Alain Vigneault met with the media on the first day of training camp and said the below. (Thanks to the SNY Rangers blog for the transcription and the full, almost 28 minute press conference can be found on MSG's website):
"added good pieces to our back end, we have a tremendous opportunity at the center position. Looking forward to camp, we got quite a few decisions to make moving forward. I think we have a good team and we will gear ourselves to get ready for another good season."
Those decisions are spelled out more below. Third and fourth line center, bottom-six wingers and third pairing defense are all up for grabs in camp.
"I think we have some real strong leadership in our group. JR (Rangers PR) and I were talking about it that when I got here we had Callahan, G, Step, Marc Staal but before that it was Jagr and Shanahan and Chris Drury and now is the evolution. A lot of guys who have been with me, now, starting our 5th year together. Zuccarello, Kreider, it's their turn to assume that leadership role and I think that quite a few of them have been waiting for this opportunity for quite some time. McDonagh is evolving into a true captain and using the people around him real well and has great influence in the dressing room. He is one of the best examples I have ever been associated with. I am very confident in this leadership group, I think we will see in camp and the season that some of our players, and I have named a few, will really step up and assume a bigger role like Rick Nash did last year, a lot more vocal, Nasher had been a captain before but you could tell that he knew that he had to step up in certain situations and I think he did a great job and will continue.
Kenny Albert tweeted that this is AV's fifth training camp. He is the one since Phil Watson in the 50s to coach for five straight years (of course that depends on him lasting the season). Change in sports is constant. Look at the list of leaders above from when AV started to now. Several names are the same but others have grown from young players to young veterans and leaders. The continued growth in those players will largely dictate how well New York plays this season.
On the center position and JT, "first, for JT, I have told him that we will start him at the center position. First of all, we know he can play real well on either side of the wing. I know he prefers the right side to the left side but this is a good chance to get him some work in the middle. At some point, early on or in the season he is probably going to play a little bit of center. It happened last year, it happened the year before so giving him that experience off the bat is a good thing. Giving him some more understanding, even though he was drafted as a natural center, he has played more wing since he has been here with me, we will start him there. We have decisions to make throughout our lines, the makeup of those lines, we will take training camp to do that. We have 6 games in 8 nights. In terms of Lias, everything I saw in development camp, I didn't go to Traverse City, but everything I heard from the people who were there, there is definitely a lot of upside there. I've mentioned this many times before, talent has no age. If a young man comes in and we think he can contribute to the success of our team he will be here."
My view on moving Miller to C has been expressed several times. Even though he broke in as a C, his main experience is as a winger, where I think he is better suited. As Larry Brooks noted, Miller’s biggest challenges have come away from the puck and in his decision-making with it. Of course, there are more demands defensively on centers than on wings. Those three aspects are key for any center, and if you struggle in each one, how can you be an effective pivotman? If you excel at one or two, maybe the others can be mitigated by your linemates. But if it's let's say Buch and Vesey or Grabner outside of Miller, presuming JT as a 3C, does that remediate his deficiencies sufficient enough to leave him there?
On JT and playing center, "if you look at our center position now, there is opportunity for different guys to have a bigger role, there is an opportunity for Desharnais to come in, a 50 point scorer a few years ago and step in and play some big minutes for us. All that being said, natural center, our depth right now is on the respectable line so I would rather go out and see a guy like JT, who has played this position before, how he looks, how he feels. He is not a young player any more, he is a veteran player and I want to see his experience and I want to see what he can do at that position."
Desh right now is likely in the lead to be the 4c. He might be a better fit in the third line, but if NY lines up as Zib/Hayes/Miller, then Desh is the 4c. That impacts Boo Nieves and Lias Andersson and possibly Andrew Desjardins.
On Kevin Hayes, "tremendous amount of faith. We made that trade because we have faith in him and Mika. Hayes, like JT, is not a kid any more. He is a veteran player and he has some experience and it's their turn and there are no excuses. We believe they can get it done and at the end of the day they have to."
