New York Rangers: Will the Playoffs Determine Brandon Dubinsky's Fate?

This past offseason, Glen Sather was tasked with retaining multiple restricted free agents. One of them was Brandon Dubinsky, the team's leading scorer during the 2010-11 season.

However, considering the horrendous year Dubinsky has had this season, the fact that the team has considered trading him twice and that John Tortorella is growing short with him, will the playoffs determine whether or not Dubinsky returns next fall?

This summer, Dubinsky signed a four-year contract with an annual cap hit of $4.2 million per season. This was based on the fact that Dubinsky was coming off a breakout season in which he tallied 54 points.

Fast-forwarding to this season, Dubinsky has nine goals and 21 assists for a whopping 30 points in 70 games—quite a far cry from what the Rangers expected.

This area is one of the reasons why Dubinsky could be traded. Throughout his career, Dubinsky has never been a consistent scorer. He has hovered around the 40-45 point mark, but he usually scores in bunches and is prone to slumping.

While there is nothing wrong with reaching the 50-point plateau, Dubinsky's inconsistent play has been a disappointment this season.

THN.com has a interesting module that breaks down players' strengths, weaknesses and potential. Here is what they had to say about Dubinsky.

"ASSETS: Is defensively responsible and a capable two-way forward. Scores big goals and does whatever his team needs to win. Has leadership qualities and decent size. Can play center and wing.  "

"FLAWS: Is lacking in offensive consistency, so he must start avoiding prolonged scoring slumps. Also needs to avoid taking bad penalties that can hurt his team, since he's needed on the ice. "

"CAREER POTENTIAL: Quality, versatile two-way forward.  
"

At $4.2 million a season, the Rangers need an offensively-charged winger, not a defensive two-way player. This is an area that the Rangers have in surplus, but scoring is what they need.

Dubinsky's lack of scoring has been a cause for concern this season, but what annoys Tortorella is Dubinsky's lack of consistency and tendency to make poor defensive decisions.

Throughout this year, Dubinsky has been benched numerous times, including a game against the Carolina Hurricanes where Dubinsky sat the entire game after taking a penalty on his first shift of the game.

It even got to the point where Tortorella would have made Dubinsky a healthy scratch if the team had healthier players.

Tortorella would've scratched Dubinsky v Lightning if Rangers were healthy. t.co/rV9D7rnp

—Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) March 3, 2012

Andrew Gross of the Record spoke with Tortorella after the Rangers' win against Toronto and this is what the Rangers' bench boss had to say about "Dubi".

"

"We need Dubi but I’m not going to watch the same mistakes all the time. For us to get where we want to be, he needs to be part of this, I’ve said this from Day 1. But we need to see consistency in all parts of the game.”

"

With Dubinsky experiencing multiple stretches of 10 games or more without scoring a goal and making mistakes late in the season, it begs the question, will Dubinsky be dealt in the offseason?

When the Rangers wanted to trade for Bobby Ryan, Dubinsky was not "untouchable," and instead was on the table with the ball in Anaheim's court. However, the Ducks decided not to trade Ryan, but they instead fired Randy Carlyle and hired Bruce Boudreau.

When the Rangers wanted to trade for Rick Nash, Dubinsky was once again on the table, but ultimately Scott Howson was too greedy in his demands for the coveted power winger. Considering the Rangers are a team that have a surplus of penalty killing two-way forwards and role players, it would make sense to free up $4.2 million of the salary cap in an attempt to acquire scoring.

It is all good and well that the Rangers have 101 points and are first in the conference, but if they are eliminated in the first or second round due to a lack of scoring, things will get ugly.

The team decided to stand pat at the deadline even though there were obvious holes. A lack of scoring in the playoffs would force Sather's hand because the expectations for the 2012-13 season would be even higher.

Realistically, where does Dubinsky fit into the plan if he carries a $4.2 million cap hit and is on a pace for less than 40 points? Yes, this is the first year of his new contract, but the stakes are different because of how close this team is to playoff success. There is no more time to wait for players to find their games.

With free agents and prospects in a position to take Dubinsky's spot, where does he fit on the team? 

Dubinsky is primarily a left winger. At the top of the depth chart right now at the left winger position is Carl Hagelin, who has outproduced Dubinsky, has killed penalties, and has done other things that make Dubinsky expendable.

With Hagelin's 40-50 point potential, a significantly lower salary and his versatility, he becomes more valuable to the team and can be used in many roles. He will become more valuable after his second contract because he will still make less than Dubinsky, but will still provide service to the Rangers in many areas.

Second on the depth chart is Chris Kreider. While Kreider may not be where he needs to be yet, there is no doubt that Kreider will be put in a scoring role off the bat. Looking at the top two, the playoffs could be indicative of a next move.

If lack of scoring eliminates the Rangers, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Rangers will make a serious run at impending free agent Zach Parise. If Parise was signed, Hagelin would slide down into a second or third-line role, which would better suit his skill set.

If the Rangers tried to convert Dubinsky back to center, there would be less opportunity for him. With Brad Richards and Derek Stepan as the team's top centers, it would not be fiscally irresponsible to have a $4.2 million third or fourth liner. 

The Rangers are one of the best teams in hockey. They are a strong, defensively-minded team which Dubinsky has been a part of his whole career. However, this is an area of surplus for the 2011-12 Rangers. When the 1993-94 squad shook things up at the trade deadline, they had a surplus of scoring, but lacked grit and grind.

With the roles now reversed, will the playoffs dictate whether or not Dubinsky returns next season? Throughout his career, he has been put in a position to succeed. He has played with some of the best in the game, but hasn't produced consistently. If Dubinsky can't click despite having played with greats like Jaromir Jagr, Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik, maybe the Rangers have seen everything that Dubinsky is capable of.

It will be very interesting to see how the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs go for the Rangers. If lack of scoring does them in, there is a good chance Dubinsky will pack his bags for a new city. If Dubinsky can come up huge for the Rangers in the playoffs, it also could give him a new lease on life.

Tom Urtz is an NHL featured columnist.

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