A jolt of life was infused across the Rangers fan base (and organization) this past week when the team luckily acquired the second overall pick in this year’s draft. As time ticks closer to draft day and free agency, it’s important that the Rangers higher-ups bring back all of their restricted free agents that need to sign on the dotted line before next year.

Each one of these guys are set to become restricted free agents, and since the Rangers have control to extend their contracts before any other team can, that’s exactly what they need do.

Pavel Buchnevich (23 y/o, $925,000)

Many in the Rangers fan base was quick to give the cold shoulder to the Russian forward in his early career. However, in the second half of this past season, Buchnevich showed that his potential has yet to be reached. During the last ten games of the season, Buchnevich tallied 9 points, while producing a 7 game point streak during that span.

The explanation behind the forward’s productivity is quite simple, in my opinion. When Buchnevich is given a shot each and every night like he was post-deadline, he excels. The KZB top line (Kreider, Zibanejad, Buchnevich) was by far the strongest line the Rangers had all year long. Buchnevich finished the year with 38 points in 64 games. If we look ahead under Quinn he should be in the top-six and I expect that these numbers will continue to climb.

As far as a new contract, which is needed, there is no question that the Rangers will bring Buchnevich back. With what he did in the second half and the scoring presence he can bring on the wing and power play, Buchnevich showed the Rangers that he’s worth a deal for the next couple years at a value number.

Editor’s Prediction: 3-4 years at $3M per

Brendan Lemieux (23 y/o, $839,167)

I mean come on with Mr.Lemieux! This guy immediately showed how important a gritty, hard-nosed presence can bring a team. It took Lemieux 19 games to become a fan favorite in New York, and even though he only tallied six points, that wasn’t exactly what he was brought here to do.

He’s the guy every team needs, and the guy the Rangers haven’t had in a while. He will drop the mitts, get in your goalies face, and fly up and down the ice while getting in all of the dirty areas. When being acquired from Winnipeg in the Kevin Hayes deal, it was said the he was brought to New York per the request of David Quinn, and aren’t we all glad about that now.

Editor’s Prediction: 3 years at $2.5M per

Neal Pionk (23 y/o, $925,000)

The 23-year-old defenseman certainly has had his ups and down this past year, to say the least. Pionk found himself on the wrong side of many plays in the defensive zone this year, and even though he finished the year north of 20 points, the overall feeling of Neal Pionk’s game came with some worry.

But that doesn’t mean the team is going to give up on him – because they won’t. When Pionk burst onto the scene for 28 games now two season ago, he showed that he can play with the big boys. And at just 23, Pionk will find himself a new deal with the Rangers, even if his game is expected to improve going into next year.

Editor’s Prediction: 2 years at $1.5M per

Tony DeAngelo (23 y/o, $863,333)

Arguably the best Rangers defenseman throughout the year is due for a new contract as well. Since coming over from Arizona, he’s played in 93 games and tallied 38 points. He was also the only Rangers defenseman to hit the 30 point mark this year, and led the crew in ice-time as well. Which was certainly a come out party for DeAngelo this year, the fiery offensive-defenseman has the highest of standards when he returns with a new contract

Editor’s Prediction: 3-4 years at $3.5M per

Fredik Claesson (26 y/o, $700,000)

The last RFA the Rangers have this year is defenseman Fredik Claesson. He played in 37 games in his first year in New York, and did pretty much what he was expected to do, if not a little more.

Re-signing Claesson to the same, if not similar contract as he had last year to provide the Rangers depth on the back end can be important, as you can never have too many defenseman.

Editor’s Prediction: Rangers may let him walk due to the amount of prospects like Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek competing for spots next season. If signed, 1 year at $850,000 at best which he can likely do better elsewhere

Editor: Anthony Scultore

With the injury to Fredrik Claesson keeping him out of the lineup for a couple of weeks, the New York Rangers have given rookie prospect Ryan Lindgren a shot up in the big leagues. Wearing number 55, Lindgren has played in the last two games for the Rangers, helping them earn wins against the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks.

Lindgren was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins but was traded to New York in the Rick Nash trade last year. He has the potential to be one of the Rangers’ “defensemen of the future” but will have tough competition to beat out.

