|
Introduction and first blog-Rangers Preview |
|
|
|
|
|
First of all, thank you to Ek for allowing me to blog. For this first foray into blogging on the site, I will provide a little more info about me, what I will be blogging, why I am blogging about them and give you some insight as to what I will be covering in the future.
As Ek mentioned, I will be covering the three New York Metropolitan teams (added in Metropolitan to avoid angering the Sabres fans) from more of a high level view with some fantasy insights thrown in as both Patrick Hoffman and Sam Woo do a great job of covering the Rangers and Devils, respectively.
Why the Rangers, Isles and Devils? On the Rangers, my first hockey recollection was watching the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals against the Bruins on a black and white TV with my grandparents as a four-year old. From there, my interest grew and I became a Ranger lifer, or as we call it, a masochist, given the pain the Rangers have inflicted on us over the years, including the Ron Francis 75-footer through the five-hole. To give you further indication of my fandom, I was married two days after the Game 7, Matteau-Matteau-Matteau goal. I told my fiancée, now wife, that I would be wearing my Leetch jersey at the end of the reception as this is something that might not happen again in my life. (If anyone wants pictures and does not believe me, let me know).
Post marriage, I moved to Long Island, and now live a 10-minute drive from the Coliseum, or as we Ranger fans call it, the Mausoleum. I have lived through the wonderful Milbury, Spano and Wang eras, reading Newsday while watching players like Spezza (or at the least the draft position in order to select him), Jokinen, Luongo, Bertuzzi all dealt away. Finally, as weird as this may sound, it appears that under Snow and Nolan, there is a semblance of a plan for the Islanders.
Even though I grew up in Jersey, no more than 15 minutes from the swamplands, aka, the Meadowlands, I was never a Devils fan, as the Devils did not yet exist when I became a hockey fan, as they were still the Colorado Rockies, and prior to that, the Kansas City Scouts.
In terms of fantasy, why me? Well I have worked for Rotowire.com for the past five years covering their Hockey Cheat Sheets and weekly Barometer, which covers the Risers and Fallers. I have also been a guest on the Calgary Flames radio channel every third Saturday night during the season taking fantasy hockey as well as Team 990.com in Montreal prior to and post the trading deadline to talk hockey. Does make me an expert? No, but believe I can provide some valuable information to the readers and also provide some interesting ideas to keep in mind on the three NY Metropolitan teams.
On to the teams:
The Rangers obviously made the highest profile and biggest moves of the three teams, grabbing Drury and Gomez to be their top two centers while allowing Jagr’ sidekick, Mr. Nylander, to hightail it to Edmonton…errr sorry… Washington for him to set up Ovechkin. The great unknown in this is will Jagr mesh with Gomez, who I expect to slide between Mario Jr. and Straka, now that Nylander is gone, as Jagr and him had an undeniable chemistry. Also, will factions be created in the locker room, with Jagr and Straka on one side, Shanahan and Gomez on the other and Drury as the quiet leader on and off the ice with Avery on Jagr’s side?
Despite Glen Sather’s aggressive move in grabbing the two best available centers, some of his other transactions raise questions. Why pay Lundqvist $4.25 million when Cam Ward and Ryan Miller, two comparables at least in terms of experience, received $2.667 million and Lundqvist may have only gotten $3.25 million in arbitration? Plus, Ray Emery signed a three-year deal for $9.5 million and Lundqvist is about to get a big payday in January when he is expected to sign a long-term extension. Why not just give him a million more in his deal and avoid the cap hit now? Why give Shanny a $2.5 million base and $2.8 million in bonuses, most of which are easily reachable, instead of giving 500k less now and taking the hit down the road? Those two moves cost the Rangers $1.5 million in cap room, which forced them to deal the perfect third line center in Matt Cullen back to Carolina due to cap concerns.
For all the questions about signing Michael Peca, why is the main focus on him taking away time from Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky? If either one of those players prove ready in training camp, the Rangers could still move a Betts down to the minors or in a trade, to free up room, or if they become ready during the year, at $1.25 million for a full season, once they are ready, Peca’s cap hit will be small enough that he could be waived. The other reason may be that the team is reluctant to use a younger player, who normally is a scorer, in what is usually a checking-line role, and retard their development though that could change during the year.
The big rumor still out there is that the Rangers want a stud d-man with Jovanovski the most common name mentioned with Al Montoya the likely trade bait. Personally, I believe Jovo-cop’s game has fallen off somewhat, with him playing no more than 70 games the last five games, plus the cap hit would be huge. Also, is he still the physical presence he once was with age and Western Conference play taking away some of the edge to his game? The team may be better off just seeing what Marc Staal can provide unless a true difference maker on the blueline can be had.
Fantasy-wise, the names of Jagr, Straka, Gomez, Drury, Shanahan and Lundqvist made the Broadway Blues a veritable buffet of talent. Add in Prucha, Avery, Roszival and Mara and the Rangers become one of the best fantasy favorite teams around. Other contributors, including those who could surprise are Callahan, Hossa and Tyutin with Cherepanov and Sanguinetti options for those in long-term keeper leagues.
Realize that this first blog is a bit long and will therefore leave you waiting with bated breath for the forthcoming Devils and Islanders portions of it.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»