Ryan Hollweg	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	+/-	PIM
Regular Season	78	1	2	3	-11	131
Playoffs	2	0	0	0	-1	2

This is how Dictionary.com defines the term “role player”…

role player
n.

1. One who assumes or acts out a particular role.
2. One who engages in role-playing.
3. Sports A team athlete who plays mainly in specific situations.

So I look at that definition, I look at Ryan Hollweg when he is on the ice, and I think to myself, what are my fellow Ranger fans looking for more?

Answering that question is fairly simply, you only need go back a few days and look at my review for Jed Ortmeyer. The fact of the matter folks, is the Rangers probably have one of the 3 deepest farm systems, completely loaded with kids who not only can be role players, but who can bring some offensive finish, and some defensive presence. Lets face the facts here guys, Ryan is an agitator, who throws punishing body checks, but thats literally all he brings to the table. He is not gifted offensively, nor defensively. He can’t player the power play, nor can he kill penalties. He doesn’t have a good shot, he doesn’t have good vision, all he can do is skate, and hit. Which is a nice combination to have, but is his presence necessary?

My answer for this year is yes. We still have a lot of guys that are “wussies”. They don’t play physical, they don’t really stand up for themselves, they are finesse players (Jagr, Gomez, Straka, etc) who need protection from below. Colton Orr and Ryan Hollweg help to do that. However, as this team develops, as we start introducing guys like Sauer, Staal (not a fighter, but isnt afraid of physical contact), Dupont, Jessiman (oh yes, he will be a Ranger), Dubinsky, Korpikoski, etc we will see a lineup that may not be the best fighters, but who, almost to a man, stand up for each other, and can handle the physical play, and even give a little of it back. However, this is not for this year, this is for NEXT year and beyond. So while Ryan is definitely needed for this upcoming season since most of our kids are simply not ready, he can see very clearly the writing on the wall. Expect him to be dealt next offseason, or even as early as the trade deadline. He won’t be on the roster come 2008-2009.

-Inferno

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Ryan Callahan	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	+/-	PIM
Regular Season	14	4	2	6	+5	9
Playoffs	10	2	1	3	+1	6

I must admit, I am fairly confused, so this will be one of the harder writeups to do. Why am I confused? That’s a good question. I’m confused because my metrics of Callahan seem fairly accurate on how I would rate the different aspects of his game, but when i look at this full package together, it just seems too high a rating for the kid. Know what I mean? I mean, he skates very well, but hes not the best on the team. He plays hard in both ends of the ice, but hes not a defensive wiz. He’s willing to drop the gloves and throw a hit, but would you consider him a physical player?

Color me confused. This is probably one of those guys you just have a hard time gauging. Unfortunately for me, this goes back before he ever made it to the NHL. When I saw Callahan in Hartford, I thought to myself, here is a guy who really doesnt do anything spectacularly. He clearly has a nice shot, but no other aspects of his game REALLY stand out. Like take Petr Prucha for instance, his intensity and aggression coupled with a wicked shot are his stand out points. Nylander has his vision and stickhandling, Straka has speed and heart, Jagr..well, hes Jaromir freaking Jagr. So I was watching this guy, and despite him scoring lots of goals it seemed like he never really took over a game, just was there at the right place at the right time. So I labeled him a borderline NHL player. Go ahead, finish laughing it up, I was clearly wrong about him. Ryan Callahan much like Wayne Gretzky prove one thing, hockey is as much a cerebral game as it is a physical game, and the thing Cally has in spades is hockey sense. He seems to know exactly how the play is going to develop way before anyone else. He just always seems to be right in the thick of the action, seemingly appearing outta nowhere.

Much like Chris Drury, having this ability can lead to longevity in this league, and to being a winner. Thats another thing I get the sense of when I see this kid. He just seems like a winner. Like when he sets his sights on something, nothing is going to stand in his way. Thats a good thing for sure, and a thing I hope Drury can further bring out in Cally.

This should be a break out year for Callahan. Although he should see minimal power play time, expect him to put up ~20 goals. 20 even strength goals from your third line right winger can be HUGE. I look forward to being wrong about this kid for a long, long time.

-Inferno

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Jed Ortmeyer	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	+/-	PIM
Regular Season	41	2	9	11	+7	22
Playoffs	9	0	0	0	-1	2

Ok, so I want you to close your eyes. Well, maybe you shouldnt close your eyes since you cant read the rest of my instructions… Ok, PRETEND to close your eyes. Now, in your minds eye I want you to imagine a hockey team filled with a bunch of lazy schlubs. Guys who are playing to pick up a gigantic paycheck, who show no heart or desire whatsoever. A team so wrought with mercenaries that you feel like booing them every second they are out there. Ok, so you have this horrendous team, when suddenly something jumps out at you. You have this guy, playing among these superstars who plays with heart, who plays with passion, who lives and dies with every shift, who jumps in front of pucks like its game 7 of the Stanley Cup championship (or the championship for the Goblet of Stanley for our Russian friends out there). This guy skates hard, and although he doesn’t have a lick of talent, he stands out amongst the mercenaries as a home grown symbol of what could be.