Lindgren has looked solid in his first couple of games. It was a smart move by Head Coach David Quinn to pair him with Kevin Shattenkirk. Lindgren, being the defensive-defenseman that he is, has allowed Shattenkirk to become more involved in the Rangers’ offensive efforts. Despite a -2 rating and zero points thus far, the rookie has showed his ability to keep up with NHL caliber forwards and defend his zone.

One key to Lindgren’s development will be his physicality. Lindgren is known for being a hard-hitting and physical defender. This style is great for lock-down defense, but he is going to have to adjust to laying the body on NHLers who are bigger and stronger than what he is used to. Take a look at this example.

Lindgren finds himself at the front of the net next Hurricanes’ forward Warren Foegele. Foegele is obviously trying to screen Henrik Lundqvist to allow a shot from the point to get through. The shot was ultimately tipped in past Lundqvist through heavy traffic at the front of the net. Lindgren has to be able to use his body on that play. Once Foegele meandered in front of Lundqvist, it is Lindgren’s job to force his opponent away from the crease and prevent a goalie screen. The two jostled for about a second, but nowhere near enough to prevent the screen. Moving forward, Lindgren must learn to use his body and throw his weight around in front of the net.

Besides a defensive mishap, young Lindgren has looked very solid and may earn more time even after Claesson returns, should he keep up his solid play. He even showed a couple of flashes of offensive prowess, carrying the puck well into the offensive zone to attempt to create chances.

Rangers fans should continue to be excited about this young defender. He was a highly coveted pick out of the NCAA and has the potential to make a name for himself in the NHL. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers handle him once Claesson returns. Regardless, he has a good couple of weeks to prove to management that he deserves to stay up in the city for the remainder of the season.

The Rangers made two roster moves today, including acquiring Connor Brickley from the Nashville Predators.

Cole Schneider, who is headed to the Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators’ AHL affiliate, never got into a game for the Rangers in his 1.5 years with the organization. Schneider registered 75 points (29G, 46A) in 112 games with the Wolf Pack.

The other transaction the Rangers made was calling up defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the Wolf Pack.

Lindgren was a key piece in the Rick Nash trade at last year’s trade deadline, as the young defenseman was the lone prospect included in the deal.

Lindgren is a big, physical, defensive defenseman that can dish out big hits and is a strong skater. He has good NHL upside, but limited offensive potential and in fantasy hockey holds more value in deeper leagues with multi-cat scoring such as hits and blocks.

Dobber Prospects

The assumption is that Lindgren is being brought up to the big club because the injury to Fredrik Claesson is more severe than initially expected. And as David Quinn has said in the past, he prefers playing his defensemen on their strong sides.

They gave a valiant effort, mainly because of the Herculean Swede between the pipes, but it is time for Jeff Gorton and his staff to abandon any modicum of belief that the Rangers will still be playing meaningful hockey after the Spring equinox. It is time for the tough decisions to be made. It is time to jettison fan favorites. It is time to break up what is left of the 2015 President’s Trophy winning team.

First to go is, arguably the most polarizing player on the team and that is Kevin Hayes. Yes, it is true that a 6’5″ centerman with silky smooth hands is very hard to find. It is also true that Hayes’ trade value will never be higher than what it is now. It is not beyond the realm of belief that the bounty for Hayes could be two first-round picks and a top prospect, especially if the Rangers retain part of the remainder of his salary. Remember folks, this rebuilding process is just that, a process, and tough decisions have to be made. As my mother once said, “what’s right isn’t always popular and what’s popular isn’t always right.” The lady had a way with words, I’ll tell ya!

The next Ranger to be traded should be Chris Kreider. The player who burst on the scene fresh off the Boston College campus in the 2012 playoffs will be sorely missed. However, like Hayes, Kreider’s trade value is at its apex and, as they say on Wall Street, “buy low and sell high.” Chris Kreider is that blue-chip stock whose perspective value will bring back great dividends for a Ranger franchise in desperate need of an infusion of elite talent.

Next to go is everyone’s favorite diminutive Norwegian, Mats Zuccarello. The perennial Extra Effort Award winner and third-longest tenured Ranger’s stock as of now is actually starting to plummet. A nice return could still be had for the man known as “Zucc,” however, it would be wise of Gorton to move a valuable asset like #36 before his trade value gets any lower.

