Solid article from the Sports section of the Wall Street Journal
The King's getting some well deserved recognition for his consistant brilliance.

Unrelated note (Space filler I'll admit): Anybody have the advanced statistics on Seguin before tomorrow's game? I'm still finding it absurd that he's been putting up the numbers he has in his second year. Low Qual Comp or something? Not sure who his line mates are but maybe they have more to do with it.

If this kid is really just that good then the Bruins have a franchise player on their hands. I heard that every time Seguin gets on the scoresheet, a maple tree withers. How's that feel Toronto?

Visca Barca, go Rangers, and a Merry Christmas to you all

Read this in the voice of the movie preview guy.  

One city, one park, one field.  

In a world where the Rangers are once again relevant, the quest is on for a classic showdown between titanic teams.  

One Rangers team, 23 LA Kings, one day, one showdown.  On January 1st 2012, ABC presents:

WINTER CLASSIC AT CENTRAL PAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKK

And now that I'm done being an idiot, lets actually think about this for a second. We should consider hosting a game at central. There are a few open spaces, we could probably cram a "vite-fait" hockey rink in there.  

Plus, since there aren't any games hosted there, we could start building in October or November.  All we'd have to do is make a decent ice rink that will be open to the public for a few weeks, then set up bleachers around it before the game.  They don't have to be very comfortable, because honestly, I'd forfeit a bit of comfort to watch an outdoor hockey game in New York city.  We could probably even just set up a bunch of standing platforms at different heights. There could even be projectors all over the park so that people can watch from wherever they are.  

This wouldn't be anything fancy, just an old school outdoor rink.  We could probably play more than one game there too, or have open ice practices that people can watch.  Imagine how many people would fly over from Sweden, Finland, or Russia just to watch the Rangers practice in the park.  

Sure there wouldn't be any concession stands, but its New York city:  Random vendors will show up 5 minutes after the game is announced.  Wife and kids don't want to watch? Once again, its NY, they can find somewhere to keep them busy for 3 hours.  Husband doesn't want to watch? Irrelevant, no one ever cares what they want.   Looking for a bar / restaurant / strip club for after the game? Just walk for 10 minutes in any direction and you'll find one.  

I've got no clue how this would work economically or legally so plenty of room to shoot me down there.  But either way,

Just imagine watching this: 

Being played out in this

: 

via upload.wikimedia.org

Well well well, who'da thunk it?

I had my fingers crossed that a team in my FH league would lose this week, and it was only inches away from defeat. But no, thanks to a 1G-3A-4P performance by a certain defenseman, no such thing happened.  Don't tune out yet though, I wouldn't complain about such small things if it weren't part of a bigger issue.  

At the beginning of the year, who would you have expected to lead all defensemen in points by the end of Q1 of the season?  Most would have picked Mike Green, who is currently 16th with 5-8-13.  Others might have selected Mr. Norris trophy, Duncan Keith, who sits in 10th with 2-13-15.  A bold few might have backed Dan Boyle, who has an excellent total 3-15-18 that has earned him 7th place.  But if none of those three are even in the top five, who could possibly be number one? Gonchar? Chara? Lidstrom? Captain Hindsight? Nope.   

Dustin Byfuglien.  Dustin Byfuglien? The guy who had only 34 points last year? The guy who was deemed unnecessary on defense and then turned into an extra forward? The guy who spent most of his time between the 3rd and 4th lines? Indeed, that guy.  Big Buff has 9 goals, 16 assists, and 25 points in 24 games as a defenseman playing for a pretty bad Thrashers team.  Only two other D-men have more than 5 goals so far, and he's pushing on 10.

How could this have happened? How does Big Buff have more points than Getzlaf, Heatley, Datsyuk, Kane, and Stastny, all of who have played the same number of games?  How is Lidstrom still the best defenseman in the league at age 40?  How have Carey Price and Tim Thomas been so damn good?

What could you possible tell me next? That Brian Boyle has as many goals as Alexander Ovechkin? Pffft, like that'll ever hap- OH GOD KILL ME NOW!  

P.S. Ahmad, notice my new signature.  Even though he's not at 35 points yet, I'll consider that anyone who can get 25 points in 24 games will get at least 10 points in the next 60.  

Let's all say that to ourselves.  I didn't watch the last game so it may be easier to do for me than for others; I think we're hitting the panic button a bit too quickly.  You can't predict four games into the season how well we are going to do for the rest. Otherwise, we would have been Stanley Cup champions each of the last two years.  There are few things that will get us back to success: time and focus.  The roster was pretty shaken up over the last summer, what with the trades, call ups and injuries. For now, we can be confident in the Dubs-AA-Cally line and Stepan's overall performance.  If Staal was as bad as you say, lets not worry.  One bad game won't erase the 100+ great ones.  Most of roster members have never played on a line with each other, we can't expect success immediately. Same goes for Valtank and McD down in Hartford; they'll need time to adjust.

Look at New Jersey for example: they are a team with lots of talent, yet are 1-4-1 right now.  However, Parise has yet to get back on form so i wouldn't expect them to stay that way.  The performances for the first 6 games will not be indicative of those for the next 76.  We, just like them, have lots of time to sort out our problems.  St. Louis went from last to 8th in half a season two years ago with a pretty untalented team. Tyler Myers is in a bit of a slump so far, that doesn't mean he won't bounce back. All these people went through rough areas and got through them, no reason as to why we can't do the same.  But in the meantime, here a some things we can do to help us chill out:

Drink some hot cocoa

Picture whales gracefully swimming through the waves

Listen to some classic rock, pre-2000 hip hop, or trance music.

Not think about how little offense we are creating

Forget about our shoddy defense

Ignore the fact that Eminger is still in the lineup

Refuse to acknowledge that no one is accountable for their actions

Not watch Torts use the wrong type of system (We should use a 1-2-2 neutral zone trap a.k.a. Renney/Lemaire hockey.  No point in forechecking hard and not scoring, then being too tired for the back check and letting good shots through.  Move forward conservatively, play defense fiercely. The Preds aren't the most talented team, but are doing well because their defense is so solid.)

Not look at the standings and see that Toronto at the top (Wtf seriously?)

Forget that we're only rolling three lines. 

