Rangers have many issues to deal with in offseason
In a season that started with Ales Kotalik missing wide from the point and ended with Olli Jokinen failing in the shootout in Philadelphia, a lot of things went awry for the Rangers, who missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since before the lockout in 2004-05. After a 7-1 start, the Rangers stumbled through a 24-31-9 stretch before pulling out of the nosedive to finish 7-1-2. General manager Glen Sather and coach John Tortorella have some explaining to do and some restoration on their hands. Here's some of what went wrong:
1. The scoring drought. Without Henrik Lundqvist's terrific play (holding opponents to two or fewer goals in 35 of his last 50 games), Marian Gaborik's career season (42-44-86) and the mediocrity in the No. 7 through 12 seeds in the East, the Rangers wouldn't have been on the radar in the postseason discussion. Beyond Gaborik, there were two 20-goal scorers (Vinny Prospal and Brandon Dubinsky). In 34 games from Dec. 30 to March 21, the Rangers scored a single goal nine times and were shut out six times.
2. No consistency. Without many skilled players, Tortorella fiddled with lines constantly and admitted that he didn't expect to be in that situation so late in the campaign. He overplayed his top guys, seemed to pigeonhole players early (Enver Lisin) and couldn't seem to motivate others with his my-way-or-the-highway personality. They suffered numerous lapses against lesser clubs, such as surrendering two late goals that cost them a critical point against the Leafs on March 27. The power play ranked fourth in the league at home and next-to-last on the road.
3. Seventh D-man. After Alex Semenov's deal fell through before the first game, the Rangers stubbornly refused to carry a seventh defenseman to spell rookies Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy and the two blueliners on the back nine of their careers: Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival. The fact that the Rangers signed aging defenseman Anders Eriksson for the last-ditch playoff push doesn't bode especially well for Bobby Sanguinetti, Corey Potter and Ilkka Heikkinen in Hartford.
4. Backup blues. Tortorella wanted to give Lundqvist 17 to 20 games off in this Olympic year. But the Swede played in 54 before the Olympic break and 73 overall because journeyman Steve Valiquette faltered and the Rangers had to force-feed rookie Chad Johnson. Then Alex Auld, acquired off waivers, didn't get enough ice time down the stretch.
WHAT THEY NEED TO DO
1. Clear cap space. Won't be easy. Lundqvist and Gaborik aren't going anywhere and captain Chris Drury has a no-movement clause. That's a $24.1-million cap hit there. Add Redden's $6.5 million and Rozsival's $5 million (total: $35.6 million for five players, with a ceiling of about $57 million). Significant cash will have to be directed to RFA defenseman Marc Staal and possibly Dan Girardi. The logical, but costly, trimming would be Redden, via dispatch to the minors or buyout, or Rozsival via trade.
2. Add dependable offense, at least short-term. Perhaps a center (Dallas' Brad Richards) or a forward (Chicago's Patrick Sharp, Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis, Phoenix's Wojtek Wolski). See if youngster Dale Weise is ready.
3. Round out the defense via free agency. Dan Hamhuis, who piqued their interest at the trade deadline, is a possibility. Anton Volchenkov and Dennis Seidenberg should be considered.
