Decisions, Headaches, and Bad Breaks

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Written on 9/21/2010 by Jim Cerny

The first nine pre-season games get underway today---including Vancouver hosting Calgary and Calgary hosting Vancouver in "split-squad" contests---so let's recap and update the biggest stories so far from training camps around the NHL.

All About Kovie
Ilya Kovalchuk's contract saga and battle with the league over term, amount, and structure of said contract with New Jersey was the biggest story of the off-season. Now his mere presence in Devils camp is the biggest story, so far, early in the pre-season. Choose your angle, because either is a major story. First, carrying Kovie's cap-heavy pact is going to force the Devils to unload some salary, meaning that someone (or more likely, more than one player) sweating alongside Kovalchuk while skating suicides in camp will be gone by time New Jersey drops the puck for real on October 8. Makes for a bit of an uncomfotable situation, wouldn't you say? Kovie's presence clearly makes New Jersey a better team. But they will lose valuable depth if a Bryce Salvador and/or Dainius Zubrus is purged to make room for that hefty cap hit. The second big story is Kovie switching to right wing at coach John Maclean's behest to skate on an imposing top line with Zach Parise on left wing and Travis Zajac at center. What Maclean is doing here is creating options. If Kovie is comfortable on the right side, this threesome could form the most explosive line in the NHL, whether they stay together every shift, only play that way on the power play, or are used together as an option late in close games. Good aggressive thinking by the new bench boss in Jersey.

Savard's Concussion Rocks Bruins
There was much talk all summer about Marc Savard, most of it centering on his big contract, whether it could be voided a-la Ilya Kovalchuk, or whether the Bruins might be seeking to trade the veteran to create some salary cap space. Not much of the news involved speculation as to whether or not Savard had fully recovered from the concussion he suffered last March when Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke viciously elbowed him in the head. Yet Savard showed up at B's camp unable to play, complaining of concussion-like symptoms, leaving a gaping hole atop the depth chart at center. You could argue that the Bruins were preparing for playing without Savard anyway if they were considering dealing him during the summer. But a deal involving Savard would have come with a plan---receiving another center in return, make another trade, sign a free agent. There was no back-up plan for Savard arrving at camp unable to play. 18 year-old Tyler Seguin one day might be a star NHL player, but he is not going to be a top-line, or second-line, center for a Cup-contending team, as Boston is, this season. It's easier to fill that role on a rebuilding team, like the situation top pick Taylor Hall finds himself in with the Edmonton Oilers. So can David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron carry the load as the top two centers? That's somewhat of a leap of faith, especially because Bergeron has never approached his back-to-back 70+ point seasons in '05-'06 and '06-'07 after being injured the following season. Not to be crass, but the one positive, from a business point of view, is that Savard's salary will not count against the cap if he lands on Injured Reserve. Small consolation.

Injuries
Rangers captain Chris Drury broke his left index finger; Senators defenseman Filip Kuba broke his right leg; Blue Jackets defenseman Kris Russel sprained his right knee. And those are just the most major injuries to the bigger names so far in training camp. Of the three, Kuba's injury is the most severe, and he will miss 5-6 weeks of action, leaving a fairly sizeable hole on the Sens blueline in the process. Of course Ottawa learned to play a bit without Kuba in the lineup last year, too. But his is a big loss to start the season considering that he eats up 23 minutes of ice-time a night. Depending upon how long he is out the lineup, Russel's injury could increase the number of Sheldon Souray-to-Columbus trade rumors that have been flying about of late. His loss is frustrating because the Blue Jackets were very eager to get an early look to see if the 23 year-old was going to break-out a bit offensively in this, his fourth NHL season. As for Drury, his broken finger should sideline him 3-4 weeks. Since the Rangers have a very light schedule to open up the season, he may miss only a game or two or three. "Knowing him, I bet he'll be back by the start of the season," said teammate Tim Kennedy. I wouldn't bet against that either. Remember how he played with that broken hand against the Caps in the playoffs two years ago? Drury will do whatever it takes to be on the ice opening night in Buffalo. And his absence in the pre-season will afford several players who are battling for roster spots the opportunity to play a bit more in scrimmages and games, giving the coaches more of a look. "It's not like I have to go away for three weeks and stay out of the building," said Drury. "I'll be here every day and certainly won't miss a beat. It is what it is and I'll do whatever I can to get back."

