Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
They played a preseason game over at 33rd and 7th. The Rangers defeated the Devils 6-3 in the first exhibition for the Garden hosts.
It was the Devils’ second game in two nights. They also lost to the Bruins Sunday night 2-0. At least in this one they scored doing so with three goals coming all on the power play. The goals came off the sticks of Jordin Tootoo, Mike Sislo and Adam Larsson.
For the Blueshirts, the goalscorers were Brian Gibbons, Jayson Megna(2), Chris Kreider, Viktor Stalberg and Oscar Lindberg. They jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with Gibbons tallying 21 seconds in and Megna snapping one past Devils starter Cory Schneider a few minutes later. Schneider played the first half before giving way to Yann Danis, who allowed three goals including Kreider’s twisted wrister from the right circle top that put the Rangers back up 3-2.
Stalberg followed 1:12 later when he beat Danis from a bad angle. He used his speed to go around the Devils defense and surprised Danis making it a two-goal lead. Lindberg increased the lead to 4-2 when he got to the carom of a Ryan Bourque wide shot and fired off a Devil defenseman for a seeing eye goal. Brady Skjei made a great defensive play using his stick to break up a Devil chance. He calmly poked the puck away which sent Bourque in. He fired off the goalpost and Lindberg got the rebound and finished.
Most impressive were Megna and Gibbons in their Broadway debuts. Brought in as free agents from the Penguins, each impressed finding early chemistry. On the Rangers’ final tally- a 5-on-3 goal- Gibbons coolly dished across for Megna who fired past Danis in the last minute for his second marker. Neither is expected to make the roster. But they each demonstrated speed and skill which had to please the coaching staff.
Lindberg played on a checking line with Bourque and Jesper Fast. They were effective on the forecheck throughout. Antti Raanta and Magnus Hellberg split duty in net with each faring okay. Raanta had 11 saves and Hellberg made 12.
Dylan McIlrath also dressed. He drew a penalty late on Tootoo which led to Megna’s second tally. But the big defenseman also got nabbed for an illegal check to the head which led to the Devils’ first power play goal. Those are the kind he must stay away from.
For the Devils, Larsson played a lot with Andy Greene which should make up their top pair. They killed penalties together. Marc-Andre Gragnani helped set up Sislo’s goal teaming up with Greene to set up his bank shot off a Ranger skate.
Tyler Kennedy made a nice feed in front for Tootoo’s PPG. The gritty veteran forward is on a PTO. He helped his chances. Former Ranger John Moore also got credit for a secondary assist.
The Rangers play the Flyers tomorrow on MSG. It’ll again be Raanta and Hellberg in net.
Somewhat astonishingly, hockey returns to the metropolitan area tomorrow. In fact, the Devils are playing a preseason game at the Bruins right now. The Rangers return to the scene of the crime of last Spring’s awful conclusion. They will host the rebuilding Devils in a exhibition Monday night at the Garden on MSG.
Alain Vigneault revealed the roster for the first preseason game. Per Andrew Gross on Twitter, here are the Rangers forwards and defensemen:
Rangers Fs tomorrow: Gibbons, Glass, Adam Fast Kreider Stepan Megna Lindberg Stalberg Moore Bourque Hrivik
Vigneault said that Antti Raanta and Magnus Hellberg will split duty for the first two exhibitions. Henrik Lundqvist will get a start at Boston Thursday. The third-year Rangers coach plans cuts after the first two games. Interestingly, the Rangers will hold out Mats Zuccarello until the third game so he gets more practices in.
One of the camp invites is former Islanders 2010 third round pick Kirill Kabanov. After spending the past two years in the Swedish Hockey League, he’ll try to make the roster. It’s highly unlikely considering the Rangers’ improved depth with additions Jarrett Stoll and Viktor Stalberg. It would be nice to see Ryan Bourque play his way on. But Oscar Lindberg is the favorite. And what of Dylan McIlrath? Can he stick? The Rangers went out and added Raphael Diaz to be the seventh defenseman. Is AV serious about having eight D? Only time will tell.