Reach for the bottle of Rum

Listen to your wife / girlfriend / grandma / leprechaun in your head (you guys have one too right?) tell you that you're an alcoholic just like your father

Smack her/him/it in a drunken rage

Sober up instantly and realize how foolish you were

Hold her/him/it as she/he/it cries, murmuring "it's all gonna be okay"

Be woken up in the middle of the night and taken to jail

Regret your past actions as the shank carves through your ribs

Drop the soap

You know where this story is going...

         Wait a sec, I feel like I got a bit off track there; for some reason my heart rate is over 170. Oh well, it will all be OK once you look at this monkey Lemur (Thanks for the correction Nevada T):

via 1funny.com

The post before this one inspired me to ask a question to the rest of you SCHers.  What would you do with the cup if you were to win it at some point?

I'm pretty sure that none of us will get that opportunity, so these are all just crazy hypotheticals.  I have a few ideas for mine:

Take it to Wade Redden's house; point and laugh whenever he looks at it.

Go underwater in a shark protection cage with the cup smeared in blood.

Bake some cup shaped muffins in it. 

Parachute with the cup down to a base in Afghanistan.  (hopefully they won't try to shoot me down)

Run nude through time square with only the cup as protection.

Those are my crazy ideas, what do you guys have in mind?

Sups,

It seems that any hope for Buff's reaching 50 pts this year is completely gone.  Atlanta will most likely be using him on D. 

New coach Craig Ramsay said at a media luncheon on Thursday that adding Byfuglien to the blue line corps of Zach Bogosian, Ron Hainsey, Johnny Oduya, Tobias Enstrom and Brent Sopel "would really solidify our defense."
 
If he is distressed by the change, the carefree Byfuglien hardly seems to show it, saying, "It doesn't matter where I am. I'm happy. It's just getting comfortable back on the point now."

This is coming from the NHL website: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=537947&navid=DL|NHL|home.  Things might change midway through the year when they realize they aren't scoring at all, but for now, Big Buff is back on defense. 

To Ahmad: Maybe we should change the bet to 30-35 ish points? If he gets under 30, I win, if he gets over 35 you win. 

This post is mildly random but the topic interests me

Apparently the Rangers will be releasing new Alternate Jerseys this year.  I don't know about everyone else, but I thought that the last ones were way too flashy. They looked more like cheerleader outfits than hockey uniforms.  This article describes what the new ones might look like: boop 

It actually sounds alot lie the current one so I'm curious as to how they might differ.  I was hoping they'd copy Detroit's winter classic jersey, which behind the Blackhawks home jersey is my favorite hockey jersey. For some reason they've decided never to use it.

Hockey season is tantalizingly close, but we still have a few weeks to go until the first puck drops.  It's no surprise that talking points have been pretty thin of late, so why not open up and expand on an old discussion.  I'm talking about the issue of an NHL contraction, or a team relocation. 

The targets here would be teams that have consistently underperformed during the year, and have been suffering fiscally as a result.  I'm talking about teams like Atlanta, Florida, Columbus, Phoenix, Carolina (with the exception of 2006), the Islanders (with the exception of the 1980s), and the Predators up until this year. 

Relocating or eliminating these teams altogether might seem easier than allowing time for them to become profitable franchises.  Cities like Seattle, Toronto 2.0, Quebec City, Hamilton, Winnepeg, Kansas City, and frigging Europe have been proposed as new homes for moving teams.  In a sport invented, watched, and played by Canadiens, it makes sense to add more franchises in Canada, rather than tuck them away in the south where Nascar and NFL football dominate the TV market.

I have no problem with moving those teams; however, I also don't support any of them.  I can't imagine how devastated all five Thrasher fans would be if we moved their team.  I know I'd be pissed if the Rangers went Missouri, a.k.a. the state that recently learned about fire.  I'm kidding of course....

They have yet to discover the miracles of combustion. 

So what do you think.  Should the NHL look into relocation/contraction?

Signings:

Marty Turco -- Chicago Blackhawks:  This spells out the end out Niemi's term.  The much expected signing of Turco finally took place after Niemi was awarded too much for the Hawks to fit under cap.

Teemu Selanne -- Anaheim Ducks: Teemu just isn't ready to settle down, and with the way he's playing, he doesn't really need to either.

Mike Modano -- Detroit Red Wings: One wouldn't expect Modano to leave the team of his career, but it's only fitting that he go to the team of his childhood.

Tim Kennedy -- New York Rangers: Ehhh, why?  A team can only harbor so much 3rd-4th line talent. 

Trades:

Todd White -- New York Rangers:  We didn't need another veteran, and we didn't need another center.  So why make this trade? Well, for one, we're getting rid of globally unwanted Brashear and Mr. "Who is that sitting in Sather's chair?" Patrick Rissimiller.  

Projected Roster

Starters and Bench:

Henrik Lundqvist -- Our only consistently great player over the past 4 years.  He's a no brainer

Marian Gaborik -- Are 42 goals enough justification for Gabby's spot? 

Alexander Frolov -- He was brought he to boost our offense, so you can be sure he'll have an NHL spot. Whether it's on the 1st or 2nd line we'll soon find out.

Ryan Callahan -- An absolute workhorse like Cally isn't going to be overlooked. 

Brandon Dubinsky -- Enigmatic as he may be, Dubinsky will get his spot.

Artem Anisimov -- He progressed a fair amount this past year; we should be able to determine his ceiling this season. 

Vinny Prospal -- One of the few veteran scorers we have.

Chris Drury -- The man sporting the C will surely return.  Hopefully he'll bring 50 points along with him. 

Brandon Prust -- He's played well so far, so the staff will give him another shot. 

Todd White -- I figure that he'll get at minimum 10 minutes a game after his very solid season last year. We're a bit overstocked on centers though, so things may change.  

Erik Christensen -- EC will most likely make the team as a 3rd center, or possibly on the 1st line next to Gabby. 

Derek Boogaard -- He could end up being a scratch for most of the year, but he'll start in the NHL

Michael Del Zotto -- Though he is AHL eligible this year, he'd be better suited quarterbacking the powerplay and getting quality NHL minutes.

Dan Girardi -- One of the two guys we can rely on defensively.

Marc Staal -- The other of the two guys we can count of defensively, as well as our star defenseman.

Michael Rozsvial -- Our defense would look too young without him.  Hopefully he can maintain decent form

Martin Biron -- Torts said so himself, he'll figure to get between 17-20 games.

