New York Rangers: Something Needs To Be Done, and Quickly

The New York Rangers sit atop the Eastern Conference with 24 points, and are second in the National Hockey League behind the San Jose Sharks. Henrik Lundqvist has been absolutely stellar and the defense has yielded an average of slightly over two goals a game. So what could possibly be wrong?

Don't get me wrong, an 11-5-1 record is something to be proud of and if you asked me before the season started if I would be happy with that at this point in the season, I would have responded with an enthusiastic "Hell Yeah!" But don't be fooled by the record folks, it's all a mirage and after their last two games, I'm forced to believe that the Rangers' 5-2 triumph over the Lightning last Thursday night was nothing but an aberration.

Of course the season is still early and the only concern is offense (which is less important then defense and goal tending) but the Rangers have found absolutely zero chemistry in three of the four lines.

In fact, the only line to develop and chemistry and sustain it since game one has been the fourth line of Freddy Sjostrom, Blair Betts, and Colton Orr. Game in and game out they show consistency, checking and keeping the puck in deep and even scoring a couple of goals. To be honest, I don't know whether I should cry or be really happy about that being the case.

As for the "Playstation Line" of Aaron Voros, Brandon Dubinsky, and Nikolai Zherdev, they too seem to have fizzled out after a four game stretch where they absolutely dominated.

Can we lay the blame entirely on the players? Well not exactly, because it doesn't help that Tom Renney switches lines and scratches different players in what appears to be every other game.

I like Tom Renney, I really do. I think he is the smartest (which doesn't include common sense, unfortunately) coach in the NHL and is the best coach the team has ever had since Mike Keenan departed in the summer of 1994. The guy continues to amaze and wonder with his enormous vocabulary but that all means absolutely nothing when you lack common sense.

He puts players together and then two games later he switches them around and complains that they didn't find any chemistry so the move had to be done. Well how can players develop chemistry if they are given only two games (and sometimes not in entirety) to try to gel? It's impossible.

In fact, the Rangers have had only one line since 2002 that has clicked without hesitation and put up superior numbers, and that was the line of Martin Straka, Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr. All three players are gone but their legacy that lasted over two years will be with me for a long time. Those players could have been out there with blindfolds on and still would have found ways to score.

Now I look at this team and see a mess of three lines. Gomez starts out on a line with Chris Drury and Markus Naslund on the wing. The after two games, Drury is gone and Zherdev is there. Then another game later and both Naslund and Zherdev are gone only to be replaced by two guys that belong on the third and fourth lines, respectively; Ryan Callahan and Nigel Dawes.

Dawes has been beyond invisible, and he even played two games this season when I had to double check to make sure he actually played (so now he has been scratched and Naslund is back on the top line). Callahan on the other hand has had success and is second on the team with five goals. So it looks like we have some chemistry there, between two players on a team of twenty.

After watching last night's game, these were the lines being used:

1. Markus Naslund-Scott Gomez-Ryan Callahan
2. Chris Drury-Brandon Dubinsky-Nikolai Zherdev
3. Aaron Voros-Dan Fritsche-Lauri Korpikoski
4. Freddy Sjostrom-Blair Betts-Colton Orr

The first line's chemistry seems to be forming in some way while the second and third lines are a mystery. One game they look unstoppable and the next game they struggle to get shots on goal, which leads me to believe that something needs to be done to improve the offense of this team.

Trade rumors have been swirling around since late August about possible players on the move. First they included Scott Gomez and have now gravitated to Michal Rozsival (who I would personally drive to his new destination), Petr Prucha, Nigel Dawes and the latest and most far fetched rumor including Brandon Dubinsky. (Hockey Buzz claims that the Rangers are looking at trading Dubinsky and a draft pick to Florida for Jay Bouwmesster.)

But the Rangers are in a tough position. With under two million dollars in spending money, they can't just trade players at will, and the player they need, a sniper whose job is to score goals and goals alone, will come at a hefty price. 

To me, the Rangers need to take things one step at a time. First they must trade Rozsival, my guess to Vancouver for a player like Mattias Ohlund who only makes $3.5 million and is a free agent next season. They then trade Prucha for a draft pick or prospect, either with Rozsival or separately.

If the Rangers can accomplish that, they would then have approximately $4.4 million to spend where they then call up Corey Potter or Brian Fahey to replace Rozsival or be a seventh defenseman, depending on the outcome of the trade, and you guessed it, sign Mats Sundin.

I have always said how I don't want him but with the way the Rangers offense looks right now, I think he is a player they can definitely use. The Rangers are among the top five teams in the league in average age so signing the thirty seven year old Swede shouldn't be frowned upon.

He is a leader they could use in the locker room and would work well with fellow Swede Markus Naslund, who he has played with on National Teams before.

It was said that Sundin would accept a contract worth $2 million, if prorated, and if he wants a little more, the Rangers would now be able to afford it. He wants to win a championship because if it was about the money he would have been a Vancouver Canuck three months and twenty million dollars ago.

With Sundin now in the line up, the lines then become:

1. Nikolai Zherdev- Scott Gomez-Ryan Callahan
2. Markus Naslund-Mats Sundin-Chris Drury
3. Aaron Voros-Brandon Dubinsky-Dan Fritsche
4. Freddy Sjostrom-Blair Betts-Colton Orr

The defensive pairings then become:

1. Wade Redden-Dan Girardi
2. Paul Mara-Marc Staal
3. Dmintri Kalinin-Mattias Ohlund/Corey Potter/Brian Fahey*

*Depending on who the Rangers get in exchange for Rozsival, the third defensive pairing may vary.

Well folks, it's surely not time to jump ship yet and I'm sure there will be some out there angry with my negative stance in this article since the team is still in first place. But, however, if something is not done this team won't be there for very long. As I said on my radio show last week, "The Rangers are the worst best team I have ever seen." And I will end with that..