Bleacher Report - Articles by Joe Correia

Should the New York Rangers Start Over?

Joe Correia — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:37:11 -0500

Should the Rangers chalk this season up as a transition year and have a fire sale?

The short answer is yes. There are some players in the club right now who can contribute to the team’s long-term success. Those types of players should be kept for the long haul.

However, there are some players who hold value but can't be considered a part of the long-term solution for this team. And then there are players who are completely worthless to other GMs in the league and as a result the Rangers have no choice but to keep them.

These valueless skaters should be sent to the AHL, KHL, or even the ECHL. Some players who have worn the Rangers sweater this season honestly don't deserve to be playing in the NHL based on their performance. So, player by player, let’s take a look at the Rangers and what their fate should be.

Every player will get a blurb about them, as well as an approximation of their trade value and likelihood that they actually get traded this season. The trade value of each player will be self-explanatory, and the chances they get traded this season will be a percentage from 0-100.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Artem Anisimov (Center)

A point-per game player in the AHL as a 20-year-old, Anisimov began to turn heads this preseason, scoring highlight reel goals accompanied by sound play in the defensive zone.

I’ve seen offensive flashes from him this season, though (even as a rookie) his defensive play leaves a lot to be desired given his “solid two-way center” reputation. As expected, Ani isn’t used to the speed of the NHL game yet, but I have faith that he’ll grow into it. Keep him.

Trade Value: an established second line winger or second pairing defenseman

Trade Chance: five percent

Watch his recent goal against the Blue Jackets.

Sean Avery (Wing)

Avery’s starting to look like the Avery of old. Getting in the faces of the opposition, finishing checks, and creating opportunities around the net is very encouraging for the fans to see.

Besides, no other GM in the league would want him, and he’s under contract for two more seasons after this one. Sean stays.

Trade Value: a second or third rounder in a consequence-free world

Trade Chance: one percent

Brian Boyle (Center)

At first, I was excited about the news that the Rangers acquired Boyle. I expected him to be the team’s fourth-line center and be a fourth liner who could chip in some points.

The problem is that other Rangers fans expected him to be more. Although upside still exists at 24 years old, the clock is ticking for Brian to make significant strides in his game to be anything more than a fourth-line center. Most importantly, he’s signed to a sweetheart cap hit for only one more season after this one. Keep him.

Trade Value: a mid-tier prospect or third- or fourth-rounder

Trade Chance: 20 percent

Donald Brashear (Winger)

Don’s not the old Brashear who struck fear into the opposition like he once did. Although he is 10 times the hockey player, unlike Colton Orr, I have not seen a single fight this season where Brash completely manhandled his opponent.

For a team that is considered “soft,” Brashear sure doesn’t do enough to try to shed that label. The only thing I learned, based on his play thus far, is that it is apparently OK for the members of the opposing team to run Lundqvist.

I don’t care about how good of a guy he is off the ice, get rid of this washed-up has-been and his $1.4 million cap hit one way or another.

Trade Value: a “will-never-make-it prospect” or a fourth- or fifth-rounder

(Hey, if Ryan Hollweg got the Rangers a fifth-rounder, almost anything’s possible.)

Trade Chance: 70 percent (75 percent he gets waived though)

Ryan Callahan (Winger)

What a disappointment Mr. "I Lead the NHL in Hits” has been. Many Rangers fans (including myself, I’ll man up to it) expected Ryan to take the next step this season after being named an assistant captain by John Tortorella.

Callahan has been very good on the forecheck; the only problems have been that his line mates don’t help him out, and he hasn’t done much else. Ryan, unfortunately, has caught Petr Prucha syndrome and hasn’t been able to buy a goal since the beginning of the season.

You hustle, Ryan, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t shed a tear if you’re traded for something substantial in return.

Trade Value: a late first-rounder or second-rounder; an established top-six forward if packaged with a decent piece

Trade Chance: 25 percent

He's definitely one of the toughest around.

Chris Drury (Center)

Mr. Fairfield Prep Alum himself. I regret buying a jersey with your namesake and a captain’s "C" more and more every day.

Yeah, you play solidly in your own end, but how about a goal, or hell, even a point once in a while? Oh yeah, and the fact that not a single one of your troops reacted after Curtis Glencross elbowed you in the head, giving you a concussion really, speaks volumes about your leadership abilities.

Not even your own team respects you, captain. Personally, I do, and a handful of Rangers fans do, but to be honest, I have no idea of how your agent swindled the cigar-chewing maniac we call our GM into giving you $7 million per year, given what you bring to the table.

I love you as a player, and I try to model my own game after yours, but you’re handcuffing this team financially. In a perfect world, I’d ask you kindly to retire so the Rangers organization can be free of your bloated $7 million per season cap hit.

You could even proceed to un-retire and sign with another team, I don’t care. Ninety percent of New York never wants to see you in a Rangers sweater again, however.

Unfortunately, no other team would want you, and you probably wouldn’t want to drop your no-movement clause. So, it looks like we’re stuck with you. Just try to stay healthy and contribute what you can.

Trade Value: another player with a bad contract

Trade Chance: 0.1 percent

The overpaid captain is likely staying.

Brandon Dubinsky (Center)

Easily the most frustrating player to watch on this Rangers roster. Some nights, Brandon scores a couple of goals and adds a couple of assists. Other nights, he’s invisible.

Honestly, make up your mind Brandon. You held out during training camp and now play like you deserved to. Otherwise, you’re going to lose a lot of respect from your teammates, the organizational brass, and the fanbase.

I just hope Tortorella keeps you with the same line mates, since you seem to take some time to adjust to new ones. Organizationally, the Rangers are rather thin at center, but, if a trade offer for a star in this league comes along, I sincerely hope Sather pulls the trigger if it involves you and another piece. I know I sure don’t want another Heatley debacle.

Trade Value: a first-round pick or a highly-touted prospect, a star in this league if packaged with the right pieces

Trade Chance: 10 to 15 percent

Check out Brandon give an all-access interview.

Marian Gaborik (Winger)

The single player on this team right now who is untradeable. Period.

Trade Value: Sky high, but, for the hell of it, an established top-line forward, a highly-touted prospect likely to achieve star status, and a couple of first-round picks.

Trade Chance: zero percent

Chris Higgins (Center/Winger)

Honestly, I feel bad for Chris Higgins. He had a horrendous start to the season, but, in the past 15 games, he’s been the second- or third-best player on the team, depending on the night.

Another victim of Petr Prucha syndrome, Higgins has been doing everything right lately, except for burying his scoring chances. He’s been good on the forecheck, good in his own end, good positionally, and, simply put, has been a pain in the ass to play against.

I’m rooting so hard for Chris to pull through, but I have a feeling that he’ll be traded to a cup contender before he does.

Trade Value: a second-round pick or mid-high quality prospect

Trade Chance: 70 percent

Ales Kotalik (Winger)

When he was signed over the summer to a three-year contract worth $3 million, I was hoping that he would be making $3 million total throughout the contract.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. Kotalik has a booming shot, probably among the hardest in the league. However, he brings nothing else to the table. He’s not exactly fast, a lazy backchecker, and he takes stupid penalties.

I won’t deny that he’s helped out the previously anemic power play, but that’s all he’s done. If the Rangers can find a suitor for Kotalik, they should move him as soon as possible. His $3 million could be invested more wisely in something else.

Trade Value: an established NHL third-liner or middle-pairing defenseman or a second-round pick

Trade Chance: 30 percent

Enver Lisin (Winger)

Lisin does not deserve to be in Le Chateau Bow-Wow, where John Tortorella has placed him. You would think that you are doing something wrong when Aaron Voros, of all people, is playing, and you’re sitting in the press box.

On a team that needs secondary scorers to step up in the biggest way, it’s a shock to me that Lisin isn’t getting more time than he is. Up until a foot injury, Lisin was skating well and getting scoring chances.

