Despite a turbulent season, the New York Rangers remain the NHL leader in one major category.
It was revealed by Fanatics, the company that operates the league's e-commerce, that the Rangers top the league in merchandise sales, via ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
It may be an odd time to purchase Rangers merchandise as the team hinted at some upcoming trades and adjustment of personnel in a statement Thursday. New York currently sits in last place in the Metropolitan Division.
New York Rangers president Glen Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton appeared to warn the team's fans of an approaching rebuild in a statement released Thursday.
The statement notes that the Rangers began reshaping their roster during the offseason and the club will now focus on acquiring young, competitive, and skilled players with character and speed. They also alerted fans that, in the process, familiar names could be traded as the team looks to build a future Stanley Cup contender.
Earlier Thursday, the team placed defenseman Brendan Smith on waivers. New York signed him to a four-year, $17.4-million contract just last summer.
Here's the full statement from Sather and Gorton:
As a member of the Blueshirt Faithful, we consider you a part of the New York Rangers family, and always want to ensure we share important news about the organization directly with you. Today, we want to talk to you about the future.
As you know, since the 2005-06 season, we have been a highly competitive team. We have played 129 playoff games, won the Presidents’ Trophy, reached the Conference Finals three times, as well as the Stanley Cup Final. While we’re proud of all those accomplishments - we didn’t reach our ultimate goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to New York.
So as we do every season, we have been continuously evaluating our team, looking for areas that can be improved to enhance our chances of winning. We began the process of reshaping our team this past summer, when we traded for assets that we believe will help us in the years to come. As we approach the trade deadline later this month and into the summer, we will be focused on adding young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character. This may mean we lose some familiar faces, guys we all care about and respect. While this is part of the game, it’s never easy. Our promise to you is that our plans will be guided by our singular commitment: ensuring we are building the foundation for our next Stanley Cup contender.
There are no fans like Rangers fans. You are passionate, loyal and true. You fill The Garden every night, and we always know there will be a strong showing from RangersTown in every building across the League. We do not take your support for granted. We appreciate that you have always stood by us, and we ask you to remain by our side as we undertake this exciting new chapter filled with promise and change.
We will keep you informed as this process takes shape. Thank you for the incredible loyalty, pride and respect you show to the New York Rangers, each and every day.
The veteran was acquired by the Rangers in February of last year via a trade with the Detroit Red Wings, for second- and third-round draft picks. A pending free agent at the time, he then elected to sign a long-term deal with New York.
Smith recorded one goal and eight points in 44 games this season.
The 2017-18 season has not been easy for Erik Karlsson.
The Ottawa Senators captain has been bombarded with questions surrounding his pending free agency and the controversial remarks from owner Eugene Melnyk ahead of the team's outdoor game. This, all wrapped around the team's disastrous play on the ice.
It's been a lot to handle and no one understands what he must be going through more than former teammate Kyle Turris.
"He's one of the best players in the world and it's been a frustrating year for him," Turris said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "He's a great leader. To have the team going through what they're going through I think is tough and frustrating, and it’s a tough situation for him with all of the rumors going around about him.
"So, yeah, it’s just altogether a tough situation but he handles things well."
On Thursday, Turris returns to Ottawa for his first game since joining the Nashville Predators in a three-way trade that saw Matt Duchene sent to the Senators.
For the 28-year-old, he's excited to be back around good friends such as Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Mark Borowiecki, but by game time, he knows it will be back to business.
"Yeah, I’m buddies with them," said Turris. "I'm sure I'll be talking to [Karlsson] and [Mark Stone] and [Mark Borowiecki] and some of the guys. When you get on the ice it's a game and it's competitive and it'll be fun at the same time."
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe will be out three-to-four weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a thumb injury, the team announced on Thursday.
McCabe suffered the injury after blocking a shot in the first period of Tuesday's game against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 24-year-old is in the midst of his third full season in the NHL, tallying three goals and 12 points in 53 games.
The NHL's leading scorer is in the midst of his worst stretch of the season.
While Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov still paces the league with 66 points and is tied for fourth in goals with 27, the 24-year-old has fallen on hard times, having now gone 11 games without a goal.
Despite the unfamiliar streak for the scorer, Kucherov has tried to remain optimistic while jokingly contemplating a new strategy to climb out of the hole.
