Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. Free at last, free at last!
And praise the hockey gods – as this crappy centennial campaign has mercifully reached its conclusion – and an ending that felt like it would never come!
That said?
Then perhaps this post-victory quote should be our lede:
“I don’t want to go back to the American League [AHL] ever again” – Dylan Garand.
For now?
At the very least, then Garand should be on the opening night roster come October.
However, there is also this to think of, and as my pal Linda H. remarked:
“Let’s just hope that Drury doesn’t know some 30-year-old goalie from Boston!”
And let’s hope that there isn’t a goalie out there that married one of Mike Sullivan’s nieces too!
The Rangers and the Lightning, who didn’t really have much significant history with each other until the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline (the Martin St. Louis for Ryan Callahan + two first-round picks trade), wrote their latest chapter on April 15th, 2026.
During the past twelve-years since that trade when Senile Glen Sather gave up extra picks in what should’ve been a one-for-one player swap – and both the tenants of M$G & M$G South (Tampa) have not only been trading partners – but more importantly than that – playoff rivals too.
While there is no reason tonight to fully recap what happened during the 2015 and 2022 Eastern Conference Finals; nor what also happened when former general manager Jeff Gorton decided to trade away both J.T. Miller (before entering his prime) and Ryan McDonagh (today, a future Hall of Famer) in 2018 either; but in short – and the Lightning, ironically founded by the only man in Rangers’ franchise history to play, coach, manage and announce for the club, Phil Esposito – have not only won every pertinent battle – but every war too – in these “snowbird showdowns.”
And despite the Rangers prevailing over their recent nemesis on Wednesday night – and as they did by a 4-2 final?
Then it still felt like another win for the Bolts – or to be precise – another loss for the Blueshirts.
Of course, then you know what I’m referring to – the Rangers’ odds come May 5th – the date of this year’s NHL Draft Lottery.
Prior to puck drop in Tampa, then a Rangers’ loss would have guaranteed them the third-best odds come the upcoming draft – and a guaranteed top-five pick too.
(Right now, and prior to Flames/Kings on Thursday night? The Rangers have the fourth-best odds at McKenna – and guaranteed a pick no less than sixth-overall.)
Perhaps if Brayden Point, Ryan McDonagh, Victor Hedman, Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, J.J. Moser, and Pontus Holmberg had played, and let’s not also forget that neither regular Lightning goalie, starter Andrei Vasilevskiy and back-up Jonas Johansson, played either – then maybe the Rangers would have been ran out the rink on Wednesday night.
But for a Lightning team that had already secured their first-round home-ice advantage for the upcoming playoffs (vs. Montreal), then head coach Jon Cooper, who should finally win the Jack Adams Award come June, didn’t have any need to go with a full line-up – and in what was a more meaningless match for his team than it was for Mike Sully & Co.
As repeatedly mentioned in this space – then while managers may try to tank, and while fans will root for such a thing too – but players and coaches will never let such a thought enter their minds.
And at the end of the day?
Then it’s not like we can control whatever happens come D-Day – and where in this case, the letter “D” stands for “Draft.”
A new word that has emerged in the evolution of tanking is “ethical” – as in either an ethical win or loss.
While the Blueshirts did beat a struggling third-string goalie, one of their former charges, Brandon Halverson; but it was also nice to see Dylan Garand (29 saves on 31 shots – good for a .935 save percentage), Gabe Perreault (1 goal, tied for a team-high 3 SOG) and arguably Chris Drury’s best waiver-wire pick-up in his career, Tye Kartye (game-high two goals, 3 SOG), lead the way in the 4-2 victory.
So yeah – this was an “ETHICAL WIN!”
To close the season, then we had a flash of “SAME OLD RANGERS” mixed into the game.
The Blueshirts, who lead the league in most periods with a single-digit SOG figure, did so once again, as they were out-shot 8-6 in the first period, tied Tampa with 9 SOG in the second and were then pummeled 14-6 in the third-and-final frame – a total of 31-21 – and in favor of the home team.
But of course, high SOG figures don’t win games – goals scored do.