Now, you probably can see where this is going, but bear with me. Fast forward to present day. You have a lineup from top to bottom where guys like Brendan Shanahan, a vet, who is willing to do exactly the same things, but with goal scoring and other “tangibles”. Youve got guys like Martin Straka who can skate faster, play as defensively responsible a game, and who plays with a heart the size of Kansas. Youve also got home grown kids like Lundqvist, Prucha, Callahan, Tyutin, and more coming who all do the same things, but again, have talent to back it up. Such is the world we live in now folks. No longer is it enough to just try hard out there. It’s not enough to sacrifice your body to get the puck out of the zone. Its no longer the exception, it is the RULE that our players do that. When you add all those things in, a guy like Jed Ortmeyer, who played full throttle, and left it on the ice every single game simply isn’t good enough to make this squad.

It’s really a sad thing. Orts skated hard, blocked shots, killed penalties, threw his body around, but he had almost no offensive talent whatsoever. He might have had the worst shot in the league…maybe in the history of the league. I know thats a harsh thing to say, but seriously, have you ever seen him shoot the puck? He goes down on his right knee, and shoots it straight off the pass. However since he is in such an awkward position, and since he simply can not direct the puck with any force or accuracy, the puck usually ends up plunking one of our fans in the forehead. Ortmeyer simply had no hands, I know it sounds like I am bashing him, but I’m just being honest. His hands were non existent. Hes probably the only player who could skate in on an empty net and miss….well, ok, maybe hes not the only player…

As we all know by now, Ortmeyer is a Nashville Predator, and for a club going through a rebuild, they will need guys like Ortmeyer who show kids that you need to give it your all out there, unfortunately for Jed, that lesson has been learned in New York (Finally!)

-Inferno

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Stephen Valiquette	Games	W	L	T	GAA	SV%	SO
Regular Season	3	1	2	0	3.14	.867	0
Playoffs	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

I like Stephen Valiquette. No, really. I’m being serious. I think hes a very solid goalie. Ive actually always thought that about him. Hes a big guy thats fairly athletic and plays a very simple positioning game. He doesn’t flop around, he doesn’t make spectacular plays, but what he does do out there is play well enough to keep you in the game as a backup. And really, isn’t that what its all about? That your backup play well enough to keep you in the game?

I know my metrics are probably inflated by my own favortism towards him, but I can’t help it, ive just always been really high on this guy.

Let’s all hope that my guesstimations on his projectability are correct because barring some unforeseen maneuvering by the Rangers, you are looking at your backup goalie for this year. I personally expect Henrik to see about 65-68 games this year, with Big Vally playing in the remainder of the games. Some people seem to think the Rangers will call up Montoya for these games, then send him straight down. I personally wouldn’t want to see that happen because you would have to schedule the games that Vally plays on the same days that Montoya is off or on a day when the pack do not have a game the following day. I haven’t really examined the schedule hard enough, but you gotta figure the times where the circumstances play themselves out to that degree are few and far between. I’d just rather play Vally in these games since I feel he will do more than an adequate job, certainly better than Weekes did, though that is for a future review.

With all that said, Big Vally does have one glaring weakness. His mental strength to start games. I don’t know what it is, but if he gets a lot of intense work to start the game, he gives up goal after goal after goal. He usually settles in, and plays much stronger as the game goes on, but for the most part, hes a terrible starter to a game. This means the Rangers have to play a far more defensive game in the first 10 minutes than usual, and open it up as the game moves along. Its a weird problem, but I suppose its better than if he ended games poorly.

So there you have it, I personally like Vally as our backup, and feel very comfortable handing him ~15 games next year, particularly with the club that will be iced in front of him.

-Inferno

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As I am undoubtedly sure, you have heard the Rangers traded Matt Cullen today. Here was my review for the newly re-hurricaned Cullen.

Personally, I am happy with the move. Matt Cullen was a disappointment to me, and I feel Brandon Dubinsky can give you as many points, but play a more physically intimidating game. See ya Matty, I wish you luck in Carolina.

-Inferno

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Jason Strudwick	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	+/-	PIM
Regular Season	8	0	0	0	0	2
Playoffs	-	-	-	-	-	-

A review for a guy with 8 games under his belt? Whats the point? Well, its pretty simple, we saw him last year for the bulk of the season on the big club, and we know he is signed for next year, so we probably should spend some time talking about him.