AV in his his Blog on MSG: (https://blog.msg.com/2017/09/14/from-fast-to-faster/), said: Mika Zibanejad, just 24, is a player with unbelievable potential and talent, with his puck handling, his shot, his skating. But it’s not always there on a consistent basis. He’s wanted this chance for a long time, and now, by giving him a long-term deal, we’re saying to him, “it’s your turn now. It’s there for you, no excuses.” He’ll be competing for the first line center spot with Kevin Hayes, now 25.
Forgive me if I was laughing when I wrote this but Hayes as a 1c? Zib was playing like one before he was injured and he never found that form again. Maybe you could say Hayes was a 1b center - though it's a stretch - the first 55 or so games of the year. But his last two months and playoffs were extremely rough to put it nicely and unsure you can use the terms Hayes and first line center next to one another.
On Lias Andersson, "we gotta look at the on-ice product. Just like Filip, I have a tough time saying his last name, silent H, silent C, there is a guy that has been skating for 8 days, didn't go to Traverse City because of the injury but will skate tomorrow with group C and at some point we will see him in some games and early on in practices with our group. What I saw of his skill set during development camp was tremendous. Both of those young guys, I expect to see in practice and games and depending on how they perform we will make the best decisions for the team."
Gord Clark remarked that he thought Andersson might have been 'tired' at Traverse City. I dot know if that was the case, but if it was, why the heck was he playing in Sweden? Playing in Traverse City helps him, as he got some games to acclimate to the smaller NHL ice surface compared to Europe. Howvwer, with the move of Miller to center and addition of Desh, Andersson now has more of an uphill battle to make the team, which might not be a bad thing.
I think the team and AV can't wait to see Chytil. Hopefully he is healthy enough to participate. If looking for a long shot to make the team out of camp, he is it, because the skill set is there. But he may be like Buch last year, in need of more strength etc., so even if he does break camp he might not stick.
On Buchnevich, "he came in real early, I want to say third week in July. He has been working with our conditioning guys ever since, no back issues, condition wise he has followed the plan to a letter for what he was given. Young player that has a real solid skill set and potential, looking forward to seeing what he will bring to the table. There is a guy there who has so much offensive abilities and great skill set, I think he will come in and be a real good player for us."
If the core/back issues that plagued Buch last year are truly behind him, I foresee a major jump forward. Granted, part of that will depend on his linemates and line placement. But even if he lands on the third line, look for a big jump in production and comfortability out of the kid.
On Henrik's plan, "I had a good chat with both Hank and Benoit, I told Hank that after discussing it with Benoit that I am not giving him a number of games this year. Every year there has been different situations to both goalies, whether it be Antti or Hank or when Cam became the number one for two months. I'm not giving him a set number of games, I'm gonna talk to him, talk to Benny and we will play this game by game. Hank has come in lighter, he looks, I want to say younger, he looks real fit and he is excited about this year. I talked to him about the consistency, I talked to Benny and him about that exact fact, we got a tremendous amount of "A" games from Hank last year, proving he is still one of the elite goalies in the league. What we need from him is a bit more consistency. He will have some "C" games now and then and he knows this and will be the first to tell you that he needs to be more consistent and he is ready for that challenge. I am really happy that after we got eliminated by Ottawa and he had played real well against Montreal and a little more so-so against Ottawa, he goes overseas and is the best goalie over there and helps his team in the Gold. There is that consistency, he knows it, Ben knows it and they will find a way to get on top of that and in my mind he is still an elite, top-five goalie."
A few thoughts here. Is this move due to a lack of trust in Pavelec? If yes, then we have bigger concerns. If no, then this is surprising. Because, we have seen that when Hank is rested or at least has sufficient games off, he doesn't wear down late. Maybe this is done so that a target number isn't provided early and becomes the sole focus, allowing AV to sit Lundqvist more if needed. I agree with AV on consistency. We saw that early and late in the season, but that whole middle section was choppy, as Lundqvist was fingering himself and the puck.
On Pavelec, "this is all about, tired of answering the number of games Hank is going to play question -- no it's just that with talking with Hank and Benny it's more about how he feels and his body and mentally and we will focus on that, talk a little bit more and we will go that way this year and we think it's going to be better route for our team."
