Author Archive
The fear of a “quick turnaround”
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When it comes to a rebuild, there seem to be two approaches. The first is the complete tear down and build through the draft and trades. The second is leveraging current assets and bringing in new faces to help be the complement to what already exists. The latter, at least from what I’ve seen, rarely works. The former does work, but not all the time. Indeed, there is an element of luck involved with every rebuild.
The Rangers, though, appear to be merging the two strategies. After selling off many assets at the deadline, they acquired a bunch of picks and prospects that will help them in the long haul of a rebuild. Three first round picks, several high floor prospects, and promotion of existing prospects are the building blocks of a competitor.
How much impact will a change in system make for the Rangers?
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AP Photo/Nick Wass
With Alain Vigneault, Scott Arniel, and Darryl Williams all relieved of their duties earlier this month, the focus has moved to the new coach. It’s more than just a new voice in the locker room, though. It’s about a new system that will get the most out of the roster. We can’t predict what the roster will look like in October, but we can at least guess what the impact of a new system will be.
Perhaps the best example to use regarding a new system is Dan Girardi. Way overpaid and completely lost in AV’s system, the Rangers cut him loose to free up cap space. He has found life in Tampa Bay, improving on basically all of his puck possession stats while being used in a more passive system. Jon Cooper has certainly gotten a better version of Girardi than his final few years in New York.
John Amirante has died at 83
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Today is a sad day. John Amirante has died at the age of 83. Until recently, Amirante was the only person who sang the National Anthem at Rangers games. It was an absolute joy to watch him. The anthem hasn’t been the same since, and will never be the same.
Game Seven in 1994 will always be the lasting memory I have.
Ladies and gentlemen, we ask that you please rise and remove your hats for the National Anthem.
Here to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" the one and only, John Amirante. pic.twitter.com/N0qmCHAIKX
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 17, 2018
Using cap space as a trade asset
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The Rangers are in a situation that we’ve never seen before. Always strapped for cash, the Rangers have never had the luxury of breathing room and flexibility to make trades. However heading into the offseason, the Rangers have oodles of cap space, with plenty to spare once they sign their key RFAs.
Cap space is an interesting thing. The Rangers have never had any, so it’s been a scarce commodity. However for teams with plenty of it, it’s been an asset. The Isles landed Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy for basically nothing. The Coyotes acquired Chris Pronger and Pavel Datsyuk –both retired and with big cap hits– with prospects to help teams free up space. Vegas did the same in the expansion draft. Now, it might be the Rangers’ turn.
Being tough to play against doesn’t mean fighting
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One of the major storylines surrounding the Rangers under Alain Vigneault was that the club was soft, vanilla, and easy to play against. It led to creating a false need for guys like Tanner Glass, Cody McLeod, and other face punchers that couldn’t do much else. The false need was created by the incorrect assessment that being tough to play against means fighting.
Let’s unpack this a bit. Yes, there is a need for physical play. It’s hockey, after all. However the term “tough to play against” has evolved. It goes beyond traditional fighting and hitting. This makes logical sense, since the game itself has evolved.
The case for keeping Marc Staal next season
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Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images
The Rangers are in a transition period. The rebuild is in full swing. There are questions about regarding who stays and who goes. One of those questions is on Marc Staal, who has three more years left on his deal with a $5.7 million cap hit. Suffice it to say, it’s not a good contract.
The calls to trade or buyout Staal prior to this year were warranted. His contract was bad, and he was taking up cap space that could have been spent elsewhere. Without that contract, the Rangers probably don’t need to trade Derek Stepan to sign Kevin Shattenkirk, and perhaps this season is different. There’s no guarantee, but it’s something worth calling out. But times have changed in less than a year.
Thursday Thoughts: Coaching, Bereglazov, Kovalchuk
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The playoffs are officially underway. Seems weird because the Rangers not only aren’t in them, but missed them by a wide margin. It wasn’t even close. They swan dived off a cliff. But that doesn’t mean the week has been slow. Alain Vigneault, Daryl Williams, and Scott Arniel were all shown the door. Ilya Kovalchuk appears to be on his way to New York. Alexei Bereglazov is having his contract terminated. As usual, I have some thoughts.
1. First the new news, as Bereglazov was placed on unconditional waivers to have his contract terminated. I’m not surprised by this, and neither should you. When he didn’t make the team out of camp, he eventually went back to Russia. This was the logical next step, as it’s clear he’s nowhere near the top of the depth chart, even with a new coach.
The Rangers fan guide to the 2018 playoffs
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For the first time in eight years, the Rangers are not going to be in the playoffs. It’s just the second time in the Henrik Lundqvist era. It’s unfamiliar territory for us. But have no fear. We are here to help you through these troubling times. Here is a guide to get you through these 2018 playoffs – specifically who to root for, in reverse order.
16. New Jersey Devils
Let’s be real, if you’re rooting for the Devils in any capacity, then you’ve lost your way. The Rangers also hold their second round pick, so losing quickly helps the Rangers as well. Rooting for the Devils is like hitting yourself in the face. Repeatedly. With a brick.
Rangers fire Scott Arniel and Daryl Williams
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Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images
Apologies for the delay on this one, as the news came a while ago. Cleaning house continues for the Rangers, as Scott Arniel and Daryl Williams were both let go. Arniel has been with the Rangers since Alain Vigneault took over for the 2013-2014 season. Arniel was largely in charge of the powerplay and the forwards.
Williams joined the Rangers one year after Arniel, leaving Vancouver to do so. Arniel and Williams were AV’s top two assistants.
Lindy Ruff remains with the team.
Thoughts on the firing of Alain Vigneault
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In case you missed it, and if you did I’m not sure how, the Rangers fired head coach Alain Vigneault last Saturday night. It was a move that was expected, but I don’t think any of us expected it to happen so soon. After all, it happened at 11pm on a Saturday night, just five hours after the 2017-2018 season ended for the Rangers. It was a sign that AV was gone from the get-go, and was coaching for his next job once the rebuild was announced. As always, I have some thoughts.
1. First things first, AV’s firing was long overdue. Personally, I think he should have been fired after last year’s playoff debacle against Ottawa. He was no longer a coach that was going to drive this team forward. There are many reasons why he needed to go, but the overall summary is that he was a square peg in a round hole.