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.

Video: Torres Strikes Late On Beautiful Passing Play To Give Canucks Game 1; Kesler Onside

Via KuklasKorner

The Boston Bruins played the kind of physical, low scoring Game 1 they want these 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to be and were 18.5 seconds away from a scoreless regulation when the Vancouver Canucks finally broke through on a goal from Raffi Torres.

The goal itself was a tap-in to an empty net after a beautiful effort from both Ryan Kesler and Jannik Hansen.  Kesler, after barely staying onside, collected the puck along the wall and found a streaking Hansen down the middle who found Torres for the finish. 

There was a question on the broadcast as to whether Kesler was offside on the play, but as the picture (via Kukla’s Korner) and video clearly show, the linesman made the right call on the ice and it was a good goal.

Video: Alex Burrows Bites Patrice Bergeron

On the same day the NHL announced that Colin Campbell was stepping down as the head of supplemental discipline for the league, the end of the first period left something for the league to review.  Given the conflict of interest during the Stanley Cup Finals, NHL VP Mike Murphy was already handling supplemental discipline and Alex Burrows gave him something to review.

During a scrum to end the first period is certainly appears that Alex Burrows of the Canucks at least attempts to bite the finger of Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron.  Bergeron is clearly telling the officials he was bitten as he attempts to show the referees his bare finger before heading to the locker room.

In the past the NHL has suspended for such acts and should do so again if they deem that Burrows did bite, or even attempt to bite Bergeron even though this is the Stanley Cup Finals.

Video via Puck Daddy:

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.

Free Agent Preview: Gagne Another Cheap Offseason Gamble For Rangers?

Over the past two summers the New York Rangers have had luck with players coming to New York having something to prove with Vinny Prospal and Ruslan Fedotenko respectively.  Both players came to New York on cheap one year deals and outperformed their salaries in various ways.  Can the Rangers strike gold for a third straight season and find another player that is looking to prove there is still more in the tank than many might think at this stage of their career.  One such player to consider would Simon Gagne of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Gagne is someone that Rangers fans are very familiar with from his years with the rival Philadelphia Flyers and has the skill to be a top six winger on the left side and provide the Rangers secondary scoring.  In his first season in Tampa, Gagne recorded 17 goals and 23 assists in 63 games.  Over an 82 game season that is a very solid 52 point pace, but that is precisely issue with Gagne who cannot seem to stay healthy enough to play an 82 game year. 

Over the past four seasons Gagne has missed a total of 103 games and only played more than 63 games once.  The most serious of those injuries going forward is the concussion history of Gagne.  Gagne has had significant concussion and recently had another during this year’s postseason so counting on him for production could be detrimental to the team over the course of the season if he cannot stay healthy.  It is that injury history though that should make Gagne a reasonably cheap option for the Rangers to take the gamble on this summer, if they so choose.

Personally I would avoid Gagne this summer, but if the deal is for one year at $2 million or less, then the Rangers could certainly do worse than gambling on the potential upside of Gagne and the secondary scoring he could bring.

Should New York Rangers Trade Up In Draft For Game-Changing Forward?

For the past several years the New York Rangers have been a youth/homegrown talent movement that has seen them rebuild a depleted prospect core and have those players emerge into key roles on the NHL level.  In their forward core the team has Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and Derek Stepan playing key roles at young ages.  On defense the team is highlighted by Marc Staal, Michael Sauer and Michael Del Zotto from the drafted core while Dan Girardi, an undrafted free agent, and Ryan McDonagh, acquired in a trade, also play key roles for the Blueshirts.

The once depleted prospect core has much more on the way with the potential of Chris Kreider, Dylan McIlrath, Christian Thomas and Carl Hagelin among many others with NHL possibilities.  The one thing the Rangers are really lacking however is that game changing talent in their young group of forwards.  This is partially because the Rangers have not picked higher than 10 in the past six years and have only selected one forward in the top 12 since 1999.  While the Rangers NHL and prospect forward rankings boast significant depth, other than potentially Derek Stepan, there is not much hope for a true game changer in the group.

