Rangers Sign Christian Thomas To 3-Year Deal

The New York Rangers continue to sign their young prospects to entry-level contracts by adding another to the fold.  According to Nick Kypreos via twitter  the latest prospect to sign with the Rangers is 2010 second round pick Christian Thomas.  I predicted that Thomas would get signed two months ago when I posed whether he could be in the NHL as early as next season.  Thomas was utterly dominant in the OHL this season for the Oshawa Generals where he recorded 54 goals, 45 assists in just 66 regular season games.  If possible he raised his level even more in the playoffs with nine goals and 10 assists in just 10 games.

With the Rangers lack of snipers on the roster do not be at all surprised if Thomas is given every chance to make the club this fall.  The combination of having nothing to prove in Juniors and the Rangers need for offensive weapons gives him a good shot at the team.  If he is not ready, then he will go back to Juniors because he is not eligible to be in the AHL next season.  Given that he is ineligible for the AHL next year, the decision to sign him was a no-brainer for the Rangers as he would not count against the contract count or lose any years on his entry-level deal if he goes back to the OHL.

Rangers Review: Brian Boyle Exceeded Old Expectations Created New Ones

For a guy that stands 6-foot-7, 244-pound Brian Boyle expectations were so small coming into the season that he probably couldn’t even see them.  What was expected from Boyle was that he either missed the team or played his role from 2009-10 as a fourth line center who could be used to kill penalties.  We are talking about a guy who coming into the season had 12 goals and four assists in 107 career NHL games.  That was not what the Rangers got from Boyle, at least for half a season. 

Boyle put in the work to ensure his career as an NHL player was not over and remade his skating stride with the help of Olympic figure skater Barbara Underhill.  The work with Underhill was noticeable from the beginning of camp as you saw a player who was better able use his size and strength in all phases of the game and put him in positions to contribute significantly more offensively.

Boyle went from a player who scored four goals and two assists in 71 games to a player that chipped in 21 goals along with 14 in assists while playing in all 82 games.  He led the team in shots (218) and hits (240) as well as became a critical piece for coach John Tortorella to use in many big situations.  His improved play and production earned him increased ice time as well, playing a career high 15:45 per game this year.

Boyle shined in the Rangers forechecking system that allowed him to use his size and strength in the corners and along the wall.  Partnering with Brandon Prust, and Ruslan Fedotenko on possibly the Rangers most consistent line during the season, the forechecking system allowed this line to generate scoring chances and give the team energy.  Along with his even strength contributions, once again partnering with Prust, Boyle was one of the top penalty killers on the team and the pair was always a threat to go the other way and score shorthanded. 

The questions that exist for Boyle this summer are much different than last year.  Going into last summer the questions were about if he was truly an NHL player, which he answered emphatically this season that he is.  Next year with raised expectations, the questions will revolve around whether this season was a sign of things to come or a fluke career year that he cannot repeat.  No questions really exist about his abilities on the defensive side, but they do in terms of his goal scoring and his season splits did not help that.

Let us take a look at the breakdown of Boyle’s numbers by month.

Month	Games Played	G	A	Shots
October	10	4	0	19
November	16	6	1	35
December	12	7	4	36
January	14	4	1	45
February	12	2	3	36
March	14	1	1	39
April	4	0	1	8

As you can clearly see there was a significant drop in the offensive numbers late in the season.  Boyle had only one goal over the final 19 games of the regular season, and none in the playoffs.  Following the All-Star break, Boyle only recorded three goals in 30 games.  It is possible that much of the drop in offensive production had to do with him simply being out of gas from playing so much more this season than he ever had before at this level.

Another thing that could certainly help Boyle in terms of adding more offense to his game would be a more significant role on the power play as many have called for during the season.  His size should make in a weapon in front of the net and he did have four goals with the man advantage despite only playing 50:31 there this season.   

A refresher course with Underhill on his skating, improvement on faceoffs, and work on being better finishing in front of the net will be key for Boyle this summer to prove this year was not a fluke, but the start of his breakout.  There is no reason to think that Boyle will not put in the necessary work to take that next step based on what he has done before.

Grade: B+ (Compared to offseason expectations clearly an A, but due to second half slide in offense given raised first half expectations he dips slightly)

Derek Stepan Called "Whole Package"

The recently completed IIHF World Championships tournament over in Slovakia, Rangers center Derek Stepan led Team USA in scoring with two goals and five assists while centering the top line. No matter how he played in the tournament the experience of being there was going to be good for his development.  The way he played only added to that and everyone involved took notice including Team USA coach Scott Gordon.  According to the Sporting News...

