The Core: (Will be back next season)- Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik, Marc Staal (RFA), Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery, Michael Del Zotto and Michal Roszival.

Should I Stay or Should I Go: (Players who may or may not be back, with my best guess)-UFA’s: Vinny Prospal (will be back if he accepts one year deal with small raise), Olli Jokinen (Don’t Let the Door Hit Ya!!!!), Alex Auld (probably gone), P.A. Parenteau (will get a better offer somewhere else), Anders Eriksson (gone), Jody Shelley (I think the Rangers will bring him back based on his play down the stretch), Corey Potter (I would let him walk). RFA’s: Staal (long term deal), Dan Girardi (might be priced out by Staal but my guess is he returns), Erik Christensen (50-50 I think he goes), Brandon Prust (could be a choice between him and Dane Byers, he gets my vote), Byers (probably edged out by Prust), Enver Lisin and Ilkka Heikkenen (nice to know ya!).

Fire Sale: (players who should be in Hartford or will be offered around for a bag of pucks)- Wade Redden, Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle and Matt Gilroy.

I have read many articles over the last few days (from some great writers like Larry Brooks of the NY Post and Steve Zipay at Newsday) about what the Rangers need NOT to do this offseason. I agree with most of what they say about free agency and trades. The Rangers do NOT need Vinny Lecavalier, Patrick Marleau, Illya Kovalchuck, Joe Thornton, Pavol Demitra or any of the other big name, huge contract suspects that will most likely be available at season’s end. The one thing I haven’t read in any of these articles is a plan for what the Rangers SHOULD do once the final buzzer sounds on another NHL campaign. Most likely the Blueshirts will have anywhere from $10-14 million dollars in cap room this offseason to re-sign Marc Staal and a few others but Glen Sather should not go on a boldface buying spree in hopes of filling his team’s needs. He should show restraint, sit down behind his desk, light up a cigar and make three phone calls. That’s it, 3 simple calls.

Call 1: Dean Lombardi, GM, Los Angeles Kings- Jack Johnson is the type of physical, edgy, stand up defenseman the Rangers have not had put on their sweater since the days of Jeff Beukeboom. A 23 year old physical specimen who plays with a chip on his shoulder and goes right up to the whistle. The Kings would love to retain Johnson to a long term deal but Lombardi has been unable to come to an agreement with him (and may not want to, looking at the huge payday that Drew Doughty will no doubt seek in a few seasons) and he is currently one year away from hitting the open market with a cap number for 2010-11 of 1.425 million. Sather should call Lombardi and ask what it would take to get the hulking defenseman to Broadway and continue to listen even after the discussion begins with the name Evgeny Grachev (whom the Kings might have interest in if they lose Alexander Frolov via free agency). If Sather could get Johnson to MSG and lock him up long term, the Rangers could have their No.1 pair (along with Staal) under contract for the foreseeable future.

Call 2: Bobby Ryan‘s Agent- The Rangers have a number of promising youngsters in the pipeline (Stepan, Kreider, Grachev, McDonagh, Bourque, Hagelin) and nobody is suggesting that Sather mortgage the future by sending these youngsters away in a deal for a quick fix but signing a 23 year old forward who is on the verge of being a top 5 power forward in the league to an offer sheet and surrendering draft picks in return if the offer is not matched is not the kind of move that could hurt this franchise. The Rangers have built up depth through the draft as of late but no one knows if any of these youngsters or anyone that the Rangers draft during the next year or two will ever be stars at the NHL level. Here is a chance to get a young player who has already proven himself on the biggest stage and will only get better. John Tortorella wants younger players who come to work every night. If the Rangers got Ryan they could have three forwards under the age of 25 who could conceivably put up 30-goal campaigns with Dubinsky, Callahan and Ryan.

