Cold Blooded

Wow. I went out for a long walk after the two 5th rounders and things have gotten much clearer in Ranger land. First we traded our 2012 6th to jump back into the draft and take big Czech Dman Peter Ceresnak, bringing our draft totals to 4 forwards and 2 defensemen. Then Sather announces that not only had Grachev and his agent been asking for a trade out of the organization, but the Blues' third was all they could get for him! Then he reports that he has qualified all of our RFA's except Gilroy!

The message that the Rangers have sent is, if you are not physical and defensively responsible, we will move you. In the past month, they have moved out Werek, Grachev, Horak and now Gilroy. Horak was moved for big value, but the other three were moved on the grounds of disenchantment. What the non-qualifier to Gilroy probably means is that they will grab Richards at the opening of free agency, and take their time with their RFA's, which they can do since most of Redden and Drury will be off by the beginning of the season and they can be 10% above the cap till then.

But Richards does seem like a fait accompli and given the number of their sort of high end forwards they dumped, you have to wonder what their immediate plan for O is outside of Richards and the home growns just getting better. It's clear now, Kreider probably would have made the team. But he's a 2012 arrival now. Thomas is a bit of a long shot, and there's no one else as close who might be elite.

Also, it's interesting that, other than nq'ing Gilroy, they have not traded any of their many young D's. And they added two more today. So that bears watching, I think we might see Kundratek and Big Val go for offense over the summer. It bears watching.