Question Of The Day: NY Rangers

[Shake]

So who is first to be out of New York? Brad Richards or John Tortorella?

Both?


Not sure you " healthy scratch" Richards tonight in a possible elimination game, not to mention his contract, he's getting paid to perform and perform in these types of games.

Not the right move IMO.

[lobo1969]

I think Torts is the obvious choice between him and Richards. Coaches are always easier to get rid of and I think the Tort's game plan is wearing thin on his team particularily for the skilled offensive players (Richards AND Gaborik). Not to defend Richards poor play but do you really expect him to block more shots in his own zone rather then have him shoot more pucks at the opposition's net?? I'm being simplistic but that's basically what is happening. Rangers players will only want to sacrifice their bodies playing tight defense and block shots and collapsing in front of their net so much and when its not working so well and want to to do it less. Switch gears and get that stupid PP going Torts!

Anyways, Richards massive contract/bad performance makes him less moveable than Luongo.

[DerekReese]

I think both are gone. Torts will be fired right after the series is over and Richards will be traded during the summer. Look for the Flames to make a play for Richards. They offered him more money than the Rangers did and they have lots of cap space.

[lobo1969]

I think both are gone. Torts will be fired right after the series is over and Richards will be traded during the summer. Look for the Flames to make a play for Richards. They offered him more money than the Rangers did and they have lots of cap space.

So the Flames finally get the center Iginla needs..... oh wait.

[Pengwin7]

I think Torts is gone.
The GM can hang onto his job for a longer period of time if he implements a change that might improve the team.

Also... you'd think NYR will want to open up that chair for Tippett and at least put down the welcoming mat?

[ericdaoust]

I do believe that Richards will be canned, but Torts may be booted as well.

[Axeman33]

I think Torts outlasts Richards.

Richards will be a buyout candidate at seasons end if he cant be dealt.

[rangersfury]

I think Torts is the obvious choice between him and Richards. Coaches are always easier to get rid of and I think the Tort's game plan is wearing thin on his team particularily for the skilled offensive players (Richards AND Gaborik). Not to defend Richards poor play but do you really expect him to block more shots in his own zone rather then have him shoot more pucks at the opposition's net?? I'm being simplistic but that's basically what is happening. Rangers players will only want to sacrifice their bodies playing tight defense and block shots and collapsing in front of their net so much and when its not working so well and want to to do it less. Switch gears and get that stupid PP going Torts!

Anyways, Richards massive contract/bad performance makes him less moveable than Luongo.

You've oversimplified a tad here. The team still clogs up the shooting lanes but in general the defensive game plan is to drop the wingers low and create turnovers by out numbering the forecheckers. That said this doesn't affect Richards since, by virtue of being a center, he's playing 3rd D-man regardless in his zone and being a core part of the breakout. He's getting his opportunities to carry the puck but he's not able to create separation from defenders and hit his wingers cleanly with a pass. The lockout wreaked havoc with his game level conditioning and at his age that kind of layoff can take a big toll. He was never the fastest guy out there but he was shifty and smart, to me it seems more that he's having trouble adjusting physically but mentally he's there.

That said, the Rags aren't trigger happy on personnel decisions. They'll probably shop Richards around quietly, take a Gomez-like deal if they can find one, but otherwise will wait till next year to see if he rebounds before using that buyout. Torts will likely get one more season, he'll get a PP specialist assistant coach, and if he can't turn it around they'll look to make a change behind the bench.

TL;DR - Don't expect a big change for either until the following offseason.

[mister_mcgoo]

highest paid player in the league is a healthy scratch...that's just brutal

I've never liked the Rangers but I do like several of the players like Callahan, Lundy, Nash, Hagelin, etc. so I feel bad for them mostly. Sather has tried the same tactic that many NY franchises have tried before, the old 'try to buy a championship' trick. The problem is that that seldom works, especially in a cap league where bang for the buck is key

[rangersfury]

highest paid player in the league is a healthy scratch...that's just brutal

I've never liked the Rangers but I do like several of the players like Callahan, Lundy, Nash, Hagelin, etc. so I feel bad for them mostly. Sather has tried the same tactic that many NY franchises have tried before, the old 'try to buy a championship' trick. The problem is that that seldom works, especially in a cap league where bang for the buck is key

I don't think you give them enough credit for building out a proper farm system over the last decade. The core players are all drafted and developed within the system, something that was essentially non-existent for most of the franchise's history. That said, they still suck at signing free agents and that still kills them year in and year out, see Drury; Gomez; Redden; Frolov; Kotalik; Richards; etc). The only saving grace is they've found bigger fools to take those contracts off their hands and give them productive players in return, Prust for Kotalik; McDonough for Gomez; Gaborik for Brassard/Moore/Dorsett.

Good drafting/development, great trading, piss poor free agency work.

[ericdaoust]

Good drafting/development, great trading, piss poor free agency work.

How much of the free agency part falls on ownership in a big city/market? I mean, if the boss says he wants big names the GM is going to have to try to make it happen, right?

