Hearing Seattle is going to take Colin Blackwell from #NYR … but there could be a trade in the works (for D Mark Giordano?) that changes the pick and allows Rangers to keep Blackwell.

— Rick Carpiniello (@RickCarpiniello) July 21, 2021

Colin Blackwell taken by Kraken

Colin Blackwell signed a two-year deal worth $750,000 per year. The 28 year-old forward scored 12 goals and 22 points in 47 games last season and proved to be versatile playing 4th line minutes when needed. Although small at 5-9, Blackwell is a tenacious forechecker with speed who views every shift as if it could be his last.

The Rangers surely enjoyed Blackwell’s play on the second line but he was also effective as a 4th liner. He was also a leader for Team USA at the World Championships in Latvia this summer helping them capture Bronze.

Rangers trade in the works

The question remains as to exactly what the trade would be?

Are the Rangers about to acquire Mark Giordano as Carpiniello speculates? If so, the 37 year-old left handed defenseman would be that veteran defender they’ve been seeking. He has the ability to play top four minutes as well as a lesser role on the third pair.

Giordano has one year left on a deal that pays $6.75 million. One has to assume the Kraken are going to retain up to 50% of his salary in a deal. But what is it going to cost the Rangers for them to do that is a bigger question.

Maybe more details will be revealed tonight.

NHL RUMORS

Seattle Kraken picks leak…read here.

That leaves Colin Blackwell and Julien Gauthier as the obvious two players to choose from.

Colin Blackwell would be a great pick

Colin Blackwell was an under the radar signing by Jeff Gorton last season. He signed a two-year deal worth $750,000 per year. Blackwell’s year one was a two-way deal earning $350,000 if he were sent to the AHL (or taxi squad). In 2021-22, it’s a one-way deal only. He’s worth every penny.

The 28 year-old forward scored 12 goals and 22 points in 47 games last season and proved to be versatile playing 4th line minutes when needed. Although small at 5-9, Blackwell is a tenacious forechecker with speed who views every shift as if it could be his last. He’s exactly what Seattle would want for their bottom six.

Will Ron Francis go for the kid he drafted?

The Rangers signed RFA Julien Gauthier to a one year deal worth $775,000. He skated in 30 games this past season, picking up two goals and six assists for eight points, along with 14 penalty minutes.

In May, Ron Francis signed his first player Luke Henman. The Seattle Kraken GM was familiar with the kid who was drafted by his last team the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. Another former employee of the Canes, Robert Kron is the directory of amateur scouting and worked directly with Francis on the decision to sign Henman.

If the Kraken’s first signing is any indication of how they will approach building their team, then the Rangers are may lose Julien Gauthier over Colin Blackwell.

Gauthier was picked in the first round, 21st overall in 2016. Ron Francis who was Carolina’s GM at that time said, “He is big enough to have an immediate impact. We’ll see how things play out in development camp and training camp. Physically, he’s big enough, and he skates well enough.”

Seattle Kraken first pick revealed

Reports have surfaced that the Kraken have signed Adam Larsson. That’s their first selection by way of signing off the Oilers roster. Read more.

Here’ some other key items and dates you need to know before Seattle makes its first selection.

Rangers must submit protected list by 7/17/21

The Blueshirts and all other teams (except the Vegas Golden Knights) will need to submit their list of protected players to the league by 5 PM ET on July 17. What also should be understood is that there will be a trade freeze for every team but the Seattle Kraken.

Starting on July 17th at 3 PM ET until July 22nd, only the Kraken can make trades with any team they want in the NHL. Teams will not be permitted to make deals with one another not involving Seattle. Recently, the Nashville Predators tried to make a deal with the Kraken but it is believed Ron Francis asking price for any trade starts with a first round pick.

This led to Nashville sending Viktor Arvidsson to the L.A. Kings for two draft picks, neither of which was a first rounder. “I had a couple of conversations with Seattle, if Viktor Arvidsson was not protected that’s who we would’ve lost,” he admitted to Darren, Daunic, and Chase of 102.5 FM. “Two picks is better than losing Viktor for nothing.”

Finally, on July 18th at 10 AM ET, the league will send out the protected lists to all teams. Here’s what I believe the Rangers list will look like on that day.

