New York Rangers

[ross10019]

I may be giving up Dubinsky and really want to know what I am losing.

My league is pts only, so I am not sure if he is a better real life player, than fantasy (or at least a pts only league)

At very first blush, it looks like he will be staying 2nd line, 2nd PP. Can he hit 70 points or is he a 50-60 point guy at best.

Thanks a lot

I think he's a legit threat for 70, but for this year I'd peg him closer to 60. I imagine he'll continue to line up with Callahan on the 2nd line, with either Stepan or Anisimov, and he'll probably move to the wing so one of those two takes the faceoffs.

[littleranger]

I think he's a legit threat for 70, but for this year I'd peg him closer to 60. I imagine he'll continue to line up with Callahan on the 2nd line, with either Stepan or Anisimov, and he'll probably move to the wing so one of those two takes the faceoffs.

He'll def be playing LW just like last season. It seems like Wolski is doing really well with Gabby and Richards so it may be a while for Dubi to be shifted to the first line but I think its inevitable for him to get a chance playing with the big two (Torts ALWAYS changes lines). Also hearin the top PP will have Cally-Dubi-Gaborik with Richards and DZ on the points but I guess we'll see on Wednesday when the Rangers take on the Devils. Your point projection is right on the button.

[littleranger]

Steve Zipay and others reporting during the practice today the Rangers were running 5 forwards on the top PP. Richards-Gaborik on the points and Wolski-Dubi-Callahan up front.

Also, these appear to be the projected lines this season...
Wolski-Richards-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
Zuccarello-Stepan-Rupp
Prust-Boyle-Fedotenko

Avery had a great start to the preseason so he may work his way into the lineup sooner rather than later. In a coincidence, Torts wasn't coaching when Avery had his great game.

Prust is still not cleared for contact. He had an operation on his shoulder in the offseason to repair a tear but I guess its not healing as well as it should be. One probably shouldn't expect too many fights from him in the beginning of the season.

Wolski has been clicking day in and day out with Gabby and Rich. Torts tried out Fedotenko, Dubinsky and Boyle during practice on the top line with the big two...just incase of an injury or a shakeup is needed.

Staal has been suffering from post concussion syndrome and is day-to-day at this point. Doesn't seem like his recovery is going too well from last years hit from brother Eric. If he does in fact end up missing a # of games, expect a drop in Lundqvists numbers.

Del Zotto is still battling for a spot. Personally, I thought he would make it no question. But we'll see how the rest of preseason goes. Staal-Girardi, McD-Sauer, Eminger (even with that horrific giveaway)-DZ/Erixon

[Chico Resch]

Little Ranger,

What are your thoughts on MZA?

Can heat up, but not sure if he will ever be a 65 point guy, or be a 40 point player his career.

What do you think of him, what do you see him hitting this year?

Thanks.

[littleranger]

Little Ranger,

What are your thoughts on MZA?

Can heat up, but not sure if he will ever be a 65 point guy, or be a 40 point player his career.

What do you think of him, what do you see him hitting this year?

Thanks.

Pro-rated last year Zuccs would have had 44 pts in 82 games. This while playing around 12 minutes a night and playing with the less skilled players. Hes a pretty solid player but his size is a HUGE disadvantage at 5ft7, 170ish. This year I see him at about 43 pts in 70 games missing a few with injuries and when squeezing in Christensen and Avery cause you gotta give those guys some games.

Hes a very crafty passer so if he ever gets lined up with a pure sniper, he COULD hit 65. I'm guessing he stays in the mid 50s and will see a couple of seasons in the 60s.

Also, he wasn't much of a gamer in the playoffs as Avery basically stole his spot so who knows how he'll play when under the pressure.

Hope that helps!

[CaptainK]

Hey rangers fans. i was wondering what are the point projections for Girardi this year? This guy has monster peripherals but it would be great if he can can chip in even more pts? Does he get any PP1 time now that MDZ made the team? Also what happens when Staal is back.

thx!

[littleranger]

I would have to say Staal and Girardi split time on the 2nd PP with Richards playin a big chunk on the one side. Girardi/Staal are too defensively responsible to really chip in a large amount offensively (if that makes sense). I'm guessing he'll be around the 30 pts range again with an upside of 35 this year.

