Defense

[ernie.tarducci]

if Richards is to run the PP from the point and he is a left handed shot, then it would seem to make sense that the Rangers will be looking for someone with a cannon from the point to bury those one time passes, likely a right handed shot which Babchuk is...just my thought

[apdamico]

I agree with you about MDZ. Though, I assume he'll be given a fair chance to make the team. But, I don't think he's ready, and I wonder if he'll ever be more then a 6th or 7th defensemen in the NHL (to me, he was never as good as he was given credit for his first year.).

As for Valentenko, my first thought was that he'd be the perfect guy to fill the 3rd pair. He's physical, plays with an edge and is a shot blocker. But, I've also heard his skating is poor, not good enough for the NHL. (But, hopefully, someone put him in touch with the woman who worked with Boyle last summer).

The one negative I heard about Valentenko was that he didn't play up to his size and was roughed up pretty good in the 1st half of last season.

That may not have been the case in the 2nd half of the season and he's a great shot blocker and plus/minus guy.

I think Erixon already has a slot on the team, but I hope Valentenko gets a fair shot at making the team. I believe the competition will come down to Valentenko versus MDZ for the final (7th) defensive spot on the team next season.

Pavel is more of a stay at home defenseman, which we already have, so MDZ could beat him out if the team is looking for the better skater. I still think Pavel fits the Tort-system better though because of his shot-blocking ability!

[Redfish]

Valentenko was one of the last cuts last season, losing out to Sauer, Gilroy and Eminger, and he had an overall solid season in Hartford last year. I think Tortorella really appreciates the physicality he brings to the back line, along with his shot-blocking skills. Unless we trade for a player such as Yandle, I hope we go with a rookie and Eminger as our 6th & 7th defenseman. I particularly would like some more "snarl" from our defenseman, and Valentenko does have that.

[nyanks79]

Flames sign Babchuck.

[dashripdot]

The one negative I heard about Valentenko was that he didn't play up to his size and was roughed up pretty good in the 1st half of last season.

That may not have been the case in the 2nd half of the season and he's a great shot blocker and plus/minus guy.

I think Erixon already has a slot on the team, but I hope Valentenko gets a fair shot at making the team. I believe the competition will come down to Valentenko versus MDZ for the final (7th) defensive spot on the team next season.

Pavel is more of a stay at home defenseman, which we already have, so MDZ could beat him out if the team is looking for the better skater. I still think Pavel fits the Tort-system better though because of his shot-blocking ability!

If MDZ doesn't win a spot in the top 6, he'll be back in the AHL for another season. There's no point in having him as a healthy scratch while he should still be developing his game.

[Redfish]

Regardless of who fills in our #6 and #7 defensive unit, I am hoping Tortorella is in a better position to allocate minutes/ice time throughout the three pairings a bit more evenly than last season. I thought Marc Staal and Dan Girardi were nearly tapped out going into the 1st round of playoffs last season, and had a strong view there was no way they could both make it deep into the playoffs without their performance suffering.

He rode our top pairing the way he rode Hank before we got Biron; it was necessary at the time I suppose. But McDonagh and Sauer can shoulder a larger burden this year. And Erixon and whoever pairs with him should be an upgrade over Eminger and Gilroy last year, so I hope a more balanced allocation of ice time is an objective this year.

[apdamico]

Valentenko was one of the last cuts last season, losing out to Sauer, Gilroy and Eminger, and he had an overall solid season in Hartford last year. I think Tortorella really appreciates the physicality he brings to the back line, along with his shot-blocking skills. Unless we trade for a player such as Yandle, I hope we go with a rookie and Eminger as our 6th & 7th defenseman. I particularly would like some more "snarl" from our defenseman, and Valentenko does have that.

I'd love for Valentenko to make the club this season, but I don't know if he has that snarl you are looking for in a defensemen. It was my understanding that players were testing his will in the first 1/2 of last season in Hartford and he needed help from his teammates on a few occasions. I believe that was the exact reason for the call up of Big Mac instead of Pavel.

Again, I think he fits the Totorella system perfectly because he's a blocking machine and I think he started standing up for himself in the 2nd half of last season. I think he makes the club this season or the Rangers would have attempted to trade him. I just can't see him passing through waivers, which I believe he must do in order to play for the Whale next season.

[apdamico]

If MDZ doesn't win a spot in the top 6, he'll be back in the AHL for another season. There's no point in having him as a healthy scratch while he should still be developing his game.

I fully agree and believe the same should hold true for Valentenko. I say sign Eminger as that veteran presents 6/7 defensemen. He wants to return and will likely take less money to do so.

We have so many great young defensemen in our system and lost Gilroy to FA, but I don't think the Rangers ever envisioned him on this year's team.

Some of the rest of the young defensemen in the system might be used as trade bait down the road. We just need Eminger for a year until DMac is ready for the bright lights.

[dashripdot]

I fully agree and believe the same should hold true for Valentenko. I say sign Eminger as that veteran presents 6/7 defensemen. He wants to return and will likely take less money to do so.

We have so many great young defensemen in our system and lost Gilroy to FA, but I don't think the Rangers ever envisioned him on this year's team.