Projected Protected Forwards:

• Pavel Buchnevich
• Ryan Strome
• Filip Chytil
• Colin Blackwell
• Mika Zibanejad (NMC)
• Artemi Panarin (NMC)
• Chris Kreider (NMC)

Projected Protected Defensemen and Goalie:

• Jacob Trouba (NMC)
• Ryan Lindgren
• Libor Hajek
• Alexandar Georgiev

Key Exemption list: Alexis Lafrenière, Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov, Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, and Igor Shesterkin.

Key Projected Exposed list: Tony DeAngelo, Brett Howden, Julian Gauthier, Kevin Rooney, and Keith Kinkaid.

Note: In order to protect Blackwell, the Rangers will need to have Brett Howden signed to meet expansion requirements for forwards. Howden is an RFA.

Kraken can sign free agents

On the same day the protected lists are disseminated, Seattle can begin negotiations with any unprotected free agents (except the Golden Knights who are exempt from expansion draft). Ron Francis will also have the ability to offer 8 year deals to all free agents. This runs from 7/18 up until the day of the expansion draft. Note, if the Kraken sign a pending RFA that team will be owed compensation.

Also, if a team’s free agent is signed during this period it will count as the player lost. So if the Kraken decide to sign Brendan Smith who is a UFA to a deal, that’s whom the Rangers would lose in the expansion draft.

Who will the Rangers lose to Seattle

On July 21st, the Seattle Kraken will have filled out their roster by 10 AM ET. Fans will not know the expansion draft picks until 8 PM that evening. The Kraken can also not select a player and buy said selection out until the following year.

When it comes to who Seattle will pick, I believe it will come down to Brett Howden or Julien Gauthier. Each suffered an injury to end their seasons, so I don’t think that will factor in the selection. My initial thought was that Howden would be their choice. He’s a young and responsible defensive center, and pivots are always at a premium. Remember, the Golden Knights selected Oscar Lindberg back in 2017.

If the Kraken’s first signing is any indication of how they will approach building their team, then the Rangers are most likely to lose Julien Gauthier over Brett Howden.

Gauthier was picked in the first round, 21st overall in 2016. Ron Francis who was Carolina’s GM at that time said, “He is big enough to have an immediate impact. We’ll see how things play out in development camp and training camp. Physically, he’s big enough, and he skates well enough.”

As noted before, the Rangers will need to sign Howden to a deal or else they will expose Colin Blackwell. If that’s the case, I see Francis going with him over ay other Blueshirt.

Source for some additional details on dates from The Athletic.

Latest NHL Rumors

Is a reunion in store for Taylor Hall with the Oilers? That and more here.

Note: Portions of this article have been previously published on Forever Blueshirts.

Colin Blackwell is a perfect fit

David Quinn was admonished at times for using Blackwell on the second line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Too many people ignored his production simply because they wanted to see Kaapo Kakko get more ice time. Simply put, he was effective and deserving of the ice time.

The 28 year-old forward scored 12 goals and 22 points in 47 games last season and proved to be versatile playing 4th line minutes when needed. Although small at 5-9, Blackwell is a tenacious forechecker with speed who views every shift as if it could be his last. He’s exactly what the Rangers bottom six lacks.

Looking at the direction the Rangers are going this summer, Blackwell is a perfect fit financially. That’s because Chris Drury needs to keep the cap under control as they make some additions via trade and signings. Having a utility forward making $750,000 is just another good reason to protect him in the expansion draft.

The Kraken would likely take Blackwell if he’s unprotected

Colin Blackwell just recently added a strong World Championship tournament to his profile. He scored four goals and registered a +5 rating while wearing an “A” on his sweater in 10 games. Team USA captured the Bronze on Sunday and he played a pivotal role to lead the team throughout.

Champagne showers! 🇺🇸🥉🔥#IIHFWorlds @usahockey @CB__43 pic.twitter.com/OreogDwKoQ

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 6, 2021

I currently project that the Rangers will expose the following players: Tony DeAngelo, Brett Howden, Julian Gauthier, Kevin Rooney, and Keith Kinkaid.

If so, the choice for Ron Francis and Seattle will come down to Howden and Gauthier. Should Drury opt to protect Howden or Gauthier, Seattle would almost assuredly take Blackwell. Why? For all the reasons I just laid out above.