Sully’s Special Teams, sometimes special bus, sometimes super special, finished the season on a high note, as the power-play went 1/2, while the penalty kill, and mainly due to GARAND THEFT AUTO in net (7 short-handed saves – and a bulk of them during the end of the game when the Lightning had a 6 x 4 empty net power-play attack), went a flawless 3/3.
If we can be honest, then what bolstered the Blueshirts on this night (and where it must also be mentioned that Tampa rung Garand’s iron on three separate occasions) was the fact that Halverson wasn’t that hot.
A flick of the hands from the right circle, following a great feed from Mika Zibanejad, allowed Tye Kartye to score his first of two goals at the 4:02 mark of the first period.
In what looked to be a high-scoring game at the time, the two teams then settled down a bit, and where both sides of the equation neared a SOG drought of ten-minutes.
Kartye’s second goal, the Rangers’ 2-0 goal, was scored at the 1:29 mark of the second stanza, following a hell of an area pass (intended ricochet off of the corner boards from the blue line) from Captain Culture, J.T. Miller.
Kartye, who again for the millionth time on this site, I must ask – “Who in the blue hell was the 13th forward in Seattle that beat him out of a Kraken roster spot?” – picked up his third point of the game at the 4:49 mark of this here second period – a secondary assist on a Gabe Perreault 3-0 goal.
For the Rangers’ rookie that will hopefully only ascend as time moves on, then this goal gave him a dozen on the year – and where the bulk of them (don’t forget that hat trick against Detroit either) were scored following the Panarin trade to L.A./his promotion to Sully’s top line.
An Oliver Bjorkstrand hard-working goal, one of the rebound variety, broke up Garand’s shutout bid at the 11:15 mark of the second period.
3-1, away team.
However, and under some questionable officiating too, and the Rangers, following a full line scrum where Will Cuylle, Jaroslav Chmelar, Corey Perry and Emil Lilleberg were at the center of it, received a power-play just a little over a minute after the Bjorkstrand goal.
At the 12:46 mark of this long (in real-time) second period, and it took Zibanejad all of 23-seconds to score on the power-play after tapping in a puck sent his way by Alexis Lafreniere.
4-1.
The final goal of the game took place just 51-seconds into the third-and-final frame, as Corey Perry scored one of the craziest goals that you’ll ever see – a backhanded spinorama from the left circle – and a shot that Garand, after the game, said “I should have stopped that.”
While backhanded shots are the most difficult to stop for a goalie; but he was probably right (but I won’t criticize him) – and it was also a 100% of a highlight reel goal for the long-time Stanley Cup Final veteran too.
That said?
Then for the final 19:09 of play – and Garand dead-bolted the Lightning every time – and that includes when making breakaway stops, odd-man rush saves and also during a make-or-break 2:00 6 x 4 empty net power-play attack.
4-2, Rangers, your final – a happy flight home – but a long summer ahead.
In case you missed it, then here’s where I last left off – Jonathan Quick’s final game in Sunrise:
NYR/FLA 4/13 Review: The End of An Era. Future Hall of Famer Jonathan Quick Plays in Last NHL Game; Rangers Improve Draft Odds in Another Loss, Chris “ZOOM ZOOM” Drury Gets Frugal with Fortescue; Screws The Rookie Out of $80K, Smell Ya Later Islanders; Filthadelphia Returns to the Playoffs, JQ32’s Final Post Game Interview, M$GN; Maloney Powers Through Laryngitis, One More Game Remains & More
Following the Monday night loss in Sunrise, Florida – Quick’s final game – and the Rangers had off on Tuesday.
Come Wednesday, the team held a light morning skate and where two things of note were revealed:
One, Dylan Garand, as previously predicted in this space, would get the nod in net for the season finale.
After all, then it made no sense to risk any sort of freak CZAR IGOR injury in a rotten season full of them, much less in the most meaningless game of them all.
Two, Adam Edstrom was going to remain as a healthy scratch.
As a result, “The Swedish Condor” had the door closed on his campaign on March 23rd, when the Blueshirts dropped a 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Senators.
As noted then – Sullivan, and during multiple interviews, wasn’t very complimentary of the big man – and a player who also sustained a lengthy injury this season.
(But when Sully’s nephew-in-law was able to return from his own injury? BAM – right back into the line-up!)
In total, #84 skated in 35 games, where in that time, he only scored three goals while also picking up two assists.
