“I played 11 years in the NHL. Now is a good time to return to Europe with my family,” Raanta told Ilta-Sanomat. “Every other day, the wife sees on Instagram, when the wife of someone playing in Switzerland has updated pictures from there, and how great it looks there.”

Though he mentioned Switzerland, Raanta didn’t say which country he’d like to play in this season. It’s unlikely he’ll play in his native Finland because of tax reasons.

“At the end of the season and in the summer, I thought about all sorts of things, but as the summer progressed and my body felt good, Europe started to attract me more,” Raanta said.

Raanta spent two of his 11 NHL seasons with the Rangers, serving as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup in 2015-16 and 2016-17. He was 27-14-4 in 55 games (44 starts) in those two seasons, with a solid 2.25 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and five shutouts. He had an NHL career-high four shutouts in 26 starts in 2016-17.

The affable and popular Raanta posted a 22-save shutout in his Rangers debut on Oct. 19, 2015, a 4-0 win against the San Jose Sharks. He won his first four decisions with the Rangers that season, and was 7-2-0 in his final nine decisions in 2015-16.

He got off to another fast start on Broadway in 2016-17 when he won his first five decisions, and eight of nine. He allowed more than three goals just three times in 30 games that season.

Related: Former Rangers goalie Keith Kinkaid tries to finish ‘Metropolitan-area trio’ with Islanders PTO

Antti Raanta had several good seasons after leaving Rangers

After two seasons with the Rangers, Raanta signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract with the Arizona Coyotes. He spent four seasons there before joining the Carolina Hurricanes. His first season with the Hurricanes, in 2021-22, he helped them win the William Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL.

Raanta fought through injuries during his time with the Hurricanes. But last season, he struggled with a 2.99 GAA and .872 save percentage in 24 games (20 starts). He was bypassed by Pyotr Kochetkov on the Hurricanes depth chart and ended up in the minor leagues.

He said several NHL teams expressed interest in bringing Raanta in on a PTO or as a third option on the depth chart this season, and that holds no interest for him. The Vancouver Canucks were one of those teams.

“I turned it down right away and announced that I’ve kind of made up my mind that I won’t be going there anymore,” Raanta explained.

Raanta has a career. 2.48 GAA and .915 save percentage in 277 NHL games (251 starts), to go along with 20 shutouts for the Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Coyotes and Hurricanes.

When the Rangers fell to the New Jersey Devils in Game 7, it marked the end of Jaroslav Halak’s one-year deal with the team. With limited cap space, estimated to be around $11,762,918 per PuckPedia, a low-cost replacement is part of general manager Chris Drury’s offseason agenda.

Shesterkin will once again be given the majority of starts for next season, so the ideal backup will play somewhere around 25 games. That requires a certain veteran mindset to be ready to go even if your last start was well over a week ago.

Let’s dive into some potential candidates.

Rangers Rumors: Louis Domingue a consideration?

The Rangers were impressed with how Louis Domingue performed in last season’s first-round playoff match as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was forced into Game 1 after Casey DeSmith was injured and won a triple OT contest on Garden ice. His gutsy performance led to a two-year deal with New York at an AAV of $775,000.

This season, the 31 year-old veteran is a big reason why the Hartford Wolf Pack ended a long playoff drought dating back to the 2014-15 campaign. He did so by posting a record of 22-12-8 record with 4 shutouts, a 2.51 GAA, and a .911 save percentage.

Domingue is also one of those rare goalie who catches with his right hand. That would be a nice change of pace when facing opponents in a home-and-home series.

For his NHL career, Domingue’s numbers stand at 59-60-10 with a 3.04 GAA, and a .905 SV%. Although his salary cap hit would be a perfect fit, the Rangers may want to go with a more proven big league backup.

It’s just nice to know that if they strike out on the free agent market, they will have a fallback option in Domingue.

Free Agent Options

When it comes to veteran goalies that could backup Shesterkin, there’s a few unrestricted free agent candidates that stand out. If the Rangers budget remains the same as this past season, you are looking at netminder willing to take a one-year deal at around $1.5 million.

Here’s my top five:

Jaroslav Halak (2022-23 Stats: 10-9-5, 2.72 GAA, .903 SV%)

If Halak feels like he has one more season in him, the Rangers could easily go back to the well liked veteran. Despite a slow beginning where he won only once in 8 starts (1-6-1), he settled down and rattled off 7 straight wins from December to February to help turn both his and the team’s season around.

Cam Talbot (2022-23 Stats: 17-14-2, 2.93 GAA, .898 SV%)

Talbot is one of two UFA goalies that has played with the Rangers before. In two seasons as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup from 2013-14 to 2014-15, he was superb posting a 33-15-5 record with a GAA of 2.00 and a .931 save percentage. Already familiar with the pressures of playing on Broadway, he could be a nice add if he’s willing to take a pay cut and a lesser role.

Antti Raanta (2022-23 Stats: 19-3-3, 2.23 GAA, .910 SV%)

Another former Blueshirt and Lundqvist understudy is Raanta. He actually replaced Talbot as Hank’s backup for two seasons from 2015-16 to 2016-17. A fan favorite, Raanta posted a record of 27-14-4 with the Rangers. He did so on the strength of a 2.25 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Plus, he’s well versed with the competition in the Metro Division having played with the Carolina Hurricanes the last two years.