On Thursday, hockey training camps finally opened. The Rangers returned to their practice facility in Greenburgh for the official start of camp. Players had been doing skating prior. With workouts finally underway along with scrimmages, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault has turned his attention to winning the Stanley Cup in his third season. His new motto is Failure is Not an Option.
“With the salary cap, there’s spots available, ice times available and roles available. And we’re hoping some of the guys are gonna come in and find a way to contribute a little more than they have in the past.” Vigneault told a group of reporters at his opening press conference Thursday.
“And if you look at the youth we have with this group and rightfully so, I think we should expect more from certain guys and without naming names, it’s normal to expect more from Kreisy, Hayesy, Brass, Steps, etc. … I believe that training camp is gonna unfold and players are gonna make those decisions for us.”
Obviously, Vigneault is referring to Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan. In order for the team to be successful, Kreider and Hayes must continue to improve. Ditto for J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast, who were key contributors last Spring. From a Rangers perspective, it’ll be intriguing to see what strides the younger players can make. With the departures of Martin St. Louis (retirement) and Carl Hagelin (traded to Ducks), it puts more emphasis on the kids stepping up. Here are a few questions entering the season:
Chris Kreider jumps into the arms of Derek Stepan and teammates after scoring a clutch tying goal with 1:41 left in Game 5. The Rangers stayed alive with Ryan McDonagh providing the overtime winner with Kreider screening in front. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images
1.Is this the year Kreider breaks out? In Year 2, the physically gifted 24-year old former ’09 first round pick improved to a career best 21 goals, 25 assists, 46 points and 88 penalty minutes with a plus-24 rating in 80 games. Playing mostly with former Team USA World Junior Championship linemate Stepan, Kreider continued to develop becoming one of the game’s better young power forwards. In the postseason, he scored seven times with two helpers. A rare player who combines size, strength, speed and skill, the potential is there to score 30 goals and hit the 60-point mark.
Purple Hayes: Rookie Kevin Hayes celebrates his first career playoff goal. He scored the OT winner at 3:14 to send the Rangers to a 2-1 Game 4 win over the Penguins. AP Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Getty Images
2.Should Hayes stay at center or wing? In his rookie season, the 23-year old former Boston College standout impressed the coaching staff who used him almost exclusively to center the third line. Hayes showed rapid improvement in the second half with 28 of his 45 points (17-28-45) coming from February thru April (35 games). His first playoffs was inconsistent finishing with two goals and five assists. If Vigneault tries him on the wing to replace St. Louis’ scoring, that probably leaves Miller to center the third line. Having Hayes stay in the middle makes them a deeper team.
Miller Time: J.T. Miller finishes off a goal in the Rangers 5-1 win over the Canucks. AP Photo by Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press
3.What is Miller’s role? Last year, Vigneault bounced the former 2011 first round pick around using him everywhere. Following a stint in Hartford, Miller finally stuck going from a supporting role to playing on the second line with Stepan and Kreider. The All-American trio had good chemistry with Miller fitting in as a complementary two-way forward with edge. When he wasn’t on the wing, he also took faceoffs (93-and-112). Much depends on what Vigneault does with Hayes.
4.How much should be expected of Emerson Etem? In the trade of Hagelin to Anaheim, the key player they got back was the 23-year old Etem. A former Ducks 2010 first round pick, he still hasn’t become the player most expected totaling 15 goals and 31 points in 112 games. Last postseason, he scored three times in a dozen games. Etem brings size going 6-1, 206 pounds. Can he replace the speedy Hagelin who was counted on for secondary scoring and a key penalty killer? Let’s see how he does in preseason.