What do you get with Jason Strudwick? Simply put, the ultimate team guy. A guy willing to do whatever it takes to make the team better, from playing wing, to picking up paul maras dry cleaning. From walking Henrik’s dog, to playing defense, he will do whatever it takes. You love to have guys like these around your team, especially to show the young kids what it takes to make the NHL. With that said, I am not convinced Jason will be in the NHL next year, but I’ll save that for a little later.

Examining Jason’s overall game you find yourself wanting more. Hes not fast, he doesn’t jump into the play, he’s got a terrible shot, his outlet pass is well below average, but, he is a smart defender with average to above average positioning, very good aggression, and is good at finishing his checks. When you watch him play out there, you almost see a less polished version of Girardi which is kinda funny considering who is younger and who is the vet. He also plays the wing, which I’m not sure I get. Hes got poor foot speed and crummy offensive instincts. I suppose he just plays more of a defensive winger role which allows his center to jump up in the play, but since I think in the last 2 years he has only played 1 game at wing, there is no semblance of a sample size to discuss.

However this dual aspect of his game is HUGE. Much like Thomas Pock Strudwick gives the team flexibility. The Rangers, as I am sure you know by now, are in cap hell. They will be forced to carry at MOST 22 men with the big club. This means having guys like Strudwick or Pock in the owners box is extremely important, since they can fill in for either type of player should the need arise.

But, I don’t think he will be on the Rangers next year. I am sure you are saying…umm, hello, moron, he just signed a contract only a few weeks ago, of course he is going to be on the Rangers. I say, no, I dont think so. I see 1 of 3 possible situations arising here.

1)The Rangers trade a player away, like Cullen or Malik to clear up some cap space that lets them carry a full 23 men.
2)The Rangers go into the season with the lineup we have right now on paper, with Rozsival, Malik, Tyutin, Girardi, Mara, Pock and Strudwick in the press box.
3)Marc Staal forces his way on to the club right out the gate. Forcing the Rangers to waive Strudwick and send him to the minors or trade his rights.

While it is not a given that it will happen, I think Staal will make this team. He is an amazing prospect and probably could step in as a #6 right now and be a-ok out there. This means that, barring a trade, there is no room for Strudwick since it is highly doubtful the Rangers will carry 2 defenseman in Pock and Strudwick, only to walk away from Hossa, or to give up on another young player. My guess is Strudwick gets waived, and plays in Hartford. Which isn’t the worst thing in the world if you ask me. Strudwick would help out a very young core of kids, and having him, Purinton, and Kasparaitis on the Wolfpack can only help the team with some excellent leadership.

Either way, he is a heck of a guy, and you can’t help but root for him.

-Inferno

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Now I am REALLY happy. As I mentioned here a few months ago my personal preference for the assistant GM was Jim Shoenfeld, and today I got my wish.

Here’s the full story.

Jason Strudwicks review coming tonight.

-Inferno

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By now you have all heard that Henrik is coming back. I have been out of “posting” range till now so im a little late to the dance. Still though, Henrik taking 4.25 million dollars for 1 year shows the team he is willing to “take one for the team” so we can win now. with Henrik taking 4.25 million that leaves roughly 2.5 million for Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa. I sincerely doubt they can sign both for that amount. You have to believe Avery wants 2-2.5 alone. And Hossa is probably looking for .8-1 so even on the low end it doesnt work. Either Marcel will be traded/walk, 1 or both sign a less lucrative contract so both can stay, or there is a move forthcoming.

Edit:

Thanks to Kodiak of the HFBoards for this useful analysis we can see the updated cap totals…

Player Name	Cap Hit
Gomez	$7.357
Drury	$7.05
Shanahan	$5.3*
Jagr	$4.94
Straka	$3.3
Cullen	$2.875
Prucha	$1.6
Betts	$.615
Callahan	$.575
Orr	$.538
Hollweg	$.513
Mara	$3
Malik	$2.5
Rozsival	$2.1
Tyutin	$.988
Girardi	$.75**
Pock	$.668
Strudwick	$.5
Lundqvist	$4.25
Valiquette	$.618
Total	$50.037
Remaining	$.263
Bonuses	$3
Total Less Bonuses	$47.037
Remaining less Bonuses:	$3.263

*Shanahan’s contract contains an additional $2.8 mil in performance bonuses.
**Girardi’s contract has $200k in performance bonuses.

All performance bonuses count against the cap this year. A team can exceed the salary cap by $3.77 mil to pay these performance bonuses, but any excess will be dead cap space for the 08-09 season.

