The
New York Rangers open training camp today with a different set of expectations
and questions than they had a year ago when camp began. Expectations dictate that squeaking into the
playoffs and losing early is no longer acceptable as the team is built to
finish no worse than 6th in the Eastern Conference and to win at least one
round in the playoffs. A large part of
the reason for the increased expectations is the acquisition of Brad Richards
this summer to fill the void of a top line center as well as a power play quarterback.
Beyond
Richards alone, expectations are also higher because of how well young players
like Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh and Michael Sauer performed in their rookie
campaigns and the growth that was shown from homegrown players like Ryan
Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov along with surprising years from
Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust offensively.
Whether those things will continue during the 2011-12 season will not be
answered during training camp itself, but there are questions/things to watch
for during training camp.
Chemistry between Gaborik and Richards:
Marian Gaborik is looking to rebound from a down season and Brad Richards was
brought in for both his own abilities plus the hopes that providing Gaborik
with an elite center would facilitate that turnaround. As I have said before, Richards is not
responsible for fixing Gaborik, but the development of their personal chemistry
on the ice is a critical component to the Rangers ultimate success this season. If they click the Rangers offense takes
another step and they truly have the potential to be an elite club because they
already possess the complimentary players necessary to win.
Fight to See Who Claims Top Line Left Wing
Spot: While the chemistry between
Richards and Gaborik is important to watch in camp, the battle to see who is
the other winger on the line is the most important factor in determining the
rest of the lineup. Wojtek Wolski likely
heads into camp as the favorite for the spot, but he will have competition from
Ruslan Fedotenko, Derek Stepan, and Sean Avery for the role. Brandon Dubinsky might also be considered,
but the draw to leaving Dubinsky with Artem Anisimov and Ryan Callahan probably
means he will not play with Richards and Gaborik.
Battle for Final Defense Pairing: The battle on defense to claim the final two
spots in the lineup is one that should be very fun to watch. Steve Eminger is going to make the team as a
either a 6th or 7th defender, which leaves possibly two spots to be had. Tim Erixon and Michael Del Zotto are the main
competitors for the spots with Erixon being the highly touted prospect who just
impressed in Traverse City and Del Zotto needing to rebound from an awful
sophomore season. Beyond those two Tomas
Kundratek, Pavel Valentenko, Blake Parlett and even Brendan Bell could be in
the mix.
Carl Hagelin Looking To Beat Out Veterans like
Sean Avery, Erik Christensen: With
the Rangers having 13 forwards already on the roster and Mats Zuccarello under
contract, there does not appear to be a lot of room for a prospect to break
into the forward ranks for the 2011-12 season.
However, players like Sean Avery and Erik Christensen for differing
reasons are players who could find themselves on the outside looking in when
training camp concludes and a player like Hagelin could take their place. Hagelin at this stage of his career brings
more to the table than either Avery or Christensen, but will need to have a big
camp to prove he is ready to be with the team from opening night.
Differential in Rangers Power Play: If
Brad Richards did not have enough on his plate already in coming to New York,
having to live up to his contract, and being Marian Gaborik’s savior, he is
also expected to solve the Rangers abysmal power play. His track record as an outstanding power play
quarterback is something the Rangers sorely need, but there are still things to
watch for in terms of who plays the other point and if the team changes the
philosophy at all now that he is manning one point. The days of Derek Stepan or Mats Zuccarello
on the point of the top power play unit are likely over given that Richards is
a forward so a defender is likely to be there but will it be Marc Staal, Dan
Girardi, Michael Del Zotto or Tim Erixon filling that role?
The
New York Rangers open training camp with the roster largely set in terms of
players, but the expectations from last season have risen dramatically and the
number of things to watch/questions remain high. With the condensed schedule before the team
heads to Europe there is much to be done is a short time, but within the next
10 days we will learn a lot about the composition of the 2011-12 Rangers team.