MDZ just has not looked comfortable out there so its still not set in stone that he will make the team as they brought extra bodies to go to Europe. Once they get back from Europe it will be a lot clearer on whos on the Rangers and who will be on the Whale this upcoming season.

When Staal comes back the even strength lines are pretty set with Staal-Girardi, Sauer-Mcdonagh then the 3rd pairing will include 2 of Eminger, Del Zotto, Bickel, Bell. I would say Eminger/Bell are the frontrunners.

[CaptainK]

I would have to say Staal and Girardi split time on the 2nd PP with Richards playin a big chunk on the one side. Girardi/Staal are too defensively responsible to really chip in a large amount offensively (if that makes sense). I'm guessing he'll be around the 30 pts range again with an upside of 35 this year.

MDZ just has not looked comfortable out there so its still not set in stone that he will make the team as they brought extra bodies to go to Europe. Once they get back from Europe it will be a lot clearer on whos on the Rangers and who will be on the Whale this upcoming season.

When Staal comes back the even strength lines are pretty set with Staal-Girardi, Sauer-Mcdonagh then the 3rd pairing will include 2 of Eminger, Del Zotto, Bickel, Bell. I would say Eminger/Bell are the frontrunners.

thx for the info!

[littleranger]

Brad Richards – #1C – The highly sought-after free agent this offseason came to NY signing a 9-year $58.5 million deal. The main reason of this signing was to finally give the Rangers that go-to-guy for Marian Gaborik and to fix last season’s dreadful powerplay (1 for 20 in playoffs). The last few seasons Richards has been working with the talents of Loui Eriksson, Brendan Morrow, Jamie Benn, etc. so I would expect a slight decline in production due to Gaboriks fragility and a weaker offensive lineup.
GP:76/G:25/A:52/P:77/PM:20

Marian Gaborik - #1RW – Marian’s production took a large dip last season with his goal totals down to 22 (in 62) and assists at 28. It seemed like an awful lot of the time he just wasn’t catching any breaks running into hot goalies or whiffing on an open chance. This year he’ll have the chance to right his wrong playing with one of the best playmakers in the NHL along with having at least one steady line mate all season. Last year Gaborik could not find any consistency as he would have one good game and stick with those linemates for a week then nothing would come of it. He actually scored 12 of his 22 goals in 4 games; meaning 10 of his 22 goals were scored in 58 games (pro-rated 14 in 82).
GP:73/G:39/A:36/P:75/PM:34

Wojtek Wolski - #1LW – Acquired last year for the Ranger whipping mule Michal Roszival, Wolski was brought in to serve as more of a depth forward than anything. He managed 19 points in 37 games in his first season with the Blueshirts and clearly took exception to this lack of production. He spent the offseason training with Gary Roberts and Matt Nichol in hopes of returning to his rookie days (76-22-28-50) with a lot more muscle mass. The training must have had some affect as he is starting the year lined up with world-class sniper Marian Gaborik and playmaking extraordinaire Brad Richards. We cannot forget that John Tortorella is big on the notion of ‘if it’s not working, switch it up!’, so this experiment may only last a little while (already trying Fedotenko/Boyle/Dubinsky with the big two), but if it lasts the year, watch out for a big year from Poland’s finest. NOTE: Wolski is suffering from a groin injury but is expected to practice tomorrow
GP:75/G:18/A:34/P:52/PM:14

Brandon Dubinsky - #2LW – What more can be said about one of the best NHL players in the league every October. Since 2008, Dubinsky has 30 pts in 37 games in Octobers, and only 25 pts in 41 games in March (just a warning to if he has a hot start). Ranger fans worldwide believe he will take his game to the next step this year. He will be on a line with two other young Hartford-bred Rangers, Artem Anisimov and ‘Captain’ Ryan Callahan. With 54 points in 77 games last year, we should see similar production with an upside of 65 points. He will likely take a turn on the revolving door of left wingers with Richards and Gaborik so that’s pretty self-explanatory on what that will do to his numbers.
[B]GP:80/G:25/A:34/P:59/PM:90

