Rangers Send Erixon, Newbury Down to CT Whale

Following today's 5-4 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators the New York Rangers announced some roster moves sending both D Tim Erixon and F Kris Newbury to the Connecticut Whale (AHL).  Erixon has been up and down with his play thus far this season, while Newbury has been a non-factor while getting little ice time on the fourth line.  It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, will get the call in their place.

Erixon Doing Enough To Stay On Rangers Roster, For Now

The past couple of weeks have been a rollercoaster ride for Tim Erixon as he has gone from hero and presumed lock to make the team after the Traverse City Prospects Tournament to assigned to the minors during training camp and then back on the team making his professional debut in Sweden for the New York Rangers. 

When the Rangers claimed Jeff Woywitka late last week many presumed that Erixon would be headed back to the minors when the team returned from Europe, but that is not happening right now.  The team instead demoted Brendan Bell to Hartford and are keeping Erixon as one of seven defenders on the roster. 

Erixon was not overwhelming on the third pair with Steve Eminger in the opening games, but he flashed more of what was seen in Traverse than the tentative game he played during the preseason.  This is a tough situation to read because Erixon was still showing issues dealing with the strength of NHL caliber players, but his skating and overall play were better than Eminger.  The issue will be with the Rangers deciding on what is best for his development in terms of playing 12-14 sheltered minutes on the third defensive pairing in the NHL or playing 20+ minutes against all competition and in all situation in the AHL.  This could be a scenario where with the Rangers off until Saturday and Whale not playing until Friday that he gets another week of NHL practices and maybe one more game before the team heads out on the road trip.

Tim Erixon Showing He Is Not Quite Ready For NHL Level

When the New York Rangers acquired defenseman Tim Erixon this summer the talked revolved around how NHL ready he was right now.  With that talk the expectation level for his performance was to make the team out of camp.  During Traverse City earlier this month, Erixon not only lived up to, but exceeded the hype.  Erixon was clearly the Rangers best player and Mike Morreale at NHL.com thought he might have been the best player in the whole tournament.  That performance only increased the hype and expectations for the 20-year old defender coming into training camp/preseason play.

While the hype continues for Erixon outside the organization with numerous publications touting him as a potential Calder Trophy nominee, Erixon’s play on the ice during preseason likely has him on the outside looking in when the Rangers open the season Oct. 7.  The poised, confident player that dominated portions of games in Traverse City is gone, while what is left is a young player who is tentative and leaves the impression that game is just too fast at this stage.  The differential in the performances is staggering and thus far in three games Erixon has shown nothing close to what would be necessary to consider him making the team.

Offensively Erixon is rushing himself when he has the puck and his decision making on things like when to carry the puck, where to pass are not nearly crisp enough.  He has seemingly fallen into the trap of trying to make the perfect play instead of playing the simple style he was at Traverse.  Playing a smart, simple game does not mean diluted the natural talent.  In fact, playing that way has the ability to have the opposite effect because it allows the game to slow down a little bit and use the tremendous vision and skill Erixon possesses to carve up defenses.

Defensively is where Erixon is struggling most during the preseason as the speed and strength of some of the opposition is leaving him overmatched.  On numerous occasions in the three games Erixon has been caught leaning to far forward on his skates and had opposing players go around him like he was not even there.  His footwork has not been good and it has led to him taking four minor penalties in the last two games.

This is not to bash on Tim Erixon or say that the hype was not warranted because you can see he is an elite talent and has the makings of an excellent NHL defender.  However, based on his performances thus far in preseason it does not appear Erixon is ready for that step right now.  Erixon appears destined for Hartford, which is not a bad thing as Ryan McDonagh showed last season.  Time in Hartford would allow Erixon to play major minutes in all situations while working on his game with J.J. Daigneault and Wade Redden so that he can be better prepared when he is called upon.  Letting him develop at his own pace is better than throwing him in there to sink or swim and messing with his confidence if he ends up showing he isn’t ready.

Camp Day 1 Recap: Avery, Rookies Impress In Conditioning; Sauer, Anisimov Injury News

Reports out of Day 1 of Camp Torturella are all relatively positive in terms of the conditioning of the New York Rangers, which tells you how committed the team is to being prepared for a big season.  Sean Avery was cited as one of those who was the most impressive to start the day, but the conditioning of Avery has never been in question.  

