Depending on your point of view, and with all apologies to Charles Dickens, the NHL’s annual All-Star break comes at the best of times or the worst of times for the New York Rangers. For the first time since 1993-94, the Rangers reach the All-Star break in first place in the Eastern Conference and with the best points-per-game ratio in the NHL. Conversely, the Blueshirts plethora of skating wounded and injured players can use the time off to heal up for the grueling stretch run.

That grueling run to the playoffs sees the Rangers playing 35 games in the final 68 days of the regular season – including seven sets of back-to-back games (New Jersey to Buffalo, Philadelphia to NYR, NYI to NYR, Carolina to Tampa Bay, Ottawa to Chicago, NYR to Toronto, and Minnesota to Winnipeg).

In any other season, the All-Star break would end up being the Rangers Kryptonite as all of their momentum would be lost during the week off. However, this season should be different from most.

NBC Sports hockey analyst Pierre McGuire provided some insight into why this season might be different while speaking to Justin Terranova of the NY Post.

“[The Rangers] learned a lot last year by losing to Washington in the playoffs when they had a chance to maybe have more of an advantage in that series, but they dropped the ball late in games,” McGuire said while analyzing how the Rangers went from a life-and-death struggle for the playoffs last year to a first place showdown this year.

“I saw it happen to Chicago when they lost to Detroit in the Western Conference Finals and the next year they steamrolled their way to the Stanley Cup. Teams need to lose in the playoffs as a group and try to understand what went wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The seven-day break is just another obstacle that has found its way in the Rangers path. From the team opening the season in Europe as part of a seven-game road trip to start the season through HBO’s coverage leading up to the Winter Classic, and then finally the Winter Classic itself, the Blueshirts have had quite an eventful first half of the season.

They have handled without major fanfare or excuse making – which is the way Coach John Tortorella approached the season from the very beginning.
“It is imperative that we handle everything properly, including the travel, the schedule, HBO and anything else that comes our way,” Tortorella explained to Larry Brooks of the NY Post in September. “We cannot complain about anything . . . and I’m including myself in that, as much as anybody, and maybe more so.
“With all the stuff that’s going to be swirling around us, our mental approach and ability to keep our focus on the right things is going to a huge, huge part of our season; even more than systems and the X’s and O’s.”

“There’s no doubt that excuses will be out there for anybody who wants to lean on them,” Torts added. “But there will be no excuses with our team.”
The theme of maintaining the focus inward on the team while keeping an “eye on the prize” is one that Tortorella emphasized following the Rangers 3-0 victory over Winnipeg preceding the All-Star break.

“The league is going to get better. The tempo is going to get better. I think it becomes a quicker game, but there’s also a grind to it, too. We cannot stop working on all parts of our game. We spent a lot of time on the details of it. We cannot stop trying to get better at that stuff because teams will pass you,” Tortorella explained.

“You look at the standings and a lot of teams win. If you don’t stay on top of yourselves and worry about the details of how we play and remain true to our identity, there will be some struggles. You never know where it goes from there.”

Rangers captain Ryan Callahan echoed his coach’s mantra following the Jets game.

“We’ve had a good first half now. It’s good going into the break knowing you’re sitting in first place. But at the same time, the hockey only gets harder from here,” Callahan told Josh Thomson of the Journal News. “Everybody picks it up a notch. We have to continue to do the same to have more success.”

The All-Star break gives GMs the opportunity to start laying the groundwork for the eventual trades that will take place in February leading up to the NHL’s trade deadline at 3pm EST on February 27. There is plenty of time for Ranger fans to contemplate possible trade targets. Heck, it is very possible that the Blueshirts might wait until the last minute before swinging a deal – and with good reason.

According to CapGeek.com , as of January 27, 2012, the Rangers have a little more than $3.0 million in cap space. However, CapGeek points out that if the Rangers were to wait until February 27), then their cap space rises to more than $5.4 million.

Outside of getting healthy and staying healthy, the Rangers biggest concern has to be reviving their moribund power play which is ranked 26th in the NHL. Imagine what kind of season the Rangers could be having if they had a Top 10 power play.

Many people have lamented that the Rangers biggest need is a player to QB the power play. The only problem with that thought is that the Rangers have had success without the prototypical power play QB.

During the first two seasons after the lockout (2005-06 and 2006-07), the Blueshirts had the 8th ranked power play with the “immortal” Michal Rozsival as the key man on the point. Yes, they had Jaromir Jagr but they also had a system that saw the team use a system that set up Jagr on his off-wing.

The Edmonton Oilers have the 3rd rated power play (21.3% to the Rangers 14.1%) and they do not feature a Brian Leetch-like player on their roster.

Rather than worrying about what the Rangers don’t have, the team needs to focus on using the players they do have within a simple system.

Without being asked a direct question about the team’s power play, Tortorella indirectly answered one of the power play’s biggest problems.

In the Winnipeg post-game press conference Torts spoke what the Rangers need to focus on in the second half.

“A big part of what I think we have to get better at are rebound goals. And before you get rebound goals, you have to shoot the puck on the net,” Tortorella explained. “We tend to look for the next play where probably the best play is being ready to shoot before it comes to you and to shoot it instead of trying to pass it.”

Factoring in Tortorella’s comments with some of my pet peeves, I have come up with a three-point plan that should improve the Rangers power play.

Point 1 – Movement. Far too often the Rangers power play stagnates as they play the puck around the perimeter looking for that perfect shot – which does not happen too much because puck movement has to be accompanied by player movement. Watch the Rangers power play and you notice that there are a lot of Blueshirts standing around.

Point 2 – Get in front of the net. Unless the Rangers find a way to manufacture the second coming of Al MacInnis and Bobby Hull, the team needs to create more traffic in front of the net. By the way, this point goes beyond the man advantage. The Rangers need to take more advantage of this strategy during five-on-five play as well. More often than not, pucks/rebounds will be sliding through the top of the crease and no Ranger is in front of the net. More often than not, you will see a Ranger at the side of the net along the goal line rather than in front of the net. Watch for this over the space of a couple of games and you will see why I am rapidly getting even balder .

Point 3 – Shoot the puck (On Net). Points two and three go along with Tortorella’s opinion; however, I take it one step further by emphasizing the “On Net” part. Some Rangers (Michael Del Zotto is at the top of the list) need to realize that sometimes less is more when they are shooting. The idea is to put the puck on goal, not through it. Sometimes the best pass is a shot on goal. And much like Point 2, this is a strategy the Rangers can employ during even-strength situations as well.