Ryan Callahan - #2RW – Named the 26th captain of the New York Rangers this offseason at age 25, it’s easy to see that this guy will be a factor in the Rangers lineup for a long time. He’s a crowd favourite day-in and day-out with his shot-blocking abilities and bone-jarring hits to go along with his tremendous scoring touch. Perhaps a chip of former captain Chris Drury’s shoulder, Callahan has all the intangibles and smarts to be one of the best two-way players in the game. Last season saw him score 23 goals in only 60 games including an assault on the Philadelphia Flyers late in the season scoring four goals. Last season also saw him take just about 3 shots a night compared to his prior 2.6 shots per game. He was second to Dubinsky in Ranger forwards in TOI (19:54), and first in forward PPTOI. He will play the top PP along with Dubinsky/Gaborik/Richards and either Wolski/Del Zotto so his PPP’s should go up big time with the addition of PP spe******t Brad Richards.
GP:78/G:29/A:30/P:59/PM:50

Artem Anisimov - #2C – A tragic offseason for the 2006 second rounder saw his hometown suffer through the loss of its hockey team through a plane crash killing the entire roster. Anisimov no doubt was very upset by all this but his professionalism and maturity has allowed him to overcome this sadness and play the game he loves for the people he loves. Anisimov is slated to center the second line for the Rangers. He managed to finish the season with a modest 12 pts in his last 16 games. He has had a tremendous training camp to go along with his preseason. He spent the offseason training hard and has gained a couple of pounds to go along with his 6ft3 frame. Anisimov is still young at age 23 so it would not be uncommon for him to hang around the same area of production. He will also be centering the second powerplay unit.
GP:82/G:20/A:29/P:49/PM:24

Mats Zuccarello - #3LW – In the last week the Rangers spent time in Europe preparing for the season and the Norwegian Hobbit in his fine European fashion spent it playing terrific hockey on the large-scale ice. His preseason performance allowed the Rangers to waive Sean Avery (as I write this) and we should expect some more consistency from Zuccarello’s game as he is still adapting to North American hockey. Zuccarello is still only 5ft7 and will remain 5ft7 which is a huge drawback on the player he could be. He has incredible poise with the puck and his playmaking abilities are unbelievable. If he is ever lined up with a big-time sniper, he could one day push his game to the 65 point mark.
GP:72/G:11/A:28/P:39/PM:10

Derek Stepan - #3C – The dreaded sophomore slump. This could be what we are saying next April as Stepan has all the makings for it. This year he will be playing third line minutes with the addition of Brad Richards. He will be playing second line powerplay due to the addition of Brad Richards. Basically, Brad Richards hurts his value in the short-term a lot. He won’t be playing any shifts with Gaborik but a slow start from Anisimov could see him playing time on the second line. Stepan took the majority of his faceoffs in the offensive zone last season and only managed 39% on the draws so this year could be more of a ‘learning’ year.
GP:80/G:19/A:23/P:44/PM:24

Brian Boyle – Barb Underhill will be a name that Brian Boyle sends Christmas cards to yearly. The former figure skater helped Boyle return to the player he was once thought to be, and more. Boyle’s skating and defensive play have improved big time along with the big man’s shot. The only trouble this year, like Stepans, is that he will be buried on the depth chart. He will be seeing most of his time with Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle on the unofficial 4th line. He will see around 13-14 minutes TOI instead of last year’s 15:44 so that will cut his production. Don’t expect a 21 goal campaign again, but he should return to around that number as long as he keeps firing the puck on net.
GP:82/G:18/A:15/P:33/PM:70

[littleranger]

Michael Del Zotto #5/6D More gel in his hair than a Grease reunion, Del Zotto is back with the big club and hopes to stick this season. He will start the year on what would appear to be the third pairing with the injury of Marc Staal. His preseason has not been that impressive but his defensive game is steadily rising. It's tough to determine a projection on a player who could be playing big minutes in Connecticut, but he appears to be the Rangers only offensive threat from the back end. That being said, he may see big time on the powerplay right next to Richards or he may run the second unit.
GP:68/G:7/A:22/P:29/PM:34

Dan Girardi - #1/2D - Danny will be entering the 2nd year of his large contract. He was quoted saying when signing that contract that he ˜wants to be a Ranger for life." That bodes well with the fans but what the fans are even more impressed by is his shot blocking (1st in NHL) and defensive talent. Girardi will be used mostly for his defensive talent on the penalty kill and even strength. With the potential that Del Zotto is back, it would likely limit his powerplay minutes to little to none. He is incredible value to the New York Rangers, just not to fantasy leagues that do not include blocked shots.
GP:82/G:5/A:24/P:29/PM:45