Other Notable Contracts (not counted towards the above total):

Player Name	Cap Hit
Kasparaitis	$2.989
Staal	$.827
Montoya*	$1.834
Korpikoski	$1.018
Moore	$.725
Byers	$.608
Bourret	$.85
Dubinsky	$.633
Baranka	$.522
Liffiton	$.579
Dawes	$.496

*Montoya has $850k in performance bonuses.

Remaining Free Agents
Avery
Hossa

$3.263 Million should in fact be enough to get both Avery and Hossa but leaving us with little to no wiggle room for call ups and the like. A move is still highly likely, though no longer a given.

Again, all credit here goes to Kodiak for compiling this highly useful information.
-Inferno

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One of my 3 favorite NHLers (not just Rangers) of all time, Brendan Shanahan is back. Check out tsn or any of the local ranger blogs for the official details, but suffice it to say the fiery one is ecstatic. I know we need to get Avery, Lundqvist and Hossa signed, but we control the rights to all 3 of those players, meaning its going to get done. Whereas with Brendan he was still an UFA, and having him back, while “wink wink” likely, was never official….till now.

Easily a hall of famer, and a legend of near messier proportions Brendan is going to go down in history as a player who does it all, for every second of every shift. As a Ranger fan, you couldnt ask for better news.

-Inferno

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Henrik Lundqvist	Games	W	L	T	GAA	SV%	SO
Regular Season	70	37	22	8	2.34	.917	5
Playoffs	10	6	4	-	2.07	.924	1

The King. The face of the franchise. Henke. God? Well, I dont know about the latter, but for sure the other things have always been associated with Henrik Lundqvist. A kid who seemingly overnight became a star who is probably twice as popular as Jeter is when comparing the popularity percentage rather than the raw amount of people. And even though he is charismatic, good-looking, and very likable those things are almost side-bars to me. The reason Henrik Lundqvist is so beloved is because he might be the best goalie ever to wear the Rangers sweater. I know, I know, we’re only talking 2 seasons, and we have zero rings during those season, and we have guys by the name of Giacomin and Richter who might scoff at that, but there is still some basis to this argument. Clearly, Henrik needs to perform at this level for the remainder of his career, and clearly he cant be injured long term nor can he bolt for another team, however what he does have is insane ability, and a thirst to win.

As you can see by my metrics above, I clearly think a lot about his game. Henrik brings to the table near flawless positioning, and reaction time that makes the term “lightning quick” seem too slow. Ever seen Henrik move laterally? Neither have I, he’s just so fast it seems like he teleports from one side of the goal to the other. Henrik is probably the best down low goalie in the entire NHL. If you shoot low on him, that butterfly is just going to gobble the puck up, but what is even more remarkable about Henriks game is his rebound control ability. Remember the guy I mentioned above? Mike Richter? If there was ever a problem in his game (besides his ability to handle long shots) it was his rebound control. Henrik actually excels at this, he maneuvers rebounds to the corners with picture perfect precision. He gobbles up anything shot at him above his pads, and it seems like he has glue all over his pads because the pucks just seem to stick to him.

Like any butterfly goalie Henrik is susceptible to the high shots to the corners of the goal. But besides Brodeur (who isn’t a butterfly goalie) what goalie isn’t? Henrik still has an elite level glove and blocker (for his style) and he has a sick ability to go in and out of the butterfly almost instantaneously which helps him grab many of the shots up high. The thing though is that most every player in the NHL is taught from the time they learn to skate to shoot low. Shooting low generates rebounds. Shooting low helps deflections, shoot low, shoot low, SHOOT LOW! Well Henrik is saying the same thing, please, please shoot low, because it plays into his greatest strength, stopping the pucks down low.

But, as you can see from the metrics above, he does have an achilles heel, and that, is stick handling with the puck. Frankly my score of 80 was probably a bit generous. Henrik is in the lower echelon of stick handlers, and may actually be right there at the bottom. He is awful with the stick. Remember the gaffe he had in the playoffs against the Sabers that nearly cost us a game? How about when he tried to score a goal and instead put the puck right onto the stick of the other team costing the team a goal? Or the countless other times hes made questionable plays back there. Its a bit nitpicky, and he often time makes the right play which is just to stop the puck, or throw it up along the boards, but he clearly is not good at that. Which is fine, of all the aspects of a goalie, the sitckhandling is probably the least important. Everything else, Henrik is either the best in the league, or in the top 5.

2 years in the league, 2 Vezina nominations, and if he started the season last year even at 75% of the way he ended it, he would have won the Vezina. Henrik also seems to genuinely thrive on pressure. A gold medal winner, and countless times leading his teams in international play all the way coupled with a tremendous showing in this postseason means the future is bright for the Rangers. All we need is to lock up Henrik to a Wangesque 7-10 year deal. Yes, I would sign him to a contract that long (not 15 years though)

-Inferno

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