The Rangers Tribune

Pursuing Alex Radulov is a Brainless Move By Rangers

In the New York Post's weekly Sunday hockey column yesterday, Larry Brooks reported that GM Glen Sather and the New York Rangers have contacted the Nashville Predators about restricted free agent forward Alexander Radulov. The Blueshirts, in doing this, are seeking a goal scorer to replace Marian Gaborik while he is likely out for the first two months of the 2012-13 season after undergoing shoulder surgery. 

Among the many problems I have with this news, the very first has to start with the Rangers even looking to replace Gaborik at all. Gaborik is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a torn labral in his shoulder later this week, and from there will be involved in a five-month rehabilitation process. Assuming he will need some time to hit the ice before entering gameplay again, that would leave Marian looking at some time around Thanksgiving to make his season debut. 

So for the Rangers, they would only be without this past season's top goal scorer for about a month and a half, which equates to around seventeen games. And remember, that is only if the National Hockey League and the NHLPA can mutually agree on a new CBA in time for the start of the 2012-13 campaign, and to be honest, it's going to take a near miracle for that to happen if negotiations are as hairy as they are being predicted to be. 

Secondly, Alex Radulov will not fill the shoes of Marian Gaborik even if the Rangers went as far as to acquire the soon-to-be 26-year-old's rights and sign him to a contract. Radulov's career-high in goals was 26 back in 2006 before he bolted to the KHL, where his numbers were also less than stellar. He does not have the speed nor the wicked release that Gabby possesses, so replacing one with the other makes little sense. 

And, not for nothing, but what sort of scouting report are the Rangers exactly looking at on Radulov? Because he in no way, shape or form fits into the mold of this team, especially under a head coach like John Tortorella. Radulov has massive character issues, he's more about himself than the team he plays for, he is one of the more lazy players when it comes to two-way hockey and he spends a fair share of time riding the bench.

Yeah, that Alex Radulov. 

The Rangers have this kid, too, his name is Chris Kreider. Last I checked he was a fairly talented emerging star with quick speed and a slick shot. So maybe it would be a better idea to allow a reliable pre-existing Ranger who has already proven himself to this team to step up and fill the spot for the whole seventeen games, likely less, that Marian will miss. I know, it's sad that I'm left to think for this organization sometimes. 

Plus, did GM Glen Sather not see the downfall of Nik Zherdev under John Tortorella several years ago? Zherdev and Radulov are practically carbon copies of each other. And not only Zherdev, but what about what happened with Artem Anisimov in this past postseason? The kid was playing less than five minutes per night because of defensive blunders, even though the effort was actually there. What will happen to a player that does not even show the will to backcheck?

Now according to Brooks, Sather is more than just "kicking tires" with this Radulov thing, which means he's putting offers on the table. It likely will not take much to lure his rights here, since Predators GM David Poile can either accept a trade or risk losing Radulov to the KHL for absolutely nothing. This just may happen. 

But I shouldn't have to be the speaker of logic in this situation. Sather should know damn well by now what works and what doesn't with the current mold that has formed around this team, and there's no doubt that adding Radulov will be forcing a square into a round hole. 

2011-12 New York Rangers Report Card: Goaltenders

Time to wrap up this weekend's trilogy of 2011-12 New York Rangers report card posts with the breakdown of the goaltenders. If you missed the two prior posts in the series, you can read the grades on the forwards here and on the defensemen here. 

Players are graded solely on their performance during the regular season, so playoffs are not taken into account. Beginning next week I will be reviewing each player individually, which is when their playoff contributions will be analyzed.

(A = highest possible, D = lowest possible)

Martin Biron - B - Marty Biron got off to an incredible start to the season when backing up Henrik Lundqvist, but midway through began to fall off before things eventually unraveled into somewhat of a disaster. Biron finished the year with a 12-6-2 record, while posting a .904 save percentage and 2.46 GAA in the process. He did his part in that he gave Henrik Lundqvist the amount of rest throughout the regular season that was needed in order for Hank to be charged up down the stretch. And there's nothing wrong with a 12-6-2 record for a back-up goalie, either, but what brought Marty's grade down was the uneasiness sensed when he was in net in the second half of the season. He lost all confidence, was fighting the puck and simply could not be relied on. Remember the Chicago game at MSG? Yeeaaahh. 