Marc Staal- #1/2D - Staal will again eat up the most minutes for the Rangers and will also be wearing the "A" this season. Alarming news for the Rangers and fantasy news is that Staal is currently suffering through post-concussion headaches from brother Eric's hit. If he does in fact miss significant time with the injury it will definitely hurt Lundqvist's numbers and will show up in the win/loss column. He is practicing in Connecticut but will not make the trip to Europe. These lingering effects could be the difference maker in if the Rangers will be a team to beat in the east or just another squeaker into the playoffs.
GP:70/G:6/A:18/P:24/PM:40

Henrik Lundqvist - #1G - One of the elite goalies of the league, Lundqvist will see some less minutes this year with a healthy Martin Biron. This could mean a greater SV% and goals against for Lundqvist as the fatigue always sets in late. He is the king, plain and simple.
W:37/GAA:2:25/SV%:0.925

[Pengwin7]

Well, sh!t... a fan that makes reasonable predictions.
These are excellent. (Throwin' some REP at ya!)

[littleranger]

Hope those who saw my Ranger fantasy projections enjoyed them! Here are some news and notes to keep an eye on for the Rangers:

-The NY Rangers have recalled Tim Erixon. He will practice with the Whale today then head over to Stockholm. Bickel and Bell are set to clear waivers are noon today so I'm guessing this is just a precaution.
-With Staal hurt, Mcdonagh moves up to Girardis pairing so those two are going to play the bulk for the first few games.
-The Rangers do not play until next saturday (Isles) after the 2 games in Europe. So for those who have an injured Wolski, I don't think you should be worried too much.
-My thoughts on Sean Avery: He was cut due to the emergence/impact of Brandon Prust and the signing of Mike Rupp. They get paid less are much more consistent than Avery. Avery was a great Ranger 2-3 years ago but his act is old. I wish him the best.
-While everyone was talking about Avery, Weise was claimed by the Vancouver Canucks. He is as solid a 3rd/4th liner as they come. The Nucks are going to be very happy with him as hes a hard worker and he is NHL ready.
-Staal may be out for the ENTIRE first month according to Glen Sather. Rangers are now talking to Paul Mara who wouldn't come to camp unless he was guarenteed a contract.

Rangers Lines:
-Dubinsky-Richards-Gaborik/
Fedotenko-Anisimov-Callahan/
Wolski-Stepan-Zuccarello/
Prust-Boyle-Rupp with Christensen as the 13th forward.

-->One can only assume Wolski's groin injury is the reason hes not playing top line. He played extremely well with the big two all preseason.

I'm considering starting a twitter account for strictly Ranger updates. If I get any interest I'll do it.

[littleranger]

Marc Staal has officially been placed on the IR. He will at least miss 7 days but it seems like it will be a lot longer. Its really hard to guess when he will be coming back. But as I read on another thread, Lundy won with Malik/Roszival so his numbers shouldn't suffer too bad.

2 more days til the NHL in Europe! I will do a game summary following the game with some pre-game notes.

[donions]

So are you assuming todays lines are just a contingency plan? If Wolski isnt ready to go Dubi steps in? Or is Wolski ready but still destined for the 3rd?

I drafted Wolski for 1 clear purpose haha.

Also, Powerplay guesses?

Callahan Dubi Gaborik
Richards MDZ?

[littleranger]

So are you assuming todays lines are just a contingency plan? If Wolski isnt ready to go Dubi steps in? Or is Wolski ready but still destined for the 3rd?

I drafted Wolski for 1 clear purpose haha.

Also, Powerplay guesses?

Callahan Dubi Gaborik
Richards MDZ?

My guess is Wolski will play either 3rd line or be a scratch in Europe. Thats because hes clearly not 100% and if he plays its just to please his family in attendance. After Europe, I believe that Dubi will go back to Cally and Wolski will be given his regular-season shot on the top line. So yes, a contingency plan.

The last few practices they had had Cally/Dubi/Gabby with Richards and Wolski on the point but that was up until Wolski was hurt. Then DZ played a bit so its really up in the air. The beginning of the game will determine what the PP looks like the rest of the game. Also, as a darkhorse keep a close eye on Zuccarello cause he can play the point on the PP.

My opinion is to hold Wolski and keep a close watch on Del Zotto/Zuccs as once the PP goes a nice 3/5 then Torts will roll with it for a couple weeks.