Atlantic Division Fan Confidence

The real problem with the Rangers is a distinct lack of roster flexibility — what you see is what you get. Looking over their payroll, I don’t see where they can make major changes short of trading problem-for-problem, or burying salary in the Minors.

Absolutely correct, that’s the big issue. Drury has a NMC, so he goes nowhere, but there’s hope in Ranger land that they can unload Rozsival (whose $5m cap number only comes with $7m in salary for two years) and demote Redden’s money.

The Rangers haven’t been significant players, and they’ve still got a key RFA unsigned. It doesn’t appear to get any better for 2011-2012, considering the RFAs coming up. I suspect some difficult decisions will have to be made regarding Callahan, Dubinsky, Gilroy, Anisimov, etc.

This years FA class wasn’t exactly monstrous. Besides Kovalchuk, what big impact guy was there to get on offense? They were some defenders, sure, but there’s no room at the inn for them b/c of the mistakes. They did sure up the backup goalie spot, they re-signed Prospal as a stop-gap, they re-signed Prust, Christensen and Girardi, who are solid role players if unspectacular. They also added the reigning MVP from the SEL in the Norwegian Hobbit (Mats Zuccarello-Aasen). So while they haven’t made their typical big splash, they’ve done well to bring in some pieces.

Staal not signed is a problem, but one that will be resolved one way or another. As for the decisions…I expect Callahan, Dubinsky, and Anisimov re-signed. They’re not going to command massive raises (barring a breakout), so the contracts of Brashear Eminger and Prospal coming off the books ($4.6m) should be more than enough to cover the extra money needed for them (figure $1m each on average). I also expect Gilroy to be shed. The team has plenty of D prospects that will step in for Gilroy, without the unnecessary $1.75m cap hit. That’s all in the worst case where they don’t actually send Redden to Hartford, if he goes, everything is easier.

and the Rangers draft history doesn’t look too terribly terrific, even when they have had Top 10 picks.

You have to isolate the Sather draft era from the Gordie Clark era. Clark has brought in Del Zotto already, and in the last two years drafted Grachev, Werek, Kreider, Stepan, Weise, Pashnin, and McIlrath, who are all expected to play roles on this team…plus the acquisitions of McDonagh and Valentenko from MTL in the Gomez deal.

Now..are they all superstars? Of course not.. They do give enough hope that you can live with the next two years of cap inflexibility and tempered (at best) expectations. We have the key pieces..the superstar scorer (Gaborik), the shut down defenseman (Staal), the ‘gritty’ 20 goal guys with Dubinsky/Callahan, a PP QB (Del Zotto) and the star goalie. The key will be to properly fit the pieces in around them. The x-factor is Anisimov, if he doesn’t become a #1C (too early to tell), then there’s a weakness that has to be addressed.

This might just be the Devils fan in me speaking, but I don’t see how the Rangers will dramatically improve with what they’ve got right now. I see a team that could easily spend a few years floating around the 6-12 range in the East…. good enough to compete for a playoff spot, perhaps even make it there with the odd break or two, but nothing says they’ll rise to become an elite team as presently constituted.

First…papering over the mistakes with cash never worked, even pre-cap. But that was a Neil Smith thing more than a Sather thing anyway. Sather had his share of atrocities ($9m for a 3rd line center in Holik?), but it’s gotten better over time.

I agree…this current team is blech, and will be until we really get all of the kids we think up and stabilized, which could be 5 years. Sather made many mistakes, and continues to do so in UFA, overpaying to make sure he gets the guy he wants, rather than realizing there’s a cost for that role and you have to stay within even if it means getting your 2nd choice. They’re cleaning it up slowly, it’s a process and everything you mentioned has slowed it down further. Thus, that explains why fan confidence is down right now, because it’s based on current expectations, of which fans shouldn’t have many.

Was more pointing out that they were trying to infuse youth last year. Gilroy was fine early but hit a wall, but his offense never developed, which is the real problem.

Anisimov’s not ready for 1st line competition yet, I agree that he should eventually get to Gaborik’s line though to be most effective.

I would’ve taken Fowler too, I was fairly upset at the time, but after reading through various reports, I’m cool with him. His ceiling is allegedly Shea Weber-like, which is hard to not get excited about.

We have a ton of prospects on their way in within 2 years also, assuming Sather doesn’t F it up somehow (big assumption)

Our roster now has some dead weight, and the Booger contract was something worse than moronic. I wouldn’t argue that the Isles could be better this year (I don’t believe so, but I wouldn’t argue it). I think we have as good a future as they do though, and, as you said, we have an elite goaltender to pull through it.

The problem with Henrik is while he is a great goalie, he is almost a 7 million dollar cap hit on a team loaded with over paid players. Cap difficulties will definantly hold back the Rangers and until Drury comes off the cap 2012 in a couple years and maybe not until 2014 when all the ranger’s current contracts expries it is difficult to see the team making a deep a playoff run.

still i don’t believe lundqvist is top 5… when hes on his game? hell yeah hes insane but consistently over a season i dont think so

Somebody bet Sather “There’s no way you can create a worse contract than Redden’s.” He came awfully close.