It should be interesting to see how the Rangers approach the to-be unrestricted free agent over the summer. 

Henrik Lundqvist - A - Honestly, what is there to say about Henrik Lundqvist that has not been said already? In what I felt was his best campaign of his seven-year NHL career to this point, King Henrik was superhuman in net for the Rangers. He went 39-18-5 on the year with a .930 save percentage and 1.97 GAA, carried his team to first place in the Eastern Conference and likely will be handed the Vezina Trophy later this month as the League's top goalie in 2011-12. He was a monster in the postseason as well, somehow keeping his GAA under two and save percentage above .931. So his playoff stats were better than his regular season stats, which speaks to the benefit he had of getting more rest throughout the year. 

We can only pray for a repeat performance in 2012-13. 

2011-12 New York Rangers Report Card: Defensemen

Today I bring you Part II of the 2011-12 New York Rangers report card, this time analyzing the defensemen. Yesterday we graded all of the forwards, which you can see here. 

Players are graded solely on their performance during the regular season, so playoffs are not taken into account. Beginning next week I will be reviewing each player individually, which is when their playoff contributions will be analyzed.

(A = highest possible, D = lowest possible)

Stu Bickel - B - Stu Bickel wasn't exactly a name you'd here often on the nightly broadcast during the regular season, but he did have a quiet effectiveness about him in his rookie NHL year. He was tough, he learned the system quickly and was serviceable as a third pairing defenseman. It was not often where Bickel would find himself in a situation which he was a liability out on the ice, which is basically the goal of a sixth blue-liner on any team. He filled the spot well, which is why I give him a 'B' for the season. 

Michael Del Zotto - B - Michael Del Zotto made great strides this season as compared to his last, finishing fifth on the team in scoring with ten goals and 41 points. His offensive game has improved majorly and even grew stronger as the year progressed. From that standpoint, Michael was great, but from a defensive outlook, work still needs to be done. Too often was he caught out of position or missing a coverage that resulted in a goal against. If he can find a balance in his game for next season (assuming he is re-signed over the summer), that grade will bump up to an 'A' without a doubt. 

Steve Eminger - C - I'm not a big fan of Steve Eminger, and if you've followed the blog dating back to last year, you'd know that I never was. He's irresponsible, he's constantly missing hits and, for me, he doesn't fill that third pairing role as well as Stu Bickel did, which is why he lost his job to him. Eminger is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and there is a snowball's chance in hell he ends up back with the Rangers. 

Tim Erixon - n/a - Did not play in enough games. 

Dan Girardi - A - Dan Girardi is the Ryan Callahan of defensemen. He isn't flashy by any means, but boy is he an important player and does he ever put forth a 110-percent effort every night. His willingness to block shots coupled with the way he uses his body to slow down the most talented of opponents speaks to this guy's dedication, and for the first time in his career, he was finally recognized League-wide for it this season, earning a spot in the 2012 All-Star Game. Girardi is up there with Callahan and Lundqvist on the list of importance for the Blueshirts. 

Ryan McDonagh - A - Girardi's partner, Ryan McDonagh, had himself a hell of a sophomore season, helping to form what I think was the best shutdown pairing the NHL saw in 2011-12. McDonagh's poise and talent are well beyond his years, giving the Rangers a veteran presence on their top pairing in the form of a 22-year-old. This kid is destined for stardom once he can bring his offensive game up to meet the level of his defensive play. He's already one of the League's best. 

Michael Sauer - n/a - Did not play in enough games. 

Marc Staal - B - Marc Staal is tough to grade for two reasons. The first, obviously, being that he did not jump into the lineup until January, and the second being that he did not find his game until late in the regular season going into the playoffs. However, based on what we saw from No. 18 in regular season play, I think a 'B' is fitting because he wasn't bad, nor was he great. Marc was stuck in a medium for a while there, which was fully expected coming off the concussion, and eventually began to excell in the playoffs. I'm looking forward to seeing a healthy Marc Staal at his best for the entire season in 2012-13. 

