Younger than yesterday....
So, there I was, returning from an appointment in Manhattan on Metro-North this afternoon, sipping iced coffee, watching the Hudson flow and listening to pianist Paul Hanmer's "Trains to Taung" and Andile Yenana's "We Used to Dance"---which I picked up on a short trip to South Africa this summer.
Had a thought, pulled out a pen and decided to crunch some numbers.
We know the Rangers roster won't change all that much from the team that skated against the Sabres in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But compared to last season's opening-night roster against the Capitals, almost half the roster will have changed---for the better, we're assuming.
And the numbers show that the changes alone significantly bring down the team's overall age.
By how much?
You may be surprised.
Here's last year's Opening Night lines and roster against the Caps:
Straka-Nylander-Jagr
Prucha-Cullen-Shanny
Dawes-Betts-Hall
Hossa-Hollweg-JWard
Tyutin-AWard
Malik-Rozsival
Racunek-Pock
Lundqvist
Weekes
Kasparaitis, Orr---Scratches
Also, there were:
Ozolinsh---Rehab program
Ortmeyer---IR
Now, taking some liberties with the lines and D pairings, here's how this season's Opening Night roster is shaping up:
Hossa-Gomez-Jagr
Avery-Drury-Shanahan
Prucha-Callahan-Straka
Hollweg-Betts-Orr
Tyutin-Girardi
Malik-Rozsival
Mara-Hutchinson
Lundqvist
Valiquette
Dawes/forward TBA, Strudwick---Scratches
OK, players gone from last October's opener: Nylander (34), Kasparaitis, presumably (34), Ozolinsh (34), AWard (33), Weekes (31), Cullen (a month from 30), Ward (27), Rachunek (27), Hall (26)
In: Strudwick (32), Drury (31), Valiquette (30) Mara (29), Gomez (27), Avery (27), Hutchinson (27), Girardi (23), Callahan (22).
Swapping just those guys (OK, Ozolinsh wouldn't play for two weeks, but then was in 21 games before being waived) the total age for those nine players has dropped 24 years from 272 to 248, or an average of almost three full years.
Now, if Pock (25) or Dawes (22) makes the cut again, they're a wash.
However, if Staal, 20, or perhaps Dubinsky, 21, makes the team, the average age falls even more.
But there you have it, a rough sketch, an exercise on the rails.
About half the roster is an average of almost THREE years younger.
I set the numbers aside; got up as the train slowed down, nearing my station.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I ventured over to the Tarrytown Music Hall, a lovely restored venue, to hear the former leader of the Byrds, Roger McGuinn, play a solo set that included Dylan's classic "My Back Pages", with the familiar chorus, "But I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."
Seems somehow appropriate for the Rangers.
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Comments (34)
Good observation....but why do we constantly have to be reminded of your playlist??
Nice work Steve!
I hope Staal makes the team this year.His brother Jordan is already playing(well)in the NHL and he's a year younger.Waive Kasper if need be,I'd much rather have a talented young player anyway.
What are the odds that the Rangers can trade some defensemen to free up some space on the Roster for Staal or Sauer?
Bottom line guys, we got depth/experience/youth/skill/grit/goaltending and our best chance to Win the Cup since 1994, nuff said for now, cant wait till the puck drops in 2 weeks!
I'm sorry but if Dawes makes the team he better not sit in the pressbox. If he makes the team, they better play him, play him on a line where he can actually contribute. If he is a healthy scratch, they are better off just sending him down to Hartford and let him play their.
What I like the most is that we got a number of important players in all "age groups".
I was a bit worried for a while there when we had Straka, Rucinsky, Nyls, Jagr, Rucchin/Shanahan, Malik and Ward as our vets; a group that you could expect to only have in avg 2-3 years left in them -- and practically no player who where in the mid to late 20's.
That would have ment a big transitionperiod again in 3 years. Now we got Avery and Gomez at 27 y/o who will enter their prime in 3 years, Drury will still be here.
Steve,
After this year isn't Rozy, Malik contracts up with Kasper's? I know Rosival will want a big raise. Malik can be replaced with Staal and Kasper can be replaced with a young d-men also.
We have 3 young D men on their way who are going to be very solid NHLers for years.
Marc Staal, Michael Sauer and Bobby Sanguinetti.
Add them to Tyutin, Girardi and Pock and we could have a formidable defense for many years.
Can you imagine the cap room once the Roszival, Mara, Malik and Kaspar contracts are done after this year?
Depending on $ I would see if we can keep Rosival around.
WE NEED TO GET RID OF AVERY
I really like Roszival, but considering that Roman Hamrlik of all people got a contract over 5 million a year from the hapless Canadiens, I'd say Rosi will be looking for similar cash.
Considering what we got coming, unless Rosi is willing to sign for like 3-4 million a year, I'd say we just let him go.
It would be a shame to lose Rosi,I really like him on the PP,but if he's going to ask for 5 mil per then I agree that he should be let go.
Who would quarterback the power play though?
Jim,
Why get rid of Avery?If anything I would have thought that the Rangers need more guys like him.
If Sanguinetti pans out, he is going to be powerplay quarterback deluxe.
True, but remember, the rest of the team all went up 1 year in age.
Sarcasm aside, Zipay's point about the age being lower compared to last year is a signifigant one.
Who would have though that the New York Rangers, a team that annually has always been one of the oldest teams in the league, actually lowered it's average age and made itself better over a summer?
And with he guys comin, we are only going to keep getting younger.
