Rangers Season Will Rise or Fall On The Shoulders of Their King, Henrik Lundqvist

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At the beginning of every New York Rangers season one of the talking points is about how the organization wants to lessen the workload for Henrik Lundqvist.  Over the prior four seasons, Lundqvist played 73, 70, 72 and 70 games respectively.  This season the talk was about a schedule and how Martin Biron was going to ease the burden on Lundqvist so that the total was closer to 60 than 70.  For much of the season the team has stuck to the plan regardless of who the opponent has been, but even before Biron went down yesterday the Rangers appeared to be deviating from the plan.  With the playoff race tightening Lundqvist had started each of the previous eight games. The Rangers currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference three points ahead of eighth, five points ahead of ninth and only three points behind sixth.  With the tightening in the standings it was likely they would ride Lundqvist most of the stretch run anyway, but now with Biron likely down for the rest of the regular season things will look a lot more like previous season between the pipes for New York.  

Hopefully Lundqvist made the most of that early season rest as in the final 18 games on the schedule and once can safely expect the Rangers linchpin to play in 16 or 17 of those contests.  This scenario is nothing new to him, but it certainly deviates from what they had hoped would be the situation this season with his playing time.  While far from ideal it is a situation that he has proven he can handle and even thrive in if he gets hot at the right time and this team needs that right now.

The New York Rangers have done a tremendous job this season of playing as a team and being a unit where a single player is not necessarily forced to carry the load every night.  Having said that, everyone knows that the fate of this franchise each season is determined by how far Henrik Lundqvist can carry them.  Other players have emerged this season to take some of the burden off the 28-year-old net minder, and the play of Biron had led others, including myself, to think about how players such as Marc Staal might be more irreplaceable this season.  That fallacy is now over.  There is no one else. 

As the Rangers begin the stretch run tonight with a crucial game against ninth place Buffalo the fate of this team will be on the shoulders of the man in charge of defending that 6 x 4 cage each night.  The 2010-11 team is filled with great stories of players raising their games to levels others did not expect them to be at, but the final chapter of this story will be defined by the one guy everyone expects to be the backbone of this team.  Whether the Rangers rise or fall in these next six weeks and beyond will all be about their leader for he is the only person capable winning a game or sending a team on a steak all by himself.  With the race as tight as it is the time for rest is over and the time for excellence is here.  For the next 18 games the entire team, franchise, city and fan base will look to their King to put the team on his back and carry them as far as he can.  In that cause they will all follow, but the key is for him to lead.

Analysis: Rangers Make Right Move Buying Into Players/Course They Are On

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Yesterday was a relatively slow trading deadline day around the league and particularly for the New York Rangers, but sometimes the best moves are the ones you do not make.  The “experts” will criticize the Rangers and GM Glen Sather for not making the big move for Brad Richards simply because it means Sather did not, at least on the surface, give his team the best chance to win this season.  That side of the argument might be right because, if healthy, Brad Richards certainly makes the New York Rangers more dangerous this season.  What that argument fails to account for though, as all instant analysis of a trade deadline does, is the bigger picture and in that frame what the New York Rangers did was a pure win because it took the long term and prioritized it over a quick fix at a high cost.  The decisions made within the franchise as the deadline came and went will be characterized as standing pat, but I look what happened as them buying in a different form; they bought into what they have and decided to continue on the course.

All season the Rangers, as an organization, have talked about this year was about development and building a foundation not for one season, but for consistent contender down the road.  On deadline day, with the whole hockey world glued to see whether they would cave to the demands of Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk, they put their money where their mouth is.  The easy move for Sather would have been to take the deal and use the excuse of he is doing everything he can to help this team win the Stanley Cup this season.  It is exactly the move that the Rangers used to make.

Obviously the team wants to win.  All teams want to win.  What the Rangers have said with their statement in avoiding the temptation of big names and now is that they believe these guys have enough to compete today and the focus is on allowing them to grow this organization into a contender later.  According to Andrew Gross at Rangers Rants, Glen Sather said that there was plenty of interest from teams around the league in obtaining the youth the Rangers are building around.

“A lot of people were interested in our young guys but we really didn’t want trade any of our kids,” Sather said.