Anton Stralman - B - Anton  Stralman, like Stu Bickel, had a role and he fulfilled it. There were mistakes here and there, but Stralsy complimented Del Zotto and later Staal well throughout the season. Stralman will become a restricted free agent this summer, and I can certainly see the Rangers looking to keep him around a possible seventh for next season. I, personally, didn't mind Stralman at all. 

Jeff Woywitka - n/a - Did not play in enough games. 

Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments, or feel free to even share your own grades for the defensemen. 

Gaborik to Undergo Surgery, Zuccarello Says Good-Bye

What seemed like it would be a quiet day on the New York Rangers' front has now turned into quite the circus with two breaking stories rapidly developing. 

The first is in regard to forward Marian Gaborik, who insinuated that he was injured after the conclusion of the playoffs. The team confirmed today that Marian suffered a labral tear in his right shoulder during the quarterfinal series against the Ottawa Senators. Thinking back, there was an instance in that series where Gabby went crashing into the boards roughly and was slow to get up as the play progressed. But that's beside the point now. 

Gaborik, who is currently in his hometown in Slovakia, will return to New York next week for surgery and will then begin the rehabilitation process, which is expected to last five to six months in total. This would make him unavailable for the start of the 2012-13 season if it begins in October as scheduled. 

Also, this explains his underwhelming performance throughout the postseason after such a glorified regular season.

Meanwhile, I reported two days ago that the Rangers and Mats Zuccarello were more than likely to part ways. Well, it appears that I was right according to this recent tweet from Zuccarello's Twitter account:

Nyr fans!! its been amazing playing in front of u guys! Thanks! . Im gonna miss u! Ur the best! Thanks rangers 4 2 good years. #Rangers

— Mats Zuccarello (@zuccarello36) June 1, 2012

It is believed that Zuccarello has signed with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. 

2011-12 New York Rangers Report Card: Forwards

Over the next three days, I will be grading every Ranger at each position beginning with the forwards. Players are graded solely on their performance during the regular season, so playoffs are not taken into account. Beginning next week I will be reviewing each player individually, which is when their playoff contributions will be analyzed. 

But for now, based on the regular season, here are my grades for the forwards followed by a brief explanation. 

(A = highest possible, D = lowest possible)

Artem Anisimov - C - Anisimov's 16 goals and 20 assists put him at a six-point drop off from 2010-11, and still four short of that 20-goal mark. At age 24, Artie is nearing his prime and we've yet to see the level of hockey this kid is capable of playing, consistently at least. He needs to break out in 2012-13, or he could be shipped off before his current contract expires next summer. 

Brian Boyle - C - Brian Boyle was arguably the largest disappointment this season, right next to Brandon Dubinsky. Boyle went from 21 goals to 11 goals in a one-year span, immediately after being signed to a new deal paying him $1.7 million per year. In terms of bang for your buck, Boyle fell short big time this season. His contributions in the faceoff circle and on the penalty-kill are the only factors saving him of a 'D'. 

Ryan Callahan - A - Captain America. Ryan Callahan did it all in his first year as New York Rangers captain, leading the team by example night in and night out. Callahan finished third on the team in scoring with 29 goals and 25 assists, and it also should be noted that he led the club in game-winning goals with nine. Cally is the type of player every coach would kill for and is invaluable to the franchise. Giving him a perfect 'A' is a no-brainer. 

Brandon Dubinsky - C - And then there's Mr. Dubinsky, who like Brian Boyle, finished with a significantly lower goal total compared to a year ago. In fact, his spread reached 14 between the two seasons, as he dropped from first on the team in scoring to eighth. Also like Boyle, this was right after inking a $16.8 million deal that he certainly did not live up to. His days in New York are numbered if you ask me. 

Ruslan Fedotenko - B - You can't expect much from Ruslan Fedotenko on the scoresheet, so his 9 goals and 11 assists honestly didn't factor much into this grade. It's his contributions elsewhere that count, and I thought Feds was a great veteran presence on the team all season long, especially down the stretch. There aren't many other players as committed to winning as Fedotenko is, and that's why he's a favorite of John Tortorella's. Feds is a UFA come July 1.