Call 3: Alexander Radulov- We already had the Nik Zherdev saga, with the young talented winger who left the NHL for Russia and now here is another young, supremely talented sniper who might just be ready to give the NHL another chance. Nashville GM David Poile has had enough of Radulov and his agents and would probably be more than happy to move this headache for a mid round pick and a prospect. Reports have said that Radulov is interested in returning to the league and the idea of playing on the brightest stage in NYC might just be the dangling carrot that gets the deal done. Wouldn’t Radulov fit perfectly playing across from Gaborik on the top line next season?

I know these three moves aren’t all the GM needs to do to make sure this team takes the next step. I know it’s easy to throw out names and scenarios and think that you know better than a guy who has multiple Stanley Cup rings. I know nothing is easy in the NHL especially winning. I’m not saying I have all the answers and that the powers that be (who get paid much more than I do) haven’t already pondered these moves but what I am saying is no one gets better by standing still or staying pat. Nobody gets better by hoping that players with potential will someday mature into leaders and superstars. The Rangers have a superstar backstop entering his prime, a game changing sniper ready to rise to another level, a shutdown defenseman about to become known on a league wide basis and a group of hard working youngsters on the verge of being valuable NHL performers. Now is the time for creative thinking, creative moves and creative building. Now is the time for Glen Sather to stop filling holes and start building a winner.

Ryan Callahan scored twice to lead the Rangers to a 4-1 win.

The Rangers began their post Olympic push for the playoffs, minus injured stars Marian Gaborik and Michael Del Zotto, by disposing of the Ottawa Senators 4-1 at Scotia Bank Place tonight. After falling behind 1-0, the Blueshirts roared back with a 4 goal second period keyed by Ryan Callahan, who scored twice. Henrik Lundqvist was nearly flawless in goal making 24 saves to record his 25th win of the season.

Thumbs Up- Enver Lisin, who was put on waivers earlier in the day, had his best game in over a month and obviously used the situation as a motivational tool. Erik Christensen continued his strong play assisting on 2 goals and playing an impressive two way game. Brandon Dubinsky was a factor all over the ice, playing a physical contest and also scoring the go ahead goal during the second period offensive outburst. Chris Drury kept his recent string of inspiring play alive with another huge performance on the penalty kill. Corey Potter impressed with his steady play.

Thumbs Down- Jody Shelley was about as effective as Donald Brashear has been so far this season as he looked lost during a matchup that didn’t call for much physical play. Olli Jokinen had a pedestrian effort coming off a very strong showing in Vancouver. Dan Girardi, who has been the subject of numerous trade rumors, did nothing to make Glen Sather think twice about including him should the right deal come along before 3 PM tomorrow.

Three Stars

3- Sean Avery- “The Grate One” looked rested and ready following the break and was able to find his edge without going overboard. His hard work on the forecheck and his willingness to crash the net paid off early in the second period when he scored off a beautiful feed from Enver Lisin to give the Blueshirts a 3 goal cushion. A late scrum with Matt Cullen, which followed Cullen’s mistimed attempt at a body check and possible elbow to Avery’s head, finished Avery’s night a few minutes early but served notice that he is ready for what promises to be a rough and tumble run for the postseason.

2- Henrik Lundqvist- Lundvist led all Olympic netminders in Goals Against Average (1.34) and shutouts (2) and looked very solid between the pipes in his return to the Blueshirts. While the Senators did not mount the kind of offensive attack you would expect from a squad featuring Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Alex Kovalev, Lundqvist made the few tough chances he had look effortless and was the biggest reason that the Rangers picked up two important points on the road.

1- Ryan Callahan- Callahan was all over the ice tonight and took over the game during a raucous second period in which he not only got the Rangers even with a beautiful rush and top shelf goal to start the onslaught at :22  of the frame but also giving the team a 2 goal lead by slipping a backhanded rebound past sprawling Senators backstop Brian Elliot at the 17 minute mark. Without Gaborik in the lineup, the Rangers needed someone to step up and lead the offensive and tonight Ryan Callahan made himself that person, showing once again why he wears the “A” and why he is one of the few “untouchables” on the squad as the trade deadline nears.

Aaron Voros joins the party with his first goal of the season.