Steve Eminger -- He can become a reliable asset on our team. He should start next year

On the Bubble:

Brian Boyle -- Largely (no pun) unimpressive in his 75 games here.  He could either be benched or AHLed, but he's not likely to start

Ryan McDonagh -- I'd expect him to be a starter next year, but if he can't keep up with the pace, he could be shipped to Hartford

Sean Avery -- Sean Avery may return to his old form and be an effective agitator, or he may not.  If he doesn't, I can see him getting waived or benched.

Tim Kennedy -- I've never seen him play, but stats indicate that he is a 3rd or 4th line player. We have enough of those for him to be a healthy scratch.

Matt Gilroy -- Though he had difficulties in his rookie year, there is still a large chance that he comes back and play well.
 
Mats Zucarelilipadnorwayhobbit Aasen -- I have a very strong feeling that he will be an NHLer throughout the year.  The SEL is no children's league, so being named the MVP of it in one's sophomore season is a large accomplishment.  However, there are many here who believe that he may start in the AHL.  They have reason too: he's 5'7-5'9 (varies depending on source), not particularly bulky, and not yet adjusted the the North American game.

Miracles Happen:

Evgeny Grachev -- We already have a surplus of LWs and Centers, so there isn't any space for him.  Unless he has an unbelievable preason (and I dont BELIEVE he will) , he'll be in the AHL.  I can see him as a midseason/playoff call up at best.

Derek Stepan -- Just like Grachev, it would take a huge preseason to get him on the first team. He would surely benefit from spending time in the minors. 

Chad Johnson -- He'll spend this season as the AHL starter, but if Biron doesn't work out, he'll get the nod. 

Wade Redden -- It's very likely that he'll be moved down to the AHL along with his 6.5 mil cap hit.  However, it is still possible that he returns donning a blueshirt. (PLEASE GOD NO)


September is here, and I'm sure we Ranger fans are all quite disappointed by the Staal's lack of a contract.  If camp starts and he's not there, I'd start worrying.  It seems as if no progress is being made anywhere: no offer sheets have been proposed, and no contract has been agreed on.  After striking out with Hjarlmarsson, the Sharks are rumored to be interested.  However, they'd have to offer in excess of 6 mil to sign him, which I don't see happening. But while we are here, let's talk about possible offensive lineups.  We don't have many options on defense, so we won't discuss them.

Possible Lines:

1st lines        Frolov -- Prospal -- Gabby                   Dubs -- Prospal -- Gabby               Frolov -- AA -- Gabby

2nd lines :         Dubs -- AA -- MZA                              Frolov -- AA -- MZA                     Dubs -- Prospal -- Cally

3rd lines:        Avery -- Drury -- Cally                         Avery -- White -- Cally                   Avery -- Drury -- MZA

4th lines:       Prust -- EC -- Boogaard                     Prust -- Drury -- Boogaard            Prust -- White -- Boogaard

I think these are all possible starting 12s.  I'm not sure about Tort's' willingness to play Prospal at center; from what I saw, he was fine, but I guess there's a problem.

Who would your choices be?

Obviously there wasn't one because of the Olympics, but it would be nice to know who would have made it.  Post your top 9 forwards, top 6 d-men, and your 3 goalies for both conferences.  Or just put one two players who you think deserve to be there, but probably wouldn't get the votes.  You could also add who you'd expect to win the MVP.  Assume that everyone was healthy and you could chose them based on their entire years.

For me it would be:

1 Ovechkin-Crosby-Gaborik  2 Kovy-Stamkos-St.Louis  3 Parise-Malkin-Alfredsson  

1 Chara-Pronger  2 Myers-Green  3 Staal-Gonchar

1 Miller  2 Lundqvist  3 Rask

Then in the West i'd have:

1 Sedin-Sedin-Kane   2 Zetterberg-Toews-Nash   3 Hossa-Thornton-Iginla

1 Keith-Doughty  2 Lidstrom-Weber  3 Niedemayer-Boyle

1 Bryzgalov  2 Kipprusoff  3 Backstrom

MVP Stamkos: He's got unlimited energy and great hands.  I can see him giving it everything since its his first AS game.

If (and this is a very small if) we aren't able to sign Staal, what could we get for him?

I'm pretty sure Sather would match any offer sheets up to about 6.5mil, which would get us two 1sts, a 2nd, and a 3rd in compensation.  I'd gladly take that for Staal, because Gordie can bring us alot of talent with that.  It also means we could trade up and get a high pick without having to tank.  Two mid level picks could be swapped for a top 10, maybe even a top 5.

If the two parties can't settle on anything, we would have to trade him.  While it would be nice to have a player like Neal or Ryan, I'd much rather go for even younger talent.  The Isles have many prospects that I'd want, but there is no way we trade our star D-man to a divisional rival.  The Caps would likely take him and pair him with Green, an unstoppable combination, but the Caps have no one of value besides Carlson for us to take back.  Not to mention their draft picks are going to be pretty bad for the next few years. 

Any ideas on who we could go for? And please don't start fussing about how we couldn't possibly not sign Staal, even less trade him away.  Every player has a price.

Oh helo thar!

This is the first, (hopefully not the last) article in a new segment, NYReview, in which I summarize the major events around the league and the happenings on the home-front over the course of this month. July is obviously the beginning the free agency period, so lets take a look at the biggest signings and trades of the summer:

Sergei Gonchar -- Ottawa Senators : It had been suggested during the playoffs that Gonchar intended on leaving after a lethargic performance against the Habs.  He faced up against the Senators at the start of the playoffs, and obviously he liked what he saw.

Zybnek Michalek -- Pittsburgh Penguins : They sure do recover quickly.  The Pens wasted no time in securing an essential part of Phoenix's 4th place showing.  Though not all-star quality, Michalek is a reliable shutdown defenseman and a smart signing.

Paul Martin -- Pittsburgh Penguins : The Penguins D looks even better when you add in Paul Martin's 30 pts and +20 rating.  Mix the offensive capabilities of Goligoski and Letang with the solid defense of Martin and Michalek and you've got an impressive blue line.

Anton Volchenkov -- New Jersey Devils: D-Man in, D-Man out. The Pens, Sens, and Devils passed around their top defenseman to the next guy. Volchenkov is a big, bruising, shut down blueliner who will be sure to protect Fatso from all the beachballs that keep hitting him.

