Filed under: News | Tags: Boston Bruins, Brandon Dubinsky, Brendan Shanahan, hockey, John Tortorella, Lauri Korpikoski, Mike Sullivan, New York Rangers, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Scott Gomez, Tampa Bay Lightning, Trades, youth
In a move that has been expected since last season’s hiring of head coach John Tortorella, Mike Sullivan will re-join his former boss on the Rangers bench as associate coach. Sullivan has ties to the organization as he was drafted 67th overall by the Rangers in 1987, yet remained at Boston University and never suited up for the Rangers. During his NHL career as a player, Sullivan had 54 goals and 82 assists in 709 games. After retiring, Sullivan was hired to coach the Boston Bruins in 2003 and led them to a 41-19-15-7 record and first place in the Northeast Division. After the lockout, his teams had problems regaining their momentum and he was fired by the Bruins. He then joined John Tortorella’s staff in Tampa Bay in 2007. Sullivan was under contract to the Lightning until earlier this month.
In other news, Lauri Korpikoski, who was traded to the Coyotes on Monday, signed a two year deal. RFA Nigel Dawes, who was waived by Phoenix after filing for arbitration, has been claimed by the Flames. Former Ranger Jed Ortmayer has signed on with the San Jose Sharks.
Larry Brooks of the NY Post scored an exclusive interview with John Tortorella during which the coach discussed the Scott Gomez trade, the possibility of Brandon Dubinsky as first line center and the team’s reliance on youth during the upcoming campaign. To read the full interview click here. There have been some rumors of Brendan Shanahan possible making a return to Broadway. I personally think that bringing back Shanahan would be a mistake (although he is a positive locker room presence) and that the ice time given to him would better benefit a younger player with more to prove than a surefire hall of famer trying to put a cap on a marvelous career. For more on Shanahan and the rumors click here.
Updated (7:50 PM) The Rangers have traded D Brian Fahey to the Colorado Avalanche for D Nigel Williams. Fahey, 28, had 4 goals and 20 assists in 66 games for the Hartford Wolfpack last season. Williams, 21, was a second round pick of the Avalanche in 2006. The 6’4 226 lb. prospect posted 7 goals and 21 points for Lake Erie (AHL) last season. Hockey’s Future ranks Williams as the Avalanche’s 3rd highest prospect and says he has “unusually good puck-handling and skating skills for a player of his size.”
Just like with the Gomez trade when Sather got Ryan McDonagh from the Canadiens, it looks like he has pulled off another robbery turning a depth defenseman into a top young prospect with size. If nothing else, Sather has added to his stockpile of impressive young defensive prospects and trade chips.
Filed under: News | Tags: hockey, Madison Square Garden, New York Rangers, NHL, Schedule
The NHL released the 2009-10 Regular Season schedule today. To look at the Rangers’ complete schedule click here.
Filed under: News | Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Anton Babchuk, Columbus Blue Jackets, contracts, Corey Potter, Dallas Stars, Evgeni Malkin, hockey, Jarome Iginla, John Tortorella, KHL, New York Rangers, NHL, Nikolai Zherdev, Sergei Zubov, Sidney Crosby, Tom Renney, Trades
Not much hard news today but some interesting quotes from Nkolai Zherdev to magazine Sport-Express. Zherdev talks about the Rangers, his interest in the KHL and about where he’d like to play should he not return to New York next season. To me the most telling quote from the enigmatic winger comes when he is asked about why his numbers went down after John Tortorella replaced Tom Renney as head coach.
Q: After the new head coach of the Rangers, John Tortorella, has come in, your statistics became worse than they had been over the course of the season with Tom Renney. Did Tortorella trust you less?
A: That was probably one of the reasons. I admit, that I had slump — it’s impossible to play the entire season completely evenly. During that time, at times my game was off completely.
This answer concerns me if I’m the Rangers and I’m looking to bring Zherdev back and expect him to contribute. I don’t like the fact that he believes “it’s impossible to play the entire season completely evenly”. Would we ever hear this kind of quote from Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin or Iginla? Would you want to commit 4.5 million or more dollars of your cap to a player you had doubts about whether they would bring their “A+” effort every game. This is the reason the Blue Jackets were willing to part with Zherdev last season despite his obvious talent. I think the only way to go with Zherdev is to say goodbye to him now and give his spot to a kid who will fight every shift to make an impression at the NHL level.
