Gerard Gallant

New York Rangers: Igor Shesterkin injury “not as bad as it looked”

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New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant hinted that Igor Shesterkin might’ve avoided disaster after a Friday injury.

In a statement that launched a thousand cautious exhales, New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant announced that Igor Shesterkin’s game-ending injury from Friday was “not as bad as it looked”.

Shesterkin was working on a shutout effort against the San Jose Sharks at Madison Square Garden when he was forced to depart with a non-contact injury. The star goaltender was unable to put weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice. Alexandar Georgiev took over the last 14:52 of what became a 1-0 Rangers win, creating the team’s first shared shutout since December 2016.

Gallant offered an optimistic approach after the game, describing the ailment as a “minor lower-body” issue.

“They’re telling me it’s not as bad as it looks,” Gallant said, per Vince Mercogliano of LoHud.com. “The trainer just said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ That’s all he told me.”

Shesterkin has played a major role in the Rangers’ hot start. He has been the winning goaltender in each of the Blueshirts victories during an active five-game streak and has amassed a league-best 13 victories (tied with Jack Campbell of Toronto). His save percentage (.937) and goal against average (2.05) rank third and fifth respectively amongst qualifying goaltenders.

Georgiev, the incumbent backup, is expected to take over in Shesterkin’s wake. Friday marked his first action since Nov. 21, when he was pulled from a start against Buffalo after allowing four goals on 18 shots over two periods (Shesterkin earned the win in a 5-4 final). His nine saves helped the Rangers (15-4-3) seal the deal against San Jose to extend the Eastern Conference’s longest active winning streak (tied with Toronto). Georgiev is in the midst of his fifth season as the Rangers’ primary backup goaltender after joining the organization as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

Though Georgiev has struggled this season (2-1-1, 3.89 GAA), he held down the fort against the Sharks, though he did not earn his first win since Nov. 14’s overtime decision against New Jersey. The Bulgarian-born goaltender was always scheduled to start the Rangers’ Saturday tilt against Chicago (8 p.m. ET, MSG), the second half a back-to-back set at MSG.

Per Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the Rangers have promoted Adam Huska from AHL Hartford to serve as Georgiev’s backup. Hartford is currently in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak-induced pause, one that placed regular goalie Keith Kinkaid in protocols. Huska joined the Rangers as a seventh-round draft pick in 2015 and has earned a 2-3-1 record with a team-best .924 save percentage this AHL season. Morgan Barron is set to return to Hartford in a corresponding move.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

New York Rangers: Kaapo Kakko nears return

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kaapo kakko, rangers

Kaapo appears to be on pace to partake in the New York Rangers’ return to action against Columbus on Friday night.

Optimism reigns when it comes to the return of Kaapo Kakko, who may be ready to go when the New York Rangers take the ice on Friday night against Columbus (7 p.m. ET, MSG).

Kakko has missed the last four games after suffering an upper-body injury during Oct. 16’s win in Montreal but it appears that the third-year Blueshirt is ready to end his medical sabbatical.

“I’m ready to play,” Kakko said of his status, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Though Kakko is ready to play, it may take Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant some convincing to put him in Friday’s lineup.

“Hopefully, pretty sure, but that’s not 100 percent,” Gallant said in another report from Walker. “We got through [Thursday], and the medical staff will let me know in the morning. It looks good.”

Walker’s reports stated that Kakko has returned to the second even-strength line as a full participant in the last two practices, working alongside Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome.

The Rangers (4-2-1) are returning to Madison Square Garden for a Friday night tilt against the divisional rival Blue Jackets (4-2-0) before embarking on a four-game road trip through the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.

During his time away from the team, Kakko kept a close eye on the Rangers’ penalty kill, saying he “definitely learned something about it”. The Rangers killed off all but one of 12 penalties in Kakko’s absence after allowing goals on four of their first 11.

While the Rangers are hopeful about seeing Kakko on Friday, it’s likely they’ll be missing Ryan Reaves, who left Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames with a lower body injury. Reaves did not practice on Thursday, nor did Chris Kreider, though the latter was held out due to maintenance.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

Mika Zibanejad, Gerard Gallant send support to Kyle Beach

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New York Rangers reps extended their support to Beach, the “John Doe” in the sexual assault report centered around the Chicago Blackhawks.

