What a difference a lockout makes: NY’s ascent to prominence
Prior to the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 NHL season, the New York Rangers were a sad organization of sorts.
General manager Glen Sather was fixated on looking for the quick fix through the signings of high-priced free agents Eric Lindros, Valeri Kamensky, Stephane Quintal, Theoren Fleury, Kirk McLean, and a slew of others. The signings never panned out, and year after year the team found itself out of the playoffs.
Once the lockout hit, however, things changed and Sather figured out what needed to be done to right the ship. For the Rangers, that was utilizing home-grown talent along with some veterans to produce a winning hockey team.
The first season after the lockout, the team did just that with the likes of rookies Henrik, Lundqvist, Petr Prucha and other Blueshirt products Fedor Tyutin, Blair Betts and Ryan Hollweg. New York combined that youth with proven veterans Jaromir Jagr, Martin Rucinsky and Kevin Weekes (among others) to finish fifth in the Eastern Conference with 100 points.
While the team failed to advance past the first round in said season, what they had done was establish a new framework for the franchise, which now had young and hard-working players. They carried this formula into the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons – when the team saw that they had not one, but two home-grown players poised to lead the team into the future.
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In the second season after the lockout, 23-year-old Ryan Callahan burst onto the scene and picked up a respectable six points in 14 regular season games. He managed to play well in the playoffs and earned himself a full-time roster spot for the 2007-08 season.
Since then, Callahan has become an integral part of the Rangers’ franchise (Not to mention a TheGP fan favorite). He plays in all situations; he blocks shots, he hits, he produces and he goes above and beyond for the Blue and Red.
“I really admire the way Callahan plays,” Rangers’ prospect Ryan Bourque said in an online chat on the team’s web site. “He is fearless, smart and can be counted on.”
It is because of this nature Callahan could potentially be the next team captain going into 2011-12 and beyond.
The other home-grown talent that has had a big impact on the team and will be a big part of the franchise moving forward is Brandon Dubinsky. In four full seasons with the Blueshirts, “Dubi” has become one of the team’s top offensive threats and is someone who has the potential to be a 30-goal scorer in the very near future.
Like Callahan, Dubinsky is one of the leaders of the franchise. He is fearless, blocks shots, can score and is also very well liked both on and off the ice.
Besides Callahan and Dubinsky, there have been many other youngsters that have helped put the 2011 Rangers on map. Players like Marc Staal, Derek Stepan and entire contingent of promising young forwards and defensemen.
The team also has young-veterans like Marian Gaborik and Brian Boyle anxious to contribute as much as possible offensively. These guys and others, will be integral parts of the 2011-12 version of the Original Six squad.
The above mentioned youngsters, along with saavy NHL veterans like newly-signed Brad Richards and Michael Rupp, should make the New Yorkers a playoff contender for the next several years.
In the end, that is all that matters in the Big Apple.
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