Dan Hamhuis -- Vancouver Canucks: Yet another defenseman that we wanted to sign slips away.  Hamhuis was passed around between two of our division rivals, before choosing to settle over in Vancouver.

Alexander Frolov -- New York Rangers: Yay, we caught one! And it didn't cost us a fortune.  This is a low risk, high reward venture and an all around great signing.  In fact, it's our best since Kotal... nevermind.  

Kovalchuk -- New Jersey Devils (Failed): Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!!!! The NHL stuffed this one worse than Dwight Howard stuffed [Insert any NBA player imaginable here].  An arbitrator will decide weather or not this contract stands very soon. 

TRADES

Jaroslav Halak -- St. Louis Blues : The Habs had a surplus of number 1 goaltenders and a deficit of prospects, the Blues had a surplus of prospects and a hole in the crease. Hmm... What to do...

Dan Hamhuis -- Philadelphia Flyers : He obviously wanted out of Nashville, so Philly decided to try their hand.

Dustin Byfuglien -- Atlanta Thrashers : The Hawks were in dumping mode after winning the cup, and who better to toss overboard than a 250 pound, 3 million dollar behemoth? Now all that's left is that useless 6 million dollar, sack of potatos. What's his name again? Huet I think?

Dan Hamhuis -- Pittsburgh Penguins : When the Flyers struck out, the Pens flew in.  Though playing behind Malkin and Crosby would have been fun, Hamhuis would have seen limited playing time on a loaded Penguin defense. 

Andrej Meszaros -- Philadelphia Flyers : We all know that the best remedy to a crap goaltender is a stacked defense. 

Simon Gagne -- Tampa Bay Lightning : And we also know that the best way to win a cup is to get rid of... your veteran... scorer?  Well they had no money left, they had no choice. 

Kris Versteeg -- Toronto Maple Leafs : Another Hawk cap dump.  Not much 'splainin to do.

This Free Agency period hasn't been the most entertaining; we have seen some premier defenseman switching hands, with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia seeming to be the biggest winners. Chicago went through crippling cap dumps that scattered talent like Big Buff, Steeg, and Ladd around the cosmos.  The Islanders meanwhile, despite ample cap space and a large bed of prospects, have acquired no one of substance.  Their eagerly anticipated lighthouse project has also been knifed and buried.  One thing's for sure, competition in the Atlantic just got alot tougher.  Don't worry though, because we just signed:

Jeremy Williams !!!!! -- 500k/1  Wait, wut?

Erik Christensen -- 1.85M/2:  Though we are full up on centers, it's nice to see EC back.  

Martin Biron -- 1.8M/2: Backup issue adressed. Biron is good enough to start 10-15 games a year, giving Hank the rest he needs.

Derek Boogaard -- 6.5M/4: Meh, defintely too much money, but he could still be effective.  

Vinny Prospal -- 1.0M/1: Same as EC.  We have lots of centers/LW, but he's a welcome presence

Brandon Prust -- 1.6M/2: In the little time he's been here, he's already gained some supporters. We'll see what he does with a full season.  

Derek Stepan -- 2.46M/3: It was time for him to go against some real professionals, it's a good thing we got him.  

Daniel Girardi -- 13.3M/4: One of two defensemen we needed to resign

Ryan McDonagh -- 2.625M/3: Thanks to a positive camp, he decided to leave Wisconsin.  Hopefully he makes the NHL roster.

Alexander Frolov -- 3.0M/1: Once again, very good signing.  We may very well have two 30 goal scorers now, or at least two 50 point scorers. 

Departures: Auld, Shelley, Locke, Lundmark, Potter, Parenteau, Jokinen

While we have made some excellent signings to bring back key players and bolster our roster with a second scoring option, the sad truth remains that Marc Staal stays unsigned.  With cap space diminishing, Redden's banishment is all but sealed if Sather does, in fact, want to keep Staal in a Rangers' Jersey. In a less likely scenario, a trade is worked out that would send off Roszival with a small cap hit in return.  The Islanders have yet to hit the cap floor, maybe they would want him.

Acquisitions Worth Considering

Joe Thornton: Dubinsky + prospect + 2nd round pick at trade deadline, then 36/6 signing
Pros: One of the leagues best passers, all star center
Cons: Will look for a long and expensive contract

Brad Richards : Wait until FA, 28/5 signing
Pros: Well versed in the Tortorella system, great passer, star center
Cons: Pricy and aging

James Neal : Callahan + 2nd + 3rd, 25/6 signing
Pros: Young, maybe a multiple 30 goal season scorer
Cons: Minus player, overstocked on left wingers

Bobby Ryan : Dubinsky + two 2nds, 20/4 signing
Pros: Also young.  Will be a consistent 30 goal scorer for the rest of his career
Cons: May be looking for a big contract, Anaheim very reluctant to trade

Nikita Filatov : Kundratek + Werek + 2nd (Depends on how much Columbus wants him)
Pros: Talented young prospect
Cons: May not be committed to the NHL

Honorable Mentions:
Mitchell, Johnson, Oshie, Simmonds, Savard

Prospect Reports:

Evgeny Grachev

Chris Kreider and Dylan McIlrath

Derek Stepan

Mikhail Pashnin

Ryan McDonagh

Mats Zuccarello Aasen

Player Reports:

Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky's career stats were analyzed in depth by RangerSmurf.

Also examined were Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, and Derek Boogard, done by NIck and Joe.

Best and Worst NYR Performers:

(Coming in September when the preseason begins)

A Look at the Standings

(Coming in October)

Well, that's all folks.  I hope this was helpful for you.  I promise that August's will be much shorter

Yola,

I just read an article on the NHL website in which it is said that administration will try to implement a few new rules in the game. They will test them out for two days in a series of scrimmages taking place on August 18th and 19th.  Some of the more interesting changes were the new overtime format :

Overtime will proceed from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3 to 2-on-2 to a shootout. [...] And for overtime, teams will switch ends, requiring the longer second-period line change that often results in odd-man rushes and goals.

And the new anatomy of the ice markings:

The Wednesday afternoon scrimmage will focus upon the effect of changing the markings on the ice. A bigger crease, wider blue lines, painted line-change zones in front of each bench, face-off dots down the middle of the ice and a second "verification goal line" behind the goal line will be among the visual changes.