Beyond Avery the standouts were rookies trying to make the team with Tim Erixon, Ryan Bourque and Carl Hagelin making their turn at the conditioning drills look relatively easy.  It is impressive to see how driven these rookies are in trying to earn their way on the club from opening night.  There could be some advantage for these guys having played in Traverse City this past week so their conditioning level could be slightly higher than those who have scrimmaged at best.  The Rangers veterans better be ready to fight for their spots on the roster because these rookies are certainly ready to take them away.

While the news on the conditioning front was good there was injury news with Michael Sauer and Artem Anisimov sitting out today with knee injuries.  For Sauer the injury is something that was sustained during the summer and earlier today I looked at whether it is a cause for concern.  With Anisimov the injury is something that was discovered during a physical and he not only sat out, but had a precautionary MRI that came back negative.  Sauer is expected to be on the ice tomorrow, but no timetable was given for Anisimov. 

Tim Erixon Makes Strong First Impression In Rangers Uniform

When the 2010-11 season ended for the New York Rangers their defense was certainly not considered a need area, but that did not stop GM Glen Sather from taking advantage of the contract situation between Tim Erixon and the Calgary Flames to trade for the talented young defender.  In the NHL you can never have enough talent or enough assets and Sather stuck to that line of thinking in adding to an already deep defense system.  At the time of the trade Tim Erixon was talked about as being NHL ready right now and while last night was only one game at a prospect tournament, Erixon certainly looked the part of an NHL player.  The Rangers defense is set at four spots, but the final two spots are certainly up for grabs heading into training camp with Michael Del Zotto, Steve Eminger and Erixon seen as the main three competitors for the spots heading into it. 

Last night Erixon showed tremendous poise, very good vision, excellent passing instincts with a hard shot that he was not afraid to take.   Watching Erixon quarterback the power play was a pleasure both for what he was able to do and the distinctions between him and how badly the Rangers defenders were at it last season.  There was no flash to how Erixon played, but there was a calm cerebral aspect to his game that was impressive as the game appeared to be moving in slow motion at times for him.  His patience in deciding whether to pass, where to pass and his quick decision making on firing his excellent shot made the game look easy.  He looked like a veteran doing so as his calm, composed demeanor out there showed more instincts in doing so than any other defender currently on the Rangers roster.  If Erixon can continue to show the range of offensive skills that he did last night and be solid in his own end throughout the rest of the Traverse City tournament he will definitely go into camp with an excellent chance to make the team on opening night.

Regardless of whether Erixon can continue to play as well as he did last night for the rest of the tournament and in training camp against the NHL caliber players, he showed flashes last night that the talent is certainly there for him to be yet another excellent young defender for the Rangers in the near future.  He can either make the team out of camp or take the Ryan McDonagh path in playing part of his first professional year in the AHL before joining the NHL roster.  The biggest reason for him to potentially start the year in the AHL would be the adjustment to the rink size which Erixon noted himself in his interview after the second period. 

It was only one game, but last night’s performance was an excellent first impression and should reassure any who doubted before that Glen Sather got another steal for the Rangers young defense corps when he traded for Tim Erixon this summer.

Rookie Watch: Is Tim Erixon Ready To Join Ranks of Successful Young Rangers Defenders?

The New York Rangers had tremendous success during the 2010-11 season incorporating rookies into their lineup and having those players perform at a very high level.  It is rare that a team can have significant contributions from three or four rookies in a season and still be a very competitive overall.  New York had that last season with Derek Stepan and Michael Sauer performing at very high levels for the entire season, while Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello also played well in their split seasons between the AHL and NHL.

After a season like that it would be understandable for an organization to lack talented players to step in as rookies the following season.  The Rangers do not have that problem and over the course of the next week we are going to look at some of the rookies that have a chance to make an impact on the Rangers during the 2011-12 season, whether it be in full or partial season duty.  Yesterday there was a look at CarlHagelin and what his chances were to both in terms of making the team and how big an impact he would have.  Today, the focus shifts to elite defensive prospect Tim Erixon and his quest to make the team out of camp and follow in the footsteps of Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh in how he adapted quickly at the NHL level.

Wrap Up of Development Camp Day One: McIlrath Skating Improvement Stands Out Most

The New York Rangers opened development camp today and it gives the coaching staff to get their first in person look at the recent draftees as well as see how far returning prospects have come over the past year.  Just as coach John Tortorella does to start training camp, development camp opens with a day of nothing but conditioning. 

