Month: May 2019

OK, so you’re the Rangers, kind of standing in place until John Davidson assumes the presidency, not that another handful of days or another week or so of waiting will affect the offseason. The meetings have ended and the talent evaluators, including general manager Jeff Gorton, are in Slovakia scouting the World Championships

My sense is that this hiring process is being done on the timetable of Garden CEO Jim Dolan, who may have had the Knicks on his mind this week. My belief is that if Davidson were not coming, he’d have informed the Rangers by now and there would be a scramble to interview alternate candidates. According to all best information available, that is not the case.

Matters have not changed since Apr. 9, the night the Blueshirts secured the second-overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft who is almost certainly going to become Kaapo Kakko. There was the trade for Adam Fox, but all the major decisions lay ahead.

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There is the macro decision about whether the Blueshirts are in position to attempt to accelerate this rebuild by mixing a high-profile veteran or two into a room populated increasingly by Gen Y’s or whether nabbing that No. 2 selection has provided more incentive to let it all grow organically and see where it falls through the season. Folded into that determination — one the president will have the authority to make — are the micro-decisions concerning potential buyouts, the fate of Chris Kreider and the wisdom of going all-in (whatever that exactly would entail) on Artemi Panarin in free agency that have been topics for months.

They’re all hypotheticals at this point. Davidson surely has insight into Panarin that no one currently listed in the New York hierarchy owns, so that input would be invaluable. But as long as we’re talking hypotheticals, here’s one for you:

What if the Rangers could get Evgeni Malkin from the Penguins without sending a young blue chipper back in return? Would you rather have Malkin, 33 on July 31, for the final three years of his contract at a cap hit of $9.5 million per, or would you rather have Panarin, 28 on Oct. 30, for, say seven years at $11 million per? Or a hard pass on both — and on any high-priced free agent — while doubling down on the rebuild?

Now, understand, though there has been chatter surrounding a Malkin move since the Penguins were ignominiously swept by the Islanders, and though Pittsburgh is in need of clearing cap space and an organizational reboot, it is hard to believe GM Jim Rutherford would send away No. 71 without getting a prime young asset or two in the mix.

It is equally difficult to believe that the Rangers would part with any of their most prized possessions — or the 20th-overall pick gained in the Kevin Hayes deal  — in order to acquire Malkin.

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But let’s say the price would be right; a Ryan Strome, a Jimmy Vesey, a Ryan Lindgren; a Yegor Rykov; a Pavel Buchnevich? Wait, Buchnevich? Well, he’s another decision looming, the winger coming up on Group II free agency with arbitration rights. Again, if that’s too much, that’s too much, but he likely would become part of the conversation if Kakko, Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson, Vitali Kravtsov, Libor Hajek, Nils Lundkvist and Fox are quarantined.

We are after all, talking about Malkin, who, though coming off an across the board down year (21-51=72), remains a dynamic presence in the middle and whose addition would elevate the top line/top six. A trade to New York, which he would have to approve given a full no-move clause, would all but certainly reinvigorate one of the very best of his generation.

But are there any circumstances under which the Rangers should be acquiring players of that generation? Aside from his greatness and mean edge—those slew foots probably won’t provoke as much outrage on Broadway if delivered wearing the Blueshirt—there is this: Malkin has played as many as 70 games only once over the last six seasons, three times playing between 57-and-62 matches. Last year, 68.

Then, of course, there is the specter of Panarin, coming off a typically outstanding year (28-59=87 in 79 games), but for whom the Blueshirts will have to outbid competitors expected to include the no-tax state Panthers. Should they just invest all that money—figure a minimum $77 million commitment—when contracts like that now go to players five and six years younger?

Malkin or Panarin?

Or neither of the above.

What say you?

What would say JD?

The Hurricanes are having trouble stomaching their emerging playoff woes.

Or as captain Jason Williams put it after his team fell to the Bruins 6-2 on Sunday:

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“Sometimes you’ve got to eat a poop sandwich. It doesn’t taste good and you have to chew on it for a little bit,” Williams said. “We’ll have to do it for a couple days and get the taste out of our mouth next game.”

The surprise Hurricanes, who disposed of the Islanders to come within one round of the Stanley Cup final, currently find themselves in a 2-0 Eastern Conference Final hole as the series shifts to Carolina.

Before Williams discussed the Hurricanes’ stinky situation, Bruins fans sang a different tune.

With a five-goal, third-period lead and the Bruins still not done scoring, the crowd in TD Garden began a throaty chant of “We want the Cup!”

