Rangers Should be Sellers at the Deadline

The Rangers are currently in the process of being shutout again by the Montreal Canadiens.   They have 15 games left and have been going backwards since the Staal injury.  What they do have going for them is good youth, both on the team now, and in the pipeline.  They should hold onto that youth like grim death, and instead become sellers at the deadline.  Now, there's not a lot for them to sell, outside of Gabby, and, hopefully Boyle, but they should be looking to add picks and add youth.   And they should NOT try to add veterans with the hopes of getting hot and going into the playoffs on a roll.  So, keep the kids and sell, sell, sell.  Provided there's not another lockout, the Rangers should be better and younger next year.  

What Next?

The trade deadline got interesting last night, as Jarome Iginla boomed an agreed upon trade that would have made him a Bruin and instead joined the over 33 party train that's headed to Pittsburgh.  What does this mean for the Rangers?   It means the trade value of Marion Gaborik just went up.   Calgary got a first and two medium prospect for Iginla - a rental.   Gabby is not a rental with one year left, so the Rangers could reasonably expect, and get, a first and two better prospects for him.  He's also younger than Iginla.  

Beyond that, it means nothing.   The Rangers are in no position to make a reflexive move.   They seem content to add pieces they already control like MZA and Fast.   McIlrath is pretty ready whenever they want him, too and so's Oscar Lindberg, as soon as his season's over.   So the course they're taking in this curious year should be the one they're taking - and not say a Gaborik for vets trade.    Maybe he'll start scoring.  If not we can trade him for prospects and a pick before the draft.   That's a far more reasonable move than moving any of our assets for vets at the deadline.   Now let's get back to beating the Sens tonight.  LGR!

Something's Gotta Go

What's going on?  MZA is apparently meeting the Rangers in Ottawa, and Jesper Fast, the Swedish Sensation, is in NYC taking his Rangers physical with the idea that he'll meet them in Montreal.   What's more, word has leaked that the Rangers are signing UMass Junior D, Conor Allen to an entry level contract and not an ATO.   While most lists were already counting Fast and Lindberg, the Rangers are still tight against the contract limit.   And these two new ones with either put them right up against it (if Lindberg also comes over) or one shy if he doesn't.   Now, it seems like Allen is scheduled to sign in the next few days, and Fast and MZA are already signed by now or MZA is imminently.

The way it's being paced, it sure does seem like there are other moves coming that will clear space.   After all, there are some other guys in the system they may want to sign when their seasons are over.    Something sure seems to be up.  LGR.

UPDATE:  Conor Allen will sign his Entry Level Deal next season, while finishing this season on an ATO with the Whale.

Rangers STEP to IT!

Wow!  The Rangers just clocked the Flyers 5-2 in Philly.   Derek Stepan who is finally healthy again and is establishing himself as a true #1 Center, had the first 4 point game of his career, scoring one and assisting on 3 others, including 2 by Rick Nash.   Did you know that the Rangers are now 7-0-1 when Stepan centers Nash and Hagelin.    Torts split up the lines tonight, and it really worked.  Miller became the 2nd line C, with Gaborik and Cally, and Richards became the 3rd line Center with Kreider and Boyle.  Yup, Boyle was once again NOT the 3rd line C and the Rangers once again WON under those conditions.   The Rangers also have a much better record when JT Miller plays C instead of F.  

Richards' PP goal was the other one Step assisted on.   The Rangers got their 5th and final goal from Chris Kreider, who played tic-tac-toe with MDZ, and looked great all night.    Marian Gaborik had some bad plays and even appeared to get benched for a time, and I still think he's getting traded.  

But let's hope he gets going instead.   These new lines should be given a chance, and if anyone should be replaced, it's Boyle on the third line.    LGR!

MZA on the Way?