Marian Gaborik - A - Marian Gaborik was dynamite for the Rangers in the regular season, reaching 40 goals for the third time in his career. As far as this team goes, Gabby was the comeback player of the year after a season-long struggle in 2010-11, also following the deaths of two dear friends (Derek Boogaard and Pavel Demitra) last summer. Dubinsky and Boyle should take notes if they wish to keep their jobs. 

Carl Hagelin - A - Carl Hagelin, or "Swagelin" as we sometimes like to call him, was one of the more impressive rookie stories I've seen in a while. The "Swagelin" name fits because he played with a certain swagger from the day he was recalled right on through to the postseason. Between his explosive speed and 14 goals and 38 points in 64 games, this kid was a big part of the Rangers' success this season, displaying immense amounts of promise for the future. 

Chris Kreider - n/a - Did not play in any regular season games. 

John Mitchell - C - John Mitchell is what I like to call a "meh" player. He's not very noticeable, he sometimes does the little things, he sometimes doesn't. At times he was effective for this team, and others he was a liability. He's not someone I see the Rangers holding on to this summer (he's also a UFA in July), nor do they need him. 

Brandon Prust - B - Brandon Prust defines what it means to be a New York Ranger. For goodness sake, he played with a torn tendon in his finger for five months without a single complaint. He fights, he battles, he's extremely reliable defensively and on the penalty-kill, and he's a fantastic locker room presence. The only reason he did not get an 'A' was also because of a slight statistical drop-off between this season and the last, but regardless, I can almost guarantee he will be re-signed to a new deal in New York this summer. 

Brad Richards - B - Brad Richards exceeded my expectations in his first season with the Rangers. He finished with 25 goals and I honestly did not see that happening. He quickly became the new Mr. Clutch for the Blueshirts and became a fan favorite for many reasons. Still, though, he is a better hockey player than we saw in year one, which is something he acknowledged at the season's conclusion. Don't get me wrong, finishing second on the team in scoring is stellar, but I now expect even greater numbers moving forward from Brad based on his past. His grade, for me anyway, really came down to consistency, which is what kept him from an 'A'.

Mike Rupp - C - Mike Rupp is a tough player to grade because the bar is obviously set low to begin with. To make this quick, he's someone I think the Rangers can do without, but at the same time he did come in handy at times during the season. Plus, he basically won the team the Winter Classic with those two goals, so I'll give him some credit there. 

John Scott - n/a - Did not play in enough games. 

Derek Stepan - C - Derek Stepan finished fourth on the team in scoring so this 'C' grade may be a bit deceiving. I graded Stepan based on expectations, and he was a bit of a letdown after making a lot of noise in his rookie year. DStep is better than what we saw this season, even though he was not necessarily 'bad'. He needs a bounce-back effort in 2012-13 for sure; shake off the sophomore curse, kid. 

Mats Zuccarello - n/a - Did not play in enough games. 

Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments, or feel free to even share your own grades for the forwards. 

Have We Seen the Last of Brandon Dubinsky as a Ranger?

During break-up day this past weekend, 26-year-old forward Brandon Dubinsky sounded optimistic in regard to his future with the New York Rangers and the mutual trust between he, the player, and the organization. Coming off a rough season in which he only scored ten goals in 77 games, Dubinsky may not be as fortunate as he hopes once the offseason really kicks into gear and the front office starts looking to improve the team's offensive core. Game 6 against the New Jersey Devils last Friday just may have been his very last as a member of the Broadway Blueshirts. 

It was only last summer when Dubinsky was re-signed to a four-year, $16.8 million deal, but that was after a career year in which he registered 24 goals and 30 assists in equally as many games as he played this season. But should we really be calling that a "career year", or simply just a "contract" year, because the fall-off between the two certainly suggests that there was a little more motivation and urgency in 2010-11 than there was in 2011-12.