To read the entire translated interview courtesy of Beyond The Blueshirts click here.
In Free Agency news, Dallas defenseman Sergei Zubov, who has been linked to the Rangers in various reports told ESPN.com earlier today that he will not be returning to the Stars next season. According to his agent, Zubov wants to continue his career “in a winning environment no matter where that might be”.
My take on the Zubov story is the same as it has been from the beginning. If he is willing to take a one year deal or a two year deal with incentives to come to New York and quarterback a power play that sorely needs his presence on the blueline, then I am all for it but if Zubov is looking for any more than 2 years or for big coin, the Rangers should pass. The team has built a stable of young defensive prospects all clamoring to show what they can do at the NHL level and blocking their path with Zubov (even if he is a future Hall of Famer) would be a huge mistake for the future of this organization. The better option as I stated last week would be to package one of our many D prospects with a pick to Carolina to acquire the younger Anton Babchuk to help our power play.
In the only roster move of the day, The Blueshirts have come to terms with D Corey Potter. Terms of the deal are not immediately known. Potter had one goal and one assist in five games with the Rangers last season. Rick Carpiniello of Rangers Report has the official release here.
Filed under: prospects | Tags: Brandon Dubinsky, Derek Stepan, hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, prospects, Shattuck-St.Mary's, Wisconsin Badgers
Derek Stepan, Center
6-0, 168 lbs.
Date of Birth: 06-18-1990
Drafted in 2nd Round of 2008 NHL Draft
Stepan is an intelligent playmaker who possesses an all around game and loves to play along the boards and in the corners. After leading his prep school Shattuck-St. Mary’s in scoring (44 goals and 67 assists) during the 2007-08 season , Stepan was drafted by the Rangers. This past season he attended the University of Wiscoinsin and posted 9 goals and 24 assists in 40 games as a freshman. Where Stepan really impressed his coaches was off the ice as the freshman showed the ability to work hard, pick up on the coaching and be a team leader by example. The Rangers scouts see his maturity as a sign of things to come and project him to be a future second line center and possibly claim a leadership role upon his entry at the NHL level.
What the Scouts are saying:
“Derek Stepan has the ability to make plays and score goals. He understands how to do all the little things defensively that are such an important part of winning hockey games.” Ray Clearwater, Rangers’ amateur scout.
The word so far on Stepan has been that he is “consistent, hard working and a leader”. Sounds alot like another Rangers prospect who has graduated to a spot with the big club and shown his value to the franchise over the last two seasons, Brandon Dubinsky. If Stepan continues to develop physically and sticks to building his all around game, he could grow into the type of player that could pay huge dividends in the second line center spot for the franchise. Here is some video of Stepan during his freshman season at Wisconsin (He assists on the first goal, then scores the second on a shot from in front):
Next Week: Ryan McDonagh
Filed under: News | Tags: Blair Betts, Brad Richards, Brandon Dubinsky, Chad Johnson, Dallas Stars, Dane Byers, Dany Heatley, Enver Lisin, Freddie Sjostrom, Glen Sather, hockey, KHL, Lauri Korpikoski, Marion Gaborik, New York Rangers, NHL, Nikolai Zherdev, Phoenix Coyotes, prospects, Russia, Ryan Callahan, Sergei Zubov, Trades
In a surprising flurry of activity after a quiet weekend, The Rangers continued their recent roster overhaul by re-signing one of their core youngsters and sending another one packing to the desert.
Ryan Callahan Signs 2 Year 4.6 Miilion Dollar Contract
Earlier today, The Rangers agreed to terms with RFA F Ryan Callahan on a 2 year deal worth 4.6 miilion dollars. If you were to ask most Rangers fans what signing they were hoping to see sooner than later, it would be Callahan’s. The 24 year old right wing enjoyed a breakout season in 2008-09 scoring 22 goals and posting 40 points while becoming one of the team’s most physical forwards. The signing helps the team to avoid having to go to arbitration against one of it’s up and coming stars. It also may give the team a comparable starting point in negotiations with fellow RFA and young star C Brandon Dubinsky, whom the team is also interested in signing to a long term deal. The deal also leaves Nik Zherdev as the only remaining player headed for arbitration with the club.
