The NHL season is short on games because of the lockout, but not on expectations for the Rangers.
The Blueshirts led the Eastern Conference in points last season and before the labor turmoil officially shut down the league, they acquired Blue Jackets star Rick Nash. It’s the first time since Mike Keenan stalked the bench the team is considered one of the preseason favorites to take home the Stanley Cup.
“The players that have been around the last week, there’s almost this feeling amongst them that they have some unfinished business,” MSG analyst Joe Micheletti said of the Rangers, who open the 48-game season tomorrow night in Boston against the Bruins.
“They had a chance to win it all last year and they came up short. So there’s an excitement amongst them that they have enough to win it and in particular with the addition of Rick Nash, which gives them that much more of a chance.”
The Rangers’ aspirations ended last year with a brutal six-game loss to the hated Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals. So, one year after they landed top free agent Brad Richards to go with Marian Gaborik and a young, improving core group of players, the Rangers aggressively pursued Nash. Now the nine-year veteran, who has played in four career playoff games, hits Broadway where nothing but the team’s first championship since 1994 will suffice.
“This is the player that’s one of the top players in hockey, but no one has seen enough of him on the big stage of the Stanley Cup playoffs,” Micheletti said. “This is a player that can skate, he can use his body effectively and he’s got an unbelievable pair of his hands for a player his size. There’s always a lot of pressure to come to New York. Especially the first year, it’s difficult because the adjustment. It’s like no other place. But this is a top, top player.”
While the Rangers gained a star, their rivals lost one. The Devils could not keep Zach Parise in New Jersey as their now-former captain signed a 13-year deal worth $98 million with his hometown Wild. The leadership and talent void left by Parise could be filled in part by Ilya Kovalchuk, but that got off to a dubious start when Kovalchuk expressed doubt about returning to the Devils after spending the lockout playing in the KHL. He showed up four days after the team’s brief training camp started.
“The other aspect that has come up that would concern me is that Ilya Kovalchuk should have been back,’’ Micheletti said. “I understand there’s some pride involved with playing over there. But the Devils made an incredible commitment to him. With Parise leaving they needed Ilya Kovalchuk to be there on Day 1. That’s my assessment and I really like Ilya.. … The quotes (from Russia) were I don’t know if my contract allows me to stay here. If those are accurate, I don’t think that’s right.”