The Captain Conundrum 2011

The news is out, the Rangers are done with Chris Drury, leaving the Blueshirts without a captain.

Before the C was sewn to Drury's sweater I held the belief that the team needed a cult of personality to lead them and, if anything, the last few seasons strengthened that philosophy. Us fans will never know what Drury brought to the table in the room and outside the rink - he may very well be responsible for the quick acclimation to New York by all of the Ranger kids the last few seasons. We will never know. But it is sad the way things worked out from what we did see.

We are pretty much right back where we started from. Back in 2008 the Rangers were transitioning from the Jagr generation to the Renney's American Rangers and it was clear that the C would go to one of the two big money Cs that were signed, Drury or Scott Gomez. Seeing as Gomez was a clown, that pretty much sealed the deal for Dru. Now the team is transitioning from the mercenary Sather signings to a generation of home grown kids.

So who will it be?

The obvious choice is Ryan Callahan. Cally's on-ice abilities are well known and he matured before our eyes as the New York media turned towards him in Drury's injury-caused absences. Callahan may very well be the next captain and he may very well prove to be worthy of the letter (and I truly hope so) but April 7th opened the door to doubt. Cally stood on crutches alongside Steve McDonald to present the extra effort award before an important home game against Atlanta. The sight of their injured teammate alongside New York's hero cop did nothing to inspire the team and they fell 3-0 in an utter embarrassment.

What we need to figure out is who will be able to inspire this team and lead them to a Stanley Cup? Callahan may very well be the man, but let's just look at a few other candidates:

Henrik Lundqvist: Hank is clearly deeply emotionally tied with the team and it's performance - after wins he is happy, after losses he looks like someone kicked his puppy. He doesn't hide from the media and isn't afraid to call out his teammates. As much as he is the King, he is also the Atlas holding up the Ranger world. But Roberto Luongo proved that goaltenders just shouldn't be captains in this day and age. While Hank can surely handle the pressure, he doesn't need or deserve the distractions.

Brandon Dubinsky: Dubi has been right there alongside Cally, growing up and giving all he has for the team. He is willing to fight for his teammates - physically at times - and call out the opposition *cough, cough, Crosby, cough, cough*. But he is on the verge of yet another possible contract holdout and you simply don't want to see that from the captain.

Marc Staal: The Rangers' top defenseman, Staal is yet another product of the developmental system who is rightfully taking his place among the best blueliners in the NHL. On the ice he is quiet and steady and perhaps the best foil for Alex Ovechkin in the league. While we saw a hint of a sense of humour with him at the All Star draft, Staal is usually as straightforward, bland and dour as Drury was with the media. He is best just going about his business rather than having to deal with all that captaincy holds.

Derek Stepan: In his first season Step stepped right in and often didn't look like a rookie. With the media and the fans he is gregarious and gracious and is already well loved by his teammates. A leader at Wisconsin and with the junior Team USA, Stepan clearly has the personality and ability to be 'the man' when called upon. But, going into his sophomore season he needs to be able to work to avoid the infamous slump without having the team's fortunes weighing upon him.

Brad Richards: Since it seems to be all but certain Richards is signing with the Rangers on Friday, he should be considered a candidate. The former Conn Smythe winner already has a good relationship with the head coach and several of the players and at 31 years old has plenty of experience in dealing with the ups and downs of the league. However, Richards will need to acclimate to the city and, unless his contract demands are far less than expected, will be just another mercenary coming to New York for the money.

Twice in recent history the Rangers chose poorly between two candidates for captaincy - picking the reluctant Leetch over Graves and Jagr over Shanahan. Drury was definitely a better selection than Gomez would have been but he didn't prove to be the leader the Rangers needed. Let's hope that they decide on the right one this time.

The NYR Facts Of Life: #17 Brandon Dubinsky

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 #17, Brandon Dubinsky.

#17's #s: 77 games, 24 goals, 30 assists, -3, 100 PIM (5 playoff games, two goals, one assist, -3, 2 PIM).

