According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Rangers are terminating the contract of minor-league defenseman Sergey Zborovskiy.

Zborovskiy never got more than a ten-game “cup of coffee” with the Wolf Pack, spending most of last season with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits. While in South Carolina, the 21-year-old had 17 points (5G, 12A) in 47 games, and wasn’t able to contribute anything offensively with Hartford.

Hartford skated into the All-Star break with a five-game winning streak. The group found their magic touch and continued to climb the standings. Last weekend was a thriller, with the Wolf Pack sweeping a two-game series against Charlotte, as well as defeating the Utica Comets. Four of the wins were in overtime while the lone regulation win was the last game on Saturday against Charlotte.The offense it buzzing again and the defense seems to have found their game. Entering the first week of February, Hartford is sixth in their division at 46 points. They are .500 with a record of 20-20-3-3.  The record can improve, especially when you consider that Hartford is not far off with the other top dogs.

February Make or Break the Season?

To put the standings into perspective, Hartford is sixth in the Atlantic Division. The fifth-place Sound Tigers are tied with fourth place Charlotte for the last playoff spot. Since the league goes by point percentage, both clubs are .568 (technically 50 points), with Charlotte owning the tie-breaker. Hartford is four points behind and did themselves a favor last weekend with sweeping the Checkers in both games. Hartford will face Bridgeport next week and then play Charlotte twice the following week and then face Bridgeport once again.

This is perfect timing due to the standings race. If Hartford wants to get ahead of Charlotte and/or Bridgeport, they have to beat both clubs. Those games will not be easy and the Pack are getting hot at the right time. However, if the Pack begin to struggle in the month of February, the opposite will happen. The club would lose ground quickly in the standings, showing just how critical each game against both clubs will be. Hartford gets a crack at both clubs twice in the month of February. A majority of their games will also be on the road, so it is essential for the group to bond well and get comfortable away from XL Center.

Alexandar Georgiev Stepping Up

Since Marek Mazanec is injured, young prospect Alexandar Georgiev is beginning to play frequently. The goalie has stepped up his game, having pitched two shutouts within a week, against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 21st (1-0) and Charlotte on January 27th (4-0). Alexandar Georgiev found his touch in net. Previously, the goalie struggled in moments and was often caught on the losing end of games. He has turned it around and is pivotal to the success of Hartford while Marek Mazanec is out.

Recent Streaks

• Filip Chytil is the man. Since returning to Hartford, the prized forward has found himself on the scoresheet more often than not. Chytil has points in five of the last seven games. In that span, he has two goals and six assists for eight points. Another interesting note is that he is shooting the puck frequently. He is noticeable on creating chances, either shooting on net or passing well, especially on the power play.
• In his final year of his entry level contract, Adam Tambellini has finally started to find himself on the scoresheet. The forward has struggled this season producing points and has been quiet. The forward enters the weekend with a goal in three straight games. The left winger has been spotty in the 2017-18 season. In 43 games,Tambellini has recorded nine goals and ten assists for 19 points. Last season in 68 games, the forward had a total of 35 points. Tambellini has work to do if he wants to stay in the organization.
• All-star John Gilmour is on an assist streak in three straight games. The defenseman has tied his last season’s record for points, at 25 points. This season, John Gilmour notched 25 points in 41 games, as opposed to 76 games last season. That is a great sign of the growth of his offensive game. His offensive upside is manifesting itself, however, on defense, he still needs improvement. Gilmour plays similar to a forward since he is an offensive-defenseman that does not get into the dirty areas. His positioning is good, but there are hiccups at times with odd-man rushes. The young prospect is learning from his mistakes and will be rewarded down the road, as long as he can keep it up.

• Lias Andersson is still finding his groove in Hartford. In his first game with the team, he recorded an assist on the overtime game-winning goal against Utica. The forward also notched a point in Saturday’s game against Charlotte with another assist. He has points in two of the last three games. Once the young forward is comfortable, he will tear it up similar to Filip Chytil.