Not every pick the Kraken make in expansion will be about competing a few years down the line. Not after the immediate success the Golden Knights had building a win-now team with an eye towards the future. You can expect Seattle to take the same approach.

Bottom line, there’s plenty of unknowns before the July 21st expansion draft. Will the Rangers make any trades before that date? The talk in hockey circles is that Jack Eichel is going to be moved before that date. If the Rangers were to acquire him, it’s fairly certain it will take at least one of the current protected roster players. So Eichel would simply slot in the same spot.

That’s why I say the Rangers need to protect Blackwell. It just makes too much sense for them not to do so.

Latest NHL News

NHL DoPS is at it again. Fine David Krejci just $5000 for this “slash” to Mathew Barzal family jewels. Check it out.

Colin Blackwell leads Team USA to medal round

While Blackwell was filling the net, his other Rangers teammates had strong games too. Zac Jones added an assist and finished with a +4 rating, while Kevin Rooney had no points but a +3 game.

“I’m just happy for the guys. We’re facing some adversity here with injuries, and to see that pull the group even closer, I couldn’t be prouder of them,” said head coach Jack Capuano. “We’ll see how tonight’s games shake out before knowing our next opponent, but our group is excited to know we have a chance to play for a medal and make some history.”

Team USA

Team USA will play the lowest seeded team in their next game which will be on Saturday. Their opponent has yet to be determined.

Team USA last won Gold at the WC in 1960. They last claimed Silver in 1956 and Bronze in 2018. In total USA has 2 Gold, 9 Silver, 8 Bronze for a total of 19 medals since 1920.

Colin Blackwell with his second of the game!! 🚨🔥

4-1 for 🇺🇸 heading into the third! #IIHFWorlds #USASVK @usahockey @NYRangers pic.twitter.com/yW5j9UZeVD

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 3, 2021

Matthew Robertson win WHL Defenseman of the Year

Braden Schneider took home East Division honors earlier this week, and now Matthew Robertson has done the same in the WHL’s Central Division.

He led all WHL defencemen with a +26 rating during the 2020-21 season, @NYRangers prospect Matthew Robertson is the Central Division Defenceman of the Year presented by @Remaxwesterncan.#WHLAwards | @EdmOilKings pic.twitter.com/cUKRqKuUgy

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 2, 2021

Whoa! Peter DeBoer just called out the Avs!

Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer has seen enough embellishment. Read more.

Colin Blackwell a Team USA leader

Blackwell is an Assistant Captain for Team USA and was named the player of the game in their 2-1 over Norway yesterday. They are in second place in Group B with a 4-1 record with 12 points. Finland holds the top spot with a 4-0-1 record and 13 points.

Team USA last won Gold at the WC in 1960. They last claimed Silver in 1956 and Bronze in 2018. In total USA has 2 Gold, 9 Silver, 8 Bronze for a total of 19 medals since 1920.

Today's Player of the Game after helping @usahockey improve to 4-0-0-1 with a W over Norway at #MensWorlds: 4⃣3⃣

Congrats, Colin! 👊 pic.twitter.com/HXIkcf4y2D

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 29, 2021

Mike Sullivan unlikely to be fired from Penguins

Yesterday we noted that Mike Sullivan could be on the hot seat. According to Elliotte Friedman in the latest installment of Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, that is unlikely to be the case.

“There’s been rumors here and there [about Mike Sullivan],” he began. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. He’s a heck of a coach, he’s under contract for three more years, I’d expect him to be back behind the bench if anyone had any questions.”

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has had an incredible run in Pittsburgh. Over the course of the last six seasons he’s amassed a record of 251-131-43 with two Stanley Cup Championships. It makes sense for them to keep him.

Anthony Bitetto flying ace

Anthony Bitetto took to the skies at the Bethpage Air Show.

Anthony Bitetto is an American @NHL player for the @NYRangers as well as a #NewYork native!

Today @ABitetto7 went up with Thunderbird 8 and pulled 9.1 Gs! pic.twitter.com/X5lLmJpjVR

— Thunderbirds (@AFThunderbirds) May 28, 2021

Latest NHL Rumors

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins appears to be heading to free agency. Read More.