[rangersfury]

How much of the free agency part falls on ownership in a big city/market? I mean, if the boss says he wants big names the GM is going to have to try to make it happen, right?

Dolan is a notorious hothead. My understanding is that he's toned it down in recent years but that may just mean he's keeping his demands behind closed doors. There's always pressure to make the big backpage splash but I think he's realized he needs to let hockey people (and basketball people, in the case of the Knicks) do their thing. It may be ownership but it also may be that Sather knows he can always flip/amnesty any failures because of ownership's deep pockets.

When you think about it its not that crazy. Drafting and development takes time. Sign a free agent to fill a need and if they work out, great. If not, flip them to another team to augment the talent level in the system and you haven't spent picks or players to do so, just money. If they're a lost cause you buyout and move on but you haven't rushed a youngster to fill that spot and potentially messed up their development, net-net its a win.

[mister_mcgoo]

I don't think you give them enough credit for building out a proper farm system over the last decade. The core players are all drafted and developed within the system, something that was essentially non-existent for most of the franchise's history. That said, they still suck at signing free agents and that still kills them year in and year out, see Drury; Gomez; Redden; Frolov; Kotalik; Richards; etc). The only saving grace is they've found bigger fools to take those contracts off their hands and give them productive players in return, Prust for Kotalik; McDonough for Gomez; Gaborik for Brassard/Moore/Dorsett.

Good drafting/development, great trading, piss poor free agency work.

I never said they didn't do a good job drafting or anything like that

But you can't tell me they weren't trying to buy a championship with the Richards/Nash signings, that's almost 15 mil in cap space tied up for a LONG time in those two. Incredibly poor planning by Sather. The reality of building a wining team is that you can only have so many stars to make it work, it seems like stacking a team with stars would work but it often backfires because all those guys want the puck, they all wanna score the goals and they're all used to the top tier ice time. They didn't need either of those guys I don't think, they could have gone much cheaper and chose more wisely.

Contrast the Rags signings with what the Pens have done for example...they already have 2 elite centers in a 1A/1B configuration. They add Neal on the wing who has size and work the boards well (nevermind that wicked shot getting fed by Sid!). They add Iggy at wing too, also good size and toughness and a great shot but perhaps even more importantly he is a born leader and a huge impact in the locker-room. He's also nearing the end of his career and desperately wants to add a Stanley Cup ring to his portfolio. Iggy was already the kinda guy who would do anything to win, play any role, play the tough mins on the PK or checking line but he's all the more motivated now and he cares not one iota about pts, he wants a cup. Same deal with Morrow, he wants a cup and his time is running out, he brings leadership, intensity and grit. Finally they add veteran goalie Tomas Vokoun to the mix knowing that MAF is mediocre at best and prone to choking. That's 3 high quality FAs signed to 1 yr deals (Vokoun was 2 I think?) all who are motivated to win and win now at all costs...contrast that to the Rags with their inflated contracts and terms and poor choices for team chemistry.

[lobo1969]

You've oversimplified a tad here.

Yes.... I DID say I was being simplistic in my statement. Bottom line is Tort's system is not working as well as it used to and he refuses to change anything it seems.

Now Richards is sitting out in an elimination game kind of boggles the mind!

Torts should be gone but I can't see the Rangers buying out or trading Richards very easily. A bad half season does not make this a prudent move.

Find a coaching team that can refocus the PP because the Rangers have a number of good pieces to make it work. Big bodies for in front of the net, excellent Dmen for the point shots and PP specialists like Nash, Zuccarello, and Richards (yes, still Richards) to make things work. A better scoring PP with solid defense should boost the success rate of this team. 5 on 5 scoring... well.... one thing at a time.

[rangersfury]

I never said they didn't do a good job drafting or anything like that

I didn't mean to imply that you said anything of the sort, I was merely referring to the "buy a championship" line you said. Richards is definitely a symptom of that mentality to an extent but there was also a need for a #1 center with playoff experience who could mesh with the coach. Good centers rarely are available so when Richards became available it seemed like a great fit for what the team needed (and personally I haven't given up on him yet). As for the Nash trade yes it was done to try and put the team over the top to win the cup, but that's because the team needed a big, go to goal scorer instead of relying on scoring by committee from a developing group of 2nd liners (at the time). I don't see how that's a "buy a championship" move instead of smart asset management; its cap neutral, opens up top-9 spots for youngsters like Kreider and Miller to come in and earn a role, addresses an obvious need. Its easy to question the results with hindsight but at the time of these trades/signings they made sense and fit into the bigger team picture.

I don't want to get further off topic by responding to your bit about the Pens but I'll ask you to re-read what you wrote about them and then tell me again, who exactly is it that's trying to pull the "buy a championship" trick?

Trying to bring things back on topic, I think Richards gets bought out next year if he can't turn it around and with the changes in the latest CBA I think he may get bought out anyway, but he still gets 2013-14 to prove himself. Torts will be gone if the team struggles both in the standings and on the Powerplay. Slats will try to address the PP through on-ice personnel first before axing the coach.