We will never fully know what the Stars or any other team wanted in order for Glen Sather to have made a move to help the team for this season.  What we do know is that they decided whatever the options were to buy from outside it was not as attractive as buying into the pieces we would have had to let go.  That should excite Rangers fans for the future.  Any Rangers fan that is spending today mourning what the team did not do is missing the beauty of this team and this season.  When I watch Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Mats Zuccarello and all the other young players that litter this lineup tonight, continue the push for the playoffs this year, I will not be thinking about Brad Richards or any other player that was out there on the market.  Instead, I will be thankful that this organization believed enough in this core to see the bigger picture regardless of what it means for this one single season.  That is the best kind of buying the Rangers could have done on Monday and we will all reap the rewards for years to come.

Video: NHL on the Fly Calls Rangers Deadline Losers

Obviously I do not agree with this shortsided analysis of what the Rangers did or more importantly did not do on deadline day and I will have more on that tomorrow, but I guess these are the experts.

Rangers Lose Martin Biron To Broken Collarbone, Talbot Recalled

With everyone focused on the trade deadline today and the lack of fireworks that ended up being for the most part, we all lost sight of New York Rangers practice which will clearly go down as the bigger story.  Per Andrew Gross the Rangers have lost backup goaltender Martin Biron indefinitely to a broken collarbone that he suffered during practice today.  In his place the team has called up Cameron Talbot, who is just coming off his own high ankle sprain, to really warm the bench behind Henrik Lundqvist.

This is a huge blow to the Rangers because not only has Biron been a more than capable backup with 8-6 record, 2.13 goals against average and .923 save percentage.  Beyond just the numbers, Biron has been very important to the plan of getting Henrik Lundqvist more rest so that they did not wear him out down the stretch and with him likely out for the rest of the regular season it means Lundqvist is likely to play all but one or two games the rest of the way.

According to Andrew Gross Sather did attempt to make a move for a backup goalie before the deadline, but the cost was too high.

“Sather says price to acquire another veteran backup was pretty high. Thinks backup will only play 1 or 2 games rest of the season.”

Trade Deadline Live Chat

2011 Trade NHL Deadline Open Thread

Less than 3 hours left before today's 3 p.m. trade deadline.  New York Rangers GM Glen Sather and the rest of the general managers in the National Hockey League will be looking to make moves, but it has been slow to this point.  The real fireworks usually get going in the last hour, so lots more potentially ahead.

Already this morning I have had a couple updates:

Price on Richards Changing

Could Penner Be Plan B?

For the rest of the day the open thread will be up for you to comment and put up just about anything you want in the comments section and I will update with all the moves that happen.

If the Rangers make a move, then I will obviously put up a new thread to deal with that, but no telling on what that might be at this point.

Trades:
3:20pm The Washington Capitals have acquired center Jason Arnott from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for David Steckel and a second round pick.

Opinion: Great move by the Devils to get that kind of a return for a 35-year-old unrestricted free agent.

3:02pm The Rangers have acquired John Mitchell from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 7th round pick in 2012.
Opinion: Nothing to see here.  This is a move to bring some forward depth to the CTWhale who have been crippled by injuries and the loss of Tim Kennedy.

2:30pm The LA Kings recieved Dustin Penner for Colton Teubert, 2011 1st round pick and a conditional pick.
Opinion: High price to play for Penner, but if he teams with Kopitar and Brown it could be the kind of line that can propel LA forward.  Other key is they got to hang onto Simmonds and their main prospects in the deal.

2:04 St Louis have traded Brad Winchester to Anaheim for a 3rd round pick.


2:02 Florida continue to overhaul their roster. Bryan Allen has apparently been traded to Carolina for winger Sergei Samsonov.

Opinion: Tallon needs to put the phone down already

1:57 Ottawa have traded Chris Campoli and 7th round pick to Chicago for a 2nd round pick and Ryan Polutny.

Opinion: Hawks need a defender, but paid a big price for Campoli

12:54 The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Radislav Klesla and former New York Rangers prospect Dane Byers to the Phoenix Coyotes for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto.

Opinion: Phoenix gets a big body defender, but they give up a couple of speedy players who appear to be well liked in the room.  This has to be about the injury to Ed Jovanovski and him not returning very soon. Don Maloney makes another move to acquire a piece he helped draft.