Even If these rules don't work out, at least we have a chance to watch the 40 best prospects coming up in this year's draft. The original article is here if you want it. I highly recommend you go check it out.

Yola,

A recent post gave me the idea that we should have a monthly recap of everything discussed.  This would mean a quick summary of every major argument and the main points of view, as well as a watered down version of all the stat/data sheets.  We could also include the actual events of the month (signings, trades, prospects etc...) It would help us gain perspective on where we are as a team, and what direction we are headed towards.  It could also show us our consensuses on various issues. 

Of course this would be hard for one person to write, so maybe we could split it up among volunteers.

Part 2 of my list.  (Don't worry, it's the last)

1.) Vancouver: One of the few top tier teams in the West that hasn't undergone crippling changes.  If they maintain their form from last year, they'll hustle their way to the top. 

2.) Chicago: Kane, Toews, Keith, Seabrook, Hossa, and Sharp are a pretty impressive core, but it's not enough.  If we don't find more secondary scoring and defense, these guys will be burnt out by March from all the extra minutes.

3.) LA: Kopitar still doesn't have a strike partner, but the growth of Doughty, Johnson, Simmonds, and Quick should keep them competitive. 

4.) Coyotes: I don't understand it, but something's working down in PHX.  Hopefully they haven't lost it.

5.) St. Louis: A team to watch out for.  Oshie, Piet, Johnson form a core of developing players, while Halak could become a star with consistent playing time.

6.) San Jose: They lost both Blake and Nabby.  That's pretty bad.  Turco could post good numbers if they sign him, but a verteran HOF defenseman is pretty hard to replace.  For the moment, they have no 2nd defender. 

7.) Colorado: I don't understand how they did it either, but they can only get better.

8.) Detroit: They won't survive in the west anymore unless Franzen and Datsyuk get back to top form.  Lidstrom is slowing down, and Howard is still pretty unproven, so Zetterberg will have to save the day.  

9.) Edmonton: Just like the Isles, too young, too raw.  But Hall, Eberle, and MPS? Pretty scary

10.) Calgary: Still a pretty solid team, just not good enough for playoffs. Don't expect joker to do much.

The rest: NAS, ANA, MIN, DAL, CBJ

Feel free to post your own standings or just point out the flaws in mine.  It will only hurt my feelings a little.

Elo Elo Elo,

It has been quite an eventful week, what with the stitching up and immediate reopening of the gash we call Kovalchuk's future.  Now that the NHL has drawn the line between "Pretty long contract" and "Oh common, now! You're just shitting all over the cap system aren't you?", we can go back to doing what we enjoy most: making speculations that are 99 percent certain of turning out wrong.  I'll go first:

These are my standings for the Eastern Conference, along with an explanation.

1.) Caps : Not much of a surprise here, Ovie's not slowing down, Backstrom may have improved, and Carslon could solidiy their blue line. They are guaranteed a top 3 spot with such a weak division anyway

2.) Flyers: I'm going with the Flyers because their defense has become exceptional, and the loss of Gagne should be more or less compensated by the contributions of Leino, Giroux, and JVR
3.) Boston: I can see them nabbing the third spot, also because of a lack of intra-divisional competition.

4.) Pens: They and the Flyers will be in contention for the Atlantic title.  Though Gonchar is gone, Martin and Michalek will add some defensive talent.

5.) Buffalo: Lydman's departure will affect them adversely, despite Myers improvements. 

6.) Devils: Fatso is getting old, as are Elias, Zubrus, and Langs.  Kovy, Parise, and Zajac aren't going to be enough to take this team far.

7.) Rangers: This is where competition in the East drops off severely.  I don't think anyone post-Buffalo stands a chance in the playoffs.  We should be able to grab the 7 spot if we duplicate last season's performance, which is very feasible.

8.) Habs:  Halak is gone, Price is raw, so the Habs go back to being their regular, mortal selves. 

9.) Tampa: Edged just out the playoffs, Stamkos and Hedman have bright futures, the rest of Tampa doesn't.

10.) Isles: Too young and too raw. They have prospects to look forward too, like De Haan, Tavares, Kabanov, and NINOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, but this isn't their year.

The rest: SENS, TOR, CAR, ATL, FLA in that order.

1.) Big Buff will hit 50 pts. on the Atlanta Thrashers. (Ahmad, the bet's still on)

2.) Kovy will announce his decision in a 1 hour press conference called "The Choice," which will be watched fewer than 100 people.

3.) Redden will be waived and claimed by Edmonton. Inspired by his move back to Canada, he will go back to being the best first passer in the game.  His second pass will remain quite shitty, his third pass will be a guaranteed turnover.

4.) Staal will be traded to Anaheim for a poster of Bobby Ryan and a box of Columbian cigars.  The poster will score 90 points and 55 goals, subsequently winning the Rocket Richard. 

5.) Tortorella will be fired at the end of the season.  He will take a job as Dallas head coach, whereupon Mike Richards, Khabibulin, Prospal, Lecavalier, and Tortorella will have a Tampa Bay reunion on the stars.  They will make it to game 7 of the Stanley cup finals, but will be eliminated by a penalty shot goal scored by Olli Jokinen.  

6.) Gaborik will be traded Nashville for Hugh Jessiman and a 1st round, number 3 overall pick.  We will use that pick to select Hugher Jessiman, who will become a perennial Allstar... in the ECHL.

7.) The Rangers will sign Kovy, but finish 20th, 22nd, 17th, and 21st over the next 4 years.  Larry Brooks and Eklund will co-write a book titled, Mediocre: A Rangers Legacy. It will be an international bestseller for years to come. 

8.) In 2015, Sather will promise that a youth movement is coming, appeasing the fans' rage.  He will clear cap space and sign 37 year old Daniel Briere, and 32 year old Ales Hemsky, who both struggle to play more than 40 games a year.  Along with Peter Forsberg, who is conveniently making a comeback, they will form the "Cripple Line" that will scare the shit out of opponents the entire 6 minutes a game they play.

But it does involve working with the enemy

We've been arguing for the past month about two issues:

1.) Sign Kovy: Some of fans want another ace sniper to go along with Gabby, while the others would rather not waste money on someone that hasn't proved he can win. 