Regardless of the cause, Dubinsky did not meet expectations this season, and actually not only did he not meet them, he fell fall short of the bar that was set for him this year. For this very reason he was minutes away from becoming a Columbus Blue Jacket this past Winter just prior to the trading deadline in the NHL. The Rangers, of course, were targeting marquee winger Rick Nash at the time, and every rumor connecting the two clubs included Dubinsky's name in some way. 

Not only this, but three years back when GM Glen Sather was doing his best to pry Dany Heatley from the grasp of Bryan Murray and the Ottawa Senators, Dubinsky was again thrown on the table by New York as possible trade bait to complete a deal. Neither of these proposed trades ever came to fruition, but either way, that's two instances in which Sather was very quick to readily ship Dubi off to another franchise in order to improve the offense of his own. 

There's been plenty of talk on this blog and elsewhere on the Internet about how important it is for the Rangers to build a deeper offense over the summer, and this is also something head coach John Tortorella touched on in both of his radio interviews on Wednesday afternoon. The Devils are playing in the Stanley Cup Finals right now because they were the deeper team in their series against the Rangers, therefore they had more stamina and a larger variety of contributions. 

While the Rangers franchise made tremendous strides this past season to put themselves ahead of schedule, there still needs to be another step taken before they are considered to be a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup. Their primary goal will be to bring in another big name such as Rick Nash or even Zach Parise up front, and in order to lure in the prey, there's a good chance Dubinsky will be on the trading block as bait or for the sake of clearing up roster/cap space, depending on who the target player is. 

Dubinsky's a hard-nosed player loved by the fans here in New York, and that's not something I am looking to take away from him. However, when push comes to shove, he's not going to improve the club's offense as majorly as the players his name placed in a trade package could bring in. 

After all, hockey is a business, too. Right?

RANGERS SIGN PROSPECTS FAST, HRIVIK

As you've probably noticed, the Rangers made two minor signings this week, inking prospect forwards Jesper Fast (dropped the 'h' apparently) and Marek Hrivik. I don't see either as contenders for roster spots next season, but Fast is definitely higher up on the chart than Hrivik. Here's more information on Fast and on Hrivik. 

Mats Zuccarello and Rangers Likely to Part Ways

It was not even an entire day after the New York Rangers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs before the rumor mill to begin churning for the offseason. The name that popped up and popped up often was that of 24-year-old forward Mats Zuccarello.

Zuccarello, who becomes a restricted free agent this summer, only played in ten games with the Blueshirts over the course of the 2011-12 season, spending most of his time with the Connecticut Whale in the American Hockey League. It was somewhat evident that the two sides were going to split before the offseason even hit, but the development over the past few days has pretty much confirmed that to be the case.  

On Saturday morning it was reported that Zuccarello had agreed to terms on a deal that would send him overseas to play in the KHL. Without having to do very much digging, you could easily have disregarded that false rumor since a restricted free agent cannot sign elsewhere until he at least receives a qualifying offer from his current club.

Zuccarello confirmed this via his twitter account:

Its alot of romurs right now. I dont know yet were im going to play next year.

— Mats Zuccarello (@zuccarello36) May 26, 2012

Grammar aside, Zuke made it very clear with that statement that he had not illegally signed a deal with another club in another League. 

However, what he did not note was the follow-up report stating that he has a prearranged set-up in the KHL if the Rangers' qualifying offer is not in his preferred range and/or if the team cannot promise him more playing time at the NHL level. Whether or not that is 100-percent accurate is unknown, but it was reported by multiple sources. 

Meanwhile, during Monday's break-up day at the training center in New York, Zuccarello was quick to voice his displeasure with how few NHL games he skated in during the regular season...

"Even the injury or not, I only played 10 games this season. That's not enough for me," Zuccarello told ESPN. "I want to play more and if that's not going to happen, I've got to figure something else out."

His point cannot be debated. 

But does that mean the Rangers should give in to the 5-foot-7 winger's demands? Absolutely not, especially with the growing core of young prospects developing and nearing their NHL debuts. Zuccarello has his advantages with his quick feet and hands, but that can and will be easily replaced in the future without having to even reach outside of the organization. Plus, despite the speed, it became more and more evident that Zuccarello's small stature was not exactly perfectly suited for the NHL, which seems to be getting tighter and tighter each year. 