11:45 The Capitals acquired Dennis Wideman from the Panthers in exchange for Jake Hauswirth and a third rounder.

Opinion: Good move for the Capitals with Mike Green uncertain and Wideman underrated as a puck moving defender.  Hauswirth is an ECHL guy so it is basically a third rounder.

10:50 Atlanta trades Niclas Bergfors and Patrick Rissmiller to Florida for Radek Dvorak and a 5^th.

Opinion: Bergfors certainly has his warts, but for Dvorak this is a good gamble by Tallon.

Signings:

12:00 Jimmy Howard gets a two year 2.25M contract extension with the Red Wings.

Opinion: Good move for the Wings and helps set the market for UFA goalies this summer.

10:05am Justin Williams signs a 4 year deal worth 14.6 million to stay with the LA Kings

Opinion: Smart move by the Kings to lock up a good player for a below market price. 

Rumor: Rangers Could Target Penner If No Deal For Richards

According to Jesse Spector at Blueshirts Blog, if the New York Rangers cannot work out a deal for Brad Richards, they may move on to target Dustin Penner of the Edmonton Oilers.

A source has told the Daily News that if the Rangers do not trade for Richards, there is not another top-line center on the Blueshirts' radar, and that their priority might then shift to finding more scoring from the wing, with a focus on Dustin Penner of the Oilers. WIth a $4.25 million cap hit next season, Penner would not be an ideal fit for the Rangers' plans, but if the price is right, it would make sense to add a player who has 21 goals, more right now than anyone on Broadway.

Spector says that the Stars are sticking to the asking price of Anisimov, a prospect and a first round pick and there is no indication that Glen Sather will pay that price tag.  Should be fun.

New Brad Richards Cost, Updated Rumors.

In today’s NY Post, Larry Brooks writes there is a new asking price from Joe Nieuwendyk for Brad Richards in Artem Anisimov, a top prospect and a first round pick.  This demand is certainly lower than what Brooks said the demand was last week.  The key to evaluating the demand would be in knowing which prospect it was that Nieuwendyk is seeking.  The popular belief/wish this morning among Rangers fans is that it is Grachev.  Possible this is the actual case, but also seems like wishful thinking that a guy Rangers fans are all too happy to get rid of would be the one a team is demanding for a guy they want.  Dallas very well could be asking for Chris Kreider or Dylan McIlrath, who they were apparently intent on taking in this year’s draft before the Rangers grabbed him at 10.

Darren Dreger tweets that unless something changes, Richards will not be leaving Dallas today.

Helene Elliot in LA Times and Elliote Freidman of Hockey Night In Canada both believe that the Stars will hold onto Richards if they think he can be re-signed.

Jesse Spector tweets “Pierre McGuire inserts McDonagh into Richards rumors, a name that should make it instant hang-up-the-phone time for Sather.”  Jesse is absolutely right and if Sather did pull the trigger on a move like that there would be a riot.

2011 Trade Deadline: Will Sather Get His Man Brad Richards? At What Cost?

All the talk finally ends today, the cards get put on the table and the deals either happen or they die.  Today is a fun day for the fans, not only of the New York Rangers, but all around the league whether it is to see what your team is going to “buy” or what your franchise is going to get for the players they trade away in hopes of being better next season.  For Rangers fans Brad Richards is the man at the center of the rumors and whether the deal happens may come right down to the 3 pm wire.  Will the Rangers pull the trigger on Brad Richards despite his current concussion and looming free agent status?  If they do, what will it cost them to get him?  For the record, at least on the surface, I am against the move, as I discussed here.  Obviously, as with all trades, the details of the trade will be the ultimate determinant on how they are perceived and judged.

Today the main attraction, possibly league wide, will be his stare down with Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk over Brad Richards.  In one sense Nieuwendyk holds the cards in that he can hold onto Richards and make a playoff push with his club while telling the fans they want to win and there was no offer worth sacrificing this season away for.  By holding onto him, Nieuwendyk also retains the chance over the next four months to work out a deal to keep Richards in Dallas long term.  The interim time would allow the organization to show that their ownership situation is settled and allow Richards comfort in the direction of the team going forward.