Coincidentally, Lisin was playing on the top line with Prospal and Gaborik, which highlighted his shortcomings even more, though those games should have an asterisk next to them due to his injury.

As much of a better option as I believe he may be, even if he’s playing the fourth line, I don’t see him getting another fair shot as long as Tortorella is coach. Trade him for what you can get.

Trade Value: another “project” player or a third-round pick

Trade Chance: 65 percent

P.A. Parenteau (Winger)

A career AHL’er, P.A. finally got his shot with the big club when Drury and Dubinsky went down with injuries. His heroics in the shootout and creativity with the puck have caused many Rangers fans and those around the league to take notice.

The only problem with him is that he is small and gets muscled off of the puck easily. If P.A wants to work at it, it’s something that can be fixed. Unfortunately, I think the Rangers are better off selling high on P.A. and should see what they could get for him.

Trade Value: a second- or third-round draft pick, or a mid-high level prospect

Trade Chance: 50 percent

Vinny Prospal (Center/Winger)

At a cap hit of $1.1 million for this season, Prospal is currently the best “bang for the buck” player in the NHL right now. After being bought out by Tampa Bay, Prospal was hungry to prove his doubters wrong and show that he still had some left in the tank. What better way to do it than by signing with an old coach whom he played well under?

Outside of Gaborik, he’s the team’s most skilled forward, and, most importantly, the most consistent thus far. As well as Vinny has played, I see him as a perfect candidate for trade bait to yield a great return at the trade deadline this season.

Trade Value: a first-round pick or highly-touted prospect

Trade Chance: 75 percent

Aaron Voros (Winger)

Should be nowhere near this team. Waive him, and pray someone picks him up. Otherwise, let him join his buddy Patrick Rissmiller in the AHL making $1 million a season to play in Hartford.

Trade Value: a low draft pick or low-end prospect

Trade Chance: 90 percent chance he gets waived

Michael Del Zotto (Defenseman)

As far as current roster players go on the defensive end, he’s about as untouchable as they come right now. Surprising more than a few (including myself) Rangers fans by making the team out of training camp, DZ has proven early in the season that he belongs here.

Earning Rookie of the Month honors, Del Zotto is on pace for a 45-point rookie campaign. The first legitimate offensive defenseman and power play QB the Rangers have had since Brian Leetch left, and he’s 19 years old? He’s not going anywhere.

Trade Value: impossible to gauge

Trade Chance: 0.5 percent

Matt Gilroy (Defenseman)

Gilroy has done exactly what I expected him to do in his first NHL season, and that is play steady defense while chipping in a few points. Anyone who thought he would light the world on fire in his first season was the victim of too much wishful thinking.

Gilroy is a great skater and probably the best among the defense right now. However, Gilroy makes some very ill-advised pinches that led to odd man rushes the other way. Recently, however, he’s been better at picking his spots and isn’t getting caught up on the ice as much.

Gilroy could also stand to work on his positioning a bit more, but, at this point, which Rangers' defenseman can't? Let Gilroy finish out his two-year contract, see how he progresses, and go from there.

Trade Value: a top-four defenseman, a second-line forward

Trade Chance: two percent

Dan Girardi (Defenseman)

Girardi started out the season atrociously. He wasn’t throwing the body, was caught out of position on more than one occasion leading to a critical mistake, and was not contributing all that much offensively.

Recently, he has picked up his play and has played like the player that we have seen in the past. With that being said, however, I do not think that Girardi has progressed enough as a player to warrant giving him another contract.

With many defensive prospects knocking on the NHL’s door, Girardi is a very expendable piece who, if a part of a package, could bring in a very good player.

Trade Value: if packaged with another piece, a young top-six winger or top-four defenseman

Trade Chance: 25 percent

Wade Redden (Defenseman)

After an atrocious first year as a Ranger, I was willing to hear Wade out and see how he would play this season. He has answered with being the most consistent defenseman on this team this season.

His decision-making with the puck, as well as the outlet passes out of the defensive zone that he is known for, have been a lot sharper. His positioning has been top-notch, and I just hope he comes back from his shoulder injury playing the same way—for the sake of the team and my sanity.

In a perfect world, he’d be traded to a team in need of a defenseman with cap space. However, there are few teams that would: a) have the cap space; b) be interested in Redden; and c) would put together an acceptable package for him. It looks like we’re stuck with him at least up until next season.

Trade Value: another player signed to a bad contract, a third- or fourth-round pick

Trade Chance: one percent

Michal Rozsival (Defenseman)

How do you spell brutal? I spell it R-O-Z-S-I-V-A-L. Never have I seen a player with such an aversion for playing the body.

Allowing Mike Rupp to dance into the offensive zone and letting him snipe it top-shelf like Alex Ovechkin was the most insulting thing done to a goalie since Sean Avery gave Brodeur the “Fatso” nickname. (OK, not really.)

I used to give Rozsival a pass on his defensive shortcomings because he would be contributing offensively—whenever he wouldn’t perpetually be passing it to Jagr on the right half boards anyway, but I digress.

Simply put, he brings nothing beneficial to the table right now. Sather needs to give his fellow GMs some cigars laced with LSD so he would have a chance of convincing one of them to take on Rozsival’s $5 million cap hit.

I’m not even angry anymore when this guy makes a mistake, since I just expect it to happen. Get him off this team.

Trade Value: another bad contract, perhaps a mid-level prospect or pick

Trade Chance: 35 percent

Marc Staal (Defenseman)

Until recently, Staal’s play this season has been very disappointing. He’s been soft along the boards—where he’s usually among the NHL’s strongest—he’s been off with his positioning, and he would make ill-advised pinches into the offensive zone.

However, I don’t think we could blame him very much for that last one, since the coaching staff appears to be encouraging him to get involved in the offense to tap into some offensive potential that he may have.

In recent games, Staal’s play has been miles better than at the start of the season. His slide of bad games has had some Rangers fans calling for him to be traded while his value is still high. Don’t do it, Sather. He’ll come around and will continue to get better every season.

Trade Value: a young top-line talent or multiple high draft picks

Trade Chance: 0.2 percent

Henrik Lundqvist (Goalie)

Now comes the hard part of my article. I’ll come out and say it right away—Henrik Lunqvist has been playing sub-par this season and nothing like the Vezina-caliber goalie that us Rangers fans are used to.

In fact, he’s been very average so far this season. He seems to be letting in more soft goals and shots that he should be able to stop in games this season. In fact, I think I may know why this is happening. The Olympics are taking place next winter.

There is no way that Henrik isn’t saving himself for that, because, apparently, winning a gold medal (which he already has, by the way) is more important than winning a Stanley Cup.

It’s understandable but only to a degree. There’s wanting to play for your country, but there’s also letting your NHL team down in the process. Lundqvist has been doing just that this season. In a couple of games that the Rangers needed him to steal for them, he has come up empty.

Simply put, I’m very disappointed in the way Lundqvist has played so far this season. With that said, however, those who are advocating trading him and calling him the next Jim Carey are way out of line.

You simply don’t trade the only goalie with four 30-win seasons in his first four seasons in the NHL, someone who has been nominated for the Vezina in three of the last four seasons played, and has a gold medal to his name.

Folks, he’s 27 years old! He has at least eight good seasons left in him. There’s plenty of time to re-tool and give him a better shot to win a Stanley Cup. Unless they are unhappy, you simply don’t trade franchise players. Ever.

Trade Value: Alex Ovechkin (kidding)…a young starting goalie, a young first-line forward or first-pairing defenseman, a highly-touted prospect, and a first-round pick or two. (Think, I don’t know, Ondrej Pavelec, Bryan Little, Zach Bogosian, and a first-rounder.)