Well those grinches at Outdoor Life Network, er Versus, um NBC Sports Network (or whatever they are calling themselves today) cost Ranger fans a chance to relive the movie “Groundhog Day”. No, Glen Sather did not make an appearance (which would be a sure sign of the Apocalypse). Instead, it was Rangers owner James Dolan appearing at the post-game press conference (which was not covered by MSG so that we could watch Boomer & Carton in 60 – oh boy) meaning there are six more weeks left in the Knicks season ?

With the Knicks floundering after spending beaucoup bucks in free agency and trades (sound familiar), Dolan spoke with the media for the first time since the 2005-2006 season – according to both Andrew Gross of The Record and Steve Zipay of Newsday.

As I am sure everyone has heard, Dolan was praising the job Sather has been doing since redoing his strategy in 2004. Jimmy should probably have mentioned something about the Lockout and the Salary Cap in the next breath, but why ruin a good story.

Rather, Dolan invoked the name of the Stanley Cup in reference to something Dolan gave to Sather (insert your own punch line) that was not be returned until the Rangers recapture the Cup.

Of course Dolan’s Stanley Cup statement drew the attention of his coach who responded as only John Tortorella can.

“Thanks a lot, Mr. Dolan,” Torts retorted. “I’m just as shocked as you guys are. We just have to go about our business. I have my owner up here talking about a Stanley Cup. That’s a bunch of bullshit. We need to take one day at a time.”

You have to love the coach for having the cojones for calling out his owner. Then again, having the best record in hockey tends to give you a bit of leeway with your boss.

Tortorella has taken a lot of heat during his tenure with the Rangers and some of it has been deserved. Despite his “safe is death” mantra at the start of second go-round with the Rangers (remember he had a four-game stint at the end of the 1999-200 season), the Blueshirts have not been an offensive juggernaut mainly due to their woefully inconsistent power play.

Whether it is stubbornness on his part in terms of systems or player selection, Torts has not been able to bring any consistency to that part of the team’s game.
Some fans roll their eyes whenever Tortorella starts running out different line combinations – even though every coach in the NHL does it. Those fans see the Rangers struggles as a result of his line juggling , rather than his reacting to the team’s offensive (and defensive) struggles.

You could even get on him for his “treatment” of Sean Avery if you are so inclined.

The one thing that you cannot complain about is the one thing that has the Rangers in the position they are in. He holds his players accountable for their actions.
About a week ago Tortorella sent his team back into their locker room after the team’s sluggish start to a practice following a day and half off.
Michael Rupp, who has been around the block a few times, addressed the coach’s style in an interview with the Blueshirts United web site.

“That’s Torts through and through, I think,” Rupp offered. “You have guys who have strong games, and they have one shift of not being good and it’s addressed. I think that’s important. There’s too many times I played on teams where a guy is in a position on a team or has a niche and is told to just go with it. Maybe over a course of 20 games he’ll be good for us. Well that’s not good enough, and here it’s not like that. So if it’s kicking us off the ice for a minute or sitting one of our top guys for a couple of shifts, everyone is accountable and we understand you have to bring it every time you step on the ice.”

That belief is not one that is held by Rupp alone. Six days prior to Torts pulling his team of the ice, CBC’s Elliotte Friedman touched on a similar belief.

In a January 3, 2012 CBC.ca blog, Friedman wrote, “New York head coach John Tortorella can be very tough, but it’s clear the Rangers respond to him. Why? Several players say it’s because they respect the fact he treats every player the same, no matter where they fit in the lineup. One added that if you have a couple of bad shifts in a row, he makes it clear you may not get many more.”

While speaking to The Record’s Gross about the practice incident, Tortorella provided insight into why the coach was quick to dismiss Dolan’s talk about the Stanley Cup.

In speaking about his team leaders and the trust he has in them Tortorella stated, “It has to be sustained in the room. I trust this group. I just don’t want it to slip. We have so much more work to do with this club. I just don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’re heading down the right road. I want to make sure we keep heading down the right road and not detour.”

Things are going well, for now, and the future is looking promising. Both Michael Sauer and Steve Eminger have resumed skating with the team, albeit both are wearing non-contact jerseys. When both are healthy and cleared for game action, it is going to put the coaching staff in a tough, but desirable, position of having to decide who plays, who sits and who ends up in the AHL.

This forthcoming depth on defense will put the Rangers in a position to strengthen their depth at forward. While a top-six scoring winger would be a great addition, it will come at heavy price in terms or prospects, draft picks and future salary cap space.

The Rangers need to tread lightly come the trade deadline. On the plus side, they do have the option of jettisoning Wojtek Wolski’s $3.8 million cap hit to the AHL if the right player is available at the right price.

With visions of sugar-plums dancing in my head, and looking forward to a week of wrapping Christmas gifts and my annual 12-hour Biscotti Bake-athon, I take refuge in the New York Rangers. Rather than focusing on one or two topics, today I am taking a different approach by commenting on random ramblings.

Tim Erixon

The New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Tim Erixon as they heed Horace Greeley’s advice and head west for two games (St. Louis on Thursday and Phoenix on Saturday). It does set off some debate as to why Erixon was recalled. Andrew Gross of The Record offers the following scenarios:

1. It could mean the Rangers just want some in-case insurance since they’re traveling across the Mississippi.
2. (More likely) Steve Eminger’s left arm is a question mark after he blocked a second-period shot and went to the bench in pain during last night’s 1-0 loss to the Stars. Eminger came back for the third period and was on the ice for eight shifts over the final 20 minutes.
3. (Possible) Coach John Tortorella is not totally satisfied with play he’s receiving from third pair of Jeff Woywitka and Anton Stralman.
4. (Possible) Mike Sauer (concussion) is headed to injured reserve.

Since Marc Staal is listed on the Long-Term Injured Reserve list, the Rangers will not have to make any salary cap moves. The Rangers have placed Sauer on Injured Reserve due to the concussion he received on Dion Phaneuf’s hit. Is it possible that the Rangers placed Sauer on the injured list with an eye towards placing him LTIR and trying to open a little more salary cap space for a trade deadline deal.

