The NYR Facts Of Life: #32 Dale Weise

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #32, Dale Weise.

#32's #s: 10 games, no goals, no assists, -1, 19 PIM.

Take the good: One of four Rangers drafted in '08 to play on Broadway this season (following MDZ, Step and Grachev), Weise showed a willingness to fight for the puck and fight for his teammates. He beat up Dirtbag Dan Carcillo in one of three tussles over his 10 games. A solid forechecker, Weise had seven hits in the Rangers 7-0 win over the Leafs. And ya have to admit, this was pretty damned funny.

Take the bad: For all of his hitting and pressing the action, Weise didn't record a single point over his stop in the show. He didn't show enough ability to earn Tortorella's trust and thus played less than seven minutes in seven of his 10 games and more than 10 minutes in just the aforementioned Toronto blowout - much of it after the game was well out of hand. And, as you can see, he got his ass handed to him by Luke Schenn in a fight in that same match. Down on the farm he did manage 38 points in 47 regular season games but was a Whale-worst -14.

Take them both and then we have: Tell me if you have heard this before: a talented grinder with a bit of a scoring touch battles hard in the AHL and earns a shot in the NHL. Playing the part of Danny Lacroix, Derek Armstrong and Dane Byers this season was Dale Weise. The other three guys had long journeyman careers (Byers' is still on-going) and the Rangers already have a better version in Brandon Prust so who knows how long Weise's stay in the organization will last. He turns 23 this August so there is still time for him to improve and avoid that fate.