The Interview File: Stan Fischler Talks 2009-10 Rangers

For my second time around in the Interview File series, I decided to interview the "Hockey Maven", Stan Fischler of MSG Network and MaxHockey.com. Stan is one of the more knowlegable analysts when it comes to Metro Area Hockey, especially the Rangers. Stan was kind enough to complete this interview over the phone, and we greatly appreciate that here at the Rangers Tribune. So without further ado, here is my interview with the Maven, Stan Fischler. (Everything I say is printed in Blue, and everything Stan says is in Grey)

Q: Is it alarming to you that restricted free-agent, Brandon Dubinsky has yet to be re-signed by the Rangers, and do you think that a deal will eventually be completed?

A: No, it is not alarming, as these kinds of negotiations often take time. The media and fans tend to overreact for no good reason. They need something to write about and panic about. He will be signed and everything will be honkey dorey.


Q: When Glen Sather made the bold move to trade away Scott Gomez to the Montreal Canadians, were you taken by surprise, or did you expect Sather to be dumping some salary in this off-season?

A: Gomez had worn out his welcome in a lot of ways, that is number one. Secondly, he had a new coach, and he [Tortorella] wasn’t crazy about him as far as I could see. Tortorella likes to get players of his choice. While I liked Scotty very much as a talent, I was somewhat surprised, but not shocked.


Q: Do you feel that Gaborik was the best fit free agent out there for the Rangers, or was there a specific player that you would have liked Sather to sign, instead of Marian?

A: I am a big fan of Gaborik, and have been a fan ever since he moved on to playing with Minnesota. I am a fan of Gaborik because of his natural talent, and Gaborik played under the best defense first coach in hockey in Jaques Lemaire, as Lemaire has taught him the defensive end and the offensive end. I interviewed Gaborik late last season when he came to Nassau, and he impresses me in every way.


Q: Team doctors have claimed that Gaborik is in great shape, despite his injury prone past, and is currently in full training for the upcoming season. Based on this and your opinion, is Gaborik’s injury-filled career behind him, and will he be able to play a full season as a Blueshirt without any problems?

A: Nobody can predict, but Maurice “the Rocket” Richard, in his first couple of years with Montreal, was considered injury-prone because he was little. He became the Babe Ruth of hockey, so don’t worry about Gaborik.


Q: In your opinion, which current Ranger is most suited to center a line with Gaborik in the 2009-10 season?

A: The whole question of lines is one of the most overrated and exaggerated aspects of hockey. Lines change by period, by game, it all depends on whether the team is winning or losing. My belief is that the team has a couple of centers that could fit with him. It could be Drury, it could be Dubinsky, but that is what training camp is all about, it is impossible to forecast. If they are losing after two periods into the season, they will change the lines, so don’t worry about lines.


Q: What is your take on the acquisition of enforcer, Donald Brashear, and is he an upgrade or downgrade from former Ranger, Colton Orr?

A: Colton Orr, god bless him, was a hard worker, but as a skater, he couldn’t get a job at Rockefeller Skating Rink. He is not a good skater, he can’t score, but he can fight. Brashear can score and is a better fighter, so it is an upgrade.


Q: Do you believe that the decision of letting Nikolai Zherdev walk was the right one, or should Glen Sather have accepted the contract and allow Nik a second chance in New York?

A: Zherdev was very stupid. First of all, he asked crazy money, way above and beyond for what he has produced. Zherdev isn’t worth three million and the Rangers offered him more than three million, which he should have taken and shut his mouth.


Q: With Antropov, Gomez, and Zherdev all departing from the Rangers, Sather went out and acquired Higgins, Prospal, Lisin, and Kotalik. What are your thoughts on this?

A: -Antropov was somewhat of a disappointment, so there is no loss there.

-Zherdev played for three of the best coaches in Ken Hitchcock, Tom Renney, and John Tortorella and he was a disappointment for all three. He was 0 for 3 so he struck out.

