Season Preview: Rangers Look To Take One Giant Leap

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Derek
Comeback King: An excited Henrik Lundqvist celebrates the Rangers 3-1 series comeback. He made 35 saves in their 2-1 Game 7 win elimination of the Pens and stopped 102 of the final 105 shots. Associated Press/Getty Images

Comeback King: An excited Henrik Lundqvist celebrates the Rangers 3-1 series comeback. He made 35 saves in their 2-1 Game 7 win elimination of the Pens and stopped 102 of the final 105 shots.
Associated Press/Getty Images

Officially, it all begins tonight. The dawn of a new season has arrived. For the Rangers, they’ll start tomorrow at perennial West contender St. Louis. Right off the bat, the defending Eastern Conference champs will get tested. Before returning to MSG for Sunday’s home opener against Toronto, they’ll visit Metropolitan contender Columbus. It won’t be easy early without top center Derek Stepan, who will miss the first 10 games after being put on Long Term Injured Reserve.

In a brand new year, that’s expected. This time, the ’14-15 Blueshirts will have a target on their back. That’s what happens when you make a run to the Stanley Cup Final. The franchise’s first appearance in 20 years. Even though it didn’t end with the storybook Hollywood script, they battled valiantly falling to the Kings in a closely fought five games featuring three overtime defeats all at Staples Center including Alec Martinez’ sudden death clincher. The memory is still fresh. Once they drop the puck tomorrow, it no longer matters.

With over half last year’s roster back, the sting should serve as a springboard for one giant leap. Coach Alain Vigneault’s new cast looks to take that final step. Gone are key pieces Brad Richards, Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman. Such is life in the cap era. General manager Glen Sather replaced Stralman with Dan Boyle, who should aid the power play while sliding in on the second pair with Marc Staal. Richards and Boyle won’t be easily replaced with Vigneault emphasizing young pups J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes. Without Stepan, he has a dilemma. Does he really shift Martin St. Louis to center? If so, how long does that experiment last?

What about 19-year old rookie Anthony Duclair, who wowed everyone during preseason? The 2013 third round pick made the club forcing them to dump a contract by moving Steve Kampfer and Andrew Yogan to Florida for Joey Crabb. How they handle Duke will be crucial to his development. If after nine games he isn’t ready for prime time, they can send him back to Quebec (QMJHL). However, he’d have to really struggle to change the organization’s mind. They feel he’s ready. His offensive skills are first class. He’ll start on a line with Miller and veteran Lee Stempniak, who was signed to help offset the loss of Benoit Pouliot. A strong support player, he should fit in along with camp surprise Ryan Malone, who made the team beating out Chris Mueller and Matt Lombardi.

FORWARDS: Up front, a strong core remains intact with holdovers Derick Brassard, Carl Hagelin, Chris Kreider, Dominic Moore, Rick Nash, St. Louis, Stepan and Mats Zuccarello leading a talented group of forwards that can transition to offense quickly. Jesper Fast and Miller should have bigger roles. Fast made the club for a second straight year and will look to stay on Broadway permanently. The bulk of the scoring will be left to Kreider, Nash, St. Louis and Zuccarello. All extremely fast skaters capable of finishing and setting up. Hagelin also could finally blossom into a 20-goalscorer. With Stepan out, the pressure’s on Brassard to produce more consistently. He must for them to have any success. Rookies Duclair and Hayes along with vets Tanner Glass, Malone and Stempniak round it out. It’ll be interesting to see how Vigneault manages Duclair and Hayes with the latter still needing to improve his skating.

DEFENSE: New captain Ryan McDonagh anchors a strong blueline that brings five of six regulars back. That includes partner Dan Girardi, who was named one of four alternates alongside Staal, St. Louis and Stepan. Girardi does the nuts and bolts. Despite a poor showing against LA, he shouldn’t be taken for granted. He’s irreplaceable. As noted earlier, Boyle replaces Stralman, who was a strong defensive defenseman as opposed to an offensive rover. The Blueshirts might lose defensively but gain offensively especially on the power play. Boyle is experienced enough to handle key minutes and should fit in with Staal, who needs a bounce back in a contract year. The third tandem of John Moore and Klein could be the key. Moore has untapped potential possessing great skating ability and a lethal shot. Is this the year he breaks out? Klein is your classic stay at home type who shouldn’t stand out. Veteran Matt Hunwick beat out Michael Kostka for seventh D. He’s no great shakes. Maybe by 2015, we see Dylan McIlrath or Conor Allen.

GOALIES: Henrik Lundqvist is as good as it gets. A Vezina winner who carried his team last Spring, King Henrik would love nothing more than leading the franchise to their first Cup since 1994. He came close only losing out to Jonathan Quick, who had a stronger cast. Hank should be even better than last year. He recovered from a poor first half turning in a heroic performance. The key again will be giving him enough rest. That way he stays fresh. Cam Talbot should supply that as Vigneault trusts him. He gave up a couple of bad goals in preseason. So, he’ll want to clean it up. Not many teams boast a better 1-2.

COACHING: Alain Vigneault preached patience after a sluggish start last year. He was proven right. Even after Sather risked trading Ryan Callahan for St. Louis, the team came together rallying around the death of St. Louis’ Mom to make a great run. Vigneault has new assistant Darryl Williams, who worked with him in Vancouver. Added to Scott Arniel, Ulf Samuelsson and Benoit Allaire, Vigneault has a strong staff. Vigneault isn’t a great in-game coach as the Cup Final proved when Darryl Sutter out-coached him. But he is excellent at handling different personalities. Something that got John Tortorella canned in consecutive years. There’s a lot to like about Vigneault. Last year, he took over an experienced team. Some of that leadership is gone. It’ll be interesting to see how he does with such great expectations.

ANALYSIS: Even minus Stepan at the start, the Rangers are stacked. Offensively, they should be good. Defensively, they might take a step back. But strong goaltending more than makes up for it. The division is interesting with the Devils and Islanders improving while the Pens got worse. The Blue Jackets are coming but have injuries. The Caps are banking on Barry Trotz to get the ship righted. The Hurricanes could be in for a long year. There’s no reason this roster shouldn’t challenge for the Metro. They’re plenty good enough.