Veteran defensemen with expiring contracts, Fredrik Claesson and Adam McQuaid, should have their bags packed and be ready to go to the airport at a moment’s notice to join a new team. I don’t foresee much in the way of value in return for either of these depth-type defensemen. What is advantageous about moving them is that it would open up precious roster spots on the blue-line for youngsters Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek, the latter was the centerpiece in that blockbuster trade between the Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning back in February of 2018.

With each successive loss, whether it be in regulation time or beyond, we are reminded that the Rangers are a team in transition and are in desperate need for a player, or players, who are, year after year, considered among the best at their position. Currently, the Rangers have not a single player that could be in any discussion about any of the myriads of individual awards that the NHL hands out once the Stanley Cup has been presented. This has got to change, my friends.

Hayes, Zuccarello, and Kreider. Three fan favorites. Three players who made their NHL debuts wearing the Rangers sweater. Three players whom fans have watched grow from neophytes into contributing players. Three players who were integral parts of that fantastic 2014-15 team that finished number one overall in the regular season and who made it all the way to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. Three players that must be traded and traded now if the Rangers are serious about building a true Stanley Cup contending team with staying power.

It is the belief of this writer that the aforementioned three stalwart Rangers would bring back, among other pieces, a first-round pick as part of any trade package. And, if that juggernaut on Florida’s Gulf Coast wins the Stanley Cup in June, that would give the Rangers an astounding five first-round picks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Gorton and his staff could use that excess of draft capital to attempt to trade up in the first round to land that elusive and desperately needed franchise player.

One could make the argument that 2019 is the most important year for this Rangers since 1994. The moves that Jeff Gorton makes, or doesn’t make, will be indicative as to the true direction of the organization. He cannot hold on to valuable trade pieces just because of nostalgia and a fan backlash. Tough decisions have to be made, but they are the right decisions.

“What’s right isn’t always popular and what’s popular isn’t always right.”

After nearly a week of no games, the Rangers headed to Florida to take on the Panthers. And like all of their previous road wins, this one went to a shootout. But unlike their last game on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets, the Blueshirts were victorious.

Mika Zibanejad – The Rangers center got the Blueshirts on the board in the first period. After Kevin Hayes’ point shot hit Jimmy Vesey in front, the puck laid on the ice for Mika to put into the Florida net. The goal was Zibanejad’s ninth of the season, as the Swede continues to prove his value to the Rangers.

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Vladislav Namestnikov – After missing the last handful of games with a concussion, forward Vlad Namestnikov got himself back on the scoresheet late in the first period. With the Blueshirts shorthanded, Kevin Hayes did some great work and found Namestnikov cutting to the front of the net. Namestnikov corralled the pass and beat Luongo for his third of the season. Prior to his injury, with Mats Zuccarello our of the lineup, #90 had been seeing first line minutes alongside the aforementioned Mika Zibanejad. Whether or not he returns to that role remains to be seen, but Namestnikov definitely had an impact in this one.

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Matt Beleskey – When Beleskey was called up in the wake of Cody McLeod’s injury, the hope was that the 30-year-old forward would provide a spark to David Quinn’s lineup. And while he has certainly does that physically, Beleskey got on the scoresheet tonight with his first as a Ranger. After Tony DeAngelo worked the puck to Brady Skjei, the point shot from the defenseman was deftly redirected in front by Beleskey. The goal was the first for Beleskey since the 2016-17 season while he was with the Boston Bruins.

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Fredrik Claesson – The veteran defenseman has been a model of consistency when he’s been in the lineup for the Rangers. And tonight, with the game tied at 3, Claesson beat Roberto Luongo with a laser over the netminder’s glove to give the Rangers a 4-3 lead. Claesson’s goal was his second of the season as the defenseman continued his solid play in tonight’s victory.

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Henrik Lundqvist – Though he’d probably want the first two goals back, when the Rangers needed him, King Henrik came up big. The Panthers controlled the puck during most of the extra frame, but they were unable to beat Lundqvist, who made this spectacular save on Mike Matheson late in overtime. The win was the 441st of his storied career as King Henrik continues to make his case for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Too Close For Comfort – Despite winning tonight’s game, the Rangers were unable to close out their opponent in the third period. This has become a theme for the Rangers this season, as far too many games have gone to extra time. The Blueshirts have a goal differential that is towards the bottom of the league and being able to defend leads late in the game will need to be worked on by David Quinn and the Blueshirts.