There are likely to be many fine options to select at number 15 if the Rangers stay put there, but the question is whether now is the time to take a chance and move up looking for a player that could become a consistent producer.  Without that game changer the Rangers are bound to be in many ways similar to what they are now, which is an honest, hard-working team that is comprised of mainly second line talent.  With the depth in the ranks and young talent coming up on the roster now might be the time to look for the splash and a move up in the draft to select a player more likely to develop into a first line player.  The cost of trading up into the top 3 of the draft to select a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Jonathan Huberdeau is likely to be too expensive for the Rangers to consider, but a move into the 6-8 range is something that might be more doable. 

One player that the Rangers could target in that range would be Ryan Strome of the Niagara Ice Dogs in the Ontario Hockey League.  In 65 games this season Strome put up an impressive 33 goal, 73 assist, 106 point campaign.  The 6’1” 183 pound center is considered a tremendously talented offensive player that has strength as his biggest flaw and continuing to develop his defensive game, but there is no questions about his offensive skills.  While there are questions about his strength for the NHL level at this point there is nothing that suggests he plays a soft game as he goes to the dirty areas to make plays and initiates a lot of contact.  He has plenty of time to put mass on his frame as he will not even turn 18-years-old until after the draft on July 11.

The New York Rangers have done an excellent job of rebuilding their prospect core and having it produce more and more at the NHL level over the past few years.  Now is the time for the team to take a chance on moving up and getting that missing potential star player to go with all the quality two-way players they already have within the organizational ranks.  Obviously cost would play a factor in whether they actually make the move or not, but Strome is among those worth paying a price to move up for this year.

Highlight Video:

Some scouting reports:

Rangers To Qualify John Mitchell

Per Bruce Berlet at CTWhale.com, Rangers Assistant Coach/Assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld in discussing the contributions of the Whale to the New York Rangers 2010-11 season last month said that the team will qualify restricted free agent John Mitchell this summer.  

“I was really happy with him,” Schoenfeld said. “Here’s a guy that had a knee injury and missed seven weeks and then broke his foot (in Hartford), so one thing that was hurt was his conditioning. And yet he’s a big body (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) with skill, and he’s competitive and intelligent. So this is a very important summer for him in terms of his commitment to conditioning. He’ll get a real good look as far as becoming a Ranger.”

His skills lend him the ability to make the team as either a fourth line center or an extra forward that they carry in case of injury.  Mitchell was acquired at the trade deadline from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 7th round draft pick in 2012.  The qualifying offer for Mitchell will be $761,250 and because he did not play 60 games last year, or 180 NHL games in the past three years that qualifying offer can be a two-way deal instead of requiring a one-way contract.  Given those factors, the decision to qualify Mitchell was one that seems easy for the Rangers to make as he either makes the Rangers at a very reasonable salary or becomes a solid AHL veteran to mix with all the young prospects that will be infused into Connecticut next season.

Hat tip to Dave Shapiro over at Blue Seat Blogs for finding this.

2011 NHL Draft Prospects: Ty Rattie

The 2011 draft now less than one month away, and the Rangers scouting and front office staff is looking through many prospects to see who they want to select with the 15th overall selection.  With the current state of the Rangers defense both at the NHL and prospect level one would expect that New York will look for offense in the first round of the draft hoping to find an impact scorer.  There are a number of offensive prospects that could be available at 15.  We have already looked at Mark Scheifele, Mark McNeill, Zack Phillips, Joel Armia and their potential fits for the Rangers.

Yesterday we looked at Sven Bartschi of the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League and today we will examine his teammate Ty Rattie.  Rattie is not as explosive as Bartschi, but he did manage to put up 28 goals and 51 assists in 67 regular season goals.  Like many of his Portland teammates, Rattie had a very good playoffs with nine goals and 13 assists in 21 games.

