Archive for Musings
There are many different types of leaders
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With the trade of Ryan McDonagh, the Rangers are looking for a new captain. Discussion has naturally shifted in this direction with McDonagh in Tampa, and it’s not hard to see why. There were questions about McDonagh’s captaincy from the start, questions that have since been amplified since Larry Brooks noted that the Blueshirts might be looking for a more vocal leader in the locker room.
I don’t expect one to be announced until next season, as there are still trades to be made, probably including players that have an ‘A’ on their sweater already. But that shouldn’t stop us from looking at the various types of leaders, and how the locker room needs a good blend of leaders to address all personalities, and most importantly to complement the coaching staff, wherever the team goes in that direction.
There is still more work to be done – There are no half measures
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No, that title is not a rip off from Brooks, it’s a call back to my post a month ago, where Jeff Gorton needed to go all-in on the sell. So far, so good for Gorton. He turned his four biggest assets into solid hauls that sets the Rangers up with seven picks in the first three rounds this year, including three first rounders.
But there is more work to do. There are still more trades to make, specifically with players like Marc Staal, who might not have a place in the future of the club. That just scratches the surface, though.
Thoughts following the Ryan McDonagh/JT Miller blockbuster
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Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Yesterday was slow in Rangers town for the majority of the deadline. With most of their moves made already, it was just a matter of whether or not Ryan McDonagh would be moved. And the final NHL trade of the deadline was the biggest of the deadline. The Rangers sent captain Ryan McDonagh and winger JT Miller to Tampa for Vladislav Namestnikov, prospects Brett Howden and Libor Hajek, a 2018 1st rounder, and a 2019 conditional 2nd rounder. As per usual, I have some thoughts.
1. First addressing the big piece: Not getting one of Brayden Point or Mikhail Sergachev. Once Miller’s name was confirmed in the McDonagh trade, we all thought the return would include one of them, and it is natural to feel disappointed at first when it was confirmed neither were in the trade. It does make sense, though. The Bolts were looking to add to their Cup-potential roster while subtracting minimal pieces. Including one of Point or Sergachev would have been counter productive. It’s safe to assume Jeff Gorton asked for one of them, but it didn’t work out. Regardless, there is still a lot more to unpack in this deal.
Thoughts following the Rick Nash trade
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The Rangers sent their biggest pending UFA and perhaps most valuable guaranteed trade asset to the Boston Bruins yesterday morning, culminating a series of rumors that started the night before. The return was a 2018 1st rounder, a 2019 7th rounder, prospect Ryan Lindgren, and forwards Ryan Spooner and Matt Beleskey. As per usual, I have some thoughts.
1. First things first, the Rangers will 100% miss Rick Nash. He may not have been the 50 goal scorer fans had hoped (unrealistically) for, but he was a solid two-way player who consistently put up 25 goals when healthy. A series of concussions derailed him a bit, but when he was fully healed, he was a force on the ice. He drove offense, demanded attention, and opened the ice up for others. His penalty killing was top notch as well. The production may not have warranted $7.8 million, but the play on the ice was that of a top line forward. I thoroughly enjoyed his six years on Broadway.
So far, two solid trades by Gorton
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The Rangers are in full sell mode. Nick Holden and Michael Grabner are gone. Rick Nash is already out of the lineup pending a trade. David Desharnais isn’t being talked about, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s moved. Rumors are abound for Ryan McDonagh. The sell is on, and if the first two trades are telling us anything, it’s that Jeff Gorton is acting on his plan.
The rumors were that the Blueshirts were targeting prospects who were close to NHL ready over top picks. The logic makes sense. They have some great assets to sell, but the news was a bit of a scare. Targeting NHL ready kids can potentially mean sacrificing long term potential. It was worth keeping an eye on, but not worth worrying about at that moment.
Quick thoughts on the Michael Grabner trade
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After last night’s loss to the Habs, the Rangers traded Michael Grabner across the river to the Devils for a top prospect Yegor Rykov and a second round pick. The fact that a trade happened wasn’t really a surprise, since Grabner was a healthy scratch for the game, a precaution to ensure he did not get hurt. As usual, I have some thoughts.
