Why Henrik Lundqvist and 4 Other New York Rangers Could Be Affected by a Lockout

"Look, I always try to be optimistic about these things." Bill Daly

So it appears that the NHL deputy commissioner has a rosy outlook on life. At least when it comes to the ongoing labor dispute between NHL players and owners.

With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on September 15, time is running short for both sides to hammer out a deal.

And that is a big deal, folks.

If the owners lock the players out again, it would mark the third time the NHL has endured a work stoppage under the leadership of commissioner Gary Bettman. The first stoppage occurred after the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994. Play didn't resume until January, 1995.

The second time took place after the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted hockey's ultimate hardware in 2004. The end result? The entire 2004-05 season never happened.

A lockout this time around would complete the Bettman hat trick. The third time would not be a charm. All 30 teams would feel the repercussions if labor talks turn into labor pains. And for the New York Rangers, five key players in particular would be affected more than anyone else on the team. 

Read on to find out who they are. 

Plus, take a look back at how popular the NHL was right before the first Bettman lockout.  

The King Could Have Some Rust on His Crown

"I truly believe a deal can be done, but it will require a lot of work."

That's the ever-optimistic Bill Daly again, this time quoted in an article by Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.

Well, the truth of the matter is, Henrik Lundqvist requires a lot of work, too.

Since entering the NHL in 2005, the King has never tended the goal for less than 53 games and played a career-high 73 matches in 2009-2010. This is a player who thrives on a major workload.

A lengthy lockout would take that away from the Rangers' royal netminder. And it may take him a while to become razor sharp once the games resume. Plus, if the schedule is shortened enough to basically become a sprint to the finish, points will be critical to claim every night.

And what if the King isn't his kingly self right away?

Ackert's article also featured the following tweet from Lundqvist: 

Reasons for my behavior, still adjusting to parenthood.. Or it could be Gary Bettman's comments on shutting down the league...#alotonmymind.

Ours too, Henrik.

Nash Could Get the Broadway Jitters

"Our fundamental proposal, our initial proposal, relates to the fact that we need to pay out less in player costs.”

Those are the words of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. 

And one Ranger player who would pay more of a heavy cost as consequence of a lockout is Rick Nash. 

It's important for the newest big-time player on 7th Ave. to have a big-time start. He'll be under tremendous pressure to produce the moment he hits the ice. The fans won't be patient. The media will scrutinize him at every turn.

And the longer a lockout goes, the easier it will be for the big guy to get more and more nervous about his act. Ideally, the curtain will go up on time, and Nash will perform to rave reviews.

Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way on Broadway.

Kreider's Development Could Slow Down

"I think on the stuff we talked about today, we made definite progress."

That was Ron Hainsey, defenseman for the Winnipeg Jets, who recently voiced his thoughts on the current labor issues at a meeting on behalf of the NHL Players Association, according to Jesse Spector of the Sporting News.

However, if there's a lockout, Chris Kreider will be stuck in neutral. Not the best place to be for a power forward with supersonic speed. The rookie had a great start to his Rangers career with his success in last season's playoffs. 

But in order for him to truly learn the game so he can continue his development, it would be ideal for the season to start on time. This way, coach John Tortorella can work with the Amazing Kreider-man from training camp onward to fine-tune his play at both ends of the rink.

That's how definite progress happens.

Marc Could Get Staaled

"There’s a meaningful gulf there. I’ll leave it at that for now.”

NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr didn't offer a complete worst-case scenario to Chris Johnston of The Canadian Press. But he wasn't exactly filled with rainbows and sunshine, either.

A lockout could also lead to a meaningful gulf in the play of Marc Staal.

The rock-steady defenseman started to round into form during last season's playoffs after missing the first 36 games of the campaign with post-concussion syndrome. And, he averaged nearly 25 minutes per game time on ice against the dreaded New Jersey Devils in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

No. 18 needs to keep playing big minutes in plenty of games. What he doesn't need is a lockout to hamper his momentum.

That's where he could get Staaled.

But, Gabby Could Get the Time He Needs to Help Him Shoulder the Load

"We believe there's ample time for the parties to get together and make a deal and that's what we're going to be working towards."

Yes, every cloud has a silver lining.

And NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sounded somewhat optimistic about the ongoing labor talks between players and owners, as he was recently quoted in The Canadian Press.

That suits Marian Gaborik just fine, as he is working towards his return to the lineup.

Of the five players noted in this article, Gaborik would actually benefit from a lockout. He continues to rehab from offseason shoulder surgery and could use the extra time to get himself in prime playing condition.

And the Rangers wouldn't have to worry about one of their leading scorers missing any significant playing time.

At blueshirtsunited.com, Gaborik said, "I feel good. Things are going as they should be, so I am happy with the progress." He added, "I have been on the bike quite a lot (since the surgery). Now I am starting to work more with my body in terms of weights---wearing a weight vest, doing some squats with my body weight. I am trying to do a lot of core stuff. It's going forward, so I'm going to be able to do more and more stuff."

And that will help him shoulder his responsibilities.