Your selection of the perfect Rangers team for 1988-present is now final. Goalies were the last piece of the puzzle and that vote took place this weekend. With that component now complete, the four forward lines, three defensive pairs and goalie duo is now in place.
For the goalies, the only question was would Henrik Lundqvist or Mike Richter be the first team netminder. Do you value the longer-term consistency more than the short-term brilliance and 1994 Cup win? Which mattered more, a netminder who lifted the silver chalice but with lesser regular season numbers or a goalie who may go down as one of the top-10 of all time at the position and carried his team to the Final but was unable to bring the Cup home?
Lundqvist outpolled Richter. This is mildly interesting. When I ran the vote on this blog for the All-Time Rangers team in 2012, Richter was selected over Lundqvist. Similarly, in 2015, when the blog was for the Franchise Four, building off what Major League Baseball had done at the time, Larry Brooks had Richter over Lundqvist, a sentiment followed by many. This time, Lundqvist got the nod over Richter, which may mean that fans or the voters felt that the long-term success outweighed the Cup win or that the win was so long ago, many of those who voted don’t have the same direct link to that squad.
This is what I wrote on the All-Time Rangers blog, and for now, my view hasn’t changed. It’s possible that my thoughts on this debate might flip-flop down the road. But as of now, my vote won’t change.
Now the tough one. Do I go with the All-Time wins leader in Franchise history, who has won at least 30 games in each of his nine full seasons along with a Vezina Trophy and Gold Medal and win be a Hall of Famer? Or, do I select the goalie who originally had the record for most franchise wins, won a Stanley Cup and backstopped the US to a win at the 1996 Canada Cup and is a borderline Hall of Famer? This is a vote that could change in time, and one I would be most happy to do so because it would mean another Cup, but I to have to go with Mike Richter. Ending the 54-year drought is good enough for me to select him.
A few reminders of the process we followed for forwards and defensemen :
1) Cut off for eligibility was 170 games or two-plus seasons as a Ranger, but I used some leeway in a several instances. Once we got past the first liners, a substantive number of players that are options for the second and to a certain extent third line skated in far less than 170 games, so I used 110 games as the cut-off point. This number was slightly modified for line combinations.
2) Overlap existed between those listed as first team and then second team due to fluidity of d-man usage in games. Also, I may run the same blog a few times to pick the second team first line defenseman, even though I have tweaked the poll to allow for more than one player to be selected.
3) Selection was based on their production and role in New York, not output while with other teams
Forwards based on the vote:
First team:
Adam Graves-Mark Messier-Jaromir Jagr
Tony Granato-Petr Nedved-Theo Fleury
Esa Tikkanen-Sergei Nemchinov-Sean Avery
Brandon Prust-Brian Boyle-Jesper Fast
(I kept Avery in, based on his early play in New York. Following his departure and return, his play tailed off dramatically. I am still open to thoughts here as debated replacing Avery with Michael Grabner, who is on the second team below and sliding Niklas Sundstrom, who I think was far better player into the second team. Let me know your thoughts as this may be a change I make)
Defensemen based on the vote:
Leetch-Beukeboom
Samuelsson-Zubov
Kasparaitis-Rozsival
(I might have had Lowe here and Samuelsson on second pair, same with Lidster over Rozsival)
Goalies based on the vote:
Lundqvist-Talbot
Second team:
Alexei Kovalev-Wayne Gretzky-Mike Gartner
Brandon Dubinsky-Doug Weight-Tomas Sandstrom
Carl Hagelin-Derick Brassard-Michael Grabner
Darren Langdon-Dominic Moore-Joe Kocur
Defensemen based on the vote:
McDonagh-Patrick
Staal-Zubov
Tyutin-Lidster
(Staal just edges out Lowe for the second team spot while Tyutin beat out Poti, Johnsson and Malakhov for the spot)
Goalies based on the vote:
Richter-Healy
Line combinations:
Graves-Messier-Kovalev
Fleury-Lindros-York (FLY line)
Tikkanen-Nemchinov-Matteau
Gilbert-MacTavish-Kocur
Leetch-Beukeboom
Lowe-Zubov
Johnsson-Kasparaitis
Lundqvist-Talbot
Second team
Straka-Nylander-Jagr
Dubinsky-Stepan-Callahan (the Young Americans)
Zuccarello-Brassard-Pouliot
Dorsett-Moore-Boyle
McDonagh-Girardi
Staal-Stralman
Hardy-Lidster
(Staal-Stralman just edges out Samuelsson-Karpovtsev for the spot)
Vanbiesbrouck-Richter
Tyler Seguin-Artem Panarin:
If you believe the chatter, New York might have a choice of Seguin or Panarin in free agency next season. Of course, that would require each to make it to July 1 without re-signing with their current teams, less likely on Panarin than Seguin, or signing elsewhere following a trade. In addition, reports were widely disseminated that Panarin is already leaning towards signing next year with the Rangers, prompting the discussions as to whether a trade for his rights should be made now.
Seguin, as reported by the Athletic, expressed disappointment that a deal hasn’t been made yet. From his remarks, it’s fairly clear that he wants to remain in Dallas. But, as we saw a bit with John Tavares, what is expressed publicly may not made what’s going on behind the scenes. Like Tavares, Seguin, who turns 27 in July, will be highly sought out if he does become a free agent and he can sign an eight-year deal to remain a Star rather than seven years elsewhere. One other major factor is that Dallas, like Tampa, is in a state with no state income tax, so a $1 earned there is worth a $1 as opposed to .85 cents or so in other states or provinces.