Thankfully, then probable/hopeful future one-and-done Rangers, a pair of aging veterans for that matter too, Conor Sheary (ugh – we know that seven-year max deal is coming – and as Dave Maloney would say, “RIIIIIIIIIGHT?”) and Taylor Raddysh skated in Game 82 – while the young Swedish skyscraper was told to enjoy the food in the press box.
(And while it was nice that Sullivan returned Raddysh to the line-up just so he could skate against his brother Darren – but also don’t forget that this is the same moronic head coach that scratched Matthew Robertson in front of his friends and family during an earlier game this season in his hometown of Edmonton.)
Mind boggling.
Speaking of Swedes, then Mika Zibanejad became the poster boy for one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
Once the practice concluded then the Rangers completed their award season.
Following Zibanejad’s win of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award from two-weeks ago, then on Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that he had also won both the team’s MVP and Players’ Player Award too.
Whoop-de-doo.
It was also announced that the birdbrain beat had named Braden Schneider as this year’s “Good Guy Award” winner – the former John Halligan Award (the nicest player to the media).
I’m sure that Schneider will never be the same again after this outstanding achievement secured on his mantle!
Here was Silly Sully’s line-up for the eighty-second and last game of this wretched-and-rotten 2025-26 season:
FIRST LINE: Perreault/Mika/Lafreniere
SECOND LINE: Kartye/Miller/Sheary
THIRD LINE: Cuylle/Trocheck/Chmelar
FOURTH LINE: Sykora/Laba/Raddysh
FIRST PAIR: Gavrikov/Fox
SECOND PAIR: Fortescue/Schneider
THIRD PAIR: Robertson/Borgen
STARTING GOALIE: Garand
BACKUP GOALIE: CZAR IGOR
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Iorio, Raddysh, Vaakainanen, Quick and Edstrom
IR: Matt Rempe
BOX SCORE time.
The following graphics and information come from ESPN.com:
SCORING:
PENALTIES:
TEAM STATS:
GOALIES:
|
NYR
|
|
Dylan Garand#33
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 31 | 2 | 29 | .935 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 0 |
|
TBL
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 21 | 4 | 17 | .810 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 56:47 | 0 |
Come 6:30PM, you know “It’s Montefiore, EINSTEIN, Rangers’ Game Night” time, then it was revealed that Garand, in his third start, would be going head-to-head with future Hall of Famer, Andrei Vasilevskiy – or so we thought.
Elsewhere, and the Bolts, playing in a meaningless game for them (they already secured home ice in their first-round series against Montreal), called up a bunch of AHLers.
“It’s the final day of tax season for a taxing Rangers’ season,” said John Giannone to open the broadcast. (And I wonder how long it took for him to come up with that?)
Since Sieve Vagistat, the worst goalie in franchise history and a loser who makes up his own stats that nobody else uses, was there by himself – I then picked up my remote and flipped my TV from M$GN to the NHLN.
While I was perusing through social media, then it was announced at around 6:37PM that former Ranger Brandon Halverson, once thought to be the successor to Henrik Lundqvist, would be manning Tampa’s pipes.
As noted, then everyone thought that Vasilevskiy would start – as that’s been customary for him – as he usually wants the final game of the season in order to prepare for the playoffs.
I guess since the lowly Rangers were the competition, then Bolts’ bench boss, Jon Cooper, who again, should win the Jack Adams Award this year, decided to throw Halverson a bone – and where at the time – then I thought that a shutout was incoming.
After all, then isn’t that how it always goes?
Furthermore?
Then I also thought that Nikita Kucherov, hoping to win the Hart Trophy, would score two goals in the game.
And go figure – it was Kartye – and not Kucherov – who accomplished such a feat!
Come the 7PM hour, then for the last time this season, and Dave Maloney and Alex Faust greeted us on M$GN.
(As noted on Monday night on this site, Kenny Albert had TNT commitments tonight.)
Maloney, forever a trooper, continued to battle laryngitis and a red sore throat on Wednesday night.
I guess there’s something in that Florida-based Icehouse beer!
Maloney sounded horrible all-game – but since he loves this team – then he just wasn’t going to call out – not with the season ending.