Take the good: Dubinsky collected career high numbers in goals, assists and points. He made a good transition to the wing, where he was able to use his size and skill to power off the boards along the goal line. After stepping to the side, he combined with Arty and Cally to form one helluva home-grown line that worked very well together from the moment Tortorella's darts hit the roster board until the sad second when Cally went down with injury. His set up to Cally's game winner in the fantastic November 15th game against the Pens was outstanding. Dubi won three of his four fights (although the lone loss was humiliating - Mike Green? Really?). There is something to be said that Dubi's two biggest archenemies in the NHL are Mike Richards and Sidney Crosby.

Take the bad: Dubinsky overhandles the puck, gets frustrated at times and disappears too often. Personally, I thought he would grow into an Arnott-esque first line center but he has never taken that leap. While many hoped that he would be the pivot for Gaborik, he never clicked with the Slovakian Slacker the way he did with Jagr. Dubi looks ridiculous with a mustache.

Take them both and then we have: A good second line player. Dubinsky's moments of dominance are few and far between but the chemistry he showed with the other Wolf Pack pups raised his game to another level. At just 25 years old he acts and speaks like a veteran to his teammates and the media. Two years ago he held out thinking he deserved more money and proved he was worth that pay day. But will he be worth another?

The NYR Facts Of Life: #17 Brandon Dubinsky

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad then take them both and see what we have. What we have for today is #17 Brandon Dubinsky.

#17's #s: 69 games, 20 goals (6 ppg, 2 shg, 5 gwg!), 24 assists, +9, 54 PIM.

Take the good: I refuse to back down from my long-time belief that Dubinsky can be Jason Arnott and there were moments where Dubi lived up to that expectation, using his size and skills to go to the net with passion and pot a few goals. I mean, seriously, look at the hands he flashed on this play. When the team buckled down late in the season, he stepped up to the plate and played some of his best hockey. If you recall, during the run, he hammered at Jeff Finger when Finger hit Gabby - one of the few times this season when a Blueshirt stood up for his 'brother'. Dubi actually fought just two times this season - less than he did the last two years - but he actually won both fights!

Take the bad: Dubi missed the first week of training camp because of a contract dispute and then had to skip a slew of games in November with a broken hand. He had a 10 game goal slump prior to the injury and a pair of seven game skids after that coincided with team slides. When Rangers lost five straight at the end of January, Dubi had all of one assist. For someone who was penciled in as the first-line center, Dubi never filled that role the way we hoped and did some of his best work when not paired with Marian Gaborik.

Take them both and then we have: As I said over at NBC's ProHockeyTalk, I found Dubinsky to be the most frustrating Ranger this season. His potential is still there, it is still great, but he didn't come close to living up to it this season.

It's About Time

MSG reported at the top of their Boston telecast that Brandon Dubinsky re-signed with the Rangers and was given a two year deal. Here is the official release from the Rangers:

New York, September 19, 2009 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with restricted free agent forward Brandon Dubinsky.

Dubinsky, 23, has skated in all 82 regular season games in each of the last two seasons. In 2007-08, his first full season, he led all NHL rookies in hits (196) and ranked seventh among rookies in points (40). He tied for sixth on the Rangers in goals (14), ranked fifth in assists (26) and sixth in points (40). Dubinsky ranked third on the team in faceoff winning percentage (51%), winning 512 of 995 faceoffs. He also skated in 10 post-season contests, finishing tied for second on the team in goals (four) and ranked fourth in points (eight). Dubinsky was named MVP of the NHL YoungStars Game at the 2008 All-Star Game, notching two goals and an assist. He was also selected as the winner of the Steven McDonald award by the fans, given to the player who performs “above and beyond the call of duty.”

Last season, Dubinsky registered seven multi-point efforts, including two three-point performances. He led the team in faceoff winning percentage (53.6%), finished fifth in assists (28) and sixth in points (41). He ranked seventh in the NHL with 251 hits. Dubinsky also appeared in seven post-season contests, finishing with one goal and three assists for four points. He was selected to appear in his second NHL YoungStars Game at the 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend.

The 6-1, 205 pounder has skated in 170 regular season contests with the New York Rangers, recording 27 goals and 54 assists for 81 points, along with 193 penalty minutes.

Zipay says two years, 1.7 mil this year and two mil next. A bit of an increase from the 500+ that was initially offered ...