Thomas Greiss (2022-23 Stats: 7-10-0, 3.58 GAA, .896 SV%)

Prior to the Rangers inking Halak, Greiss was a goalie that Drury was believed to have his eye on before he signed with the St. Louis Blues. The 14-year veteran struggled last year, but so did the entire Blues team. He’s certainly someone that may be an option if the others don’t pan out.

Alex Nedeljkovic (2022-23 Stats: 5-7-2, 3.53 GAA, .895 SV%)

Once considered one of the top up and coming goalies, Nedeljkovic had a disastrous campaign with the Red Wings. However, this is a goalie that exploded onto the scene with the Hurricanes in 2020-21 recording a .932 save percentage and a 1.90 GAA in 23 games. What better way for him to resurrect his career by signing a one-year deal to backup Shesterkin while learning from goalie guru Benoit Allaire.

Starting in goal number 31 Antti Raanta

Talk about a constant state of happiness, Raanta was not seen by my eyes sans a smile. His tenure as Henrik Lundqvist’s understudy may have been a brief one, but Raanta earned well-deserved accolades for his impeccable work manning the crease any time “The King” needed a respite. Raanta complied an impressive 27-14-4 record with five shutouts in his 53 career games in his two seasons as a Ranger goalie.

On defense, number 29 Reijo Ruotsalainen

If we were going to do an “All-Nickname Team” for the Rangers, “Plexi Rexi” would assuredly make that squad as well. Current Ranger President and former teammate John Davidson says the native of Oulu, Finland earned that whimsical moniker for the multitude of times his slap shot caromed off the Plexiglass behind the opposing goalie. On a serious note, Ruotsalainen was an outstanding offensive defenseman during his five year stint on Broadway accumulating 316 points in 389 games including a 73 point effort in the 1984-85 season.

His defense partner number 5, Jari Grondstrand

A member of the Blueshirts for just one season, the talented native of Tampere, Finland was a key defender of the Ranger team that missed the 1988 playoffs by the most narrowest of margins. on the season’s final day. John MacLean, anyone?

On left wing number 10 Esa Tikkanen

One of the more beloved Finns and members of the 1994 Stanley Cup championship squad, the abrasive, antagonistic, but inherently likable Tikkanen is sure to bring a thunderous ovation whenever #10 returns to the World’s Most Famous Arena. “Tikk”, a Blueshirt on three separate occasions, including the Cinderella run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997, was the epitome of clutch. The higher levels of pressure, the rising rate of intensity, the better Tikkanen performed. The native of Finland’s capital, Helsinki, gets the red carpet treatment from the Garden Faithful whenever he graces us with his presence

At center number 9 Pentti Lund

A Blueshirt for three seasons during the Original Six era, the native of Karijoki, Finland and 1949 Rookie of the Year recipient was a key member of the 1950 Ranger squad that darn near shocked the hockey world by taking the mighty Detroit Red Wings to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

On right wing number 24 Kaapo Kakko

The second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the native of Turku, Finland showed flashes of brilliance during his abbreviated rookie campaign. While some unfairly expected Kakko to resemble Teemu Selanne as an 18-year old. #24’s future is as unlimited a ray of sunshine. Kakko’s rare combination of size, skill and offensive prowess has the Garden Faithful salivating over what could be once the talented Finn matures, fills out and realizes his vast potential.

Honorable mention: Mikko Leinonen, Jari Kurri, Lauri Korpikoski, Jussi Markkanen, Ville Nieminen.

As Henrik Lundqvist and fellow Rangers teammate Mats Zuccarello gear up for Zuccarello’s charity all-star game in his native Norway, both players spoke with Roy Kvatningen of Nitten about the upcoming season and more.

When asked about his state of mind heading into training camp, Lundqvist said that he is “pumped for a new season.” He added that he isn’t sure what the team’s goals will be coming into the season, but that he knows the group will figure it out.

During their interview, both players discuss how the, now infamous, letter affected each of them. Henrik said that it was not an easy thing for him to hear. “It was pretty tough, to be honest when we decided to rebuild instead of trying to go for it. It was a tough end to the season. The first half felt good, but there were a few months where I had to work on the mental challenge of adjusting to the new situation.”

Zuccarello added a similar sentiment to that of his longtime goaltender: “When you get such a letter, it’s clear that you get frustrated and want to go away.” However, those frustrations that Zuccarello is alluding to aren’t taking away from his excitement and willingness to stay with the Rangers. “Of course, I want to be here. I feel I can be a good player and a good teammate if they are going to rebuild. Whether it takes one, two or three years, I feel I can be a good player to have in that process.”

Lundqvist was asked about his impressions of new head coach David Quinn and he had very positive things to say about the first encounter with his new bench boss. “I got a very positive first impression. It was a really good talk. We spoke about the future, about what’s been going on, and I got a good feel for what kind of person the new coach is. Of course, it will be easier to get to know him once the pre-season starts, but it was a very positive meeting.”

Note: For Zuccarello’s comments on David Quinn, click here.

Lundqvist has repeatedly stated his commitment to finishing out his career with the Rangers, which we have covered here on Forever Blueshirts, and he reaffirmed that statement when speaking to Nitten. “Yeah, I made that decision when I signed my contract four years ago, If I get the opportunity, I’d love to play my whole career with one club. My goal is to finish my career with the Rangers. Few players ever get that opportunity. The question is, of course, if that feeling is mutual. But I really, really enjoy being a Ranger. This club has treated me exceptionally well.”

Finally, Lundqvist talked about all of the young guys coming into the locker room and how the veterans can help bring the team together. “I hope we can set a standard where the young players know what’s expected of them. It’s important to implement this at the beginning of the season. Mats Zuccarello and I have been here a long time and will be an important part of this club for a long time, and we’ll be an important part of the mix between younger and older players.”