The Captain Struggles

Joe Whitney has been in and out of the lineup this season. The veteran forward found himself out of the lineup for three games straight as a healthy scratch. This is also due to the veteran rule which the American Hockey league created. The team has played well without him in the lineup as well. Joe Whitney has nine goals and ten assists for 19 points in 40 games. From a leadership standpoint, he is the odd-man out. You wonder why the captain is out of the lineup, and with the deadline looming, the forward may be on the move.

Roster Moves

Peter Holland, Vinni Lettieri, and Anthony DeAngelo were sent down to Hartford during the all-star break for the National Hockey League. Vinni Lettieri was the lone forward to play once returning. Peter Holland and Anthony DeAngelo went back up earlier this week to New York.

Vinni Lettieri is a strong forward and I feel he did not get enough time with New York. On the plus side, he will help Hartford for their playoff push. If the Rangers need another forward, he should be the next man up.

In addition, the Wolf Pack have sent down defenseman Sergey Zborovskiy to Greenville of the ECHL. That means Ryan Sproul is back from injury for Hartford.

John Gilmour Has Speed

At the All-Star festivities, John Gilmour surprised everyone with his speed. He won the Fastest Skater Event with a time of 13.663, putting him fourth all-time for the fastest skater in the American Hockey League.

Madison Square Garden, Capital Regional Development Authority Close on Wolf Pack Lease

Be on the lookout shortly for the announcement of the new Wolf Pack lease! According to this report from the CRDA, the new lease agreement for the Wolf Pack will be finalized and announced shortly. The deal is a five-year agreement, that will include protections for both parties when the XL Center is sold.

The CRDA will put the building for sale this spring and issue a Request For Proposal. The state agency is looking for a private company or person to buy the building and manage the facility. The XL Center needs renovation in order to maintain competitiveness in the market and update the building top to bottom. The facility is considered outdated and the price tag for a refurbishment is $250 million. In any case regarding the building being sold, the Wolf Pack should remain in Hartford.

Upcoming Games

Friday, February 2nd vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 7:05 pm, Dunkin Donuts Center

• This begins at home at home series with the Bruins.
• Providence has been struggling as of late, going 3-6-0-1 in the last ten games and dropping their previous decision.
• Hartford won their last two meetings against Providence.
• Hartford is 2-1-0-1 in the season series.

Saturday, February 3rd vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 7:00 pm, XL Center

• The sixth meeting of the season between the clubs.
• Hartford is 1-1 at home against Providence.
• The first game at home featured a 5-0 loss on November 4th.
• The previous home game featured a 6-4 win on December 22nd.

Hartford enters the weekend with a three-game winning streak, after snapping a three-game losing streak last Friday against Utica. All three victories were in overtime, with Filip Chytil ending the game against Utica and Vince Pedrie on Sunday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Then, on Wednesday, Cole Schneider notched the game-winning goal against Utica. After multiple roster moves by the organization, the Wolf Pack have found life after their slump. Let’s check out what is happening in Wolf Pack world.

Standings Update

Entering the weekend, Hartford is 18-20-3-3 for 42 points (.477 point percentage), putting the club sixth in the Atlantic Division.

You may think Hartford is in trouble, and they are to a certain extent. However, the fight for the top four spots for post-season action is within range for the club. The Charlotte Checkers hold the fourth and final playoff spot in the division. They have registered 49 points for a .583 point percentage, with Hartford seven points behind the Checkers. The hill is steep, but not impossible to climb. The schedule has great timing for the Wolf Pack to catch up with Charlotte as the Pack will face the Checkers twice this weekend. Hartford could inch four points closer to Charlotte.

Looking at the teams that separate the Wolf Pack and Checkers, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers are ahead of Hartford by six points for fifth. The Sound Tigers have built themselves room for error. If Hartford can go on a lengthy point streak or winning streak, they would be well in the fight for fourth. The third-place Providence Bruins have 52 points. The Phantoms are in second with 55 points but have a lower Points Percentage (.640 PTS%) than the first place Penguins with 54 points and a .675 PTS%.

Injury Updates

Similar to the New York Rangers, Hartford had an injury bug as well, and the Wolf Pack are hoping to regain a few players back in the upcoming weekend. Here are the current players out. Returning players from the injury list include Lias Andersson, Dan DeSalvo, and Steven Fogarty.

