Ryan Gropp among next round of cuts
September 23, 2017, by · CommentsThe Rangers have made their next round of cuts, sending 8 players to Hartford. Interestingly enough, both Ryan Gropp (expected to be cut,but maybe not yet) and Alexei Bereglazov (expected to make the team) were among those cut.
Also cut were Malte Stromwall, Adam Tambellini, John Gilmour, Vince Pedrie, Alex Georgiev, and Chris Nell.
The Rangers have 38 players remaining in camp.
Preseason Game 4: Competition breeds improvement
September 23, 2017, by · Comments
Ed Mulholland/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
The Rangers were handed their first preseason loss last night in Bridgeport, and now will have a lineup of mostly veterans on the back end in New Jersey tonight. All eyes will be on Marc Staal and Nick Holden, to see if they can keep pace with the kids that may be taking their spots. Boo Nieves and Lias Anderson will also have some pressure on them to keep up with Filip Chytil.
I’m also intrigued by Brandon Halverson, who had a poor season last year. I’m willing to write off last year for basically every prospect, but with so many solid prospects in the pipe, this could be a make or break season for Halverson and his future with the Rangers.
Lineup for tonight’s game against New Jersey
September 23, 2017, by · CommentsThe expected lineup for tonight’s game in New Jersey has been released.
- Forward: Chris Kreider, Boo Nieves, Andrew Desjardins, Cole Schneider, Mats Zuccarello, Michael Grabner, Daniel Catenacci, Lias Andersson, Gabriel Fontaine, Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad, Scott Kosmachuk
- Defense: Marc Staal, Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan McDonagh, Brendan Smith, Nick Holden, Brandon Crawley
- Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist, Brandon Halverson
Lines haven’t been released yet, but all eyes will be on Staal and Holden. They need to keep pace with the Neal Pionk’s and Tony DeAngelo’s of the world. Boo Nieves has his work cut out for him too, in direct competition with Andersson and Filip Chytil. Competition breeds improvement. It’s a good time to be a Ranger fan.
Could Filip Chytil make the team?
September 23, 2017, by · Comments
Photo: NYDN
Friends, I’m going to be honest. When I heard that the Rangers would be taking Filip Chytil at 21st overall my first reaction was “Who?” I’d imagine I wasn’t alone in this, as the Rangers seemingly went against the conventional wisdom circulating around draft time (with both of their picks actually) and maybe disappointed some of us when they didn’t go for a Liljegren or a Yamamoto. The hype began to build however around Chytil as broadcasters compared him favorably to players like Auston Matthews (actually Chytil’s own comparison) and Ondrej Palat (Bob McKenzie’s comparison) and news began to trickle out that if he had declared for the draft the following year he would have likely been taken in the top 5 in what is by all accounts a stacked draft. Team Chytil began to coalesce quickly, and he has not disappointed thus far in the preseason.
His creative vision and strong play on the puck has been easily noticeable in the preseason games he’s played thus far, and he uses his size (200 pounds at age 18!) and skating effectively. He scored a nice game-winning goal the other night after playing catch with Mats Zuccarello all up and down the ice that evening against the Devils, and against the Islanders in Bridgeport he played a crucial role in the Rangers’ dazzling (but unfortunately unproductive) powerplay in the second period. He’s making quick, effective decisions with the puck, and even saw time on the penalty kill alongside Pavel Buchnevich (imagine if those two turn into two-way threats?). To put it succinctly, he’s impressed so far in the preseason, and would be making a strong case for himself regardless of the Rangers’ roster situation.
Preseason Game 3: Youngsters earning their keep
September 22, 2017, by · Comments
The Rangers are in Bridgeport tonight to take on the Isles, which seems a little weird to say. The Isles seem to be having trouble finding a spot to play, which even as a Ranger fan, makes me a little sad. But hopefully that gets worked out. I love the rivalry, so I don’t want them to move.
As for the Rangers, they are letting their youngsters play. Filip Chytil will play again, as will Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo. We will also get our first look at Alexei Bereglazov. With Hartford camp starting over the weekend, expect more cuts after tonight’s game.
Day among three cut from camp
September 22, 2017, by · Comments
Sean Day was one of three players cut from camp today, as the Rangers reduced their roster to 46 players. Day, Dawson Leedahl, and Sergey Zborovskiy are all headed to Hartford for the start of camp in the AHL.
Day was never a realistic candidate to make the team, so his cut shouldn’t be surprising. It makes sense to get him accustomed to the professional level, as the Rangers appear to be taking advantage of his “exceptional” status to allow him to play in the AHL early.
Zborovskiy is another intriguing player to watch in Hartford camp.
Making sense of the defensive options
September 22, 2017, by · Comments
SNY.com
So far in this young training camp, Rangers fans a have been treated to a new-look defense. Youth and mobility have been the themes of these new additions, but there are still a few hold over veterans who aren’t an obvious fit for the roster and some question marks about some of the younger guys the organization has brought in.
Just to qualify this discussion, it has been two pre-season games. At least for the young guys, the sample size is far too small to draw any reliable conclusions about their effectiveness or ability to thrive against full-time NHL competition. We haven’t even seen Alexei Bereglazov yet.
Filip Chytil steals the show with overtime winner
September 21, 2017, by · Comments
The NHL did it. They found a rule that I hate more than the puck over the glass penalty. It’s now the stupid faceoff violation penalty. Don’t get me wrong, I think that blatant violations should be penalized. But a winger lining up with half a skate in the circle? Are you serious? No league gets in their own way quite like the NHL.
Now that my gripe is out of the way, let’s get back to the evaluation of the game.
- Starting with Filip Chytil. It was only one preseason game, and I don’t expect him to make the club, but boy did he look good. The kid just turned 18 years old, and he was out there controlling play. There was one sequence where he protected the puck –they showed it on replay– and he looked like a seasoned NHL vet. Skill beyond his years.
Preseason Game 2: Jersey smells weird
September 20, 2017, by · Comments
AP Photo/Bill Kostroun
The Rangers are back at it tonight against the Devils after beating the Isles in overtime on Monday. Filip Chytil will get his first look at preseason hockey, skating between Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. That will be a fun line to watch. Kevin Shattenkirk is also making his Rangers debut.
Lias Andersson will play again, as will Ryan Gropp. That’s a good sign for both guys. Brady Skjei will skate with Shatty, so….drool. I’m expecting a round of cuts after this game or tomorrow.
What we’ve learned from training camp so far
September 20, 2017, by · Comments
When was the last time you saw a Ranger D-man make a move like this? (Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports)
Jeff Gorton is not blind to the hole at center
Gorton was very careful with his wording in response to reporters’ questions about attempted deals for help at center over the course of the summer. Though nothing materialized, it’s clear that Gorton has been active in conversations. But he’s also willing to be patient. When camp opened Alain Vigneault said he wants to see J.T. Miller at center because he’ll be needed there “at some point.” AV also indicated that both Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil have a real chance at making the team. It’s up to all three of those players to prove their merit and take the pressure off Gorton. But for the time being, it seems that Gorton is willing to let things play out.
Trading for Matt Duchene makes all kinds of sense for the Rangers, but not so much for the Avs
Josh wondered aloud the other day about the absence of trade rumors between Colorado and New York given the Blueshirts’ glaring need and the availability of such an obvious solution in Duchene. Gorton has surely conversed with Colorado GM Joe Sakic, but there still doesn’t appear to be a trade match between the two clubs. It’s widely known the Avs are seeking a blue chip young defender and the likes of Ryan Murray, Cody Ceci, Thomas Chabot, Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin have circulated through the rumor mill as potential building blocks from known interested parties.