Rangers Final Cuts

The Rangers have played their last preason game, and dont start the regular season until the middle of next week in Chicago.

They still have a few moves to make to get down to the roster limit, and some performances should have made those decisions more difficult.

The first thing they must do, is get rid of Tanner Glass.  Sather must have been momentarily out of his mind when he signed that guy to a three year deal, because they are not going to be able trade him and will have to waive him, and perhaps take time away from a kid with upside down in the AHL.

The reason why this should be the easiest decision they should make is not the Emerson Etem has played circles around him - he hasn't and is clearly still getting the hang of the Rangers' system.  The big reason why is because their's a new Sheriff in town and his name is Dylan McIlrath.

It's been decades since the Rangers had a reliable police presence, and tonight, at the Garden, Dylan laid down the law on the Boston Bruins,  after that sack of crap Rinaldo ran Hank.   First, Dylan went to the box for "boarding" Rinaldo, which was a bad call.  Then a little later he went back after Rinaldo, and one of the Boston "toughs" interceded.   They dropped gloves and McIlrath rag dolled him.  And when he wasn't, finally, providing Hank with a teammate who will punish transgressors on his behalf, he was playing damn solid defense.

That leads to another issue, that ties into what I've been talking about all summer.  The Rangers need to make a grade, because Dylan's play is too good to be a 7th defender.  They need their cop on the ice.

What's more, not only does Dylan look ready on D, so does Diaz, and so does Skjei, who was sent down only because they can.

Ideally, they would trade Girardi.  In fact, that would be ideal for at least two teams in New York.   But Girardi is on the decline and still has a big cap number.   Staal isn't declining yet and also has a big cap number.   Klein doesn't, and the duplicative guys Boyle and Yandle don't especially.  McD is a guy you build around. and Yandle is better than Boyle at the same stuff.    Having said that,  Klein is probably easiest to trade and I expect they will.

But if it is Boyle, what's okay, too.   Because while Boyle is a lesser Yandle at this point, so it seems is Diaz, but he still has upside.  What's more, Skjei is another McDonagh, and a pair of McD's beats almost everything.

So, the big thing for the Rangers this week is too make that trade so that Dylan can play and be their cop,  and keep Diaz around for when Boyle or Yandle gets hurt, and call up Skjei when anyone else gets hurt.   Bodie's promising down there, too, and he's also school of Boyle/Yandle.


If the Rangers make the right decisions here, who knows how far they can go.  But another youth movement is ready, and they have to find the flexibility to handle the influx of talent.  A trade now is their best move, and I'm sure they can make one with Klein or Boyle.