From the moment Michael Del Zotto made the Rangers out of training camp last year as a 19-year-old, coach John Tortorella has talked about the defenseman’s cocky demeanor, usually in a positive manner but sometimes cautionary, warning that it would be important for the young man to stay on the right side of the line.
Now, without quite saying so, it seems Tortorella believes Del Zotto has crossed the line. The coach on Tuesday referenced, “the same mistakes … we’ve gone over for quite a while,” in suggesting the Rangers could send the sophomore to the AHL Whale for a tutorial if he does not show reasonably quick improvement.
Talk about adding insult to injury: Del Zotto, who would have been a healthy scratch for the second straight game Wednesday night in New Jersey, did not practice Tuesday because of a groin/lower stomach problem for which he received a cortisone injection.
“For a young guy, especially with the freedom we have in having them go up and down [without waivers required], that’s always an option,” Tortorella said. “We’ll see as this goes along and plays out.”
Tortorella compared the situation with Del Zotto to the one last year in which the Rangers demoted Matt Gilroy to Hartford. But Del Zotto has played 114 NHL games as compared to the 30 for Gilroy before he was sent to the AHL for 10 days last December.
If the coach appears to be losing some patience with Del Zotto, that’s exactly the attribute he believes the defenseman needs to incorporate into his game. Del Zotto’s penchant for looking for the home-run pass has too often landed him on the wrong side of the risk/reward equation.
The 20-year-old was scratched for the first time in his career at Ottawa on Dec. 9 before playing the next five games. Following a minus-3 in Philadelphia on Dec. 18, Del Zotto probably would have been a healthy scratch for last Thursday’s match against Tampa Bay if he had not come down with the flu.
He didn’t play against the Islanders and wouldn’t have played against the Devils after two strong performances by Gilroy.
“It starts with mistakes on the ice, the same mistakes on the ice, and we’ve been trying to make him understand, we’ve shown him tape and we’ve gone over it for a while, but they reoccur,” Tortorella said. “It basically comes down to patience, that instead of looking to make the 60-foot pass, there could be a 15-foot pass available that would be more effective.
“Michael is looking [for the home-run pass] when he should be looking [for the short outlet]. Teams bait you into that. There are unnoticeable plays available to him that would be good for the team.
“It’s the same mistakes,” the coach repeated. “It’s what can happen to a young guy at that position, but he’s been inconsistent and that’s why he’s been out.”
More to the point, that’s why Del Zotto could find himself getting a refresher course in Hartford.
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Todd White was placed on waivers Tuesday for the fourth time. This time, though, with Mats Zuccarello and his $1.75M cap charge on the roster, the Rangers may well send White and his $2.375M cap charge to the AHL once he clears at noon Wednesday.