All the Rangers coaches were hoping for following their impressive 6-2 win over the Canadiens on Sunday was a repeat of the effort the team gave during that victory. Not only did they receive the same effort but the players took it to another level as they jumped on the Lightning early and controlled play from start to finish during a dominant 8-2 dismantling of the visiting Tampa Bay club.

After a fight between Aaron Voros and Tampa’s Zenon Konopka off the game’s opening faceoff really got the crowd going, Brandon Dubinsky continued his inspired play of late and got the scoring started when he cleaned up a rebound in front of Antero Nittymaki to give the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead. The Rangers controlled play for the rest of the period with their strong forechecking and used tallies by Vinny Prospal and the resurgent Chris Drury to take a 3-1 lead after one period.

Dan Girardi and Enver Lisin would extend the lead to 5-1 in the second period and chase Nittymaki from between the pipes. Alex Tanguay would score on the power play late in the period to keep the Lightning withing striking distance but Henrik Lundqvist would shut the door the rest of the way.

Marc Staal, Aaron Voros (on the power play) and Christopher Higgins would put a nice bow on the blowout with third period tallies and gave the Rangers their second straight game with at least 6 goals. It still may be too early to call the Rangers’ season long offensive struggles solved but these two performances are definitely a promising step in the right direction.

Thumbs Up- Brian Boyle, Sean Avery and Erik Christensen were amongst the few Rangers who didn’t score a goal tonight but continued their energetic play that has been the catalyst on many of the offensive opportunities the team has cashed in on over the last two contests. Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury once again excelled on the penalty kill. Vinny Prospal seems to have fully recovered from his injury and was a factor tonight with a goal and an assist.

Thumbs Down- It was hard to find any negatives with tonight’s performance but the only thing that stood out to me was Artem Anisimov’s inability to get anything going offensively. I’m sure if he keeps up the work ethic he has shown so far during the first half of the year, he will find a way to break through but this is a situation that might bear watching especially if Evgeny Grachev should begin to put up numbers in Hartford.

Three Stars- 3-Henrik Lundqvist- “The King” was very strong early when the game was still anybody’s contest. His big saves during the first period gave the Rangers the confidence to continue to attack offensively. Another impressive performance from Lundqvist, who is finally getting the support he deserves from his forwards.

2- Aaron Voros- The toughest thing to do is come to the arena each night knowing that you might not be in the lineup the next game, even if you have a good outing that night. Aaron Voros has had to deal with this situation and be ready to contribute when called upon all season and up to this point his results have been hit and miss. Tonight, it was a big hit for Voros as he got the crowd involved early with a fight, was a physical presence throughout, drew a late penalty by being smart and even contributed a garbage time goal (after being rewarded with power play time by John Tortorella for his drawing the man advantage). This was Voros’ best game since early last season and i’m willing to wager he has earned another start in the Blueshirts’ next contest.

1- Marian Gaborik- For most of the year, Gaborik has been the Rangers focal point on offense and only consistent goal scorer. Tonight, he was the team’s playmaker with assists on 4 of the Rangers first 6 goals. Gaborik has to love this new found offensive output from his teammates as it takes the pressure off him to have to carry the club each time they hit the ice. He showed this evening that he is just as comfortable being a support player as being the team’s biggest star.

The Rangers will try to continue their explosive run when they visit the Flyers in Philadelphia on Thursday at 7 PM.

Dan Girardi starts the rush vs. Atlanta.

After a dominating effort last night versus the Stars, the Rangers came back with an uneven performance and wasted an impressive debut by Chad Johnson while losing to the Thrashers in Atlanta by the score of 2-1 in a shootout.

