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Quick Thoughts on Day 2 of Training Camp |
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Some quick highlights and thoughst from Day 2 of training camp. which was conditioning day and on-ice play starts today. With the first exhibition game - finally - on Monday, it should be interesting to see if anything significant occurs over the next 48-72 hours.
1) Derek Stepan:
We have now hit the stage whereby negotiations to tit-for-tat is being played out in the media. GM Glen Sather is sticking to his script, whereby Stepan has to get a bridge deal. He told the NY Post, “We all like Derek and want him here, but I’ve told him that his agent is being unrealistic...We’re just not close at this point"When you look at the CBA, without (arbitration) rights, he’s going to get a ‘gap’ deal. That’s the way it is. It’s silly for him to miss camp at his age.” That lack of arbitration rights is significant, as it separates Stepan's situation from that of Ryan McDonagh's, who had arb rights and received a long-term deal.
Stepan's agent, Matt Oates, responded saying: Derek has put himself in a category with all those guys coming out of Entry Level who received long-term contracts,’’ he said. “He’s earned that, but we have never said that we wouldn’t explore a short-term deal, either. We’re just looking for a deal that will reflect his performance. I think it’s beneficial for the Rangers to lock him up long-term, but if that’s not possible at this time, we’re certainly willing to engage management on a short-term deal in order to get this done and get Derek on the ice.”
In addition, he mentioned the white elephant in the room and the second piece of leverage - other than a holdout - that Stepan has, an offer sheet. “We’re not being unreasonable or unrealistic by any means,” Oates said. “Derek wants to be a Ranger. We haven’t even explored the possibility of an offer sheet. The objective is to get a deal done with New York...We’re talking. There’s dialogue. There’s no animosity,” Oates said. “Derek isn’t asking for anything he hasn’t earned. He just wants a fair deal and is willing to talk about a short-term contract if that’s what it takes.
Oates said all the right things. I agree with him that Stepan is in the category with those that are coming an ELC and got their second deal. However, if you look at what Nazem Kadri got and Matt Duchene received, the Rangers and Stepan should be able to sign a form of bridge deal, the question being the $ in it. The Rangers, for reasons we have discussed ad nauseum, ad infinitum, are up against the cap. Despite that, if Aaron Asham and Darroll Powe as well as Aaron Johnson are sent down before the season, signing Stepan ro a two-year, $7 million or one-year, $3 million deal with a loinger-term extension agreed to during the season still seems the proper course of action.
2) J.T. Miller
Miller missed the voluntary workouts, showing up for the first day of conditioining yesterday. Of course, the day did not go as expected, as it was reported that he appeared to be out of shape and then had to leave the workouts early due to a tweaked hamstring.
Miller., in my view, was a long-shot to make the team due to the team's depth at center, especially with Brad Richards still in the fold. In addition, while Alain Vigneault has wiped the slate clean, Miller muddied that up with his performance yesterday. It's a bit early to say the cross-hairs are on him, but he sure as hekc did not make a positive impression to the new coaching staff yesterday.
3) Brad Richards
Richards, continuing a trend that started after his nightmarish 2012-13 season, was pretty open with the media yesterday. That openness extended to indicating how the mental part of the game drives the physical sometimes more than we consider, which Richards said played a big part in his struggles.
“I don’t want to overthink it. I lost myself a little bit last year and I think I lost the confidence of the coach, which doesn’t help when you’re trying to get out of something. If that coach was still here and I was still here, I’d still have confidence in myself I could play hockey the way I want to play."
Richards' comments are a clean indication that his struggles were a snowball effect. As his struggles continued, they built upon itself to the point of where it almost became paralyzing. Based upon those struggles, he shouldn't be surprised that he lost the confidence of coach Tortorella, who in my view, probbaly stuck with him longer than he even needed to, partially due to their relationship and history. We will never know if Torts would have recommended keeping Richards, if Richards could have regained that confidence playing for Torts due to the coaching change If anyone needed a clean slate, it is Richards. Now with that chance, it's up to him to prove last year was just an aberration.
4) Henrik Lundqvist
On- and off-the-ice Lundqvist has potential distractions. To me, the on-ice is more critical and pressing, as he must get used to shorter goalie pads, but does any of us doubt that he can't and won't? Plus, this adjustment is one in his own control. The off-ice is more challenging, since negotations take two parties, so therefore Hank is dependent on what the Rangers wanted, so he does not have complete control of the situation.
Lundqvist said Thursday that if contract talks becomes even a minor distraction during the season, he will ask that the talks be put on hold. "I know they're talking. All I can say is when the season starts, I want 100 percent to be focused on my game and what I need to do on the ice. And if I feel it's the slightest percentage of me thinking about my future and contract, we're not going to talk about the contract during the season."
Is that an ultimatum? No. A mandate? No. Is what he said a big surprise? No. That said, measuring and determining if something is a distraction is subjective. It almost would be better if Lundqvist said no negotiations during the year or after a certain point, because right now, knowing when that date might come if no deal is reached could out out of the blue and end up being even more of a distraction.
5) Martin Biron
Much has been made about Biron missing the start of camp due to personal reasons and the team extending a PTO to Johan Hedberg. Well, Biron is now back in camp and ready to resume his role as Henrik Lundqvist's back up. Biron has been a good sounding board for Lundqvist since he has been here and played the role of back up and confidant well. Granted, his $1.3 million is a bit high, but less presume that Hedberg outplays Biron substantially in camp, he likely would earn around $600-750k at a minimum, in which case, as Larry Brooks points out, the Rangers would have to be able to trade Biron in order to avoid the $375,000 cap hit he would carry if waived through to the AHL Wolf Pack. If that couldn't happen, Biron would either be claimed or in the best case scenario, he does go down, at most you are probably saving $300k or so and is that worth it?
Things I am looking forward to seeing the next few days and when exhibition games start:
- Oscar Lindberg, who had five goals and seven points in the Traverse City prospects tournament, on a line with Danny Kristo, who also had seven points in the tourney. Also, Michael St. Croix building on his solid first day.
- Dylan McIlrath - to determine if he is fully healthy and has he started to use that mean streak that Jeff Beukeboom was working on him last year. In addition, to see how Ulf Samuelsson imparts his own wisdom and toughness on him.
- Justin Falk and Aaron Johnson - as they likely are the first call ups if a need arises on defense, unless McIlrath is ready
- Marc Staal - mainly because of his adjustment to the tinted visor, the change to his depth perception and his adaptation to it.
- Scott Arniel and Derick Brassard - what I was hoping to see appears to have already happened, as both sides have moved on and look to be on the same page again.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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