I guess MSG's smear campaign worked ... the wrong way. Good for Dubi. Now here is a thought - what kind of welcome will he get at the Garden when he plays his first game? In this economy, how many people were siding with a spoiled kid who refused to work until he got paid more money than many will make in their lifetime?

Another question is what kind of shape is he in? Can he play Monday night against the Wings?

Catching Up

I wanted to leave that letter up over the weekend and in the meantime a lot has come to pass in terms of Ranger news so please bear with me as there is a bunch to cover. Before I get to it, I just wanted to say thanks to Patrick Hoffman and the Four Habs Fans. Patrick interviewed me yet again and the Habs Fans asked for my input on their two new additions - Paul Mara and Scott Gomez (yet to be posted, but you can be sure it isn't positive). Well, time to look at all that has happened and sadly, a lot of it isn't positive either:

*"Shut Up & Play" huh? It's not a bad motto for the 09-10 Ranger campaign but it is certainly no Commit To The Indian. Of course, I'm not so sure it was decided as a modus operandi so much as a veiled threat at Brandon Dubinsky. (Thanks to Andrea for the graphic!)

*Which leads to Dubi and his contract situation. I am not sympathetic at this point. It was a nice try, playing hardball and all, but it was bound for failure. Especially when you are in no position to negotiate and you are bargaining with a hard-line Hall of Famer who's untouchable and arrogant. Sather called Sean Avery a detriment to the team after he turned them into winners, think about what Glen has to have said to Dubi. Is Dubi asking for too much? Probably not, especially considering the contracts that Voros, Rissmiller and Brashear all were handed. But at the same time, Sather had to seduce them to come to Broadway and he has Dubi bent over a post. The kid has an opportunity to shine with Gabby, if he sucked it up for a season and racked up the points, he could improve his bargaining position. For now, he's just screwed. You know that in a non-salary capped world Sather would have brought someone else in already anyway ...

*Kyle McLaren's bad back screwed up his chance at a NHL job so the Rangers are trying out the massive Alexei Semenov. Semenov's size is certainly needed and appreciated but his distinct suckiness is not. Yes, I said suckiness. This guy was the bane of San Jose fans' lives because he lumbered around the ice. Sure, he fought on occasion - so he has something over former sasquatch Marek Malik - but Sather signed Brash so we don't need to have two oversized, underskilled wastes of roster spots.

*Sather's insistence on bringing in outside assistance for the blueline speaks volumes on his opinion of the prospects of the Ranger youth. Why bring a McLaren, Semenov, Seidenberg, Babchuk, whoever when you have six, seven legitimate defenders? Unless you don't think they are legitimate (and perhaps one isn't as he is already crying)... but this goes back to the whole refuse-to-rebuild-from-within mental block that Sather has and we should expect it by now.

*While I love the thought of seeing Dan LaCouture back in a Blueshirt, the same veteran vs. prospect thing goes for him too. I loved watching LaCouture play the first time around because he hustled like hell and he stood up for his teammates. Well, he still does both but someone like Dane Byers can do it better as he has an offensive upside as well as a few years on his side. LaCouture might be a good veteran presence for Hartford though, so let's hope that he can hang on and earn a two-way deal.

*The Wolf Pack are playing the AHL Devils at the Rock on Wednesday afternoon in a free game as part of a day/night doubleheader with the big boys. Seeing as the first wave of Ranger camp cuts isn't until Thursday, it will be quite telling to see who they choose to put in Pack jerseys. The bigger question is, aside from a hockey geek like myself who already took the day off, who the hell is going to show up for a 1 pm hockey game in Newark?

*Anyone else see that Ryan Hollweg was invited to the Coyotes camp? Too funny. Damn shame that kid had no restraint because he had potential to be a good checking forward with his speed and persistence. Other interesting invitations are Panthers decision to give Christian Backman a shot (somehow I don't think he can be an adequate replacement for Jay Bouwmeester, just a hunch) and Calgary doing the right thing to let Theo Fleury attempt to redeem himself. I'll definitely be rooting for him.