The Rangers, who allowed almost no odd man rushes last night, were victimized over and over again by the aggressive and speedy Thrashers squad but were kept in the game by Chad Johnson. Johnson, making his first career NHL start, showed incredible poise and made some terrific saves throughout the contest. The Rangers finally solved perennial thorn-in their-side Johan Hedberg when Enver Lisin took a perfect pass from Marc Staal and deflected it past the netminder (his first goal in 11 games) to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. They would keep that lead until midway through the third period when the Thrashers used another odd man opportunity to break through against Johnson. Both teams would have their chances in overtime but neither could finish. In the shootout, Johnson would stop all world sniper Illya Kovalchuk to give his team a chance to pull out the victory and things looked good for the Blueshirts after Marian Gaborik beat Hedberg for his first shootout goal in 4 attempts this season. Unfortunately, the next two Rangers shooters (Michael Del Zotto in the shootout?) couldn’t find the net and the Thrashers’ Bryan Little would seal the victory for the home team which had lost it’s prior 9 games before tonight.

Thumbs Up- Brian Boyle had another strong outing effort wise and continued to show some grit. Erik Christensen had a nice performance with a few very good scoring chances. Dan Girardi played well and Wade Redden showed some spurts of energy throughout. Ryan Callahan was excellent on the penalty kill. Michal Roszival gave the team some good minutes and played a good physical game.

Thumbs Down- Brashear, once again, was a non factor. Ales Kotalik took a bad penalty late and really didn’t do much in either zone. Sean Avery, who has been criticized by John Tortorella for inconsistent efforts, followed up his best game of the season with another ho-hum performance where he couldn’t seem to find the edge or intensity which carried him (and this team) vs. Dallas.

Three Stars- 3- Chris Drury- Drury showed incredible toughness tonight while blocking so many big shots throughout this game. His work with Callahan on the penalty kill was flawless and his positioning was perfect. The Rangers need more games like this from their Captain and it looks like Drury is ready to give his all for his club every night.

2- Marc Staal- Tonight was the kind of performance the Rangers expect to become commonplace for the young defenseman. He was strong on the boards, cleared out the front for Chad Johnson, hit everything he saw and most importantly locked down Kovalchuk anytime he moved across the Rangers’ blueline. Add to his stellar defensive game the great pass to Enver Lisin that led to the Rangers’ goal and you have Staal’s best game this year so far.

1- Chad Johnson- The Rangers have been looking for a backup goalie since Stephen Valiquette self destructed early on and now it’s safe to say they have found their man. Johnson showed great positioning and agility in keeping the Thrashers off the scoresheet for two and a half periods (some help from Callahan in the second period helped as well) and was impressive while stoning Kovalchuk during the shootout. Johnson deserved a better result (and a better effort from his teammates) in his first game but should be proud of himself after a very strong debut.

The Rangers will try to get back on the winning track against the Bruins on Saturday afternoon in Boston.

Torts talks to reporters following the loss. It seems Enver Lisin and Ales Kotalik (who I believe is still giving 110% on every shift even though his results leave something to be desired) are in the doghouse with the coach. Maybe it’s time for Torts, Sather & Co. to send down some vets and bring up some kids (Evgeny Grachev, Dane Byers) who are hungry to get a chance with the big club. It seems to have worked with Parenteau, who should no doubt stay with the club once Brandon Dubinsky returns (but probably won’t as Sather will go with the bigger name and contract number).

The Rangers have a chance to put a stop to this tailspin and exact some revenge on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins when Pittsburgh visits the Garden on Monday night. Let’s hope for the good of the season and the future of this club and their coach, they show much more fire and fight than they have the last two nights.

The other news from practice today is that Henrik Lundqvist did not skate (along with Gaborik) and has a stiff  right thigh and Torts may give backup Stephen Valiquette the start tomorrow night. Valiquette was bombed in his last start against San Jose and this may be a perfect opportunity to give Henrik some rest and get Valiquette’s confidence back.

Dane Byers crashes the net vs. Boston

Here are a few notes from today’s practice in preparation for tomorrow night’s contest vs. the Canucks in Vancouver:

- Enver Lisin (who injured his foot in yesterday’s game) was not on the ice and is doubtful for tomorrow night. His foot was swollen and he couldn’t lace up his skate. “It feels worse today. I’m not sure how it’s going to feel tomorrow,” he told reporters before leaving.