Members of the New York Rangers expressed their support for Kyle Beach during practice proceedings on Thursday. Beach has been identified as the “John Doe” of a damnatory report released on Tuesday, one that exposed the Chicago Blackhawks’ inaction in the wake of sexual assault allegations made against video coach Brad Aldrich en route to a championship during the 2009-10 season.

Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant commended Beach for his bravery in coming forward, namely through an interview with Rick Westhead on TSN’s SportsCentre program on Wednesday night.

“He came out publicly and got a lot off his chest (after) 11 years, so that’s got to be real tough on the kid. But I think he’s courageous and did an outstanding job when he came out last night. It’s a tough, tough situation, but hopefully, he can heal and feel a lot better about himself,” Gallant said, per Vincent Mercogliano of LoHud.com. “I watched that press conference last night, and I’m sure you all watched that, too. It’s really tough to watch and it really chokes you up, just as a person watching that. I didn’t know the kid personally, but the positive thing that I took out of that last night was he talked about the healing, and that’s going to take place now.”

One of Gallant’s leading scorers, Mika Zibanejad, concurred.

“It’s a terrible thing that happened and I really feel for him and for the victims,” Zibanejad said in Mercogliano’s report. “It takes a lot of courage to be able to come out and tell his story. It’s just a terrible situation that shouldn’t happen, and all the things that kind of caused him and his family all this (pain) and everything. It’s just shocking, but first and foremost, it’s a terrible, terrible thing that happened.”

The independent report declared that neither Blackhawks management nor the NHL Players’ Association acted upon allegations brought forth by Beach as the team embarked on a run to the Stanley Cup Final in May 2010. Action was taken only after the Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers to win their first championship since 1961. Aldrich resigned but was allowed to partake in the Stanley Cup celebrations and later took a job at a Houghton, MI high school, in part thanks to a recommendation from the Blackhawks. He plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct charges against a teenager three years later.

Chicago general manager Stan Bowman and vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac have since resigned. Despite appear in the report, then-Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville was allowed to coach the Florida Panthers in the wake of the report’s release and was said to be meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday.

Beach is currently under contract in the Oberliga, a third-tier German league. He spent parts of the 2013-14 season with the Rangers’ organization, appearing in 39 games with their AHL affiliate in Hartford.

The Rangers (4-2-1) return to action on Friday night at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m ET, MSG).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

New York Rangers’ Jacob Trouba feels ‘team is tighter’ this season

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New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba’s comments on Sunday are raising questions about what went on in the locker room under former coach David Quinn last season.

With the New York Rangers enjoying the view from atop of the Metro Division (4-1-1 9 PTS.), the team has seemed to form a bond, something that defenseman Jacob Trouba hinted was missing since he arrived in New York.

New York Post’s Mollie Walker Tweeted out some comments that were said by the nine-year veteran player on Sunday. The discussion appeared to begin about how the team defends one-goal leads, but his answer appeared to indicate some friction in the locker room during the season last year.

“I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a different feel in that situation… We know what to do, it’s not really overthought and everybody knows their job. Do your job and we’ll be fine. That’s the kind of mentality we’ve taken.”

Trouba joined the Rangers for the start of the 2019-2020 season following a trade that sent defenseman Neal Pionk to the Winnipeg Jets in June 2019.

The 27-year-old had been rumored to be in contention to be named the next captain of the Blueshirts before the club decided to go with alternate captains prior to the start of this season.

Regardless of having the “C” on his uniform, Trouba has been a consistent leader on and off the ice.

Last season he has was credited with mentoring rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller. The two were paired for most of the season, under David Quinn, with Trouba guiding the rookie through a successful first season in the NHL.

Trouba continued his conversation,

“I think there’s a little bit more cohesiveness and the team’s a little bit tighter. Guys are comfortable being themselves more than they have been in the past, myself included.”

The comments here seem to indicate that there was, at the very least, some tension between the players and the head coach last season. It is hard to judge exactly what went on behind the scenes last year, but for now, things seem to be playing out much better for Trouba and his teammates this season.

This comfort level could just be a result of the Ranger’s four-game winning streak or a combination of team bonding and a different way Gerard Gallant deals with his players.

Rangers’ will need to rely on depth with Strome and Kakko out of the lineup

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The New York Rangers find themselves down two top-six forwards and will need to rely on their depth in Hartford to continue winning games.