The next time they see their team, the NHL’s championship trophy might be on the line for real. The Hurricanes are in trouble

Matt Grzelcyk scored twice — his first career multi-goal game — and Tuukka Rask made 21 saves to lead the Bruins.

Connor Clifton had his first career NHL goal — the 19th Bruins player to score this postseason, tying a franchise record. Jake DeBrusk, David Backes and Danton Heinen also connected, and Torey Krug and Charlie Coyle had three assists apiece.

“It does feel contagious,” said Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, whose team won its fifth straight game and needs two more victories to reach the final for the third time in nine seasons. “Everybody’s contributing.”

The series moves to Carolina for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The Hurricanes need to win at least one to force a fifth game back in Boston on Saturday night.

— With AP 

The Hurricanes are having trouble stomaching their emerging playoff woes.

Or as captain Jason Williams put it after his team fell to the Bruins 6-2 on Sunday:

“Sometimes you’ve got to eat a poop sandwich. It doesn’t taste good and you have to chew on it for a little bit,” Williams said. “We’ll have to do it for a couple days and get the taste out of our mouth next game.”

The surprise Hurricanes, who disposed of the Islanders to come within one round of the Stanley Cup final, currently find themselves in a 2-0 Eastern Conference Final hole as the series shifts to Carolina.

Before Williams discussed the Hurricanes’ stinky situation, Bruins fans sang a different tune.

With a five-goal, third-period lead and the Bruins still not done scoring, the crowd in TD Garden began a throaty chant of “We want the Cup!”

The next time they see their team, the NHL’s championship trophy might be on the line for real. The Hurricanes are in trouble

Matt Grzelcyk scored twice — his first career multi-goal game — and Tuukka Rask made 21 saves to lead the Bruins.

Connor Clifton had his first career NHL goal — the 19th Bruins player to score this postseason, tying a franchise record. Jake DeBrusk, David Backes and Danton Heinen also connected, and Torey Krug and Charlie Coyle had three assists apiece.

“It does feel contagious,” said Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, whose team won its fifth straight game and needs two more victories to reach the final for the third time in nine seasons. “Everybody’s contributing.”

The series moves to Carolina for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The Hurricanes need to win at least one to force a fifth game back in Boston on Saturday night.

— With AP 

The Boston Bruins (-155) beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-2, on Thursday night to take a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals. If you watched, you know that the game was much closer than the final score suggests. Carolina was the more aggressive team much of the night. Boston pulled away in the third period thanks to two power-play goals and an empty-netter.

The Western Finals begin Saturday (NBC, 8 p.m.) when the St. Louis Blues visit the San Jose Sharks. San Jose will likely close in the -130 to -140 range in Game 1, closer to -130 for the series. (Boston entered its series at -160 to advance.)

If you’re a longtime hockey bettor, you know margins can be razor thin in the playoffs. Teams do their best in a parity-packed sport to create opportunities, then cash them in. Upsets in games and series are common.

Underdog bettors have gotten the best of it so far this postseason. The top point earners from the regular season in each conference, Tampa Bay and Calgary, were eliminated in the first round. Respected contenders Pittsburgh and Vegas also were knocked out early.

A stat that captures the tightness of playoff hockey is “expected goals.” We tabulated second-round totals from data at hockey analytics website Natural Stat Trick:

• Boston outscored Columbus, 18-11, but the Blue Jackets actually owned “expected goals” 16.66 to 15.59. Great defense and goaltending from the Bruins helped overcome a virtual dead heat in flow of play.
• The Hurricanes outscored the Islanders, 13-5, but the Isles won “expected goals” 11.62 to 11.29. There was not enough punch in the Islanders’ lineup to find the back of the net. Carolina was nowhere near as dominant as a sweep would suggest.
• The Sharks outscored the Avalanche, 20-18, on a similar “expected goals” count of 21.08 to 20.21.
• The Blues outscored the Stars, 18-17, but should have been more dominant with an “expected goals” edge of 20.60 to 16.92.

All four survivors struggled on power plays in the last round: Boston 3-for-21, San Jose 2-for-19, St. Louis 2-for-22, Carolina 1-for-13. Such a dynamic helps keep games close.

Teams that had earned home-ice advantage were given slight nods in futures prices to win the Stanley Cup. Here were odds entering the conference finals from the Westgate in Las Vegas, along with equivalent win percentages: Boston 9/5 (36 percent), San Jose 12/5 (29 percent), St. Louis 11/4 (27 percent), Carolina 4/1 (20 percent). (Those add up to 112 percent because sports books build a universe larger than 100 percent to create a house edge.)

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Quick quiz.

Multiple choice.