*It is kind of surprising that Atlanta hasn't given Nik Zherdev at least a tryout. Brooksie said Z was back on Broadway begging for a deal but Atlanta makes so much more sense. First, Z clearly was uncomfortable in the limelight here in NY and there really isn't much light at all on southern hockey. Management down in the A-T-L is catering to Kovalchuk in an effort to get him to stay after next season and you have to imagine that he likes the thought of a line with him on one side, Z on the other and Borat in the middle.

*All the invitations mean little as there simply aren't many spots up for grabs in most organizations. Of course, there appears to be several positions up for the Rangers - third defensive pairing, fourth line center, first line center, first line winger ... oh wait, we have that Gaborik guy. Yeah, like I said, that spot is up for grabs. The guy is already sore and sitting out and he has hardly stepped on the ice! Not a good sign at all so I'm setting the over/under at 20 games played this season. That's three more than last year and I think trainer Jim Ramsay can duct tape Gabby together for at least that many.

*Getting back to the Dubinsky thing for a second - should this thing really drag out and the kid is forced out of the lineup, what do you think about trying Michael Nylander in a waiver acquisition a la Avery? Sure he is slow and frustrating to watch and entirely not a Tortorella-type player but he always managed to produce. For the games that Gaborik does dress for, he will need a center to get him the puck and there aren't many alternatives out there. And once Gabby goes on long term injured reserve, the Rangers can grab Jagr back after the Olympics and put the band back together!! (Only a little sarcasm there.)

*Perhaps Glen can think up a trade. Personally, I've always liked the thought of Jason Spezza as a Ranger so why not make something happen? Given their deal with the Sharks, the Senators seem quite willing to write off the next season or two and Dubinsky plus Rozy and a high pick (one of the packages bandied about for Heatley) could be enough to get Spezza, right? Reports out of Ottawa said he was a disappointment last season and a slow start this fall could wear out the rest of his welcome. Dubi and the pick would help boost the Sens youth movement with Foligno, Shannon, Lee and company while Spezza would give the Rangers a legit first-line center. I can dream, right?

Luckily the dream of a new season is just beginning as the puck drops at the Garden tomorrow. Oh baby, let's get this party started!!!

Hey! We've Got Dibs On Dubi!

All of this back and forth between Glen Sather and the Brandon Dubinsky camp may end up costing the Rangers as Toronto may be ready to step in. Puck Daddy has a wrap of the goings on north of the border and the signs point to Brian Burke putting out an offer sheet. Now, the main target of his affections is said to be Phil Kessel but that simply doesn't make as much sense. While it would be nice revenge for the Tuukka Rask/Andrew Raycroft fleecing, I don't see other motivation. Burke's track record shows a penchant for rough-and-tumble, big players who are quick to fall in line and read the company motto. Kessel has none of those qualities.

Brandon Dubinsky, on the other hand, does. Dubi would help fill the hole in the middle still empty after the Mats Sundin Vancouver money grab retirement. Nik Antropov couldn't do it, or wasn't willing to. Dubi is a big kid with good hands that is willing to stand up for his teammates and fight - even though he isn't particularly good at it. He would be a big boost to the Leafs' youth movement up front and could take the pressure off guys like Kulemin and Grabovski.

While that is good for Toronto, it would be terrible for the Rangers. Letting Dubi go, even with three draft picks possibly coming back in return, would decimate this team. There isn't much salary cap space to bring in someone else and, let's face it, there aren't many good puck movers on the market right now.

Sather never replaced Scott Gomez, and to lose Dubinsky for nothing (in the short term) would leave us with Chris Drury, Arty Anisimov, Brian Boyle and Tyler Arnason up the middle. That would be fine for a first year expansion franchise, but not for the New York Rangers.

Tough Talk From Torts

John Tortorella spoke to Jeff Z. Klein over at the Times today and had this to say about the signing of Vinny Prospal:

“Vinny and I had a long conversation prior to our even talking about this … I know, I’ve coached him for so many years — my question was, Does he want to play? Is life too good? Because he’s made a lot of money. He’s been successful. He’s a good person. But I just wanted to make sure that he wanted to play. He’s ticked off. He was bought out. He has something to prove here. I think it’s a good situation on a one-year deal, and show us maybe for when another contract comes around. Some other people in the organization need to understand that too.”

Brandon Dubinsky, you've been put on notice.