Having the players do only conditioning will not show much in terms of their overall skills, but it can show how seriously they are taking their offseason work to see who is truly prepared physically.  Before we get into what came out on day one, earlier I did a primer on the three players at development camp that have the best chance to make the roster and what they have to show to do so.

After hanging out with Kevin DeLury of The New York Rangers Blog during the draft party, and since today was mostly just opening day stories instead of action, we are going round-up some of the observations and stories from today in a sort of NYRangersBlog style:

Dylan McIlrath

Steve Zipay notices that 2010 first round pick Dylan McIlrath looks considerably faster than he did last season.

Andrew Gross notices similar things and has quotes from McIlrath at Ranger Rants

My take: Improvement and hunger are things you want in your prospects and having McIlrath make strides with his skating from last year gives hope for even bigger things from him in the future.  Do not get ahead of yourselves in thinking it means he is making the team as this is just skating at the Rangers are pretty stacked on defense this season.  Do go ahead and be excited for what this means in terms of McIlrath's dedication to improving his game.

Carl Hagelin:

Carl Hagelin tells the New York Rangers official twitter that he didn’t think the conditioning tests were too bad. 

Jesse Spector talks about the transition that Hagelin is looking to make and how he is the type of player the coaching staff loves at Blueshirts Blog

My take: Hearing Hagelin talk about how the conditioning was not too bad  must make coach John Tortorella smile and shows how seriously Hagelin is taking his chance to make an impression before camp even begins.  I agree with Spector that Hagelin is the prototypical player for the Rangers coaching staff as I wrote earlier this afternoon.

Tim Erixon:

Both Jesse Spector and Andrew Gross have stories about the player seen as the most likely of all participants in development camp to make the NHL roster this fall.

In a light moment this afternoon, while Barbara Underhill was working with the prospects on their skating, Erixon nailed her with a snow shower had the other prospects laughing and tapping their sticks over.

My take: Erixon comes into this camp and training camp this fall with a lot of expectations on him between the trade to get him and the hype about his NHL readiness that has been coming out all month.  The real time to learn about Erixon will come as the week progresses and the actual scrimmages get going and you see how he stacks up against the competition.  He will be expected to dominate it by some, but this is just another step in his growth as a player.

Other Prospects:

Jesse Spector says that the Rangers 2011 fifth round selections are slightly different in the speed category.  Shane McCoglan is very fast, while Samuel Noreau is not.  Being 5-foot-8 McCoglan has to be extremely quick to survive against bigger players, while the massive Noreau can just do what he does best and knock them to the ground.

Rangers Prospects Erixon, Hagelin, Thomas Look To Leave Impression For Fall This Week

With prospect development camp getting underway today there are plenty of storylines to watch for during the week, while understanding that very few of these players stand much of a chance to make or contribute at the NHL level this coming season.  Tim Erixon, Carl Hagelin and Christian Thomas are the three main players at this week’s camp that do have a chance to crack the roster this year and have carrying levels of impact.

For these three, development camp is a combination of leaving an impression with the coaching staff and organization as it is learning what will be expected of them during training camp this fall. Erixon is the one seen as most likely to break camp with the Rangers as they open the season in Sweden.  His status as NHL ready and the Rangers willingness to give young defenders every opportunity to show they belong at the NHL level over the past few seasons makes him a good bet to be on the team.  He will have to show that he is steady enough to play at the highest level while showing the promise of adding some offense to the team.

Hagelin is a complete player and while many are regarding him mainly as a third or fourth line type player, he has the ability to play higher in the lineup.  The fact that the Rangers' coaching staff values players who work hard and play well in all three zones will certainly give Hagelin a chance to make the club. His work this week could impact the decisions the Rangers make in terms of filling out their roster this summer.  Hagelin is not seen as being as likely to make the Rangers this fall as Erixon, but he will certainly challenge for a spot and even if he doesn’t make the team out of camp the former Michigan star will be with the Rangers at some point during the season.  In order to make the squad he will have to show the complete game he was known for at Michigan in terms of playing both sides of the puck, being an excellent skater, able to play in any situation and some offensive finish.  He could be someone that threatens the role of a Ruslan Fedotenko this year.

Thomas is the most intriguing of the three because of his potential to add a sniper to the Rangers lineup and the fact that he is one of those NHL or Juniors players this season.  If Erixon or Hagelin need more time to develop in the AHL this fall as Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello did last season, then they can go to Hartford and play until they are ready to be in the NHL.  Thomas does not have that option as he will get this week, Traverse City and training camp to prove the Rangers should take a chance on him during the regular season.  If the Rangers do so, then he will have 9 games to prove he belongs there before the Rangers would have to send him back to Juniors in order to not lose a season on his contract.  Thomas has to show the offensive ability he displayed in Juniors can translate against the better competition and that his size wont be a huge detriment to him.