The Rangers would be better off by, a) Having Mats Zuccarello re-up with Dallas so the Blueshirts get the Stars’ 2020 first-rounder; or, b) Bringing the Norwegian back as a free agent and naming him captain after signing the 33-year-old to, say, a four-year deal worth $5.75 million per with a no-move clause that guarantees protection in the 2021 Seattle expansion draft.

You know by now that the Blueshirts did not wind up with a third 2019 first-rounder when the Stars were unable to seal the deal in St. Louis, falling 2-1 in Game 7 double overtime when a victory would have yielded Dallas’ first as one of the conditions of the Feb. 23 Zuccarello deal. Instead, that pick becomes a second-rounder.

Thus, the Rangers now own a pair of first-rounders (their own at second-overall and Winnipeg’s at either 19th-overall if Colorado eliminated San Jose on Wednesday or 20th if Colorado was eliminated) plus a pair of second-rounders (Dallas’s at 49th and Tampa Bay’s at 58th). That’s set.

But adding the Stars’ first for 2020 remains a possibility that would come to fruition if Zuccarello, who meshed beautifully with his teammates from the first moment he slipped into the club’s green duds and recorded 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 13 playoff contests, signs an extension or new deal to remain in no-state-tax Dallas. If No. 36 signs elsewhere as a free agent, the Rangers will get the Stars’ 2020 third-rounder.

So even if the Rangers do have positive thoughts about a reunion, would it make any sense for general manager Jeff Gorton to speak with Zuccarello during the late June, pre-signing interview period and indicate such interest when it could come at the cost of a first-rounder? Would the Blueshirts actually attempt to compete with Dallas for Zuccarello?

Actually, Zuccarello’s unrestricted free agency is somewhat restricted by the trade conditions. Twenty-nine teams can sign him without penalty, but one team (Dallas) would have to pay compensation at the rate of a first-rounder to sign him and another (the Rangers) could stand to lose a first-rounder by signing him.

The same dynamics, by the way, exist for Matt Duchene, who had similar conditions attached to his trade to Columbus from Ottawa. This is something the NHLPA, if not the NHL, might want to review heading into the next round of collective-bargaining negotiations.

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By all accounts, Zuccarello has been extremely happy in Dallas. The absence of state taxes helps both the club and the player in negotiating a deal. The Stars do not appear to have an expansion-draft protection problem that would prevent the club from giving the winger the no-move clause he undoubtedly would request. Plus, the Stars, who had missed the playoffs eight of the previous 10 years, seem close to winning, with Zuccarello almost instantly becoming one of the club’s most important and popular players.

Zuccarello’s history with Rangers management is mixed. The winger was hardballed by then-GM Glen Sather at the 2015 trade deadline into accepting a below-market four-year, $16 million extension under the threat of being dealt, and then was not offered an extension prior to 2018-19.

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Instead, the Norwegian operated throughout the year as trade fodder, the uncertainty and perceived indignity of it all major factors in his unhappy and unproductive first four months, in which he posted 15 points (4-11) in 30 games while missing 13 matches with groin issues.

So as much as Zuccarello might love and miss New York, the prospect of No. 36 accepting any type of discount to return to the Rangers would appear mighty slim. It seems equally unlikely that the Rangers would go as long as four years on an offer for Zuccarello, even absent expansion-draft considerations or trade conditions.

If talks were to break down with the Stars and Zuccarello hits the open market on July 1, the Rangers would probably get involved, but it is very difficult to envision a scenario in which they are high bidders.

Quick quiz.

Multiple choice.

Or, c) Zuccarello signs with the Flyers or Islanders.

How about that one?

The same thing Lou Lamoriello was most proud of about this year’s Islanders team is the same thing the players better be prepared for when training camp opens in September.

“Extremely proud, for a lot of different reasons. I think the receptiveness they had to change,” the first-year team president said during Monday’s breakup day on Long Island. “You can either challenge change or you can embrace it. They embraced it.”

Well, the changes are more than likely going to keep coming, as there are a handful of impact players from this year’s team that exited in a second-round sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes who are entering free agency. Most notably, those are captain Anders Lee, fellow forwards Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson, and Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner. Lamoriello expressed interest in keeping all of them — albeit in his expertly measured way.

“They did a tremendous job this year, and we’re going to have to see exactly how we can fit them all in. We’d like them back, without question,” Lamoriello said. “But they have to make decisions and we have to make decisions.”

Of course, there are other players on the free-agent market who Lamoriello would also love to bring in, chief among them Blue Jackets’ winger Artemi Panarin. With a desperate need for more high-end skill up-front, Panarin could be the game-breaking talent that could have helped this team get over the rust accumulated during its 10-day break between their first-round sweep of the Penguins and the start of their second round.