Trade Chance: five percent

Steve Valiquette (Goalie)

I meant to type Sieve Valiquette; I apologize folks. This guy has been atrocious so far this season. Trade him to a team desperate for a veteran backup. Call up Johnson or Zaba.

There’s no harm in letting either of them get their feet wet a few games this season. They honestly couldn’t fare worse than Valiquette has this season.

Trade Value: a goalie prospect or mid-round pick

Trade Chance: 40 percent

There you have it, folks. Let's go, Rangers.

2009-2010 New York Rangers Season Preview and Predictions

Joe Correia — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:22:00 -0400

In an offseason that has seen the likes of Scott Gomez, Paul Mara, Nikolai Zherdev, Markus Naslund, Nik Antropov, Colton Orr, and Blair Betts leave, it has become obvious that this is now John Tortorella’s team. After being hired after the release of Tom Renney, Tortorella has implemented a new, up-tempo system of play into an otherwise defensive-minded squad.

However, given the personnel Torts had to work with, he could not maximize the full benefits that his system of play can yield, and therefore his system resulted in a lackluster showing in the second half of the first round playoff series against Washington. Entering his first full season as Rangers head coach, Tortorella has promised better results with a revamped squad of players.

One of the main problems the team had last season, as many Rangers fans know, was a lack of scorers. Glen Sather fixed that, but not without making a few moves first. The first casualty of the Tortorella Era was Scott Gomez, when on June 30, 2009, it was announced that he was shipped to Montreal for Chris Higgins and Ryan McDonagh. Although Higgins had an injury-riddled year, he is very happy to be in New York and is determined more than ever to take his play to the next level.

Just one day later, with Gomez’s $7.3 million cap hit off the books, the New York Rangers signed superstar winger Marian Gaborik to a five-year contract worth $7.5 million dollars with a no-trade clause. Although Gaborik has a history of nagging injuries, his ability to get behind the defense and finish his opportunities should help the Rangers’ scoring woes in a big way. His wrist shot and lightning fast release should also yield a high number of power play goals, which would surely help a Rangers power play that was ranked 29th in the NHL last season.

In addition to the big-ticket signing of Gaborik, Donald Brashear, Brian Boyle, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin, and most recently, Vaclav Prospal, have been added to the team via free agency and trades. With the exception of Brashear, who was signed as an enforcer to replace Colton Orr, all of these players should help jump-start the offense and provide a strong supporting cast around the core of Drury, Dubinsky, Higgins, Avery, Gaborik, and Callahan.

I will get to more detailed predictions on the offense later, but now, I would like to discuss the state of the Rangers’ defense for the coming season. After being signed to a ludicrous six-year, $6.5 million/year contract, Wade Redden has quickly become a scapegoat for the Rangers’ fanbase for his untimely turnovers and apparently nonchalant attitude. Once Tortorella took over for Renney, Redden seemed to turn it around, playing a solid second half of the season. Returning to the Rangers defense are Rozsival, Staal, and Girardi.

The next two spots, however, are open for the team’s defensive prospects for the taking. With the departures of Paul Mara and Derek Morris to other teams via free agency, how these two spots are going to be filled is anyone’s guess. Hobey Baker award winner Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, Bobby Sanguinetti, Finnish import Ilkka Heikkinen, Michael Sauer, and Corey Potter will all make strong cases in training camp to be inserted into the Rangers’ defensive corps.

There have been rumors that the Rangers are attempting to sign either Francis Boullion or Dennis Seidenberg to fill one of the slots in order to not rush a young defenseman into the NHL. Although finding a veteran to play on the bottom pairing makes sense, both players are seeking multi-year deals, something the Rangers should not give out to an aging defenseman with a lot of defensive prospects knocking on the NHL’s door in the near future.

This officially concludes the journalistic part of the article, and instead, this begins the part of the article that I will write my personal predictions for this upcoming season. Let’s start with the roster on opening night. I expect the lines to look something like this:

Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik
Higgins-Drury-Kotalik
Avery-Anisimov-Callahan
Brashear-Boyle-Lisin
Voros

Staal-Girardi
Redden-Gilroy
Potter-Rozsival
Heikkenen

Lundqvist
Valiquette

I’m not expecting many surprises in training camp outside of these line combinations in terms of personnel, other than a couple of players being juggled between lines here and there. Although the skills of Boyle and Lisin are more suited for the top nine, their place on the depth chart sets them on the fourth line to start out. But I would not be surprised to see one or both promoted to the third or even second line during the course of the season. The burning question, however, is who moves down to the fourth line when a player earns a promotion.

The biggest surprise to some reading this may be the inclusion of Gilroy in the Rangers’ defensive corps. Some may say that the gap between the NCAA and NHL is vast, and that it would be difficult for him to adjust to the rigors of an 82-game schedule. In my opinion, however, I don’t see Gilroy having those problems. Simply put, players like him do not grow on trees. His poise with the puck, passing abilities, speed, agility, and sound defensive play should allow him to adjust to the NHL quite easily, as I believe these particular skills are vital to be a successful player in the NHL. Although I think THN’s prediction of him scoring 45 points in his first season in the NHL are very generous, to put it lightly, I think he’ll do just fine for himself in his rookie season.

With the full implementation of Tortorella’s up-tempo system, look for Ryan Callahan, Chris Higgins, and Marian Gaborik (if he stays healthy) to have excellent seasons. Look out also for Brandon Dubinsky to continue to follow the Mike Richards curve of development. Centering Gaborik is part of the recipe that will allow Brandon to have a break-out season. Kotalik will bring Drury’s offensive game back from dormancy, and will add a few goals of his own blasting howitzers from the left circle on the power play.

On the defensive side of things, look for Wade Redden to play himself out of scapegoat status. Redden has reportedly been undergoing a rigorous training program in the offseason to prepare for this coming season. As one of the premier puck moving defensemen in the league pre-lockout, a physically-fit Redden can be a force to be reckoned with this coming season.

Staal will continue to improve, especially on the offensive side of the puck. Look, however, for Girardi to disappoint this season, as he seems to go through a stretch when he slumps for games at a time at least once during the season. It is only a matter of time before the Garden faithful start to get on his case.

As for goaltending, we all know what we’re getting. Look for Valiquette to get more starts this season with Lundqvist playing for Team Sweden during the Olympics and the fatigue that is sure to result from it.

I will end this article with some point predictions for each player this upcoming season, along with a prediction for how the team will fare.

With a solid offensive supporting cast around Gaborik under Tortorella, this new Rangers team will no longer struggle to score goals. In turn, however, expect the Rangers to give up a few more goals this season, and for Lundqvist’s GAA stat to increase slightly. The success of the defense will hinge on whether or not Marc Staal establishes himself as a premier shut down defenseman in the NHL, along with steady play from Rozsival and Redden. Like previous seasons, the success of the team will be based on how their star players perform. If both Gaborik and Lundqvist meet expectations, the Rangers will finish second in the division and fourth in the East. If one of these players gets hurt and misses a significant chunk of time, expect the Rangers to be a bubble playoff team. If both get hurt, well, I don’t even want to think about it. My prediction? Gaborik plays 72 games, Lundqvist plays 65, and the Rangers finish third in the Atlantic.

Joe’s Prediction: Sixth in the East (47-30-5)

Now, as promised, I will end the article with my point predictions for each player for this upcoming season.