Later in the day, The Rangers moved one of their youngsters to Phoenix in an exchange of players with seemingly bright futures. Lauri Korpikoski, who enjoyed a fine first season with the Blueshirts (but was recently the subject of reports linking him to interest from teams in the KHL), posted 14 points in 68 games while excelling on the team’s highly ranked PK unit was sent to the Coyotes in exchange for Enver Lisin, a 23 year old 6-1, 190 lb. right wing who scored 13 goals in 48 games last season.
Enver Lisin, acquired from Phoenix for Lauri Korpikoski, brings his speed to the Blueshirts
As I watched this offseason play out and began formulating possible line combinations in my head, I often found myself wondering where Korpikoski would fit amongst the newly acquired forwards and most of the time I didn’t see a strong fit. It looks like the front office did not either. While Korpikoski was sound defensively, he did not give the Rangers much in terms of offensive upside (much like Blair Betts and Freddie Sjostrom, who have also been jettisoned this offseason). Lisin gives the Rangers another speedy winger with the potential to put pucks in the net either at the NHL or AHL level and another option to look at in camp (or another chip should the Heatley situation rear it’s head again) if Zherdev is not brought back next season. I think this was a good deal by Sather to get something promising for Korpikoski before his offensive shortcomings became fully realized by other GM’s around the league.
Here is a highlight video of Enver Lisin from Youtube:
I didn’t get the chance to catch up on much local news while in New Orleans over the weekend but there were some interesting reads on the web beginning with Larry Brooks’ artcle in the NY Post here and his interview with new Rangers sniper Marion Gaborik here. The Dallas Morning News puts in their two cents on both the Brad Richards and Sergei Zubov rumors here. The Rangers also re-signed RFA Dane Byers and G Chad Johnson over the last few days. The official releases are here and here.
I hope that gets everybody caught up. Tomorrow we will continue our Prospect Spotlight series. If anything else happens, we will have it for you right here.
Filed under: Free Agency | Tags: Ales Kotalik, Buffalo Sabres, contracts, Czech, Edmonton Oilers, Free Agency, hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Nikolai Zherdev
The Rangers have come to terms with UFA right wing Ales Kotalik. Terms of the deal are not yet known.
Kotalik, the 6-2, 227 lb. , 30 year old winger from the Czech Republic has scored 20 or more goals four times in his 7 seasons in the NHL and posted 20 goals and 23 assists in 75 games while sharing time with the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers last season. He has also played 21 games for the Czech National team during his career.
Props to Brian Monzo of SNYRangers Blog for breaking this story…..More details to follow…
UPDATED (6:45 PM)- The terms of the contract are reported to be 3 years 9 million dollars (3.0 per). Here is the official release from the team. This signing would seem to signal the end for Nikolai Zherdev on Broadway as it looks more and more like the Rangers will walk away from the arbitration award.
Filed under: News | Tags: Anton Babchuk, Carolina Hurricanes, contracts, Dallas Stars, Dan Girardi, Derek Morris, ESPN, hockey, Jim Rutherford, Jiri Hudler, KHL, Lauri Korpikoski, Marc Staal, New York Rangers, NHL, Patrick Sharp, Pierre LeBrun, Red Wings, Sergei Zubov
Most of the news surrounding the Rangers search for a defenseman has centered on Sergei Zubov and Derek Morris but we want to add another possibility to the list. According to reports on ESPN, Carolina Hurricanes RFA Anton Babchuk is at a stalemate with the Canes over his contract and the team’s GM Jim Rutherford has told him “if he finds another team that wants him, they will attempt to trade him”. Enter the Rangers. Babchuck is the type of big bodied (6-5, 214) defenseman the Rangers desperately need but he is not just a big frame as he also has some offensive tools (16 goals and 19 assists and +13 rating last season) as well. More important than either of those things however, is the fact that Babchuk is still young (25) and looks to be coming into the prime of his career while Zubov (who missed all but 10 games last season with injury at age 39) and Morris (who has seen his point totals drop every year for the last 5 years) might be on the backside of their careeers. Babchuk would also give the Rangers another option for next season as both Dan Girardi and Marc Staal will be restricted free agents and one of both could possibly recieve offer sheets leaving Glen Sather to make a very tough decision cap wise. Like Patrick Sharp, who we discussed in this blog yesterday, Babchuk could probably be had for a package of a prospect and a pick and would not fall into that old Rangers tradition of trading prospects for “over the hill ” “Name” players. If the Rangers could get Zubov to come on a one year deal for a discount and hope he’s healthy enough to quarterback the power play and be a mentor to some of our younger D men , i’m all for it but if he wants long term or big coin to come then I think a trade for an up and comer like Babchuk is the smarter move all around.