5.What kind of roles will Jarrett Stoll and Viktor Stalberg have? Both Stoll and Stalberg are vets who come over from the West coast. Of course, one has baggage with the 33-year old Stoll having been caught with cocaine possession at a Las Vegas resort. The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor. A former King who was part of two Stanley Cup winners, he’s a right-handed center who can win draws. Not unlike Dominic Moore, Stoll is a solid depth player who gets his nose dirty. Are he and Moore both on the fourth line? What about the 29-year old Stalberg who once was part of the 2013 Blackhawks Cup? Injuries limited him to 25 games with Nashville last year. If the idea is to have him play on the third line, I’m not sure it’s realistic. I believe he’s better served as a fourth line energy guy replacing Tanner Glass. I prefer Fast on the third line following a solid postseason.
Zucc Celebrates: Mats Zuccarello is congratulated by Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider after his goal. AP Photo by Bill Kostroun/Getty Images
6.Will Mats Zuccarello be the same player? When he went down in Game 5 of the first round, it wasn’t even certain the 28-year old Zuccarello would return. Little did we know how seriously hurt he was. It was later revealed that Zucc suffered a brain contusion and skull fracture. At one point, he even lost his ability to speak before being retaught from a speech therapist. Very scary. Fortunately, Zuccarello is back without any restrictions. A very skilled player with tremendous heart, will he still play the same hard nosed style that made him one of the team’s most valuable forwards? In Year 1 of a four-year contract that pays him $4.5 million per season, the Rangers hope so.
Keith Yandle celebrates his goal that made it 3-1 late in the second with Rick Nash and Kevin Klein. AP Photo by Chris O’Meara/Getty Images
7.How will Keith Yandle perform in a contract year? When former Rangers architect Glen Sather rolled the dice on Yandle at the trade deadline, he gave up top prospect Anthony Duclair and threw away more draft picks all in an attempt to win now. Ironically, Yandle finished with the exact same output (2-9-11) in the playoffs as he did in the final 21 regular season games as a Blueshirt. He was their best defenseman against the Lightning tallying seven of his 11 points in the Eastern Conference Final. The risk is he just turned 29 and is in the final year of a contract that pays him $5.75 million. The Coyotes pick up half the tab. With the Rangers locked in long-term with Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh, there’s a very good chance they’re gonna lose Yandle next summer.
Cam Talbot acknowledges the home crowd after being selected 1st star during his shutout of the Canes. AP Photo by John Minchillo/Getty Images
8.How much if any will the Rangers miss Cam Talbot? When Henrik Lundqvist went down last January, the club had a great reliever in Talbot. All the popular backup did was win helping lead the team to the league’s best record. He won 21 games and posted five shutouts with a 2.21 goals-against-average and .926 save percentage. That kind of performance boosted his value allowing the Blueshirts to trade him to the Oilers at the 2015 Draft. Replacing him won’t be easy. Former Hawks backup Antti Raanta has been given the task. Despite posting a 1.89 GAA and .936 save percentage with seven wins, he lost the job to Scott Darling. Now, he comes in on a one-year deal with Magnus Hellberg likely the Hartford starter until Mackenzie Skapski is ready. That could translate to more starts for Lundqvist which means he must stay healthy.
Happy Hags: Overtime hero Carl Hagelin celebrates his series clinching goal that eliminated the Penguins in Game 5. The former Blueshirt is now a Duck. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images
9.How much will they miss St. Louis and Hagelin? It depends largely on Hayes, Miller and Fast with help coming from Etem and Stalberg. Even with his struggles at the end, St. Louis had 52 points (21-31-52). His leadership was unquestioned. What he accomplished in 2014 shouldn’t be forgotten. But Slats gave up an awful lot. As for Hagelin, they will miss his speed and forechecking ability. He is a solid possession player who creates shorthanded chances. The 17-18-35 in all 82 aren’t easily replaced. Maybe a Miller settles into that role. I’d love to see Fast become that player but am not sure of his offensive upside.