Lundqvist and Zuccarello are both excited as we inch closer and closer towards training camp and the start of the 2018-19 season. As this is being written, both players are focused on raising money for children around the globe at the Henke & Zucca Summer Classic taking place on Saturday, along with former Rangers Derick Brassard, Carl Hagelin, Antti Raanta, Ryan McDonagh, and Artem Anisimov.

Editor’s Note: All translations courtesy of article’s author Roy Kvatningen. If you can read Norwegian, you can read the original article here.

Throughout the course of the Rangers rebuild, General Manager Jeff Gorton and his crew have made it a point to load up on defensemen in the hope of creating a potentially rock-solid unit. The Rangers acquired multiple exciting prospects from their trade deadline sale, in addition to over the course of the past year.

Of all the prospects in the system, there’s a set few who will not make the team. Nils Lundkvist, who the Rangers selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, will likely be returning to Sweden to continue his growth. He will not be part of the Rangers defensive corps going into October. Six picks prior to Lundkvist, the Rangers selected K’Andre Miller. Miller is an extremely intriguing prospect for the Rangers and has the potential to be a top-four defenseman. But with that said, he has already committed to play next year for the University of Wisconsin. Rangers fans will have to wait because he’s not joining the team just yet.

Acquired from the Devils in exchange for Michael Grabner, next on the list is Yegor Rykov. Rykov is a talented player who may compete for a spot at some point, but with the number of prospects higher on the list, it’s reasonable to conclude that he most likely won’t make the opening night roster. Lastly, acquired from Boston around the trade deadline was Rob O’Gara. O’Gara is a big-bodied defenseman who plays a lock-down style. But given the amount of talent in the Rangers system, he will probably get booted out of the mix. He saw a fair amount of playing time last year when Kevin Shattenkirk and Steven Kampfer were injured, but the other young guys have a step on him.

Neal Pionk

Neal Pionk was one of the top performers for the Rangers during their epic collapse in the second half of the season. He was called into action following the trade deadline and performed well above expectations. Despite not being known for his offense, he put up 14 points in 28 games played. At that rate, he would’ve notched 41 points over 82 games, impressive numbers for such an inexperienced prospect. Pionk making the opening night roster, barring any injuries, is just about set in stone.

John Gilmour

Gilmour was another young defenseman who arrived with Pionk to fill the newly punched holes in the Rangers defense. Gilmour is a gifted skater who can overpower just about anyone with his speed. He didn’t produce offensively like Pionk but was very quick to enter offensive plays and create scoring opportunities. He made some solid defensive plays throughout the spring, but there were multiple indications that he needs to work a little more on that side of his game. A seventh-round pick by the Flames in 2013, the question is how high his ceiling is; and that could be what pushes him out of the starting lineup.

Tony DeAngelo

DeAngelo was brought over from Arizona, along with the pick that eventually landed Lias Andersson, in exchange for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta. He has had behavior issues in the past but is a tremendous skater with a high level of offensive ability. He showed flashes of his skating and offensive prowess last season but didn’t break out. DeAngelo has a chance to be a great offensive-defenseman, which could land him on the opening night roster.

Libor Hajek

Libor Hajek is one of the most exciting of the Rangers defensive prospects. He was one of the main pieces to come over from Tampa at the trade deadline. He is an extremely solid two-way defender with potentially the most upside out of any defensemen in the system. Once he acclimates to the NHL, he will be a top-four defenseman and maybe even see time on a top pairing.

Ryan Lindgren

Lastly, we have Ryan Lindgren, who the Rangers acquired from Boston in exchange for Rick Nash. Lindgren has very high upside and was a top performer in the NCAA. He has a tremendous amount of determination to make the team, but he may not be ready for the pros just yet. Lindgren will have to put up quite the fight to make it to opening night, but he has the ability.

Frederik Claesson

Claesson was just signed on Sunday at the start of the free agency period. Claesson was drafted by the Ottawa Senators and was a solid piece of their defensive corps. At only 25, he still has some developing to undergo, but he is a great young defenseman to play alongside the Rangers inexperienced group. He has a very good chance of making the opening night lineup.

Prediction:

Let’s start this article out by saying how much I love Henrik Lundqvist and how I really do not want him to be traded. If you ask anyone about the Rangers one of the first things they will talk about is Hank. The now 4-time All-Star was passed over by every other team multiple times until the Rangers finally drafted him in the seventh round of the 2000 Entry Draft, 205th overall. After making his debut on October 8th, 2005 against the rival New Jersey Devils, which he lost 3-2 in overtime, he has accumulated many great accomplishments such as a gold medal for team Sweden in the 2006 Olympics and the Vezina Trophy in 2012. He’s the Rangers’ all-time leader in wins (426), shutouts (63) and playoff wins (61). He’s the first goaltender in NHL history to record 20 wins in his first 11 seasons and he’s the only goaltender in NHL history to reach 30 wins in each full season he’s played as well as currently being eighth on the all-time wins list for NHL goalies. All that being said, it still makes a lot of sense to trade him. 

Hank’s Touch of Gray

The obvious reason to trade King Henrik is his age. He turns 36 in March of this year and, unfortunately for the Blueshirts, he’s not getting any younger. In the beginning of this season, it looked like he was continuing his poor play from the 2016-17 season, where he posted his worst statistical season of his career with a .910 SV% and a 2.74 GAA. Getting back to this season, it looked like the beginning of the end for our aging king, posting a 3.12 GAA and a .900 SV% in the first twelve games of the season. With the Rangers starting the season with an anemic 3-7-2 record, it looked like they were going to rebuild on the fly and the trust in Hank was all but gone.