The New York Rangers have played three games (1-1-1) and have three games remaining on this road trip in which the lineup has dramatically changed.

The team will have to rely on their depth with both Ryan Strome and Kaapo Kakko post of the lineup.

In Saturday night’s win over the Montreal Canadiens, the Blueshirts played without center Ryan Strome. He is currently in Covid protocol with no timetable of when he will return to the lineup.

Kaapo Kakko was injured in that game during the first period. He didn’t return to the game and on Sunday was placed on injured reserve with what the team has listed as an upper-body injury. Per the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, Kakko will be out at least for the next seven days. He is eligible to return this Saturday when the Rangers visit the Ottawa Senators.

Stepping Up

The Blueshirts, who are unable to recall Vitali Kravtsov as he has opted to go back to Russia, recalled Greg McKegg for the Montreal game and then recalled Morgan Barron following the Kakko IR designation.

These are the times where the team’s depth will be tested. During the Rangers media session after their win Saturday night, forward Sammy Blais mentioned the challenge of having two layers out of the lineup,

“Obviously we have two good players out of the lineup, everyone is going to have to chip in more”

The Rangers will play four games in the next seven days beginning with their game in Toronto on Monday.

Head coach Gerard Gallant will have top layer his lines with both Strome and Kakko normally playing on the second line along with Artemi Panarin.

The team held an optional practice Sunday and in Gallant’s media session he was not ready to commit to who would be in the lineup for Monday’s game.

Rangers’ loss in Washington displays team’s inefficiencies on the ice and behind the bench

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The New York Rangers’ loss to the Capitals on Wednesday night confirms that this team has plenty of work ahead of them, on the ice and behind the bench.

The New York Rangers began their 2021-2022 season with a 5-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. It is only one loss, game one of 82 on the schedule, but there were some familiarities to last season the club needs to get away from if they want to put together wins.

Georgiev Gets The Start

The lineup was questioned almost immediately when Alexandar Georgiev led the team onto the ice.  Why was Igor Shesterkin sitting for the first game of the season? Did the back-to-back schedule of games having the team in Washington on Wednesday and then playing their home opener on Thursday play that big of a factor in this decision?

Gerard Gallant was asked about his decision in his post-game presser and really didn’t have a concrete answer as to why he went with Georgiev telling Vince Mercogliano,

“No, not really. Obviously, we’ve got back-to-back games and I think Georgie played real well. I don’t think there’s any issue with the goals with Georgie.”

Georgiev made some good saves, but overalled seemed to struggle at times.  The Rangers gave up two goals in 24 seconds in the second period giving the Capitals a 3-0 lead at the time.  That third goal is one Georgiev would definitely want back. It once again showed that he needs to find a way to make the big save that can stop the opposition’s momentum.

Georgiev made 22 saves on 27 shots in the game taking the loss.

Unusual Lineup

An opening night lineup that saw rookie Nils Lunkvist watching the game, and Jared Tinordi lacing up his skates for the game was a direct result of the club being concerned about the rough style of game that was anticipated to have. This team already had a hard-hitting Sammy Blais and Ryan Reaves penciled in to play, why sit Lundkvist then?

The bottom six of the team’s lineup had Filip Chytil centering Sammy Blais and Barclay Goodrow and Kevin Rooney in the middle of Ryan Reaves and Dryden Hunt.

Other than some big hits, neither line produced many scoring chances.

The Rangers scored just one goal, on the power play, by Chris Kreider in the third period.  The special teams were a thorn in the team’s backside throughout the game.

The team took nine penalties allowing four power-play goals. With the man advantage, the Blueshirts managed just one goal in eight opportunities.

This is an area the club had relied on to improve in the offseason, but it is apparently more work is needed to be done.

A New Day

Tonight the Rangers will be back on the ice again, this time at Madison Square Garden. Their home opener welcomes the Dallas Stars and hopefully a better outcome than on Wednesday night.

Gallant has already announced the Igor Shesterkin will be in the net and one could assume that the head coach will insert Lundkvist and forward Julien Gauthier into the lineup in hopes of generating some more offense.

It may be early in the season but this team needs to find its identity early and get some good line chemistry with the tough schedule the team has ahead of them. The Blueshirts only have two home games, after tonight’s game, in the next 10 games.