• Marek Mazanec – Left the game after falling awkwardly when making a save on Friday. There is no timetable for return. He left with pains on his right leg, putting no weight on it.
• Shawn O’Donnell – Injured in his first game back with Hartford on Friday. Had facial injuries and he should be back shortly.
• Ryan Sproul – He is out after a late injury on Friday. No word on his status.

Transactions

• Lias Andersson was added to the roster on January 15th.
• Shawn O’Donnell was added to the roster January 18th. The Wolf Pack are looking for more grit in the lineup. Shawn O’Donnell was with the team between 2013-2016, as an old face returns for his second run with the club.
• Chris Langkow was added as another center for Hartford. He played in two games over last weekend. Added on the 19th, and released on the 22nd. The forward spent time in Hartford earlier in the season.
• The Rangers called up Anthony DeAngelo and Dan Catenacci on the 19th, though Catenacci was sent back to Hartford on the 25th.
• Brandon Halverson makes his first appearance to Hartford this season through a call up.
• In addition, Sergey Zborovskiy debuted in a Hartford uniform this past weekend too on the blue line.

Remembering an old Friend

Former Whale forward Andrew Carroll suddenly passed away on Monday at the age of 32. Andrew Carroll played in Hartford in the 2009-10 season and the 2012-13 season. In addition, he played in Greenville in the 2009-10 season and the 2013-14 season. Thank you for the memories and rest in peace.

Game Notes From Wednesday

For the first time in franchise history, Hartford has won three straight games in overtime.  Lias Andersson was paired with Gabriel Fontaine and Adam Chapie. The young forward was getting back into the groove. Filip Chytil extends his point streak to three games. In addition, he’s notched points in four of the last five games (2G, 4A). Alexandar Georgiev has won two straight in net as well.

Upcoming Schedule

Friday, January 26th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina), 7:15 pm, XL Center

• This will be the second meeting of the season with Charlotte. The last time these teams met was on opening night for Hartford on October 6th. Charlotte grabbed the win in the first meeting with a late goal, 5-4. Since then, Charlotte has been a streaky team, surging periodically. The Checkers have floated around the middle of the standings in the Atlantic Division. Both Charlotte and Hartford enter the weekend winning four of their last ten games.

Saturday, January 27th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina), 7:30 pm, XL Center

• The game is “Stick it to Cancer Night”.  Proceeds from the game will benefit the American Cancer Society.
• Charlotte is 11-9 on the road entering the weekend.

Editor’s Note: AHL playoff seeding is done based on points percentage and not by total points.

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.

The off-season and free agency have been off to a strong start for the organization. Jeff Gorton is restocking and rebuilding the prospect pool while improving the Rangers themselves. The upcoming season looks promising in Hartford with two strong signings for the American Hockey League club. The addition of Kevin Shattenkirk provided more depth in the organization as well.

The Kevin Shattenkirk Impact

Kevin Shattenkirk returns home to New York on the first day of free agency. He should provide phenomenal defense for the Rangers, but what is unknown is his impact on the blue line regarding the young defensemen in the Rangers system.

Currently, the organization has Sergey Zborovskiy, Calle Sjalin, Anthony DeAngelo, Tarmo Reunanen, Vince Pedrie, Tyler Nanne, Ryan Graves, John Gilmour, Sean Day, Brandon Crawley, and Alexei Bereglazov with the minor league clubs. And a few of the guys in this list will compete for a potential spot in Hartford.

But since Kevin Shattenkirk joined the team, there probably won’t be any available spots for the defensive prospects in New York. But, this does allow their prospects to develop for a year down in the minors, and then if ready, can make the jump next season.

From a developmental standpoint, friendly competition is great to develop prospects.  The bar would rise and each player will have to up their game. The blue line would become packed in the system, especially in Hartford. None of these guys want to be sent packing from Hartford, so the battles on the back end should be intense during training camp.

New York Signs Two Impressive Forwards

On the first day of free agency, Jeff Gorton wasted no time in helping his team in Hartford. He signed forwards Paul Carey (No relation to Matt Carey of Hartford or Greg Carey of Lehigh Valley) and Cole Schneider to one year, two-way deals. Both players last season provided a strong offensive punch to their respective AHL clubs. Hartford now has two experienced veteran players. These signings Nicklas Jensen will have help to produce offense as well.

