Rangers To Waive Sean Avery

Larry Brooks of the NYPost tweeted and TSN is reporting that the New York Rangers will put Sean Avery on waivers at noon today.  There is some shock to this as Christensen did little if anything to "win" the final roster spot, but the fact that Avery is off the team should not be all that shocking.  Avery had the bigger cap hit and issues with the coaching staff trusting him not to take bad penalties, so they made the move to waive him.  If he is goes unclaimed Avery can be sent to the CT Whale.  Sad that Christensen ends up the beneficiary in this. More later.

Who Should Play With Richards, Gaborik If Wolski Can't Go In Opener?

Over the summer there was much speculation concerning the subject of who would be the left wing to pair with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik on the top line for the New York Rangers.  My position throughout was that Wojtek Wolski would get the first chance to prove he could utilize his talent playing with those two elite players.  Reports from camp have said there is chemistry from the trio, but Wolski has been battling a groin issue for the last week and is no lock to play this Friday in the season opener.  The hope is Wolski will practice tomorrow and play on Friday, but the Rangers also have to prepare in case that doesn’t happen.

While Wolski has been on the shelf, coach John Tortorella has been shuffling Brian Boyle, Ruslan Fedotenko and Brandon Dubinsky in and out with his Richards and Gaborik looking for who could fill the spot.  If Wolski is unavailable on Friday which Rangers’ forward should get the spot on the top line? 

Marc Staal Will Miss Rangers Regular Season Games In Europe

For anyone holding out hope that Marc Staal would somehow make it into the New York Rangers lineup for the beginning of the regular season, coach John Tortorella put an end to that by telling the media after the game that Staal is not going to Europe.   Tortorella added that Staal will not be placed on IR, which is somewhat confusing because after the games this weekend the Rangers wont play for a week when they are on Long Island which would be enough time to satisfy the IR requirements and allow the Rangers to carry an extra player in Europe, but not that big a deal since they have enough right now.

Staal Doubts Own Ability To Play In Rangers Opener

The New York Rangers are in Europe preparing to open the season on Friday, defenseman Marc Staal is skating with the Connecticut Whale in hopes of joining the team for the regular season.  However, according to Andrew Gross in today’s Bergen Record, Staal does not seem too confident that will happen while the team is in Europe. 

"It’s skate and see how I feel and then kind of go from there," Staal told The Record. "If I’m not feeling ready to play a game, it’s doubtful that I’ll make it over there. I’ll know more [today] as it goes on."

That is certainly not good news for the Rangers faithful as losing Staal for any game action is a huge loss to the team.  That said, the patient approach is the right one for Staal to take and he knows how ready or not ready he is at this point to play against NHL competition.  That is part of the problem in Staal’s judgement that his lack of being cleared for contract due to his headaches he cannot gauge his level of game fitness.

"I haven’t physically touched anybody on the ice yet so, from that standpoint, I’m not ready," Staal said. "Once I’m cleared to start taking hits and battling guys down low, I can better gauge when I could be ready."

While the talk from the organization has been very positive and upbeat about when Staal will be able to play, hearing Staal himself doubt where he is right now is a more honest assessment.  Glen Sather is talking up how soon Staal could be in Europe while the player himself has no plans to even make it there at all.

"Nothing’s booked right now," Staal said. "Honestly, there’s not really a plan. It’s going by how I feel. If I improve drastically tomorrow and feel good, maybe I’ll head over there."

Rangers Cut Prospects As Trim Roster to 25

The New York Rangers made their second round of cuts this morning and the result is a resulting roster of 25.  The cuts today were defensemen Tim Erixon, Dylan McIlrath and Blake Parlett along with forwards Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin, John Mitchell, Kris Newbury and Dale Weise.  All were assigned to  to Connecticut (AHL) except for McIlrath who was returned to the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League.

For some this will look like the Rangers taking a step back in the youth movement because no prospects will make the opening night roster this season, but I do not view it that way.  Erixon, Hagelin and Bourque were all given their chances to make the team.  Erixon did not show as much in camp/preseason as he did in Traverse City, so he will get the opportunity, like Ryan McDonagh last season, to go down tot he AHL and play big minutes to be ready for a call-up during the season.   The competition for Hagelin, Bourque and even Weise was a little more stacked against them as 11 forwards were locked into the roster and Mats Zuccarello claimed the 12th spot with his strong play.  Putting Bourque or Hagelin on the roster as a 13th forward would be a disservice to them both now and going forward.  They will go to Connecticut and play big minutes continuing to get better and waiting for their opportunity.

With Weise the situation is a little different because he has to pass through waivers and it is possible that he showed enough in his preseason performances that another team will claim him on waivers this week.  If he does not get claimed, then I would still look for him to be moved out of the organization through trade to clear a veteran spot on the AHL roster.  It is possible with Kolarik's injury they could keep him, but Weise will likely get moved elsewhere to see if he can crack the NHL.