Prediction: 1st Metropolitan Division

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Devils’ young defense, one-man ‘taxi squad’ head roster moves

Posted on October 8, 2014 by hasan4978

Perhaps’ the biggest surprise with the Devils roster on the eve of the season is who did not get sent down as opposed to who did.  On Monday, the Devils waived forwards Cam Janssen, Steve Bernier and defenseman Peter Harrold – the latter two on one-way deals – all but signaling that 20-year Damon Severson made the team in his first year as a pro.  With the departure of Ryan Carter to Minnesota, the Devils moved quickly to sign sparkplug-type Jordin Tootoo.  Circumstances around Carter’s departure seem sketchy, with Carter admitting he turned down a summer contract offer before other subsequent roster moves forced him to pay for insurance just to attend camp.  Finally, the writing seemed on the wall with the Devils’ interest in Tootoo so Carter moved on.  Still without room on the roster for Scott Gomez, he agreed to stay with the team for a while assuming something else opens on the roster (either an injury or a trade).

Although the Devils publicly vacilated on whether Harrold would get assigned to Albany finally he did, just before yesterday’s 5 PM roster deadline though GM Lou Lamoriello added ‘nothing is in cement’ – alluding to the fact there could still be changes before tomorrow’s opener in Philly.  Still, it seems obvious Severson is in the team’s immediate plans on defense as a 20-year old.  My feelings on this are mixed.  Sure it’s great that Severson’s so far advanced that he’s shoehorned his way into the lineup this year but with vets Andy Greene, Bryce Salvador and Marek Zidlicky all but certain to play when healthy it creates a situation where the younger defensemen will (in theory) be rotating in and out of the lineup.  Though Jon Merrill seems safe, clearly fourth-year pro Adam Larsson and second-year pro Eric Gelinas are not.  This had to be the season we needed to see whether Larsson and Gelinas could stick on the team with Severson and other guys like Seth Hegelson and last year’s #1 Steve Santini on the way.

Larsson is my cautionary tale for people getting too excited over Severson in fact.  The former #4 overall pick made the team as an 18-year old in 2011-12, impressed everyone through the first half of the season then fatigue and injury slowed him in the second half and arguably he’s never been the same since then, especially after being a healthy scratch for several straight games to open the 2013 season.  I’m just worried we’re doing the same thing to Severson, rushing him before he’s ready the way we did Larsson and forward Jacob Josefson, both of whom now appear to be on the outside looking in still at a relatively young age.  It was one thing to rush Larsson when our defense was so unsettled in 2011-12, but rushing Severson when we have a solid group and Harrold as a capable #7 is something else.  They’d better be right about Severson being fully ready, especially if it’s going to send Larsson or Gelinas out of town.  In practice yesterday Larsson was skating on the fourth defensive pairing, which can’t thrill the young Swede who’s been jerked in and out of the lineup the last two seasons and has confidence issues.  Of course Gelinas will probably sit some as well, given the fact he was in the doghouse and being played at forward late last year because they wanted his power play point shot in the lineup but couldn’t deal with his defensive snafus.  In theory Severson should get some rest time but with this management’s history I could see him playing 20+ minutes a game for the first 25 games then falling off, while Larsson/Gelinas alternate being in the doghouse.

Up front I suppose the biggest surprise was Tootoo getting a contract and making the team over Carter and Gomez.  My first indication that Tootoo was going to make the team and probably be a starter was when they gave him a fifth preseason game on Saturday and said they wanted to get another look at him because they ‘didn’t know him as well as Gomez’ (after Gomez only played three preseason games).  Clearly he fits the Pete version of a grinder fourth line more than Brunner or even Gomez for that matter.  You do wonder what the pecking order is up front…assuming the unhappy Brunner is eventually dealt will Boucher be the first callup with an injury in the top nine or will Gomez be signed by that point?  Will Matteau be the callup if they need a bottom line replacement or will Jacob Josefson – remember me, Lou? – actually get a chance?  Since Josefson’s on a two-year deal it’s kind of surprising he’s already on the outside looking in but then again it’s not like you can count on the fragile Swede to stay healthy even if he did get a real shot.

There were no surprises in goal after Saturday’s move (just after my blog) to demote Keith Kinkaid made Scott Clemmensen the backup – if on paper given the lack of backup games the first month of the season barring a Cory Schnieder injury.  Still it’ll be interesting to see how Cory transitions into being a 65+ game guy and whether if Kinkaid’s playing well down in Albany does he then get a shot when the schedule tightens up in November or will Clemmensen get a few games to ‘win’ the backup job?

At this point I’m just about ready for the season.  I may or may not do a season preview proper before tomorrow night’s opener against the Flyers, depending on how I feel later after getting home late since I didn’t get much sleep last night.  This season I might just do more of a week-by-week recap as opposed to every single game – particularly during busy weeks – although I will do game recaps for ‘special’ nights (Thursday, the home opener).

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Islanders moves improve roster

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Derek

Over the weekend, the Islanders made a pair of trades that improved their roster. Entering the season, the biggest question was their defense. With Calvin de Haan starting on injured reserve, general manager Garth Snow addressed a need by taking advantage of unique cap situations in Boston and Chicago.

The first move saw him acquire proven vet Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins for three draft picks. The 30-year old blueliner is coming off his best season setting career bests in assists (18), points (23) and plus/minus (31) while playing his usual physical style (158 hits and 151 blocked shots). In the final year of a contract that pays him $3.5 million, Boychuk became a victim of numbers in Boston once they re-signed Torey Krug and Reilly Smith. A character player who can add stability and necessary experience, he should be a good fit. He’ll relieve some pressure from shutdown D Travis Hamonic.

In a brilliant second deal, Snow pried away Nick Leddy from the Blackhawks along with goalie Kent Simpson for D prospect Ville Pokka, T.J. Brennan and the rights to goalie Anders Nilsson. Still just 23, the smooth skating Leddy is coming off a solid ’13-14 in which he tallied seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points with a plus-10 rating and four power play goals. Twice, he’s gone over 30 points and should give the Isles an offensive boost. With Lubomir Visnovsky expected to run the power play, Leddy gives coach Jack Capuano another option. Like Boychuk, he’s in the last year of a deal and will earn $3.4 million this season. However, he’ll turn restricted next summer unlike Boychuk, who’ll become a UFA.

