rick Nash and Michael Grabner will wind up. Time is winding down with the trade deadline arriving next Monday, Feb. 26.

With rumors also surrounding injured captain Ryan McDonagh could either be moved now or likelier this summer, things have been relatively quiet around the top defenseman. He has a year remaining on a contract that pays him an AAV of $4.7 million. He remains out with a undisclosed injury.

The acquisition of the Massapequa native O’Gara gives him a opportunity to show what he can do. In Boston after being taken in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Draft, he only played in 11 games including eight this season. With the Bruins not having room for him, they sent him to New York where he will get a chance to be part of a rebuild.

A defensive defenseman, O’Gara will be paired with John Gilmour tonight. Having spent four years at Yale and most of his first two pro seasons with Providence in the AHL, he gets a clean slate. Listed at 6-4, 207 pounds, the left shooting defenseman can bring size and physicality to a mobile blueline that lacks it.

With O’Gara staying with the big club, the Rangers optioned Ryan Sproul to Hartford. He was a surprise tallying assists in consecutive losses. Overall, the Rangers have dropped four straight all in regulation. They are six points behind second wildcard Columbus.

In a move which could signal another trade on the cusp, they recalled forward Vinni Lettieri. It sounded like things were heating up on Grabner. We’ll see if anything happens.

This is the third and final meeting against Montreal. The teams split the first two way back in the Fall with the Rangers taking the first one at MSG and losing the second meeting at Bell Centre.

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