Fortunately, Henrik has elevated his game, and by extension, his stats, getting back up to a respectable .922 SV% and a 2.61 GAA propelling the Rangers to sit just outside of playoff contention with 55 points.

I now bring up this question for you; how often do you think Hank can bail the Rangers out? He’s faced the second highest shot total in the NHL this season with 1316 (only Frederik Andersen has more with 1420). His mental fortitude is unparalleled and his confidence in his fellow teammates will never be diminished. However, due to father time creeping on him, he might not be able to produce the same way he has been in recent years. He may not be able to play three straight seven-game series in the playoffs where he has to make 30+ saves and only let up one or two goals. Eventually, he’ll start to show his age and when that happens he won’t be able to bail the Rangers out as much as his team might need.

His Frustration is Over 9000!

Nod to you if you got that reference, but you cannot disagree that he is starting to become frustrated that he hasn’t won that elusive Stanley Cup. The three years where he has come the closest were 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. The Rangers have made the playoffs all but one year (09-10) while Hank was in the net. The King is hungry for a Stanley Cup and you can’t argue that he doesn’t deserve one. He always gives his best and when he comes up short he always upset about it. Just like fellow countryman Lias Andersson throwing his silver medal away at World Juniors, he has the same fire in him when he doesn’t go the distance, although he didn’t throw any of the trophies that he’s won. You get the point. I believe that if the Rangers do sell at the trade deadline, and I pray to all gods imaginable that they do, that they trade Hank to a contending team either now or after the season. Just like Ray Bourque being traded to the Avalanche in 2000 and then winning the Cup in 2001, Hank deserves to go to a team who has the pieces to claim the cup but are only missing an MVP-caliber goalie to get it done.

All By Himself

Since the 2013-14 season, there are only six players not named Henrik Lundqvist that are still on the Rangers that were apart of that Stanley Cup run in 2013-14. That being said, there could be trades that cause more of that Cup team to not be part of the Rangers next season, as was written about previously on the site by Steve and Dan.

But you may be asking yourself, this is a professional sports team, aren’t the players used to having new teammates each season? Well of course they are, but is Hank ready to go through a rebuild for even one season? If this rebuild is true, then we’ll see key players and veterans moving onto other contending teams leaving Hank high and dry for one more season. Morale and chemistry can play a big role in a team’s success throughout the year, and if the Rangers are patching together a team of AHL players and new free agents next season, would Hank want to go through that with a rebuilding team or would he be better off just learning the names of new teammates for a contender?

Regime Change

If you don’t know who the Czar is, listen up. Igor Shestyorkin is a 22-year-old Russian born goaltender currently dominating the KHL for SKA St. Petersburg, putting up a 1.77 GAA and a .930 SV%. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 entry draft, the Czar is potentially the next goaltender that will be in the Rangers crease for the foreseeable future. Getting the call to play for the Russian Olympic team this year, Igor has shown his potential for NHL superstardom as being regarded as one of the top goalie prospects out there. Even though the Olympics are not going to be as competitive as in previous years, he’ll still face a great challenge against countries like the United States and Canada showcasing their best available talent.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, they’ll have to wait for the 2019-20 season to have him come over to North America since his contract with SKA isn’t up until then. Hank has had potential replacements in the past such as Cam Talbot or Antti Raanta, but the Rangers have had faith in King Henrik to provide his best and he usually does. This time though, there is a stronger, younger and possibly more talented goaltender looming in the background and waiting to make New York his new empire. It’s up to Lundqvist to decide if he wants to play second fiddle to the Czar in a few years or give up his kingdom now for a potential shot at the cup.

Can You Put a Price on Greatness?

It’s no surprise why most aging players are traded, and that is to loosen the cap hit. I’ve saved this one for last because along with the $8.5 million cap hit until the 2020-21 season, Hank has a no-movement clause. You must be asking yourself if you haven’t already; three years with that type of cap hit for an aging goaltender? What team would be stupid enough to take that kind of trade? Well, we’ve seen worse trades for worse players (Scott Gomez for Ryan McDonagh, thanks, Montreal!) and I’m sure part of his cap hit would be absorbed by the Rangers if it were to go through.

But what would the other team give up you say? To start, Raanta and Derek Stepan were traded for a first round pick (7th overall) in last years draft along with Anthony DeAngelo from the Arizona Coyotes. If the Rangers were to trade their superstar, I’m sure they could get a package very similar without giving up any other established players. Perhaps they could also trade for multiple prospects or multiple drafts picks, but for a team struggling to keep goals out of the back of the net, that’s a small price to pay for a huge upgrade in a key position. But none of this is possible because it all comes down to if Henrik really wants to stay with the Blueshirts for the remainder of his career. Ultimately it will be his decision to leave or not because Jeff Gorton, James Dolan and Alain Vigneault (hopefully he’s not around past this season) cannot trade him unless he decides to accept his new fate.