On a side note, today has been a bad day for the NHL in terms of concussions as Milan Michalek, Joni Pitkanen and Jeffrey Skinner all join Sauer on the sidelines due to concussions.

Brandon Dubinsky

Speaking of the lineup, it might be time to give Brandon Dubinsky a break from the action. You can make as good a case for t sitting him down as you can for not giving him a game off. While Coach John Tortorella guards his lineup decisions with the same fervor as the United States guards Fort Knox, it might be time for Torts to open up a bit.

During his banter with the media today, let everyone know that Dubi will be sitting out the St. Louis game ONLY and strongly state that Dubinsky will be back in the lineup against Phoenix no matter what happens Thursday night. The explanation is that you want to give Dubi a chance to just sit back and clear his head. Heck, put headphones on him in the press box and let him stay in contact with Mike Sullivan on the bench – not a bad way for a struggling player to take a long – and different – look at the game.

If Sean Avery happens to have a whale of game (pun intended), then Torts has a pleasant lineup decision to make. If Avery doesn’t play well, then it is a case of no-harm, no-foul.

When Dubinsky is the lineup, I would tweak the lines a little bit. I would consider putting Dubi back with Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan, or at the very least flip him and Brian Boyle so that Dubinsky can skate with Carl Hagelin and John Mitchell – which might be the best idea because it will force Dubinsky to concentrate on his skating to keep up with the speedy wingers.

Brave New NHL

All of the beat writers have been hammering home the lament that NHL fans will be “treated” to more ho-hum games like last night’s Ranger-Stars game thanks to the new balanced schedule. With less four-point games on the schedule, you are going to have more nights where both teams appear to be going through the motions as opposed to snatching two points from a division rival. Oops, I forgot in the new NHL there are no divisions – just conferences.

What is my take on the new NHL realignment? Let’s just say if there was a way for the NHL to screw up a good thing – they will. In 1994 the NHL was coming off the high of the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 54 years. So what happens next – the NHL locks out the players and the 1994-195season doesn’t start until January 20, 1995.

After “learning” their lesson, a decade later the NHL becomes the first major pro sports league to cancel an entire season as the owners again lockout the players.

The only saving grace over the NHL realignment plan is that the CBA is up at the end of the year and the NHL will again lockout the players and during the subsequent down time cooler heads will prevail as the NHL goes back to its six divisions and two conferences.

Shoot the Puck … On Net

I am always amused when Ranger fans scream “Shoot” when the Blueshirts go into their “Sweet Georgia Brown” power play. What fans forget to add to the “Shoot” yell is “on net”. I understand that there are times when a player has to shoot wide in order to prevent a blocked shot and a breakaway the other way. Heck, in those buildings with lively dasher boards, it is often a good strategy.

No, I am talking about when a Ranger has a relatively clear shot and just shoots wide as he is trying to put the puck through the goalie or as if he is trying to pick corners.

While fans are quick to put the hammer down on Michael Del Zotto for doing that (especially when his shots go wide of the net and start flying out to the neutral zone on sharp angle shots), it is a team-wide affliction that creeps far too often.

Perhaps the Rangers need to adapt a Brylcreem attitude toward their shots – “a little dab’ll do ya”. Sometimes it better to sacrifice some MPHs for accuracy.

Torts and His Line Changes

Funny, I don’t remember fans complaining too much about line juggling back during the 1993-1994 when Mike Keenan employed the “RW du jour” approach when it came to finding a match for Adam Graves and Mark Messier. I think I remember John Davidson taking a shift or two amid the likes of Tony Amonte, Glenn Anderson, Mike Gartner, Alexei Kovalev, Steve Larmer and a cast of thousands.

I also don’t hear too many Penguin fans complaining that Dan Bylsma juggles his lines to optimize the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. By the way, is it me or shouldn’t Bylsma endorse Brylcreem?

The Rangers do not struggle to score because Tortorella juggles his lines. Rather, he juggles his lines when the Rangers are not scoring.

Just In case …

I don’t get the opportunity to post another Ranger Ramblings before the holidays hit, please let me take this opportunity to wish everyone the very best during this Christmas and Hanukkah season. May everyone’s holiday be merry, happy and safe and here is to a great 2012 – one that is capped off with Gary Bettman saying, “Captain Ryan Callahan, come get the Stanley Cup!”

The New York Rangers have traded defenseman Tomas Kundratek to the Washington Capitals in exchange for RW Francois Bouchard. The 23-year-old was the Capitals second round draft pick (35th overall) in 2006. The 6-0/180 Bouchard spent four years in the QMJHL with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. In 259 Junior games, he scored 125 goals and 218 assists. In his last three years, he averaged 38 goals and 68 assists.

Bouchard has spent the last three seasons with Washington’s AHL affiliate in Hershey where he scored 49 goals and 63 assists in 219 games – including career highs in games, goals, assists and points (77-21-31-52) during the 2009/2010. Bouchard helped lead Hershey to Calder Cup championships in 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. He is scoreless in nine games this season with the Bears while Kundratek had two assists in 7 games with the Whale.

His biggest claim to fame is that Francois is the brother of Minnesota Wild center Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

According to Howlings.net, Kundratek had been scratched during the last few games and the Whale need some depth and offense at forward.

Prior to the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, the International Scouting Service rated him as their 68th best prospect and offered the following Scouting Report:

“Francois Bouchard; younger brother of Pierre-Marc Bouchard of the Minnesota Wild. He was consistently one of Baie-Comeau’s most dangerous players thru the regular season, finishing 13th overall in QMJHL scoring, but was less than spectacular in the playoffs. Shows excellent hockey sense, has a very good feel for the game in the offensive zone. He has all the skills to succeed at the NHL level; a good skater, very good puck and passing skills, and sees the ice very well. Plays too much on the perimeter and is easily intimidated. He will need to improve both his physical and defensive game if he wishes.”