Pre-season games start this evening, and new stories will develop by the day.

Stay tuned....

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Things I've Learned, So Far

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Written on 9/18/2010 by Jim Cerny

It's been only two days---and keep in mind that not one puck has even been tossed onto the ice yet as the team has focused on conditioning tests instead of actual hockey---but here are a few random observations from the start of Rangers training camp:

Torts is Intrigued with Derek Stepan:
The 20 year-old center was "the best player I saw" at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament last week, according to Rangers coach John Tortorella. And the former University of Wisconsin star has done nothing but impress, so far, in his first NHL training camp, excelling during the conditioning tests and striking an extremely confident---yet not cocky nor arrogant---demeanor. Now Torts has tabbed Stepan to center star wings Marian Gaborik and Alexander Frolov during the camp's first scrimmage on Sunday. Clearly a case of "Let's see what the kid's got". It will make for some interesting decision making for the Rangers if Stepan shows over the next two weeks that he is capable of skipping the minors and heading straight to Broadway. "I only focus on what I can control, play my game. It's great to hear those things (from Tortorella), but in the end you have to still compete to the best of your abilities every day," Stepan told me. His maturity is way ahead of his years. Keep an eye on this kid.

Boyle and Gilroy Got the Message
Center Brian Boyle and defenseman Matt Gilroy had to know that Tortorella was less than thrilled with their play by the conclusion of the 2009-10 season. Boyle, an effective penalty killer, had become of less and less use to the head coach as his four-goal, six-point season was not where Tortorella envisioned his numbers to be. But at least Boyle remained in the lineup as the fourth-line center, except when sidelined by a late-season back injury. Gilroy, the rookie former Hobey Baker Award winner, lost his coach's trust and was a healthy scratch the final eight games of a season in which he tallied 4 goals and 15 points, and struggled in his own end. "I learned that I never want to be in that position again, sitting and watching," said Gilroy. It's obvious that both Boyle and Gilroy worked extremely hard this summer to improve their lot and standing with Tortorella. Boyle has worked extensively with Barbara Underhill, the noted power-skating coach and former Canadian Olympian, and the difference in his skating---and confidence---is quite evident. He looked terrific during the testing, and really stood out in the informal scrimmages the players put together prior to the start of camp. Gilroy also is in terrific shape and his skating---the strength of his game---has been noticeably better than most in camp. These two clearly understand that their jobs are on the line. And, so far, they have answered the bell. Now let's see how they stack up when the scrimmages and pre-season games start up.

Redden's Clean Slate
Tortorella sent the players a letter this summer stating that everyone has a "clean slate" entering this season, no matter their prior track record. If any player needs to wipe the slate clean with Torts it's veteran defenseman Wade Redden. With his sub-par play and salary cap-killing contract, it has been widely speculated that Redden may be sent to Hartford so that his salary comes off the cap. To his credit, Redden---an extremely decent and respectful person caught in an unenviable situation---was a regular at the pre-camp workouts and his conditioning looks solid. Now will he really receive a fair shake during camp? "That's another challenge trying to leave (his posisble demotion) to the side," explained Redden on Friday. "There's nothing that can be done about that. It doesn't help to dwell on those things. They're going to make the best decision they feel is right for the team, and I want it to be with me in the first lineup of the year."

