Blueshirt Boggle

Welcome to Draft Day!

While the thunder is rolling in the New York area, the Rangers are at Montreal looking for some talent and perhaps swinging some deals as the 2009 NHL Entry Draft weekend has begun.

The Rangers have the 19th overall pick as well as 47, 80, 127, 140, 151, 170 and 200.

Chances are, some of these picks will be packaged since they are in similar spots of the draft order.

The other day we chronicled a couple names of potential wingers that the Rangers could be looking at. Here is some more information on each of the rookie wings:

• Carter Ashton - 6' 2" and 205 lbs. Ranked 12 by Central Scouting. Scored more than 30 goals last season in the WHL.
• Kyle Palmieri - 5'10" and 191 lbs. Ranked 20 by Central Scouting. A consistent scorer the past two seasons in the USHL.
• Jordan Caron - 6'3" and 203 lbs. Ranked 21 by Central Scouting. Can score and play with an edge as he had 66 penalty minutes for Rimouski in the QMJHL. 
  
• Zach Budish - 6'3" and 225 lbs. Ranked 22 by Central Scouting. A larger winger that has scoring potential despite a down season last year.

But there are tons of options out there and the draft is always a crap shoot, but we will have it all here at Blueshirt Bulletin. Stay tuned on our Twitter: NYRBlueBulletin for instant updates.

Brian Leetch Inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame

In yet another strong induction class, Mr. Ranger Brian Leetch will see his name next to the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Eddie Giacomin in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The formal announcement was made today at 3:30 pm.

Leetch is arguably the greatest American-born defenseman in NHL history and his resume was as impressive in international play as in the NHL.

The former Boston College Eagle began his accolades as an all-star in college. His awards continued throughout his NHL career as he won the Calder Trophy, two Norris Trophy's, the Conn Smythe, and Stanley Cup.

As a perennial NHL all-star, Leetch also won a gold medal for the United States at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Known predominantly for his time as a Ranger, Leetch played over 1200 regular season NHL games, scoring 247 goals and 781 assists for 1028 points.

Last season, Leetch was inducted along with long-time friend Mike Richter into the US Hockey Hall of Fame.

Leetch's famed No. 2 hangs in the Garden rafters as his number was retired on January 24, 2008.

More to come...

Draft Update, Rumblings, and Brian Leetch waits...

Good afternoon on this finally non-raining day in June! As the official NHL season has come to a close, we look toward the third season of the NHL:the offseason.

This has, in a sense, begun with Markus Naslund's farewell, but several questions still remain for the Rangers and around the NHL and there is a strong chance that many of these questions will be addressed by this weekend's NHL Entry Draft.

With the new trend of trading away a player's negotiating rights, there is a lot of intrigue that can come before July 1st, when all free agents become, well, free.

That starts with Friday's Round One where the Rangers pick No. 19.

Some big names such as Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa, and Jay Bouwmeester are all headed toward free agency. The Rangers have, of course, been linked to all three, but lack the cap space to make a splash without having to give up players in return.

Could the Rangers acquire their negotiating rights? Possible, but unlikely.

Soon-to-be former Ottawa Senator Dany Heatley has demanded a trade and it is expected that he will be traded before his bonus kicks in on July 1st.

Some other names such as Rob Scuderi and Vinny Lecavalier have also come up.

However, the Rangers are going to have to move big money to make a run at any of these star players and in reality, they lack the assets to do that.

Which brings us to the importance of this draft.

New York is notorious for picking poorly in the first round, (see Jamie Lundmark, Pavel Brendl, and Hugh Jessiman)  however, they have done a nice job in the lower rounds and stacked their minor league programs with solid defensive and center prospects.

Now it is time to address the wing.

Thin at pro level as well as in the system, the Rangers must pick the best winger available at No. 19. Possible names could include:

• Carter Ashton
• Kyle Palmieri
• Jordan Caron
• Zach Budish

We will have a more in-depth look at these players and more before Friday.

Also, we are still awaiting the announcement on the 2009 NHL Hall of Fame class, in which Brian Leetch is expected to be selected.

Stay tuned...

What's Next For Sather's Rangers?

The latest issue of Blueshirt Bulletin, with a June cover date, is now available by subscription or digitally via Zinio. The cover tells the main theme of what is our last issue before our usual summer break (click on the image at right to see a larger version). With a fantastic caricature by our resident art director, John Coutinho, we ask, "What's Next For Sather's Rangers?"

Inside, we try to answer that with articles on how new coach John Tortorella sees the future shaping up, how the maturing corps of young core players have to assume more responsibility, and how the salary cap will dictate the team's ability to sign the goal scorer and defensemen they need. Jess Rubenstein has a draft preview as well.

We also take a last look back at the season that just ended with a playoff review from Tortorella's point of view (including his take on his run-ins with fans and the media), Dan Akeson's Report Card, and Bruce Berlet's look at the Wolf Pack playoffs. There is an article on highly touted BU defenseman Matt Gilroy, an introduction to two newly signed European pros, and a look back at the first round of the draft from 1998 through 2005. And many of our usual features -- a Biofile of Kenny Albert by Scoop Malinowski, Ranger News & Notes, Ranger Quote Book, Wolf Pack News & Notes, and John Halligan's All Around the Rink With the Rangers, with a look back at Clint Smith.

To find out about taking out a subscription to the print edition, which also gains you unlimited access to Blueshirt Bulletin+, click here to see a subscription form that includes our rates, payment methods, and contact information. Once we process your subscription, we will get this issue into the next day's mail and immediately E-mail you information on how to access BB+ online, where our daily updates, media links, and reader commentary appear. You can be up and running in the time it takes to send us a PayPal payment or E-mail, fax, or phone in a credit card order.

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