Here some other Scouting reports on Bouchard that were listed on the Capitals official web site:

Red Line Report:
Younger brother of Pierre-Marc Bouchard had a mostly overlooked 100+ point season. Quick release on accurate shot. Moves puck to the right spot at the right time. Has a world of skill and really soft hands in tight – capable of highlight reel goals with patience around the net. Not as imaginative a passer as his brother, but might be a better finisher around the net. Has uncanny instincts and hockey sense at the offensive end. Plays in spurts – can be dominant for 3-4 shifts, then goes quiet for long stretches. Hurt himself with invisible performance at World U-18s. Wasn’t strong on the puck and didn’t drive through checks. Work ethic was lacking and got him demoted. Not strong in upper body – can be moved off the puck. Needs to bring his full talent to bear on more consistent basis.
Projection: 2nd line scoring winger
Style compares to: J.P. Dumont

The Hockey News:
While one of Francois Bouchard’s strengths is his playmaking skills, he is not quite as gifted as his older brother, Pierre-Marc of the Minnesota Wild, in that department. But the younger Bouchard is still very talented and his hockey sense is sound, too. And he holds at least one advantage over Pierre-Marc. “He has more size than his brother,” said one scout.

But whoever drafts the younger Bouchard would do well to not hurry him into the NHL before his is ready, like the Wild did P-M. “He needs to be groomed a little and some time in the minors won’t hurt,” the first scout added.

Central Scouting Report (Rated #41 among North American skaters):
Is a good skater with good speed, balance and leg strength who is solid on his feet … he possesses very good hands and playmaking abilities handling the puck well in tight quarters and protecting it well … he is especially effective on the power play, reads the play well, feeding teammates with accurate passing and has very good scoring instincts … his wrist shot is quick and accurate … is quick to jump on any loose pucks around the net and can score in many ways … has very good hockey sense and is used to kill penalties … competes offensively, his positioning in defensive zone is solid and he will not hesitate to go on offense quickly … Baie-Comeau’s 1st pick, 20th overall, in the 2004 QMJHL Draft … was selected to play in the 2006 Top Prospects Game in Ottawa … also selected to the 2005-06 QMJHL All-Star Game for the Canada-Russia challenge.

New York – New seating bowl. Wider concourses. Same old Rangers.

Yes, hockey is back in the five boros and the Rangers, after a lengthy road trip that took them from Stockholm to Winnipeg, finally get to come to the place they call home.

And with a fresh modern look to boot.

Yet, be it in Sweden, Manitoba or Manhattan, the same Blueshirt team is here and the work in progress, well…didn’t progress tonight.

After a really nice first period, which coach John Tortorella called “the best all season” the Rangers reverted to their old lethargic ways, giving up three third period goals and dropping a 4-2 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I thought we had a pretty good first and some sustained pressure,” said Rangers captain Ryan Callahan. “We created some opportunities, as well as got some bodies to the net in the first.

“In the second and third we just weren’t doing that. It was definitely disappointing, especially with all the anticipation. We wanted to start with a win in the new building.”

Maybe it was the two disallowed goals, both of which had Callahan bumping Toronto goalie Jonas Gustavsson, which would have put the Rangers ahead 3-0 after one, but ultimately made the Blueshirts settle of a 1-0 score on Dan Girardi’s first light of the lamp this season. at 6:23 into the game.

“We did a lot of good things,” said Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson. “We did, fortunately, survive the first period.”

And after surviving, the Leaf’s took the wind out of the Rangers sails just 1:20 into the second when Matthew Lombardi put his second of the year behind Henrik Lundqvist to tie the game.

With that came the end of any energy the Rangers gained from the first period and it was all Leafs for the next 38 or so minutes. NHL Betting Lines couldn’t have predicted that.

Lundqvist was able to survive a 16 shot Toronto second with the score tied, but then the wheels fell off in the third.

“I think we were lethargic and mentally we were lethargic,” Tortorella said. “You get juiced from coming back home and playing in front of your crowd, But from then on after they score their goal we struggled with our energy and making passes. We did it as a team.”

And that was too much for Lundqvist, who stopped 32 shots this evening, but let three third period goals in before Michael Del Zotto got one back with less than five minutes left in the game.

“i have to look over the game tomorrow and see what I have to adjust,” Lundqvist said. “I felt pretty good and I was surprised by a couple of goals. I wasn’t as sharp as I have to be mentally.

“Obviously, we’re very disappointed to start like this at home.”

More play like this and they may have trouble making the playoffs.

Yes, the New York Rangers are back in town after a seven game road trip that spanned two continents, games in six different countries, and according to Andrew Gross of The Record, about 16,000 frequent flyer miles earned. And after one home game, it appears that the Rangers inability to make Madison Square Garden a home-ice advantage has returned to town as well.

Including last night’s game, the Blueshirts are 38-35-10 at home. Conversely, during the last two years plus their first five home games this season (3-2-0), the New York Islanders are 43-34-10 at home.

Referring to his .500 squad the coach said, “I think we’re a work in progress and we’re going to get better. There are certain parts of our game that I like, other parts that we need to focus on and improve. Every team goes through that and we’re no different than anybody else.”

You have to admit that statement pretty much sums up the state of the Rangers as they stand 3-3-2 after their first eight games. The interesting point is that statement was not uttered by John Tortorella, nor is the team in question the New York Rangers.

That quote is from Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault and was made to Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun on October 16 after the Western Conference champions had played their first five games.

My reason for using that quote is simple – the Rangers are going through the same rough patch that every team goes through. My concern is not with the results, but rather with the how the Rangers are getting there.

Larry Brooks of the NY Post summed up the problem with the Rangers in the lead of his Maple Leafs-Rangers game story, “The Rangers have done nothing yet to identify themselves as heirs to the 2010-11 Black-and-Blueshirts.”

If John Davidson were still broadcasting games for the MSG Network, he would remind fans of how teams struggle in the first game back from a long road trip – and they don’t get much longer than 16,000+ miles.

Personally I always felt that ”adage” was just an excuse for a team not getting the job done, but this year might be a different case because the seven-game road trip was not your standard long road trip. Even the “first-game-back-from-a-long-road-trip” blues was not standard.

After struggling to generate shots, never mind goals, the Rangers were flying in the first period and could have been up 3-0 if not for the two disallowed goals. Given how the Blueshirts lit up Jonas Gustavsson the last time he played at the Garden, the game could have had a far different outcome.

When you combine the disallowed goals with an inconsistent second and third period from Henrik Lundqvist, you have the recipe for an Opening Night loss.

What concerns me the most about last night’s loss was how the team lost focus – a fact that Tortorella and Lundqvist both readily admitted.

“I was a little surprised on a couple goals,” Lundqvist told Steve Zipay of Newsday. “I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be mentally.”

In his post-game press conference the Coach confessed, “I think physically we were lethargic and mentally we were lethargic.”