Lots of storylines going on this week at development camp, but watching how these three leave their mark in an attempt to make the team to start the 2011-12 season is one of the most intriguing.

Tim Erixon Brings Rangers Excellent Talent And Organizational Flexibility

This morning there was an examination of the cost the New York Rangers paid to acquire Tim Erixon from the Calgary Flames yesterday.  Now we will go beyond the cost of Erixon in terms of the trade and look at both what the Rangers are getting on the ice to add to their already stacked young defensive corps and what it means for the organization overall.

The National Hockey League is driven by talent and when you have the ability to acquire high end talent, especially without costing anything on your current roster, you have to make the move.  You make the deal both for what it can do for the team on the ice, as well as the freedom and flexibility it gives the organization to make other transactions.  The New York Rangers exercised that thinking yesterday when they traded for yet another highly regarded young defense prospect despite the immense depth their defensive corps already possessed.

Having Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer and Michael Del Zotto here already gave the New York Rangers one of the best young defensive corps in the league.  The work of Glen Sather to not let that stand in the way deserves to be praised and creates options for him to help solve the Rangers scoring issues.  Having Kundratek, Valentenko, Pashnin and McIlrath, to name a few, also in the prospect pipeline it is very likely that the Rangers will move either someone from the NHL ranks or a prospect to gain forward help.  Now they can do that from an even greater position of strength with an increased level of trade chips at their disposal.

Now let us take a deeper look at what the Rangers are getting on the ice with Tim Erixon in the fold.

Gordie Clark, Rangers Director, Player Personnel:

It's amazing when you can go through the many scouting reports that we have on him and see that there are not a whole lot of mistakes by a young defenseman.

Hockey Prospectus:

In regards to Tim Erixon, he is an NHL-ready prospect and one who projects to be a significant contributor in the NHL. Erixon is a pro-level skater, maybe even a tad above with a fluid stride and overall mobility that projects well. He's decent with the puck, not much of a handler but can move and rush the puck up and is an effective distributor on the power play. I've never really been a fan of his shot, although it has taken notable strides since his draft year. He measures in at over 6 feet and 200 pounds, but still has a twig-like figure and needs one of those summers to really bulk up before he comes to the NHL. He has added more of a physical edge to his game since his U-18 days, but the strength isn't there enough for him to be completely effective in that regard. Erixon derives his value from his game-processing and hockey sense, which I grade as plus and that's not something I do often. His defensive game is extremely sound, he's very aware with and without the puck, and quick and effective decision-making help him contribute in all situations. He's the kind of player who I project in a few seasons could be playing against the opposition's top players, playing a fair amount of defensive zone minutes while putting up good possession numbers and chipping in decent counting numbers offensively. It's very realistic to say that Tim Erixon could be a steady first pairing defenseman in the NHL. If he had re-entered the draft, I would have easily had him in the 10-12 range in my current rankings and arguably in the top 10.

The Hockey Writers (from his draft year):

Son of former NHLer, Jan, Erixon is a two-way blueliner, with a greater propensity for the offensive side of the game. Having said that, he might have a better defensive acumen than fellow Swedish defenseman prospects Rundblad and OEL. He does possess very good on-ice vision and hockey sense. He is a mature player and the main thing he has to work on to ensure what will appear to be a smooth transition to the big leagues will be his skating and acceleration.

You read those scouting reports about a guy who is a very good skater, solid size, excellent defensive positioning, plays the body and has a high hockey sense.  Those traits make me think of the Rangers own Ryan McDonagh though with more offensive upside.  Even without the offensive upside, if the Rangers could get yet another Ryan McDonagh in the organization with the promise that he showed during his rookie season they would be ecstatic.  Luckily for the Rangers they have the ability to get both in Erixon.

This past season he had five goals and 19 assists while playing nearly 20 minutes a night in his 48 games.  Given the lack of scoring in the Swedish Elite League his offensive numbers are that much more impressive.  His 24 points were enough to rank him second in the league among defenders, trailing only David Runblad.  He has experience playing the point on the power play, though let us not put the pressure of him being the power play quarterback/savior just yet.