2.) Go for a Top Center: The previous post was precisely about this.  Spezza, Thornton, Savard are a few names that have been thrown around. 

I have a proposition that merges the two ideas; actually, it just uses the 1st to segway into the second.  I think we should do a sign and trade for Malkin, using Kovy.  If we talk to Shero and Kovy's agent, we could work out a deal where we'd sign Kovy for 8/70, then trade him for Malkin straight up. This would work well for all three parties: Pittsburgh would get a sniper to work alongside Crosby while moving Malkin and without taking on anymore cap.  Kovy would join a team that could make a strong run for the Cup and have a superstar center to feed him.  And we'd have one of the top 3 centers in the league, behind only Crosby and Datsyuk.  I can safely say that neither Stepan nor Ani will reach his level.  Combine him with Gabby and you get two 100 point players.  Even if one superstar goes down with injury, the other can still be effective. 

Hopefully the Rangers and Pens can settle their differences over an nice CappuGeno.  Get it? Cappu -- Geno? Right?

I'm sorry...

First post, please don't make fun of me.

If I recall correctly, Jyri Niemi was the first trade we'd done with the Islanders in more than a decade.  While that may have been just fine back then, we're looking at a new Islanders team.  One with... what's the word... prospects? The Isles have prospects! Doesn't that just sound wrong?

Tavares, Nino, Okposo, and Kabanov are all great young players, possibly future stars.  Unfortunately, they will also be RFAs.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing.  The Isles have money to blow, more importantly, they have money that they will blow.  If they don't pick up a big money guy like Kovy, they'll go for a lesser, but still exciting Frolov.  If they strike out on both, you can bet they'll dive headfirst into next year's market.  They need to re energize their fan base; you do that by either winning games or spending lots of money.

If they Isles start signing everything that moves, they'll have very little money to sign their prospects.  I expect Tavares to reach a minimum of 75 points by the time his ELC contract expires, while Nino and Kabanov could get to 50 or 60.  The Isles will either be forced to trade away the people they just signed, or trade away the prospects they drafted.  In the same way that Chicago offered way too much money to average players, they will throw 5-6 million dollars to people like Frolov who are too good to be AHLed but too overpaid to be traded.  Don't even forget about the money they have tied up in Dipietro.  Again, like Chicago, they'll have to let their prospects walk, they just won't have the Cup to console fans.

That's when we come in for the kill.

We spend the next two years getting all buddy buddy with the Islanders, convincing them that the real enemies are Pittsburgh, NJ, and Philly.  Next, we casually show them players like Sangs who could have a good chance with other teams, but don't fit into our system.  If Sather's around, he can use cocaine laced cigars to trick Snow into making the deals (I'm pretty sure he did that Montreal's GM). If Messier steps in, he can start crying; hopefully Snow will have pity and trade some players. 

Here are some FAQ for you guys.  If he you have questions, you obviously didn't read the post carefully enough; if, after rereading, you STILL have questions, feel free to ask them in a comment.

Which players could we trade?

While we hope this doesn't come to be, one or two of our prospects will not work out the way we wanted.  Maybe Werek, Thomas, Byers, or Sauer could be trading chips.  Who knows, Grachev, Stepan, or Kreider  may not figure into our plans anymore either.

Could we lose picks?

Probably.  We have to give up something right? Considering they'd have no money, they'll be looking for something free like picks

But they're the bloody Islanders! We can't be friends with them.

GODDAMNIT this is NINO we're talking about.  I wanted him, you wanted him, we can still get him back.

How do you think we can become friends with them?

We could throw a few lopsided trades their way.  Otherwise, I heard Snow loved walks on the beach.

How are you such a genius Snif? (Don't pretend like you weren't wondering)

11 hours of sleep a day

Suit, I agree with you completely, I just had the urge to one-up someone today.  Staal will resign because I WILLED IT SO.  No but seriously, it may likely take until deep August, but I think Staal will ink for a 3/14.  Its not too much money, its not too long, he can arbitrate if he wants right after, it ends just before he becomes a UFA so we can sign him longterm before he can walk away easily, Rozy and Drury will have left so we can up his salary to 6mil if he wants (or deserves it). 

In other news, this is one of best Rangers articles I've read coming from someone outside the banter

Check it out

Sup,

Because the UFA market is looking pretty bleak, I decided to take a quick peak at Restricted Free Agency.  This year presents a banquet of skilled players.  We've already seen the signings of such stars as Backstrom, Kane, Toews, Quick, Keith, and Ward, and we are bound to see many more.  But before they happen, the Rangers should use this opportunity to trade for or sign a player that suits our needs.

Peter Mueller: Was a popular prospect in a Phoenix, but his talent didn't translate into production until his move to Colorado.  He immediately started scoring at an amazing rate for a 22 year, with 20 points in 15 games.  Unfortunately, a concussion cut short his season.  I can see him signing for around 2.5 mil, give or take 500k. 

Nicklas Hjalmarsson: The Hawks will be looking to cut down on their salary cap this summer after signing their big three, Kane-Toews-Keith to big money and long deals. Not to mention the 1.5 mil bonus Toews will be getting thanks to his MVP award.  Hjalmarsson plays a silky smooth game, is skilled positionally and performs fairly well on both offense and defense.  Aside from his terrible game 5, he was reliable in the playoffs.  For the moment, he would be most comfortable on a 3rd line pairing, but at 23 he has time to grow.  A 2 million dollar contract is appropriate, though he may sign for 1.5

James Neal: 55 points in 78 games is impressive output for a 23 year old in his sophomore year.  Not to mention nearly breaking the 30 goal barrier already.  Neal is the goal scoring power forward we need. The only problem is that he plays on the left wing. Dallas has already resigned Lehtonen and Eriksson, which could mean either that they don't intend on keeping Neal or they don't want to pay him his asking price.  I expect him to get a contract for around 4million, so, instead of paying compensation with picks, we should make a trade for him.  Maybe Dubi and Sangs?

Bobby Ryan: In the same vein as Neal, but a bit better.  Rather than pushing 30, Ryan could be looking at 40 next year.  However, he also plays on the left and will be looking for lots of money.  I'd also expect him to stay at Anaheim with Getzlaf and Perry.