Tortorella has gone out of his way to treat the Rangers European vacation as he would any other road trip in an attempt to prevent the team from using it as an excuse for a slow start.

You have to wonder did the Rangers globetrotting did take a lot out of them, is it just one game, or are the problems deeper than some expected?

While the Rangers did win three of their four games on the trip to western Canada, they didn’t exactly play awe-inspiring hockey for most of those games.

Elliotte Friedman of CBC.ca made an interesting point in an October 17 column about giving a team 10 games into a season to sort things out.

A few years ago, Friedman said an anonymous GM told him, “I believe in the 10-game rule. You don’t get a true sense of a team in the first 10 games. I don’t put too much into a hot or cold start.”

Recently, that GM amended his belief given the advent of points being awarded for overtime and shootout losses.

The GM told Friedman, “With the three-point games, teams can’t win the Stanley Cup in the first 10 games of the season,” he said. “But they sure can lose it that quickly.”

Given the Rangers penchant for life-and-death struggles at the end of the season just to make the playoffs, it would be nice to bank some points early in the season to lessen the pressure late in the season

SEAN AVERY

I have tried to steer clear of the Sean Avery Situation because it is quite the polarizing subject – which is amazing given that he is a third/fourth liner player at best.
I find it amusing how some Ranger fans have elevated Avery’s demotion to the point of it being on par with, or an even greater affront to Ranger fandom, than the waiving of Eddie Giacomin 36 years ago this Halloween and the trading of Brad Park and Jean Ratelle to the Boston Bruins about a week later.

It is kind of interesting that the pain that the pro-Avery fans are suffering is only matched by the hatred they have towards Tortorella for banishing Avery to the AHL. This is the same Sean Avery that 29 teams passed on before he was sent to the AHL. This is the same Sean Avery that 29 teams passed on when the Rangers claimed him re-entry waivers.

Does Avery deserve a spot on the Rangers ahead of the likes of Erik Christensen and Kris Newbury? Absolutely, but there are a million reasons why Christensen is here ahead of Avery and about 1.4 million reasons why Newbury is here ahead of Avery. If you substitute dollars for reasons, you have one answer as to why Avery is skating in the AHL.

Of course, the fact that Avery and Tortorella are like motor oil and water plays a big part as well. It is not the first time a coach has banished a player to the AHL for personal reasons and it sure won’t be the last.

Ranger fans should be more upset with Torts over his opinion on Paul Mara than on Avery. Given the uncertain future of Marc Staal, Mara fills the Rangers need better than Avery does and Mara is a much better solution than Jeff Woywitka, Brendan Bell or even Anton Stralman – who may or may not be a Rangers target.

I know it may seem a bit unusual to write a New York Rangers season preview two games into the 2011/2012 season, but the Rangers are a very unusual team – as any diehard Blueshirts fan will tell you.

The start of the season ends a whirlwind summer that saw Glen Sather’s under-the-radar pursuit of Brad Richards pay off. It also ends an off-season filled with tragedy as the Rangers family lost Derek Boogaard, Alexander Karpovtsev, Karel Rachunek, and Jan Marek.

The Richards’ signing goes beyond finding a center for Marian Gaborik and solving the Rangers power play woes. Richards brings a veteran presence who knows how Coach John Tortorella operates.

“To see how Torts operates, I know it works,” Richards relayed to Chuck Gormley in 2011/2012 Sporting News Hockey Yearbook. “It reminds me of what we did in Tampa. At the end of the day, it’s the right fit for me.”

While Richards knows what to expect from the coach, Tortorella knows what the Conn Smythe Trophy winner brings to the team.

“We’ve got guys on the cusp of learning what they need to do as a pro,” the coach explained to Gormley. “Forget about what the stats are. Mentoring and teaching kids to be a pro – I think that’s going to be very important. He fits the bill there.”

Just when everything seemed to be getting back to normal as the Rangers hit the ice, the Marc Staal Saga came to the forefront. Questions still swirl as to whether or not Staal is suffering from post-concussion syndrome or if there is some other physical ailment that is causing his symptoms.

As we have seen with the problems Sidney Crosby has had recovering from his post-concussion problems, Staal’s return is an open-ended proposition.

Staal’s situation caused a butterfly effect that saw Tim Erixon’s seasoning in the AHL put on hold, the Rangers claiming of defenseman Jeff Woywitka off waivers and, perhaps in the most talked about move in years, the waiving and demotion of Sean Avery to the Connecticut Whale.

The Internet was afire with the talk of Avery’s demotion with half the fans content to be done with Avery’s antics and half being upset that Avery was kicked to the curb in favor of Erik Christensen.

The pro-Avery faction railed against Tortorella’s dislike for all things Avery – which began back during Avery’s “sloppy seconds” days when Torts was a broadcaster. Contrary to the belief of Avery’s fans, Tortorella is not the first coach, nor will he be the last, to “run off” a player because of personality conflicts.

Taking a step back and looking at the move with an objective eye, the decision really wasn’t so much Avery over Christensen. It was Michael Rupp and Wojtek Wolski over Avery. Rupp replaces the physical presence that Avery (and Boogaard) brought while Wolski’s $3.8 million salary means the Rangers could not afford to keep Avery’s nearly $2 million contract as a bench player – while Christensen’s $925,000 salary is much more manageable from the press box.

The Rangers will remain a team in flux until Staal returns to the lineup on a permanent basis and until Tortorella finds a LW for Richards and Gaborik. During their two game trip to Europe, Torts tried everyone but Martin Biron on their wing. He even broke up his two star forwards in an attempt to find some offense.

This search for offense is one that is going to continue throughout the season unless they improve two parts of their game. Obviously, the Rangers moribund power play continued to rear its ugly head in Europe as they went zero for eight.

All the talk of need a QB for the power play or anointing Richards as the savior of the man advantage means nothing until the Rangers start stationing a man in front of the net and raining shots ON goal (not at goal or near the goal).

Without that man parked at the top of the crease (thus tying up one of the penalty killers), the Rangers power play is content to work the perimeter – which would be fine of you had Al MacInnis and Bobby Hull firing howitzers from the point.

Last year the Rangers finished with 233 goals, good for 16th in the NHL. Their power play was ranked 18th in the NHL (16.9%). If the Rangers could have manage even seven more PP goals last year, they would have finished with a Top Ten PP and, in the right situations, could have added a few more points – thus allowing the Rangers some breathing room in terms of making the playoffs.