Let’s Wrap It Up, As The Kids Say

Now after writing all of this and reading it over constantly because I’m sure I made a few mistakes along the way, I’ve come to believe my own writing. Trading Lundqvist makes a lot of sense whether you look at it from a rebuilding standpoint, financially, or wanting him to finally get what he deserves by winning a Stanley Cup. But after thinking about it some more, I just know it probably will not happen. Why? What’s the main reason he stays? He loves this team. He loves the fans, and the fans love him. He’s built a life here. Eventually, he will be gone, most likely not this season or next; but he’ll retire or finally realize winning a cup with this team isn’t possible and he’ll request a trade. Hopefully, he wins a cup here, because no matter if you want him gone or need him to stay, he’s put the team on his back time and time again and he bleeds blue.  

BTW: What do you mean hopefully?

#NYR @HLundqvist30 thanks the @TBLightning, the city of Tampa and the @NHL for a great #NHLAllStar weekend + a message for RangersTown. pic.twitter.com/GDdkQmCFJq

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 29, 2018

Check out what Elite Sports had to say about the cryptic message above.

Note: All Stats courtesy of NHL.com, CapFriendly, Hockey Reference and Eliteprospects.

In recent years, the New York Rangers and their fans have been spoiled by determined and well coached backup goaltenders. The most recent steady, consistent, supporters were Antti Raanta and Cam Talbot. Both of which have moved on to number one spots in Arizona and Edmonton, respectively. 

Talbot/Raanta

On February 1st, 2015 Henrik Lundqvist suffered a neck injury from a high rising shot that changed Cam Talbot’s career. We all held our breath and looked through the fingers covering our faces while New York Rangers’ longtime medical trainer Jim Ramsay attended to Henrik. What happened in the coming weeks? Cam Talbot stepped out on the ice, into the spotlight, and into our hearts during The King’s absence. This performance directly led to a future trade placing him as the top dog in Edmonton.

In comes Annti Raanta. With a career-best .922 SV% and 16-8-2 record in the 2016-2017 regular season, the Rangers were able to use Raanta as a negotiating piece. The deal landed Stepan and Raanta as number one center and goaltender for the Arizona Coyotes, respectively, while the Rangers, in the long run, ended up with Tony DeAngelo and prospect Lias Andersson.

Ondrej the Anonymous?

Fast forward to July 1st, 2017. News had already been spreading that fan favorite Magnus Hellberg had signed with a KHL team and would not be backing up Lundqvist. Next, The Rangers sign free agent Ondrej Pavelec to a one year, $1.3 million deal. Immediately, half of the collective fan base said “who?” Pavelec, who had only played in eight NHL games in the 2016-2017 season was not a name many had heard of or were hoping to hear.  Those with a good memory and/or quick search skills quickly recalled: “this is the guy that was the odd man out for Winnipeg, oh no.” Or, “Isn’t that the guy that passed out during a game?” 

Who is Ondrej Pavelec? Where did he come from? And where is he going?

The 6’3,” 212 pound Czech Native, Ondrej Pavelec, was drafted in the second round, 41st overall, by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005. Pavelec did not jump right into the big leagues after being drafted. In both the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons, Ondrej played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Here, he excelled as he recorded Goals Against Averages of 2.51 in the 05/06 season and 2.52 in the 06/07 season. These averages were best among all QMJHL goalies in both years earning him the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy, awarded to the goaltender with the best GAA, two years in a row.

Pavelec’s stellar QMJHL play landed him a full-time spot within the Atlanta Thrashers organization. He signed with them in 2007 and joined their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. During the 2007-2008 season, Pavelec played 52 games for the Wolves, going 33-16-3 with a 2.77 GAA and a .911 SV%. With these numbers, Pavelec led the Wolves to become the 07-08 Calder Trophy Champions.

The next season, he played twelve games for the Thrashers. By the 08-09 campaign, Pavelec was up to 42 games with the Thrashers and a regular NHL Goaltender. He played with the club through their transition to Winnipeg in 2011. In that 2011-2012 season, he played a career-high 68 games. Over the course of ten years, Ondrej Pavelec played 379 games for the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization. Over that time, he averaged a .907 SV% and a 2.87 GAA. The 2016-2017 regular season found Pavelec in the mix with a struggling Jets team that was juggling three goaltenders. In the end, Pavelec was the odd man out, leading to him becoming available and eventually signing with the New York Rangers. 

Back to the Future:

Now, one-third of the way through the 2017-2018 regular season and The New York Rangers Looking to Gain Ground in The Metro Division, their backup goalie and Benoit Allaire have some work to do. On Tuesday, with Henrik Lundqvist out with the flu, Pavelec was forced to make a surprise start. It was his first start since October 28th, but the Blueshirt backup made 41 saves and helped the Rangers Steal a Win in The Steel City.

This is important for a few reasons. No one can disagree that a 35-year-old Henrik Lundqvist needs a backup that can step up from time to time. Overplaying a goalie at any age can put a strain on a team’s season. The Rangers upcoming schedule is particularly dangerous and leaves plenty of opportunities for Pavelec to find his game. So far this season, the Rangers’ backup has only started four games. And, after the win in Pittsburgh, has only two wins with four losses in seven total games played. With a .899 SV% and a 3.45 GAA, it’s no wonder he’s played so little. His numbers do not necessarily warrant the trust AV had in either Talbot or Raanta in their time on Broadway. Pavelec’s play in net will be key to producing enough points for The New York Rangers to make the playoffs.

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What’s Next?

With 11 games in the final 21 days of the year, including two back to backs, and three Saturday/Sunday back to backs in a row to open the New Year, Pavelec better be ready. Without a doubt, he will see plenty of pucks in the coming months.