"You think, 'I just had a Grade A chance and I couldn't bury it, and this guy scores from behind (the net),' Kucherov said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "I just might as well shoot it from my goal and it might go in."
The drought hasn't come from a lack of trying. Kucherov has fired 30 shots on goal during the 11 games, including six in the club's 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
"This is not fun, definitely," Kucherov said. "I wish I would score. I think I'm in that kind of period where whatever I do doesn't work."
Surprisingly, Kucherov admits there were times earlier in the year where he thought he was playing poorly, but still found a way to score.
In the meantime, it's important to remember that Kucherov began the season with 12 goals in 11 games, so at anytime he could breakout, and when that happens, look out.
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. – For a while this season, the race for the Calder Trophy was somewhere beyond a toss-up, even bordering on a free-for-all.
Before even considering top rookie defensemen like Charlie McAvoy and Mikhail Sergachev, the scoring leaderboard among NHL newcomers shifted on just about a daily basis. In October, Clayton Keller’s 15 points led four rookies in double figures. The next month, Mathew Barzal posted 17 points, leading six scorers with 10 points or more. In December, there were seven rookies with double-digit points, led by Danton Heinen (14).
In January, though, Barzal set himself apart - not only with his second five-point game of the season, but by collecting another 10 points, nearly doubling the total of any other rookie in the month. New York Islanders teammate Ryan Pulock and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Yanni Gourde had eight points apiece, barely preventing Barzal from lapping the field.
"He's a terrific player," said Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen after facing Barzal on Monday night. "He's fun to play against. He's not like any other - there's probably only a couple of other players in the league that have his skating ability and are that dynamic. For me, it was a big challenge playing against him. You want to get down in the defensive zone, and play in the offensive zone, for us, as much as you can, and try to exploit some of his young mistakes. But as a guy with the puck, he's really dangerous. He's going to be a great player in this league once he really sharpens up his two-way game. They've got a special one here."
Drafted by the Islanders with the 2015 first-round pick they got from the Edmonton Oilers in the Griffin Reinhart trade, Barzal has thus far avoided the kind of struggles that are so common for players in their first NHL season.
"I think he's in excellent shape," Islanders coach Doug Weight said. "I think we have a lot of things here that allow you to take care of yourself and eat right, and I think he focuses on that stuff. I don't think he's out carousing or eating the wrong foods too often. He definitely takes advantage of his time off to get some rest. I think that helps, and I think it's also a level of confidence, a level of play. He's a demanding kid on himself, and I think he's found a way to keep that groove."
The woes that often befall rookies have a lot to do with playing more hockey than they have ever played in their lives, at a higher level than they've ever previously seen. The dips can be physical, mental, or a combination of the two.
There is another element, though, that is out of a rookie's control, and that is what happens as opponents try to figure out how to stop someone from making his presence felt. There is a moment when a rookie is no longer seen as just some kid, but a force to be reckoned with, and as the league adjusts, it presents a new challenge.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
"We've seen more and more teams lately start to take runs at him, especially on zone entries, double teaming him a bit," Islanders winger Andrew Ladd said of Barzal. The veteran has spent most of the season on the 20-year-old center's line, along with Jordan Eberle.
"But if that's the case, his next progression is, when he has two guys on him, finding the open guy. That just helps his linemates out more, which he's figured out, too. The dynamics of his game, how well he skates, how well he sees the ice, and his passing ability, it's tough to contain someone like that. If you do contain him, it takes more than one guy to do it, and he's gonna open someone else up."
Finding that open man can be difficult in traffic, an issue that familiarity between linemates can alleviate. Practice helps, and when he watches video, Barzal keeps a close eye on his wingers so he can better understand what they like to do.
That work has only become more important as Barzal faces greater scrutiny from opponents thanks to his success over the first half of his rookie campaign.
"The last 20-30 games, guys are a little more in my face, and that kind of stuff, but I love it," Barzal said. "I'm a competitor and I'm playing out there. So, I've noticed it, but it's all right. It's actually great, because in the (WHL), I used to get doubled or shadowed ... so it's helped me make the transition to playing in tighter games, playing with guys draped on me. I'm always playing with two great players in this league - doesn't matter what line I'm on, everyone is good - so, I'm just trying to find open guys."
He has done that plenty. Barzal is 12th in the league in assists, and is on his way from being one of the NHL's top rookies to one of the game's top players.