In what was just ridiculous, then during his intro, Faust called Mika “a real difference maker.”
As would be the case throughout the entire broadcast – and both Maloney & Faust would randomly fawn praise upon the Blueshirts – but would never give you both sides of the story when doing so.
Not mentioned in Mika’s MVP win?
How he also ran three coaches out of town, cried like a mopey bitch all of last season, got his best friend (Chris Kreider) traded to Anaheim, has always been a ghost during every big playoff game and how the Rangers finished this season as dead-last in the east.
What a “difference maker!”
And what a “players’ player” too!
GAME REVIEW time!
You know my usual spiel – which includes how if you want my complete play-by-play, then check out my Tweeter/X feed over at: https://x.com/NYCTheMiC
Let the rolling commence!
FIRST PERIOD
As Lundqvist’s once thought-to-be successor, Brandon Halverson, and Jonathan Quick’s presumed successor, Dylan Garand, took their places, then Zibanejad won the first draw of the contest.
Just forty-seconds in and Garand stopped a Hagel-to-Kucherov point-blank try – and where at the time – then I thought that Tampa’s first line, the only one of their regular lines fully in-tact, would have a field day.
By the end of the night, and as you already know?
Then not a single point for any of them.
Despite Maloney sounding like he was on his deathbed all-game; then he was still able to manage to belt out two “RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHHHT’s?” within the first minute – and as he did when he was talking about how Cooper has no problems with employing a line-up of 11F/7D.
As the Rangers were being out-shot 3-0, then Halverson made his first save of the game at the 3:52 mark on Vladislav Gavrikov.
The ex-Ranger wouldn’t make it two straight saves, as just ten-seconds later and this is when Kartye found the back of Tampa’s net:
Tye Kartye opens the scoring! pic.twitter.com/sWzpix5snB
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 15, 2026
1-0, Rangers.
At the five-minute mark, Garand was averaging a save a minute.
After Garand’s fifth save, Cuylle went the other way and hit the iron so damn hard that it even woke up Sam Rosen from his early buffet dinner at “The Sizzler.”
At the time, then this told us that Halverson was extremely shaky – as it felt like he could be beat on any shot – but as it always goes – and the Rangers, despite their total of four goals against him – didn’t really challenge him as much as they should have.
Out of a T.V. timeout and the M$GN/NYR propaganda, unbearable and at an all-time high tonight, continued.
In this instance, Faust mentioned Drew Fortescue’s healthy scratch against Dallas – and how it was a positive thing – as it was “good for his development.”
Not mentioned by Faust?
How the rookie rearguard was screwed out of $80K.
Also not mentioned?
How such a scratch delayed his chances at receiving an offer-sheet – and as fully covered last time around on this site.
Darren Raddysh, brother of Taylor, broke up a Cuylle try at the 8:40 mark.
Two-minutes later and Noah Laba & Adam Sykora almost hooked up after Hagel coughed up a puck.
Down to 9:55 remaining and Garand now had seven saves to his name.
The SOG total remained at Tampa 7, New York 4 as we got down to 5:45 remaining in the period.
Garand’s eighth save, on Raddysh, took place with 5:05 left to go.
A Halverson save on Perreault then ended another lengthy Rangers’ SOG drought with 3:17 remaining.
With not much action for the goalies, then Garand was ready when he was asked to rob Yanni Gourde – the Islander Killer – and as he did with twelve-ticks left.
1-0, Rangers, through twenty-minutes of play.
Here’s what I said at the time:
1-0, #NYR, through 2O. 1P Thoughts:
— Not much going on, but Kartye’s shot was nice and Garand has been strong.
— SOG 8-6, TBL – Rangers with another single-digit period SOG total.
— You’d think Silly Sully’s Squad would shoot more against a shaky third-string goalie.
— I…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) April 15, 2026
SECOND PERIOD
After Mika lost the first draw of this period, the Miller line then came on – and wow – check out this corner board pass for Kartye’s wind-up, no-doubt-about-it, 2-0 goal:
Second of the night for Tye Kartye! pic.twitter.com/Cg0fls8xjn
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 16, 2026
A Flames’ loss against the Kings on Thursday night will allow me to appreciate this 2-0 goal a bit more – but yeah – then at the time, all I could think was:
“With the sixth-overall pick, the Rangers select…”
I was also thinking of a scenario worse than that:
“With the first-overall pick, the Devils select…”
Up 2-0, then at the 2:33 mark and the Rangers had a chance to improve their lead, as Charle-Edouard D’Astous hooked Laba.