Goalie (3): Marty Biron, Henrik Lundqvist, Scott Stajcer
Defensemen (8): Brendan Bell, Stu Bickel, Michael Del Zotto, Steve Eminger, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Marc Staal
Forwards (14): Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan, Erik Christensen, Brandon Dubinsky, Ruslan Fedotenko, Marian Gaborik, Brandon Prust, Brad Richards, Mike Rupp, Derek Stepan, Wojtek Wolski, Mats Zuccarello

The Rangers will assuredly make two more cuts before opening night with Stajcer being the guaranteed one to be sent back.  Avery and Christensen are battling for the final forward spot while Staal's situation leaves the defense decisions up in the air.  If he can play, then it is said that Bickel or Bell will be the one cut while Del Zotto is safe.  The Rangers could also carry 8 defenders early in the year just in case there is any further issues for Staal once he returns.

Lundqvist Stellar In Emotional Return to Frolunda

Everyone new today was going to be a big day for New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist as he returned home, not only to Sweden, but to his former club Frolunda.  Before the game the Frolunda franchise did themselves extremely proud with a moving tribute to their former netminder that Lundqvist himself said after the game nearly had him in tears.  Lundqvist entered to an ovation fitting of a king and he played like it with 32 saves in the Rangers 4-2 win.

The Rangers got on the board when Ryan Bourque sprung Kris Newbury for a goal over the shoulder.  It was another play by Bourque to make the Rangers coaching staff take notice of his all-around game, but it still likely won’t be enough for him to be on the roster for opening night.

After taking and killing off numerous penalties to start the second period, Michael Del Zotto would put the Rangers up when Mats Zuccarello found him pinching to the slot.  The goal for Del Zotto had to feel good for him, but the play was made by Zuccarello who shined in this game.  Zuccarello was not done with Del Zotto’s setup as he had another brilliant pass for Erik Christensen who scored on a low shot to make it 3-1 New York.  If he was not already a lock to make the roster before the game, Zuccarello’s performance in his return to Sweden should clinch it for him.  Maybe Zuccarello was more comfortable on the bigger ice surface, but the plays for the goals were not a product of that difference.  With playmaking skills like that he can be a huge contributor for New York this year if paired with Derek Stepan again.

Lundqvist was beaten in the third with Del Zotto in the box, but Mike Rupp would seal the game with just 3:12 left off a feed from Brendan Bell.

• Lundqvist is the easy choice for standout player today as he was brilliant in keeping the team alive when they took far too many penalties.  Great move by the organization giving Lundqvist the “A” for the game.
• Zuccarello as I mentioned earlier continued his excellent showing this year and just looks more confident in what he is doing this season.
• Hopefully Christensen’s goal does not become an excuse to keep him around
• Erixon was much better today, but the question remains if it was too late for him
• Del Zotto is getting his offensive instincts back, which is certainly good news, but there is still work to be done.
• Bell continues to keep his name in the conversation
• As a team the penalties need to stop as this has been a trend in their preseason games.  Yes, a lot of young players were in the lineup today, but it is ridiculous the number of penalties and 5-on-3 advantages they are giving against.

Rangers Will Sit Big Names Except Lundqvist Vs Frolunda; Sauer Back On Ice

After going with almost their entire forward roster yesterday, Dan Rosen of NHL.com tweeted that the New York Rangers are going with a thin roster today in Henrik Lundqvist’s return to Frolunda. 

NYR going w/ thin lineup. Anisimov, Gaborik, Richards, Callahan, Dubi, Stepan, Girardi, Fedotenko, McDonagh, Sauer, Eminger all scratched.

With that list of scratches that would leave the Rangers without most of their top offensive and defensive players today, but it also leads to a different kind of intrigue as much of the lineup will be those players battling for roster spots.  Up front the Rangers will still have Boyle, Wolski, Prust, Zuccarelo and Rupp, but on the blue line it will be all AHL and prospects in the lineup.  This should mean another look at Dylan McIlrath while Del Zotto, Erixon, Bell, and Bickel continue their battle to crack the roster.

In other news, Rosen reports that Michael Sauer is back at practice today, though he was skating with the scratches, which is very good news that his recently sprained shoulder is getting better and he should be ready for next week's opener.

Rangers Roster vs HC Sparta; Prust Will Play

Dan Rosen at NHL.com has today's lineup for the New York Rangers as they take on HC Sparta.

Wolski-Richards-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
Fedotenko-Stepan-Zuccarello
Rupp-Christensen-Prust

Defenders in the lineup: Ryan McDonagh, Michael Del Zotto, Steve Eminger, Tim Erixon, Stu Bickel and Brendan Bell.

Having Prust back in action is a big boost for the Rangers and signals he is back from offseason shoulder surgery.   Up front the team is playing virtually their entire starting lineup other than Boyle being out because of the flu.  I am in favor of the idea of putting Fedotenko with Stepan and Zuccarello and having Rupp play with what will be Boyle and Prust.  Feds will bring more offensively to the third line and Rupp with Boyle and Prust could just beat the other team into submission.

Very curious to see reports on which defenders are paired up this afternoon.  The one that makes the most sense from the past would be Del Zotto with Eminger and the other up for grabs.

