In this first of three season preview articles, I will break down the New York Rangers' defensive corps for your reading pleasure. Look for the Rangers' forward preview to come in mid-September when we will know for sure whether Sundin or Shanahan will be joining the team.
Listed next to the players' names you will find their salaries for next season, along with their point totals from last season.
The Players
1. Wade Redden ($6.5 million; 6 G, 32 A, 38 P)
Wade Redden is perhaps the most important member of the Rangers' defense this season, if not only because he earned the enormous six-year, $36 million deal, but also because of his potential.
In his heyday, Redden was one of the best offensive defensemen in the league and one of the best power play quarterbacks as well.
Over the last few seasons in Ottawa, however, his play has slipped. This could be due to him wearing out his welcome, or the fact that he has had some off-ice issues.
Whatever the cause, if he brings those problems to New York not only will he be booed night in and night out, but he will make Glen Sather look like a horrible GM, which he is not.
I truly believe that a change of scenery to one of the best hockey markets in the country will fix Redden and get him back on track so he can be the power play quarterback this team has been missing since Brian Leetch.
2. Michal Rozsival ($5 million; 13 G, 25 A, 38 p)
During the end of last season, I bashed this defenseman in almost every game because his defense was simply atrocious. Yes, he scored goals and that's why he was given the free pass from fans while Marek Malik (whose defensive play was not much worse than Rozsival's) was the whipping boy.
On the afternoon of July 1, Rozsival signed a huge deal with the Rangers—a four-year deal worth $20 million. For that, I decided to put my past with him behind me and look to the future. And actually, the future is quite bright.
He was playing with a bad hip last season and that may have been the reason for his defensive struggles, but now I can see his offense is also improving.
On a team starved for offense, Rozsival scored 13 goals, and that was after passing up opportunities to shoot on what seemed to be every single shift. Every time he had the puck Jagr was calling for a pass and he would give in.
But now, with no Jagr, Rozsival will be using that hard, low slap shot of his more often and scoring more goals. Together with Redden, they have the potential to be one of the best power play point combinations in the league.
3. Dmitri Kalinin ($2.1 million; 1 G, 7 A, 8 P)
One of the Rangers free agent acquisitions this offseason was bringing in Dmitri Kalinin. I cannot comment on him based on personal experience, but from what I hear he has a very accurate and hard slap shot that he is not afraid to use.
He only scored one goal last year due to missing half the season, but when healthy he will be able to put pucks in the net and be an integral part of the team's second power play unit.
4. Paul Mara ($1.95 million; 1 G, 16 A, 17 P)
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