Anisimov: G: 9 A: 22 P: 33
Avery: G: 12 A: 26 P: 38
Brashear: G: 3 A: 2 P: 5
Boyle: G: 14 A: 12 P: 26
Callahan: G: 25 A: 23 P: 48
Drury: G: 31 A: 33 P: 64
Dubinsky: G: 17 A: 42 P: 59
Gaborik: G: 47 A: 44 P: 91
Gilroy: G: 6 A: 19 P: 25
Girardi: G: 8 A: 16 P: 24
Higgins: G: 28 A: 24 P: 52
Kotalik: G: 21 A: 22 P: 43
Lisin: G: 11 A: 13 P: 24
Potter: G: 2 A: 11 P: 13
Prospal: G: 18 A: 40 P: 58
Redden: G: 9 A: 38 P: 47
Rozsival: G: 11 A: 22 P: 33
Staal: G: 5 A: 21 P: 26

Lundqvist: GP: 65 GAA: 2.46 SV %: .921 W: 39
Valiquette: GP: 17 GAA: 2.65 SV %: .909 W: 8

2009 NHL Mock Draft

Joe Correia — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:10:00 -0400

Welcome everybody, and thank you for reading.

The 2009 NHL Draft is promising to be one that is very deep in top end talent that will extend to roughly the top eight picks. After that, the talent level drops off a bit, and that level of talent lasts until about pick number twenty two.

After that, however, there is not that huge of a drop off in talent until the end of the second round. Teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders that have multiple picks in the first three rounds are going to come away with a lot of high level talent.

Compared to last year, I do not see as many trades involving first round picks. However, that does not mean that they will not happen.

Expect the normal one or two spots trade ups/trade downs, with maybe one or two teams trading a few spots up from their original slot. Given the talent available in the top 10 picks, the teams possessing those picks will probably not want to part with them unless they are offered a deal that the GM simply can’t refuse.

With only a week away until the draft, I hope you are as anxious as I am for what should be another exciting and interesting draft. Enjoy guys!

1. New York Islanders - John Tavares (C)

There has been a lot of controversy and hype about the top two prospects in the draft. Tavares has been touted as one of the top prospects for his age group since he entered the OHL as a 15 year old.

However, Swedish phenom Victor Hedman, the towering 6’6” defenseman has also made a decent claim to be selected first overall. My opinion?

The Islanders cannot afford to not take Tavares. Although I am personally a believer in building a successful team from the goal out, the organization needs a face for the franchise that will put people in the seats.

Tavares can do just that. Although Tavares’ skating and agility have been criticized, his great hockey sense, superb stickhandling, and lethal shot do more than make up for his shortcomings. The bust factor exists, but I believe Tavares has what it takes to be a great player in this league.

Comparable: Mike Bossy

2. Tampa Bay Lightning - Victor Hedman (D)

This one is a no brainer. The guy can skate like Bouwmeester, has the on-ice presence of Pronger, and oh yeah, he can play some defense too.

Victor Hedman, at 18 years old, is 6’6” and 220 pounds; I’m scared to think about what kind of player he will be 10, or even 5 years from now. The only knock on Hedman is that he can stand to use his body to his benefit more.

His defensive awareness is top notch, and his skating and agility are tailor-made for the modern NHL. If he comes over from Sweden to play in the NHL next season, Hedman will instantly become the second best defenseman on the team, and could perhaps finish the season as the best when all is said and done. Not bad for an 18 year old defenseman.

Comparable: Chris Pronger

3. Colorado Avalanche - Matt Duchene (C)

Brampton Battalion forward Matt Duchene has seen his stock rise substantially in the past year. He is perhaps the best all around player in this draft.

He really can do it all; skate, stickhandle, shoot, and play defense. Duchene may need to fill out a bit more from his 5’11” 185 pound frame, but I feel his explosiveness more than makes up for his lanky body.

He is my personal pick to become one of the best players picked in this draft, and I believe that the Avalanche organization and their fans should be ecstatic to have him.

Comparable: Marian Gaborik

4. Atlanta Thrashers - Evander Kane (C/LW)

GM Don Waddell has publicly stated that Atlanta will pick either Duchene, Kane, or Schenn with their 4th overall pick. With Duchene likely off the board, Kane seems like the best

2009 NHL Draft Power Rankings

Joe Correia — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:24:00 -0400

Hello everyone.

Finals are over, and I'm home for the summer. This means I have a very long four months until preseason starts. Until then, there is the NHL draft that takes place in June, and this one is looking to be full of high-end talent that will make an immediate impact on the teams that to which these particular players are drafted.

Since the playoffs are still going on, the draft order is not yet set. For now, enjoy my top 30 player power rankings for the 2009 NHL Draft.

Note: This is not a mock draft. This is just my personal assessment on where each prospect stands in relation to the others, factoring in talent level, potential, and competition.

Power Rankings: 5/10/09

1. Hedman
2. Tavares
3. Duchene
4. Paajarvi-Svensson
5. Schenn
6. Kane
7. Schroeder
8. Kulikov
9. Cowen
10. Kadri
11. Moore
12. Ekman-Larssson
13. Glennie
14. Josefson
15. Ellis
16. Ashton
17. Holland
18. Kassian
19. Despres
20. Ferraro
21. Leblanc
22. Rundblad
23. Palmieri
24. Morin
25. Kreider
26. Elliot
27. Budish
28. Shore
29. Klingberg
30. De Haan

Be sure to keep an eye out for my mock draft that will be posted within the next couple weeks or so.

A Realistic Approach to Fixing the New York Rangers

Joe Correia — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:26:00 -0500

Hey everyone, I haven't written on here in a while since I've been back in school and busy doing my work and going to the hospital for clincals. Although I did not watch the massacre of the Rangers last night courtesy of the Dallas Stars, it has been obvious to me for a while that this team has major problems that need to be addressed.

However, you can say that the Rangers need a scoring winger more than anything, but thanks to our good 'ol buddy Glen Sather signing Gomez, Drury, Redden, and Rozsival to lucrative, long term deals, the Rangers front office is facing the challenge of having no cap room to work with mostly in part to giving the above players over-inflated contracts.

Upon reading HFBoards when I turned in for the evening early this morning, everyone makes mention that changes need to be made, but no one offers a concrete solution to the Rangers' cap woes.

Without further delay, I contructed a long, thought out proposition of how to fix this mess and, believe it or not, remain competitive for a playoff spot. Enjoy, and be sure to leave a word or two of your thoughts on the subject.

Current Cap Hit: 55.3 million
Cap Space: 600 K

Players that are safe:
Staal
Drury
Lundqvist
Dubinsky
Rozsival
Girardi
Zherdev
Korpikoski
Mara
Orr
Callahan

Players That Will Go Via Trade/Free Agency:
Gomez
Redden
Naslund (2010 deadline)
Voros
Prucha
Sjostrom
Betts
Kalinin
Dawes

Trades:
Gomez to MTL for Higgins, Plekanec, 3rd 2010 (2009 offseason)

Redden to DAL for Daley, rights to Avery) (-2.3 million)

Voros to anywhere for a bag of pucks (Seriously, a 3rd or 4th rounder, -1 million)

Prucha to LA for 3rd 2009 (-1.6 million)

Dawes to NSH for Cody Franson

After 2008-2009 Trades:
Cap Hit: 50.5 million
Cap Space: 5.7 million

Offseason:
Betts let go during free agency (-615K)
Kalinin let go via free agency (-2.1 million)
Zherdev re-signed: 4 years, 16 million (+4 million)
Korpikoski resigned: 1 year, 800K (arbitration, -300K)
Sjostrom not tendered an offer (-840K)
Dubinsky re-signed: 3 years, 4.5 million (+867K)
Callahan re-signed: 2 years, 2 million (+425 K)
Orr re-signed: 1 year, 650 K (+100K)
Mara re-signed: 3 years, 7 million (+433K)

After Signings:
Cap Hit: 54.5 million

Fallout of Gomez trade:
Gomez traded (-7.3 million)
Higgins re-signed: 3 years, 10 million (+3.33 million)
Plekanec re-signed: 2 years, 7.5 million (+3.75 million)

Cap Hit: 54.2 million
Anticipated cap rise to 58 million
Cap Space: 3.8 million

2009-2010 Opening Night Roster:
Naslund-Plekanec-Zherdev
Avery-Drury-Higgins
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Korpikoski
Callahan-Moore-Orr

Staal-Rozsival
Daley-Girardi
Mara-Sanguinetti
Potter

Lundqvist
Wiikman

NOTE: Don’t forget, Grachev, Kveton (?), Byers, Del Zotto, Sauer, Stepan are all waiting in the wings; all will most likely be NHL ready within 3 years

A Ranger Fan's Plea

Joe Correia — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:51:00 -0500

Hey all, I haven't written on here in a while, but I figured that I'd sound off on the whole "Fire Renney" sentiment that many Ranger fans seem to be sharing lately.