Niclas Bergfors: Not the greatest player, not the biggest forward, and a former devil.  Those aren't usually the taglines used for a player I'd recommend we pursue.  Bergfors posted up a fair 44 points in 81 games, which is pretty solid.  He could peak at around 60, maybe 70 points.  What's good is that we can get him for under 3 mil, or trade Sangs and a 3rd for him.  He's also a right winger. 

Devin Setoguchi: He had one excellent season with San Jose, but it's hard not to when you play alongside Joe Thornton. (He turned Cheechoo into 57 goal scorer) Since that time, his performance has seemed underwhelming and he never quite got back into favor with the Sharks. Regardless, Setoguchi is a good prospect who can pass and shoot on the right wing.  He's probably the easiest person on this list.  If we get him early this summer, we can count on him to try to impress us and work on his game.  His stock has been slowly going down and we could possibly sign him for 2 million.

Marc Staal: A relative unknown and an unproven defenseman.  He has shown some glimpses of talent, but has otherwise been adequate. = ) Signing Staal is a no brainer.  Before we look to any of these other players, we should make sure that we have him locked up to a longterm contract.   

Honorable Mentions: Erik Johnson, David Perron, Joe Pavelski, Wojtek Wolski, Cody Franson, Nicklas Grossman, Andrew Ladd.  (I list these players aside because I'm almost sure they will be kept by their teams.) 

I was just casually browsing player stats on NHL.com, and was amazed by this year's plus minus numbers. The league leader is currently Jeff Schultz with a +50 rating.  At first, it seemed like just a regular number, but it slowly dawned on me how enormous a +50 rating is.  Its huge. REALLY huge. 

So I went on a scavenger hunt to find out 1.) the last time someone reached the +50 plateau, and 2.) Normal plus/minus numbers.  I went through reverse chronologically, and saw the usual suspects like Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Datsyuk (He always seems to be in the top 5). I saw a few surprising guys like Vanek, Krejci, Heatley, and then my jaw dropped. 

Take a look at the top two leaders in the 2005-2006 season.  You'll have to change the season from playoff to regular, and then the year to 2005-2006. 

http://www.nhl.com/ice/app?component=completePlusMinusLeadersList&page=statshome&service=direct

Oh my, how times have changed.

Nope, I definitely don't.

The Flyers, as a whole, are twice the teams the Rangers are. Carter, Richards, and Gagne alone can deliver a 100 goals a season.  They also have good offensive prospects in Giroux and Van Riemsdiek.  As for the defense... Let's not talk about defense.  You think that Staal and MDZ, our only two good defenseman, even compare to Pronger, Coburn, Timmo, and Carle.  Its really not even worth debating.  It's not even like we can say that we have two good defensemen and the rest are average.  We have:

One great one Staal

A good one and a future great one, Girardi and MDZ

Two average ones, Rozy and Gilroy

And one so awful that we might as well count her as a member of the other team.  Her name need not be spoken (its Redden)

Lets distribute points to our defense based on the quality of our players. We'll call it the ScratchnSnif rating, or SnS for short.  5 points for a top 5 guy, 4 for an allstar, 3 for a star, 2 for a good one, 1 for decent, 0 for bad, and -1 for people like Redden.

Rangers: 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 - 1 = 8.12 ( I add the decimal points arbitrarily to make it look more official)

Flyers: 5 (Pronger) + 3 (Timmo)  + 2 (Carle) + 2 (Coburn) + 1 (Krajicek) + 0 (Bartulis) = 12.97      

So we have an SnS rating of about 8 for the rangers and 13 for the flyers. Their defense is clearly better.  Add in 5 points to us for Hank and 2 or 3 points to them for Leighton and you get 13 and 15-16.

At the beginning of the season, the flyers were expected to be a 4th or 5th place team.  To be in 9th is under their potential.  For us, I'd say from 7th and above would have been achieving our potential.  We got pretty close at 9th.

The Flyers are the exception, not the rule.  And if they are the rule, then I suppose that the Pens, Chicago, and Washington are the exceptions. Tanking is usually an effective way to amass talent and win cups.  Just look at the team that beat them.

YEEE EE EEEE E EEEEE EEE EE EEEEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEEE EEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEE EEEE EEE 

  EEE EE EEEE EEE EE EEE EE EEE EA AA A AAA AAA AA AAA AAA AAAAA AAAA AAA AAA AA AA AAAA A AAA

 AAA AA AA AA A AH HHH  HH HH HHH HH HH HHH HH HH HH HHH H HH HHH HH HH HHH HH HHH H HH HH H 

HH H H HH HH H HH HH H HHH H HH !!!! !!! !! ! !!! !! ! !!! !!!!!!

That is all.

Now that the Sharks have made their exit expected from the playoffs, we are looking at a team ready to cut most of its big names.  For the past 3 years, the Sharks have been projected to make legitimate runs towards the cup; this was the first year that they even came close.  They always smell blood in the water but fail to catch the fresh body dangling in front of their noses.  Now, 4 sharks could be booted from the pack.

Jumbo has often been scapegoat for their playoff inadequacies.  The Sharks could fetch a hefty price for him.  We could be talking a highly rated prospect and two firsts.  A team lacking a number 1 center would probably make a run at him.  Nashville has a nice crew of prospects that they would be willing to use as bait.  The same can be said for the Blues.

Patrick Marleau is out of a contract this season, which may be why he's worked so hard in the series vs. the Hawks.  As with Jumbo, teams needing a number 1 center or just some excellent top line scoring (sounds like the Rangers) would compete for his signature.  Don't expect him to ink for anything less than 6 mil, so teams with Cap woes be warned.  I'm not sure of actual figures, but I think that the Blues have lots of cap room.  They could be big spenders this off-season.

Next we have Nabby Bokov, who has been a Sharks scapegoat.  His contract expires this season, so he could be at the top of team shopping lists.  He may also be the only elite goaltender jumping into the free agent pool.  However, given his showing at the Olympics, his playoff failures, and his age, he'd have to settle for around 4mil.  Expect a contract in the Khabibulin vein.

Finally, Joe Lite.  After his performance in the first two rounds, he was the untouchable Shark in the tank.  2 points and no goals in the last 6 games helped to destroy his invincibility.  I'd actually encourage the Rangers to go for him; he'd fit well into our system.  Gritty, good forechecker, isn't scared of the crease, scores goals, sets up others etc...  He could be delivering 70 point seasons consistently over the next 4 years. I think that a 3.5 mil contract would do him justice, which amounts to a 1st and a 3rd in compensation? Plus, next year's draft class isn't expected to do that well, so it sounds fair. 

