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The Rangers will be a fascinating team to watch tomorrow when training camp finally starts.  With a half-dozen positions possibly up for grabs, the team faces a ton of questions.  Here’s your quick guide to camp:

The Roster:

-from rangers.nhl.com

What Should Happen:  The Rangers should keep the best 22 players on their roster, period.  No weight should be given to age, salary, experience, or anything else.  If that means six rookies make the roster, so be it.  If that means Wade Redden wins a spot in the top-four, so be it.

What Will Happen: The Rangers will be forced to make decisions that may not be in the best interest of the team.  Redden will almost certainly have to be demoted.  Even if he outplays most of the other defenders, there’s almost no way the Rangers can keep him on the NHL roster because they’re already a few million dollars over the cap.  Youngsters like Derek Stepan, Evgeny Grachev, Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh will have a very difficult time making the team because of a flurry of veteran additions and training camp invitees.

Position Battles:

Steve Eminger vs. Matt Gilroy vs. Garnet Exelby vs. Ryan McDonagh vs. Wade Redden vs. Alexei Semenov vs. Pavel Valentenko for the fifth, sixth and seventh spots on defense.

This position was crowded already with the addition of Eminger earlier this summer and potential NHL-readiness of Exelby and Valentenko.  Inviting Semenov and Exelby to camp will make this a down-to-the wire battle.  Semenov made the team last year out of camp but was unable to stay with the team due to personal issues.  GM Glen Sather has already said that he’s had contract discussions with Semenov’s agent, indicating that if Semenov plays well in camp he could have the inside track.  Most people agree that McDonagh is ready to play, and play well, in the NHL, but the Rangers may prefer to give him a half-year or more in Hartford to boost his confidence.  Eminger looked like a good bet to be the seventh defenseman when he was acquired, but recent acquisitions have him on the outside looking in.  Exelby provides a physical dimension the Rangers currently lack.  Much more was expected of Gilroy last season, but there are now major questions about his chances at a real NHL career.  Valentenko is a bit of an under-the-radar guy, but he plays a solid two-way game.  And of course, Redden is the whipping boy with the huge contract. 

Ruslan Fedotenko vs. Evgeny Grachev vs. Derek Stepan vs. Mats Zuccarello vs. Sean Avery vs. Brian Boyle vs. Tim Kennedy vs. Brandon Prust vs. Dale Weise vs. Todd White

Obviously, this is a hodgepodge of forwards.  But with eight forwards locks, these 10 players are battling for four spots on the top four lines and an extra spot in the press box with Derek Boogaard on most nights.  Prust and Avery would probably have to play pretty poorly in training camp to lose their positions.  Prust was dynamite down the stretch last year and everyone knows what Avery brings when he’s on his game.  Avery’s contract works against him, as does his (at times) strained relationship with John Tortorella.  But he’s saying and doing all the right things, and he’s been very good at on-ice workouts the last couple weeks.  Grachev, Stepan and Zuccarello are more likely to form the top line for the Wolf Pack than play for the Rangers at the outset of this year.  The Rangers keep insisting that each will get a fair shot, but with such a crowded roster, that may not be realistic.  That trio may make the Rangers en masse next year when they’ll hopefully have developed some serious chemistry.  Boyle is probably in really big trouble.  He and Kennedy could be in direct completion for the fourth line center job.  Their contracts are basically a wash, and Kennedy has already displayed far more offensive ability and has a reputation for being a very solid defensive forward.  Weise is a dark horse to make the team and has proven his ability in the AHL.  But he too could be a victim of the numbers game and will likely end up in Hartford or traded.  The tryout offer to Fedotenko was a bit of a shocking move last week, but the 31-year-old still can put the puck in the net and could add to the Rangers depth.  White had an awful year in 2009, after a great one in 2008, but his $2.375 million cap hit is a huge demerit.  He plays a solid two-way game like Kennedy, but at almost four times the cap hit. 

The Final Roster I’d Like To See:

Prospal            Christensen     Gaborik

Frolov              Anisimov         Callahan

Dubinsky         Drury               Fedotenko

Avery              Kennedy           Prust

Ex. Fwd Boogaard, Boyle

Staal                Del Zotto

Girardi             Rozsival

McDonagh      Exelby

Ex. D Semenov

Why? I know Frolov and Gaborik are almost certain to play together at the outset, but I don’t want to mess with the chemistry the top line had last year.  I know this leaves out the youngsters at forward, but it’s too crowded up front right now for any of the kids to get significant ice time.  None besides Weise have had much success in Hartford yet, so I’d like to see them dominate there first, and then get called up midseason or make the team next year.  Many are upset that the kids won’t be given a fair shot up front, but I think it could be better for them to develop chemistry and confidence with the Wolf Pack this year before being handed significant responsibilities next year.  If they’re still ignored next year, I WON’T be happy.  On defense, I love the physical game that Exelby would bring.  Unlike the forwards, I don’t think McDonagh has much to gain from playing in the AHL.  Simply put, I think those six are the best combination the Rangers can put together.

Let’s hear your thoughts!

Preseason schedule

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