Finally, Rick Nash celebrates his first goal of the series with teammate Derick Brassard. Game 7 is Wednesday at MSG. AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images
10.Can a Rick Nash led team win the Stanley Cup? Make no mistake about it. The 31-year old Nash had his best overall season scoring 40-or-more goals for the third time in his career with a career high 42 to go with 27 assists for a team-leading 69 points in 79 contests. He also posted a career best plus-29 rating becoming a two-way threat with a team-leading four shorthanded goals. The Big Easy followed that up with a solid postseason tallying five goals and nine helpers for 14 points ranking second behind Brassard (16). That included a playoff career high four points (1-3-4) in the Rangers’ Game 6 win at Tampa. However, like many teammates he was a no show in a disappointing Game 7. Unquestionably, Nash is the Rangers’ best offensive player. In three postseasons, he’s totaled nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points in 56 games. Last Spring was an improvement. Can he build upon it and lead this team to a Cup in a improved East?
Close Call: The Pens nearly tie it but Marc Staal denies the opportunity in front of Henrik Lundqvist who made the big save on Evgeni Malkin in the second period. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images
11.How much do Girardi and Staal have left? Both are key veteran leaders on the blueline who make up half the top four. Each are in long-term deals which pay them a combined 11.2 million on the cap. Both have showed signs of slowing down. Neither is a great skater or big offensive contributor which Vigneault covets. Both help the team in other ways by doing the gritty defensive stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. Danny G and Staal always give 100 percent and each played hurt last postseason yet are still heavily critiqued. Both are warriors who need to win now. The window is closing. Ditto on Dan Boyle, who could retire after the season.
12.Will the power play ever live up to expectations? The power play has been a sore spot for Garden Faithful since Neil Smith traded away Sergei Zubov. Perhaps with a full year of Yandle and Boyle, it’ll finally translate to a more consistent level.
13.Which of these three prospects will become a regular?
14.If push comes to shove, will Vigneault adjust his strategy to win in the postseason? He’s come close twice losing in the Stanley Cup Final with the Canucks and Rangers. Last year still stings. The Rangers were shutout on home ice in Games 5 and 7 costing them a chance at playing for Lord Stanley. That’s unacceptable. AV was outcoached by nauseating Bolts coach Jon Cooper. About as loathsome a coach in sports. That one still hurts.
In a move to aid their power play, the Islanders signed veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. The 38-year old Czech totaled 34 points with the Devils and Red Wings last season. After tallying 23 with the Devils, he went 3-8-11 in Detroit. In six postseason contests, he went without a point and remained unsigned.
By adding Zidlicky to a strong blueline featuring Johnny Boychuk, Travis Hamonic, Nick Leddy and Calvin de Haan, Islanders GM Garth Snow has put together a roster that should compete in its first year in Brooklyn. With the defense also including Thomas Hickey and Brian Strait, Zidlicky won’t have to play every night. He can be used as a power play specialist. The right-handed defenseman possesses a strong accurate shot. For his career, he’s scored 85 goals with 316 assists for 401 points in 783 games.
Originally a Rangers sixth round pick in ’01, Zidlicky has played for the Predators, Wild, Devils and Red Wings. He’ll join his fifth team in what could be his final year.
Brock Nelson celebrates his game-winner with Michael Grabner in the Islanders’ 4-3 win over the Predators AP Photo by Mark Humphrey/Getty Images
It’s been a busy 24 hours for the Islanders. A day before training camp opened, they re-signed center Brock Nelson to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million. Nelson will earn $1.5 million in ’15-16, $2.5 million in ’16-17 and $3.5 million in ’17-18. With him back in the fold, we’ll see if he can build upon a 20-goal, 22 assist career season.
The 24-year old Beck had eight goals and eight assists with the Predators last season. The Leafs acquired him on July 12 for Jamie Devane. Beck is on a one-year deal worth $875,000. Gibson is a 22-year old goalie prospect who won 24 games and posted a 2.42 goals-against average with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL. Finn is a 21-year old defenseman who split time in the AHL and ECHL. Nilsson is also a defenseman who came over from Frolunda last year and tallied five points (1-4-5) for the Marlies. Verhaeghe is a former Leafs 2013 third round pick who put up 33 goals and 82 points with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. He’s only 20 and would seem to have the most upside.