On Pavelec, "In certain players careers you catch them at the right time, I think our team and our organization have him at the right time. He has had a couple of off-years, you only get so many kicks at the can, you gotta have a highly motivated guy that wants to listen to the goalie coach, wants to help a team win to prove he belongs in the NHL. Played in the AHL for part of last year, he has had good numbers in the past and I think we got him at the right time. A lot of our internal people and Benny believe that he can be a real good goalie. When he plays we will expect the same thing from him that we got from Cam and Raanta."
How well Pavelec plays when he is in might drive where NY finishes in the standings. If Pav can at least be average, then the Rangers should make the playoffs. If he isn't, that may mean more work for Lundqvist, which in turn might wear him down late in the season and in the post-season, if NY makes it. Pavelec wasn't my first or even fifth choice for the backup goalie spot, as I felt there were many others who were better options. But he is there now and Benoit Allaire needs to be the goalie whisperer again.
On the defense, "part of our identity since I have been here is that speed factor and we added pieces to our back end that give us a bit more back end and more puck moving abilities that should enhance that speed factor, should make us quicker on our breakouts, quicker in our transition and more effective in the offensive zone. Lets wait and see how the guys play, that is one area where as an organization we are really excited to see what it's going to look like."
To me, this is the best and most depth NY has had on the blue line in like forever. We expect the top four to be very good and the young legs as options for the third pair provides AV and management with great options and may require hard choices. But it's hard not to be excited on what the possibilities could be.
On Shattenkirk expectations, "on the ice, that puck moving ability 5 on 5 is something that we expect from him. On the PP, He has been one of the best PP guys in the league for quite some time. Before we signed Kevin we did some HW and since we signed him we also followed up, but tremendous teammate. Everything I have heard about this guy and how he conducts himself or how he helps out, whether it be from his time in STL or WSH, you hear from the coaches and teammates and training staff what a quality person he is. When you talk about our leadership group, there is a guy with some experience that I expect to step in and help us in that facet."
Shattdeuces at the point of the PP, leading the rush and creating chances. Hard not to like the sound of that. Plus as seen below, he will be with McD, which takes pressure off the captain and should lead to an even better year out of him.
Do you expect to spend more time in the offensive zone, "talk about Corsi numbers and that, for me, I'm a big believer in looking at all the available stats and, I want go into specifics, and there are stats we keep track of here that are more important than that. It is an area that I believe, with our back end, we will be able to get into the offensive zone quicker and make more plays from the top, with the quality of our defense, which means seeing what could be available at the net quicker, getting shots through quicker. I definitely think that the back end, as far as offensive possibilities, that is something we will find out and improve here as guys get to know one another, it's an area that seems we are in stronger in right now, it seems that way on paper."
Better blue line with more skill coupled with growth from several of the forwards should lead to improved puck possession. Plus the speed that exists in the lineup is expected to lead to additional breakout chances. Team is expected to be fun to watch.
On Staal and Holden battling, "I think, it would be safe to say that there are a few guys, Marc being one of them, that is fighting for ice time, fighting for a spot on the team. If we decided to bring Marc Staal back it's bcause we believe in him and anyone who questions his character would be wrong, he has come back from two serious injuries, played big minutes, big games in the past. I like Marc Staal, I believe in Marc Staal but at the end of the day this is probably the first time in a while that he is fighting for a spot and minutes. He knows that and that is why you have training camp and then you take it a day at a time and make the best possible calls for the team."
Those blueline options and hard choices mentioned above is what we have here. I will believe Staal as a healthy scratch when I see it. Having $5.7 mil of cap space sitting in your press box repeatedly seems highly improbable. In addition, even if you are half his salary to deal him, who is talking on $2.85 mil for each of the next four seasons unless you really sweeen the pot with picks and/or players. But AV has thrown the gauntlet down to both players. It's up to each to prove they belong in the lineup as there are options - probably better ones - pushing to play. I am glad AV finally saw the light, just wish he had seen it before Games 2 and 5 against Ottawa.