This team needs to do everything it can not to fall into the quicksand and find ways to keep even with the rest of the league and division.

Rangers Head Coach talks about training camp, line combinations and a Captain

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New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant had his first press conference on Thursday afternoon.

The New York Rangers began their training camp on Wednesday morning with players reporting for physicals and media day activities.

Day one of camp is uneventful for the team as a whole, with the lone highlight of the head coach’s first official press conference of the season. Gallant sat in front of the New York Media as they questioned him on varying topics.

The Elephant In The Room

Gallant didn’t waste any time when the question of who would be the next captain of the Blueshirts.

“If I was a betting man, I think we’re gonna have a captain on day 1”.

He did acknowledge that having a captain is a priority but wasn’t sure of the exact timing of when the captain would be named.

Gallant is an “old school” coach as was evident when he was talking about systems coach’s use in the National Hockey League. He emphasized the system is not as important as the player’s ability to “buy in” to the schemes the coaching staff put in front of them.

“Let’s be honest: Everybody has their systems, (but) there’s not a big difference in NHL teams. A lot of us do the same things. It’s about executing them and believing.. and getting 23 guys to buy in.” – Vince Mercogliano

Line Combinations

The head coach is looking for a fresh start to of lines, though he hasn’t ruled anything out. He wants to look at placing Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad on the same lines, possibly moving Alexis Lafreniere to the right wing to get him more ice time, and would he dare split up Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren?

Training camp is a way for the coaching staff to see what works well and what doesn’t. No lines are etched in stone, and Gallant will use at least the first four games to try different line combinations and defensive pairings to judge what works and what ideas need to be trashed.

The plan is to have his 23 roster players and the line combinations set for the end of the preseason.

Thursday morning will be the first practice for the team under their new head coach. It begins in the team’s Tarrytown facility at 10 am.  The players will be divided into three teams plus a squad of goalies and follow this schedule;

Team 1 & 2 Scrimmage…10:00-11:40 AM
Team 3 Goalies on ice…1:00-1:30 PM
Team 3 Practice…1:30-3:15 PM

A new era is beginning in New York with high expectations. Gallant has plenty of work to do in his quest to make this team a tough opponent to play against.

New York Rangers: News, Notes & Rumors

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The New York Rangers had a busy day following the NHL Expansion Draft as they announced the signing of center Barclay Goodrow.

 New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced Wednesday that the team has agreed to terms with Barclay Goodrow on a six-year contract. The contract is for $21.85 million with an AAV of $3.641.667 million (Per CapFriendly.com). The deal also includes a 15 team no-trade clause.

Goodrow, 28, skated in 55 games with Tampa Bay this past season, registering six goals and 14 assists for 20 points, along with a plus-16 rating and 52 penalty minutes. He established a career-high in plus/minus rating in 2020-21, and he led the Lightning in plus/minus rating during the season.

The 6-2, 203-pounder has skated in 331 career NHL games over parts of seven seasons (2014-15 – 2020-21) with San Jose and Tampa Bay, registering 32 goals and 61 assists for 93 points, along with a plus-13 rating and 304 penalty minutes. Goodrow is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, as he helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He established career-highs in several categories in 2019-20, including goals (eight), assists (18), points (26), average ice time (15:55), and hits (162). Goodrow has recorded at least 100 hits in each of the last three seasons (Via NYRPR).

Schedule Release

The National Hockey League also announced its schedule for the upcoming 2021-2022 season. The Blueshirts will begin their 95th NHL season with a back-to-back set on Wednesday, Oct. 13 against the Washington Capitals at Washington and on Thursday, Oct. 14 against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden.

The Blueshirts will play their first all-time game against the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, Oct. 31 at Seattle. In addition, New York will host Seattle for the first time on Sunday, Jan. 30 at MSG. The Blueshirts will play nine of their first 12 games this season, as well as 14 of their first 21 games this season, on the road. The Rangers will conclude the season with 10 of their final 14 games at MSG (and with their four road games during the stretch at New Jersey, Philadelphia, NY Islanders, and Boston).

Rumors

The NHL Entry Draft is slated for Friday night where the Rangers are scheduled to have the 15th pick in the first round. They should actually be selected 16thm but the Arizona Coyotes do not have a first-round pick, so they will move to position 15.