Biron Is Still Talking
No matter when you read this entry, there's a good chance that Marty Biron is still talking. To someone. Anyone. Somewhere. Anywhere. One of the most personable players in the entire NHL, Biron just loves to talk, and laugh, and tell stories. "He almost couldn't breathe he was so out of breath, but yet he was still talking, telling us stories," laughed Chad Johnson, the Rangers No. 3 goalie on the depth chart behind Henrik Lundqvist and Biron, recounting how Marty chatted up his fellow goalies after their brutal 3-lap sprint test Friday afternoon. "He is such a great guy." His locker will be a destination for me all season long, no question about that. Andrew Gross of The Bergen Record said the other day that the annual Good Guy Award should be handed to Biron already. There's no reason to seek out other candidates throughout the season. Amen!

Dylan McIlrath is a Man-Child
The Rangers top pick in the 2010 draft did not look like such a great skater during the club's mini camp for prospects back in July. Gordie Clark, the Rangers Director of Player Personnel, explained that McIlrath had been off skates for weeks, so cut him some slack. Gordie was right. McIlrath has shown a much more fluid skating style so far in this training camp, and he is clearly in outstanding physical condition. He crushed Saturday's sprint tests. As others around him gasped for breath or dropped to their knees from fatigue, it appeared that McIlrath's chest was barely heaving. "Piece of cake," said McIlrath. Ahhh, to be 18 years old! Now let's see how he looks with Gaborik skating full speed at him!! As an aside, prospects Ethan Werek and Tomas Kundratek also absolutely crushed the conditioning tests. Werek was a beast with his intense approach. "I don't know how to pace myself," explained Werek. Sounds like Torts' kind of guy.

Time now for drills, practices, scrimmages, and pre-season games. And some big-time decisions for the coaching staff.

"Now it's time to do what we came here for," said defenseman Marc Staal (photo above).

Follow Me on Twitter at: @jimcerny and @thenyrangers

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Gone Camping!

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Written on 9/17/2010 by Jim Cerny

So often throughout the course of the year you hear fans---or media---or players---or even coaches---complain about how long the National Hockey League season drags on.

Funny then how everyone connected to hockey seems to be so over-the-top excited that training camps FINALLY opened up today!

I mean REALLY over-the-top excited.

My e-mail and Twitter messages have absolutely blown up the past week or so in anticipation of today. And then today, the actual official start to the long grind as it so often referred to, hockey folk have been scrounging for every morsel they can find on the 'net or through any and every social media outlet in creation.

And you know what? I think it's awesome. Because I am as fired up as you.

It doesn't matter how many training camps I have covered, it just doesn't get old for me. Doesn't matter that I spent about five hours today watching 60 New York Rangers take part in coach John Tortorella's exhausting conditioning drills without ever once seeing a puck on the ice. In fact, no pucks until Sunday! But bring it on, hockey is back!

Rangers center Brian Boyle really summed up what so many NHL players and prospects feel heading into camp when he told me today, "The worst part of training camp is the night before because you are so anxious. I just love being out here with the guys, even when we're doing these tough tests. That's better than the waiting. The night before is just so tough."

Similar sentimants have been shared through Twitter-land the past 24 hours. Blues defenseman Erik Johnson (@ErikJohnson6) Tweeted last night about sharing a spaghetti dinner with a few of his 'mates and how excited they were for the start of camp. Matt Moulson of the Islanders (@mmoulson) shared similar feelings of being excited to get camp started last night. And today the likes of Atlanta's Evander Kane (@EKaneAtl9) and Bobby Ryan of Anaheim (@b_ryan9) Tweeted stories from the first day of training camp, including Ryan's joy that his stationary bike broke down just in time to wipe out his conidtioning test for the day!

My Inbox and Twitter messages overflowed today because the fans are just as hungry---if not more so---as the players for the NHL season to get underway. My fellow writers on the Rangers beat, like Steve Zipay of Newsday and Andrew Gross of The Bergen Record and Jesse Spector of The NY Daily News, worked their fingers numb Tweeting, blogging, and writing the latest news today.

And did I mention already that no hockey actually took place? Just physicals, conditioning tests, and speaking with the media (see Sidney Crosby photo). That's all. And you out there still clamored for every hint of information.

I think that's pretty cool.

Here's to a great grind of a season!