Fox hit a post during this power-play (the Blueshirts’ second <DING>), but come the end of the two man-up minutes – and the Rangers’ power-play was now 0/1 – and zero in their last nine too.
But just 16-seconds once returned to even-strength?
A long-range goal for Perreault – and similar to the Perry goal that Garand kicked himself about in his post-game interview – a score that Halverson would most certainly like back:
Just a smart play by #NYR Gabe Perreault to throw this one on net with a flash screen by Kartye pic.twitter.com/L3BN7TwPju
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) April 16, 2026
At the time, and with the assist here, then this meant that Kartye was a goal and a fight shy of scoring the double hat trick – the regular one and the Gordie Howe version.
Neither came to be – but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
At the 8:53 mark, we had some tom-foolery from the officials.
Cuylle, with his leg, tripped Declan Carlile.
The refs didn’t call anything here.
However, the Bolt stayed down on the ice – and while writhing in agony.
With Carlile idle on the ice, the refs called for a break in the action.
The Tampa trainer came to the ice – and about two-minutes later – Carlile popped right back up as if nothing had happened.
During what was both a lengthy review and discussion – and again – after not calling anything at the time – and the stripes decided to box Cuylle for tripping.
While Maloney blew a gasket over the call (and one that he would have wanted for the Rangers had it gone the other way); then not me.
Granted, I didn’t like the whole process of it all – but at the end of the day – and the refs got this right.
I just didn’t know that a player could lay on the ice in order to get the officials to reverse their previous “no call.”
(Ya learn something new every day!)
Anyway, following all of this, then it took Tampa all of 58-seconds to negate their own power-play as Bjorkstrand had hooked Schneider.
Another no-call took place here, as during a potential Lightning breakaway on the foreplay – and Laba’s interference went undetected.
Once returned to even-strength – and we remained at 3-0, Blueshirts, and with 8:58 to go.
But just an unlucky thirteen-seconds later when back to 5 vs 5 action?
Then this is when Chaffee got the puck to Sabourin, Sabourin put the rubber on net, and this all led to Bjorkstrand, after having his initial shot denied, winning a puck battle against the all-alone Garand – and the 3-1 goal too:
BJORKSTRAND GETS ONE BACK FOR THE BOLTS
The Lightning cut the deficit to 2 in the second.
🎧: https://t.co/S6Y9TymMk9
📷: @1025TheBone pic.twitter.com/iXr23Kwz3h— Lightning Audio Network (@BoltsRadio) April 16, 2026
This wasn’t a true jack-in-the-box goal, but the end result was all the same.
Come 7:37 remaining, the scrum and the eyebrow-raisin’ power-play that the Rangers received following it.
(And I always say this after any scrum – either box both teams equally or call nothing at all. No team should ever be punished for defending a teammate.)
Here’s Mika’s 4-1 PPG after the assist from the men in stripes:
🎥 EDGE VIZ (tracking data): Mika Zibanejad scores for the New York Rangers on a wrist shot (07:14 remaining in the the 2nd period).#NYR pic.twitter.com/tpPRY4nnf6
— NY Rangers Game Bot (@NYRGameBot) April 16, 2026
Maloney, in overdrive with the propaganda tonight, celebrated this Zibanejad 4-1 PPG as if it was scored on June 14th, 1994.
I miss Radio Dave.
And I miss Maloney’s regular voice too!
More propaganda was spewed with 2:18 remaining – as the golden nephew-in-law, Conor Sheary, almost scored a goal after putting the puck in-between his legs.
After Halverson’s save, Maloney remarked, “Sully has a bias for Sheary because he played for him in Pittsburgh where they won a Stanley Cup together.”
There was not one word uttered about who Sheary’s wife is.
(And I’m not trying to rail against these announcers. I always say what it is. And hell, I have routinely praised both Maloney and Faust all-season – which is why when I’m talking about their propaganda pushed all-game, then it’s coming from someone who actually enjoys them!)