Being 25th in the league on the power play, amounting to 25 PP goals scored, and 12, shorthanded goals against so far this season. That's almost a 2:1 ratio of PP goals scored and SH goals against. This is unacceptable.

This team needs a shakeup. The parts needed to land a prime time scorer are those that most that are reading this and a semi-competent GM would not want to part with and because of this should be kept in order to stay away from depleting the pool of NHL prospects that the team has at the present time.

This is why I think that a trade is not the answer at this point and time, also taking into account the four albatrosses that are Drury, Gomez, Redden, and Rozsival.

What's the next best thing for a shakeup of the team? Some heads need to start rolling. I don't have to tell any of you reading this that what the team is doing now, most specifically in the power play and overall utilization of players on the team, is not working.

If a coach's system of play and utilization of his players is not working, a change needs to be made. I have not, and never will doubt Renney's credibility as a coach, I just simply think that he is the wrong guy to be at the helm with the team the way it is.

I would love to keep Renney in the organization as long as he is in scouting or in a front office job. However, his methods behind the bench simply have not been working with this group of players.

My opinion, in short, is very simple. Fire Pearn, and "remove" Renney from the head coaching position.

Rangers Look to Turn it Around Against the Lightning

Joe Correia — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:05:00 -0500

After two less-than-stellar performances this past Saturday and Tuesday nights against the Leafs and Islanders, respectively, the Garden faithful have already managed to find a new scapegoat to replace Marek Malik (who, by the way, makes his triumphant return to the Garden as a member of the Lightning tonight).

It now appears that Michal Rozsival is the new target of the boo birds. Rozy has earned the jeers not only for his horrific play, namely in the most recent game Tuesday night against the Islanders, but also for the amount that he is being paid after signing a four-year extension worth $20 million with the Rangers in the offseason. With the signing of Redden for six years at $39 million, signing both of these defensemen was not a smart move on Sather's part to begin with.

For the record, I did not like the signing in the offseason when it was first made public. With contract extensions due for Dubinsky and Zherdev this offseason and for Staal and Girardi next offseason, the Rangers are in for a very tricky financial future where the cap will most likely not increase substantially when the players I listed above are due for raises.

In regards to Rozsival's most recent play, I will be the first to defend him and say that while in the defensive zone, he makes the smart play and clears the puck out of the zone in a very swift manner. However, when it comes to the power play in the offensive zone, it is a complete different story.

Rozy has a rocket of a shot, but instantly holds off on the shot and passes it off if a penalty killer on the opposing team even breathes into his shooting lane. Also, as evidenced by the most recent game, I would say that Rozsival is among the worst point men in the Eastern Conference in terms of puck control and positioning. I will go on record and say that he was directly responsible for both goals that the Islanders scored on Tuesday night.

Giveaways at the blue line that lead to odd man rushes for the shorthanded team are inexcusable. These giveaways were caused most in part due to poor positioning, and could have easily been prevented.

This leads me to my next point. The power play for the Rangers has been abysmal. Guys such as Dubinsky and Voros that are comfortable crashing the net for rebounds and working in the corners become useless when anyone out on the ice refuses to shoot.

Although it may be due to an elbow injury, Redden has all of a sudden stopped firing hard shots from the point. I described the situation with Rozsival above, and while Mara has intentions of shooting, his shots have not been hitting the net recently and have often led to the opposing team clearing the puck out of the zone.

You may ask me why a guy like Voros has gone on a multiple game dry streak for points. This is mostly due to the fact that not many quality shots are getting to the opposing team's goalie where a guy like Voros, Callahan, or Dubinsky could knock in a rebound. Start shooting on the power play, guys. You're almost making me miss the days of Jagr running the power play from the right half boards.

However, the ultimate problem that I feel has contributed to the team's poor play as of late is a complete 180 in terms of style of game played.

This team went from a free-wheeling, hard working, aggressive forechecking team in the first five games to reverting to the old trap system employed the past couple of years when the old guard of Jagr, Shanahan, Straka, and Nylander were still on the team. The days of being that type of team are over.

I feel that the talents of guys like Redden, Drury, Gomez, and Zherdev are being wasted, to an extent, because of this relapse in team philosophy. The type of game that these players play will thrive more in a system of a quick North-South game that allows defensemen to join the fast breakout and rushes that a guy like Gomez is notorious for. Believe me, it is no coincidence that the Rangers were 5-0 during the stretch of time where they played this system.

Perhaps playing Tampa Bay again tonight will revive old memories of how the Rangers played this style of game earlier this season. We as a fan base just need to have faith that our Blueshirts will turn things around before things start to get ugly.

New York Rangers' Series in Prague Offers a Taste of What to Expect This Season

Joe Correia — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:52:00 -0400

As all of you loyal Ranger fans know, New York played a two-game series in Prague over this past weekend, both games of which were won by the Rangers 2-1.

With a game on Saturday and Sunday, residents of the Czech Republic were able to see what the "new" post-lockout NHL is about. Although the games were very fun and exciting to watch, there were certain points when fellow Ranger fans and I watching the games were already in midseason form, criticizing certain individuals and the play of the team. Here are some things that stood out to me during the course of both games:

Nigel Dawes looks invisible

While Dawes may be notorious for starting off the season slowly, he is picking the wrong season to do so. With Dubinsky, Zherdev, Gomez, Naslund, and Drury filling the other top-six forward roles, the second-line LW slot is wide open.

I have always defended Nigel, but I feel that he is on the second line with Dubinsky and Zherdev by default based on his performance last season. So far, he has been less than spectacular and not noticeable on the ice. Dawes has to get it going—and quickly.

The Naslund-Gomez-Drury line looks phenomenal

I have not seen a Rangers line move the puck this well since the old combination of Straka, Nylander, and Jagr back in 2005. Gomez's pinpoint pass to Naslund that resulted in the first Rangers goal of the season was absolutely amazing.

Although this line may not be the biggest, I think they will continue to prove the old mantra that "speed kills" in the NHL.

The power play looks a lot better without Jagr

With no more Jagr to quarterback the power play from the right-end boards, other players on the team are now able to be more creative and work the puck faster.

The game-tying goal for the Rangers on Sunday was a prime example of the new Rangers power play. The Rangers were able to cycle the puck around in the offensive zone, keeping it in there for over a minute and a half before Redden finished off a great feed from Naslund in the slot. The power play this season should surely see an improvement from 22nd overall in the league last season.

Kalinin is this year's Malik

But not in the way most of you may think. This guy will be the best bottom-pairing defenseman this team has had since the lockout. He is sound positionally, and makes good decisions with the puck.

He is apt to make a mistake or two, but what defenseman hasn't made a boneheaded move? The way some people are jumping on him and trying to make him the scapegoat of the team TWO GAMES INTO THE SEASON is unbelievable. (Yes, I'm talking to you guys over at HF.)

Wait until this guy legitimately costs the Rangers a couple of wins this season before you guys burn him in effigy over Section 420.

As a general observation, the team went into Prague with 15 forwards and six defenders. Now, only 12 forwards are able to be dressed, meaning three will take a seat each game. This is occurring while Corey Potter and Brian Fahey, both of whom made strong cases to earn the seventh defenseman job at the very least, are down in Hartford while the team carries only six defenders.