In five seasons with the Islanders, Grabner totaled 90 goals and 54 assists for 144 points in 297 games. Most of the scoring came in his first two years with Grabner tallying 34 goals in ’10-11 and 20 in ’11-12. Eventually, he fell into a checking role under coach Jack Capuano. Sports hernia surgery prevented him from playing the first two months last season. He only got into 34 games finishing with eight goals and five helpers. Grabner had one assist in two postseason contests against the Capitals.
The 27-year old forward was the odd man out with a cap hit of $3 million. He’s owed $5 million in his final year and will turn unrestricted next summer. The rebuilding Leafs were willing to take a chance on him. Grabner possesses great speed and is a good defensive forward who is an asset on the penalty kill with his game breaking speed generating shorthanded chances. If he finished with any consistency, he could get back to being a 25-30 goalscorer. It won’t be in Brooklyn.
After dealing away Grabner, the Isles officially signed ex-Devil Steve Bernier to a one-year $750,000 contract. The 30-year old is coming off a good season in which he tallied 16 goals and 16 assists. He should be a good fit under Capuano, who likes energy.
Ray Shero spent yesterday finalizing the Devils’ camp roster (pic: Hockeynews.com)
On the eve of camp, Devils GM Ray Shero was busy, first inking former Cane Jiri Tlusty to a one-year $800k one-way deal. Tlusty had reportedly five offers for tryout invites to camp (including one from us) but held out for a contract, and with camp beginning today the Devils stepped up and inked the 27-year old Czech winger at a bargain price. A one-time Leafs first-round pick, Tlusty had his best years in Carolina, including the lockout season of 2013 where he put up 23 goals and 38 points in 48 games. Tlusty hasn’t had as good production the last two years but still has twenty-goal talent and that output’s sorely needed on this Devils team. Perhaps Tlusty can also follow in the footsteps of recent Czech imports like Marek Zidlicky and Jaromir Jagr and get a fresh lease on life here. Even with all of the Devils’ recent change, Czech standard bearer Patrik Elias is still around.
Shero also inked a couple of intriguing PTO’s, inviting winger Lee Stempniak and center Tyler Kennedy to camp. Stempniak can compete for a job at RW, where our depth chart is currently Kyle Palmeri and a bunch of question marks. Although he started last season with the Rangers, he was traded to Winnipeg where he made a bigger impact in their playoff push, putting up six goals and ten points in eighteen games there and scoring the Jets’ first playoff goal in nearly two decades. Previously Stempniak finished the 2013-14 season in Pittsburgh and had a strong stretch drive there as well when Shero was the GM. Although another lifetime ago Stempniak actually had a 27-goal season with the Blues, he’s clearly just a role player at this point. Kennedy also played under Shero in Pittsburgh for six seasons and had some solid years there, including a 21-goal 45-point season in 2010-11, but his production’s fallen off significantly since the lockout.
Brock Nelson is congratulated by teammates including Calvin de Haan for his goal. Getty Images/Frank Franklin II
The Islanders and Brock Nelson remain ‘far apart’ according to TSN insider Bob McKenzie. In his second year, the 23-year old forward set career bests in goals (20), assists (22) and points (42) while playing all 82 games. In their first round series loss to the Caps, he tallied twice in six contests.
It’s interesting to note that the Islanders are giving Nelson until Thursday when camp opens to re-sign. McKenzie tweeted that if he’s not signed in two days, he won’t play this season. Under the CBA, the deadline to re-sign a restricted free agent is Dec. 1. However, team owner Charles Wang has imposed a rule that requires Nelson to be signed at the start of camp.
According to NYI club rules, per owner Charles Wang, if Nelson not signed by camp opening on Thurs, he's not eligible to play this season.
Earlier, McKenzie tweeted that the club made Nelson a bridge offer. His cap hit was $2.825 million in ’14-15 with a salary of $900,000. Considering that he’s only played two seasons, it doesn’t make sense for him to hold out. He’s getting bad advice from his agent.