By boosting their back end, the Isles have improved their chances in a tough Metropolitan Division. It also allows the organization to be patient with former number one pick Griffin Reinhart and Kevin Czuczman. Once de Haan returns, a D corps of Hamonic, Visnovsky, Boychuk, Leddy, Brian Strait and Thomas Hickey is more formidable. In what’s the final season at Nassau Coliseum, Snow has finally given Capuano a roster capable of competing for the postseason. With Jaroslav in goal and John Tavares leading the charge, they should be much improved.

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Preseason Fantasy Hockey shenanigans

Posted on October 6, 2014 by hasan4978

I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say on the Devils’ roster moves tomorrow.  Right now I feel like reserving my comments until the final roster comes out at 5 PM tomorrow even though significant things have already happened (Peter Harrold and Steve Bernier being waived, Ryan Carter signing in Minnesota).  Instead of talking about that before the whole picture’s completed, I’m going to go off the beaten path while we still have time before the regular season.  While NHL GM’s finish shaping their real teams before the season, fans all over North America are shaping their fantasy teams.  Derek I’m sure has had fun with his KHL draft and the other fantasy leagues he’s in.  This year I’m only in one – the NJDevs league with twelve other Devil fans and the one and only fellow BONY Sabres blogger Brian.

Generally, it’s been a twenty-team league but due to inactivity problems it was scaled back to a fourteen-team league this year.  To compensate we decided to make it even more NHL-realistic by having 23-man rosters with four starting LW’s, four starting C’s, four starting RW’s, six starting D and one starting goalie (every individual position having an 82-game limit, so LW/C/RW actually has a 328-game limit for example).  We have ten offensive categories (including faceoff wins, hits and blocks but not including PIM’s) and four goalie categories (W, GAA, save pct, SHO) in a roto format.

In the prior three seasons I’ve finished second to the same team twice and out of the running three years ago thanks to an autodraft snafu while Sanborn’s had a couple of competitive seasons in the past as well.  Of course competitive being a relative term because the only thing we compete for is bragging rights, a Yahoo trophy and the ability to pick our draft spot the next season.  Our 14-team, 23-man roster draft was held on Sunday night and a good time was had by all in our two and a half hours.  I wound up with the #5 pick which in the snake format means my second rounder wasn’t till #24 and had my sights set on one of the big three goalies or Crosby/Stamkos with the top five pick.  Of course I would have had kittens if the only goalie of my big three that was left was Lundqvist.  Fortunately Corey Perry went #1 for some odd reason, then the next three picks were Crosby/Rask/Stamkos so I drafted Cup winner Johnathan Quick with the #5.  I’ll just post my roster and various comments below:

C – Kopitar, M. Koivu, Zajac, Nielsen

LW – Zetterberg, Marleau, Eriksson, MacArthur

RW – Franzen, Wheeler, Grabovski, Gallagher

D – Weber, Hedman, Seabrook, Visnovsky, Girardi, Reilly

G – Quick, M. Jones (technically he’s a bench guy too since you can only play one goalie a night)

Bench – Brassard (C), Smith-Pelly (RW), DeKeyser (D)

At center I didn’t want to load up with too many center-only eligible players too early though I couldn’t resist Kopitar in the early third round.  My next center-only guy (many of my wings are also eligible there) was one of ‘my guys’ Mikko Koivu in round 10 who I usually get on my team cause he’s a solid all-around – and perpetually underrated – player.  I couldn’t resist Zajac in round 15…a bargain compared to where most other Devils were being drafted, and thought Frans Nielsen in round 18 and Brassard in round 21 were fine value

On left wing I have two solid pros in Marleau and Zett (rounds 4-5) and am banking on a bounceback from Eriksson (round 11).  MacArthur was kind of a mistake since I had Tarasenko in my queue but accidentally drafted MacArthur in round 12.  Might not be the worst thing in the world though, especially since MacArthur will help out a little in the hits category and had a pretty good year for Ottawa last season.

At right wing I actually drafted Wheeler first in the seventh round again partly due to hits and all-around play (though in hindsight I might not have paid enough attention to hits given a lot of other teams have at least a couple of forwards that are monsters in that category).  I kind of like Franzen in the eighth better though.  I don’t really trust Grabovski but in the 14th round, why not?  Especially with the added faceoff boost.  Gallagher could wind up being a pretty good bargain in the 16th.  I was sweating out drafting Smith-Pelly in round 22 and wished I’d drafted him above Brassard until he finally fell back to me again.

Defensively my choice for top defenseman in round two was between Weber and Subban.  I picked Weber, Subban went the pick after me.  I went D again in round 6 with Hedman, a pretty good get with pick #80.  In the 9th I drafted Seabrook and the 13th I probably reached for Visnovsky a bit.  Girardi I took in the 17th for the hits/blocks combo and workable numbers otherwise, Reilly and DeKeyser were my 19th/20th round upside picks.  Of course since I only need 82 goalie games I backed up Quick with his backup Jones and hope to get in most of the Kings’ 82 games as possible.

I’ll also post the ‘Dishonor for Conor’ roster below too (if you even have to ask who this is you don’t read this blog or my first paragraph):

C – Backes, Hodgson, Bozak, Monohan

LW – Benn, Ladd, Silfverberg, Ennis

RW – Simmonds, Pominville, Brouwer, Ryder

D – Pietrangelo, McDonaugh, Giordano, Phaneuf, S. Jones, Brodin

G – Bishop, S. Mason

Bench – Jenner (IR), Kulemin, Orpik

Clown getting Mason as his second goalie in round 11 could be a steal, and neccesary insurance in case second-rounder Bishop dissapoints.  His defense looks fairly strong and overall he loaded up on high-upside guys late like Silfverberg, Jones, Brodin, Monohan and Jenner.  Benn, Backes, Simmonds and Ladd were a solid start up front within the first eight rounds, all wing-eligible players.  He took care of his top four on defense in the first nine rounds too with Pietrangelo, McDonaugh, Giordano and Phaneuf all going within rounds 3-9.