On Holden, "I've had a good conversation with Nick. For 55 games last year he was one of our best defensemen. There were some games towards the end there where it might have been a bit more difficult but he still was a real effective player for us, defensively and offensively, he had some real good numbers. He has to take the positives from last year and it's a new season for everybody and his play will dictate how much he plays, that is probably the same for everybody. Some guys have more rope than others, it's how the game is but Nick was a good player for us last year and I am anxious to see what he is going to do."
I do agree Holden was pretty good the first 2/3 of the season. Then he fell off a cliff. Holden should have been sat in the playoffs or had his minutes restricted. The failure to do so might have cost NY a series win against Ottawa. At $1.65 mil this year, Holden is somewhat of a bargain and was worth the fourth round pick surrendered last year for him. He provides a veteran option and could remain as a seventh d-man.
On the young defense in camp, "from Anthony to Pionk to Russian Bereglazov, there are quite a few, Brady Skjei, I am expecting more from Brady, for him to compete for a top-four spot and be in there and in one of the conversations that we had is that he can play offense and defense. You are a good player and he needs to step up and his play will dictate that for us. Smytty is another one, on our team there are a lot of possibilities and options, guys will go on the ice and there will be some great internal competition. Everyone wants more ice time, show me what you got."
With so many options, the young d-men need to bring it early and often in camp. The pre-season games, if there weren't mush watch before just because hockey is back, now clearly are because performance in those games will dictate who breaks camp and who is in the lineup.
Skjei is a top-four d-man, end stop. No competing BS, no mind games, just pair him with Brendan Smith and end this stupidity. Play him on the second line PP and just let him go. He stepped up last year and should have been given even more responsibility. The failure to do so was on AV and Beuk. With Lindy Ruff now here, I expect even more growth from Skjei.
On Shattenkirk and McDonagh, "not early on, I am mixing and matching early on and we have 6 exhibition games in 8 nights. I want to see a lot of our younger guys that I don't get to see very much, how they have evolved and getting better. In the last 3 exhibition games we will get to more duos we are looking at, more lines we are looking at. From our last game we have 7 days until we start the season so we will have plenty of time to get this group ready."
Give them a few games together in the pre-season to accelerate the process of them learning to play together. That's all, nothing else. Then just let them go and they will figure it out from there.
Will JT play more, "every guy, right now, except for one I am thinking of at least 3 games, some guys may play 4 or 5 because we need to make a decision on them. JT is one of those guys that will be in that 3, for sure, 4 possibility."
With 54 players in camp, the first few games will be weeding out those who are definitely not going to be in NY. Look at the rookies and Kids and determine which ones have a shot. Then mix them in with the vets for a few games and see what happened. The last 1-2 games should be dedicated to finding matchups and finalizing the roster, at least to start the season.
On him going into his 5th year, "I'm real excited. We have made some real good changes, for me, I look at the opportunity we have and I have seen them grow for four years and to go into year five, the evolution on and off the ice, we are in a good place. I like our group, no one has talked about the window but when we beat Pittsburgh two years in a row, who would have thought that Pittsburgh would have won the Stanley Cup back to back with Murray in goal. We have a good team and we believe that we can compete for the Stanley Cup. First objective is to get into the playoffs. We will build our foundation in training camp, put our system in place, make sure that the group comes together and pick the players that will permit this group to attain their goals. I'm excited about that, management, my whole staff is excited. I met every player and there is a good buzz and feeling and wants to do real."
I know everyone criticizes AV, it's easy to do. He has made certain mistakes that to us seemed easily correctable and many in fact should have been. I still like him as a coach. He may trust the kids as much as we like, but CK20 and Miller have taken strides forward the past few seasons. With Ruff now there, the scrutiny on AV and his game management decisions gets ratcheted up a level, so he will need to raise his game or a change could occur.
On Vesey, "I think Jimmy is a gamer. I look at his track record, a young man last year, coming in and playing the games he did, it was a challenge, he took the challenge head on. In the playoffs, when everything is more focused and more attention and more scrutiny, he took that pressure head on. He's a gamer and wants to prove and contribute to help a team win. He has shown leadership qualities in the past and I expect him to be even better this year."
