Steve Zipay at Blue Notes does a great job explaining to disgruntled Ranger fans why there have been no big splashes for the Blueshirts...
"Most writers who cover the team wrote that the team's priorities were signing Staal and Girardi, keeping core kids, acquiring a backup goalie (check), depth D, (check) and a top center. That last one is yet to surface, and may not by the start of camp.
Again, we will repeat, like it or not, this team is transitioning. It's tough to be optimistic when you watch Pittsburgh shore up on defense and the Devils open Vanderbeek's vault for Kovy. Summer of discontent? Sure. But things change during the season, too...."
...get ready Ranger fans because the next two years could be pretty ugly as the team develops prospects and waits to rid themselves of bad contracts. As I've stated numerous times, I feel this is the right thing for the organization to do to finally get the Rangers headed in the right direction.
...i would love to hear an honest assessment from Gaborik and Lundqvist on the Rangers "transitioning" these next two-three years while they are in their prime. Can't imagine they'd be too excited.
...and hey, maybe with lower expectations the team could surprise the next two years with hungry rookies, players like Dubinsky & Callahan coming into their own and vets trying to prove they still belong.
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20 comments:
Why does everyone look at this team as being in "transition". They were 7 points away from 5th in the conference. The losers on the Island are in transition. I think the Rangers are 1-2 players away from truely contending. Seriously, the playoffs, more often than not, come down to goaltending and defence. The Rangers are pretty strong in both areas. Yes, scoring is an issue, but if Dubinsky doesn't go down for a month last season or they had a legit back-up goalie, chances are they make the playoffs and then who knows. They're not a powerhouse like the Caps, but then again they have just as many Cups!
yea i agree with john here. no way things are going to be ugly when you have one of the best goalies in the league, a top goalscorer, and good young players that are improving every year. i think ranger fans should be happy about the fact that nothing has really happened this off season. there was nothing available. why spend money when there is nothing to buy. this way we can try and get someone like parise next summer. we signed a great vet back up goalie and are focusing on youth. i, for one, am happy about this
Dryw, I'm with you 100%.
I guess ugly was a poor choice of words, but I wouldn't be shocked to see this team on the outside looking in the next two years.
But like I also said, anything can happen and I hope it does.
parise is rfa next yr not ufa. besides the huge cap hit it would also cost 4 number 1 picks. that would be the worst move sather ever made and would ruin us for another 7-10 yrs. well maybe equal to redden signing.
I'm Loving this positivity here. We don't get enough of it.
I remember hearing Henrik say last season that there's very little difference between those top teams and some of the bottom teams. He was making the point that they have to play hard every game and really earn the wins and nobody can be counted out because it's just a very competitive league.
So I just think it's hard to say until the season starts. I never would have guessed the Flyers would go as far as they did.
Anything is possible.
That said, I'm not going to have unrealistic hopes. This team is growing and changing and in such a competitive league it is difficult to get ahead while you're still trying to get organized and so forth. I just want them to work hard, and have a good season. I'm looking for improvement from everybody and I think guys like Del Zotto and Anisimov are ready to step it up this year.
We will compete over the next 2 years (assuming no significant moves) provided that Henrik and Gabby stay healthy - we should be good enough to crack a low playoff seed. Our maturing D will make us better. Still need to score some goals, though. Drury is washed up (why doesn't anyone bemoan his cap drag?). Unless Dubi, Cally and/or AA take huge strides and exceed their perceived potential, our lineup simply is not formidable enough to go deep.
Looking a bit farther down the road - yes we have some excellent young guys coming up. But Stepan, Grachev, Kreider, etc. are still years away from their prime and should peak just as Henrik's skills begin to decline. Time will tell.
@Snuser:
I agree with you that "We will compete over the next 2 years."
Re: Drury, I hear folks constantly bemoaning Drury's cap hit. A lot of fans are through with him. I'm not the biggest Drury fan, but he's definitely not washed up.
He's been put in a defensive role to fill the hole created when we lost Betts and Sjostrom. Callahan has been a part of that fix (hopefully a short term fix) as well. Both guys could produce more offense if they weren't put in this defensive role. Hopefully our 4th liners can learn and pick up some of that defensive game; Boyle is beginning to, and I like his long reach on the penalty kill. Everybody can improve their two-way game; Callahan is arguably our best two-way player right now.
As fans, we all want everything out of Drury - sure, fill the defensive need AND keep scoring. I think next year we will get more out of him but realize that his job description has changed significantly since his Buffalo days and even since his Tom Renney days.