Next Game: The Rangers will try and sweep their Florida trip when they face the Lightning on Monday night in Tampa. Puck drops at 730!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

The state of the Rangers defense has been one of uncertainty and instability. The season is 28 games old and we’ve seen no shortage of defensive combinations tested on the ice. David Quinn has spent the greater portion of the year trying to balance his young defense, while still incorporating everyone at his disposal. Quinn has spent time shuffling through extremely varied lineups, including the continual benching of defensemen. Kevin Shattenkirk, Brady Skjei, Tony DeAngelo, Neal Pionk, Adam McQuaid, and Brendan Smith have all been benched at times this year due to poor play. In addition, the defense has seen the constant insertion and removal of Freddy Claesson and Smith as the team’s sixth defenseman. Not only this, but there are times that the Rangers have even dressed a seventh defenseman.

So what does this tell us? That the Rangers coaching staff, I’m looking at you Lindy Ruff, has no clue. They have a clue when it comes to other facets of the game, but not their defense. There has been zero consistency out of the majority of the defensemen that have dressed for the Rangers. For what was supposed to be a lost season, the Rangers have overperformed. That said, if they would like to remain in contention, they must find some sort of semblance of a solid defense. Let’s take a closer look into each player.

Neal Pionk

Pionk has been, perhaps, the most pleasant player to watch of the bunch. Coming off a fantastic NHL debut at the end of last season, it was still to be seen how he would perform in his new role over the course of a full NHL campaign. Pionk has scored 16 points (4G, 12A) this season, which puts him on pace for 50, and from a guy supposedly not known for his offense. Pionk had been benched by David Quinn for two games in a row when the season was young and quickly got the message. Since that point, he has easily been the Rangers best defenseman. Defensively, he’s been very solid but makes the occasional rookie mistake. One more thing to note when watching his play, he no doubt exerts more effort on the ice than any of the other defensemen.

Grade: A-

Marc Staal

Since his horrible year several seasons back, Staal has slowly brought his game back up to a solid level. He is not the defenseman he used to be, having lost some of his ability to keep up, but he still plays decent lockdown defense. In addition, he still knows how to use his long reach to his advantage, and that is a big factor in his game. Quinn often matches him up with the opposition’s upper echelon players, and Staal more often than not has been up to the task. A solid veteran with some solid leadership is a great thing for this young team.

Grade: B

Tony DeAngelo

Despite seeing the bench multiple times this season, DeAngelo has been a fairly important piece of the Rangers defense. He has notched a respectable eight points (2G, 6A) in 18 games this season. Is this considered underperforming for an offensive defenseman? Maybe. But the key to DeAngelo’s game is his speed, finesse, and play-making ability. He has a tremendous ability to skate with the puck and open up the ice and, if he sees passing lanes, he is good at moving the puck into good areas. He is a solid player on the powerplay and is not afraid to throw the puck at the net whenever he gets the chance. He needs to shape up defensively, as he is one to commonly turn the puck over and make careless errors. But if he can work on his defense and hone his offensive skill, he may be a force to be reckoned with.

Grade: B

Brady Skjei

Take the “r” and “y” out of his name and you have accurately described his performance this year. Bad. There’s not much more to say about the issue. His offense is nowhere near what it should be and his defense has been unsatisfying. He has turned the puck over far more often than a player with his experience should. And after signing such a large deal in the offseason, he must improve his play. 

Grade: C-

Kevin Shattenkirk

Shatty has been another disappointment this season. The sentiment coming into this year was that he would bounce back from the surgery that prematurely ended his first season with the Rangers. Well, he hasn’t. Shattenkirk has been a defensive liability, sometimes appearing to have no idea what to do in certain defensive situations.

In addition, his leadership was supposed to be a focal point this year. Well he hasn’t done that either, having been asked by Quinn to step up his leadership multiple times this year. On the bright side, he’s Kevin Shattenkirk. He’s a New Yorker at heart and you’ve got to figure he’ll shake this slump at some point.