Vesey last year was learning how to play and really survive in the NHL. He hit a major rookie wall, which was expected after coming right from Harvard. With a year under his belt, I would expect an uptick in production and consistency from him. Vesey should play on the second or third line, but that will depend on other factors, especially if Miller stays at center.
On Jesper Fast's status, "he's right on schedule. He will start in Group C but we figured that at the end of October that would be his time frame and he is right on schedule. He is feeling real good, skating every day for I think three weeks, he is exactly where our Docs and medical staff thought he would be."
Don't rush him back. End of October is fine for his return. That means Matt Puempel should make the lineup, which was a probably anyway. Plus, it gives Andersson, Chytil and Andrew Desjardins better odds on breaking camp with the team as there will be a spot open initially.
On the PP, "we've got different looks as far as shot possibilities with the right handers coming in, that will add to the different possibilities and options you can have on the PP. Shatty coming in and being a real solid PP performer is going to help our whole group. New season, we need to see who fits where and who does what but we will do that as training camp moves on."
Just please make sure 'Kirk is the point on one PP and Skjei a point on the other. McD will be a point on one of the two. Zucc could be on the other pint. Have Zib at the left circle dot. CK20 in front on one PP, Nash likely the same on the other. As long as the puck and player movement is good, the team should score.
On Lindy Ruff, "he will bring all of his experience, he has had a lot of years with different makeups as a team. He has been outstanding with the whole staff and just getting to know some of the guys here. There is a lot of experience I will tap into, the rest of the staff will tap into and also the players. A great addition to our group and I think he is looking forward to it and we are looking forward to his contribution to the success of our team."
Ruff clearly is going to want to coach again. If he helps the D reach the level we all think is attainable, and then goes, it's a win-win for both parties. Plus, as said above, his presence forces AV to raise his game, which also benefits the team and organization.
On resting players at times during a season, "points are so hard to come by in this league, you always have to go with what you feel is your best lineup on a game to game basis. I believe that I was one of the first coaches to give the players their monthly calendar with the day off scheduled ahead of time. I was upset when the NHLPA forced us to give them four mandatory days because I know that some of the coaches in the league weren't doing that, old school coaches that believe that guys have to be on the ice everyday and I don't believe that is helpful. That rest factor, I think I have a good read on it, the complexity of that. We take a lot of pride in our schedule and travel schedule and allowing our guys to get more rest. I feel I got a pretty good pulse on that."
AV was always good with rest for his players when in Vancouver. He hasn't been the best in NY, see prior comments on him resting Girardi, Dan and Staal, Marc. The lack of a ton of back-of-backs should help the team be better rested. In addition, the depth on the blue line should enable additional rest to e provided there when needed. The same right now can't be said about the forwards, which is the area that worries me.
On the rule changes, "video guy better be good (laugh). That puts onus on both of our video guys, those are the guys ahead of time, as the play is moving on, are looking at if a play was offside because we don't have a lot of time. They are cutting down the time to make decisions. I don't mind it. We gotta make our decisions quickly, now it's a different part of the game and the only one on the ice that can't call a TO after icing the puck, rest for certain players would be.
Such a stupid, stupid rule. Just fix the rule so that if a played skate is perpendicular to the blue line even if off the ice, he is on-sides. If not, and it's ahead of the line, he is off-sides. The penalty that could arise and other components of this rule seem counter productive at best. It's a band aid because the rule is written poorly. Fix that, and this issue goes away.
On Andrew Desjardins, "It's something that Gorts and Chris were looking at and talking to his agent. I don't know why, I didn't really ask them. For me, he's an experienced player, can play more than one position, lets see what he can do and what he will bring and go from there
Basically, AV had no say in this, which seems odd. It doesn't help Desjardins that the coach wasn't involved in the decision to bring him on a PTO. But Fast likely missing the first month may aid Desjardins case to break camp on the fourth line..
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