“Obviously if you look at the playoffs, we need a little more pop up-front,” first-year coach Barry Trotz said. “I think all year we knew that. That’s hopefully coming in the draft a little bit, through some of the kids. Free agency, obviously Lou will be looking at that. And our own free agents, and go from there.”

If there is more skill up-front, that might allow Trotz to loosen the reins a little on the tight defensive system that was run with aplomb for most of the season. Continuing to play that way might grow tiresome on some people, including the biggest talent on the roster in 21-year-old center Mat Barzal.

“Got to understand it’s a business and that things happen,” said Barzal, who spent most of the second half of the season on a line with Lee and Eberle. “I would love to have those guys back and fight for the playoffs again.”

Lee, who will turn 29 on July 3, expressed his interest in staying, having completed a down year statistically but a big year while the “C” was sewn to his sweater.

“It’s new to me, and it’s a process I haven’t gone through before. You just want to do whatever’s right,” Lee said. “When you try to do the right thing, you normally always do. That’s how I’ve always approached everything, always try to do things the right way.That’s no different than this situation.”

Eberle seems to be the one who might get better offers elsewhere that he can’t refuse, while Nelson and Lehner are toss-ups. It was a huge bounce-back year for Lehner in terms of his getting his personal life back in order following a stint in rehab for substance abuse and mental illness, and he was certainly grateful for the opportunity.

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The 27-year-old Swede said he thinks his best days as a goalie are still in front of him, and was definitive when asked if he wanted to return.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “I can’t say enough. I love this team, I love everything about everything around.. … I’ve been very vocal about the situation here, but you never know with sports. I can only hope, and we’ll see what happens.”

So change sits on the horizon, as does the prospect of the new building at Belmont Park actually beginning construction — something Lamoriello was steadfast in his belief (and knowledge) would get done. The roster is something else entirely, and Lamoriello has never been one for complacency.

“We still have a ways to go,” he said. “There is only one thing you strive for and that’s the ultimate — that’s winning.”

The Eastern Conference finals won’t just be a showdown on the ice. The seven-game series already has a rivalry off of it, between media members of the Bruins and Hurricanes.

Boston radio host Fred Toettcher, co-host of the “Toucher & Rich” show on WBZ-FM in Boston, abruptly hung up on a Hurricanes reporter, cutting him off and saying, “I just can’t listen to a guy with a Southern accent talk hockey.”

Chip Alexander, a writer for the Raleigh News and Observer, was talking about how Carolina turned its season around, pointing to the Hurricanes finding a way to score more goals. That’s when Toettcher ended the interview.

When “Toucher & Rich” previewed an upcoming interview, Alexander wrote, “Try not to hang up on him.”

Maybe after the series is over, the two media members can talk again.

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Depending on your outlook, this could be good news or bad news for the Rangers.

Mats Zuccarello sounds like he wants to remain in Dallas, which — provided the Stars, too, want him back — would give the Rangers the Stars’ 2020 first-round pick. But it means the popular forward wouldn’t be returning to Broadway.

“This is my team now. We’ll see what’s going on,” he told Dallas reporters Thursday, two days after the Stars were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 7 by the Blues. “I’m kind of a guy when someone believes in you and wants you, I usually like that. We’ll see.”

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The Stars believed in him, and he justified that belief with 11 points in 13 playoff games.

The Rangers traded the 31-year-old in late February for two draft picks — a second-rounder in 2019 and a third-rounder in 2020 that becomes a first-rounder if Dallas re-signs the 31-year-old Norwegian.

Of course, other teams could swoop in, too. But if Zuccarello has his way, it appears the Rangers would have a first-rounder and not their fan favorite.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Signed, sealed and now all that’s left for Igor Shesterkin and Vitali Kravtsov is to deliver the difference-making performances the Rangers expect when they arrive in New York.

Of course the Blueshirts aren’t expecting an immediate impact from the two Russians who on Friday made it official by signing three-year entry contracts a couple of days after their commitments to the KHL expired but big things are anticipated down the line.

Shesterkin, 23, has achieved near mythical status throughout Rangerstown off a succession of stunning seasons in Russia, going 24-3-1 with 10 shutouts this year with SKA while leading the KHL with a 1.11 GAA and .953 save pct. He is expected to participate at the Rangers prospect camp that will commence June 24 at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, as construction continues on the club’s training facility in Tarrytown.