Has Roster Come Down To Avery vs John Mitchell For Final Forward Spot?

The New York Rangers came into camp with 11 forward positions on the roster already decided and a at least a half dozen others competing for only 1 or 2 spots.  Erik Christensen and Sean Avery were the incumbents, but both had enough flaws in their play and standing with the team to have them immediately on the bubble.  Mats Zuccarello seems as if he is well on his way to securing his spot, which would only leave one spot for the rest of the group to battle for. 

The extra forward spot is not the kind of spot that you want a young player to be in because it can stunt their development and would rather have them play down in the minors than sitting in the press box.  That seemingly would eliminate contenders like Carl Hagelin and Ryan Bourque for sure, and possibly Dale Weise, from the roster on opening night as their development is better served playing huge minutes with the Whale.  Erik Christensen has played his own way off the roster this preseason, while Sean Avery has played well in spots and showed Monday he has flashes of the old Avery still in there. 

Avery showed his toughness and skill early in the game when his battle in early in the first period led to Andreas Thuresson’s goal.  He continued to channel the good parts of Avery when his pestering got under the skin of Wayne Simmonds and had Simmonds take a foolish penalty against him.  However, Avery showed his negative side later in the game when he took his own foolish penalty getting a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.  The Flyers converted on the power play and you can bet that coach John Tortorella took note of that.

The two other main contenders for a 13th forward role would be Kris Newbury and John Mitchell.  Newbury was ok with the Rangers last season and is good in the faceoff circle, but he also takes foolish penalties from trying too hard.  Mitchell on the other hand is in the perfect spot in his career for this kind of chance.  At 26 Mitchell is not going to significantly develop further playing with the Whale while he has shown in camp that he can play a solid game on both ends with a little potential offense as a fill in player.  Mitchell is mainly a center, but is able to play some wing and that kind of flexibility along with his very good work in the faceoff circle makes him a big threat for that final spot on the roster. In the end this is still Avery's spot to win or lose, but Mitchell is likely his biggest competition.

McIlrath Should Be An Early Season Roster Option If Staal And/Or Sauer Aren't Ready

The New York Rangers came into training camp with questions to be answered about their defense corps, but all of those questions revolved around who exactly would comprise the third pairing.  Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Michael Sauer were to be the top four and give the Rangers the luxury of having two shutdown pairings to give the opposition nightmares. 

However things have not gone according to plan during training camp with Michael Sauer first having knee tendinitis issues and Monday night injuring his shoulder.  The hope is that the shoulder will only cost Sauer a week and that he can return to preseason action in advance of the regular season opener.  For Marc Staal the issues have revolved around linger headaches caused from a concussion he suffered on February 22 against Carolina.  Staal is said to be improving and the team is hopeful he will fly to Sweden at the end of this week to continue his preparation to be in the lineup Oct. 7. 

The best case scenario is that both Staal and Sauer will be there against the Los Angeles Kings, but what if one or both aren’t ready to play?  Having at minimum Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh as top defenders is still tremendous, but that issues come from others that have to be elevated in the lineup to fill the holes.  Steve Eminger and Michael Del Zotto right now appear to be the third pair if all are healthy, but one or both would have to slide into the a top four spot to make up for whomever is missing. 

As I wrote yesterday, Tim Erixon does not appear ready for the NHL just yet, which leaves Brendan Bell, Stu Bickel, Blake Parlett and Dylan McIlrath as options to open the year.  Bell has been solid in his two appearances, while Bickel would bring some toughness.  Parlett has not played in any preseason games as he continues to recover from a knee injury he suffered in Traverse City, so it is tough to gauge how effective he could be.  That brings me to Dylan McIlrath.

Coach John Tortorella said the other day that McIlrath is not ready for the NHL, but bringing him to Europe gives them a chance to keep teaching him.  Tortorella is right that the experience is great for McIlrath is being around not only the coaching staff, but learning how to be a professional from the other defenders on the team.  Where I will differ with the impression from Tortorella that this is basically a take the trip before heading back to Juniors trip is that Dylan showed more, at least in his preseason game, than the other candidates did in their outings.

Let me be clear that I am not arguing McIlrath is ready or that he should make the team full time this season.  What I am saying is that if Staal and/or Sauer are unable to go when the Rangers open the season on Oct 7 the organization should not close the door on the idea of letting Dylan play some of his allotted games before sending him back to the WHL.  McIlrath taking a spot that would otherwise be held by Bell or Bickel is certainly not in any way detrimental to the team.  McIlrath has shown tremendous improvement in his skating, gap control and shooting over last year and other than possibly Tim Erixon has the most upside of any of the defensive options. 

Obviously if McIlrath falters, Erixon rises up to claim the spot or Sauer and Staal are both healthy we are having a different conversation in a week.  There is no doubt that McIlrath has more to learn to be NHL ready full-time, but if he gets more opportunities during the European preseason games and shows similar to how he did against New Jersey there is no reason to deny him outright as an option. Let the 19-year-old get a taste of what the NHL is like and make him even hungrier to continue his course of significant improvement from where he was a year ago.