Paul Carey (24 goals, 31 assists for 55 points in 55 games with the Hershey Bears in the 2016-17 season)

Paul Carey is a 28-year-old forward with strong experience in the American Hockey League. He joins Hartford after spending two seasons in Hershey and joined the Washington Capitals for brief stints in the NHL for a total of eleven games with the club.  Last season, Carey made some strides offensively. He impressed me on March 18th, 2017 as he recorded four goals against Hartford. He was noticeable in each game in the series between Hershey and Hartford. Carey is not afraid to make plays, especially on the power play. He is a well rounded player who can score and assist. His veteran presence will guide the prospects in situations throughout the season on how to successfully tackle problems.

Cole Schneider (24 goals, 39 assists for 63 points in 71 games with the Rochester Americans in the 2016-17 season)

Cole Schneider joins Hartford after completing a one man show on offense for the struggling Rochester Americans last season. The 26-year-old forward is another veteran who has produced quality numbers in the past few seasons. He has proven that he can dominate in the American Hockey League. Schneider is more of a playmaker than a scorer. He will certainly help on the power play and compliment Nicklas Jensen.

Jensen is the sniper of the club and having players who feed him the puck will boost his numbers. Schneider can score when needed if the opportunity rises. He has a quick release and is not afraid to get in the dirty areas. I look forward to another season where he produces healthy offensive numbers. He can show prospects a few tips on converting their opportunities.

What’s Next?

Jeff Gorton still needs to sign players for Hartford and New York as his work is not done. From the standpoint of Hartford, the club is off to a strong start. He addressed the presence of quality veterans along with an offensive punch. I believe he will sign a few more proven American Hockey League players to pitch in on offense. He still needs to address the defense. Despite the depth on the blue line, we need another veteran to help the young prospects. Steven Kampfer returns but he cannot do it all himself.  Having another veteran on defense will give prospects two examples on how to play defense in specific situations. As for goalies, we need him to sign a proven goalie for Hartford. The goalies in the system are not ready for the AHL. Brandon Halverson should be in Hartford next season, but he needs the guidance of a quality starting goalie, similar to Magnus Hellberg.

I am looking forward to the next moves by Jeff Gorton.  In Jeff we trust.

When the draft began the Rangers were not set to select until the 59th pick. The first day came and went without any activity despite rampant speculation that Cam Talbot would be traded for a first round pick. Many Rangers fans were left wondering if the team would be trading Talbot after all. Well, as it turns out Talbot was eventually traded on day two of the draft but he was not the first Ranger to be moved that day. That distinction went to none other than Carl Hagelin.

Hagelin was seeking upwards of four million for his services this offseason. You can’t blame him for wanting more money but unfortunately the Rangers are not a team with much cap space to offer. Thus, GM Glen Sather found a trade partner in the Anaheim Ducks, and Hagelin along with 59th and 117th picks, were sent to southern California for Emerson Etem and the 41st pick in the draft.

Etem, 6’1” and 212 pounds, has an extremely high ceiling and was never given the proper opportunity to succeed on the Ducks due to the depth in front of him. With the Rangers, Etem will be given every opportunity to succeed and it’s clear he has talent; just check out this goal he scored on the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of this years playoffs.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnQ0OzoE_Pk&w=560&h=315]

Etem will be a more than welcome replacement for Hagelin and could provide a more powerful scoring touch if used in the right role. He will be an RFA on July 1st but the Rangers will almost certainly get a deal done. Etem was a great pickup but so was getting the 41st pick in the Draft which the Rangers used to select WHL Seattle Thunderbirds left winger, Ryan Gropp.

Gropp’s best asset at this point in his career might be his size. At 6’2” and 187 pounds he is by no means a small player. In the Hockey News’ draft preview, one scout described him as a “really good skater who can twist and turn away from guys.” Another scout said that he has soft hands and a quick release on his snap shot. Other scouts have said he needs to get to the net harder and needs time to mature but has the potential to be a top six forward in the NHL. Gropp was the leading scorer for the Thunderbirds this past season. The Rangers could use another winger of his size so hopefully he will pan out for the team.