Grade: C

Fredrik Claesson

Claesson has not been much of a factor this year. He has no offense, contributing just one goal. But that’s alright since he is solid in his own zone. He doesn’t do all that much on the ice that will dazzle you, but he can lockdown if needed and move the puck offensively too. Overall, he has been average. Nothing special, but nothing terrible.

Grade: B-

Brendan Smith

That leaves us with Brendan Smith. Oh boy. Smith has quite possibly had an even worse season so far than he had last year. If he keeps this up, he might punch a teammate again (hopefully not Vinni this time). Amongst the defensemen, Smith is tied for worst plus-minus, he has the most giveaways, and also has the highest number of penalty minutes. These stats speak for themselves. He has easily been their worst defenseman and has been benched often. If you ask me, he should be sitting on that bench permanently in favor of Claesson.

Grade: F

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Adam McQuaid

Who? Exactly. McQuaid, who was acquired to be a solid, veteran tough-guy on defense hardly lived up to expectation. He lasted a very short period of time before getting hurt. During that time, he was benched for poor play and looked like a skating pile of bricks when he wasn’t.

Grade: D

PROSPECT WATCH

With all this talk about the inconsistency of the Rangers defense, there is one bright spot outside of their starting lineup. For that, we travel to Wisconsin. Rangers 2018 first–round pick K’Andre Miller has been solidifying himself as one of the best collegiate defensemen in the country. In 16 games played, Miller has produced 15 points, including a four–point night earlier in the week.

This begs the question, should he come over next year? The typical response would be that he should stay at Wisconsin for another year; but, given the circumstances, I say otherwise. This is a defense that needs a star, and soon. While K’Andre Miller will need several years to fully acclimate to the NHL, his presence and early development at the NHL level will prove extremely beneficial to the Rangers defense. The earlier the Rangers get him going the better, because he’s going to be a force in this league regardless of how long he stays at Wisconsin.

Editor’s Note: For Zak’s article on the team’s best six defensemen, click here

For as much as David Quinn has his team playing the right way so far this season, there are still a couple of things that I would like to see the coach clean up.

One of those things is his defensive lineup night after night. Quinn has preached accountability since becoming the 35th head coach in franchise history. We’ve seen the head coach sit players for a game or two after lackluster performances, and those players have generally responded positively, most notably Pavel Buchnevich before his injury.

But when it comes to the team’s defensive corps, you are talking about seven guys fighting for six spots, and barring consecutive bad performances that warrant some time in the press box, you can make an argument for all seven to be in the lineup. Aside from Marc Staal, every Rangers defenseman has spent at least one night watching from the rafters as his teammates were on the ice. Let’s take a look at what the best possible combinations would be for David Quinn to employ on a regular basis.

Neal Pionk and Marc Staal

Say what you will about the 31-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, but he has been a very nice compliment to the upstart Neal Pionk. Staal has been the stay-at-home defenseman that has allowed Pionk, when he decides to, to rush up the ice and join the offense. To say that Staal may not be as good as he once was is not such a novelty, an athlete’s skill generally decreases as they get further and further into their careers. But Staal has not been as abysmal as social media would lead you to believe. Has he made mistakes? Sure, he is human. But we haven’t seen the mental breakdowns or significant turnovers like we saw under Alain Vigneault during his final two years as Rangers head coach.

As for Pionk, this kid looks like he can be the real deal. A smooth skating defenseman with a good shot, strong hockey sense, and an ability to defend against some of the NHL’s best talent. Pionk has been the benchmark for the Rangers defensively this season. He is first in blocks, takeaways, average time on ice per game at 22:45, points-per-60-minutes at 1.80, shifts per game at 28.6 and second in hits. If he can continue playing the way he has been over the course of the rest of the season and beyond, the Rangers will have found a huge steal when they signed Pionk out of UMD in the summer of 2017. It is also worth noting that Pionk is a restricted free-agent at season’s end, and he could be in line for a nice payday come next summer.

Tony DeAngelo and Brady Skjei

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I want to start with the “veteran” Skjei for this one. Despite a solid start to his career, Skjei has not had the easiest time adjusting to David Quinn’s defensive system. Offensively, Skjei has done his part in contributing eight points from the back-end. Defensively, however, there have been times where Skjei seems a little lost, at least in my eyes. It could just be Brady having to learn a new system and he is still adjusting from Alain Vigneault’s defensive schemes. But the fact remains that Skjei still has some work to do this season. There is no doubt in my mind that Skjei will right himself and regain his status as the team’s top defenseman, but as of now, that crown belongs to Neal Pionk.