Kirk Luedeke of Bruins Draft Watch’s:

Small but creative playmaking winger hit the wall a bit in the second half, but is still a solid first-round prospect with upside. The Albertan isn't a blazer, but is very strong on his skates and highly elusive, able to slither through defenses and would-be checkers in full control of the puck. NHL scouts tell us that his second WHL season was so much more impressive than his first, when he seemed to spend more time trying the flashy play and forcing things. This season, Rattie was much more patient, working with his linemates better and not trying to do it all himself. His 79 points were third on the team behind Ryan Johansen and Bartschi, and look for Rattie to push for 90 to 100+ points next season.

The Scouting Report (Ranked 20, midseason):

Since his huge October, he has seen his point per game total dip after posting 23 points in 12 October games. There is no question that Rattie has the potential to be a top 6 forward in the NHL one day.  Rattie is an above average skater who sees the play extremely well and is very skilled at creating quality chances in the offensive zone.  He also has the scoring touch to finish off those opportunities.

Elite Prospects:

A forward with a good hockey sense. A decent skater but has improved lately. Has very good hands. Works hard and takes care of his defensive duties. Has a good attitude. Needs to improve his skating and gain strength. (Matias Strozyk)

Rattie is on the smaller size and is not the fastest skater, but he makes up for his lack of explosion with agility and elusiveness on the ice.  He can do this because of his hands and ability to handle the puck.  He adds to that excellent vision which he uses for himself and to set up his teammates.  Having a player who can create for others as he has done this season for Bartschi and plays with an edge is something that the Rangers could use, but the organization does have a few small forwards already in the system so his size could be an issue selecting him. The Rangers should consider Rattie at 15, but he could likely be had slightly later in the first.

Del Zotto Working Hard This Summer To Regain Past Form, Roster Spot

Al Bello/Getty Images

According to Andrew Gross of NorthJersey.com Michael Del Zotto is looking to put his forgettable sophomore season behind him and look ahead to being an impact player for the Rangers during the 2011-12 season.

“Last year was last year and I’m not thinking about it,” Del Zotto said. “I have to move forward. It was just a bump in the road. I believe that I have a long career ahead and I want to help this team out. I have to come back with confidence and the mind-set that I do belong in New York. I’ve got to come back with that swagger. I kind of lost it but I know I have what it takes.”

It was clearly early on last season that the swagger he had during his successful rookie campaign of nine goals and 28 assists was missing and Del Zotto never found a way to capture it again during the year.  The fact that he believes that he can get it back, that he belongs at this level is something that will be critical to him actually proving those things are the case again.  He will not be handed anything this time around and it is good to see that he recognizes that fact.  

 Asked if he felt he would get a fair shot to reclaim his roster spot in training camp, Del Zotto said, "I believe so, but, you know what? Who knows? It's a business out there. I'm just coming in with the mind-set of trying to make the team."

Fair or unfair there are those who believe that his rookie season left Del Zotto with a sense of entitlement to his place in the lineup and caused for a lack of effort last summer to prepare for this year.  I do not know if that is true, but it certainly appears that some of the struggles this year, and his demotions to the minors, have shaken him of any of those notions and the effort will be there this summer.

The fact that Del Zotto is going to spend time this summer studying some of the best point men in the league in Nicklas Lidstrom and Dan Boyle is an exciting prospect for his future, especially for those who have questioned his desire or work ethic.  The only issue that could come out of that negatively is that Del Zotto continues his pattern of attempting to do too much on the ice.  In that sense he could learn a lot from watching and studying the guys within the Rangers organization.  None of them have the offensive skills of a Lidstrom or Boyle, but before Del Zotto tries to imitate some of the best to ever play the position he needs to learn to play the simple game.  If Del Zotto can take the step of just taking what the opposition is giving him whether it be handling the puck, making the simple outlet pass or shooting when he has the lane, then he will make significant progress in his development and his natural talent will take over from there.