Is this a cause for concern? In my opinion, yes, and the Rangers think so too. The Rangers are in need of depth in the crease and I’m not sure signing Marek Mazanec is the answer either. And, with top prospect Igor Shestyorkin signed in the KHL through the summer of 2019, it will be a few seasons before we see him in New York. 

The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Alexandar Georgiev, who backed up Pavelec in Pittsburgh, would be the next guess for a future backup position. But, with a 4-7-4 record, a 3.29 GAA and a .897 SV% so far this year, the future is not bright in Hartford, or on Broadway.

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At 30-years-old, Ondrej Pavelec is the oldest backup Henrik has had since Martin Biron. And, his one-year contract will be up at the end of this season. I believe that the ten year veteran’s future as a member of the Rangers, and as an NHL level goaltender, will depend on his backup performance in the next 60 days. Are the New York Rangers hands tied in the crease? Do they have another option to back-up The King? Who will be the next Blueshirt Backup? 

Let us know! Leave your comments below or tweet me @Face_Off_Forte or the blog @TheTiltedIce and give us your thoughts!

The Rangers have been struggling mightily to start the 2017-18 NHL season, and a change needed to be made. However, this probably isn’t the change most Rangers fans had in mind. DeAngelo, who was acquired in the Derek Stepan trade with Arizona, has only put up one point in eight games played. But that really isn’t such a big deal when you consider that he averages 12:38 of ice time in those eight games.

The move comes just two days before the Rangers face the aforementioned Coyotes, and the trade looks pretty bad on the Rangers end. DeAngelo was the main piece that the Blueshirts got back for Stepan and goaltender Antti Raanta, and with him now going to the minors, the Rangers have nothing to show for the transaction at the pro level.

The Rangers have had eight defensemen on their roster until now, and someone was bound to get sent down so the Rangers could add a center. But this move is still very questionable. DeAngelo had been on the Rangers second power play unit and has a cannon from the blue line. That cannon felled Chris Kreider against the Sharks, but DeAngelo’s shot was one of the reasons the Rangers acquired him. In addition, Steven Kampfer, who has not played much this season, was kept over the 22-year-old, even though he doesn’t have the potential that the younger DeAngelo seems to possess. Hopefully, DeAngelo goes down to Hartford and makes some positive noise and we see him back on Broadway soon. Because if Jeff Gorton and Alain Vigneault thought that he was the problem, they are sorely mistaken.

Here is our Quick Hits recap of the Rangers 4-1 loss to the Sharks.

Mika Zibanejad – It was the only bright spot because it was the Rangers goal, but it was more of a consolation prize in this carnival of misery. After winning the faceoff, Zibanejad took the puck and shot one over the pad of Martin Jones. The goal was Zibanejad’s sixth of the year, and he has been the lone Rangers forward to be a threat offensively this season.

Pavel Buchnevich – Something tells me that if Buchnevich had known that he’d be glued to the fourth line when he came over from Russia, he may have stayed in his home country. Since being taken off the line with Zibanejad and Kreider, the young Russian has seen his ice time be restricted to the power play, for the most part. In this game, Buchnevich had 15:37 of ice time, which isn’t terrible. But when you consider that 5:09 of that time was with the Rangers on the man-advantage, it suddenly becomes less impressive. But with all of that being said, Buchnevich is doing his best to get his head coach to notice him and utilize him more often. Buch had five shots on net, never missed the net, and had the assist on Mika Zibanejad’s goal by forcing the turnover and winning the board battle. Buchnevich has done everything the coaching staff has asked of him, but at some point, the coaching staff needs to have questions asked of them.

“At some point there I think we should have just tried to get simple and put some rims behind him and try and win some battles.” – Ryan McDonagh

Powerless Power Play – Coming into the season, the Rangers PP was supposed to be much improved with the addition of Kevin Shattenkirk. However, when you can’t get the puck over the blue line and set up in the offensive zone, it wouldn’t matter if you had Wayne Gretzky running your power play. The Rangers continued to use the drop pass, even though the Sharks stopped it time and again. Part of it is on the players, but part of it is on the coaching staff not making the proper adjustments.

“We’re 10 games in here and we’re 2-6-2. Everybody in that room has got to be better than they are right now.” – Alain Vigneault

Missed Shots – For all of the Rangers struggles this season, if they would just hit the net more often, they may be in a better position. They are fifth in the NHL with 114 missed shots, and they are -37 in shot attempts for vs. against. Even if the Rangers would hit the net on 40% of these shots, they would be in the top-15 in the NHL, instead of sitting at 25th in the league in this category. This may sound ridiculous, but if you don’t hit the net you won’t score, and the Rangers will need to start scoring if they have any hopes of turning this season around.

Alain Vigneault – I was thinking about calling this item coaching staff or slow starts, but it wouldn’t point to what I think is the real problem, so here goes nothing. AV has got to go. As I’ve said before, I am not one to call for the firing of head coaches, but this team looks like a fish out of water mixed with a chicken without it’s head. The team is lifeless, always seems to not be ready to play at puck drop, and because of that, are constantly chasing the game.

When we’re in the position we’re in, of course when we start the game chasing, it’s just so much harder.” – Henrik Lundqvist

Yes, the players do share some of the blame for not being ready to play when they come out of the dressing room. But the coaching staff’s job is to make sure their guys are prepared mentally and physically for the game ahead of them. I can’t say for certain that AV has lost the room, but his team certainly doesn’t seem to be responding to whatever messages he is giving them. They say that it’s always darkest before dawn. Dawn better come pretty soon; otherwise this could be the modern-day version of the Biblical plague of darkness.