The Isles boast plenty of depth up front. They are dealing from a position of strength. If Nelson doesn’t re-sign, does GM Garth Snow shop him? We’ll have to wait and see.
Bishop gets congrats from Lundqvist: A defeated Henrik Lundqvist congrats Ben Bishop following a heartbreaking 2-0 home loss in Game 7. AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images
With prospect tournaments concluding and training camps on the horizon, the preseason Stanley Cup were released. Yahoo Sports NHL tweeted out Stanley Cup odds via bodog.ca along with who the favorites are to win the Eastern Conference and Western Conference.
Not surprisingly, the Rangers and Lightning were tied atop the East getting 10/1. The defending champion Blackhawks are first at 13/2. The Ducks, Kings, Rangers and Lightning all are 10/1. Here are the top 10:
(1/3) Stanley Cup odds (via bodog.ca)
Chi 13/2 Ana 10/1 LA 10/1 NYR 10/1 TB 10/1 Pit 14/1 StL 14/1 Min 16/1 Mtl 18/1 Nsh 18/1 Wsh 18/1
At this juncture, I’d make the Lightning the favorite to represent the East. The Rangers got worse subtracting Martin St. Louis (retirement) and Carl Hagelin. New general manager Jeff Gorton is banking on Emerson Etem and Viktor Stalberg to fill the void on the third line. He also added former King Jarret Stoll for faceoff help. The club will look to second-year forwards Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller to provide offense helping offset the loss of St. Louis. Big things are also expected from Chris Kreider, who could crack 30 goals. A full year of Keith Yandle on the back end could result in an improvement on the power play.
For the Blueshirts, they’re led by Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. If the kids perform to expectations, then they should be there.
The Lightning boast a strong core featuring captain Steven Stamkos, Triplets Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula. Alex Killorn, Jonathan Drouin and Cedric Paquette round out the best top nine in the East. Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman headline a strong blueline. Ben Bishop is the starter and Andreij Vasilevskiy is the backup.
Even with the Caps and Pens improving, the Bolts and Rangers are viewed as the teams to beat in the East. It’s interesting to note that the Caps are 18/1 to win the Cup. They have never advanced past the second round with Alexander Ovechkin. The Rangers prevented it with an improbable rally from 3-1 down thanks to Kreider’s tying goal and McDonagh’s winner in Game 5. Stepan was the hero scoring in sudden death of Game 7 to send the Caps to a crushing loss. They should be even tougher with key additions Justin Williams and T.J. Oshie to a strong core featuring Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Marcus Johansson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jason Chimera, John Carlson, Brooks Orpik, Matt Niskanen and Braden Holtby. If Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky improve, Washington could pose the biggest threat.
The Pens are 14/1. Led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, they added sniper Phil Kessel and traded Brandon Sutter for Nick Bonino this summer. Dealing for Kessel should make their offense explosive. He should score 40 playing with Crosby or Malkin. Pascal Dupuis returns which also should help. Patric Hornqvist and David Perron round out the top six. Chris Kunitz, Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr supply depth. It still hinges on the health of Kris Letang. If he stays on the ice, the Pens are contenders. Getting back Olli Maatta should help a young blueline that also features Derrick Pouliot. Ian Cole was solid after coming over from the Blues. The D is the big question. Marc-Andre Fleury needs a repeat of last year. Pittsburgh boasts a lot of talent. Once they get to the playoffs, the pressure will be on Crosby and Malkin along with Kessel.
The Canadiens at 18/1 might also be a good bet. They boast the rating Hart/Vezina winner Carey Price. They’re hoping Alex Semin can stay motivated on a one-year deal. P.K. Subban and Andre Markov anchor the defense. Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec, Alex Galchenyuk, Lars Eller and David Desharnais comprise the forwards along with Dale Weise. How will key acquisition Zack Kassian do?