Tonight the Rangers begin a four game set against the New Jersey Devils and need to pick up all the points they can. Igor Shesterkin has already been named the starter.

Rangers: 19-16-6 (44 pts)
Devils: 14-20-6 (34 pts)

(7:00 p.m. ET – TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM)

Rangers Kids Line finding their game

There was always a belief that Kaapo Kakko would spend most of the season, if not all, on the second line. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome already have excellent chemistry that could be complimented by Kakko’s skill. There was a degree of hesitation the organization had with moving Alexis Lafreniere up in the lineup so as to not rush him. Then there was the question of whether Filip Chytil would be their second or third line center.

After trying a variety of combinations, David Quinn decided to put these three players together on the third line. The original move was somewhat surprising. Three young players on a line together would give them a ton of responsibility in all three zones. This was going to be a real test for them. But it seems that they’re finding chemistry.

Kakko’s play has clearly improved since last season. He is less hesitant overall, and he’s more diligent in the defensive zone. Lately, he has shown more of a willingness to go to the front of the net. All season he’s been more involved in plays. He has 12 points on the season and five in his last five games (one goal, four assists). On the Rangers broadcast on Sunday night against the Islanders, Steve Valiquette was talking about how Kakko and Lafreniere are pushing each other to elevate their game. This is important if they are consistently playing together. They need to be playing at a level where they can compliment each other. As Kakko has picked up his game, so has Lafreniere. He has tallied two goals in his last five games.

Filip Chytil has been a good fit at center between Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. Chytil has four assists/points in his last four games. One very notable goal for this line came against the Islanders on Friday. It was scored by Lafreniere with both Kakko and Chytil picking up assists. This goal was all them. When putting these three together, there may have been a concern surrounding d-zone play. It is difficult for young forwards to play effective defense in the NHL. They have handled the task well so far. Overall, the development of the Kids Line is quickly becoming a very exciting storyline for the Rangers.

KZB line lacking consistency

The Rangers veteran struggles have been an issue all season. At the moment, the top line is fairly quiet. They aren’t just being overshadowed by the sudden success of the Kids Line. Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich seem to have disappeared. Buchnevich started out the season strong and has had good stretches throughout the year. But right now, he is less noticeable on the ice and seems to be unable to finish.

Chris Kreider was explosive earlier in the season. Quinn demoted him to the fourth line for a time on Sunday. When Kreider was putting up points consistently, including a couple of hat tricks, this was unimaginable. But he’s always been this type of player, and right now he’s in one of his invisible phases. He has two points in his last five games, neither of which is a goal. This highlights his inconsistency as more is expected from the team leader in goals.

Mika Zibanejad got back up to normal Zibanejad standards in March and continues to play well. He has tallied two goals and two assists for four points in his last five games. This is the production that the Rangers need out of their top line. But it takes three to make a line, and right now Zibanejad’s linemates are not tremendously helpful to him.

Vitali Kravtsov’s NHL journey has just begun

Vitali Kravtsov registered his first point on Sunday with an assist on Brendan Smith’s goal. Kravtsov already looks reasonably well adjusted to the NHL pace. Yes, he is playing mainly on the fourth line but David Quinn gave him more responsibility on Sunday. Kravtsov was noticeable against the Islanders that night, so when Quinn shuffled the lines, he put him on with the second line at one point.

Kravtsov may be a good fit on the second line. While Colin Blackwell has played well with Panarin and Strome, he has proven that he can really play with anyone. Since the Kids Line has been thriving, it doesn’t make sense to break them up, but it would be ideal to get Kravtsov off the fourth line. So it would be interesting to try him with Panarin and Strome at least a little bit. He already has quite a bit of skill and is only going to improve. Kakko seemed to gain confidence playing with Panarin and Strome, so it’s possible the same will be true for Kravtsov. Moving him to the second line would mean dropping Blackwell to the fourth, but it wouldn’t really be a demotion. It would simply be about using him as the utility player he can be. Though with the play of the wingers on the top line of late, Blackwell could probably get a look there too.

