The Blueshirts Land In Switzerland With Plenty Of Questions

The Rangers arrived in Europe with some serious question marks about their offense, the condition of Henrik Lundqvists knee, whats happened to Wade Redden and Michael Rozsival and the list seems to go on and on. Some people seem ready to hit the panic button already. I’m not. I think its entirely too soon to be jumping to conclusions, particularly about the offenses inability to score more than 2 goals in a game. I think that the ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS pre-season schedule of 6 games in 8 nights is in part to blame for the Rangers lack of production and at times overall sloppy play. Add in the fact that Tom Renney needed to get so many forwards looks during that short period of time which meant that the Rangers were playing with in some games as many what would be the equivalent of 3 third or fourth lines and the offense is bound to appear to sputter.

Markus Naslund

Pre-season games are a time to take in the positives and take the negatives with a grain of salt. For some players, particularly veteran players, it’s hard to get up for a pre-season games. Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev both scored nice goals the other night. The power play has had significantly more chances than last season and at some point you have to believe those opportunities will be goals. There are no real set lines yet, but this is the point in the season when the lines should be jumbled. And how about Brandon Dubinsky? he’s forcing Tom Renney to re-think the lines because of his excellent play. Thats a positive thing. Dubinsky has the ability to net 30 plus goals this season if given the opportunity. He’s a budding all-star.

Wade Redden has been burned on more then one occasion by mediocre forwards, but he’s looked good in his offensive game and theres very little chance he gets burned like that again by a Brad Isbister type. Redden is too good of a player to let that happen once the season starts.

You have to think that now this is truly Scott Gomez and Chris Drury’s team that their production is going to increase. Especially Drury who spent a large chunk of last season rotating through the lines with an undefined role.

There is another Eklund rumor getting spread around that the Rangers have too many playmakers and are looking to package a deal for a finisher. Once again I think it’s more diarrhea of the mouth since the Rangers have two snipers in Naslund and Zherdev and they’re so pressed against the cap a trade for a big player is unlikely.

PostFinance Arena

The Rangers will play SC Bern in Postfinance Arena at 12:00 PM tomorrow. SC Bern’s roster can be found here.

UPDATE

Thomas Pock has been claimed off of waivers by the Fishsticks.

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UNIONDALE, NEW YORK (TICKER) —The New York Islanders on Monday claimed defenseman Thomas Pock off waivers from the New York Rangers.

Pock has played in 59 career games, recording seven goals and seven assists.

Last season, Pock appeared in one game for the Rangers while spending the majority of the year with the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey League. He appeared in 74 games with Hartford, tallying seven goals and 37 assists.

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