Another way the Rangers can generate some offense is to pick up their forechecking – a part of their game that was almost as inconsistent as their PP. The Rangers have the type of forwards who excel at a putting pressure on the forecheck when they are focused at pinning their opponents.

The Blueshirts goal (pun intended) should be to add 13 goals to their total of last season. That would boost the team to 246 goals for an average of three goals per game. That might not seem like a lot, but only seven teams score that many goals and Buffalo finished with 245.

We are now entering the Foxwoods Final Five paragraphs ?

The 2010/2011 Rangers were road warriors last season which was very important given that they had the fewest amount of home points for any playoff team, as both Carolina and New Jersey had more than New York’s 44 and Toronto tied them.

With Madison Square Garden’s renovations keeping the Rangers on the road until the 8th game of the season on October 27 – including a four-game/eight-day Western Conference trip – the Blueshirts will have to convert last year’s success to this year. However, a quirk in the schedule will require the Rangers to turn the refurbished Garden into a Garden of Nightmares for opponents.

Both of the Rangers games in Europe were counted as road games while the Anaheim and Buffalo were “charged” with one home games and Los Angeles lost two home games because, as Andrew Gross of The Record reported, the Kings owner AEG owns the arenas in Stockholm and Berlin. Yet another plus that Gross points out is that the Rangers will not have to make a California trip this season.

With expectations high for the Rangers, Sather and Tortorella are not going to be as forgiving to players who are not producing. The one thing the Rangers learned from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament is that the organization has young talent in the AHL that can come up to New York and make an impact.

The team has shown that they are not afraid to bury contracts in the AHL (Avery and Wade Redden) or buy out ineffective players (Chris Drury). With the team searching for a LW for Richards and Gaborik, and the possibility of needing an impact blueliner to take Staal’s place, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Wolski hits the Connecticut shuttle – thus freeing up his salary cap space – while someone like Ryan Bourque or Carl Hagelin gets a chance to be this season’s Derek Stepan.

As expected, and to no one’s surprise, an older grey-haired GM has been the hit of the first day of the NHLs’ Free Agent Frenzy. However, it has been Florida’s Dale Tallon who has channeled his inner Glen Sather. Then again, the Panthers had to spend like drunken sailors because, if some reports are true, they needed to add at least $18 million in salary to reach the NHL’s salary floor.

As the Rangers wait their turn to make their pitch to Brad Richards – and they are not among those suitors who are in Toronto to meet with the free agent today – they still have to be the leading contender. TSN reported that Larry Brooks of the NY Post is saying that the Rangers will have a chance to match, or better, Richards’ best offer.

While researching this article, TSN reported that the Rangers have signed Michael Rupp to a three-year contract worth $1.5 million per season – nearly doubling the $850,000 he made last season. While it seems to be a high contract, TSN also reported that as many as 10 teams made offers to the 31-year-old LW.

Rupp was originally a 1998 first round draft pick of the New York Islanders (9th overall). Rupp did sign with the isles and re-entered the draft in 2000 and was New Jersey’s third round selection (76th). Rupp played two tours of duty with the Devils, Phoenix and Columbus before playing the last two season with Pittsburgh where he posted similar numbers in 2009/2010 (81-13-6-19-120 PIM) and 2010/2011 (81-9-8-17-124 PIM).

Here is Rupp’s Scouting Report from the Toronto Star:

ASSETS: Has excellent size. Often plays as a poor man’s version of a power forward. Can play some center, as well as wing, and is also willing to stick up for teammates.

FLAWS: Will go into prolonged scoring slumps, which hurts his ability to see greater ice time. Can take a few too many bad penalties during the season.

CAREER POTENTIAL: Physical winger with some versatility.

Richards and Rupp aside, the Blueshirts have other holes to fill and there are still some UFAs who might be of interest to the Rangers.

If bringing in a first-line center is priority number one, then bringing in a veteran defenseman has to be priority number two – and a couple of blueliners who were bought figure to be at the top of Sather’s list.

Sheldon Souray was said to be on the Rangers radar last season and expects to be at the top of the list once he clears waivers and Edmonton completes the buyout. The 34-year-old Souray definitely owns the big point shot and offensive capabilities to serve as the quarterback on the Blueshirts’ power play. However, if fans were cringing at the way Bryan McCabe played defense, they might be doing more cringing watching the 6-4/233 Souray play defense.

This was the point i nthe article where I was going to make my pitch for the Rangers to sign former Chicago first round draft pick Cam Barker. However, TSN just reported that Barker signed with the Edmonton Oilers on a one-year/$2.25 million contract.

Whether or not the Rangers sign Souray, there are a couple other blueliners who should be in the Rangers sites as a spare defenseman. As part of full disclosure, I do not believe in having a young player like a Tomas Kundratek or Pavel Valentenko sit on the bench in the NHL. Rather it makes more sense to get regular playing time in the AHL.

The first defenseman has a connection to Coach John Tortorella. 27-year-old Shane O’Brien played 96 games with Tortorella’s Tampa Bay Lightning. The 6-3/230 defenseman would bring a much-needed physic al presence on defense and would give them a player who can help Brandon Prust in terms of defending his teammates. On the down side, O’Brien really has no offensive game to speak of and he does have a propensity for taking bad penalties.

The other veteran blueliner is no stranger to Ranger fans. 35-year0-old Jason Strudwick played 125 games with the Blueshirts in two years and change. Like O’Brien, the 6-4/225 d-man doesn’t have much offensive upside and both defensemen have troubles with speedy forwards.

On the plus side, Strudwick would bring leadership and veteran experience to a relatively young Ranger defense corps – something that is important given the fact the team does not have a full-time coach dedicated to working with defenseman.

In addition to bringing some depth/help on defense, the Rangers should be in the market for some inexpensive help at forward. One player I really liked has already been scooped up by the Chicago Blackhawks – Andrew Brunette.

The signing of Rupp does change the Rangers landscape, but I still believe there is a forward who would be worth the gamble. In fact, I might have offered Rupp’s contract to 26-year-old Anthony Stewart.

The 6-2/235 RW is the older brother of St. Louis blues forward Chris Stewart. The former Florida 2003 first round pick (25th overall) set career highs with Atlanta last season in games (80), goals (14), assists (25) and points (35).