Note: All stats come from hockeyreference.com

Rangers Pre Game Notes

• All-Time vs Devils*: 122-96-27-10 (67-35-20-4 at home; 55-61-7-6 on the road) *Note: All-time record includes games against the Kansas City Scouts from 1974-75 – 1975-76 and the Colorado Rockies from 1976-77 – 1981-82
• Artemi Panarin ranks second in the NHL (min. two games played) in assists per game (1.00) and ranks third in the NHL in points per game (1.40) this season, and he also leads the NHL (min. 20 games played) in points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 (3.21) and assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 (2.51) in 2020-21.
• Artemi Panarin – 1 game away from 100 with the Rangers; 3 assists away from 300 in his NHL career.

Pre game notes courtesy NYR

The New York Rangers are not going to take any shortcuts. This has been repeated over and over by President John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton. While the Rangers have played some great hockey going 9-4-2 in their last 15 games; they will not sacrifice youth or draft picks for rentals. That was made absolutely crystal clear to me after doing some further digging on the Blueshirts approach to the deadline.

Rangers will approach NHL Trade Deadline looking for hockey deals

When it comes to how the Rangers are looking at this deadline, I was informed that if they make any deals at all it will be for a player that helps the team beyond just this season. That means looking to add a pending UFA is not in the cards. The Rangers won’t be trading any young roster players, prospects, or draft picks unless the deal is going to have ramifications into the future.

“I think we’re in a little bit of a different position this year is my guess. You just never know. Obviously, [general manager Jeff Gorton] and I talk quite a bit. But there are things that can happen unexpectedly. You just never know what can happen this time of year. I’m sure the players start talking about it a lot more over the next five, six days. Obviously, the Islanders make that big trade, so people start talking more about the trade deadline once one domino falls.”

David Quinn via NY POST

The sense I’m also getting is that trading away their only full time roster pending UFA in Brendan Smith is likely not in the cards. Currently, Smith has done a solid job of being a steady presence for young Libor Hajek on the the third defense pairing. With the Rangers fighting for a playoff spot they are not going to trade Smith for some late draft pick. While it would be nice to have as many picks as possible in what should be a very active offseason for trades; moving Smith for nothing sends a message to the team that the playoffs don’t mean much. That’s not the case here.

If you’ve been paying close enough attention and listening to the words MSG Analyst Steve Valiquette relays every broadcast, these games matter. The fight for the playoffs; whether they make it or not will have long lasting implications well beyond this season. For David Quinn and Rangers management this year is about developing the kids and establishing a winning culture. Right now, it’s working.

TSN still classifies the Rangers as “Neutral”

When you look at the NHL landscape, and that includes the reality of a flat cap to go along with the players rumored available, there just isn’t anything there for the Rangers. Unless of course Jack Eichel is made available and that doesn’t seem likely by tomorrow.

Frank Seravalli provided his latest update on the NHL Trade Deadline and to his famous TSN Trade Bait list. He lists the New York Rangers as a “neutral” deadline team along with the Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and San Jose Sharks.

When it comes to his latest trade list; Tony DeAngelo continues to be the last name listed every time it expands from 20, 25, 30, 35 and now 40. DeAngelo was debuted on March 1st at #3 overall.

Teams interested in Alexandar Georgiev

The Rangers 25 year-old net minder is having his struggles this season but that isn’t stopping some teams from checking in on his availability.

As some teams explore the goaltender market ahead of Monday’s 3pm ET trade deadline, some clubs are believed to have inquired about New York Rangers netminder Alexandar Georgiev. While a trade is not considered imminent at this stage, multiple sources have told TFP some teams have discussed Georgiev, at least internally, and others have poked around on his availability, something that occurred last off-season.

The Fourth Period

This is an interesting development as it was believed he would’ve been traded at the last deadline as a pending RFA. Instead the Blueshirts opted to buyout Henrik Lundqvist instead. NY has gotten good backup goaltending out of Keith Kinkaid this season when Igor Shesterkin went down with injury. He was the intended goalie to be exposed to Seattle at the expansion draft as Shesterkin is exempt.

After his most recent performance I believe the Rangers will retain Georgiev and expose Kinkaid as planned for this summer.

Moving Brendan Smith?