This has lead me to believe that a trade is in the works, involving the movement of some of the team's excess third-line players for draft picks, or even an upgrade for someone who can possibly play on the second line. Maybe it's a pipe dream—but Patrick O'Sullivan, anyone?

That's all from me for now. Be sure to watch the home opener against the Blackhawks on Friday at 7pm!

New York Rangers: Training Camp Preview

Joe Correia — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:45:59 -0400

With only six days until training camp opens, many Rangers fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the 2008-2009 NHL season.

Similar to the situation last year, there will be many new faces on the team, while some old familiar ones have moved on for one reason or another.

While some argue that this team will not contend for a playoff spot next April, I tend to disagree. This season will be a matter of how the new members of the team will mesh with the existing core of players remaining from the previous couple of seasons. If all goes well, I will not be surprised to see playoff hockey in New York for the fourth consecutive season. However, I will not be surprised if the opposite comes true.

As for the issues the team is facing now, there are a few spots on the roster to be had after the departures of Jagr, Straka, and Shanahan (or maybe not). With the rumors of Sundin becoming a Ranger finally cooling down (thank God), there are holes to be filled, most notably among the top-six forward group.

With the signing of Naslund and the acquisition of Zherdev in the offseason, two wing spots in the top-six are all but cemented for them. With Gomez and Drury likely candidates to be the top two centers, two wing spots are left Tto be played for.

Toward the final part of the season and the playoffs, Nigel Dawes was the second line left winger on a line with Shanahan and Gomez. As it is unlikely that Shanahan will return, some shuffling of the lines is bound to happen. In my mind, one left wing and one right wing spot are open on the top six.

Although I see Dawes as a favorite to win the left wing spot, whether or not he gets it will hinge on many factors. For one, guys like Sjostrom, Fritsche, and Callahan will be fighting very hard for spots on a team deep with second/third line talent. If one of these guys makes a convincing case and plays outstanding hockey during training camp, Tom Renney will find himself having to make a couple of pretty difficult decisions.

On top of this, believe it or not, I see Artem Anisimov, of all players, deciding how the rest of the top six will fill out. Tom Renney has gone on record stating that the only thing separating the 20-year-old Russian from the show is his weight. At 6'4" and a reported 200 pounds, Renney would like to see Ani fill out his frame a little bit more so he will be able to endure the grind and more physically demanding NHL game.

However, almost none of us expected Staal to go from training camp walk-on to the team's No. 2, or arguably No. 1 defenseman as a 20-year-old down the stretch last season. If Anisimov has a good training camp and Traverse City tournament I can see him being a New York Ranger playing the games in Prague against the Lightning.

If Anisimov makes the team, you may ask, what about Dubinsky? Great question. We all saw his surge last season centering two very experienced and skilled players in Straka and Jagr on the first line. Some have even said they see future captain material in him. One poster on HF even went as far as to compare Dubinsky's style of play to shades of Messier. That, my friends, is a scary thought.

While I do by no means endorse Dubinsky as the next Messiah, I believe that he has a lot of potential as a top-six forward, and that he will be a key player to the organization for years to come.

However, with the log jam the Rangers have at center, I believe that playing Dubinksy on the third line with checking forwards would hinder his development. My suggestion? If Anisimov makes the team, put him on the left wing of a line with Drury and Zherdev. Dubi's big body and prowess along the boards would free up space for Zherdev to do his magic and score and set up a lot of goals. This would also immensely help out his development as he would be playing with two very skilled players while Anisimov gets his feet wet on the third line.

With this scenario, this would only leave one more spot in the top six. My personal opinion is that it should be Petr Prucha's spot to lose. Playing on a line with Gomez and Naslund that would be filled with such speed and skill would pay out big time. Combine Naslund's experience and Gomez's playmaking abilities, and I truly believe that we will see the Prucha of '05-'06 show up to the Garden again, and not the shell of his '07-'08 self.

This, however, would demote Dawes to the third line, where his soft stick and finishing roles on the team would be greatly diminished. You never know what will happen in training camp and, obviously, I am not the coach of the team. Tom Renney and company know a lot more about the players in the organization than you and I would ever dream to know.

Without further ado, my projected forward lines for the opening games in Prague:

Naslund-Gomez-Prucha

Dawes-Drury-Zherdev

Fritsche-Dubinsky-Sjostrom

Voros-Betts-Callahan

Orr

As for the defense, I believe that the six defensemen who make the team are all but set in stone. It is a matter of seeing which combinations work and which do not. This may take some time, but overall, this group of defensemen is a lot more skilled and mature than last year's.

What is up for debate, however, is who the seventh defenseman that the team carries will be. Thomas Pock, in my mind, is the most logical and cap-friendly option. But guys like Corey Potter, who I believe is overrated, and Brian Fahey will all draw consideration.

To be honest, I cannot say who will be the seventh defenseman on opening night, as it is too much of a crapshoot to say one guy for sure.

Some may say that Sanguinetti is ready for the big show. I respectfully disagree. While there is no denying his talent, his play in his own end leaves a lot to be desired. Working toward this, as well as running Hartford's power play from the point, will prove to be very valuable experience for him.

I have hopes that Bobby will be an absolute power play monster from the point for the Rangers, so there is no point is rushing him and throwing him into the fire of the NHL too early. I do, however, believe that he is all but a lock for the team next year if he shows encouraging signs of development in Hartford. I also would not put a brief NHL call-up out of the question this season in case of injury.

The defensive pairings on opening night (or what they should be, anyway):

Staal-Redden

Mara-Girardi

Kalinin-Rozsival

Pock/Fahey/Potter

As for the goalies...you really don't need to ask:

Lundqvist

Valiquette

That's it from me for now. Let the countdown for training camp and the regular season begin!

New York Rangers Prospects Roster Announced for Traverse City Tournament

Joe Correia — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:38:00 -0400

As Steve Zipay reports over at Newsday, the Rangers look to be sending another solid group of young players in an attempt to defend the Traverse City Championship that the team won last season.

There are some interesting selections, with players such as Lauri Korpikoski and Brandon Dubinsky no longer eligible, having seen action in the NHL last season. The tournament takes place during the big club's training camp, so it will be interesting to see who in this tournament gets a long look from the big club.

Here is the roster for the tournament:

G Matt Zaba
G Antoine LaFleur (unsigned)

C Artem Anisimov
C Joe Barnes
C Chris Doyle (unsigned)
C Evgeny Grachev (unsigned)
C Thomas Pyatt
C Tomas Zaborsky

F Brodie Dupont
F Siarhei Dzemahin
F Justin Soryal
F Mike Taylor
F Ryan Hillier (injured)
F David Skokan
F Dale Weise (unsigned)

D Michael Del Zotto (unsigned)
D Vladimir Denisov
D Tomas Kundratek
D Bobby Sanguinetti
D David Urquhart

Mats Sundin to the New York Rangers?

Joe Correia — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:48:00 -0400

After Larry Brooks' article this past Sunday that stated that Sundin has the desire to play in New York, I figured that I'd interrupt my Prospect Profiles series and sound off on the issue.

This is especially a hot topic on HF Boards where I post regularly. Below is what I wrote, word for word, about the issue—including the positives and negatives of Sundin signing in New York, along with what would need to be done in order to fit Mats under the salary cap.

In addition to this, I offer some insight on what could happen, both this season, and in the near future as a result of Sundin signing. Enjoy!

The way I see it,signing Sundin will greatly affect the team, having both positive and negative impacts.

I'll start out by saying Rozsival will likely be the guy to get dealt in order to free up cap space. Some in this thread have said that move would decimate the Rangers' defense. I respectfully disagree.

Trading Rozsival will free up $5 million in cap space. The return for Rozy would probably be a middle- to low-pairing defenseman and a draft pick.

