LET’S face it. The Rangers are in trouble. Not only are they plagued by roster deficiencies that have been exacerbated by a couple of injuries with which the organization seems unequipped to cope, but nearly every team in the East that finished behind them last season seems improved, perhaps dramatically so.
The Islanders are better. The Thrashers are better. The Lightning is better. The Senators are better. The Sabres are better. And they are all harder to play against than the Rangers, every single one of them.
See, that’s the most disturbing part of the season, the most disturbing part of the way the team has been constructed and, to an extent, the way it has been coached. This mix of personnel selected almost entirely on skill level and skating ability by head coach John Tortorella and GM Glen Sather is as passive as a hockey team gets.
There’s not a single mean one on the back end. Not one. The Rangers play Washington and have to deal with John Erskine, Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina and Brian Pothier, every one of whom will come from behind and use the stick. They play the Islanders and have to deal with Brendan Witt and Andy Sutton. Opponents play the Blueshirts and have to deal with, just who exactly as they storm the crease?
With rare exception, these guys do not protect one another. Ryan Callahan, worn to the bone already by playing much too much, was on his own after getting dangerously crushed into the boards both last Thursday against the Thrashers and Monday against the Caps. Henrik Lundqvist always is on his own. Chris Drury was on his own in Calgary.
You’d think that Tortorella might have embraced Sean Avery for his game on Monday, but no. Instead, lukewarm damning with faint praise. But let’s hear it for the decision to sign Donald Brashear, whom Tortorella urgently wanted for his team, and who is getting about four minutes a game while pulling down $1.4M a year for no discernible reason.
Tortorella is the personification of passion behind the bench, but that isn’t transferring onto the ice. This is not about the Rangers’ lack of prime-time parts, but instead about a tough-talking coach who doesn’t seem to demand that his players stand up for one another. It’s bizarre.
Is there anyone in the organization who believes Michal Rozsival remains an asset? Is there any reason for the Rangers not to get Bobby Sanguinetti here immediately so the club can assess whether he’s ready? Or if not Sanguinetti, then someone on the blue line who will force foes to keep their heads up?
Give the Rangers and Tortorella credit for giving so many young players important minutes. If this becomes a rebuilding season, fine. If this season becomes defined by the progress of Michael Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy, Marc Staal, Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Enver Lisin and Callahan, that’s fine, too.
It’s not fine, however, to have a rebuilding year with a capped-out roster. That, rather, is ridiculous. Rozsival is chewing up nearly $26,000 a day on his annual $5M cap hit. Deleting him by the end of the month via trade or demotion would clear an additional $3.4M of space that increases proportionately with the season.
Moving Rozsival this month would allow the Rangers to be in the market for pretty much anyone who becomes available. Including, perhaps, a player who will look out for his teammates.