As for other notables, the Islanders are 22/1 and the Flames are 28/1. Both boast a young nucleus who should make some noise. Is this the year the Isles finally get out of the first round? The only distraction is restricted forward Brock Nelson. Captain John Tavares leads a strong core that features potential 2016 UFA’s Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen and Michael Grabner. With the Brooklyn Islanders (ugh) loaded up front with Ryan Strome, Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, that should make Grabner expendable. He has a $3 million cap hit and is due $5 million. Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy anchor a solid D that includes Travis Hamonic and Calvin de Haan. The only question is in net with Jaroslav Halak. He still doesn’t inspire much confidence. Thomas Greiss is the backup.
Calgary made the second round last Spring. By adding Dougie Hamilton to an already strong defense corps that features captain Mark Giordano, Dennis Wideman, T.J. Brodie, Kris Russell and Ladislav Smid, the Flames have the look of a contender. Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, Jiri Hudler, Mikael Backlund, David Jones and former Winnipeg Jet Michael Frolik are up front along with former 2014 first round pick Sam Bennett. Karri Ramo and Jonas Hiller split duties in net.
Is there any other team we’re leaving out? St. Louis is probably the best that I can think of. Until proven otherwise, they might not have the psyche to go far. Does that finally change? Ken Hitchcock remains the coach of a talented core featuring Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Steen, David Backes, Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny, Patrik Berglund, Jori Lehtera, new addition Troy Brouwer, Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester. Hitchcock will have to play a game of “Who’s On First” with goalies Brian Elliott and Jake Allen.
All this hockey talk finally has me looking forward to preseason. As usual, MSG will air all six Rangers games. I don’t know if I’ll watch every single one but at least it’s there for fans. I would rather have seen the prospects at Traverse City even though they finished eighth losing to the Blackhawks today.
Sabres fans got a taste of what’s in store with prized first round pick Jack Eichel. During the Sabres’ 3-2 win over the Bruins in the #ProspectsChallenge, the 2015 second overall pick snapped home the overtime winner to cheers from excited fans.
Thanks to Five Victory on Twitter for the Vine above highlighting Eichel’s twisted wrister. The Buffalo hosts of #ProspectsChallenge rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Boston 3-2. Sabres prospects Vaclav Karabacek and Bryce Martin tallied in regulation to force overtime.
Eichel’s game-winner came with 37 seconds left. He finished with a goal and assist. Defenseman Jake McCabe had a helper. C.J. Motte had 27 saves.
It was the finale of the tournament. Buffalo also defeated the Devils 6-2. A game that saw Eichel flash his all world skating ability. Sam Reinhart scored as did Nick Baptiste.
Getting the Prudential Center ready for camp’s open this week
Although training camp doesn’t officially open for another couple of days with the Devils, this weekend’s rookie tournament in Buffalo with Sabres and Bruins prospects felt like an early, unofficial open of camp. Admittedly, as time goes on I find it harder to get amped up for hockey season although perhaps that’ll change when the games start officially. Still, as a multi-sport fan my loyalty’s certainly divided with the start of football season – though I’m not expecting too much from my Jets they are 1-0 at the moment. Not to mention a spectacular baseball season where the Mets will finally play meaningful October games for the first time in eight years. Even of all things tennis occupied a lot of my attention in the last week between finally spending a day at the Open last Saturday (I was next door to the Donald Young comeback watching the Wawrinka match at the same time), and then following it through this weekend as the women’s tournament had a surprisingly compelling finish, while the men’s tournament continues to be dominated by the best player and the best rivalry in tennis today.