It’ll be interesting to see how things turn out for us and eleven other teams as we all try to dethrone three-time champ Sworn Defenders.  If you want to look at everyone’s rosters and predict who’s the best team I’ll try to post the link to the full draft results:

http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hockey/5625/draftresults?drafttab=team

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Devils’ camp of competition goes down to the wire

Posted on October 4, 2014 by hasan4978

iPhone photos 168

It’s a bit unusual for a team to have as many as 32 players remaining in camp on the day of the final preseason game, but that is still where the New Jersey Devils find themselves, barely three days before the NHL deadline to cut rosters down to 23 by 5 PM Tuesday.  While perhaps some of that was neccessitated due to minor knocks that kept Andy Greene, Bryce Salvador and Scott Gomez out of Thursday’s preseason game against the Islanders – all are expected to play tonight, though there’s no official lineup yet – the fact is there are still plenty of bubble guys and unsigned guys around to keep up the suspense.  In fact, the Devils’ defense on Thursday night consisted of five defensemen 25-years old and under, and Peter Harrold (fellow vet Marek Zidlicky got the night off as the Devils took another look at rookies Damon Severson and Seth Hegelson).  When asked whether he was working with unsigned forward Ryan Carter as if he’s a part of the team, coach Pete DeBoer answered simply:

“The guys we have right now, we’re working with everybody as if they’re on this team,” DeBoer said. “That’s where the competition is at. The reason we’re still at this number is because everybody that’s still here has played well enough that they look like they can help us to start the season and that’s where the tough decisions have to be made.

“There’s not one guy left here that we don’t feel could potentially help us. It’s great that we have that kind of depth.”

If you want to be cynical perhaps some of the competition is due to the fact few players have stood out.  However, bubble guys like Damien Brunner (who I expected to be shipped out by now) and unsigned Gomez have been among the better players in camp.  Forward is still where the picture is the cloudiest with no fewer than 20 guys remaining in camp – with a likely max of 14 to be left by Tuesday afternoon.  Gomez and Jordin Tootoo are still in camp on tryout deals and Carter’s still hanging around…though in his latest comments admitted he wasn’t optomistic about getting a contract.  Sparkplug Cam Janssen’s still around because he’s a good locker room presence (as well as jockeying with Tootoo for an energy presence), but he’ll likely be waived and go to Albany after tonight’s game.  Youngsters Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau are also still around as well but will probably be the victim of a numbers game to start.  As DeBoer has said throughout camp though, the Opening Night roster isn’t the whole story.  Without explicitly saying it, clearly there’ll be chances for players like Boucher and Matteau throughout the season even if they’re not on the team as of Tuesday.

On defense, I wasn’t overly impressed with Severson the one game I saw him on TV at MSG but clearly he has the tools to be an NHL player in the near future.  Even as far back as last year, former color guy Chico Resch was signing his praises.  And Hegelson is clearly slotting up as the physical/stay-at home D callup in case of injury to a guy like say, Salvador – who’s certainly no lock at age 38 to make it through 82 games unscathed.  I do still expect both to go down and the Devils to go with the ‘expected’ seven-man defense to start the season but obviously they’ve seperated themselves from everyone else not in the NHL and will probably be here at different points this season as well, where they’ll get their chance.  Last year Jon Merrill was a AHL guy not expected to be on the big-league roster as anything but a short-term callup and he wound up being one of the most trusted defensemen on the Devils by the end of the season.

Within these forward and defense battles are also battles within the roster jockeying for playing time as well.  Just making the 23 won’t tell the whole story as we know two forwards and one defenseman will be healthy scratches every night.  And there’s also still a question mark as to who the backup goalie will be.  If you were going strictly on the preseason games Keith Kinkaid’s outplayed vet Scott Clemmensen – not by much though.  And Clemmensen has far more experience at handling the backup role at the NHL level than Kinkaid, though clearly by now Kinkaid has done enough at the AHL level to earn a promotion.  Both guys are still around and obviously that’s going to be a last-minute decision as well.  Clemmensen or Kinkaid might even play part of the game tonight, although I can’t really fathom how thirty minutes in a preseason game is going to uncloud the picture more than camp plus the game and a half each has played to this point.

Along with the on-ice roster suspense, tonight we also finally get to see the new-look Devils broadcast for our one home preseason telecast on MSG+, with Ken Daneyko taking over Chico’s old role full-time as the color guy and stunningly John MacLean taking over Daneyko’s old role as the sideline reporter/studio host.  Stunningly not just because MacLean was last seen around here as an infamous head coach flameout in 2010, but because the MacLean I saw that year really had little in terms of media presence.  Perhaps in a more relaxing job with former teammate Daneyko around, maybe you’ll see a different side of Johnny Mac though.  If nothing else clearly Lou Lamoriello’s loyal to his former players.  Plus it would be nice if Johnny Mac was remembered by the younger generation as something other than the 2010 Titanic-like disaster (clearly the older one’s memories of him as a player trump those of him as a coach).

UPDATE: Well, part of the mystery’s been solved, the Devils sent Kinkaid, Boucher, Matteau and Hegelson down to Albany whittling the roster down to 28.  None of them had to clear waivers and Kinkaid being sent down means Clemmensen wins the backup job.  For whatever that means looking at the first month of the season, there’s no obvious game Clemmensen has to play in until November (only one back-to-back and there’s two days off before and after it).

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Duclair Makes Case For Staying With Rangers

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Derek

Broadway Duke? Rangers prospect Anthony Duclair has made a bid to make the club. nydailynews.com

Broadway Duke? Rangers prospect Anthony Duclair has made a bid to make the club.
nydailynews.com

A week away from the start of the season, the Rangers have some tough decisions to make. Top prospect Anthony Duclair has given them something to think about. The 19-year old 2013 third round pick (80th overall) has impressed scoring a goal in each of the three preseason games he’s participated in. A skilled player who possesses great speed and finishing ability, Duclair’s coming off a big year where he tallied 50 goals and 99 points in 59 contests for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. A concussion cut his season short which meant no postseason. Generously listed at 5-11, 184 pounds, he hasn’t filled out yet. However, given his strong showing he’s made a case for staying.

