Alain Vigneault conducted a conference call yesterday after the Rangers made some moves (Rangers) On Dan Boyle, “Dan obviously is an experienced player and has been an elite player for a long time and he will bring experience and help on the PP and he has been able to log important minutes on a good team the last few years. We are happy to have him on board.” On Tanner Glass, “Tanner is a hard nosed fourth line player that can kill penalties. Smart player and will help us in that role.” On bringing back Dom, “everyone knows that Dom has experience and a quality person, we felt it was really important and he wanted to come back so we wanted to get something done there.” Can you still roll four lines, “every year is a new year and you need to build your team and their identity and we are in the process of doing that. Dom wanted to come back and it was real important for us, Tanner wanted to come here, there is no doubt that Dan Boyle wanted to come here and we are now trying to sort out the pieces in this cap world. I think that Jeff and Glen both know the type of tempo game that we like to play and that is effective and we need four lines to do that and we are trying to put the pieces. We have a couple of good young kids coming up that will get an opportunity and we will go from there.” Who will be the fourth center, “at this time it would be Dom Moore but Dom did play important minutes in the playoffs when Brassard and Step went down. There is room to maneuver there, we are not 100% sure what our number 1-2-3-4 slot will look down the middle but Dom did play there this year.” Who replaces Richards at center, “I think we have a couple of possibilities, JT and Lindberg and there is still work to be done and Jeff signed Mueller today also and he has some experience and some potential so we have quite a few possibilities.” On being with Tanner Glass again, “It was a factor and consideration but I think our whole staff of coaches and scouts and management thought that he would bring an edge to our team that we need. He would bring some PK. He has improved since I had him and I think we are getting a real solid player there.”
What I found interesting was he said JEFF signed Mueller, not Glen. And he said "there is still work to be done." He also seems high on Glass, so we'll give AV the benefit of the doubt at the moment. Boyle...we'll see. 38 scares me. Can he play 20 mpg anymore???
depends on what type those 20 minutes are..if 3 mintues are on the PP and limit the PK minutes, then yes I think Boyle can easily play 20mpg.. Chelios was averaging 21+ at age 42
Yeah, I bet he doesn't see a lot of PK time. The big 3 (if Staal is here still which I question), and Klein will get the PK time IMO.
Nothing exciting in those comments, pretty much what you'd expect to hear justifying the moves. Also not surprised Jeff signed Mueller. We're talking about a 28yo career nobody who is most likely Hartford fodder. A GM should have better things to do and delegate this type of minor signings to the AGM.
Yeah, i'd be a little worried if theyre truly considering Mueller as a legit option. I think its more covering for "we dont know right now since we dont have any cap space". I think they try and get Stempniak somehow to fill out the Brassard line.
its hard to see how this team is better or in the same place they were on June 13th. This is the breakdown of the forwards: Nash - Stepan - Kreider Hagelin - xxxx - St. Louis Zuccarello - Brassard - xxxx Glass - Moore - xxxx They talk about Miller, Fast, and Lindberg but i just how that addresses the size issues we have, the need for experience, and the skill. Lindberg really doesnt impress me much, i think Miller just doesnt have it, and Fast is too small.
Relax guys. A trade for forward skill and depth is coming. At least we didn't hand out 4 year 20m deals to Pouliot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Maybe they want Stepan and Brassard as their 1-2. If thats the case they should see if they could get Legwand for cheap and maybe a reclamation like Heatley or Penner. Then slot Miller on the 4th line to start the season and use Fast/Lindberg as the extra forwards.
Issue is cap space, we have very little after we re-sign the RFA's. I was thinking Legwand as well, but not sure how we afford him. That is why I keep thinking Staal is getting dealt for O (and the fact that he is a UFA this summer and we have a handful of dmen locked up for 2 + years already).
Will be happy when we make the big trade if its Jeff that both announces the trade and then that sather is retiring
I agree that they should use Miler as a 4th liner next year and not give him too much to worry about. For his 1st full year he can be an energy guy who forechecks and chips in 10-15g. Pair him with Lindberg/Moore and Glass. I think Legwand and even Heatley will be too expensive for what they can afford, as of now at least without clearing another 2m, but both could help.
71, i agree with Miller on the 4th line, but he ain't getting 10-15g's as a 4th liner next year. He has 5 in 56 careers games, so he's not going to significantly improve his production getting 4th line minutes and linemates.
Really, I think he could hit 10 at least if he plays 70+ games. He's more skilled than a Dorsett/Carcillo.
are we honestly critiquing AVs comments day 1 into free agency? serioulsy guys? anything can happen from now till season starts, LOL
AV did what no other Rangers coach had in 20 years in his first year with a roster he inherited from a guy with a polar opposite hockey philosophy. This year AV will be able to improve the team to fit his style of hockey so I'm puzzled about the frame of reference some are using to evaluate this incomplete team. I would like to see Glen resign Zuc & Kreider for starters to get a better idea of what's available to spend. I also reject the notion that a rookie player's performance remains static and never improves statistically (the Del Zotto correlation). Most players actually improve as they gain more experience and adapt their game to the speed of the NHL. Asking Miller, Lindberg & Fast to better Pouliot, Boyle and Carcillo's collective numbers last year is hardly a challenge (24 goals/33 assists among the 3).