-Chris Higgins is going to be a very motivated guy, he is playing here, where he came from, and I believe that he will have a career year this coming season.

-I like Prospal. Prospal knows the coach, the coach knows Prospal. Prospal was faced with a situation where his career was basically ended, nobody else was taking him, and the Rangers took him. He realizes that he is getting another chance, and he is going to play well.

-Kotalik is a good player, he has some skill, and he is going to be good. I like him, he is a really good shoot-out man, and it is good to have a shootout specialist. He is going to be very helpful that way, and he is a good fit.

- Lisin is the perfect example of why they have training camp. It is all about how you impress the coach and what kind of shape you are in. It will be a very hard camp, and if this guy is up to it, then maybe he will make the team.


Q: Now that John Tortorella has all of training camp to apply his offensive system to the Rangers, do you expect the Blueshirts to be much more threatening in the offensive zone this season?

A: I believe that with Tortorella’s system, the club will be automatically ten percent better. I was a big fan of Tom Renney, still am, but Tom Renney had outlived his usefulness in terms of this hockey club. In my interview with Chris Drury, he said that it was time for a change, and these things happen all of the time in sports.


Q: With the new offensive system being applied, do you feel that Chris Drury will have a better year, when comparing it to last season?

A: I will tell you one thing about Drury, I talked to him in good length the other day, and nobody on the Rangers is going to be more pumped to succeed than Drury. He is going to have a terrific year in every way, and he will dedicate himself to the system. I don’t know what went wrong, precisely, between Drury and the coach [Renney], but it didn’t work, and all you had to do is read between the lines. When Renney left, he commented negatively about Drury and his leadership, and that burned Drury. Drury is going to come back and be very effective.


Q: What kind of season do you feel youngsters Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky (assuming he is re-signed) will have in 2009-10?

A: -Ryan Callahan has a good feel for the league, and he is going to build on what he has already accomplished. We know that he is a very tenacious player, and he is going to be, I would say, five to ten percent better this season.

-Dubinsky had a very good playoffs, and I think that was very significant. Dubinsky needs to mature a little bit, and he will under Tortorella, because Tortorella will force him to. I expect a lot out of Dubinsky.


Q: Marc Staal was obviously the Rangers top defenseman last season, but he is yet to find his offensive game at the NHL level. Do you feel that Tortorella will be able to change that, and have Marc not only contributing defensively, but on offense as well?

A: Staal has grown incrementally ever since his first exhibition game and he knows now, that it is not going to hurt him to pay a little bit more attention to offense. You will see him working the powerplay, and you will see him growing on the offensive side this season.


Q: In your interview with John Tortorella, he mentioned that he plans on giving Henrik Lundqvist some more games off than he has seen in previous seasons. In your opinion, is this the correct mentality, or do you believe that Hank is just fine playing close to seventy games per season?

A: The coach [Tortorella] was disappointed in the way they blew the lead to Washington. He was disappointed in the way Lundqvist finished the series, and he thinks that Lundqvist may have been tired. He has a very good backup in Valiquette. Valiquette can afford to play more games, and Lundqvist can afford to rest more games, and then everything will work out.

------------
Even though it may still be early, within my interviews I like to do a little piece on predictions, so here it goes.

Q: Who do you predict will lead the team in goals? Assists? Points?

A: Gaborik will lead in every department.

Q: Will Henrik Lundqvist have a better or worse year stat wise, when comparing the upcoming season to the 08-09 season?

A: Lundqvist will be better under Tortorella. He will be better playing fewer games, and he will have one of his best seasons ever.

Q: While looking at the team on paper, are the Rangers of 2009-10, better or worse than the Rangers of 08-09?

A: Better by ten percent, and I think that the influence of the coach will be tremendous.

Q: And finally, which current Rangers will be wearing the available A’s (Alternate Captain) on their jerseys come October?

A: It will be Staal and Gaborik.