USA Today

When the Rangers acquired DeAngelo in the trade that sent Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to Arizona, Jeff Gorton was hoping to get back an offensively gifted defenseman that could skate like the wind. And you’d have to say that when DeAngelo has been on the ice, he has been just that. He still has some work to do in his own end, but his skating ability and offensive awareness have helped the Rangers putting pucks in the back of the net. If DeAngelo can continue building on his defensive game, he will be an instrumental piece in any future success the Rangers have.

Fredrik Claesson and Kevin Shattenkirk

If I’m being honest, I was torn with whether or not Fredrik Claesson or Brendan Smith should be paired with Kevin Shattenkirk. Both LHD has been solid for the Blueshirts and the question became as follows: would you rather the steady, no-frills play of Claesson, or the sometimes risky, physical style of Smith? For a defenseman, I’d much rather a guy that will make the safe play rather than the risky one. In addition to Claesson being that guy, his steadiness on the back-end would allow Kevin Shattenkirk to be more proactive in the offense, should he want to jump into the play. Claesson has one less hit, three fewer blocks, and five fewer giveaways than Smith in seven fewer games played. That doesn’t mean Claesson would have an equal number of giveaways, but it does mean that Claesson can play the same physical game as Smith while being more dependable in the defensive zone.

Shattenkirk was scratched for one game this season but hasn’t been spectacular in the 23 games that he has been on the ice. From an offensive standpoint, Shattenkirk has one goal and seven assists for eight points. Defensively, Shattenkirk is tied for third in blocks, is tied for second in giveaways with 14 (DeAngelo is last with 21) and second in takeaways. Shattenkirk hasn’t been going against the opposition’s top line every night, which has certainly helped him be more effective on the ice. Shattenkirk is a solid middle-pairing defenseman and his offensive skills are what made him such a hot commodity when the Rangers signed him prior to last season.

Extras: Adam McQuaid and Brendan Smith

As I mentioned earlier, Smith’s higher-risk game is not something that I want to see from my defensemen. Jumping into the rush is one thing, but potentially stepping up for a big hit and being out of position, or allowing an odd-man rush to make a hit is not something I want when a steadier defenseman in Claesson is available.

McQuaid may be getting the short end of the stick because he’s been injured, but in a time when skating ability for a defenseman is key, McQuaid isn’t as fleet of foot as the three RHD mentioned above. McQuaid would be a good seventh defenseman for this team, but to be in the lineup every night, for me, is the wrong move.

Fredrik Claesson heading to NYR on a one year deal worth $700K.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2018

Blessing and Curse

Coming into the season if anyone said Claesson would be playing in 10 of the team’s first 22 games, many would sit there and say “the tank is going as planned”. As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friends”. The fact of the matter is that the defensive core the team is rolling out every night has played so well that David Quinn would be forced to scratch one simply because. This just happened to Brenden Smith against the Islanders when he didn’t deserve to be scratched.

(Quinn talks defense – Fast forward to 3:01 in the video below).

#NYR Coach Quinn talks about Strome, Fogarty, lineup updates and more before the Blueshirts take on Dallas tonight @TheGarden. pic.twitter.com/u6vTbn95Ms

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 19, 2018

“There’s going to be a time where you tell a guy he’s not in and that will be because.” The key factor in this statement isn’t exactly the depth of the defensive core. Instead that certain players have played their way into being untouchable. Neal Pionk is one and Claesson is becoming the other.

He has been a solid defenseman that is smart with the puck, seemingly always in the right position and makes the right play more often than not. Is he the flashy name that everyone was expecting to be in the every day lineup? Absolutely not. Has he earned his spot in the lineup with his play? Absolutely yes.

Buy Low, Sell High

Claesson has been a smart stay at home blue-liner through his 10 games this season. While he only has 1 goal on the year, and his advanced metrics aren’t that impressive, the eye test shows a steady defenseman that makes the simple play often. Those heady decisions seems to be translating helping the Rangers in the standings as they are 7-2-1 in games he has dressed.