As of Wednesday night, the club has not announced any trades that would change their selection, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been plenty of rumors about what may happen prior to the draft.

Frank Seravalli reported some news that caught many fan’s attention in his Ice Breakers column for Dailyfaceoff.com

-Sources said the Kraken were underwhelmed with the options at center presented in the Expansion Draft, so they may pursue bulking up at the position via the trade market. Ryan Strome has been linked to the Kraken. Would Strome make any sense in Vegas, who is also looking for centers?

-The Rangers have attempted to move arbitration-eligible RFA Pavel Buchnevich for weeks now. New York has been seeking a suitor for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. The ask is believed to be a first-round pick. It’s unlikely Georgiev, who is also seeking a fresh start, will fetch that price.

Jack Eichel trade has picked up some steam over the last 24 hours. Are the Rangers the leading contender to acquire Jack Eichel? Sources say the Rangers have quietly checked with each of the teams holding a pick inside the Top 10 of Friday’s Draft, inquiring about the price to acquire it.  The belief is the Rangers would like to package that pick in a transaction for Eichel, as the Sabres are reportedly seeking another lottery-range pick to go with their No. 1 overall selection.

The last interesting report for Seravalli involved some current Vegas Golden Knights. Is Gerard Gallant Gerard interested in attempting to pluck one of Jonathan Marchessault or Reilly Smith out of Vegas? Both are available.

Brendan Smith To Test Free Agency

Rangers beat reporter Larry Brooks reported that the Rangers and defensemen Brendan Smith will part ways with Smith testing free agency on July 28.

Smith has been with the Blueshirts for the past five seasons and became one of the leaders of the team this past season on and off the ice. This is of no surprise as Smith is expected to get a long-term deal offered to him.

MSG Network To Offer Live Programming

MSG Networks announced on Thursday special programming to get fans ready for all the upcoming action.

The live draft and free agency coverage on MSG Networks will kick-off with an “NHL Draft Special” on Friday, July 23rd from 9:00-10:00 pm ET, featuring real-time updates and analysis from Rangers host John Giannone, Rangers analyst Dave Maloney, Devils host Erika Wachter and Devils analyst Bryce Salvador. The crew will recap the Devils 4th overall selection, as well as provide immediate reaction to the Rangers’ pick at 15. They will also preview the rest of the opening round, including the Devils’ additional first-round selection at 28.

On Wednesday, July 28th, John Giannone and Erika Wachter will be joined by Rangers analyst Steve Valiquette, Islanders host Shannon Hogan, Islanders analyst Butch Goring and Devils analyst Ken Daneyko for a live “NHL Free Agency.

New head coach Gerard Gallant’s vision of the Rangers must now be matched by GM’s skill

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The New York Rangers held press conference on Tuesday introducing new head coach Gerard Gallant, displaying what kind of team Gallant wants to bring to Broadway, but might have had more questions than answers at its conclusion.

The Gerard Gallant era in New York officially began on Tuesday when the media had their first opportunity to hear what the new man behind the bench had to say. In an unsurprisingly voice, the 57 -year old let the NHL and Rangers fans know exactly what he wanted his new team to be known for.

“I want us to be the hardest-working team in the league.”

Work ethic, grit and never being outplayed by the opponent has been the trademark of every team gallant has coached.

Some other interesting takes from yesterdays press conference centered around the younger players on the team along with is acknowledgement that it will take all 23 players on the roster to turn the club into a winning team. when he was discussing the younger member’s of the team Gallant offered a statement of faith and opportunity,

“You give them the opportunity and hope that they take advantage of the opportunity they get. We know we’ve got some very young, talented hockey players on our team. They’re going to get every opportunity.” Gallant went on to say, It’s not going to take 15 guys to win; It’s going to take all 23 guys on the roster.”

Chris Drury Has Difficult Task Ahead

Incase one would be thinking that the hard part for the Rangers GM is over, think again. In order for this transition from David Quinn to Gallant to be successful, Drury will need to immediately look at what he needs to improve and then find a way to that. The laundry list of what to do next includes the NHL expansion Draft, the NHL Draft, and free agency which is scheduled to begin with the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Rangers have some players offensively that will not be touched.  Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba and  Igor Shesterkin are a few names to be mentioned.  The area where the team needs to improve is at the center position and the level of toughness that was lacking last season.