In other Rangers news, the two year deal signed by Brian Boyle yesterday was worth 525,000 per. Pierre LeBrun at ESPN has updates on Zubov and the Babchuk-Hurricanes stalemate here. Steve Zipay speculates the Rangers may be looking west for a trade partner here and SNY Rangers blog has an article on the reported interest of some KHL teams in Rangers forward Lauri Korpikoski here. (The Korpikoski story seemed like a longshot yesterday but after Detroit forward Jiri Hudler signed a deal with a team in the KHL yesterday afternoon, this may not be just the leverage ploy by Korpikoski’s agent most believed it to be at first…stay tuned)
As always if anything breaks, we’ll have it here.
Filed under: Free Agency | Tags: Brian Boyle, Cam Barker, Chicago Blackhawks, contracts, Dale Tallon, Derek Morris, Ducks, Free Agency, Kris Versteeg, Marc Andre Bergeron, Marian Hossa, Mathieu Schneider, New York Rangers, NHL, Patrick Sharp, Saku Koivu, Salary Cap, Trades
There are some rumblings on the free agency front this morning concerning the Rangers. The most surprising news comes from The Fourth Period where Derek Morris’ agent says that he has spoken several times with the Rangers and that they are still interested in bringing Morris back to Broadway. The agent also says that length of contract isn’t as important to Morris as feeling comfortable where he plays. Morris seemed to have nothing but good things to say during his brief tenure here last season so this situation may bear watching if Morris would be willing to accept a one or two year deal for probably less than the 3.25 million he made last year.
Derek Morris
Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg is close to re-signing with the team for a reported 3 years at around 9 million dollars. This will almost surely (along with the Marian Hossa and Cam Barker signings) force the Hawks to make a trade and move some money as they still have to sign a backup goaltender to Cristobal Huet and are right against the cap for next season. The prevailing thought is that forward Patrick Sharp could be made available. If this happens, the Rangers should put in a call to GM Dale Tallon to see what it would take to bring him to NY. Sharp is a talented and young (27) winger who excels in front of the net on the power play (something the Rangers lack in their current forward group) and makes a reasonable (by current standards) 3.9 million per season. He could probably be had for a prospect and a pick considering the Hawks current cap situation.
For the full Morris article on The Fourth Period click here. For some theories on what the Rangers might do to fill up the remaining spots on their blueline, Dan Akeson brings up Marc Andre Bergeron, Mathieu Schneider and some other UFA options here.
Remember if any news breaks, we’ll bring it to you right here.