On the other hand, Nieuwendyk is in a corner where keeping Richards means he risks losing him for nothing this summer.  Add to that the concussion that is currently sidelining Richards and you have a player who clearly was the best possible piece on the market having a diminished value due to a level of uncertainty with how he will respond and when he can play.  Making matters worse for Nieuwendyk is that if he deals Richards his preference would be to deal him outside the Western Conference.  According to Helene Elliot of the LA Times that is exactly the thinking in Dallas.

Talk now is that Stars will keep Brad Richards instead of trading him. Or at least won't trade him within West. Narrows Kings' options...

If that is the case, in the event they do attempt to move Richards, that further narrows the field of competing offers for Nieuwendyk to use against Glen Sather in their trade discussions.  New York might be the only team in the Eastern Conference that has both the interest in dealing for Richards and the potential for Richards to waive his no-trade clause.  Tampa Bay would be a logical place, but there has been no real discussion about them getting involved.  Toronto has been rumored, but reports were that he would not go waive to go there.  Who would that leave?  Boston?  Have the best trade chip in Toronto’s first rounder, but cap issues that could make a deal difficult. Washington?  That would be one way to shake up their stagnant offense, but they would have cap problems in the move as well and just claimed Marco Sturm off waivers.  Carolina?  This would be an interesting fit as they have the cap space, but who knows if Richards would waive to go there.

I am going into today with an open mind because of how well Glen Sather has done in trades lately.  He has done a very good job in protecting the youth of the team, while getting other teams to give him what he wants at his price.  Sather has to be patient with this and remember the big picture as he has done so well to this point.  If they come to the price he wants to pay, then he pull the trigger, and then the rest of us will debate whether the move was worth the final cost.  If not, then do not be afraid to fold your hand, walk away, and wait until July 1.

Either way the drama ends, at least in one sort, no later than the 3pm trade deadline this afternoon.  Should be fun.

2011 Trade Deadline: Which Rangers Defender(s) Could Be On The Move?

Most of the talk on trade deadline will be about whom the New York Rangers might acquire and I will get to that in a few hours, but let us look at which guys on the roster might be expendable, and those who might not be, but could move anyway.  With the addition of Bryan McCabe the Rangers have options because they now possess eight defenders capable of playing at the NHL level.  Which of the members of their defense core could be on the move?

Matt Gilroy:

Gilroy is the most obvious of the Rangers to be on the move, whether it be a move for Brad Richards or not.  He is going to be a restricted free agent that will require a 1.925 million dollar qualifying offer in order to retain his rights which New York is almost assuredly not going to commit to.  Gilroy has played better this season, but not to that level of salary.  

Verdict: Leaves. If the Rangers can get a mid-round pick for him you would have to think they move him along, and someone might just pay it for the offensive potential he has in the right system. Also has the potential to be a salary cap addition to a bigger deal.

Steve Eminger:

Eminger is in a similar situation to Gilroy, but likely has less value in the marketplace.  Eminger is a solid defensive defender who has played well for large portions of the season and would be a very good addition to a team needing to solidify their third paring.  Being an unrestricted free agent with a reasonably low salary of 1.125 million this season makes him available to a lot of teams that are looking, but cannot afford any commitment. 

Verdict: Stays. Eminger’s value to the Rangers is likely higher than the late round pick they would likely get for him.  He has shown he is capable of playing as high as a top four role, but solid in the bottom pairing and a guy they have no problem carrying as an extra defender.

I know Michael Del Zotto should be here, but I will deal with him in another post.

Possible moves from the Minors:

Tomas Kundratek:

Kundratek is an intriguing prospect who is a potential puck moving defender down the line.  He has adjusted well to the professional ranks in the AHL, actually making the transition quicker than Ryan McDonagh to begin the season.  Kundratek is not ready for the NHL level, but he will be sometime next season and would be a very nice piece for a team to add to a deal and that Glen Sather might be tempted to part with because of how deep his young defensive ranks are at the moment.

Verdict: Stays unless Richards trade happens.

Pavel Valentenko:

Valentenko is a name that a lot fans grew to enjoy during the preseason because of his big shot from the point and his enjoyment of the physical game.  I have questions about his foot speed for the NHL level, but there will certainly be teams that could have interest in him as a prospect to add into a deal.

Verdict: Stays.