Tortorella Holding Gilroy Accountable

There has not been any sort of confirmation as to why the Rangers elected to assign defenseman Matt Gilroy to the Hartford Wolf Pack earlier today, but there has been much speculation around the internet. One possibility is the one I mentioned this afternoon; removing Gilroy clears cap space and could be setting up for a potential transaction. Then it is said that Tortorella may have done this as an act of holding his players accountable. Which, when you think about it, also adds up.

Gilroy was the player who was burned by Dustin Byfuglien in overtime last night at the United Center, and that, as we know, lead to the game-winning goal. Now I do not think that Gilroy was sent down just for that individual play, but it could have been the deciding factor. The Hobey Baker award winner started the season very hot, registering points, skating the puck, and was solid in his own zone. That game has began to slip away from him a bit and could be the reason why he was assigned to Hartford.

In fact, moves like these are becoming more and more common in the National Hockey League. If you think back a few years when Ryan Callahan was still fairly new to the league, coach Tom Renney felt it would be best for Ryan to spend some time down with the Wolf Pack to pick up his confidence. Well, I give credit to Renney for that idea because Callahan ended up returning to the lineup and playing very well to finish the season, as well as in the playoffs.

I think we may be seeing a similar scenario here with Gilroy. It looks as if the 25-year-old blueliner may be over-thinking things right now, instead of just going out and playing hockey. He is getting caught out of position, he barely rushes the puck anymore, and has not been shooting as often either. We must keep our fingers crossed that he regains his confidence and is back with the Rangers in the next few weeks or so.
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