On one of the most anti-climactic deadline days in recent memory, Rangers GM Glen Sather decided, surprisingly, not to jump into the fray and only pulled off two minor transactions before today’s league imposed 3 PM cutoff. Sather added the veteran depth defenseman they had lacked since the start of the season when they acquired journeyman Anders Eriksson from Phoenix for AHL goalie Miika Wiikman and a 2011 7th round draft pick.
Eriksson, 35, is a veteran of 14 NHL seasons. The 6-3, 224 lb. defenseman played 12 games for the Coyotes this season registering 3 assists. In 564 career games, Eriksson has compiled 22 goals and 152 assists. It is unclear whether he will be assigned to Hartford or will stay with the club at the NHL level should recently waived Enver Lisin or Aaron Voros be sent down.
The Rangers also swapped minor leaguers, trading LW Jordan Owens, who had 6 goals and 13 assists in 50 games for Hartford this season, to Detroit for C Kris Newbury. Newbury, 28, had 11 goals and 22 assists for Grand Rapids of the AHL this season. The 5-10, 205 lb. pivot has played in 48 career NHL contests registering 4 goals, 3 assists and 64 penalty minutes in those games.
While Sather’s decision to stand pat was met with mixed reaction from media and fans, I believe that it was the wrong move by the embattled GM. The Rangers, most everyone would agree, are not Stanley Cup contenders as currently constituted. The team has a shot at making the playoffs if they can pull off a late season surge but to expect anything more than a first round exit from this club (if they get in at all) is purely wishful thinking. While I applaud Glen Sather for realizing that this team is more than one or two players away from a long postseason run and not sacrificing any of his valuable young assets or draft picks to bring in a rental player or two today, there were still some moves that were begging to be made prior to the deadline. With teams like Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Phoenix all looking to gain an advantage as the playoffs near, Sather owed it to his organization to shop impending UFA’s Vinny Prospal, Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to see if he could gain any valuable assets in return. With Carolina sniper Ray Whitney off the market, Prospal might have been a very attractive option (especially considering his low cap number) for many teams and might have garnered a first round pick in return based on other deals we’ve witnessed as of late. Sather knowing his team isn’t built for a deep run should have been looking to collect assets for next season and beyond instead of sitting on his hands and hoping for a miracle run come the postseason.
Sather has made some good moves as of late, getting rid of the ridiculous contract of Ales Kotalik and waiving Enver Lisin and Aaron Voros to gain some much needed cap space are two examples, but the moves that he needed to make the most for the future of this franchise seemed to never be a part of his deadline day plans. Sather may surprise everyone and use his cap room this summer in free agency to land a big fish up front like Illya Kovalchuk or Alexander Frolov, both players the Rangers desperately need to take some of the scoring burden off Marian Gaborik. He may even be able to pull off a trade for a bruising defenseman and in the process unload a few more of his albatross contracts. Sather has hung around for a long time by making those kind of moves and buying himself another year in the corner office but today, by holding on to hope and being blind to the reality of his team’s situation, he may have finally given the ownership of the Blueshirts an irrefutable reason as to why he shouldn’t be running this team next season. Unfortunately for the fans, the owners seem to be just as blind as their appointed emperor.
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.
Torts' benchings send a message that everyone is accountable.
Here are some of the notes and quotes from this morning’s skate:
- Christopher Higgins worked yesterday with the fourth line but will return tonight to the wing with Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan as Torts wants to see how the two respond to their benchings when they face the Coyotes at MSG.
-Brandon Dubinsky told reporters yesterday he was “upset” about being benched but sounded positive when talking about it at this morining’s skate. “I was upset, you want to be out there and make a difference, contribute, so I was disappointed,” he said. When he was asked if Torts explained the discipline, Dubinsky said, “Nope…I think it was pretty obvious what happened. Sometimes you make mistakes and you’ve got to pay the consequences…I certainly know what I did and what happened to me and you certainly can’t make those mistakes. It was a big turning point in the game and I’ve got to take care of the puck and be strong on it”. He added, “the same play happened in the first but it wasn’t on the power play; I made the same move and made a pretty good play out of it. What would I do if I could make a change? Obviously, dump the puck in. I’ve been playing hockey for 20 years and been benched plenty of times for stupid plays. I feel like I’m a pro, and I’m not gonna dwell on it or pout about it, just come back and not make those mistakes.”
I think Dubinsky has the right attitude going forward. He is an important part of this team and organization and needs to be accountable like anyone else.
-Torts had some comments about his team’s play and the Higgins/Dubinsky benchings vs. the Devils. “I thought Higgy gave us some good shifts, but he’s not doing enough right now. I’m not trying to turn this into a bigger story than it should be, but the player needs to do more. Will he get a chance to show more offensively. I think he will. It’s not trying to embarrass him at all. One of the most frustrating things…I think we beat ourselves. Dubi turns the puck over, then Vinny Prospal takes a bad, selfish penalty, and along with some missed coverages, that cost us the game…I thought it was a huge mistake by Dubi, we spent two days talking about those things. The stubborness in that type of play changed the momentum of the game. I’m anxious to get an answer (from them). I hope they answer the right way. I’m not looking to be throwing people down the end of the bench, but if that is where we have to get things straightened out, that will happen. This is part of becoming a disciplined hockey club and I don’t think we’re anywhere near where we should be.”
Glad to see Torts getting on the guys and wanting answers. There hasn’t been enough of that here over the last few years. I don’t think we would have ever seen this under Tom Renney. Let’s hope the players bounce back and use it as motivation.
-Henrik Lundqvist returned to the ice but had his leg taped and is still stiff from his leg hitting the post the other night. He is still expected to get the start tonight at MSG.
- Donald Brashear, who missed the last two games due to soreness, is expected to make his return to the lineup tonight. Aaron Voros will be the odd man out as Brashear will be on the fourth line with Artem Anisimov and Brian Boyle.
-Tonight will be the first time the Rangers will face former Blueshirts Petr Prucha and Lauri Korpikoski. Torts told reporters that the team traded Korpikoski for Enver Lisin because they “didn’t think we could put him into a lot of offensive situations like Lisin” and said of Prucha:”He’s an easy guy to like because of the way he plays….”
Prucha was a fan favorite because of the effort he gave on every shift. I expect the Garden crowd to give both of them a warm welcome during their return.
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. In other former Rangers-Coyotes news, Nigel Dawes who was put on waivers by the Coyotes after he filed for arbitration was claimed by the Calgary Flames. Former Ranger Jed Ortmayer has signed 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.
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.
