This may be my favourite edition of Musings, even more so than Becky’s fine effort. Why you ask? Because as you read this I am sipping the first vodka and coke on my flight to Stockholm! Hallå!!! That’s hello in Swedish, though I’m sure you could have guessed. Anyway, following a busy few days and an even busier few to come, let’s get to it.

Sean Avery I. I couldn’t start this without mentioning the former Ranger. Waived, gone but not forgotten. Assuming he never plays a game in red white and blue again I’ll think of Avery for what could have been. He could have been a great agitator who made an impact every game but that simply wasn’t the fact.

Sean Avery II: A good impact (a la Wade Redden) or a bad impact (a la Patrick Rissmiller) down on the farm?

Quiet preseason? Doesn’t matter. Have any of you got any concerns about Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Dan Girardi and Brian Boyle? Thought not. Core players that only poor health could stop productive years.

Kings Watch: Player I’m most excited to watch? Dustin Brown. Not Anze Kopitar, not Drew Doughty. I want to see how physical he really is or whether a lot of his big rep is media talk.

Ducks Watch: I am ridiculously excited to see Teemu Selanne in person. Along with Jaromir Jagr (RIP) he is the greatest scorer Europe ever produced, to this point.

From the limited exposure I had to the pre-season, I thought Brendan Bell looked good enough that he didn’t warrant being waived, especially under the circumstances (injuries).

Dale Weise won’t be missed. I was a fan of the guy but there are plenty of players that can play in the bottom six still in the organisation, and he didn’t stand out in the few chances he got so good luck to him in riot land Vancouver.

Me, all me! To some of you this isn’t much but I’m pretty chuffed (you have that word in the US?) that I get to watch the Rangers 4 times in person in the next 6 weeks. For a Brit-Ranger-fan, that’s pretty damn cool.

I’m delighted Tim Erixon is getting a chance on opening night. I’m distraught the Rangers are apparently looking at Paul Mara though. That ship has sailed folks. He can come back to grow a beard in April though.

Sweden is an expensive place to drink. I am currently not feeling well (doctor actually advised me to stay home)…. but you can be rest assured that I will be doing my damndest to have a damn fine weekend. My wallet is shaking with fear.

Brandon Dubinsky on the top line is the right call. On the current roster he’s the best option with his style. It’s a shame the Dubi-Artie-Cally line get’s split up but if Artem Anisimov carries his form on and Callahan well, plays like he usually does, then whoever ends up on the left (Feds?) won’t struggle. The beauty of this roster is that there is a lot of flexibility.

I’m going to provide some pictures over the next few days of the globe and of Stockholm and any Ranger stuff that’s interesting; if I can get past my technophobia.

  • Prediction one: Erik Christensen will not finish the season with the Rangers.
  • Prediction two: Ryan Bourque will finish the season with the Rangers.
  • Game one prediction: Rangers 4 Kings 3 (calling Gabby for the GWG)
  • Game two prediction: Rangers 3 Ducks 2 (OT) (Wolski with the GWG – don’t laugh)

See you soon peeps; and wish me safe travels. GO RANGERS!!!!

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