The 2010-2011 season saw the Rangers sneak into the playoffs with a little help from the Carolina Hurricanes, only to be eliminated in 5 games by the Washington Capitals. This year, however, I don’t see the Rangers needing any help to make the playoffs. They dealt more players than they signed, but it seems to have paid off for them.
New Arrivals: The Rangers acquired the crown jewel of the free agent market in Brad Richards, signing him to a 9-year deal. The 31-year old center put up some big numbers last year with Dallas (28 G, 49 A in 72 games), and New York is counting on him to do the same this year. He’ll most likely play on a line with Marion Gaborik and Derek Stepan, who had a superb rookie year (21 G, 24 A) and would have been a contender for Rookie of the Year had it not been for Jeff Skinner of Carolina.
The Rangers also added tough guy Mike Rupp, who was a known Ranger-killer last year, scoring 5 goals in 6 games against the Blueshirts while playing with Pittsburgh. In addition to his scoring, Rupp will add toughness to an already physical fourth line featuring Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust. These two will also be New York’s primary penalty killing unit, a special teams feature that was among the best in the NHL during the 2010-2011 campaign.
Departures: The Rangers said goodbye to a lot of familiar faces this off season, releasing sophomore defenseman Matt Gilroy, veteran D-man Brian McCabe, and veteran forward Vinny Prospal. Prospal will play for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season after a shaky and injury plagued year with the Rangers (9 G, 14 A in 29 games). Gilroy, the former Hobey Baker Award winner as the nation’s top college player, moves to Tampa Bay to help strengthen their defensive corps. McCabe is still a free agent, but he is getting up there in years and not too many teams are sure of how much he has left in the tank. The Rangers also released last off-season’s key signing, forward Alex Frolov. Frolov was a bust for the Blueshirts last season, notching only 7 goals and 9 assists n 43 games. He spent most of the year injured, and even when he was healthy saw his playing time limited.
Overall: The Rangers look poised for another playoff run. I expect them to challenge the Flyers for the Atlantic Division, making this year’s Winter Classic all the more important. With the retirement of captain Chris Drury, the “C” is now up for grabs. My money’s on forward Ryan Callahan, but defenseman Marc Staal would also be a good pick. Whoever doesn’t get the “C” will certainly be named an alternate captain along with either Richards (most likely), or perhaps forward Brandon Dubinsky. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist should provide New York with another 30-win season, and the rest of the Rangers forwards should produce solid numbers. The Rangers’ Achilles heel, their Power Play, should be much more effective this year with the signing of Richards. The big question looming is one about their young defensive corps. While they have the potential to be extremely talented, there’s not much more than a year of experience after the combination of Staal and Dan Girardi. If that group can solidify then the Rangers will be a force in the Eastern Conference. Bottom line: The Rangers have a window of opportunity to win it all within the next couple of years, and I expect them to make a deep playoff run this year.
Projected Line Combos:
Marion Gaborik - Derek Stepan - Brad Richards
Artem Anisimov - Brandon Dubinsky - Ryan Callahan
Wojtek Wolski - Erik Christiansen - Sean Avery
Ruslan Fedotenko/Mike Rupp - Brian Boyle - Brandon Prust
Marc Staal - Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh - Michael SauerSteve Eminger - Michael Del Zotto
Henrik Lundqvist
Martin Biron
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