Some of the rest of the young defensemen in the system might be used as trade bait down the road. We just need Eminger for a year until DMac is ready for the bright lights.

Sather wanted Gilroy back as the 7th at a drastically reduced cap hit (hence, the non-tender), but Gilroy believes he can crack TB's top 6 (he's one of 8 defensemen TB has right now, most of which are mediocre-to-poor). Good luck to him, perhaps he will have more success there. He signed for 1 year at $1 mil, I believe.

[bsi]

I really don't see Valentenko making this team, if he couldn't crack it last year he'll never crack it. We were desperate for someone to take a spot last year and had a revolving door of D-men until we finally got McCabe.

[Redfish]

I really don't see Valentenko making this team, if he couldn't crack it last year he'll never crack it. We were desperate for someone to take a spot last year and had a revolving door of D-men until we finally got McCabe.

I hope this is not the case, and tend to think this conclusion is too much of stretch. McDonagh was only called up, initially, to be the 7th defenseman but then either Girardi or Eminger got hurt. He surprised management when he got his shot and only got better from there.

I really don't think we were desperate for a prospect to crack the lineup last year. Eminger was playing fine, for the most part, and it was in the Rangers best interest to give Gilroy every opportunity to show himself going into his UFA period. McCabe was necessary because we were desperate for a defenseman that could handle power play responsibilities; that, we were definitely desperate for.

We'll see. If not Paveltenko, which other prospects have a shot? I actually recall reading that Kundratek was highest on the depth chart at end of last season amongst defenseman.

If our prospects aren't ready, I've always thought Shane O'Brien would be a good fit on our 3rd pairing and could come for less than $2mm.

[bsi]

I hope this is not the case, and tend to think this conclusion is too much of stretch. McDonagh was only called up, initially, to be the 7th defenseman but then either Girardi or Eminger got hurt. He surprised management when he got his shot and only got better from there.

I really don't think we were desperate for a prospect to crack the lineup last year. Eminger was playing fine, for the most part, and it was in the Rangers best interest to give Gilroy every opportunity to show himself going into his UFA period. McCabe was necessary because we were desperate for a defenseman that could handle power play responsibilities; that, we were definitely desperate for.

We'll see. If not Paveltenko, which other prospects have a shot? I actually recall reading that Kundratek was highest on the depth chart at end of last season amongst defenseman.

If our prospects aren't ready, I've always thought Shane O'Brien would be a good fit on our 3rd pairing and could come for less than $2mm.

We weren't desperate for someone to crack the lineup but with all the injuries and call ups, it's surprising that he never got a chance once last year, DelZotto was sent down and then immediately called back up we were so desperate for someone to fill in if Valentenko was in their plans at all I think they would have given him a shot at some point with all the ups and downs we had on D.

[Hans delbruk]

Some good points and a few things to consider...

Valentenko should have a good shot to make the team this year. For all of his solid defensive play he suppossedly has a cannon shot from the point. Is he the PP guy?

Gilroy was never given the credit he deserved for his talent level here and if you were him would sign back to be a 7th D? My bet is given the cgance to play regularly and PP time he will be fine in TB. Torts chased him away so be it.

Eminger is a perfect 7th-8th D who can fill in but should not be expected to offer more than some veteran depth.

Lastly, the NYR actually have quite a bit of depth at F. There has been numerous rumors of them making a deal involving one of their RFAs. I can see them offering either Dubinsky or Anisimov for a solid offensive D. Here the possibilities become interesting as I already noted there are some very good Defense RFAs out there.

Dubinsky, Del Zotto (or Sauer), and a 1st or 2nd rounder for a Weber or Yandle could happen.

[Hans delbruk]

Also, in looking at what Babchuk signed for how wasn't he the perfect fit with the salary cap considered (2yrs 2.5m)?

[dashripdot]

Some good points and a few things to consider...

Valentenko should have a good shot to make the team this year. For all of his solid defensive play he suppossedly has a cannon shot from the point. Is he the PP guy?

Gilroy was never given the credit he deserved for his talent level here and if you were him would sign back to be a 7th D? My bet is given the cgance to play regularly and PP time he will be fine in TB. Torts chased him away so be it. Eminger is a perfect 7th-8th D who can fill in but should not be expected to offer more than some veteran depth.

Lastly, the NYR actually have quite a bit of depth at F. There has been numerous rumors of them making a deal involving one of their RFAs. I can see them offering either Dubinsky or Anisimov for a solid offensive D. Here the possibilities become interesting as I already noted there are some very good Defense RFAs out there.

Dubinsky, Del Zotto (or Sauer), and a 1st or 2nd rounder for a Weber or Yandle could happen.

His talent is limited to his speed and an average shot, but not a shot you want to see from the point. More importatnly, he was 26 going on 27. He's 5-6 years older than, but at about the same point on the learning curve that McDonagh and MDZ are on, yet and he showed no more improvement than MDZ and less than McDonagh. I'm no fan of Tortorella, but he didn't chase Gilroy. Gilroy's style of play (no hitting and all wheels) may well be better suited to TB's philosophy, but he wasn't going to crack the top 6 with the Rangers.