Around Town: Rangers Rebuild, Devils Decline & Isles Improve

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

NEW YORK RANGERS


The Rangers are truly in rebuilding mode, and are likely to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season. But the team’s fans should rejoice that the Broadway Blueshirts are finally building around a solid core of young players. If they stay the course, the Rangers should emerge as one of the NHL’s better teams in a few seasons.


OFFENSE The Blueshirts’ offense begins and ends with Jaromir Jagr, who remains one of the NHL’s most dynamic talents. New additions Michael Nylander and Martin Straka should fit in nicely, while newly acquired scoring prospect Marcel Hossa (acquired on Saturday from Montreal for Garth Murray) could net 25 goals in his debut season on Broadway.


DEFENSE Tom Poti is back, and will once again run the power play, while Darius Kasparaitis has emerged as the front-runner to succeed Mark Messier as the team’s captain. Youngsters Fedor Tyutin and Maxim Kondratiev represent the Rangers’ future, and should be expected to play significant roles right away.


GOALTENDING Another future star waiting in the wings is Swedish sensation Henrik Lundqvist. But Kevin Weekes is the starter for now, and he should provide a steadying influence as the young Rangers adapt to life in the NHL. Weekes’s performance in the 2002 playoffs – when he and Arturs Irbe improbably backstopped that underwhelming Carolina Hurricanes team to the Stanley Cup Finals – is a strong indication that he’ll do just fine for the Rangers.


SPECIAL TEAMS If the NHL remains diligent about enforcing obstruction penalties, the Rangers’ power play could turn out to be a great equalizer. Anytime Jagr steps out onto the ice with the man advantage, his team has a better-than-average chance to score.


BREAKOUT PLAYER It’s time for Jamie Lundmark to prove he belongs on the Rangers’ second line; his career depends upon his performance in 2005-06.


NEW YORK ISLANDERS


The Isles have reached the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, but they haven’t won a playoff round since 1993. That could change this year, but only if captain Alexei Yashin steps up his game considerably. The presence of Miroslav Satan should go a long way toward energizing the enigmatic Yashin. The team’s defense has been downgraded a bit, but the rapid development of netminder Rick DiPietro should more than stem that tide.


OFFENSE Yashin and Satan are the keys to the offense, but the presence of Mike York, Trent Hunter, and Mark Parrish means the Isles will be more than a one-line team. Their depth – and the hard work of sparkplug Jason Blake – makes the Isles a very dangerous opponent.


DEFENSE With Roman Hamrlik and Adrian Aucoin gone, only Janne Niinimaa remains from last season. Newcomers Alexei Zhitnik, Brad Lukowich, and Brent Sopel will be expected to shoulder a considerable burden. Zhitnik is well-suited to the NHL’s new rules, and played better during the preseason than he has at any time since he starred for the Sabres during their 1999 run to the Stanley Cup Finals.


GOALTENDING DiPietro is truly sensational, and he continues to improve by leaps and bounds. Look for the 24-year-old goalie to have an All-Star caliber season and steal a playoff round or two for the Isles this coming spring.


SPECIAL TEAMS Once again, the key is Yashin. If he can raise the level of his play back to where it was when he captained the Senators in the late 1990s, the Isles’ power play should be excellent. When playing a man short, there are few players more exciting and dangerous than Blake.


BREAKOUT PLAYER Blake’s speed and perseverance will serve him well in the new NHL. He should top the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career.


NEW JERSEY DEVILS


The Devils will be a solid team in 2005-06, but they won’t be as good as the squad that lost in the first round of the 2004 playoffs. Gone are Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens, and star forward Patrik Elias will miss at least the first month of the season as he recovers from hepatitis A. But as long as Martin Brodeur is between the pipes, the Devils shouldn’t be counted out.


OFFENSE Elias’s absence will hurt, but the return of Alexander Mogilny should help stem the tide. Rookie Zach Parise has demonstrated elite-level scoring skills during the preseason, and if he emerges as a bona fide Calder Trophy candidate, the Devils’ depth should be enough to carry them back into the playoffs.


DEFENSE The loss of Stevens was inevitable; Niedermayer’s will hurt more, though. In their place will be some combination of newcomers Vladimir Malakhov, Richard Matvichuk, and Dan McGillis. The diminutive Brian Rafalski will benefit from the league’s new rules, but he tends to get overpowered by stronger forwards; it remains to be seen whether he’ll be as effective without Stevens by his side.


GOALTENDING Brodeur remains the league’s best netminder, but he’s compiled most of his extraordinary results for the Devils and Team Canada while playing behind some of the world’s best defensemen. This year, the Devils’ defense – at least on paper – is the worst it’s been since he arrived in 1993-94.


SPECIAL TEAMS Rafalski runs the power play adeptly, and he should compile impressive offensive statistics once again this season. Up front, playmaker Scott Gomez will have a few potent options in Brian Gionta, Mogilny, Parise, and Elias (when he returns). “Mad Dog” John Madden is one of the NHL’s finest penalty killers, and he should get plenty of opportunities to shine if the preseason crowds in the sin bin are a sign of


things to come.


BREAKOUT PLAYER Madden will take on more responsibilities and should tally 30+ goals and 60+ points for the first time in his career.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use