The interesting dilemma for Rangers coach Alain Vigneault and general manager Glen Sather is that Duclair signed an entry level contract in January. With strong competition coming from Jesper Fast, Ryan Haggerty and Lee Stempniak, it won’t be an easy decision. The club will start the season without top center Derek Stepan. Former first round pick J.T. Miller has all but secured a spot while Chris Mueller has also opened some eyes. In other words, there’s no guarantee Duclair will play enough to warrant keeping him.

Don’t forget the Rangers are already at the 50-man contract limit. If they decide to give Duclair a look, they’d have to make a move. There’s also been some debate as to whether Duclair’s ELC would slide if he plays nine or fewer games. Under the current CBA, it states that a player can play in a maximum nine before the club decides whether to send them back to juniors or retain them. Is it worth burning a year off Duclair’s rookie contract? That largely depends upon what the organization decides over the next week. There are still 21 forwards in camp including Duclair, Fast, Haggerty, Stempniak, Mueller, Tanner Glass, Kevin Hayes, Matt Lombardi, Ryan Malone, Marek Hrivik and Oscar Lindberg. Injuries to Lombardi and Malone could factor in.

At this point, the locks are Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard, Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Carl Hagelin, Dominic Moore and Mats Zuccarello. Given that Stempniak and Glass are signed, I’d expect them to be on the roster. Unless Miller blows it, he should be centering one of the top three lines. That makes 10 leaving a glut to compete for the remaining three or four spots depending how many players the Rangers decide to keep due to the salary cap.

There are ten defensemen left including Matt Hunwick, Steve Kampfer, Michael Kostka and prospect Dylan McIlrath, who are competing for seventh D. Of the four, Hunwick is probably the safest bet. Neither Kampfer nor Kostka have distinguished themselves. McIlrath is a more interesting case because he’s a 22-year old former first round pick. Honestly, it’s probably best for his development to start at Hartford. You don’t want him wasting away in the press box while our top six of Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Dan Boyle, John Moore and Kevin Klein are set barring injury.

The two goalies are Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Talbot. Cedrick Desjardins is still in camp but is injured and eventually will get reassigned.

What would I do with Duclair? If he is eligible to play nine games, why not give him a taste? Obviously, there are concerns about his size. You don’t want him to get crushed. This is our most exciting offensive prospect since the late Alexei Cherepanov. When the season starts, he won’t be facing AHLers. You want to put him in a good situation. I wonder how much ice-time he’ll see. I’d love to see him make the roster because offensively, the Rangers should be challenged without Stepan. It’s not like Nash has blown anyone away. Kreider and Hagelin haven’t scored 20. St. Louis should be the leading scorer and Zuccarello must prove last year wasn’t a fluke.

Assuming Malone is ready for next Thursday’s opener at St. Louis, that’s 11 forwards with a couple up for grabs. I really believe Fast and Haggerty deserve to make it. Each has performed well enough. They’re both older and more mature. Mueller would give Vigneault another center which is important. Hayes has great size and offensive instincts but his skating needs some work. He’d be better off with the Wolf Pack. I haven’t seen enough of Lindberg to fully assess him. Unless he blows them away in the final two exhibition games this weekend, he’s not making it. Hrivik brings some nice size but likely will get sent down.

When it comes down to it, it’s hard to see some of our kids getting squeezed. Unless the Rangers do something uncharacteristic like waiving Glass or Stempniak, only one or two prospects should make it. From a development standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with that. But I also hate seeing vets take away spots from younger players with more talent. Whatever they decide on Duclair, the organization must be fruitful. Do what’s best for his development.

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Devils preseason week one rundown

Posted on September 29, 2014 by hasan4978

The view from 209 at Barclays (from someone on HFBoards that was also in my section)

With four games behind them and a good chunk of players who opened camp with the Devils already down at Albany or back in juniors, things are getting serious now for the 34 players who remain in camp hoping for one of 23 roster spots for the Devils’ season opener next Thursday.  There still remain question marks at each position on the roster, which was part of the design of Lou Lamoriello’s attempt to inject competition in camp with a handful of veteran PTO’s and stockpiling kids who are ready and almost ready to make a contribution.

In goal, Cory Schneider’s clearly the #1 guy but after four games there’s still some doubt as to who will be backing him up.  While 37-year old Scott Clemmensen and 25-year old Keith Kinkaid are at different places in their careers, each is in a similar position on this roster, both with two-way contracts.  Each has also had a similar chance to audition, getting a game and a half with Kinkaid looking pretty decent (aside from one puckhandling snafu) against the Islanders at Barclays Center while Clemmensen looked shaky in his half game against the Rangers at MSG last Monday and wasn’t really tested all that much by the Flyers yesterday.  After previously stating that Schnieder would play in the final two games of the preseason to get ready for the regular season, coach Pete DeBoer seemed to be backing off that because of the backup goalie competition.  Personally I think they wanted Clemmensen to win the job – especially with him being waiver-eligible and Kinkaid not – but so far the youngster seems to have a leg up, hence the added evaluation.

On defense things are shaping up with our ten defensemen remaining though Damon Severson’s still in camp, I still think he and fellow youngster Seth Hegelson are shaping up more as the first callups from Albany (Hegelson to add physicality, Severson to add skating ability and some offense).  Assuming neither make the team, it’s down to Tomas Kaberle and Peter Harrold for the #7 spot since Jon Merrill’s absolutely going to be on the roster and it’s not realistic to expect any of the other five signed defensemen to be waived.  Camp tryout Mike Komisarek was waived from his PTO after a couple of bad-nondescript games.  Honestly I’d rather see status quo for now here and Harrold remain the #7, since he’s more used to – and better at the ‘go in cold and play competent’ role of a seventh defenseman.  However, it is exciting to see the shift in the Devils’ defense that’ll take place in the next couple years and is already underway with Merrill, Adam Larsson and Eric Gelinas looking at key roles this year.