This team needs to be built from the bottom up. The players that sit on the fence regarding roster spots or remaining a Blueshirt should come as no surprise.

Staying or Shipping Out

Brett Howden, Julien Gauthier, Kevin Rooney, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Libor Hajek are some names I wouldn’t be surprised off of  the roster when training camp begins.

These players are good hockey players, but for one reason or another never found a productive place in the lineup consistently. A lineup that appeared bottom heavy will need to thin out and form into a tough, hard forechecking, reliable third and fourth line for Gallant to lean on. Some of that need is already there with Vitaly Kravtsov and Philip Chytil so the job for Drury does have some sought of outline laid out.

Great teams use a balance of a smart general manager along with intelligent head coaching that know how to push the right buttons at the right time. Gallant can only push the buttons of the 23 players Drury sets up for him.

The puck is once again of the stick of Chris Drury. If the Rangers ever needed a big score from their former captain its going to be over the summer battling hard against the NHL to come away with that big win that should launch this team back into the postseason.

Rangers GM now has to add the right pieces for Gerard Gallant to be successful

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The New York Rangers have their man but must find the right pieces to add to the team if they want new head coach Gerard Gallant to be successful.

The Blueshirts checked the top box off of their list of what they need to improve when they hired Gerard Gallant.  Unfortunately for the club, there are a lot of boxes left to be checked off between now and when training camp begins.

First up is a coaching staff for the new head coach. The Rangers cleaned house after the conclusion of this season.

Staff needs to be replaced

Jacques Martin, Greg Brown, and David Oliver were all let go when the club decided that David Quinn was no longer the man to lead the Rangers. Rick Carpinello of The AThletic has indicated that the team’s video coach, Jerry Dineen was also relieved of his duties which leaves the iconic Benoit Allaire as the only one to service the Broadway breakup.

Former Rangers defenseman and current Buffalo Sabres assistant Dan Girardi has been rumored to be hired as an assistant with the Rangers.  Girardi played with Drury when the two were teammates between the 2008-2011 seasons.

Toughness

Gallant is considered to be a coach that wants toughness in his lineup. After the Tom Wilson incident, the team will welcome this kind of upgrade.

General manager Chris Drury will have the task of trying to find a player who can both intimidate the opposition and at the same time can contribute to both ends of the ice. There are only so many players like Ryan Reaves, Brendan Gallagher, or Tom Wilson that become available.

Toughness has been a touchy topic with the organization justifying so. Too many times the team’s top players, Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin to name two, have been the ones to stand up for other teammates. The Rangers need to find someone else to fill the role which is something Gallant’s previous teams have been able to sustain.

NHL Expansion Draft/NHL Draft & Free Agency

The team also needs to prepare for the Seattle Expansion Draft which will be conducted by the National Hockey League on July 21, 2021.  Each NHL club, with the exception of the Vegas Golden Knights, will lose one player in order to fill the Kraken’s roster.

The Rangers can only protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie, or eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goalie. Drury and Gallant will have to address the backup goalie role with the poor performance Alexandar Georgiev had last season.

The team can delay that decision since they have Keith Kinkaid eligible to be the goaltender they decide not to protect which is a foregone conclusion.

Following the expansion draft, the team then can begin the process of who or what they would like to do with their first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.  The Draft will be held on July 23 and 24th in Columbus, Ohio. The Rangers hold the 15th selection.

Free agency ends the crazy month of July. The team can improve the club with a strong free-agent signing. Players that will become unrestricted free agents this year include Alex Ovechkin, Taylor Hall, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mike Hoffman.

Trades are always an option to improve on a team and the Rangers have plenty of prospects and current roster players to make an impact.

This is normally the primary responsibility of the general manager, but the odds are pretty good that Gallant will at the very least be able to get some input on what kind of player he would like to have on the roster.

Plenty of boxes to check off, but the first box was the one that will get things rolling. Unlike the Vegas Golden Knights team that Gallant took the Stanley Cup Finals in its first NHL season, this Rangers team is young.

They were the youngest team in the league for most of last season.

Gallant will need to find the balance between youth and veteran with a splash of crazy if he wants to get this team back into the playoffs next season.

 

Follow Frank on Twitter @RangerProud.