The combination of the talent Erixon brings to the Rangers defensive corps and the flexibility he gives to the front office to make complimentary moves to secure more offense only strengthens and quickens the organization in the short and long term.  This move only continues the movement to younger players as the foundation of this team and the more talent you can add, at any position, the better you will be for it. 

Also, do not discount the impact that number of young players/rookies getting their chance to show what they can do at the NHL level with Erixon wanting to come here when he was concerned with that fact in Calgary.

Breaking Down Erixon Price Tag For Those Concerned Rangers Overpaid

The morning after the New York Rangers swapped Roman Horak and two 2011 second round picks to Calgary for top prospect Tim Erixon and a 2011 fifth round selection, there are those who seem unsure of just how well the Rangers did on the deal. 

Update: Thoughts on talent Erixon brings to the ice and the flexibility he gives the front office to make other moves.

For those who are concerned about what the Rangers gave up, mainly citing the vulnerable position that the Flames were in, there is an ignoring of some facts going on.  Just because Calgary had to deal him or lose him for a single second round pick does not mean the Rangers giving up what they did means they overpaid for him in the slightest.  There was nothing that said he had to come to the Rangers and if he went in the draft he was likely going to be a top-10 selection and never on the board when New York came to the podium at #15.  If the question is take the elite prospect when you can guarantee you get him and keep your #15 pick or keep Horak, 45 and 57 while hoping to use the #15 on Erixon, you take the deal without question.  The deal boils down to 45th and 57th for essentially a number 10 overall pick and the Rangers get to use their number 15 pick on some much needed offense.

It is true that the Rangers have had significant success in the second round over the past number of year, even more than the first round, but this is not an 17/18-year old who they are hoping develops, this is a 20-year-old who has proven himself against men in one of the best leagues in the world that is ready to step in immediately.  To assume that in what is widely regarded as a weaker draft that the two second round picks will turn out to be of the same value Tim Erixon will is an assumption I am not willing to make.  It is certainly possible that Erixon will fail to reach his potential and those picks could become valuable down the road, but in the immediate aftermath of the deal there is no way to describe this other than a win for the Rangers.  

Give Glen Sather credit for being in the right place at the right time, and having the assets to pull this deal off.  Erixon is someone the Rangers considered taking instead of Chris Kreider in 2009 and now they get him essentially for a 2011 second rounder, Roman Horak and the mystical trade of Bobby Sanguinetti for a second rounder at last year's draft.  If this was not sports, then Sather might be facing charges for theft.

Rangers Acquire Tim Erixon From Calgary As They Continue To Stock Defense

The New York Rangers have acquired and signed defenseman Tim Erixon, son of former Rangers forward Jan Erixon, from the Calgary Flames.  Erixon, 20, was the 2009 first round selection of the Flames (23rd overall), but was not going to sign with Calgary prior to the 5 pm deadline today and would re-enter the draft.  There is speculation that had Erixon re-entered the draft he could have gone as high as the top-10 this year.  With Calgary only going to receive the 54th pick in the 2011 draft, the Flames moved Erixon along with a fifth round pick before the deadline to the Rangers for forward Roman Horak and both 2011 second round picks.  The initial reaction is that the price is steep considering the situation Calgary was in having to move him, but considering the talent they are acquiring it is worth it.

In Erixon the Rangers are getting a highly skilled two-way defender who has played the last three seasons in the Swedish Elite League.  He is known for his hockey IQ, being solid in both ends of the ice and his ability to chip in on the offensive side.  He is projected to be a top-four defender because of how solid he is in all aspects of the game and has experience quarterbacking the power play.  This past season he had five goals and 19 assists while playing nearly 20 minutes a night in his 48 games.  His 24 points were enough to rank him an impressive second in the league among defenders, trailing only David Runblad.

Erixon is ready to come over to North America this year and will definitely be able to challenge for a roster spot during the 2011-12 season.  If he does not make the club out of camp, then he could follow a Ryan McDonagh type timeline where he spends half the year in the AHL and comes up to the NHL level around midseason.

While defense is certainly not a pressing need for the Rangers, this is a brilliant move by GM Glen Sather to take advantage of the situation and acquire a first round talent at this price. While Calgary is has a very weak prospect pool right now, to acquire the number one prospect of any team is a good thing.  Erixon gives the Rangers yet another young defender in the arsenal and creates tremendous flexibility for the organization in the coming years when it comes to moving some of the surplus defensive players/prospects for more help in the forward core.