Up front, twenty-one forwards still remain for fourteen spots.  Although it’s more accurate to say that eleven forwards remain for four spots since the top nine seems set barring line changes (and Tuomo Ruutu’s going to make the team as well):

Cammalleri-Zajac-Jagr, Havlat-Elias-Zubrus, Clowe-Henrique-Ryder

Among those forwards, new acquisition Havlat and last season’s dissapointment Ryder look among the best players in camp this year, both of which are vital to our success offensively this year.  While barring a trade those ten forwards seem a certainty to be on the team to start the season, everyone else is on the border.  Going into camp, Steven Gionta, Steve Bernier, Jacob Josefson and Damien Brunner had an edge over the kids and camp invites, given the fact all are signed to one-way deals and Lou admitted last year he didn’t want to bury a contract in the minors.  However, something may have to give and soon.  PTO’s Scott Gomez, Ruslan Fedotenko and Jordin Tootoo are still around (along with Ryan Carter, still in camp without a contract), as are youngsters Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau.  Our eleventh forward is again Cam Janssen but it’s not likely he sniffs the roster coming out of camp.

Of those on the outside looking in, Gomez and Boucher have by all accounts had the best camp.  Boucher seems almost ready to make a contribution in a top nine role but might be a victim of the numbers game early given the ability to send him down without losing him.  Gomez – while he isn’t signed yet – is putting pressure on the team to make room for him after a two-goal game last night following a decent showing at Barclays Friday.  Of those on the inside looking behind them, only Brunner has really looked good from what I can tell.  Of course it’s only the staff’s opinion that’ll count in the end.

At least I’ve been able to see an unusual amount of preseason – though I skipped the second game in Philly, which was on TV but sounded like a total no-show by the Devils who skated on Thursday.  I did get to see a good chunk of the preseason opener last Monday at MSG on the broadcast and made the trek to Brooklyn Friday to see the Barclays Center.  I have to admit the view was better than expected from section 209 though there are definitely areas elsewhere where the view’s less than spectacular.  And given the layout of the arena, when anyone stands up in any row in front of you it not only blocks a good chunk of the ice but can block the scoreboard as well.  Also the concourse in the upper level is really narrow at certain spots, and was problematic enough in a three-quarters fill stadium.  At least it’s not the dump Nassau is though and Barclays was surprisingly easy to get to from Penn Station (just a twenty-minute ride on the 2/3 downtown and you’re right in front of it).  Supposedly our own stadium’s going through some changes under new ownership as well that will be ready for October 18.  Just as well I won’t be there for any of the preseason games I guess, cause when I was there for Aerosmith earlier this month the Rock definitely looked like a work in progress.  As with the team itself, it’ll be nice to eventually see the finished product.

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Islanders Aim High In Final Year At Coliseum

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Derek
New Islanders captain John Tavares poses for a photo with coach Jack Capuano and GM Garth Snow. nhl.com

New Islanders captain John Tavares poses for a photo with coach Jack Capuano and GM Garth Snow.
nhl.com

For over 40 years, the Islanders have called Nassau Coliseum home. Since entering the league in 1972, they have only known one arena. On Long Island in Nassau County that’s included a rich history featuring one of the NHL’s greatest dynasties. Built on the strength of Bill Torrey’s drafts that included Hall Of Famers Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and Billy Smith along with Clark Gillies, Ken Morrow, John Tonelli, Stefan Persson, Duane and Brent Sutter, they won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-83. A trade for Bob Nystrom put them over the top. His overtime winner gave the Islanders their first Cup.

Amazingly, this will be the final season at the Coliseum. Beginning in October 2015, they’ll relocate to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’ll be strange. For 42 years, the Islanders and Long Island have been family. In the future, those passionate fans that have supported them will have to take Mass Transit if they want to see their team. For now, they’ll savor one last year cheering their favorite players who don the trademark dark navy blue and bright orange jerseys.

The current team is looking to move in the right direction. Led by captain John Tavares, they are a young group hoping to surprise their competitors in a tough Metropolitan Division. After losing Tavares to a torn MCL, they finished last with 79 points. A fully recovered Tavares should help. The core is built around the 24-year old franchise center who’ll team up with ’13-14 leading scorer Kyle Okposo to form a dynamic duo. Frans Nielsen provides them with a strong top three.

General Manager Garth Snow inked Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolay Kulemin. The former Leafs played together and are being relied upon for secondary scoring. The Isles are also looking for improvement from Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. Each enters their second year. Vets Josh Bailey and Michael Grabner must be more consistent. Both are capable of contributing but hit dry spells last year which really hurt the club. Anders Lee and Matt Martin are strong support players along with Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. Snow also brought in Jack Skille and Cory Conacher to compete for spots.

Snow’s biggest addition was Jaroslav Halak, who’ll be a huge upgrade in net. The 29-year old Slovak is capable of carrying a team. However, he’s never appeared in more than 57 games posting career bests in wins (27) and shutouts (7) with St. Louis in ’10-11. He’ll need to win 30-or-more if the Isles are to challenge for the postseason. Chad Johnson was signed as a backup which is an improvement over Kevin Poulin. The Isles are banking on the new goalie tandem will keep them in more games.

On the blueline, they’ll get back veteran Lubomir Visnovsky, who is returning after missing most of last season with a concussion. If healthy, he can aid their power play and log important minutes relieving pressure from Travis Hamonic. If there is an Achilles heel, it’s a young defense which heavily relies on Hamonic. The 24-year old is the glue that holds it together. He’ll need help from sophomore Calvin de Haan, who has the potential to be a shutdown D. A superb skater with good instincts, it appears the franchise’s patience might pay off. If his rookie year is any indication, the sky’s the limit. Vets Brian Strait and Thomas Hickey are solid but unsteady. As long as Visnovsky, Hamonic and de Haan can carry the load, that’ll allow coach Jack Capuano to limit their minutes. Matt Donovan and Kevin Czuczman could push for time.

The club also has high hopes for prospects Griffin Reinhart and Ville Pokka. Both are only 20 with lots of potential. Unless either blows them away in camp, there’s no reason to rush. As long as they remain patient, they should continue to improve.