Obviously it wouldn't be a bad thing if the Rangers could meet at a middle ground with Zuccarello and get him signed for the following season, but they wouldn't be missing out on a whole lot if that wasn't the case. Nor can they guarantee him any specific amount of games because, as we know darn well, the coach's lineup is never predictable from one game to the next. 

Personally, I think the Mats Zuccarello - New York Ranger relationship has come to an end, but that's just me. 

"I want to be a New York Ranger. I love the players, all the guys here," Zuccarello said. "The fans are unbelievable and I just love playing in New York with the team. This is where I want to be, don't get me wrong, but I have to think about what's best for me." 

Remembering the 2011-2012 New York Rangers

Writing up a eulogy to remember the 2011-12 New York Rangers would not be easy, and I considered this heavily when thinking how I was going to go about writing mine for The Rangers Tribune. The reason the task is so difficult is because this was undoubtedly one of the most memorable Rangers seasons in recent history, with so many landmark events and moments taking place within it. I thought about this for a while, and decided that my writing, alone, would not do this season justice. So, as I tend to do often here on the blog, I veered off the path of normalcy and took a unique approach with this. 

In addition to me recapping each major event of the 2011-12 New York Rangers season, I built a video timeline to really capture the moment of each of them. There are 25 total, which means there are 25 videos waiting for you to watch (you may want to improve the quality on some of the videos while watching via YouTube bar). You're going to be here a while, so get comfortable, but trust me, you'll be thanking me for this when you've gone through them all. And might I suggest you have a box of kleenex handy if you are the emotional type. 

And here. we. gooooo.

October 20, 2011: Ryan McDonagh Game-Winner with .5 seconds Left

If you recall, the Rangers went 3-3-3 to begin the regular season, with back-to-back losses to the Kings and Ducks in Stockholm, Sweden. Their win over the Calgary Flames, upon returning to the States and heading immediately out west after a quick trip to Long Island, was the very first of many memorable victories to come. Why? Ryan McDonagh.

 

November 11, 2011: Last Celebratory Sean Avery Moment

While 2011-12 was a great year, it also marked the death of Sean Avery's career as a New York Ranger. His breakaway goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in November is probably the most recent lasting memory we will ever have of number 16. 

 

November 26, 2011: Carl Hagelin's First NHL Goal vs. Flyers

Rookie Carl Hagelin would turn out to be a tremendous reason for the Rangers' success this season, but we had yet to know this upon his recall. It all began with his first NHL goal in his second NHL game in a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. 

 

December 8, 2011: Artem Anisimov's Head-Shot Celebration

Honestly, while creating this timeline of great moments from this past season, I admitted to myself that Anisimov's head shot celebration against the Tampa Bay Lightning had to be in my personal top 5. 

 

December 10, 2011: Callahan Greets Grandma After Beating Sabres

The Rangers and their fans were blessed to have HBO's 24/7 follow them around for many reasons, but one of the major ones had to be for the public viewing of Ryan Callahan's adorable relationship with his grandmother. 

 

December 17, 2011: Brad Richards' Game-Winner with .1 Seconds Left

Brad Richards established himself as the new Mr. Clutch on Broadway this season, and part of that has to do with his shocking game-winner against the Phoenix Coyotes with .1 seconds remaining in regulation time. 

 

December 22, 2011: Tortorella/Liam Story Premieres on HBO's 24/7

As I mentioned before, there were a ton of spectacular things about 24/7. The best? John Tortorella's relationship with his buddy, Liam. 

 

Continue reading this post by clicking the following link:

Gaborik, Prust, Dubinsky Played Through Injuries; Break-Up Day Interviews

The New York Rangers are holding break-up day this afternoon at their training center up in Greenburgh, and as usual, they are speaking with the media for one final time before departing their separate ways for the summer. 

According to various media sources, several Rangers admitted to playing through injuries during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One of those players was Brandon Prust, who not only fought through the postseason with an injury, but for a good chunk of the regular season as well. Prust tore a tendon in his ring finger in a fight with Zenon Konopka of the Ottawa Senators in January, and will now undergo surgery to get it healed with the season done and over with.