-Henrik Lundqvist will get the start in goal tomorrow night and will be opposed by Andrew Raycroft (2-1 1.66 GAA, 1 SHO) as All Star netminder Roberto Luongo is still recovering from a fractured rib.

- Rookie Dane Byers remains with the team and skated today with Chris Drury and Ales Kotalik.

- The big surprise in the line combos at practice was Christopher Higgins (goalless this season) skating with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal on the top line. I guess the thought here is Higgins has had two strong performances in a row and if anybody can help him get his offensive game going it would be Prospal (whose pinpoint passing has been a huge surprise) and Gaborik (whose ability to draw defenders could open up the ice for Higgins). The other lines were Dubinsky, Callahan and Avery as well as Brashear, Voros and Anisimov. Brian Boyle was not at practice due to personal reasons but he is expected to play vs. the Canucks and Brashear or Voros will most likely be scratched.

The Rangers snapped their 3 game losing streak with an economical performance against the Coyotes.

Thumbs Up- Artem Anisimov (who scored the game’s first goal) once again looked very comfortable and played a strong game. Michael Del Zotto continues to defy logic and play like a veteran. The rookie point man has showed incredible confidence and patience with the puck while quarterbacking the power play and an improved physical game at even strength. Brian Boyle had another solid performance. Although his goal less streak continues, Christopher Higgins probably had his best all around game as a Ranger last night.

Thumbs Down- Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan might as well call themselves “Los Amigos Invisibles” with the way they have been playing as of late. Neither made much of an impact last night and could be the next ones singled out by Torts if they don’t start making plays soon. Donald Brashear had some sloppy plays and wasn’t much of a factor and Dan Girardi took a bad penalty and was very average.

Three Stars- 3- Vinny Prospal- Prospal continues to be the biggest surprise so far this early season. Paired with Marian Gaborik and the impressive Enver Lisin, Prospal has been a point monster both setting up his linemates and putting the puck in the net himself. His beautiful passing set up Gaborik’s second goal last night and his own sweet stickhandling allowed him to pot one early in the second period. Definitely the best bargain pickup in the NHL this offseason.

2- Henrik Lundqvist- When everything else breaks down, King Henrik is always there to keep the Rangers in the game. Last night after the defense sagged and gave up two quick scores to give Phoenix life, Henrik shut the door and led the Rangers to a much needed win.

1- Marian Gaborik- Gaborik has been the most impressive player (with the only possible exception being Kings forward Anze Kopitar) in the NHL so far this season. His two goals last night once again showcased his natural scoring ability and his ability to raise the games of everyone around him. If Gaborik can stay off the trainer’s table (he was injured last night but reports say it was minor and he is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow) he will put up huge numbers and will make this club very dangerous come playoff time.

The Rangers next contest is tomorrow night vs. #1 overall pick John Tavares and the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum.

These were the lines at preactice today and should be the lines tomorrow night when the Blueshirts visit Montreal:

Lisin-Prospal-Gaborik
Higgins-Dubinsky-Callahan
Avery-Drury-Kotalik
Brashear/Voros-Anisimov-Boyle

Staal-Gilroy
Redden-Girardi
Del Zotto-Roszival

I guess Torts liked what he saw out of Prospal during last night’s game enough to keep him at center. The coach has been raving about Enver Lisin for a few games now so he gets a shot with the top line. The All-American Line with Dubinsky centering Cally and Higgins will probably be under the most pressure as Higgins’ struggles have become big news and the coach has been talking about how Callahan has to get going soon. The thought here is reuniting Dubinsky and Callahan may be just what he needs to break out of a mini slump. Ales Kotalik (who has been more than worth the money so far) finally gets reunited with his old Buffalo center Chris Drury and will get some quality minutes. I still think the best answer would have been leaving Dubi on the first line and giving Artem Anisimov a shot at second line center. Torts seems to be pushing Lisin in an attempt to boost his confidence but I think Anisimov could use the same kind of confidence boost and a promotion could be just what he needs to break out (like Dubi did when he was moved to Jagr’s line two seasons ago). Instead, Anisimov will be playing sparingly on the fourth line (and most likely will be a healthy scratch tomorrow night unless Donald Brashear can’t go with soreness).