It’s hard to predict how they’ll do. This is a team with some good talent. At the NHL level, they have a surplus at forward. The additions of Grabovski and Kulemin could make Bailey or Grabner expendable. Considering that Grabner is explosive shorthanded, I’d retain him and explore trading Bailey. The only problem is he’s signed for another three years at a cap hit of $3.3 million while Grabner’s contract expires after 2015-16. Depending on where they are in the standings, Snow could look to acquire a defenseman. We’ll have to wait and see.

Of the three Battle Of New York clubs that comprise the metro area, they’re the team with the brightest future. However, it all hinges on Halak. Is he cut out for New York? Time shall tell.

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Stepan Injury No Reason To Panic Yet

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Derek

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Injuries are part of sports. For the Rangers, they’ll have to deal with some adversity early. The team announced that Derek Stepan suffered a fractured left fibula. The injury was sustained during practice earlier today. The top center will be examined further to determine how long he’ll be out.

Certainly, you don’t want to start a season without your number one center. That’s exactly what the Rangers have to do as they begin defense of an Eastern Conference title. Having bought out Brad Richards and lost Brian Boyle to free agency, center depth is a question entering 2014-15. Now, it becomes a bigger issue for at least the first month. Derick Brassard is supposed to center the second line. Instead, he’ll likely anchor the top unit unless coach Alain Vigneault decides to sub Dominic Moore for Stepan similar to last Spring.

With competition for the third line between J.T. Miller, Matthew Lombardi, Oscar Lindberg, Kevin Hayes and Chris Mueller, Vigneault must determine who can help the team survive without Stepan. Depending on how long he’s out, it becomes imperative for whoever makes the club to be able to contribute. In their preseason home loss to the Devils Monday, Miller stood out setting up a pair of goals including a nice feed for a Ryan Malone power play goal. The 21-year old former 2011 first round pick must continue to distinguish himself. If he does, perhaps he can be counted on more from a coach who questioned his professionalism last season.

Assuming Miller makes it and there’s no reason to believe otherwise, that leaves four players for one center slot. Of the quartet, Lombardi is a proven NHLer who can center a bottom line. The 32-year old vet who signed this summer played last year in the Swiss League totaling 20 goals and 50 points in 40 games. While he won’t be expected to produce much offensively, Lombardi is capable of contributing as long as he stays healthy. With Moore likely to move up, pencil Lombardi in on the fourth line. Unless Lindberg or Hayes impress, they’ll probably start in Hartford. While I’d love to see either force their way on, it’s probably best for development. That leaves Mueller as a potential extra.

With Stepan going down, it’s easy to criticize general manager Glen Sather. Already we’ve seen the finger pointed at him for not signing Mike Ribeiro. You can’t look at it that way. Injuries happen. Based off one game, Tanner Glass at least gave us a glimmer of hope. He even helped set up Jesper Fast’s tying goal and killed penalties. While I’m no fan of him, you have to give Glass a chance. From a toughness standpoint, he can at least provide energy. There’s no guarantee he’ll play all 82. I wouldn’t expect it. You don’t have to dress him every night. Maybe a Fast or Ryan Bourque sneaks in.

It would be easy to panic now that Stepan will miss time. I’m not ready to yet. This is an experienced team coming off a run to the Stanley Cup Final. There are plenty of holdovers who should provide leadership. Minus Stepan, over half the roster were part of that run which included a 3-1 second round comeback for the first time in franchise history. That includes Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, John Moore, Kevin Klein, Brassard, Dominic Moore, Carl Hagelin, Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello and Martin St. Louis. Miller, Fast and Cam Talbot were also part of it. That’s 16 players discounting Stepan who eventually will return. Don’t forget Dan Boyle is a proven vet who’ll help replace some of Richards’ leadership. That can’t be overlooked.

When it comes down to it, there’s plenty of reasons to believe this team should be okay. Undoubtedly, they’ll miss Stepan’s play making and skill set. He is a superb passer who plays on the top power play unit. Brassard is a strong power play player who notched seven PPG’s and set up others last year. He had great chemistry with Zuccarello. With Benoit Pouliot gone, Nash could replace him allowing Kreider and St. Louis to play together on the first line. It’ll be up to Kreider, St. Louis, Nash and Zuccarello to produce. Don’t forget Hagelin, who had a good postseason tallying seven goals and 12 points. If vet Lee Stempniak can offset Pouliot, there should be enough scoring depth.

It really becomes about how well Brassard plays in Stepan’s absence. He’ll need to be more consistent. A slow first half was followed by a strong second half in which his line became one Vigneault could count on. In the first year of a new deal that pays him $25 million over the next five years, it’s time for Brassard to reach the next level. There’s no reason he can’t produce between 50-60 points. The Blueshirts need him to.

It could always be worse. Look no further than Carolina and Jordan Staal, who suffered a broken leg during their preseason game against Buffalo Tuesday night. He could be out a lot longer than Stepan. The point being that at least Stepan’s injury isn’t going to keep him out long-term. I’d rather the Rangers’ Iron Man get hurt now than during the season. He’ll be back. It’s important for the club not to rush him back. No matter what happens, they must be patient. Barring a horrible start, they’ll be fine.

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Still Without A Captain, Rangers Camp Opens

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Derek
Henrik Lundqvist and teammates salute the crowd following their 2-1 Game 4 win over the Kings. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Henrik Lundqvist and teammates salute the crowd following their 2-1 Game 4 win over the Kings.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Following a short summer, the Rangers opened up training camp today. They’re finally back after a great run to the Stanley Cup Final. Can they repeat last year’s success? That could depend upon how some of the new faces adjust.

In a salary cap era, there will be casualties. Gone are Brad Richards, Anton Stralman, Brian Boyle, Benoit Pouliot, Derek Dorsett, Daniel Carcillo and Raphael Diaz. They’ve been replaced by Dan Boyle, Lee Stempniak, Tanner Glass, Ryan Malone, Matthew Lombardi and Chris Mueller. General Manager Glen Sather also added Michael Kostka, Steven Kampfer and Matt Hunwick to compete for seventh defenseman. Unless Conor Allen or Dylan McIlrath shine in camp, they’re likely ticketed for Hartford.

