The preseason schedule is accelerated in order to accommodate six games in North America before the trip to Europe that will include two exhibition games in Switzerland and two regular-season games in Prague vs. the Lightning.
So when the Rangers take the ice today for the first time, management’s evaluation process will have to be accelerated, as well.
There’s no time to lose for GM Glen Sather and coach Tom Renney, who over the summer saw their team lose the important and magnetic Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka and Sean Avery.
“I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on how we split the squad for our workouts and early games,” Renney said yesterday while his players went through physicals. “The process will take care of itself.”
So to will the process of finding players to step into the leadership void left by the departure of the three letter-wearers – Jagr, Shanahan and Straka.
Chris Drury, admittedly much more comfortable starting Year 2 as a Blueshirt than he was during last season’s maiden spin on Broadway, will step up. So will Scott Gomez, so will Henrik Lundqvist, and so will marquee free-agent acquisitions Wade Redden and Markus Naslund.
The Rangers are set in nets with Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Valiquette. They’re set on defense. Unless sophomore Brandon Dubinsky left his work boots in Alaska, three center positions are locked up.
Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev, Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, Petr Prucha, Aaron Voros and Colton Orr seem set on the wings.
That leaves a training camp battle for the fourth center slot between incumbent Blair Betts, Artem Anisimov and Petr Nedved; a competition for a couple of open spots on the flank between Dan Fritsche, Patrick Rissmiller, Fredrik Sjostrom, Lauri Korpikoski, Hugh Jessiman and Andreas Jamtin.