4-1, away team, through forty-minutes.
Here’s what I said at the time:
4-1, #NYR, through 40 minutes – enjoy that 6th overall pick. 2P Thoughts:
— I thought Kucherov would score two goals tonight – not Tye Kartye
— Surprised Tampa’s first line hasn’t gotten on the board too.
— This broadcast has been complete propaganda – you’d think the Rangers…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) April 16, 2026
THIRD PERIOD
Period 246 of this horrible season began with Zibanejad winning the first puck drop of the frame.
In a textbook case of the almighty “announcer’s jinx;” then as Maloney and Faust were waxing poetically about all of Perry’s Stanley Cup appearances (a win in 2007 with the Ducks – then a loser in the Final during five of the last six years) – and there it was – one hell of a goal for Mr. Berard (I kid, I kid!):
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) April 16, 2026
4-2 – and your final goal of the game too.
Tampa had a chance to strike within one immediately after Perry cut the Rangers’ lead in half, as Chmelar went off for tripping Emil Lilleberg at just the 1:29 mark.
The Blueshirts successfully fended off this Tampa man-up attempt, and with Cuylle sealing the deal with a shot block on the barely-noticeable-on-this-night Kucherov.
After that?
A bevy of turnovers and odd-man rushes for either side – and where both goalies, Garand and Halverson, did their best work of the evening.
To fast-forward through a bunch of these saves; then down to 8:20 remaining and it felt like Tampa could have scored four unanswered goals.
But between <DINGS> and <SNAPS> (from Garand’s glove) – and the 4-2 score remained.
To make things interesting, then, and now down to 3:13 remaining and Kartye took an ill-advised o-zone slashing penalty, and as he did against Raddysh after a faceoff.
Cooper pulled Halverson here – and despite both a 6 x 4 empty-net power-play attack and a Tampa timeout – and Garand was a one-man penalty killing show here.
The only thing left to do once Kartye returned to the ice was to feed him for a potential empty net hat trick goal.
The Rangers, who did such a thing two weeks ago with Perreault, tried again here – but Kartye iced the puck twice, and where on two other occasions – and Tampa was all over him.
For good measure, Garand made save #29 off a deflection shot with 13.5 seconds remaining.
4-2, Blueshirts, your final – and where as a result, then the rallying cry in Rangerstown, USA for the next 24-hours will be, “LET’S GO FLAMES!”
Outside of Garand’s post-game quote featured at the top of this – then there was nothing else to really speak about.
It was just the same old rah-rah shit after a meaningless win.
With the season now finally complete, then moving forward, then I am guessing that the Rangers will have their break-up day on Friday – and where there will be a lot of bullshit spewed there.
This is so minor, but someone really needs to ask Sully what his issue was with Edstrom – while playing future one-and-done guys like Sheary and Raddysh whenever he could.
(And leave it to me, notoriously anti-Swedish, to be defending the honor of a one Mr. Edstrom!)
I’ll give you my thoughts from the break-up day interviews, my Stanley Cup Prediction/Preview and my 2025-26 Rangers Final Report Card over the weekend.
After all, then I do have to be up early for the real j-o-b on Thursday!
That said, one last final segment, as I do want to add something out of the ordinary when concluding our last GAME REVIEW blog of the season – our annual and quick “WHO STAYS AND WHO GOES” – the 2026-27 edition!
Let’s do this alphabetically – and again – the 2025-26 FINAL REPORT CARD will cover everyone listed below with more detail.
WILL BORGEN – He just got a new contract. He’s not going anywhere. Maybe the Rangers will add on defense over the summer which may take away his minutes next season – but he’s staying.
JONNY BRODZINSKI – I’d keep him – but I’m not so sure if Drury will. After all, then Brodzinski isn’t from Boston. In my eyes, JONNY BROADWAY is a perfect 13F/injury insurance policy – and a leader for the BABY BUCK BLUESHIRTS too.
JAROSLAV CHMELAR – No brainer. He’s staying – and he should be part of the bottom-six come Opening Night.
WILL CUYLLE – Another no-brainer. He’s in for next season.
ADAM EDSTROM – Sullivan obviously doesn’t like him. I’d keep him, but if Drury & Co. feel like there are better options out there, then they’ll part ways.