NBC has published a new article detailing one move every NHL team should make at the deadline. Here’s what they said for the Blueshirts:

NY Rangers: Trade Brendan Smith: The Rangers aren’t out of it for sure and don’t need to have a fire sale, but the best result is probably to add for the future. Brendan Smith might be their easiest player to move, especially to a team that loses out on Mattias Ekholm.

NBC

Brendan Smith has been a real strong contributor for the team and although there isn’t a lot of noise surrounding him at the deadline the Rangers need to move him. Good asset management suggest that getting a 4th or 5th round pick for a veteran pending UFA is the right move.

While Anthony Bitteto or Tarmo Reunanen could easily take his place the rest of the way, I believe the organization feels that would send the wrong message to the veterans on the team as they hunt for the playoffs.

Trade Colin Blackwell now or lose him to expansion?

The Blueshirts also have other intriguing dilemma in Colin Blackwell. The low-key offseason signing has surprised many with his 12 goals in 31 games this season. Larry Brooks’ latest column speculated what the Rangers would do if they got a call for him tomorrow.

You know what, if a contender comes after Blackwell and has a No. 3 in mind to exchange, as much as the Rangers probably wouldn’t want to do it, they’d have to, right? But our best information is that no such interest has been expressed. That does not mean it won’t be before Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline bell rings.

NY POST

Jeff Gorton knows no matter what he does he is going to lose good player to the Seattle Kraken. It’s better to keep Blackwell and continue to go for a playoff spot than traded him away for a mere mid to late round pick.

Tony DeAngelo continues to fall on the trade list

TSN’s latest trade bait board continues to drop DeAngelo to the bottom. Simply put there’s been next to no buzz out there on him. Some recent chatter about the Panthers, but that was more Larry Brooks and Dan Rosen wondering if he was a fit there.

Over at the Daily Goal Horn, I noted that the Hurricanes are in the market for a right-handed defenseman with David Savard as a top target. However; you have to wonder if they can’t land Savard would they take a risk and go for Rangers exiled defenseman Tony DeAngelo. If Carolina feels there’s a possibility they won’t be able to retain Dougie Hamilton before he becomes a UFA this summer it could be worth some consideration.

It really looks like DeAngelo is heading for exposure to Seattle and then a buyout.

Latest NHL Rumors and Predictions

Taylor Hall back in Edmonton? Ryan Getzlaf a Penguin? Read it all here.

Colin Blackwell trade bait candidate?

While the Rangers have played some great hockey going 9-4-2 in their last 15 games; they will not sacrifice youth or draft picks for rentals. That was made absolutely crystal clear to me after doing some further digging on the Blueshirts approach to the deadline on Monday, April 12th.

When it comes to how the are approaching tomorrow, I was informed that if they make any deals at all it will be for a player that helps the team beyond just this season. Again that means no rentals; but I got the sense it also meant not simply selling off players like pending UFA Brendan Smith for a late round pick.

The Blueshirts also have other intriguing options like Colin Blackwell who has surprised many with his 12 goals in 31 games this season. Larry Brooks’ latest column speculated what the Rangers would do if they got a call for him tomorrow.

You know what, if a contender comes after Blackwell and has a No. 3 in mind to exchange, as much as the Rangers probably wouldn’t want to do it, they’d have to, right? But our best information is that no such interest has been expressed. That does not mean it won’t be before Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline bell rings.

NY POST

Brooks also made it a point that the Blueshirts should be looking at a player like Sam Bennett in the offseason.

Rangers prospect Zac Jones win the NCAA Championships

UMASS defeated St. Cloud State 5-0 to capture the NCAA National Championship. For Rangers prospect defenseman Zac Jones he scored the opening goal which became the championship winning tally. He was also named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament team.

Oooofff what a goal by @zacrj51

Watch now on ESPN2!#FrozenFour#NewMass | #Flagship 🚩 pic.twitter.com/XrJdf0up1s

— UMass Hockey (@UMassHockey) April 9, 2021

In 2019, the Rangers made their third round selection by taking U.S. born defenseman Zac Jones. This season for UMASS he’s collected 8 goals and 23 points n 27 games to go with a +16 rating. The 20 year-old defenseman ranks third for all NCAA defensemen with 46 points dating back to last season. Now he’s drawing comparisons by his head coach to none other than Adam Fox.