There really is no way to predict sports. If there was then I’d probably gamble all my money away. Yet, if we again go back to the offseason many fans wanted a guy like Anthony Duclair or Ty Rattie to don the royal blue jersey with diagonal lettering. The reason is because when you are in rebuild mode, that’s when you dish out one year “prove it” deals.

Granted these two forwards went elsewhere, but Claesson could be exactly what fans wanted. Essentially a showcase until February and then off to greener pastures. Come the trade deadline it could be “thanks for coming, we’ll take a prospect/pick back”. Of course the Rangers could keep him and sign him longterm too, as he is only 25.

Whatever ends up happening as the season progresses, so far Gorton and Quinn have rarely missed on the moves that they have made. Both have found the right players for the right situations. Claesson, right now at least, is a product of seizing the opportunity that is given to you.

Editor’s Note: Claesson turns 26 tomorrow. Happy Birthday Fredrik.

After a strong win over San Jose, the Rangers welcomed the Edmonton Oilers to Madison Square Garden for an afternoon matinee. Unfortunately, for New York, the Oilers got goals from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid took down the Blueshirts 2-1, knocking the Rangers to 1-4-0. A fast paced game filled with a lot of action, and a ton of missed chances on both sides. Here’s our recap.

Rangers Controlled The Tempo – Although the Rangers came out on the short end of the stick, the team held Connor McDavid and his Oilers to two goals. McDavid was all over the ice, making a strong statement on many shifts to nab goals for his team. Outside of the two that went in, the Rangers defensive system held off many Oilers attacks that many would think would’ve been too much for the Rangers defense. The team itself looked cohesive as one unit and did not look out of place in their own zone.

Finish, Finish, Finish, and I’m not talking about the country – Outside of the initial Mika Zibanejad goal, the Rangers could not capitalize on the numerous chances they threw on net. Filip Chytil missed an open net early in the game, along with a Jesper Fast open net chance in the third that would’ve tied the game. This team needs a finisher, plain and simple. On the other side, the Oilers had their finisher nab them the win, with Connor McDavid netting the late PP goal that would prove to be the winner for the Oilers.

Freddy Claesson and Adam McQuaid – The tale of two different defensemen was on display yesterday as both took the ice for the matinee. Freddy Claesson looked strong on his skates and incredibly agile in his second game of action for New York. On the contrary, Adam McQuaid looked out of place and was a -1 on the tally by Nugent-Hopkins. Tony DeAngelo and Neal Pionk were the healthy scratches for the afternoon on defense. One of the two may be in action for one of the aforementioned Claesson or McQuaid, so it’ll be interesting to see how David Quinn manages this dynamic.

Missed Calls? You Be The Judge – In what always feels like a con job to many fans, the Rangers were hurt greatly by the penalties yesterday afternoon, as well as ones that were not called. Before Vlad Namestnikov was called for holding at 5:11 of the 3rd period, Mika Zibanejad was taken down and pushed in a motion that resembled a holding call. The referees did not take notice and let play resume, which ultimately led to the penalty by New York. Connor McDavid netted the PPG on that proceeding power play, leaving many Rangers fans in fumes at MSG and in their homes.

Believe It Or Not, This Was A Goalie Battle – Former teammates Henrik Lundqvist and Cameron Talbot went at it, both looking stellar in net for their respective teams. Lundqvist looked like the Lundqvist of old, stopping 25 out of the 27 Edmonton shots. His counterpart, Cam Talbot was equally as strong. Stopping 23 out of 24 shots, Talbot matched his former mentor tit for tat, as his boys in blue and orange came out victorious.

Next Game: The Rangers will look to bounce back on Tuesday night when they host the Avalanche. Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

Here are the latest rumblings around Rangerstown.

Rangers Leadership Group

The Blueshirts announced their leadership group for the upcoming season, as the team has selected to go with five alternate captains instead of having a captain and a handful of alternates.

Of this group, Mika Zibanejad is the only player to have not worn the alternate’s “A” during the regular season. But with the team undergoing their rebuild, having a solid foundation of veterans will go a long way in helping the younger players.

Practice Report

The Rangers held their final practice of training camp and it looks like fans will be happy to know that Cody McLeod appears to be the 13th forward for David Quinn’s squad. In addition, free-agent signing Fredrik Claesson and Tony DeAngelo skated as the extra defensemen.