Stewart used his size well and is strong on the forecheck and in the corners and is a player who still has more room to grown into a prototypical power forward.

Like Barker, Stewart needs to find a consistency to his game and he has to play close attention to monitoring his weight and conditioning.

Given that he made just $632,000, he is a candidate to receive a large salary bump from some team looking to reach the salary cap floor. Conversely, the Rangers might be able to bring him in at a reasonable two-year deal worth about $1.25 million per season.

While Tortorella has been quoted as saying the team would sign free agents for the sake of signing free agents, there is one player who might be on the team’s wish list – especially if they pass on signing Richards.

With Philadelphia bringing in Jaromir Jagr on a one-year deal at $3.3 million, Maxime Talbot on a five-year/$9 million deal, re-signing Jakub Vorachek, and signing Andreas Lilja, there might not be enough money for them to keep Ville Leino.

The 27-year-old Leino came into his own once he was traded from Detroit to the Flyers in 2010. That season, the 6-1/190 RW was a playoff star scoring 7 goals and 14 assists in 19 games. While he did not live up to the numbers in the 2011 playoffs (11-2-3-5), Leino scored 19 goals and 34 assists in 81 games.

While Leino played RW, he is a lefty shot and might be able to shift over to LW on the first line with Marian Gaborik. Leino is more playmaker than goal scorer and probably could be more of a goal scorer if he shot the puck more, rather than looking to pass first. While he has nice size, he is not a physical player and is not the fastest of skaters.

The Rangers, or any team that signs him, has to decide if Leino’s season was a career year or was it merely his best season in a career that better years to come.

Rick Carpiniello of the Journal News posted an interesting tidbit about various reports in reference to Richards’ contract. Carpiniello wrote, “Brad Richards will get max money, $12.8M per, for year 1 and 2 of contract, including a huge signing bonus for year 1.”

If that is the case, then the Rangers need to move on as quickly as possible. I would take a look at a couple of the players I have mentioned. At that point, the Rangers would be wise to take care of their own free agents and use their remaining salary cap space to bring in a forward via a trade, especially if they can bring someone in on a modified salary dump – which should limit the quality and quantity of players/prospects/draft picks being dealt.

With the New York Rangers parting ways with their captain Chris Drury, it appears that President/GM Glen Sather is setting the stages for an active opening to the NHL Free Agent Frenzy that starts on noon on July 1. As everyone expects, UFA Brad Richards sits at the top of Slats’ wish list. In a perfect world, signing Richards would be a no-brainer. Sadly, the Blueshirts and their fans reside in the real world.

While bringing in Richards might solve the Rangers need for a first-line center and a player to quarterback the power play, it also brings a whole new set of problems.

If the various rumors are true, then Richards is looking for a deal in the seven to eight year range that is worth $50 million plus. In that case, you have traded off one expensive contract for another one. Granted Richards is better player than Drury, but how long will that last?

The last time we saw Richards, he was sitting out the final 10 games of the Dallas Stars season because of a concussion. While no one can ever tell how a player is going to respond from the aftereffects of a concussion, the likelihood of it happening again increases.

The question then changes from will Richards be a better free agent signing than Drury and Scott Gomez to does Richards become the next name in this list: Jeff Beukeboom, Pat LaFontaine, Eric Lindros and Mike Richter.

Even putting aside the concussion question, and factoring in the cap space the Rangers have, signing Richards to a Drury-like contract still leaves salary cap implications. The organization has to make decisions on their own UFAs like Steve Eminger, Ruslan Fedotenko, Matt Gilroy, Bryan McCabe and Vinny Prospal.

Even if the Blueshirts decided to pass on all of those players, they have even more imperative decision to make regarding the futures of RFAs like Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Michael Sauer and Pavel Valentenko.

All it takes is for one team below the salary cap floor to offer a Callahan or Dubinsky an over-the-top deal like Edmonton did with Tomas Vanek to push aside all the best laid plans of mice, men and Sather.

Craig Custance of the Sporting News listed Callahan as one of five RFAs who might be at the receiving end of a “poaching effort” from another team. Oh by the way, Callahan’s agent, Steve Bartlett, was the agent who got Vanek his $50 million offer sheet from the Oilers.

Even if we set aside the salary cap implications for the 2011/2012 season, there is potential trouble looming with a new CBA on the horizon. No one knows how the salary cap will work under a new labor agreement.

The NHL instituted a $39 million salary cap for the start of the 2005/2006 season. Entering this season, the salary cap floor is at $48 million. You can bet there are small market teams that are going to want to roll back a salary cap whose floor is $9 million more than the maximum was at the start of the salary cap era seven seasons ago.

No one can envision what kind of amnesty provision will be provided in the new CBA. Will teams be able to buy out any number of players? Will there be a penalty for buying out players – such as a “luxury tax”? Will player salaries be rolled back in order to fit the new cap scale?

Even if we set aside the uncertainty over future salary cap implications, there are current roster implications that have to be considered. The Rangers still need to address their defense corps. They have to find a way to add a veteran or two to help bolster and solidify the blue line. It is hard to fathom a Tim Erixon-Michael Del Zotto third pairing because that would leave the Rangers pretty much with a four defenseman rotation.

If Richards does sign with the Rangers, big lineup decisions will have to be made among the team’s forward corps.

Obviously, Richards becomes the first-line center and Anisimov would most likely return as the second-line center. Now the question becomes what do you do with Boyle and Derek Stepan? Does Stepan move to the wing – most likely on the third line – or does Boyle or Stepan drop to the fourth line? The problem with moving one of them to fourth-line center is John Tortorella is a coach who prefers to run three lines as opposed to playing four lines. Also, do you really want to waste Stepan on a checking line (third line) or on the fourth line?

Quite honestly, out of all of the problems, this last one is the least of the Rangers worries. If it were up to me, the Blueshirts would roll four lines in an effort to ratchet up their forechecking which, in turn, might lessen the time spent in the Rangers defensive zone – thus eliminating the constant need/urge to block shots and risk season-altering injuries.

The one thing that I would not worry about in reference to signing Richards was the negative results the Rangers received in bringing in Drury, Gomez and Wade Redden and in re-signing Michal Rozsival. Signing those players was not the problem. The contracts they received caused the big problem.

