Thursday night’s 6-2 shellacking by the New York Fish Sticks over the Rangers got me thinking about the similarities between the parent club and their trainees in Hartford.
These two teams are so similar top to bottom in the way that they play, they way they are composed and the type of talent that they have on the roster.
If you look at the way the season has progressed they’ve been practically identical. The only difference being the team’s incredibly bad start as the Wolf Pack prior to taking on their new Whale identity. They’ve had winning streaks of the same length and even at the same times it seems. They have had injury and call-up issues at the same times and are composed of the same kind of players.
Is it any wonder to anyone why both teams are barely hanging on to playoff positions and that both could, with a couple of bad games be making tee-off times rather than play-off plans?
While on the Whale, there are just too many guys that are fluid and in flux to make a definitive call (but we’ll try) on who should stay and who should go, that’s not the case with the parent club.
Break it down this way:
Untouchable:
Lundqvist, Callahan, Stepan, Staal, McDonagh
Godfather-esque…An offer I couldn’t refuse:
Girardi, Anisimov, Dubinsky, Sauer, Biron
Wall Street: How much it costs:
Prust, Boyle, McCabe
I’m listening:
Gaborik
Bubble:
Prospal, Eminger, Zuccarello, Fedotenko
Moving day:
Avery, Boogaard, Christensen, Drury, Frolov, Wolski, Gilroy, Johnson
Because these are prospects and there are some good ones coming up, they’re harder, but we would break it down this way:
NHL Bound:
(F) Weise, (D) Del Zotto, Valentenko
Keepers:
(G) Grumet-Morris, Talbot, (F) Kolarik, Dupont, Tessier, (D) Parlett, Kundratek, Nightingale
Bubble:
(F) Grachev, Soryal, DiDiomete, Garlock, Couture, Lemieux (D) Bickel, Niemi,
Newbies:
(G) Missiaen, (F) Grant, McKelvie, Kerbashian
Likely Leaving:
Redden, White, Williams, Newbury, Mitchell
Using these categories, how would you rank them?
You obviously have more insight to what’s actually happening with regards to where these players are in their contracts, but from a Whale fan perspective here are my thoughts using your categories:
NHL Bound: Zuccarello (I think he’ll be sent down b4 play-offs – not built for play-off style hockey) Del Zotto, Newbury
Keepers: DGM, Talbot, Mitchell, Weise, Kolarik, Dupont, Garlock, Grachev, DiDiomete, Soryal, Nightingale, Parlett, Kundratek, Valentenko
Bubble: Tessier, McKelvie, Couture, Lemieux, Bickel, Niemi
Newbies: Kreider, Bourque, McIlrath, Grant, Baldwin
Likely leaving: Redden,Williams, White, Johnson
Doug,
I wasn’t really taking contract status into account just strictly looking at it from a talent perspective. See to me, if a team isn’t doing particularly well in terms of being at the top of the charts, then I’m not as apt to hold onto as many as you are. Granted there are going to be more comings and goings because it’s minor league, but seriously, do you think there are so many strong players that this team can contend for a cup and that there are so many here that the Rangers could go to to fill in holes? It’s essentially the same couple of players over and over, so for me, I’d rather keep building with a core group and go from there.
To me Weise is likely to be in the NHL next season. Whether it’s with the Rangers or not, no one can be certain, but I think he will be traded.
Valentenko has the skills but needs more time at the AHL level to work on his positioning. Once he gets that…and can hit the net more with that Howitzer of his, he’s off to NY.
You listed some newbies that aren’t even here yet so. I was looking at it strictly from who’s already here.
To me I think Newbury goes elsewhere to get to the NHL. I would love for Newbs to come back but I don’t think he will.
As far as the rest, I think you’re underestimating Tessier and what he has done for this team.