DREW FORTESCUE – Under team control. He’s definitely staying in the organization – but where he may start the season in Hartford.
ADAM FOX – Two months ago and it sounded like Fox was contemplating about a trade – and especially after his Olympic snub.
With the Rangers winning the majority of their games when it didn’t matter – and when also considering this is not only his favorite franchise – but the only team he’s ever known too – then I don’t see him putting in a trade request right now.
After all, then who could Drury get to replace him?
DYLAN GARAND – The Rangers may look for a veteran to back-up CZAR IGOR, even as an insurance policy, but it’s my belief that Garand has earned the chance to be on the Opening Night roster.
And if it doesn’t work out – then you could always call-up whoever that veteran may be from Hartford.
VLADISLAV GAVRIKOV – He may be second-guessing himself for giving the Rangers a team-discount last summer, but after one of the best seasons of his career – and Drury isn’t going to move him – and especially with the assumption that Fox is staying around.
VINCENT IORIO – I don’t even know why the Rangers claimed him. See ya.
TYE KARTYE – Arguably Drury’s best waiver-wire pick-up to date – and he’s also under team control for next season. He’s staying – and should shit go south for the club next year (as I think it will) – then you can always deal him at the deadline, ala Sam Carrick.
NOAH LABA – The best and most consistent rookie the Rangers had all year. He’s staying.
ALEXIS LAFRENIERE – The biggest question mark.
My (beer) gut is that he’s staying, but should either Auston Matthews or Brady Tkachuk become available/try to force their way out of Canada – then I’d trade LafrenDAIGLE for either one of them – and in a heartbeat.
J.T. MILLER – Long-term contract and now a third-liner too. What team would want him for his high-price? The Rangers are stuck with him.
GABE PERREAULT – Duh. Staying.
JONATHAN QUICK – Duh. Gone. See you in Toronto in the Hall of Fame – and hopefully as part of this organization in any role that he desires too.
TAYLOR RADDYSH – It’s maddening that he’s still here now. Gone.
MATT REMPE – As noted many times before – and Sullivan really ruined Rempe this year.
There was no reason to force him back while he was still injured.
I think he stays and gets a shot during camp – but I wouldn’t be shocked either if he begins the season in Hartford. Regardless – and this is the biggest summer of his career.
BRADEN SCHNEIDER – Gone. I like him, but there are better options out there and should this really be a retool rather than a rebuild – then Drury is going to go shopping.
CONOR SHEARY – He’ll probably get a seven-year max deal – but he should’ve been sent packin’ long ago – and even if the return was only a fourth- or fifth-round draft pick.
IGOR SHESTERKIN – He has a NMC. He’s going nowhere.
ADAM SYKORA – Like others, he’s staying – and even if he has to start the season in Hartford.
VINCENT TROCHECK – The second biggest question mark next to Lafreniere.
We already know that Drury wanted to trade him at the deadline – but what happened then still applies now – who is going to pay Drury’s asking price – and furthermore – who do you get to replace him? I hope he stays either way.
URHO VAAKANAINEN – Why Drury even re-signed him last summer remains beyond me.
Furthermore, he’s now jilted – as he blamed the Rangers non-usage of him for not qualifying for the Finnish Olympic team. GONE.
MIKA ZIBANEJAD – You know what I think. I’d trade him for a bag of pucks tomorrow, even if only to get his contract off of the books.
You’ll never win a Stanley Cup with him, but since he has that ungodly NMC deal – then he’s staying.
One prediction? Then despite his alleged “bounce-back” season this year – then I completely expect him to fall off once the stakes get high again.
MANAGEMENT – CHRIS DRURY & MIKE SULLIVAN – Dolan loves the Pizza Man as much as Drury is obsessed with Sully. Both are staying – and at the expense of the future too.
One last thing to put out there when talking about management?
Then, and as a result of their multiple meaningless end of the season victories – then should the Rangers land the sixth-overall pick of the draft – and not the first- or second-overall pick – then will Drury, again, who keeps hammering home the word “RETOOL” – be interested in trading it away for a difference maker?
Put it this way – and again – I know this is purely hypothetical, so you don’t have to tell me:
If Drury could get Matthews or Tkachuk out of Canada – then wouldn’t you trade an unknown sixth-overall pick for either one of them?