I am hopeful that Dubinsky and Anisimov will give us some more this year but it's going to take a team effort for any individual to shine. Too many mistakes last year. And while Grachev does have some years before his prime, I am praying that he starts putting up numbers sooner than later. I expect to get some experience this year, even if it's just a few games.
snuser
drury scored between 20-25 goals the 2 yrs before last so maybe its a bit early to say he's washed up over 1 bad yr. team usa didn't think he was washed up evidently
and plenty of people complain about drurys cap hit. here and on other sites. he like plenty of others is overpaid. its the nature of the beast with guys signed as ufas with very few exception.
didnt realize parise was a rfa, youre right about the cap hit LI Joe. this years free agent pool was limited and i think starting to save a couple of years early before huge contracts come off the books is the right move. just think where we will be in a couple of years when our youth matures and we have loads of cap space.
kev - i totally agree, we could be on the outside looking in, but i think we will at least contend for a playoff spot and maybe surprise some people. the future looks very bright, which is something we havent been able to say in a very long time
The sentiment, "The future looks very bright" is an extreme overstatement. "The future looks better than our future did 2 years ago" is more accurate. While we will improve organically as our youth matures, we have no game breaker on the horizon. Hockey's Future currently lists our prospects 12th in the league with glaring holes on the right side and in goal.
Brooks wrote a great article a week or so ago on why we should have pursued Kovy. We don't need to think about signing any of our kids to mega-contracts in the next few years because none will warrant it.
The future looks very bright for Washington, for Pittsburgh, the Devils. For us the future is the hope that our kids will develop quickly while exceeding their potential, our leading scorer will play 60 games a year and our world-class goalie doesn't get burned out before the annual monthlong "mad dash" to the playoffs as we battle 3 other teams for the final 2 spots. Maybe lighting will strike and we'll get to the second round.
As for Drury, yes his role has changed a bit, but he was always a responsible two-way center. The offense always deteriorates first - and his is going quickly. As for his trademark big goals... I think I recall 1 in two years.
Sorry guys, I'm an optimist by nature but a realist with my Blueshirts.
still love the comments "his offense is going quickly"
based on a 1 year sample size
gotta love the internet
Hey LI Joe:
"Based on a 1 year sample size"? Check these stats:
Age Goals Points
33 14 32
32 22 56
31 25 58
30 37 69
These numbers are statistically significant.
He will be 34 on August 20. Do you really expect him to bounce back?
forget the prospect rankings, we had an 18 year old on defense qb our powerplay and prove to be one of the best rookies in the league. he tired as the year went on bc so much was expected of him. anisimov is 22 and improved dramatically as the year went on. staal is 23, we all know what he brings. kreider, stepan, and borque were integral parts (one being captain) to the US junior team beating canada (a heavy favorite) in canada. i think we know what we're getting in mcilrath. then there is mcdonough who might make the team right away and be the most promising prospect we have. feels like duby and cally been here forever as they were expected to take on huge roles as young players and are both still less than 25. while we might not have the #1 ranked prospects in hockey futures eyes and may have a few holes (who doesnt) i would consider things very bright. the fact of the matter is, the core of our team is home grown, and it looks like that is going to continue
snuser the 37 was a 1 time fluke. the next 2 yrs are not statistically significant between each other
if he gets a fair amt of 1st unit pp time he can get 20-25 goals again.
A one time fluke that cost us $6M a year!
Dubinsky's injury? Really, the Rangers lost 70 man games to injury last year, league average was 210, and you blame an injury on the Rangers not making the playoffs??
Injury-wise, the Rangers have been as fortunate as can be the last two years yet still couldn't accomplish anything. How long can that continue?
If this team is indeed in transition, it's not by choice, it's by their own wrongdoings. Were Redden, Gomez and Drury signed because 2013 was a target date? C'mon if anybody believes this off season is part of some master plan, I have a bridge to sell you.
Totally agree KC- this is not by design but by necessity. Too many non productive contracts and the only way out it appears is to let them expire and start over again. But in the meantime letting the kids earn some time in MSG and give them the taste would go along ways for when they are ready for the jump. Take a bottom 5 pick, build up the system with good prospects and feed the club 3-4 years down the road.
i hear you, snuser.
you're making sense to me now.
the teams problems stem from p*ss poor drafting - especially forwards - from mid 90's t0 2007. last 3 yrs seem hopeful but too early to tell.
the draft is the lifeline of an organzation and the latter smith yrs and most of the sather yrs we have failed miserably there
puss poor? pass poor? oh, piss poor. Language!
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