This should be interesting.  According to reports, Mats Zuccarello is on his way back to the Rangers and could be ready to join them on the ice by the weekend.    In other words, they are trying to solve the Rangers "system" problem with a player, instead of changing the system.   MZA's not a bad player. He's productive and murder in shootouts.  Torts has never seemed to like him, though and now, where would be put him?  What's more, does moving forward on MZA mean we're not bringing Fast over now?   There are issues with the Swedish League and wanting Fast to return almost immediately to get ready to play for Team Sweden.    So maybe the Rangers have decided not to burn a year.

In other news,  Dylan McIlrath is really coming on for the Whale, and may indeed be the D we need.

Dangerous Times

After fighting back to get a point after being down 2-0 against the Caps in the first, the Rangers lost the shootout.  So it was just one point.  At home.   And now comes the scary part.  They seem to like making moves on off days, and tomorrow is the first of several between now and the trade deadline.  Pittsburgh already picked up Brendan Morrow today, for Joe Morrow, so the moves are starting.   Save the kids!

Vernon Wells?

Holy Crap.   The Yankees are apparently in the process of acquiring Vernon Wells from the Angels.  Remember him?   He had some good seasons a looooong time ago.  Lately, his on base percentage for the past two seasons has been .258.   .360 is good.   .258 is 102 points less than good.   What are they doing?   And good lord, what are they giving the Angels who'll have to eat a big portion of the contract?   This is yet another ponderous move from a club that doesn't trust their system or their scouts. Jeepers, this is discouraging.  Well, here's to hoping they don't trade any of the future core guys, and they really do have future core guys in the system.

Uncomfortable with the Names We are Hearing

While I could accept a smart, winning Gaborik trade for a young C, and D and a first round pick, I'm not at all onboard with trading for Dan Boyle or Jerome Iginla.   First of all, that's too much money coming our way coming up on a year when the cap will go down and that we have to re-sign 3 of our young core guys.  Secondly, trading for veteran, established stars is something you do when you're on a cup run.   The Rangers are currently not even a playoff team, though, by later tonight they could be back in.   They're in survival mode and that's anything but a cup run.   What's more, even when the Rangers did go on a cup run back in `94, they traded a hell of a lot of talent, like Doug Weight, and others to win one, when keeping them might have meant more.   So it's a pretty bad gamble even when you win one.

When I see articles that say Glen Sather is itching to get an impact player, I get a little worried.  It's telling me he's suddenly not listening to his scouts.    He may already have impact players.   Look at what Derek Stepan has turned into of late?   And, frankly, kids like Miller and Kreider could be even better.   So, I wouldn't object to the right Gaborik trade, but it has to be one that gets us younger and restores a pick.    It can't be two big salary chunks, like Gabby for Boyle would be.

The Rangers have shown no signs of going on a run this year, and may not even be a playoff team.  In this artificial, lockout shortened season, it would be unwise to trade youth for age.   It would be wise to trade age for youth and cap space.

In more exciting Ranger news, it looks like Jesper Fast could be over this week, with Oscar Lindberg coming over, too, once his season is over.   Fast was a pick and Oscar was a trade, but both moves were representative of the Ranger scouting savvy of the Clark/Gorton era.   Both 21 year olds had breakout seasons in Sweden, and are really starting to be reminiscent of Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nillson.   They should be the Ranger pickups in this phony season.   Start building some kid lines around those two and Miller and Kreider.   And if trades are to be made, either trade Gabby for youth or prospect for prospect like we did when we turned Werek into Lindberg.   It's not time for an impact player.

Kreider Recalled

The Rangers made a good move today by recalling Chris Kreider from the AHL where he had been killing it.   They sent down Haley, which is a little unfortunate, but with Asham's balky back he's be back soon.    Unfortunately, CK will probably be on a line with Brian Boyle.  The other wing should be JT Miller, but ideally Miller would be centering Kreider and Thomas or even Mashinter or Yogan and Boyle would be on the 4th line and on his way out in a deadline trade.   Two weeks till the deadline, btw, and if Kreider can get comfortable, I think it increases the chances of a Gaborik trade.   LGR!