One of the team’s biggest concerns is who will step up and replace Richards. Even though it was a no-brainer to buy him out freeing up necessary space to re-sign Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider and Dominic Moore, Richards’ leadership and production will be missed. His 20 goals and 51 points ranked in the top three in club scoring. His departure opens up competition at center. The leading candidates are J.T. Miller and Oscar Lindberg who’ll compete with Lombardi and Kevin Hayes. It’s a big year for Miller, who must prove he belongs. The competition should be fun to follow.

Center remains a question mark. Derek Stepan is already the team’s number one pivot. He’ll look to build on a career best 57 point regular season that also included a new career postseason high 15 points (5-10-15). The 24-year old is someone to keep an eye on. He’ll need to become even more of a leader. There is even more pressure on Brassard, who’ll be asked to anchor the second line. In ’13-14, he centered the cohesive third line featuring Zuccarello and now departed Pouliot (signed with Edmonton). Their scoring proved pivotal during the postseason. Sather handed Brassard a five-year $25 million contract. A former Columbus first round pick who set personal bests in goals (18), power play goals (7) and game-winners (4), Brassard must perform more consistently. He’ll likely center Zuccarello and either Rick Nash or Carl Hagelin.

One of the big story lines is who will become the next captain. After Slats dealt Ryan Callahan to Tampa Bay for Marty St. Louis, the team came together making their first Cup appearance since 1994. They rallied around the death of St. Louis’ Mom coming back from a 3-1 deficit to stun Pittsburgh and then eliminated Montreal to become Eastern Conference champs. For most of the summer, it’s been felt that Ryan McDonagh will be named the 27th captain in franchise history. A story Daily News beat writer Pat Leonard went with last week. For now, Alain Vigneault won’t reveal the new captain until preseason concludes. I guess he prefers suspense.

There aren’t as many questions with the defense. Sather opted to let Stralman walk to the Lightning, who apparently have become Rangers South also inking Brian Boyle and re-signing Callahan. Stralman was a solid defensive defenseman who worked well with Marc Staal. He was a strong puck possession player who rarely made mistakes. Rather than bring him back, Slats decided to address the power play by adding Dan Boyle for two years at a cap friendly hit of $4.5 million. The veteran is a proven power play quarterback who is still productive with six of his eight goals coming on the man-advantage last year in San Jose. At 38, he can still log important minutes and should slide in with Staal. The only question is does his offense make up for a potential loss in defense. That’s what the Rangers are banking on. With John Moore re-upping last week for $850,500, he’ll team with Kevin Klein, who was steady after coming over from Nashville for Michael Del Zotto. Moore has potential but is still raw. His skating ability and shot are top notch. If he becomes more consistent, 25-30 points is possible.

As far as the top pair, there aren’t many better than McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Mac Truck flourished in the playoffs pacing the team in scoring with 17 points while dominating defensively. His elder partner Girardi rebounded from a bad first half eventually re-signing for six years at an average of $5.5 million per year. While he struggled badly against the Kings, Girardi remains the heart and soul sacrificing his body for the team any way possible. You just hope that risky style doesn’t come back to bite him halfway through that contract.

The only other question is Staal, who enters the final year of his contract that sees him earn a modest $3.975 million. A popular team leader who has overcome serious injuries, Staal hinted that he wants to stay. Similar to Henrik Lundqvist, he’d like to get a new deal done as soon as possible. With rumors that it could take six years at at least $6 million, it remains to be seen if it’ll get done. While I value Staal, who’s the second best defenseman behind McDonagh, I wonder if we haven’t already seen the best of him. However, with prices for defensive D-men on the rise, his salary demands aren’t out of whack. If he ever does reach next summer, teams might be willing to pay top dollar.

It’s an interesting dilemma for Sather, who also must lock up Stepan, extend Hagelin and worry about Zuccarello and valuable backup Cam Talbot. I’m not advocating getting rid of Staal. However, if he doesn’t improve from last year and his demands are too high given the risk he could be, maybe they’re better off trading him. Right now, I’d rather not think about that. You can’t break up the defense right now. Along with Lundqvist, it’s the strongest part of the team. I’m not comfortable with Klein in the top four. He and Moore are a good fit on that third pair. Let’s just wait and see.

Goaltending has never been stronger with Lundqvist carrying his team as far as he could humanly take them. Heroic is the best way to describe King Henrik’s 2014 postseason. After clearly being affected by having no contract, he showed great mental strength turning it around once Sather re-signed him. There’s not a more admirable athlete in the metro area once Derek Jeter retires. Lundqvist will do anything to win and often does when his team doesn’t supply offense. Here’s hoping Rick Nash remembers what he’s paid for. Even better, Lundqvist can get nights off thanks to Cam Talbot, who came out of nowhere to win 12 games with three shutouts while posting a 1.64 goals-against-average and .941 save percentage. If 33 wins, a 2.36 GAA, .920 save percentage and five shutouts is an “off year,” just wait to see what Lundqvist comes back with.

Even without Richards, Boyle, Pouliot, Stralman, Dorsett and Carcillo, this remains a good team that is capable of challenging for first in the Metropolitan Division. Much depends on how some of the replacements do. Don’t forget they get a full season of Marty St. Louis which should only help. You have to like a potential top line of Kreider or Nash with Stepan and St. Louis. I don’t think you can have St. Louis and Zuccarello together the same way I believe splitting up Nash and Kreider provides more balance to the top two units.

I’m most curious to see who emerges in camp. Don’t forget Ryan Haggerty, who had an impressive Traverse City pacing our prospects with three goals. He’s a right-handed shot which is something the club lacks. While it’s still a long shot for him to make it due to stiff competition coming from Miller, Malone, Lindberg, Hayes, Ryan Bourque, Danny Kristo, I’m curious to see how he looks. I’m also pulling for Bourque, who has been written off due to his smallish 5-9, 185-pound frame. He had his best pro season with Hartford. I still feel he could surprise and become a fourth line/penalty kill specialist.

With camp tests running today and Friday followed by Monday’s first preseason game at home against the Devils on MSG, hockey is finally back. It’s about time.

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