Lines for preseason game against Devils
September 28, 2016, by · Comments
The Rangers have released the lines for tomorrow’s preseason game against the Devils:
Jimmy Vesey-Kevin Hayes-Rick Nash
Nathan Gerbe-Brandon Pirri-Pavel Buchnevich
Michael Grabner-Marek Hrivik-Jesper Fast
Adam Tambellini-Maxim Lapierre-Nicklas Jensen
Nick Holden-Kevin Klein
Ryan Graves-Chris Summers
John Gilmour-Dylan McIlrath
Antti Raanta
Mackenzie Skapski
This lineup follows the same formula from yesterday’s preseason game. The top line is a trio we could see in the regular season, while the fourth line is players that likely aren’t making the team (sorry Jensen).
What the defense could look like a year from now
September 28, 2016, by · Comments
Ryan Graves’ stock is on the rise
The mandate for Jeff Gorton this offseason was clear: retool the Blueshirts while extending the window to win the Stanley Cup. Though many of us believe that Gorton’s troops will struggle to reach that goal with the defense as currently assembled, he has certainly begun executing a significant makeover.
Up front, Gorton has stockpiled a young group of forwards that stacks up with any in the league. New York will have one of the NHL’s youngest rosters this season with room to grow for many key players still 25 years old or younger including Chris Kreider, Brandon Pirri, Kevin Hayes, Oscar Lindberg, Jesper Fast, J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich – not to mention 26-year-old first-line center Derek Stepan.
Zibanejad, Clendening shine in preseason opener
September 28, 2016, by · Comments
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
The Rangers opened the preseason in emphatic fashion, dominating the Islanders in a 5-2 win. The Isles had a split squad, so the domination should be taken with a grain of salt, but there were a ton of positives to take away from this game. The goalies looked good, the offense and powerplay were clicking, and the defense –while it had its breakdowns– looked better than most of last year.
This was just the first preseason game, but it looks like the offseason moves are already paying dividends. Goal breakdowns aren’t as useful in the preseason, so here’s bullet points on what I observed throughout the game:
- The PK and the defense opened the game like they closed out last season: Lost. They left a few guys open in front, leading to a prime chance and the eventual Jason Chimera goal.
- The powerplay though, wow. That’s why they got Mika Zibanejad. He can really fire the puck. Adam Clendening looked at home up top too. Pavel Buchnevich drew attention in the high slot of the 1-3-1, and Brandon Pirri showed he could move the puck. Just a great powerplay.
Rangers make first round of roster cuts
September 27, 2016, by · Comments
Ahti Oksanen (Photo: SBN)
The Rangers have made their first round of roster cuts today, and none of the cuts are really all that surprising. Those with AHL contracts were sent to Hartford. Some with amateur/professional try outs were cut. Those that could return to Juniors were sent to their respective clubs. In total, 13 cuts were made:
Returned to Hartford: Adam Chapie, Troy Donnay, Michael Joly, and Ahti Oksanen
Released from PTO, reporting to Hartford: Matt Carey, Spiro Goulakos, and Garrett Noonan
Released from ATO: Nick Betz, Reid Duke, and Joseph Raaymakers
Returns to Juniors: Tim Gettinger, Ty Ronning, and Sergey Zborovskiy
As mentioned above, these are the expected first cuts. The Rangers are left with 50 players in camp.
Preseason Game 1: Islanders at Rangers
September 27, 2016, by · Comments
Hockey has arrived, and boy am I happy to say that. The Rangers begin their preseason tonight at home against the Islanders. There are a bunch of roster battles taking place this preseason, with the focus primarily on the bottom six. There are seven players dressing tonight who are in contention for those spots, and we will continue to keep an eye on them and all others fighting for a spot as the preseason moves along.
The blue line isn’t up for as much debate, but the Rangers still have some question marks there. Will Dan Girardi and Marc Staal be able to rebound to some level of respectability? We will get a first glimpse of them tonight. We also get to see if Brady Skjei can be a regular, and if Adam Clendining was truly a shrewd offseason signing.
If you need a recap of what type of hockey Alain Vigneault has the Rangers playing, catch up here.
Can the Rangers land Jacob Trouba?
September 27, 2016, by · Comments
Photo: Shawn Coates/AP
The big news that broke this past weekend was that Winnipeg Jets’ stud defenseman Jacob Trouba has requested a trade. Trouba, the ninth overall pick in 2012, is in the middle of a contract dispute with the Jets. The dispute is over more than money though, as Trouba has stated that he is buried on the depth chart behind Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers, both right-handed defensemen signed to long-term deals.
The 22-year-old defenseman has put up impressive numbers in his first three seasons, with his career highs coming in his rookie year (10-19-29). That may not seem like much, but remember that Trouba gets third pairing and minimal powerplay time. That is not a product of who he is as a player, but a product of commitments by the organization elsewhere, whether right or wrong (we will get to that).
The Blue Seat Blogs-cast is back!
September 27, 2016, by · CommentsThe Blue Seat Blogs-cast is back! On Episode 22 we talked about the World Cup of Hockey, Jacob Trouba, and what to expect out of the bottom six this season. As always you can find us on SoundCloud, iTunes, and right here on our very own blueseatblogs.com!
Rangers release lineup for first preseason game
September 26, 2016, by · CommentsHockey is back, folks. The Rangers have released the lineup for tomorrow’s preseason opener against the Isles:
OFFICIAL: Here is the #NYR lineup for tomorrow's pre-season game @TheGarden vs NYI. pic.twitter.com/dD2bkxtSsW
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 26, 2016
Five questions for the Rangers in training camp
September 26, 2016, by · Comments
The weather has cooled off. Training camp has started. Preseason hockey will begin tomorrow. It is almost that time of the year when we can see meaningful games for our beloved Rangers. The team was busy this offseason, retooling the bottom six with an emphasis on speed and puck possession. Add in a relative blockbuster trade, and the forward group is completely different.
Many pundits expect the Rangers to be a no-doubter for the playoffs. Others think the Rangers will be a bubble team. The reality is likely somewhere in the middle, as there are some major questions for this team.
Getting stoked for the preseason
September 24, 2016, by · Comments
Preseason hockey is nearly upon us, making for an excellent time to scope out some new players and old vets to get an early assessment of how things are going to shake out once the Rangers open the regular season against the Islanders on October 13th.
This preseason should be particularly informative, given the influx of new young talent at forward and the way the defensive corps has stayed largely the same, except for the departure of Keith Yandle. We should be able to glean some answers, or at least begin to understand how things are going to look, for better or for worse, once thee regular season gets underway.