The way I see it, a team like the Los Angeles Kings would make a great trading partner for the Rangers. Consider this:

To LA: Rozsival ($5 million/year), Pittsburgh's fifth-round draft pick (originally obtained in the Hollweg trade)

To NYR:Tom Preissing ($2.7 million/year for three more seasons) L.A.'s second-round pick in 2009

The Rangers get a servicable middle-pairing guy who can man the second power-play unit—signed to a cap-friendly deal for the near future—and probably the equivalent of a late first-round pick in a very deep draft. If Sundin signs and the deal I outlined goes through, the team would look like this:

Drury-Gomez-Zherdev
Naslund-Sundin-Sjostrom
Dawes-Dubinsky-Prucha
Voros/Fritsche-Betts/Fritsche-Callahan/Orr

Staal-Redden
Preissing-Girardi
Mara-Kalinin

That's a damn good team, if you ask me.

Now, onto the negatives. The defense I just outlined looks very suspect, outside of the first pairing. The bottom four defenseman, however, are all capable of playing middle-pairing minutes in my mind, so it would be interesting to see how that would turn out.

With the departure of Rozsival, the Rangers' defenseman with the most experience playing the Rangers system would be Paul Mara—albeit NHL experience outside of Girardi and Staal will not be a problem.

By trading Rozsival, New York would mortgage a very solid defensive corps and hope that what they have will work out. As we've seen last season, it took a while for the team to develop some chemistry, and I fear that the defense would encounter some of the same growing pains this season that the offense had last season.

Also, signing Sundin to a contract will greatly hinder the Rangers' ability to make a big move at the trading deadline if necessary. As the poster before me mentioned, injuries happen, and finding a placement will not be too easy unless the Rangers promote some players from Hartford.

In conclusion, I would be very happy if Sundin signed here—but for no more than a year. I absolutely love what he brings to the table, and having a guy like Naslund on his wing can potentially get him back up to the 90-point echelon again.

I really believe in my heart that a team with Sundin this season can bring the Cup back to the Garden. If he is signed to a one-year deal, Sundin's salary comes off the books, and by the '09 season, Sanguinetti will be ready for the big club, in addition to Sauer and maybe even Del Zotto on defense.

On offense, re-signing Zherdev would be key—if he performs well. Once that happens, the Red Army era of the New York Rangers can begin, with Anisimov and hopefully Cherepanov ready for the big club.

New York Rangers Prospect Profiles: Hugh Jessiman

Joe Correia — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:52:00 -0400

I have finally amassed the courage to write about the most enigmatic Rangers prospect, Hugh Jessiman, dubbed "Huge Specimen" by some Ranger fans for his 6'6" 225 pound frame. From that fateful day in June of 2003, Jessiman has been a mystery. After registering 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points for Dartmouth as a freshman, the Rangers decided to take a huge gamble, no pun intended, at 12th overall in the 2003 NHL Draft. In a draft that saw the likes of Parise, Getzlaf, Richards, Brown, Seabrook, Burns, and Perry be taken after Jessiman, this pick flat out hurts the Ranger fan in me. But I digress.

Jessiman played two more seasons at Dartmouth, in which he only managed 35 points in 46 games in two years despite an injury in his junior year of college. Hugh then decided to attempt to turn pro at age 20 in hopes of making the Rangers big club, but he would have no such luck. Things got steadily worse for Hugh, as he registered a lukewarm 19 points in 46 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the 2005-2006 season. As a result, he got sent down to the ECHL for further work on his game. The 2006-2007 season was no different, as he registered a disappointing 13 points in 49 games with Hartford, resulting in another demotion to the ECHL. At this point, most Ranger fans have written Hugh off as a huge bust. This previous season, however, a new hope was found as Hugh was able to stick with Hartford all season and register 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 71 games, most of the time playing top 6 minutes for the team. In addition to this, Hugh also earned 154 penalty minutes, proving that he is also a force to be respected physcially as well.

In this offseason, Hugh accepted the Rangers' one year qualifying offer, meaning he has at least one more year to prove his worth to the Rangers coaching staff. In my opinion, this is the "make or break" year for Hugh. If he fails to show any type of improvement this season, he most likely will not be re-signed by the Rangers organization. Although many if not most Ranger fans have already written off Hugh as a bust, I have not personally given up on him yet. A power forward type of player that Hugh is needs a great deal of development, and usually do not crack the NHL club until their mid-twenties. Right now, Jessiman is 24, giving him at least 2 more years in my book to prove himself. Think about this Ranger fans; Todd Bertuzzi did not have a 50 point until he was 25 years old.

Despite this, Jessiman still has a lot to work on before he can have a shot with the New York Rangers. Although he has a lot of raw talent and still oozes potential, his skating and hockey sense still leave a lot to be desired. Speed is key in the "new" NHL, and if Hugh can find a way to keep up with the pace of the game on a consistent basis, I don't think an NHL call-up is out of the question in the near future.

New York Rangers Prospect Profiles: Bobby Sanguinetti

Joe Correia — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:04:00 -0400

The Garden State native is the next prospect covered in my "Prospect Profiles" series.

In the year before his draft eligibility, he had a breakout year, registering 14 goals and 51 assists for 65 points as a member of the Owen Sound Attack. He led all OHL defensemen in points.

However, due to worries about his defensive positioning, he slipped to 21st overall in the 2006 NHL Draft where the Rangers were able to take him. Growing up a Ranger fan his entire life, he wears number 22 to pay homage to the great No. 2, Brian Leetch.

Last year, he was sent back to the Canadian juniors to further polish his skills and he did not disappoint. He notched 29 goals along with 41 assists to raise his point total on the season to 70, all while registering a low 38 PIM as a member of the Brampton Battalion.

After the OHL season, he was sent to Hartford and was able to register an assist with minimal ice time in 11 games. Despite this, his more than point per-game pace in the OHL is very encouraging for his development.

At the prospect camp after this year's NHL draft, he showed big signs in maturity, both in physical appearance and play on the ice.

My bet is that he spends a year in the AHL as a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack, but I believe that we will be able to see Bobby in the NHL sooner rather than later.

In my mind, he can become that powerplay quarterback that the Rangers have desperately needed on the point for some time now. He certainly has the offensive capability to do so, but how he performs defensively at a higher level remains to be seen, and will be the determination of whether or not he becomes a bottom pairing, PP specialist, or a bonafide first pairing defenseman just like No. 2.

New York Rangers Prospect Profiles: Artem Anisimov

Joe Correia — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:43:00 -0400

With the Traverse City prospect tournament in six weeks, we are getting closer to the drop of the puck to inaugurate the 2008-2009 season. As a hardcore hockey fan, the summer has to be the absolute worst time of year.

In order to pass the time, I thought it would be a unique concept to give you my analysis on the Rangers' prospects one by one until the Traverse City tournament. Keep in mind that I am not writing about each prospect in any particular order.

For my first installment of "Prospect Profiles", I give my opinion on Russian prospect Artem Anisimov.

As a junior player, Anisimov played for Lokamotiv of the then Russian Super League. In those days, he showed promise of one day becoming a great center, although he saw limited action during this time.

Widely regarded as a first round talent, the Rangers were able to grab him in the second round at 54th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft due to the lack of a transfer agreement.

However, all of these fears were quelled when he announced that he intended to come to play in North America as soon as possible. A year later, he is a member of the Hartford Wolfpack as a top six forward and one of the most interesting Rangers prospects.

In one season of AHL action, he scored 16 goals and added 27 assists for 43 points in his first season of the AHL as the youngest player in the league. He has shown that he is a reliable two-way center andhas drawn comparisons to Sergei Federov and Keith Primeau by some Ranger fans.