Follow me on Twitter at: @jimcerny and @thenyrangers

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Gaborik Scrimmages as Rangers Trim 20 From Roster

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Written on 9/17/2009 by Jim Cerny

Long day, and a busy one at that, here at the MSG Training Facility.

In the morning, high-flying winger Marian Gaborik took part in his first scrimmage of Rangers training camp. Though he didn't go full throttle due to his sore groin, Gaborik still looked good, even scoring a goal against Henrik Lundqvist.

Perhaps equally as important as playing in the scrimmage was the fact that Gaborik then followed up by participating in an hour-long practice, and reported no issues with the groin.

"I watch the scrimmages and I watch the games, and I want to be out there," explained Gaborik, who will definitely sit out Friday's pre-season tilt in Detroit and likely Saturday's in Boston, too. "This is a new team for me, so I definitely want to get out there and get to know the guys on the ice, and just be a part of it. So today, I had fun out there."

Rangers coach John Tortorella was pleased to have Gaborik on the ice for a third straight day, and taking part in a scrimmage for the first time. He also explained that he respects Gaborik, and the star's battle with hip/groin injuries in the past, though he is also trying to gauge when to push him and when to pull back.

"With Gabby I think it's him feeling mentally comfortable with it," noted Tortorella. "He skated well, and it was good to see him scrimmage today....we have time here...so hopefully we can be smart here and get him geared up for that opener."

Gaborik is not the only player who will miss Friday's game against the Red Wings. The Rangers trimmed the roster by 20 players today, with five others---forwards Tyler Arnason, Dane Byers, Patrick Rissmiller, Corey Locke, and Jordan Owens---continuing training camp in Hartford so that they do not have to clear waivers just yet.

No surprises as youngsters like Ryan Bourque, Scott Stajcer, Roman Horak, and Ethan Werek were returned to their Junior teams.

Among the bigger names sent to Hartford, the club's AHL affiliate, were defenseman Mike Sauer---whom many thought heading into camp had a legitimate shot as a 6th or 7th blueliner---and forward Dane Byers.

Tortorella clearly stated, however, that just because a player is sent to Hartford, it doesn't mean "out of sight, out of mind". Those players will still be evaluated and could work their way back into the mix at the NHL level.

Ten defensemen remain on the roster. Four---Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden, Marc Staal, and Dan Girardi---are veterans with locks on NHL jobs. 25 year-old rookie Matt Gilroy is among a group of prospects still battling for the other two or three spots, and he has been very impressive so far in the pre-season---just check out his highlight-reel goal last night against the Devils.

2008 first rounder Michael Del Zotto is making a spirited run at a spot on the varsity. Bobby Sanguinetti (another former first round pick) and Finnish import Ilkka Heikkinen will make their pre-season debuts this weekend, and Corey Potter remains in the mix, too, along with veteran camp invitee Alexei Semenov.

Four goalies remain---largely for practice and game purposes. Lundqvist and Steve Valiquette will form the NHL tandem come October. But Chad Johnson, the rookie from Alaska-Fairbanks who played well last night in Newark, has impressed enough to hang on a bit longer, along with Matt Zaba.

There are 15 forwards left vying for 12 or 13 spots. The biggest surprise of those remaining is Paul Crowder, a star at Alaska-Anchorage, who turned pro last spring. Expect a fierce battle between the likes of Brian Boyle, Aaron Voros, Evgeny Grachev, PA Parenteau, and Crowder for those final few roster spots up front.

I spoke to Boyle this afternoon, and he said he learned from overanalyzing and worrying about his situation last year with the LA Kings. So this year he is more calm, worrying less, and playing better. He also credits Tortorella for communicating effectively with him throughout camp and for playing him in big spots last night against the Devils.

"I let that affect me last year, kind of looking over my shoulder, and I'm not going to do that this year," said Boyle. "If I worry about it, I get in my own head too much. If I keep working hard, like I have been doing, I think I'll give myself a really good shot."

I'll have a full story on today's activity at newyorkrangers.com later on this evening. 

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