1. Let’s understand who Grabner is, before breaking down the return. Grabner is a solid player, a bottom-six winger who kills penalties. He’s a threat on the PK. He has tremendous speed, plays a two-way game, and puts himself in positions to score. That said, he doesn’t drive offense on his own. He’s a nice to have player, someone who helps a team that already has the primary scoring to make a run. He’s a nice to have player, who happened to revive his career in New York.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and #TrustTheProcess
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The man with a plan (we think)
Just a few weeks back I was defending my own cynicism and giving Jeff Gorton an incomplete on his report card, but I’ve recently had a change of heart. You might find this surprising (I don’t, because I tend to be all over the place, but you all don’t know me like that) but I’m going to make the argument that such a shift in mindset is not without reason. Sure, there’s still good cause to be hesitant, but what was once skepticism can shift towards cautious optimism without sounding too crazy. Yes, folks, I’m saying it’s just about time to #TrustTheProcess.
Starting with what we know most clearly, it’s who’s on the ice that matters right now. Of course, a lot of the reason for the roster’s new look has been injuries, and the team is still playing Cody McLeod (although if you really think Gorton is playing 8 dimensional chess then maybe that’s an effort to get a higher draft pick), but the fact is that guys like Neal Pionk, Anthony DeAngelo, and John Gilmour are getting serious minutes on the backend. This is a crucial step in their development, breaking down the adjustment period that would exist if they first stepped into the lineup next year. The fact that they’re getting consistently big minutes means they can make mistakes without having their confidence shattered by a draconian coach.
The Persistence of (Hockey) Memories
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Dave’s recent post recapping great playoff moments while looking toward the future had me thinking. Like Dave, like all of us really, I’ve gained some incredible memories with friends and family over the years through this Rangers team and their sustained playoff success. Those are memories I wouldn’t trade for almost anything, with the “almost” really just being a Stanley Cup with Hank’s name on it. The reminiscing a lot of us have been doing in the days since Sather and Gorton released The Letter got me thinking into why this fanbase has found itself split in its reaction to last week’s communiqué. As we gear up for the Rangers’ first big fire sale in the Lundqvist era some of us are filled with trepidation, while some look towards a brighter future. Why is that?
It’s easy to resort to some kind of sports essentialism when attempting to answer these questions; some of us simply are xyz kind of fan while others are abc kind of fan. That answer, while satisfying in its simplicity, doesn’t do it justice I don’t think. Sports are a crazy complex web of cause and effect, both inside and outside of our own heads. The reasons we feel one way and not another are of course on many levels personal but can still be analyzed by looking at whats going on in terms of input.
Tanks for the memories
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I started becoming a Ranger fan in 1993 or so, mostly because my Dad is an Islander fan and I was a brat. So here I am today, a Ranger fan. He’s still an Islander fan, although he admittedly doesn’t follow as closely as he used to. We still try to go to at least one Isles/Rangers game per year, though.
I started become a fan during the best time to be a Ranger fan. The Rangers were about to win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. The team had great players that would become legends. I didn’t understand the concept of gutting the team for a Cup run, and I wondered why the 1995 version was so terrible in comparison.
Thoughts following the Gorton/Sather Memo release
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(JUSTIN TASCH/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
In case you missed it, yesterday saw some significant happenings in Rangerland. First, the Rangers placed Brendan Smith on waivers and called up Neal Pionk. Soon after, Jeff Gorton and Glen Sather showed up at practice and issued a joint statement about the future of the franchise. There was a tepid (re: non-existent) endorsement about AV’s future and much Twitter ink spilled about what it all means. As you can imagine, I have some thoughts…
1. If you read the memo that the Rangers organization released, a couple of things jump out. First, it seems the organization is trying to gauge fan reaction to the notion of a rebuild. There is enough qualifying language and vague platitudes in the memo to reverse course if the reaction to the release was pure outrage at abandoning a season where they aren’t completely out of it. Read More→