“No, nothing is really going on,” Seguin told a scrum of reporters. “Pretty much not been talking much this summer. It’s been a little disappointing. I thought I’d have some exciting news to talk about at BioSteel Camp, especially this late in the summer, but it’s disappointing. At the end of the day, I’ve always had one year left to focus on that.”
Two other interesting bullets by Sean Shapiro in his column last week were:
•According to multiple sources the Stars have had reservations in the past about paying another player more than the $9.5 million that Jamie Benn makes per season. Whether that’s still their view or not is unclear, but it’s an approach that likely won’t work in re-signing Seguin.
•Since Seguin was traded to Dallas he has scored 173 goals. That’s tied with Sidney Crosby for the second-most in the league during that span behind Alexander Ovechkin (236). His 384 points are tied for sixth in the NHL during that time.
Panarin, who be 27 in October, has already said, saying he’s not ready — “at this time” — to sign a long-term extension in Columbus. With that as the backdrop, and additional comments that Panarin might be a distraction in training camp and during the season, Aaron Portzline in the Athletic had a QA with coach John Tortorella on Panarin. Here are the questions and Torts’ responses:
How do the contract situations with Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, the uncertainty there, affect you this season?
It doesn’t. It can’t. It won’t. It’s out there. You guys have to report on it. It’s one of my biggest parts of my job this year, to handle it. Do we want those to be distractions? Are we going to be able to handle it as a room, or does it turn into a distraction? I think I need to coach that. But shit happens. We’re not the only team that has things go on like this.
Will you meet with those two before camp, just a “what’s up?” meeting
Nope. Nope. I may have to answer questions from you today. I’ll answer a question about it when camp starts and then we move on.
When the picture started to develop with both players this summer, when the contracts weren’t signed in early July, what was that like for you as their coach?
I’m not mad, Portzy. This is their choice; it’s their life. You go to Panarin … this is going to be years of his life. I’m not mad at either one of them. I am disappointed. I look at Panarin … I really like coaching him. I really like him as a person, and I like him in our room. I think he’s contagious as far as how he comes to work and does his job with enthusiasm. I’m disappointed that there’s talk he may be leaving. But I’m not gonna coach him any differently. He’s going to be put in every damn situation I can find to put him in, because he gives us a really good opportunity to win hockey games.
Which do you want? The center or the winger? Historically, the view has been that to win a Cup, a team needs a true franchise center. That thought process might have been mildly altered with Alexander Ovechkin leading Washington to the Cup this season. But that may be more of an aberration than a trend, because Ovie is a franchise player, which not every team has. Plus, Ovie needed Evgeni Kuznetsov to take his game to another level and Nicklas Backstrom as the 1a to Kuz’s 1. That’s not to say Panarin can’t be that player, but you need the elite center AND the winger to win.
Seguin has not scored less than 72 points his five seasons in Dallas while Panarin has tallied at least 74 points his first three years in the league. Seguin took a dramatic leap forward from his rookie to sophomore campaign, moving from 22 to 67 points, while Panarin won the 2016 Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie, after putting up 77 points. Each player has been the subject of a shocking trade, with Seguin moving for “chemistry and other reasons” from Boston to Dallas and Panarin going from Chicago to Columbus as the Blackhawks aimed to get the band back together.
Seguin would give New York a true #1 center, regardless of your view of Mika Zibanejad. His addition would really strengthen the pivot position in New York. Zib, if he stayed, he would be the #2 and that would mean that Kevin Hayes is clearly a goner, regardless of the possibility of him signing long-term during the season. But the Rangers could deal Zib and keep Hayes or Filip Chytil as the #2 center, since the market for Zib, especially if he has a strong season would be robust. Add in Lias Andersson, both Vladislav Nemestnikov and Ryan Spooner, if each remain, and Brett Howden would create a solid four lines of centers.
On the flip side, Panarin immediately would slot onto the first line and be the main weapon in New York. Put him on a line with Zib and Chris Kreider and that line’s production immediately spikes. Fast forward a year or so when Vitali Kravtsov is ready and imagine Panarin and Kravtsov on a line together or maybe Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich opposite on another. The wingers currently in New York are “nice” and that maybe a bit kind, but none are a game breaker. As much as we may love CK20, Mats Zuccarello and Buch, none are gamebreakers, though we think Buch could take a major step forward and has the potential to maybe be a second-tier one.
It’s this reason why to me, adding Panarin is of primary importance. The re-signing of Blake Wheeler removes one big-name free agent winger from the potentially available population. Mark Stone, Jordan Eberle, Jeff Skinner, Max Pacioretty, Wayne Simmonds, Anders Lee and Zucc are the big name wingers that right now will be available. Besides Seguin, Matt Duchene, Joe Pavelski and Hayes are to be unrestricted free agents. New York could be aggressive and pursue both Panarin and Seguin, expecting a rise in the cap and by creating room by moving on from Hayes and/or Zucc since Buch is the only RFA that will command a big deal and the “cheap,” at least $ wise, pipeline coming up through the system, both up front and on the blueline.
What’s your view?
Camp opens in less than two weeks and the Traverse City tournament starts Friday. I will get a blog up previewing the tournament, Also, as an early warning due to all the holidays, I will be out of pocket a lot this month. The dates I will be unavailable, which means I am out of picket starting the night before, are September 10-11, 19, 24-25 and October 1-2.
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