The
New York Rangers have invested big money in each of the past three
offseasons, trying to find a heavyweight who can both fight and
bring toughness to the team.
The
first experiment was with Donald Brashear in 2009. That failed in
record time, and the Rangers ended up trading him the following summer
just to eliminate his contract from the books. The following summer saw
the Rangers give noted fighter Derek Boogaard a four-year, $6.5 million
contract. Boogaard’s first season with the Rangers was not what anyone
hoped. He died in May of an accidental overdose
of oxycodone and alcohol, so we will never know what could have changed
over the course of his contract. But the fit never felt quite right.
With
the loss of Boogaard, Rangers general manager Glen Sather took another
swing at finding the heavyweight he has been searching for.
Sather signed center Mike Rupp away from the Penguins to a three-year,
$4.5 million contract.
After
only one preseason game, Friday night's 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils, it
appears Sather finally has gotten the right guy for the job.
The differences in what Rupp brings to the team were apparent
immediately Friday night at Newark.
Rupp
has the skating ability to keep up with the play, which allows him to
be the intimidating force by using his body to punish the opposition.
Rupp took each and every opportunity he had to deliver a hit, and the
effectiveness he has will play well with coach John Tortorella’s
fore-checking approach to create offense for Rupp’s linemates.
Beyond
that, Rupp is known for ability in front to screen and pester opposing
goaltenders, which is something that the Rangers have not
been good at over the past few seasons. If Rupp can not only add that
for himself but also teach players such as Brian Boyle how to do the
same, it can pay dividends throughout the lineup.
The
biggest complaint that most people had about Boogaard, besides his
contract, was that he did not have that instinct to protect his
teammates in the same way that a Colton Orr did. Boogaard would fight
any heavyweight out there but was reluctant to fight smaller guys. That
left the protection duties mainly to Brandon Prust.
Rupp,
meanwhile, has no hesitation to defend his teammates from whomever as he showed Friday night when New
Jersey’s Eric Boulton was taking some liberties. Rupp immediately
took action in a great fight. That instinct from Rupp will make Prust
one of the biggest beneficiaries because Prust’s surgically repaired
shoulder will need to do less fighting.