Sather’s ultimate mistake was paying all four of those players as if they were top-line players – which they weren’t. Both Drury and Gomez are second-line type centers and would have been fine additions if they were paid as such. In addition, giving Drury a no-movement clause wasn’t one of Sather’s best moves either. There should not have been a need to overpay Drury to return home to the Tri-State area and there should have been no reason to overpay Gomez to stay in the Tri-State area.

As for Redden and Rozsival, the same thing applies to them as well. Both were being paid top defenseman salaries while they were second-pairing defensemen. Rozsival’s career resurgence with the Rangers should have been enough so they did not have to overpay to keep him and Redden was not an elite d-man and should not have been overpaid like one.

In the end, I just don’t know what is best for the Rangers in this case. Just because they have the money to sign Brad Richards doesn’t mean they should sign him. All of the implications I mentioned doesn’t mean they shouldn’t sign him either.

In that perfect world, the Rangers would sign Richards to a very team-friendly contract. If Richards was adamant about getting a deal in the $7-8 million range, then it would be for a short-term deal (four years or so). If he his goal was to get a seven or eight year deal, then it would be for less money ($5-6 million).

The problem is with the likes of Brian Burke trying to restore the Toronto Maple Leafs; the Rangers might not have the luxury of Richards giving the team a hometown discount because of his relationship with Tortorella.

For one of the first times in the 14 years that I have been writing Ranger Ramblings, I honestly do not have an answer as to what the Rangers should do. This might be one of those cases where I won’t be able to decide and will have to wait until Training Camp starts to see how the dust settles.

I don’t know whose idea it was to have Derek Boogaard’s brother Aaron make the Rangers first selection at the 2011 NHL Draft, but that person deserves to have their name known. The New York Rangers may not always make the right on-ice moves, but this decision was an absolute Hall-of-Famer decision by the Blueshirts – and they deserve all the credit in the world for it.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about their first round draft pick J.T. Miller – especially when players like Mark McNeill (my selection in my Draft Preview) and Joel Armia were still available.

Outside of Red Line Report (RLR) who had him ranked as their ninth best player, Miller was seen as a mid-first rounder by the likes of International Scouting Service (ISS) who had Miller as their 17th best player and NHL’s Central Scouting (CS) who ranked him as the 23rd best skater in North America, and TSN.ca ranked the center as their 18th best prospect. The Hockey News (THN) ranked him 59th.

Interestingly enough, RLR compared Miller’s style of play to that of Erik Cole. While Cole is a nice player, I don’t know any GMs who would select him with the 15th overall pick.

On the other hand, RLR compared Armia’s style of play to that of Tomas Vanek/James Neal.

Anyone who needs to review McNeill’s pedigree can simply check out Part 1 of my Rangers Draft Preview to see how he was ranked. As for Armia, well that is a different story. Frankly, he probably would have been my choice over McNeill with the 15th pick.

I didn’t bother to include the Finnish RW because I did not see him lasting until the Rangers pick at #15 – I had him going to Colorado with the 11th overall pick – with good reason. All of the scouting services I used had him ranked higher than Miller on the whole. Only RLR had Miller ranked higher (20th as opposed to 9th). Miller was ranked 13th by ISS and 15th by THN while CS ranked him as the 4th best European skater.

While Armia has parts of his game that still need work (including defense and finding a consistent high work level), the one thing Armia does bring to the table are world-class offensive skills in a 6-3/191 package.

I know people are putting their trust in Gordie Clark’s track record when waiting to see how Miller’s development progresses – and that is a valid point. However, to me, it seems that the Rangers have J.T. Miller type players already in their system – good solid two-way forwards – as opposed to the game-breaking potential that Armia has.

Since the Rangers did not have a safety net of the two 2nd round draft picks, it appears that the organization decided to go the safe route with Miller rather than take a risk on someone like Joel Armia.

In speaking with NHL.com, David Gregory of CS offered up his assessment of Miller.

“I like how he uses his size and strength. He is a power forward that can dominate on the boards and possesses a great shot. He moves very well, has the ability to impose his will on the game. He just needs to improve his consistency, especially using his strength, game in and game out. He’ll be a better overall player when his puck-handling and confidence with the puck improves.”

As expected, the Rangers pulled off a couple of trades to replace draft picks lost in previous deals. In order to move back into the 3rd round, Glen Sather sent Evgeny Grachev to St. Louis in exchange for the 72nd overall pick – which the Rangers used to select Edina High School’s Steven Fogarty.

While you hate to see a team give up on a player like Grachev, it must just be time for both sides to move on – a point that Sather stressed while addressing the media following the Draft.

“He just felt that he wasn’t fitting in with our system. He’s been with us for three years now, two years in Hartford. We liked him. We just feel that the person that we got in the trade is going to be able to respond a little bit quicker,” wrote Jesse Spector of the Daily News. “Sometimes guys get trapped up in that situation where they don’t think they can go anywhere, and you’re better off going. They really like (Steven) Fogarty, so we made a deal to get him.”

Ranger fans shouldn’t expect to see the 6-2/194 center anytime soon. Fogarty is expected to play next season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL before heading to the University of Notre Dame.

Fogarty was ranked 78th by RLR and as the 90th NA skater by CS. RLR projected Fogarty out as a “physical 3rd/4th line checking centre” and compared his style to Tomas Kopecky.

Here is what RLR wrote about Fogarty:

“Athletic Playmaking Centre with a lean, muscular frame and great natural strength. Has good vision and hockey sense. Skilled passer who looks to dish first and shoot second, but he can score and does have an accurate shot. Has the ability to make big plays at crucial moments. Will give you everything he’s got every shift. Keeps his big body in motion at all times and is persistent on the forecheck, but we’d like to see him drive the net more and finish off his checks with more gusto. His skating is rough at this stage, but stride isn’t bad – it’s more just a lack of leg strength for now. Supports his defencemen and is sharp to mark his defensive assignments. Tough to knock off the puck but his feet, especially his first two strides, need some work.”

His future coach at Notre Dame, Jeff Jackson, offered the following opinion on the Fighting Irish’s official web site, “Steven is a smart, offensive player who has excellent instincts with and without the puck. He has shown strong scoring skills at the high school level. He has excellent character and leadership ability and I think he can be an impact player at Notre Dame after spending a year in junior hockey (Chicago Steel – USHL).”