In my mind, he is going to be an excellent third line center or a good second line center. Tom Renney says that the only thing holding Anisimov back from a roster spot this upcoming season is his particularly thin frame. At 6'4" and 190 pounds, Artem has a little bit of growing to do to fill out a potentially big frame so he can dish out and take NHL level punishment.

With the acquisition of Zherdev and the possibility of Cherepanov coming to New York sooner rather than later, I certainly have high hopes for the mini Red Army the Rangers have assembled.

What do you all think? How do you think Artem will pan out? A profile on another prospect will be up in the very near future, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Ryan Hollweg Traded by the New York Rangers

Joe Correia — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:56:00 -0400

Ryan Hollweg was traded by the New York Rangers to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Pittsburgh's 5th rounder next year.

It never hurts to get picks in next year's VERY deep draft, and Hollweg was very expendable after signing Voros and Rissmiller. Overall, I'm very happy with the return that we got for Holly.

2008 Free Agency Review

Joe Correia — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:24:00 -0400

Well, I'm writing this sooner than I thought I would, but I had a few thoughts that I had to type here before I forgot them.

Despite the Rangers' conservative NHL Draft, Glen Sather sure wasn't tight during the first week of July. The only thing that I could think of as I was sitting at work checking TSN religiously on July 1 was how different this team was going to be this season.

However, I can honestly say that I didn't see any of the moves that Slats made coming (except for the Naslund and Mara signings, scroll down to earlier posts in my blog to back that up). Some of the moves made me wonder what the hell Slats was thinking, and because of this, I can confidently say that some Ranger fans I know wanted to hang him from the rafters of Section 420.

However, some of the moves he pulled off made me tip his cap to him, showing us a couple business strokes of brilliance we still know him to be capable of. Here is my take on the free agent signings and moves of free agency thus far:

- Signing Aaron Voros to a three year, three million dollar deal: The first signing by the Rangers of Free Agency, this move, although unspectacular looking at first, I think will turn into a great signing.

Voros is a big bottom six forward that surely can replace Hollweg on the fourth line and bring a similar game with more offense (I really hope so anyway). He scored seven goals, more than Hollweg's career total, and added seven assists to Minnesota's trap-system game.

I think he can blossom here into a legitimate fourth liner that is a threat to score when on the ice. It doesn't hurt that he isn't afraid to drop the gloves either.

- Signing Patrick Rissmiller: This is one of the few moves that made me scratch my head. However, with the recent departure of Josh Gratton, this turns into a very wise signing by Sather.

To be honest, I don't know much about him aside from the fact that he played for the San Jose Sharks and played his college hockey at Holy Cross. He looks like the same type of player as Aaron Voros, minus the willingness to fight. My bet is that he starts the season in Hartford.

- Re-signing Michal Rozsival to a four year, 20 million dollar contract: To be clear, I was never Rozsival's biggest fan to begin with. Although I do believe Rozy is a very serviceable middle pairing D-man, his offseason hip surgery and horrendous second half of the 2007-08 season raised a couple of concerns for me.

I hope he plays like the Rozsival in the first half of last season for the majority of his contract, for his own sake. Although I believe $5 million/year is overpayment for Rozsival, he was a good alternative to other high priced D-men on the market at that price, which brings me to....

- Signing Wade Redden to a six year, 39 million dollar contract: OUCH. That was my first thought when I got wind of the terms of the contract.

Redden is a legitimate No. 1 defenseman that the Rangers have desperately needed since Leetch retired. However, I do not believe that Redden was the answer at this point of his career.

At 31, he is in his prime years as a player, but the depreciation value on defensemen in the new NHL has been steadily declining recently. This makes me worry that the Rangers could potentially be stuck with his albatross of a contract for a good two to three years.

I do have faith that Wade will bounce back in New York and be a defensive leader that the Rangers need. Add this to the fact that he would be a GREAT mentor to Marc Staal, Redden could very well end up being worth every penny.

- Re-signing Steve Valiquette to a new contract: I like Steve, and think he is a very serviceable backup. He also appears to be a well liked figure in the locker room, and is a great team player. Great signing.

- Acquiring Dan Fritsche and Nikolai Zherdev for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman: You have to go back four years to the 2004 trade deadline to see a better deal for the New York Rangers if all goes according to plan.

Simply put: Sather fleeced Columbus in this trade. Zherdev is a potential superstar in this league, and Fritsche is an upgraded version of Callahan. Although I am very sad to see Tyuts go, sending Backman and his salary with him, AND getting Zherdev and Fritsche in return dulls the pain.

I have read some scouting reports and commentary on Zherdev that hails him as having the potential to one day be as skilled as the likes of fellow Russians Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, albeit not as complete of a player.

This makes most Ranger fans, including myself, very excited for his debut on Broadway. Seeing him overcome knocks on his work ethic and defensive game at the Garden will make me even happier.

- Signing Markus Naslund to a two year, eight million dollar deal: Questions about his age arose as soon as he was signed, but I for one have no problem with the signing at all.

He provides more offense to a team that I think will outscore last year's goal totals this season, as well as some needed veteran leadership. Scoring 55 points on an anemic Vancouver offensive squad is no easy feat. With the right linemates, I see Nazzy lighting up the lamp a lot more than he did this past year.

- Signing Dimitri Kalinin to a one year, $2.1 million dollar contract: With the departure of Tyutin and Backman, another defensive signing was necessary.

His scouting report reminds me of Backman all over again, but playing on the third pair with a limited role should help him overcome his alleged confidence issues. Touted as a potential franchise defenseman since the day he was drafted, maybe this is the year when he lives up to the hype.

- Re-signing Paul Mara to a one year, 1.95 million dollar deal: My favorite signing of all. Mara had an excellent playoffs this past season to go along with the best playoff beard on the Rangers. Possessing an underrated mean streak and offensive game, getting him at less than two million dollars is a huge steal.

This is the same guy that scored 47 points with Phoenix three seasons ago, the first season after the lockout. I have no doubt in my mind that he has the potential to do it again if given the opportunity.

Under the pressure of a one year deal, Mara is at the crossroads of his career, as I'll be one of his biggest fans this year rooting for him to have a monster of a year.

Of course, with all of these new faces, we also had to say goodbye to a lot of familiar ones. First there is Martin Straka, who agreed to return to his native Czech Republic to become a player/representative for his hometown club. Best wishes Marty, you busted your tail every shift as a Ranger.

Then there's Sean Avery. He simply left New York for a bigger payday. Nothing wrong with that. I have no further comment on him.

Brendan Shanahan, although as of now unsigned, looks to be done as a New York Ranger, and possibly with his career. He is one of the greatest talents of our generation, but it is his time to hang them up.

Although he still possesses the wrist shot of a 20 year old, he looks like his age skating. You had an awesome career Shanny, nothing but a class act the whole way. I look forward to your Hall of Fame induction.

Finally, there is Jaromir Jagr. What can I say? He is one of the top 20, maybe top 10 best players of all time to play the game.

After the signing of Markus Naslund, Jagr saw the writing on the wall and took the three year deal worth over 30 million dollars to go play alongside Rangers top prospect Alexei Cherepanov in the KHL as a member of Avangard Omsk.

I have my hopes that Jagr passes along some great advice to Alexei, and talks to him about coming to New York sooner rather than later. At least I hope so anyway.

But I digress. Although being accused frequently of being a lazy primadonna, he has done nothing to show that. In his days as a New York Ranger, he has done nothing but give 100 percent on the ice, even going as far as playing through injuries for long stretches.

I will never forget his strength, skill, and imagination with the puck along with his patented wrister from the right circle right into the upper corner. I wish you nothing but the best Jags, and along with Shanny, I look forward to your day in the Hall of Fame. In tribute, you are my newest jersey purchase.

That is all for now from me. I will be writing more occasionally this offseason if a Rangers related thought pops into my mind. Please leave comments! I love to hear feedback!