I know that I would.
But if it’s the first- or second-overall?
Then I’m not doing it – which means that Drury will!
After all, then for job-security purposes – and he can’t risk three Springs without playoff hockey in the World’s Most Expensive Arena.
Again – a big blog over the weekend with the Stanley Cup Predictions/Preview, Blueshirts’ break-up day, our annual Final Report Card, and a last look ahead.
After that?
Then I’m taking a well-deserved break (maybe I’ll get back to my book projects too – as I just haven’t had the time to really get into them this season) – and then eagerly await (while closing my eyes) the results of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery – which will be held on Cinco De Mayo.
As you may recall going back to even prior to the start of this season (when Chris Kreider was traded over the summer) – then I was hesitant about continuing running this site.
I made it here – but this was tough – as there was no joy.
As I’ve said zillions of times before – then I first opened this site thirteen years-ago in order to share my enthusiasm and love of this franchise – and where both of those feelings are long faded-and-jaded today.
It’s simply no fun to root against the team (for draft pick purposes) for nearly half the season.
It’s also hard to be a fan of this team with a laissez-faire owner and the worst captain in franchise history calling the shots.
Plus – and I never liked Mike Sullivan from day one either.
(Hmm.. how was my original pick, Joel Quenneville, doing these days?)
And oh yeah – the fact that the Blueshirts didn’t retire one number/rectify their rafter wrongs this season was just another example of the franchise-wide ineptitude.
What a disgrace to the legacies of Frank Boucher, Ching Johnson, the Cook Brothers (Bill and Bun), Emile Francis, Lester Patrick, Ching Johnson, Bryan Hextall and Ron Greschner.
To a lesser extent, then the Rangers could’ve hung banners for Sam Rosen and Brad Park too.
At least M$G has banners for Phish and Harry Styles – am I right?
What a fucking disgrace – and just like the team this season.
And what a way to close out our final GAME REVIEW blog of this campaign too!
I’m aiming to unload everything on Saturday – so stay live and stay tuned!
Up next?
One last time this season, and say it with me, “your favorite segment and mine, you know…”:
PLUGS TIME! (Buy a book and support my Rangers’ induced therapy bills. After all, I don’t run ads on this site!)
My fourth title and tenth book is now available!
“The Top 100 Villains of New York Rangers History,” is now available for sale!
For complete information, please visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/rangerkillers/
My second plug of tonight’s blog – the mandatory plug for my book, “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden.”
As mentioned previously, the book is now available in hardcover, in paperback and in Kindle formats. To purchase a copy of the book, visit this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Rangers-Rafters-Madison-Square-Garden-ebook/dp/B09CM5N2WD
For those still looking for signed paperback versions of the book, I have re-ordered more copies. I now have a few signed copies for sale at $25 a pop (includes shipping price) through me directly. Here is all the information on that:
Order “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden” Book Today
My four-volume set of books, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is a game-by-game recount of the Rangers 2021-22 campaign.
My second title as an author, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is now available in eBook, paperback and hardcover formats.
To obtain signed copies, visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/onegamebook/
To purchase all four volumes on Amazon, visit: Amazon.com – “One Game at a Time.”
The greatest volume-set of books on Rangers’ history today!
“Tricks of the Trade – A Century-Long Journey Through Every Trade Made In New York Rangers’ History,” a four-volume set of books that meticulously covers every trade made in franchise history, is now on sale.
All four volumes of the title can be purchased on Amazon.com and are presented in three different formats – eBook, paperback and hardcover.
To purchase Volume I: Conn Smythe (1926) – Craig Patrick (1986), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume II: Phil Esposito (1986) – Neil Smith (2000), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume III: Glen Sather (2000-2015), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume IV: Jeff Gorton (2015) – Chris Drury (2022), visit Amazon.com
To purchase signed copies of all four volumes, visit https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
If you haven’t already, subscribe to this blog for the next update:
Don’t forget to order my four-volume set of books, “Tricks of the Trade!”
If you don’t order through me, all four volumes are now available on Amazon.com
For more details, check out: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
Thanks for reading.
LET’S GO RANGERS!
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