Until just now I haven’t really thought about it yet but it’s going to be difficult even in October to get amped up for Devil games while the Mets are still playing. It’s the same reason why I normally refuse to go to Met games till the Devil season ends, when your heart’s still in one sport it’s kind of hard to care about another. Of course, even aside from all that this year will be the first time the Devils will be in a true rebuilding state since ever, or at least since I’ve been watching. I get why of course, former GM Lou Lamoriello’s attempts at patching a competitive team together while at the same time making over the defense continued to have diminishing returns the last couple of years and eventually every organization has to pay the piper for a sustained period of success anyway (although Detroit probably can still put off the bill as long as Ken Holland is there). While the rational part of me thinks the sweeping change that happened this season was neccesary – and the fact there’s an experienced GM like Ray Shero to oversee it also makes me feel better as opposed to hiring a first-timer – the part of me that only knew the 1994-2012 Devils and that era of success is still going to be worried about what if this doesn’t work out and we’re now going to be doomed to a perpetual cycle of rebuilding?
Change has certainly been a buzzword of this offseason – Lou is now in Toronto as former player Brendan Shanahan’s consigliere. Martin Brodeur’s post-playing career will be in St. Louis, not Newark. Scott Stevens is in limbo after not being retained by the new coaching staff. Same with longtime scouting director David Conte. Of all the stalwarts from the glory days, only Patrik Elias remains and he’ll be 39 going into camp, coming off a career worst season on the last year of his contract. Clearly it’s a new day around here and after three straight playoff-less seasons this probably was the best time for everyone to cut the cord. Of course that doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee the Shero-John Hynes connection is going to work out. Or for that matter new ownership with Josh Harris and David Blitzer, whose NBA team seems to be in a perpetual rebuild themselves.
However, camp’s about looking forward and being excited about the future. Certainly there are things to be excited about, starting with a young defense that could have as many as five 24 and under starters in the lineup and no true rookies although twenty-one year old Damon Severson’s close to it after injury took away half of his rookie campaign last year. Other prospects and overseas signings like 22-year old Vojtech Mozic from the Czech Republic and KHL import Raman Hraberenka could factor into the mix as well and on the eve of camp, Shero also made an under-the-radar signing of former Flames defenseman David Schlemko to a one-way deal. Seemingly the twenty-eight year old Schlemko is the new Peter Harrold who was the new Jay Leach who was the new Tommy Albelin (later in his career), the #7 defenseman who could step into the lineup in a pinch and warm a seat on the bench in the meantime so one of the younger players doesn’t have to sit. Schlemko probably would have been a top six defenseman in some other organizations last year though, and in the event of a trade he could definitely challenge for a top six role here. What makes having all these young defensemen even more exciting is the presence of Cory Schneider in goal, and his ability to limit the damage from the growing pains of a young D.
Of course offensively there’s still holes to fill although drafting Pavel Zacha at #6 overall and trading for Kyle Palmeri at the draft was a good start. Despite the buyout of Danius Zubrus and letting free agents Scott Gomez (currently on a PTO in St. Louis) and Steve Bernier (on a PTO for the Isles) walk, it’s still going to be an older forward group with skill deficiencies until younger players like Zacha, recent first-rounder John Quenneville and others can eventually make an impact on the NHL level. Although Lou’s FA and draft choices up front were lacking in recent years, he did make at least one astute signing with Joseph Blandisi during last season, and Blandisi by all accounts was one of the Devils’ better players this weekend at the prospects challenge. While the forward group is farther off from making an impact than the defensive group at least now there’s some light at the end of the tunnel at last for the first time since the dual FA departures of Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise staggered the franchise.
Although I am interested in seeing how the kids do in camp, in all likelihood I’ll only attend the Ranger preseason game if that (I’ve already sold all my preseason tickets on StubHub but got a couple of vouchers for that game a week from Saturday), but the Devils are holding an open practice at the Prudential Center this Saturday that is free to attend and I’ll likely go. Among the changes I’m looking forward to under the new regime, this is one of them, since the team got to Newark it felt like practices were held under lock and key, until they were finally open to season ticket holders once or twice a year – usually a mid-day mid-week practice that I refused to take off work for. Finally I get to attend an actual practice on a weekend, really for the first time since they were at South Mountain. I didn’t take enough advantage of seeing practices then. Maybe that – and the fact we can finally see games as opposed to debating whether change is good – will start to get me more excited about hockey season.
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