Gropp’s stats from last season: 30 goals, 28 assists – 58 points in 67 games

Next move for the Rangers during the draft was trading backup goalie Cam Talbot to the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers in exchange sent back the 57th, 79th and 184th overall picks to the Rangers. Just as soon as it seemed like things would settle down on the Rangers front they made another trade and acquired the 62nd and 113th overall picks from the Washington Capitals in exchange for the 57th overall pick.

Using the 62nd pick, the Rangers selected right winger Robin Kovacs from AIK in Sweden. According to Future Considerations, Kovacs, who stands at 6’0” and weighs 175 pounds, is seen as a skilled winger with as strong understanding of the game. They go on to say he is fast on his feet and has quick agility which makes him dangerous in both the offensive and defensive zones. He also has a quick shot which “gives goalies nightmares.” One of the knocks on Kovacs is that he can be undisciplined at times. Hopefully we will be seeing him in Broadway Blue soon.

Kovacs’ Stats from last season: 17 goals, 11 assists – 28 points in 57 games

With the 79th pick in the draft the Rangers selected Sergey Zborovskiy of the WHL’s Regina Pats. Zborovskiy, a defensemen who stands at 6’3” and weighs 193 pounds, was not ranked by Future Considerations or the Hockey News but was ranked 103rd by Central Scouting. Not much information is out there about Zborovskiy but it can’t hurt to have a defensemen of his size in the pipeline.
Zborovskiy’s stats from last season: 3 goals, 16 assists – 19 points in 71 games.

With the 89th pick in the draft the Rangers selected Center Alexsi Saarela of Assat in Finland’s Liiga. According to Future Considerations, Saarela, who stands at 5’10” and weighs 190 pounds, has a strong and powerful stride and is a smart and slick offensive playmaker. He also has a strong accurate wrist shot and dangerous one-timer. One of the knocks against his is that he hangs out around the perimeter a little too much. It will be interesting to see if and/or when Saarela put on a Rangers jersey as he sounds like a promising prospect.

Saarela’s stats from last season: 6 goals, 6 assists – 12 points in 51 games

With the 113th pick in the draft, the Rangers selected Center Brad Morrison of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. According to Future Considerations there is a lot to like about the kid. “Morrison’s game revolves around speed as everything he does, he does with pace. He has break-away speed, lightning-quick hands and the ability to process the game at that same speed. It’s also worth noting that Morrison doesn’t play a perimeter game. He drives lanes and goes to tough areas. In doing that he also avoids contact while showing a unique ability to create plays despite immense traffic.” Morrison scored 97 goals in one season while he played Bantam hockey. He is definitely a prospect to keep an eye on.

Morrison’s stats from last season: 23 goals, 27 assists – 50 points in 67 games

With the 119th pick of the draft, the Rangers selected Right Winger Daniel Burnhardt of Djurgarden Jr. of the Sweden Jr. league. Bernhardt, who stands at 6’3” and weighs 191 pounds, is not a small player and with the size he possesses, is definitely worth the 4th round pick the Rangers used on him. Bernhardt has good offensive instincts and it will be interesting to see where he fits down the line within the Rangers organization.

Bernhardt’s stats from last season: 26 goals, 35 assists – 61 points in 44 games

With their final pick in the draft, 184th, the Rangers selected Goaltender Adam Huska of the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. He is seen as a smart athletic goaltender but one that is still a few years away from being NHL ready. He needs time to develop. With a goaltender like Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers can afford to take time to develop goaltending talent.

Huska’s stats from last season – 6 games played, 4.34 GAA, .866 save percentage

After the conclusion of the draft the Rangers traded young forward Ryan Haggerty to the Chicago Blackhawks to for goalie Antti Raanta. Raanta is an established backup goaltender in the NHL who will fit right in with the Rangers after the trade of Cam Talbot. Last season in Chicago, Raanta sported a record of 7 – 4 – 1 and had a 1.89 GAA to go along with a .936 save percentage.