Rangers Win Again!

Michael Del Zotto had a shorthanded goal and an assist, as the Rangers went to New Jersey and took care of business 3-2.   It was the first time this year they have won the back end of back to back games and that represents progress.    Also, they were physically chippier than they've been most of this year, and thus, more like last year's team.   Nash scored on Del Zotto's assist, and it was a play they should be running constantly - chip it to a speeding Nash, Gabby, Hags, Cally, Miller, Stepan or, Torts Willing, Chris Kreider - and watch them outskate the D and score.   It's a great play and we have the finishers to hit a lot of homers with it.      And Hags had the other goal, his 8th.   It had been a while.   JT Miller had another strong game, but playing with guys who aren't so skilled isn't helping him put up any numbers.    That bears watchings.   There were a lot of questions about Kreider in the pregame presser, so let's hope he's up soon.   And let's hope the Rangers keep winning.   LGR!

JT!

Okay, so it's an old picture of JT, but he deserves it for that nutty game winner he scored in the shootout tonight.  Of course, it shouldn't have been a shootout as the Rangers had plenty of chances in regulation and overtime to score.  It's really perplexing.   And they miss the net, or shoot from horrible angles on a fairly constant basis.   Nash, himself, missed three shots he usually scores on.   He redeemed himself with our first goal in the shootout.   Meanwhile, only Derek Stepan, who's been our best player after lull in his career following last year's Orpick hit, could cash in a rebound to tie the game after the Rangers had inexcusably given up a goal in the last minute of the first period.  Frustrating game, but a big win.   Baby steps.  Del Zotto also looked like a difference maker tonight.   He has to bring that more consistently, though.  LGR.

Trading Gaborik?

First, sorry I haven't been posting as much.  Between the constant spamming of this blog's comments section, and ghostwriting stuff for others, I haven't had eagerness to post here as I once did.    That being said, the idea of trading Marian Gaborik has started popping up and I actually think it's going to happen.   Now, that doesn't mean I favor trading Gaborik, and would certainly demand a pro, a prospect and a 2013 first for Gabby, it just seems like that's what's going to happen.

There are a few reasons I find it inevitable.   First, he's their only big contract they can probably move with the least trouble.  Face it, Richards is an untradeable rock around the franchise, and Nash and Hank are just too valuable at this point.

Second, and this may not be fair, but the Rangers seem to have made a commitment to Torts, and Torts doesn't seem to value Gabby, or at least seems eager to blame him.   Whether Torts has earned this apparent commitment is debatable, but I think he'd be gone by now if they didn't think he'd get them a cup.

Third, they need cap help, and on ice help.    They should only be looking at C's and D's in any trade.   They have big issues at C because Richards hasn't played like Richards this year, and because Brian Boyle has played like Brian Boyle this year.   So we'd need a real 2 or three C who could push Boyle either down to the 4th line or into the Gabby deal (setting all family business at once is always fun).

They should also be looking a good defenseman in either the pro or the prospect part of any Gaborik deal.    The injury to Marc Staal has compounded the gap in their prospect line that was originally strained by the loss of Michael Sauer last year.  Staal should be back at some point this season, and they don't seem eager to rush Dylan McIlrath, who lost last year's development season to a knee injury.   Thus it would behoove them to pick up either a Sauer level guy as the lead piece or a tip top D prospect like the one they got in the Gomez trade:)  

Finally, the Rangers don't currently have a first rounder in what could be an historically significant round in terms of the ceilings of the players that will be available.   Trading Gaborik is probably their best chance of getting one.

So when all is said and done at the deadline, I expect the Rangers to trade Gabby for a 3 part package that brings up as pro, a prospect and a first.    I could see us including one of our many thirds in such a package, or maybe one of the non-former firsts  we have around the system (not St.Croix, either).  

In other Ranger thoughts: they stink, and they should recall Kreider, who's been going off.