Team USA coach Scott Gordon identified Stepan as one of the players he was most impressed with after the tournament was finished, comparing him to Boston’s Patrice Bergeron. “I didn’t realize how good Derek Stepan was,” Gordon told Sporting News. “He was pretty impressive not just from a point standpoint but his hockey intelligence. He’s the whole package.”

To hear Gordon say what he did about Stepan only adds to what we witnessed from him all season.  As I wrote this morning in Stepan's player review the most impressive thing about him is his hockey intelligence.  That he is plays both ends of the ice and is so smart adds to what his ceiling could be down the line.

Rumor: Rangers Discussing Bringing Back Jarkko Immonen

One of the things New York Rangers fans love to do most is discuss the idea of second acts for former Rangers.  According to Bruce Berlet at CTWhale.com the organization is doing some of that thinking during their organizational meetings this week in regards to C Jarkko Immonen.

Jarkko Immonen was a dominant force in the recently completed IIHF World Championships with nine goals and three assists in the nine games for Team Finland to help them win a gold medal.  The now 29-year-old center was acquired by the Rangers in the Brian Leetch trade managed to play 20 games in the NHL before going back to Europe following the 2007 season.  He has played well overseas during those four seasons he has played well and might be worth a look this fall to see if he should be brought back as the Rangers still retain his rights.

The fact that they are talking about bringing him back does not mean he will be nor does it mean he will have a roster spot if he is part of training camp this fall.  These are the kind of things you want the organization doing in looking at all their options and then deciding how they want to move forward.  Immonen is certainly not the first line type center this team needs, but he could add depth to the lineup for a cheap price.

Rangers Player Review: Derek Stepan Lays Foundation For Bright Future

Each year prospects seek to make the transition from other levels of hockey to the National Hockey League.  This season Derek Stepan looked to make that transition straight from the college ranks to the NHL and he did so better than anyone could have expected.  There were certainly ups and downs during the course of the 82 game schedule, but to count the overall results as anything less than a huge success would be a disservice not only the year Stepan had, but what it showed for the future.  Scoring 21 goals, and playing in all 82 games is a tremendous foundational season the 20-year-old will look to build upon next year.

The goal and point numbers give the Rangers hope for what Stepan can become in the future, but beyond the stats, what was most impressive about this rookie is that he never seemed overwhelmed by the moment and had a penchant for rising to it.  The number of clutch goals and plays that he made as a rookie is something that no one could have expected from him and it is based on how he thinks the game and puts himself in the right position, but also that determination and competitive side of him.  Also in terms of not be overwhelmed by a moment, Stepan responded to whatever role the Rangers asked him to play and each time his play dipped there was no sulking from the young player, rather a determination to get his game back to where he needs it to be. 

What you notice most about Stepan on the ice is how technically sound he is in all facets of the game.  He has the skill to be a great passer, the finish to score goals, enough speed and shiftiness to succeed, but it is how he thinks the game that has him in the right position so often on both ends of the ice.  To be 20-years-old and be that responsible on both ends of the ice while having the offensive skills to be a force in the future gives the Rangers fans something to be excited about.

If the Rangers can give Stepan quality players to play with and leave a grouping together next season you will see more consistency in his individual production.  The utter lack of consistency in the players he was playing with from game-to-game or even shift-to-shift made the season Stepan was able to put as a rookie.

Another issue for the Rangers to work out with Stepan will be how they use him on the power play.  Due to the lack of a competent power play quarterback this season, Stepan was used on the point and that is not where he can be most effective.  As was seen during the recently completed IIHF World Championships, while playing for Team USA, Stepan can be very effective on the power play when he plays down low along the left-wing wall.  Playing in that spot allows Stepan to meld his passing and scoring skills while seemingly quarterbacking the power play from that spot.

Speaking of the World Championships, Stepan was arguably the best forward for Team USA during the tournament.  In the 7 games that Team USA played, Stepan recorded seven points (two goals, five assists) and scored in every game except the quarterfinal loss to the Czech Republic.  The experience playing in the tournament, and the success that he had should only fuel Stepan towards a big second season

In addition you notice in Stepan leadership qualities that tell you that he will likely wear a letter within the next few seasons for this organization.  Add to that the fact that this is a genuinely good young man and the Rangers have yet another quality player, person to build the core of their team around. 

GRADE: B+

Chris Kreider Responds To Rumors of Him Leaving Boston College

According to Andrew Gross of Rangers Rants theere was a rumor running around Boston College message boards today that said forward Chris Kreider was going to leave the Eagles and sign with the New York Rangers this summer.  Gross says that after speaking with Kreider this evening that nothing has changed for Chris and the expectation is that he is going to back to college next season.