UMASS head coach Greg Carvel had some glowing remarks about Jones. “He’s a high high end offensive player – he’ll be a similar player to Adam Fox in New York,” he said. “He’s getting physically stronger. His growth without the puck over the past two years has been outstanding. He’s an outstanding college player and he will be in the NHL someday.”

NHL TRADE DEADLINE COVERAGE

Tomorrow FTHN will be covering the trade deadline at The Daily Goal Horn. Check out the NHL TRADE BAIT TRACKER as a Primer here.

Tonight will mark their final meeting of the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers won the last game against them 8-4 on Tuesday, but can’t afford to get comfortable. This Penguins team will come into tonight hungry and the Rangers must be ready for them.

Rangers: 18-15-5 (41 pts)
Penguins: 24-13-2 (50 pts)

(7:00 p.m. ET – TV: MSG Network, Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM)

Rangers positive takeaways from Tuesday night

The Rangers came out with energy and a sense of urgency on Tuesday. This was a big change from their previous game against the Sabres to which they brought no jump. They got off to a quick start, scoring three goals in the first half of the first period. Colin Blackwell had the first at just 1:35 in. The Rangers started the game with an aggressive forecheck and good speed that kept the Penguins in the defensive zone. However, the Penguins are a strong come-from-behind team. They were eventually able to get into the offensive zone and overall outshot the Rangers 45-25 in the contest. The Rangers need to tighten up in the d-zone tonight.

The Blueshirts power play overall has not been stellar this season. They currently rank 19th in the NHL at 19.7%. However, they were 3-3 against the Penguins on Tuesday. They have been less stationary lately and it’s starting to result in goals. The Rangers have been moving more but also need to shoot more. This team has had a tendency to try to look for the perfect play and they end up passing too much. Now it seems they are starting to recognize this.

Adam Fox continued his point streak on Tuesday with a goal and two assists. His streak has now reached 11 games and he has 21 points during the stretch. In addition to his offensive production, Fox continues to be excellent in the defensive zone. His is in position the vast majority of the time and his chemistry with Ryan Lindgren has elevated both their games. Fox is currently getting attention in the Norris Trophy conversation. If he can continue his exceptional play on both sides of the puck, he could have a real chance at winning.

Igor Shesterkin played very well on Tuesday night, especially considering the Rangers defense was rather porous at times. He made 41 saves on 45 shots for a .911 save percentage. While there was some question earlier in the season as to whether Shesterkin could handle being the number one goaltender, he has emerged as the obvious choice.

If Shesterkin gets the not as expected; he will take his 2-1-1 career record against Pittsburgh into the matchup.

What the Rangers must do tonight for success

The first thing the Rangers have to keep in mind is that the Penguins will bring more intensity to the game tonight. The Rangers have to get out to another quick start to gain momentum. Then they must carry that momentum through the game and play a full 60 minutes. They started to sit back after scoring three quickly on Tuesday. It’s okay to take some of the pressure off so as to not get caught tired in the O-zone and wind up with an odd man rush going the other way. However, they can’t afford to get lazy against a quick-strike team like the Penguins.

Secondly, the Rangers can’t let their defensive structure falter. They gave up 45 shots on goal last game which is not sustainable for multiple games in a row. There were some holes on Tuesday that forced Shesterkin to make really tough saves. If the Rangers can minimize that, they will be better off. Shesterkin is more than reliable in net, but it’s still not ideal to be giving up 45 shots, quite a few of which present quality scoring chances.

Note: All stats come from hockeyreference.com and nhl.com

Rangers Pre Game Notes

• All-Time vs Penguins: 132-116-23-16 (74-54-9-8 at home; 58-62-14-8 on the road)
• The Blueshirts have tallied at least one power play goal in six of the last eight games (11-for-28; 39.3%) and in eight of the last 11 games (13-for-38; 34.2%).
• The Rangers have killed off 85 of their opponents’ 97 power play opportunities over the last 32 games (87.6%) and have held their opponents to only 124 shots on goal during their opponents’ 97 power play opportunities.
• New York ranks fifth in the NHL in penalty kill efficiency this season (84.6%).
• New York Rangers – 11 goals away from 20,000 in franchise history!

Latest NHL Rumors

Mike Hoffman appears to be the next scorer on the move. Check out the latest rumors here.