NEXT GAME: The Rangers will be welcoming back some familiar faces on thursday when Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta and the Arizona Coyotes come to MSG. Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!

There is something deeply engrained within the sports fan. Past passion, past excitement, past memories, past the ability to get oh so high from a trade that seems to go in your favor, right where irrationality meets frustration lays that dirty ugly five letter word, blame. The Rangers lose: polls run, who’s to blame? Beat writers search for the scapegoat, irrational fans go to their old favorites “That was definitely Girardi’s fault on defense and Stepan never put home that puck on the goal line.” But wait, it’s 2017. Those names are long gone, but still, the instinct is to blame and blame who or what’s comfortable.

The Rangers are seven games into the 2017-18 campaign, just a smidge under 10% of the season, and have to dig themselves out of a 1-5-1 hole that puts them dead last in the Eastern Conference. Let’s call a spade a spade here; it’s time to be concerned. The Rangers have upcoming matches against the Islanders, the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks, before finishing out their homestand that will see it’s finale introduce a new character, Derek Stepan the Coyote. Can you see the script writing itself going forward like I can?

In seven games, the New York Rangers have done everything they can do wrong. They’ve gotten off to poor starts and played extremely well in their comeback attempts only to fall short. They’ve let go of leads in games they’ve commanded, and they’ve commanded games to hit a brick wall disguised as a goalie. Bad penalties and bad giveaways have become the norm. Whereas in years past, if one thing went wrong, the team would shake it off and get back to work, things seem to have gone wrong and gotten worse, not better.

Going around, where’s the blame lay? Well, here’s some we’ve seen so far; AV has lost the room, Staal is still on the team, McDonagh isn’t playing well, or the personal favorite, the irrelevant Corsi statistic blaming a player.

No matter which way you split it, everyone is to blame, and that is a fact at this point. Recently, there have been whispers of unsettlement as far as Head Coach Alain Vigneault goes. Questions have justifiably been raised: “Has he lost the room?” (I can answer this simply: yes he absolutely has but that’s not really the problem.) However, there’s one sneaky character flying under the radar here that needs to be held accountable. I’m going to call him out, show you why, and then proceed to explain why he is absolutely comfortable with how things stand.

Enter Jeff Gorton, the disciplined negotiator who bent Kevin Shattenkirk to his will in negotiations. The shrewd man at the helm who dealt an aging center the team didn’t need and could replace for a #7 overall pick and a defensive prospect. The stern navigator of the ship who refused to overpay for Shattenkirk at last year’s deadline and instead paid less for Brendan Smith, a move I like by the way. Jeff Gorton has gotten the biggest room for error of any GM in any major professional sports team in New York. He’s been able to operate to the herald of beat writers, while in essence stripping the team bit by bit, piece by piece with the greatest built-in reason, the salary cap.” Let’s take a look back at the three-year track record of Jeff Gorton though.

Gorton officially replaced Glen Sather as Rangers GM on July 1, 2015, a mere few weeks after the Rangers coming a game shy of a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. That team was made up of players like; Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis (was heading into retirement), Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Carl Hagelin, JT Miller, and Jesper Fast as team’s wings. Up the middle, the roster had Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Kevin Hayes and Dominic Moore, and the blue line contained Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Klein, Dan Boyle, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Keith Yandle. Not to leave out a superb back up goaltender in Cam Talbot.

Carl Hagelin will be “Asset #1” and Cam Talbot will be “Asset #2” in this explanation. Now, it’s no mystery that sometimes teams need to make difficult decisions with their personnel. However, in Jeff Gorton’s first test as New York Rangers General Manager, he was tasked with converting those two assets into assets that fit the team’s financial needs. Asset #1 was a proven commodity, yet he was traded to Anaheim for Emerson Etem, a completely unknown and unproven asset. The Rangers traded the 59th and 179th picks in that year’s draft to Anaheim in the same trade in return for the 41st pick; essentially valuing the drop-off between Hagelin and Etem to be equal with the addition of the commensurate draft picks. With the 41st Overall pick of the 2015 draft, the New York Rangers selected LW Ryan Gropp. Now to make matters worse, it was rumored that Hagelin was willing to re-sign with the Rangers for the $3.5 million they were budgeted for, but the organization still chose to move on from the fastest guy in the league. Okay…

Now onto Asset #2, Cam Talbot. Let’s dispose of the “we should’ve kept Cam” talk immediately. It wasn’t possible. Rumors were flying around that the Rangers may have a top 20 overall pick returning for him. Florida offered Jimmy Hayes, but Jeff Gorton made the move to Edmonton, where Cam has gone on to be a Vezina candidate. Looking back, Gorton should have pulled a Sakic and known what he had in Talbot, who had another year under contract to boot and held out for what the team needed. A team that was a win away from back to back Cup Final appearances did not need was draft picks. The Rangers traded Cam Talbot to the Edmonton Oilers for the 57th, 79th and 184th pick in that year’s draft. Draft picks are awesome if they work, and I applaud the strategy but let’s take a look at what those picks became.