Kreider competed for Team USA in the recent World Championships and while he played well in some games against lesser competition, he struggled against the more talented clubs showing that more development is necessary.  Things could always change, but for now it appears that Kreider will be in an Eagles uniform this fall.

Minnesota Wild Fans Show Amazing Grace In Boogaard Farewell

When someone passes there is a typical desire to accentuate the positives of who they were in their life, but what the Minnesota Wild fans did last night for Derek Boogaard was about showing his family what he was in theirs.  The depth of the imprint that Boogaard left on the fans of the Wild and the community in his five seasons there is special given how the community has sought to give back to the family in their time of grief. 

I have always believed that hockey fans are amongst the most compassionate in the world and the family environment that hockey brings to the players and fans has been on full display since Boogaard’s passing this weekend.  It would be impossible for that same bond to exist between Boogaard and the New York fans given his short stay and the even shorter chance to get to know him, both on and off the ice, but today I am in awe of the beauty of what the Minnesota fans did last night. 

Last night, organized via facebook by Wild fans Katie Haag, 19, of St. Francis and Shelby Leske, 18, over 300 Wild fans gathered at the Xcel Energy Center for a memorial service that included Derek’s family.  Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune has an amazing recap of the events that included family, friends, teammates and organizational members of the Wild speaking about Derek.  The gesture started by the fans was a way for the fans and even the family to get a little comfort in this time of grief as they share their thoughts, memories and even grief as a unit and not alone. 

The story of how the crowd began to sing “Amazing Grace” together is one of those things that you cannot plan and speaks to the emotions that were running through those gathered.  The whole event was a tribute not only to Derek Boogaard and the love of the hockey community, but to the people and fans of the Minnesota Wild who showed their love of their team, a player who was no longer there, and amazing grace.

Also be sure to check out Michael Russo’s account of how facebook made the entire night possible and what it meant to the Boogaard’s.

Boogaard’s funeral service will be held on Saturday in Regina, Saskatchewan. 

Rangers Player Review: Brandon Dubinsky

Looking at Brandon Dubinsky’s 2010-11 campaign is tough because in one breath you want to focus on the step forward he took in his overall production, but in the next you cannot help but consider what could have been if he had maintained his early form.  Dubinsky had a breakout year during his fourth full season with the club as he scored 24 goals and had 54 points which both led the team. 

During the first half, Dubinsky was the team’s best player and carried the offense to the point where he was at a level worthy of All-Star consideration.  Gone was the inconsistent performance and production issues that had been plaguing Dubinsky during his prior season leaving only the skill and determination he had shown flashes of before. 

Few if any players, especially in the forward core, had more asked of them than he did as he was not only playing on the Rangers’ top line, killing penalties, and playing on the power play, but he was asked to take most of the face-offs for the team.  He led all forwards with an average of 20:14 of ice time per game and as the season went on the combination of that and his stress fracture seemed to wear Dubinsky down and make him less effective. 

He was an excellent two-way player all season, but his offense dipped severely in the second half and saw more of the Dubinsky of prior seasons than the All-Star type year he was putting up early on.  Before the break he played in 47 games and had 17 goals and 21 assists.  Following the break, after coming back from the stress fracture in his leg, he had only seven goals and nine assists in 30 games.  His inconsistency continued in the playoffs as he struggled mightily early in the series with the Capitals, but showed flashes in Games 3 and 4 before fading again in Game 5.

Let us take a look at the breakdown of Dubinsky’s numbers by month.

Month	Games Played	G	A	Shots
October	10	5	4	25
November	16	7	4	32
December	12	4	8	37
January	9	1	5	30
February	12	2	3	25
March	14	4	5	43
April	4	1	1	10

Not only was he leading the team on the ice in terms of production, but the effort and consistency during the game was transferred off the ice as well with him becoming a leader in the room and someone to seriously be considered for a letter next season. 

There are a lot of positives to take from the 2010-11 season for Dubinsky, but there are still concerns about how much of his potential he will reach going forward.  The talent is there for him to be a 65-70 point first line type player if the consistency in production ever matches it for a full season.

Grade: B+

Photo: Vancouver Green Men "Class Up," Dress Like Don Cherry

When the Vancouver Green Men mocked Carrie Underwood, wife of Nashville forward Mike Fisher, during the Canucks series with the Nashville Predators, Don Cherry had some choice words for the duo. 

"The Green guys, they were funny at the time. And I liked'em. I really did. But when you get personal. When you get personal, with wives and stuff like that, then this is no good. This should never be."

During Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks the Green Men would have something to say back to Don Cherry when they dressed up like Don Cherry and had a cardboard cutout of him wearing one of their outfits.

Something tells me this is not over as Cherry will definitely have something to say.

Hat tip to Puck Daddy