NHL 2010-11 Preview: The New York Rangers Have Depth on Defense

New York Rangers positional preview number four: Defense

      For most of last season the Rangers defense consisted of Michael Del-Zotto, Michael Rozsival, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Wade Redden, and Matt Gilroy. Other players such as Ilkka Heikkinen, Corey Potter, Bobby Sanguinetti, and Anders Eriksson had brief stints with the Rangers in the NHL last season. Marc Staal spent last season on the first line with Daniel Girardi, both were resigned to long term contracts this summer. Michael Del Zotto had an excellent rookie season for the Rangers while playing as a top four defensemen, and will likely return to his duties on the second defensive pairing this season. His often criticized defensive mate, Michael Rozsival, will likely return to his position on the second line this season also (bearing a trade or demotion). Wade Redden had another horrible season for the Rangers last season, and will most likely be demoted to Hartford/Connecticut before this coming season (for those who do not know, the Hartford Wolf Pack will change names to the Connecticut Whale on February 28^th, 2011). Matt Gilroy had his ups and downs last season, beginning with an excellent October and November. But when the New Year came along Gilory’s play began to decline, and eventually he was demoted to the AHL. He will have a chance to make the team this season, but that is completely up to the way he plays during the preseason. Anders Eriksson was the replacement for Matt Gilroy, and he played pretty well during his time with the Rangers. He was not resigned by the Rangers, and he remains a free agent currently. None of the other named players remained with the Rangers organization as Sanguinetti was traded to Carolina, Heikkinen fled to Europe, and Potter is in the Penguins organization.

My “Top 6” at the defense position:

Number 1. Marc Staal- He was the best defense man two seasons ago, the best defense man last season, and he will be the best defense man again this season.

Number 2. Dan Girardi- He was the number two defense man for the Rangers last season, and will likely pair with Marc Staal on the first defensive this season.

Number 3. Michael Del Zotto- Heading into his sophomore season, Michael Del- Zotto will attempt to have an even better season than he did in his rookie season last year. He will continue playing on the second line, and he will be the quarterback on the power-play again this season.

Number 4. Ryan McDonagh- He is probably the best defensive prospect the Rangers have in their organization, and he will be battling for a spot on this season defensive corps during preseason. If he can continue to play with the same intensity he showed during training camp, he may be able to land a spot on the third line.

Number 5. Dylan Mcilrath- Sadly, Mcilrath (the Rangers’ first round pick) will spend this season in the WHL playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors, and will try-out for the team again next year. I thought he would have had a pretty good shot at this season’s team, but spending the year in Moose Jaw will help him to become a better player for next season.

Number 6. Michael Rozsival- Though he is not a fan favorite, he is still the Rangers number four defense man. He played well late last season and he will likely return to the Rangers second line of defense this season unless a move is made.

Number 6*- Alexei Semenov and Garnet Exelby- Both Alexei Semenov will continue their try-outs with the Rangers throughout preseason, and word out of camp is that Semenov will likely sign with the Rangers sometime before next season. If he signs he can immediately jump into the role of a third line defense man, or a utility seventh defense man. As for Exelby, he may receive a two-way contract offer, which would add even more depth to the Rangers defense.

Rangers projected opening night lines (Defense/Goaltending added):

Line one: Gaborik Stepan Frolov

Line two: Zuccarello Anisimov Dubinsky

Line three: Callahan Prospal* (Or Christenson depending on situation) Avery

Line four: Prust Kennedy Boogaard

Defense:

Line one: Staal/Girardi

Line two: Del Zotto/Rozsival

Line three: McDonagh/Semenov* (If not signed his position goes to Eminger)

Depth: Exelby* (If signed), Eminger*, Redden, and Gilroy

Goalies:

Starter: Lundqvist

Back-Up: Biron

Mid-season call-ups: Jyri Niemi, Thomas Kundratek, Lee Baldwin, and Michael Saur

Thanks for the read, hope you enjoyed. Feel free to comment below.

Have a question? Email me at [e-mail]

OR send me a tweet @nickpNYRwriter

REMINDER!

The Rangers will begin preseason tonight against the Devils at 7:00PM! The game will be on MSG!