Pick 57: Rangers traded away to Buffalo for Pick #62 and #113

Pick 62: Robin Kovacs

Pick 79: Sergei Zborovsky

Pick 113: Brad Morrison

Pick 184: Adam Huska

So in his first test, Jeff Gorton turned a “could’ve re-signed, missed him for a year and replaced him with a lesser version Michael Grabner” Carl Hagelin and a soon to be Vezina Trophy candidate with one year left on his contract Cam Talbot for Ryan Gropp (just cracked the Wolf Pack roster), Robin Kovacs (left Hartford for SHL), Sergey Zborovskiy (playing with Rangers ECHL affiliate Greenville), Brad Morrison (playing his 20 year old season in the WHL) and Adam Huska (UConn). As a result of trading off those assets, the team got worse. As the 2015-16 season got underway, the Rangers struggled with an up and down season, noticeably missing speed in the lineup just at the same time as Carl Hagelin was sent off to Pittsburgh to be a key component of a team making and winning a Stanley Cup final. As the season concluded, more “Assets” came into Jeff Gorton’s hands, namely Keith Yandle.

Yandle, an offensive minded 45 point scoring defenseman in his prime who would be commanding a $6 million per year contract. Knowing that Yandle wouldn’t be re-signed, Gorton could have moved him at the deadline for players and pieces that benefitted the team immediately and in the future. Instead, he let him play the season out and taking “Asset #3” and flipping him down to Florida for a 2016 6th rounder and a conditional 2017 4th rounder. This is the same Keith Yandle that cost the Rangers a first round pick, a top 6 defenseman, and a top prospect in Anthony Duclair. Gorton did make some good pickups in the offseason that year such as Jimmy Vesey and Michael Grabner but my point is in his handling of assets, not signing players.

Fast forward to 2017, an offseason in which the Rangers blue-line came under question. Dan Girardi or Marc Staal were due for greener pastures and as such Dan Girardi was bought out despite the fact that Girardi had a much better year and playoffs than Staal had. Girardi was also more of a tradeable asset than Staal, as Tampa Bay had no problem paying the man to come and play. The defense needed to be revamped like the offense had been the year before. They brought back Brendan Smith as their 3rd defenseman and with Brady Skjei emerging as an elite scoring defenseman, a top three of McDonagh, Skjei, Smith looked pretty solid.

That’s when Gorton fumbled the ball yet again on Asset #4, Derek Stepan. The Stepan trade was one that was heralded by many as a shrewd move that had to be done. But the common theme I’m finding here is that when there’s a move that has to be done, Gorton is going to screw it up. The Rangers traded a luxury they had in a solid backup goaltender Antti Raanta alongside the team’s first line center Derek Stepan to Arizona for Anthony DeAngelo and the 7th overall pick. While on its face the deal seemed great, the actions following the trade make it look like a giveaway.

Anthony DeAngelo is an offensive defenseman that needs a lot of work in his own zone. Add in Brady Skjei, and it’s pretty rare to have two potential 40 point defensemen on your blue line as is. Now, the 7th overall pick got fans very excited and it should, but the team opted to go with Lias Andersson. Andersson, a very talented player, was a reach at #7 however and the rationale behind it was this: “we may not have gotten the highest ceiling guy available, but we got the guy with the best chance to crack the roster this season and help the team.” With that explanation, I was all for it. Now as we move forward through the offseason, Gorton goes out and signs Kevin Shattenkirk, an admirable acquisition, but one that came with a few flags, primarily his less than average defensive zone play. This was a 40+ point defenseman who never in his career played top pairing minutes and could essentially be considered as Keith Yandle with less defensive ability. So why is it one year you don’t need that player and then the next you do? The money freed up from the Stepan trade was used on this signing, but did it strengthen the roster with the addition more than it weakened it with the subtraction? No.

To add to the cluster, the sole reasoning of drafting Andersson over a player that the organization has been searching for like Casey Middlestadt, who will need a year or two of college hockey before being an impact first line center in the NHL, was his year one availability. The Rangers didn’t even choose to give him the nine games to prove himself in the NHL before sending him back, so despite what their scouts said, the team felt he was not ready for the NHL.

When Jeff Gorton has assets and has a competitive team, his objective should be that of Glen Sather. Ryan Callahan was an asset under Sather, and he leveraged that asset to improve the roster at that moment. Sather didn’t trade assets for picks, he traded assets and picks for more assets.

Now, I understand that Jeff Gorton is also tasked with restocking the cubbard with prospects, but he’s done so at the cost of the Rangers roster and at the cost of robbing his coach of the personnel he needs. His trades have not worked out yet by any stretch of the imagination; and n the three drafts Gorton has been at the helm, where he’s acquired pick after pick, not one player has cracked the NHL roster or gotten close to sniffing it yet.

Right now all the anger and vitriol is pointed at Alain Vigneault for this team’s horrible play so far, and in many cases, rightfully so. However, here is where it get’s worse. Nobody is pointing their finger up at Gorton yet, and nobody will as long as there is a scapegoat in place. AV has lost the room, that’s a given at this point. However, AV is a good coach so with the right pieces and support he would be successful. Gorton thus far has botched the job. If or when Gorton chooses to say sayonara to AV and the next coach has the same issues with the misgivings of the team’s personnel, the next head to roll will be Gorton’s. And it’s with that knowledge that Jeff Gorton will continue to “stay out” of the AV issue and do nothing until he is absolutely forced to. AV, while with plenty fault of his own, is Jeff Gorton’s scapegoat for his mistakes thus far and will remain so.

Year after year, Gorton has taken away key components from AV’s machine and leveraged them into picks, only to replace those same components with lesser quality. The revolving door of “core player” replacement parts has eaten away at the dynamic of this once strong-willed and close-knit group. A top six winger, two top four defensemen, and your first line center; find me a team in the league that’s had a similar overhaul in their core in a three year period and come out stronger on the other end. This game of robbing Peter to pay Paul has finally caught up to the core of this team and organization … but hey, they got draft picks.