Notice how Islander apologists rationalize the Summer's exodus of Blake, Poti, Kozlov, Zednick & Asham as "Snow & Nolan didn't want them back". Apparantly they wanted them at some point as they were deemed as revered Nolan Type Players (as were Ryan Smyth who they did want back, Sean Hill who was suspended for drug no-nos & Alexei Yashin who was probably never a N-T-P). What happened, how did they fall from favor & lose their N-T-P pedigree? Replies of "they didn't want to play at the NVMC" is just the tip of the iceberg. Saw 1 Islander blog pointing out the additions of Gomez & Drury could create a "chemistry" problem for NYR, but not a word on the Islanders signing 12 new N-T-Ps in training, with 6 to start. If you want hockey debate here, its welcomed, but how about reality, & at this point there's nothing new to add about Ranger shortcomings in the past, as we lived them.
I 100% agree that the Rangers have alot of good young talent waiting to come up.I hope that Montoya gets a chance at back-up and not automatically sent to Hartford for more playing time.I understand not wanting him to waste away on the bench,but he's only a year or so younger than Hank.How many years does he have to spend in the AHL before being given a chance to prove that he even belongs in the NHL.I say make him the #2 guy now,he's learned all he can from the minors.
Zeke,
the problem with Montoya is that if he is up with the big club, his salary cap hit will be 1.8 million.
On the other hand, Valiquette only has a cap hit of 650K.
Montoya will be in Hartford another year.
Realty check - I really hope that Rozy is still here next yr. the d you listed is way too young overall and in the case of Sanguinetti it's my opinion that he will be a major problem defensively.
I agree with you on Montoya - the cap hit for his salary is way too high this year.
"Notice how Islander apologists rationalize the Summer's exodus of Blake, Poti, Kozlov, Zednick & Asham as "Snow & Nolan didn't want them back". Apparantly they wanted them at some point as they were deemed as revered Nolan Type Players" -Broadway Blue
Just curious. If Asham and Zednik weren't even offered a dime by Snow to resign, how does that convey we wanted them back?
If Blake, Kozlov, and Poti were all offered minimal salary increases... how is that conveying much interest? (In the case of Poti... certainly a mistake not to up the ante to resign... but Snow didn't make much effort beyond one low offer.)
BB, you might want to stick to topics you know, before talking. You can slam on us about losing Smith, and a host of other things... but your post was just nonsense. Might want to stick to posting on your own team.
LI Joe,
would you be willing to match what the Canadiens gave Hamrlik, (4 years 22.5 million) to keep Roszival?
I didn't realize that the cap hit would be so high for Montoya.
Oh well.
I'm still holding out hope that Staal makes the team this year.I know theres a glut of d-men,but he's an exciting young player and I'd like to see him out there on the ice.
I wonder why Montreal would be willing to over spend on Hamrlik and then let Souray just walk away.
I don't have any idea why they gave so much money to Hamrlik, by far, of all the contracts given out this summer, it was the most ridiculous.
The offer sheet Edmonton put out on Dustin Penner was pretty bad too.Not Yashin-type bad,but still way too much money for that kind of player.
True, but you have to overpay to be able to obtain a RFA.
You can't sign a RFA to an offer sheet, give him reasonable dollars, and expect the team to not match.
At least Penner could have an excellent career ahead of him. He's huge, got good hands and is still young.
Roman Hamrlik is 34 years old, he's never really been anything special, ask any Islanders fan, do the Habs expect him to get BETTER as he gets into his late 30's?
Jim- you're missing the point entirely. While you are not guilty of it, other Islander bloggers have adopted this "Nolan-Type-Player" category, that only Islanders can be a part of. It's really utter nonsense. Rangers fans welcome debate, but such needs to be give-and-take, not the intransient positions & arguments offered by many Islander bloggers such as Carsar & Rag Connection. I'd enjoy discussing why many people feel the Isles will have a tough time making then playoffs the year. Any takers?
Why do I think the Islanders won't make the playoffs this year?
simple
The following Eastern teams are better than them:
Penguins
Senators
Rangers
Flyers
Devils
Sabres
Maple Leafs
Lightning
Hurricanes
Thrashers
Capitals
Panthers
The Isles will fight with the Bruins and Habs for the worst team in the conference.
In response to Islander bloggers (& others)ripping the Scott Gomez signing: in the last 3 years, only 9 players have accumulated more assists than Gomez. And who will he be centering this year? What's the feeling he'll register more assists than any Islander? Also, Gomez is the guy who'll be carrying the puck into the offense zone. The market, namely the Briere signing (& the Timonen & Hartnall signings prior to that) set the market. If a team wanted Gomez (& several did) they knew the $ it would take. Just like when Dany Heatley becomes a free agent next year, the bidding will probably start in the $7 million range.
Any Isles fan who wouldn't want a player who by 27 years old already had 3 seasons of over 50 assists and been a major cog in two Stanley Cup winners is just lying to themselves.
That's ok, we are ecstatic to have Scott Gomez, you guys didn't get him, I am thrilled about that.
But of course, Isles fans, you guys will "just get Heatley next year".
Yes, because UFA superstars have always wanted to sign to play in the Coliseum.
Of course Heatley will want to sign with the Islanders when he has 29 other teams to choose from!!
Broadway,
Haven't seen Nolan-type player used by anyone but Rangers fans in the last week or two. Even so, what does it all matter? Us Isle Fans used it to mean gritty. So what? Its an old topic. As for Gomez, thats another old topic... if some people don't like the signing who cares? You guys are happy with it and your team is better for it. So, doesn't matter.
Season starts in under two weeks. A lot of better topics to discuss.
I Don't Want To see teams like the flyers and caps run us out of the garden(shanny v brashear). Steve you forgot to dress FRITZ what about FRITZ.