UPDATE (2:10 PM)- The Rangers have come to terms with restricted free agent Brian Boyle , whom they acquired from the Kings on Draft Day. Specifics of the contract were not disclosed. In other news, Saku Koivu has signed a one year 3.25 million dollar deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
Filed under: News | Tags: Arbitration, Atlanta Thrashers, Brad Richards, Colorado Avalance, Evgeny Grachev, Hall of Fame, Joe Sakic, Mark Parrish, Miroslav Satan, New York Rangers, NHL, Nik Antropov, Nikolai Zherdev, Patrick Marleau, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pter Sykora, Retirement, Saku Koivu, Sergei Zubov
As we reported on this site yesterday, Nik Zherdev’s decision to take the Rangers to arbitration may spell the end of his time in a blueshirt. Reports surfacing that Zherdev and his agent will ask for a salary of 4.5 million dollars for next season have caused many following the team to speculate today that if he is awarded that number that the Rangers will almost surely walk away from the decision, making him an unrestricted free agent and freeing up 3.25 million in cap space for the upcoming season. Personally, I have felt from the beginning that the Rangers should have offered this money to Nik Antropov (who signed a 4 year 16 million dollar deal with the Thrashers last week) in an attempt to re-sign the big winger rather than qualify Zherdev, who disappeared last season in the playoffs and at times looked disinterested while playing under head coach John Tortorella. If Zherdev loses his case, having him for one year in which he must prove his worth with a pending unrestricted free agency in his sights, may pay divideneds and finally motivate the enigmatic winger. If he wins and the team decides to part ways, there are a few different avenues the team might take in looking to replace Zherdev’s offensive production. The least expensive and possibly most exciting to Rangers fans might be to give Evgeny Grachev a shot to continue his offensive growth at the NHL level. If the team feels Grachev is not yet ready for prime time or is looking for a more proven commodity, they could look to veteran wingers Petr Sykora (who had 25 goals in 76 games last season with the Penguins and put up 16 goals and 31 points in 40 games in his other stint with the team in 2005-06) or Miroslav Satan (who had 17 goals last season with the Penguins) who could probably be had for one year deals at a very cap friendly price. The team could even go way outside the box and convince former All-Star Mark Parrish (who finished last season in Dallas and has scored 20+ goals six times in his career) to sign with the team on a two way deal for the minimum hoping to maybe pull a diamond from the scrap heap. Another possible move should Zherdev leave is to revisit the Dany Heatley trade situation (highly unlikely still because of the Rangers reluctance to part with any of their prized prospects and Senators GM Bryan Murray’s absurd asking price, which even with his lack of leverage, seems to grow steeper each day) but some money would have to be moved in order to fit his contract in cap wise.
There has been no other news on the Rangers possible pursuit of Saku Koivu and Sergei Zubov or of any movement on rumored possible trades involving Dallas’ Brad Richards or San Jose’s Patrick Marleau. If any word on these moves or others come down, we’ll have all the details for you right here.
For more on the Zherdev situation check out Larry Brooks in the NY Post here or here.
UPDATE (4:35 PM)- Although he was never a Ranger, Joe Sakic signed an offer sheet with the Rangers that if it wasn’t ultimately matched by Colorado would have changed the history of the franchise. Reports out of Colorado say that Sakic will announce his retirement from the NHL at a press conference on Thursday. We will have more on this news after his announcement. Congratulations on a classy Hall of Fame career Mr. Sakic.
Filed under: prospects | Tags: AHL, Brampton, Derek Stepan, Evegeny Grachev, Hartford Wolfpack, New York Rangers, NHL, Nikolai Zherdev, OHL, Prospect Development Camp, prospects
This is the first in a weekly series of profiles on the youngsters currently in the Rangers organization who will be counted on to contribute in the future.
Evgeny Grachev, Center/Winger
6-3, 212 lbs.
Date of Birth: 2-21-1990
Drafted in 3rd Round of 2008 NHL Draft.
Evegeny Grachev is currently considered by many to be the Rangers top prospect in the minor leagues. After scoring 40 goals and 40 assists for 80 points in 60 games and sporting a +48 rating for the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League this past season, Grachev was announced as the winner of the OHL Rookie of the Year award. He was invited to the Rangers Prospect Development camp last week and by all accounts was the strongest skater to participate. Known for his strength and creativity with the puck, Grachev will need to improve on his play away from the puck to impress the Rangers brass both during the upcoming Traverse City Tournament and in training camp later this summer. Grachev will be given every opportunity to win a spot with the big club in camp (especially if forward Nik Zherdev leaves the team) and will be counted on to contribute immediately should he be given the chance. If he does not make the team in camp, Grachev will be expected to continue improving his game (most likely with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack) and will probably be the team’s first call up in case of an injury or in response to a slow start at the NHL level.
What the Scouts are saying:
Grachev is a top prospect with size, a physical presence and good hands. An above average skater with a pro shot and the ability to protect the puck, Grachev has transitioned from being a center to being a winger. Expected to be a power forward at the next level, Grachev will need to work on giving the team a consistent effort throughout the game, but there is no question that he has all the skills to be a top-six forward in the NHL. – Hockey’s Future
Everything we’ve heard or seen about Grachev has been positive so far and it seems this young man could be the one to fill the void of an offensive juggernaut in the Rangers organization after the tragic passing of the talented Alexei Cherapanov last season. Here is a video of Grachev during his award winning season with the Brampton Battalion:
Next Week: Derek Stepan
Red, White and Blueshirts 