The 6-1, 187 goaltender — actually small by current standards — has an assignment clause in his contract that would allow him to return to the KHL if his game does not translate and he somehow becomes stuck in Hartford for the long haul. It is understood that Shesterkin, who is expected to compete with Alex Georgiev for the spot behind/beside Henrik Lundqvist, would report to the AHL Wolf Pack if a North American apprenticeship is required.

Shesterkin was selected in the fourth round, 114th overall, in 2014. The Rangers drafted seven players that year, with Brandon Halverson’s 12:33 of relief action on Feb. 17, 2018 representing the lone NHL game of that group. Until now.

Kravtsov, the somewhat controversial ninth-overall selection a year ago immediately ahead of BC sniper Oliver Wahlstrom, is expected to compete for a spot on the wing following a KHL season in which the 19-year-old led all Under-20s with eight goals, 13 assists and 21 points. The 21 points represent the ninth-highest single season mark by a KHL teenager. A lefty shooter who has played primarily on the right, the winger also has a European assignment clause in case he gets bogged down for an extended period in Hartford. He is expected to attend prospect camp for the second time.

Shesterkin signed a two-year contract and Kravtsov a three-year entry-level deal, both maxed out at $925,000 per plus bonuses.

Yegor Rykov, the 22-year-old lefty defenseman the Blueshirts acquired from New Jersey in the Michael Grabner deal just before the 2018 deadline, is expected to remain in the KHL, though the Rangers are in continuing dialog with him and his representative.

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The same thing Lou Lamoriello was most proud of about this year’s Islanders team is the same thing the players better be prepared for when training camp opens in September.

“Extremely proud, for a lot of different reasons. I think the receptiveness they had to change,” the first-year team president said during Monday’s breakup day on Long Island. “You can either challenge change or you can embrace it. They embraced it.”

Well, the changes are more than likely going to keep coming, as there are a handful of impact players from this year’s team that exited in a second-round sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes who are entering free agency. Most notably, those are captain Anders Lee, fellow forwards Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson, and Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner. Lamoriello expressed interest in keeping all of them — albeit in his expertly measured way.

“They did a tremendous job this year, and we’re going to have to see exactly how we can fit them all in. We’d like them back, without question,” Lamoriello said. “But they have to make decisions and we have to make decisions.”

Of course, there are other players on the free-agent market who Lamoriello would also love to bring in, chief among them Blue Jackets’ winger Artemi Panarin. With a desperate need for more high-end skill up-front, Panarin could be the game-breaking talent that could have helped this team get over the rust accumulated during its 10-day break between their first-round sweep of the Penguins and the start of their second round.

“Obviously if you look at the playoffs, we need a little more pop up-front,” first-year coach Barry Trotz said. “I think all year we knew that. That’s hopefully coming in the draft a little bit, through some of the kids. Free agency, obviously Lou will be looking at that. And our own free agents, and go from there.”

If there is more skill up-front, that might allow Trotz to loosen the reins a little on the tight defensive system that was run with aplomb for most of the season. Continuing to play that way might grow tiresome on some people, including the biggest talent on the roster in 21-year-old center Mat Barzal.

“Got to understand it’s a business and that things happen,” said Barzal, who spent most of the second half of the season on a line with Lee and Eberle. “I would love to have those guys back and fight for the playoffs again.”

Lee, who will turn 29 on July 3, expressed his interest in staying, having completed a down year statistically but a big year while the “C” was sewn to his sweater.

“It’s new to me, and it’s a process I haven’t gone through before. You just want to do whatever’s right,” Lee said. “When you try to do the right thing, you normally always do. That’s how I’ve always approached everything, always try to do things the right way.That’s no different than this situation.”

Eberle seems to be the one who might get better offers elsewhere that he can’t refuse, while Nelson and Lehner are toss-ups. It was a huge bounce-back year for Lehner in terms of his getting his personal life back in order following a stint in rehab for substance abuse and mental illness, and he was certainly grateful for the opportunity.

see also

Islanders facing an Anders Lee conundrum

The assumption was that Islanders team president Lou Lamoriello would…

The 27-year-old Swede said he thinks his best days as a goalie are still in front of him, and was definitive when asked if he wanted to return.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “I can’t say enough. I love this team, I love everything about everything around.. … I’ve been very vocal about the situation here, but you never know with sports. I can only hope, and we’ll see what happens.”

So change sits on the horizon, as does the prospect of the new building at Belmont Park actually beginning construction — something Lamoriello was steadfast in his belief (and knowledge) would get done. The roster is something else entirely, and Lamoriello has never been one for complacency.

“We still have a ways to go,” he said. “There is only one thing you strive for and that’s the ultimate — that’s winning.”