On the D, Torts has decided the Staal-Girardi pairing is not working and has split them up after two games in which they struggled. Torts, who is notorious for running players out of town that he has problems with (see Paul Mara), has set his sights on Girardi as of late and may be looking to give him a chance to redeem himself before he gets further into the coach’s doghouse. After criticizing him following camp, he has now called out Girardi over the last week and called his game “very average” following yesterday’s loss to New Jersey. Let’s hope Girardi can bounce back and find his game because I would hate to see him moved. Matt Gilroy has played big minutes but it hasn’t translated to much production offensively so pairing him with Staal could produce a breakout from the talented and aggressive rookie. Michael Del Zotto (who is getting all kinds of buzz in the Calder Trophy race) will remain with partner Michal Roszival.

Other notes from practice:

-Henrik Lundqvist will get the start against Montreal.

-Anisimov stayed on the ice late with Stephen Valiquette so it looks likely that he will be scratched tomorrow night.

Tomorrow is the first game back in Montreal for Christopher Higgins (whose goal less streak now stands at 10 games). It should be an emotional night for the winger as he returns to play the team that drafted him for the first time. “It’s going to be a pretty strange experience,” Higgins said. “I played for them for four years, it was a dream come true to have a career with that organization. To go back in an opposing uniform will be a little surreal. I’ll probably get booed.” Higgins said he still has plenty of friends in an organization he described as his family for four years. Of course, Higgins grew up on Long Island as a Canadiens fan. Beyond that, he said it was a great life experience to live in a foreign-speaking city. He still has a tremendous respect for the people of Montreal. “Just how ingrained the Canadiens were to the culture of the city,” Higgins said. “It seemed the mood of the city dipped and rose with how they were doing”. When he was asked which French words he learned living in Montreal, Higgins said, “All the bad words.”

It is also the first time former Rangers Scott Gomez ( 2 G, 3 A, +1) and Paul Mara ( 5 A, -3, 23 PIM) will face the Blueshirts since their departure this summer.

Newsday’s Arthur Staple has some quotes from Dan Girardi on his recent play, including one that makes it seem like he doesn’t agree with Torts assessment of his play so far. This may be a situation that bears watching. For more click here.

Enver Lisin Takes Flight vs. Bruins

At practice today, John Tortorella expressed a desire to get forward Enver Lisin more minutes. Lisin is expected to play wing on the third line with Artem Anisimov and Christopher Higgins in an attempt to get him more ice time as the coach has been very impressed with his play as of late. ““He’s still not as consistent as the coaches want it to be but we always want it to be right, right away. We just see a lot of skill in him. He’s scored a couple of goals now. Sometimes I have to take a chance to put him in more offensive situations if Higgins isn’t going well or Cally isn’t going.” added Tortorella.

Tortorella also gave his thoughts on the struggles of Christopher Higgins saying “I just want to make sure he goes down the right road on how he gets through this. Early on, I said he was playing really well but not scoring. That’s changed a little bit here and you come to these forks as to how you handle these situations with an offensive guy. I want him to work on the other side of the puck and continue to play hard and not vary to another way to where, maybe, you cheat a little offensively and give a little bit mentally. That’s where we’re at between the coaching staff and Higgy. It’s a big game for him tonight as far as trying to get back on the road . I think he will, he’s a smart enough player to know how we want to try to help him handle it and get him through this. But he needs to help himself by playing the right way.”

Another player that Torts seemed to put on notice is Ryan Callahan. “I think Cally’s had his ups and downs offensively. I think Cally has to be a big part of our club here and we have to allow him to work through some stuff here. He’s not playing terribly, we’d like to see more production.” Callahan is expected to play tonight after missing yesterday’s practice with an illness. He should be on his usual second line unit with Chris Drury and Sean Avery. Marian Gaborik, who was also out, returned to practice as well and will be in the lineup tonight vs. the Devils.