At this point, Dan Boyle is probably the only safe Shark. Heatley wasquiet in the playoffs, he could be tossed around.  We should scoop up Pavelski before someone else does.

I really have to admit that I love the way that Messier is handling team Canada at the IIHFs.  If you look at their roster, you'll see that most of the players there are early twenties, if that.  To replace Ryan Smyth, the veteran leader of the team, he brought in Eberle, a 19 year old who just played in the world junior championship.  Plus, it seems like he understands how to weed out players who wouldn't be committed or loyal to the team: "how much could they actually give to the team, not only physically but emotionally." Now, with Messier, one can never be sure of whether "emotionally" means drive and team spirit or crying every time they lose.  I think its the former.

If he can bring that same youth-favoring mindset to the Rangers and maybe learn some of Sather's jedi trading techniques, he could end up being a very good GM.

Now wouldn't that be awesome?

I'm as big a football(soccer) fan as I am a hockey fan.  I don't know if any of you watch the "beautiful game", but football stadiums are notorious for their size.  Example, Barcelona can cram about 98,000 people into Camp Nou, the biggest stadium in all of Europe.  Can you just image being there? Its borderline orgasmic, especially since football fans are the craziest, rowdiest, and most united fans there are.  I love hearing dueling chants between opposing groups. (Can't wait for the World Cup)

I didn't think it would be feasible for smaller courts/rinks such as those used in hockey or basketball, but the IIHF oppener had  76,000 fans in attendance.   The winter classic as well had something like 45,000 fans.  This leads me to think that bigger stadiums could actually work.  If the hockey fanbase keeps growing and progressing, in 5 or so years, the NHL could make a legitimate push towards larger stadiums.  The NBA could probably do that already, so Stern should look into that.  Just imagine an bigger, better, MSG 2.0 that holds 50,000 people.  If the Knicks get BronBron and DaWade, the Garden II would fill up easily every game.  Any thoughts?

Its not Redden.

I'm actually thinking about sending down Del Zotto.  Not because I think he should be punished, but because it might help his defense out.  I already know that most of you won't like the idea, I really don't like it either, its just a thought to be considered.  Take Eric Staal as an example: he played his rooking year in the NHL, scored 31 points, and then stayed in the AHL for the next year.  He dominated there, and when he came back to the Canes for his 3rd year he scored 100 points. 

There are many problems with this idea:

1) we have a pressing need for a powerplay QB

2) He could easily, (and almost assuredly) progress in the NHL

3) He might look at it as purely a demotion and it could kill his confidence

I'm hoping that he will make Doughty/ Green progress by staying in the NHL.  He showed alot of promise and shit tons of drive.  Any thoughts?

Very quick post, just trying to see where other Rangers fans are at right now.  This is a poll to see what should happen for next season.

I understand that question 3 could be done in unison with one of the others.  The difference is that with the 3, we don't know how well we will do next year.  It could be a Colorado miracle run or an Edmonton fail.  Question 3, rephrased, would be: is our core good enough for success as is or does it need additions.

Following the Winter Olympics, the question of Jaromir Jagr's future was floating around.  Along with fellow, weathered superstar, Peter Forsberg, there had been rumors that he was interested in returning to the NHL for his career's denouement.   As a Ranger's fan who has seen him terrorize goalies around hockey rinks nationwide, I think coming back at this time would be feasible.  Despite his age, he still showed signs of his former glory these past Winter Games.  Now, a new question emerges;

If he were to come back to the NHL, should it be for the New York Rangers?

I'll go right ahead and answer that for you.  Could he? Definitely.  Would he? He's obviously thinking about it.  Should he? Hell No.

A Rangers return would be a huge mistake for both parties.  Jaromir Jagr would instantly and assuredly make an impact on this team.  Based on his form at these past Olympics, he looks like he could still churn out one or two 60+ seasons.  We've all seen him wave his magic Jagr wand and give goalies night sweats first hand; Jagr is still very much the same menace he was 2 years ago.

The problem is that we don't need him.  I shouldn't say that we don't need him, what I mean is that we need more than just him.  A player like Jagr will be looking for a contract of at least 4-5 mil, maybe even 7-8.  The Rangers already have limited cap space; and that money should be going towards boarding up the gaping holes in our defense, in our offense, and in Tortorella's head. We all want to see either Neal, Pavelski, or another talented RFA join our crew this summer.  By signing Jagr, we'd be killing the slim chances we have at acquiring them. 

Actually, come to think of it, with his help, we could easily snag that coveted 8th playoff spot next year!  Plus, those two games that we'll play before getting swept can generate enough cash to make it all worth it. (You all know that I'm joking, however, Sather follows this type of reasoning...)

For the past ten years, the Rangers have been making moves just like this: acquiring stars waaaaaaaaay past their prime in an attempt to spark up some excitement and bring in more fans.  Wasn't it just last year that they were pursuing Sundin and his 9 million dollar request? How well did that work out for Vancouver? I heard they made it all the way toooo... the second round of the playoffs.  Don't make fun of them though, we have also had our fair share of disappointing veteran signings: Theo Fleury, Eric Lindros, Wayne Gretzky, Markus Naslund... 

If the rumors are true and Jagr really does intend on coming back, he should do it on a team like Colorado.  They're a group of happy-go-lucky kids that no one thought would make it out of the NHL gutter.  Now they're giving the number one team in the West a real scare.  They situation is similar to Chicago's of last year; lots of young talent, lots of excitement and energy, but lacking in experience. They've got some decent salary space, and Jagr could provide that veteran scoring presence that they would need down the stretch. I'm sure he and Hedjuk have a little chemistry already built up from playing together on the Czech team.  I don't know if they were on the same line, but they've watched each other play enough.

I'd be all for a Jagr revival in the NHL; just as long as he doesn't put on a Blueshirt Jersey in the process.  If any statement i've made is logical (you'd be hard pressed to find one), I guarantee you, it will not come true.  Just hope, beg if you need to, that headlines next year don't read, "Jaromir Jagr signs 3 year 25 million dollar contract with the New York Rangers."