On one hand, it's not surprising to hear that Prust played through that for a good five months, but on the other, it really speaks to the warrior that this guy is. Prust's three-year contract expires on July 1 of this summer, and I don't think there's much doubt that he will be getting a call from GM Glen Sather sooner rather than later about re-signing. 

Also, somewhat unexpected, Marian Gaborik also revealed that he played through an injury during the playoffs, but would not expand with details. He did mention, however, that whatever it is that he injured may require a procedure to fix during the offseason. There's no telling when exactly he first suffered the injury, but it could explain his lack of speed repeatedly noted in the postseason. Maybe not, but I'm just throwing it out there. 

Brandon Dubinsky, too, returned much earlier than he needed in order for his high ankle sprain to fully heal. In fact, he returned several weeks early, which certainly played a part in how slow he was upon getting back into the lineup. 

Here are a variety of quotes from several players during break-up day, courtesy of Rangers Report...

Ryan Callahan on losing: “It’s tough. Any time you’re that close to the ultimate prize and what you work for all year, it’s hard. No matter how many days there’s been in between it, it’s still as hard as it was after the game.”

* Callahan also said claimed that he was not injured during the playoffs. 

Henrik Lundqvist on keeping his career goal: “Obviously, I’m just hoping one day that I’m going to lift that Cup. That’s my goal. That’s my dream. I’m going to keep working as hard as I can to help this club to accomplish that.”

Brad Richards on his first year in NY: “I had a lot of fun,” he said. “It was definitely a new experience playing in this city. Being a Ranger is everything I thought it would be — playing in Madison Square Garden. I enjoyed a lot of it. I think mentally it was a little different than most years coming in. I definitely gained a lot of experience and will be better for it now. I had a lot of fun. I had a chance to win. I got that taste back.”

Dan Girardi on team's progress: “I don’t think there’s much to change,” Girardi said. “It’s a pretty successful season from where we stand. Obviously, we want to still be playing now, but from where we came from last year to this year I think it’s a huge step for us. We’ll all get better from the experience we gained from this year.”

Michael Del Zotto on experience for young core: "Great. It's a new experience for all of us, and we've talked about it since day one that there was a lot of young guys here. To be able to go through the process together it helps having so many other guys going through the same ups and downs."

Gaborik on elimination: "Frustrating. It's tough, just ending like that in overtime. It's different if you could see it coming. It was a tough one to swallow and it's gonna be with us until we realize it's over. We just have to learn from it and take what we learned into next year."

Chris Kreider on decision to sign out of college: "Very happy. It was definitely the right decision."

Derek Stepan on playoff performance: "I don't think I was as sharp as I could've been." 

Mats Zuccarello: "I love being a New York Ranger...but I can't play 10 games. That's not enough for me."

Rangers' 2012 Free Agent List

Today the New York Rangers will be holding break-up day as they meet with their coaches, teammates and media for the final time before departing for the summer. I'll have plenty of quotes, assessment and what not from that here on the blog later in the day, but before that, many seem to be concerned with who is and who is not a free agent come July 1. Below is the complete list of the Rangers' free agents this summer along with their current salaries. 

Mats Zuccarello - RFA - $1.75 million

Ruslan Fedotenko - UFA - $1.4 million

Brandon Prust - UFA - $800k

John Mitchell - UFA - $650k

Michael Del Zotto - RFA - $1.087 million

Anton Stralman - RFA - $900k

Steve Eminger - UFA - $800k

Jeff Woywitka - UFA - $650k

Stu Bickel - UFA - $600k

John Scott - UFA - $512k

Martin Biron - UFA - $875k

In AHL: Sean Avery (UFA), Andre Deveaux (UFA), Brenden Bell (UFA), Chad Johnson (UFA), Mike Vernace (UFA), Kris Newbury (UFA), Cam Talbot (RFA), Lee Baldwin (RFA), Casey Wellman (RFA), Pavel Valentenko (RFA), Francois Bouchard (RFA), Andreas Thuresson (RFA), Sam Klassen (RFA), Chris Chappell (RFA)