Making Sense out of the Stepan/Raanta Trade

Yesterday, the New York Rangers elected to trade both center Derek Stepan and goalie Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. For the Rangers, the move marked the first significant step in an effort to get younger, while the Coyotes have continued their journey in adding game-changing faces to their roster.

Golden Knights select Isles' Berube, Rangers' Lindberg in Expansion Draft

With the Las Vegas Golden Knights franchise set to make their NHL debut this upcoming fall, there had been a ton of speculation leading up to the league’s first expansion draft since 2000. Teams scrambled to protect their essential players, but many expected that the Golden Knights would have access to more than enough talent to fill out a competitive roster. The Islanders and Rangers, in particular, had some tough choices to make. Let’s take a look at how each team fared as a result of the expansion draft.

Rangers continue to add youth, sign LW Jimmy Vesey

The Rangers ended the 2015-2016 season in disappointment as they were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs. For the most part, fans were worried about what the future looked like for New York, as the team hit a stalemate in it's development process. Last year, they had the highest average age of their players in the entire league, sitting at roughly 28 years old. Some fans wanted to strip the entire organization apart, while others wanted to gear up for another Stanley Cup run in the not-so-distant future.

GM Jeff Gorton had big decisions to make for the Rangers this off-season

The Rangers did not commit to either direction, however, as they have managed to keep their core intact while adding young, controllable pieces through free agency and trades. The latest addition goes by the name of Jimmy Vesey, who was a highly sought-after free agent that should immediately provide head coach Alain Vigneault with another weapon to use.

For more on Vesey and the Rangers off-season transactions, keep reading. 

NHL 1st Round Recap: Islanders beat Florida, Rangers heading home early

For the first time since 1993, the Islanders are going to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Last night, New York beat the Florida Panthers by the score of 2-1 in a double-overtime showdown. The game ended in perfect fashion with captain John Tavares scoring the winning-goal in front of thousands of fans at the Barclays Center. 

Tavares after his double-overtime goal last night

Tavares, who also scored the team's game-tying goal with less than 1 minute remaining in the third period, talked to reporters after the game. He said "It's hard to even believe it's over. It was hard fought, give Florida a ton of credit; it was a heck of a series. Every game was tight."

Full-Round Recap: 

Game 1: Islanders W 5-4 @ Panthers

Game 2: Islanders L 1-3 @ Panthers

Game 3: Islanders W 4-3 in O/T vs. Panthers

Game 4: Islanders L 2-1 vs. Panthers

Game 5: Islanders W 2-1 in O/T2 @ Panthers

Game 6: Islanders W 2-1 in O/T2 vs. Panthers

Sunday's game gave a glimpse at the Islanders' resiliency and maturity as a group. The most nerve-wracking play came when the Panthers had possession with the Islanders net empty. Nick Leddy stood in front of the goal area and properly blocked a wrist shot by Aaron Ekblad. He then helped take the puck up the ice, which led to an eventual goal by Tavares. 

Exhaustion was key in this game for both teams. Tavares said he felt his legs cramping up, and if he hadn't scored off Kyle Okposo's rebound, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to continue. Tavares ended the game with 34:49 minutes on the ice. Leddy finished with 39:12, and defenseman Travis Hamonic ended with 39:06. 

Greiss has been very impressive for the Islanders

Also, what a game (and series) from goalie Thomas Greiss. The 30 year old backup had 41 saves in Game 6, and finished with his second-straight double overtime win. "He played great,"  coach Jack Capuano said. "What we were up against with the team that they have, to win series your special teams and your goaltending have to be really good... Thomas made some big saves and kept us in it."

Capuano also acknowledged what this win meant for the organization, and how far this team had to come to get to this point. He said "We went through the rebuilding stage with a young hockey club and went through some tough times, we knew eventually we'd get to this point. I can't be more proud of the group that we have, led by our captain."

The Islanders took a huge stride in their franchise history last night, and they will look to push forward en route to the Stanley Cup. Next up is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who finished in the 2nd seed in the Atlantic Division, and defeated the Red Wings 4-1 in the first series. 

The Islanders-Lightning series has not yet been given a schedule start date, but Tampa Bay will be given home advantage for Games 1 and 2 as they had a higher seed ranking. Keep an eye out for my series preview.

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Hank will have to wait another year to get that first ring

Unlike the Islanders, the Rangers playoff run was cut very short this year after they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games. The entire series was a struggle from the very start for New York, and goalie Henrik Lundqvist did not get enough defensive support to do his part. In fact, Lundqvist came into the game with a career record of 15-4 in his last 19 starts with his team facing elimination. 

The team was outworked, out-skated, and embarrassed by the Penguins in all five games, and the aforementioned Lundqvist allowed 10 goals on the final 41 shots against him. While one could argue that it was not entirely his fault, it does not take away the fact that this was a demoralizing defeat, one that raises big questions about the team's future.

Full-Round Recap:

Game 1: Rangers L 5-2 @ Penguins

Game 2: Rangers W 4-2 @ Penguins

Game 3: Rangers L 3-1 vs. Penguins

Game 4: Rangers L 5-0 vs. Penguins

Game 5: Rangers L 6-3 @ Penguins

The current core had a solid run, winning eight playoff series and making three appearances in the conference finals over the past four years before this season. While they never successfully won a Stanley Cup, it was not for their lack of trying. 

The front office consistently sought after the big fish on the free agent and trade market, sacrificing four first rounders and five seconds along with Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Anthony Duclair, and Aleksi Saarela to acquire proven veterans such as Rick Nash, Marty St. Louis, Keith Yandle, and Eric Staal to give the team an extra boost to put them over the hump. 

These moves now put the Rangers in a tough predicament, as they are now the oldest team in the league, with the average age of 28.23, and the organization is bankrupted by the win-now moves that were previously mentioned. The league is getting younger and faster, so the Rangers are certainly trending downward in that department. 

The Rangers do have some youth talent, such as Brady Skjei and Dylan McIlrath, and they should give both a larger commitment next season. This means they should cut ties with aging veteran Dan Boyle, who now stands at 39 years old, and is an unrestricted free agent once the season comes to a close. 

Yandle may be playing for another team next season as well, although he had an excellent season, posting the most assist by a New York defenseman since Brian Leetch. Yandle will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it is expected that teams will line up to bid for his services. He is likely to get a larger offer than anything that the Rangers can offer, unless they cut ties with Dan Girardi or Marc Staal. 

Could we see Buchnevich in NY next season?

Eric Staal, acquired from the Hurricanes at the trading deadline, will probably not return to the Big Apple. Staal was extremely ineffective down the stretch, and may see himself taking a one year deal over the summer to reestablish his value. It is also expected that Dominic Moore and Viktor Stalberg move on as free agents. One of these roster spots could go to top prospect Pavel Buchnevich, whose KHL contract expires next week. 

The Rangers still have a piece of their core that is in tact. Mats Zuccarello, who is coming off a career season, is still only 28, and same with Derick Brassard. Derek Stepan is 25, Chris Kreider is 24, and J.T. Miller is 23. It is not an elite core, but could compete as the organization tries to replenish the system. 

There are some questions about head coach Alain Vigneault as well. He has been a huge part of the team's success in the recent years, but deserves some share of the blame for this year's failures as well. If he gets another chance next season, expect him to be on a very short leash. 

Recap/Playoff Preview for the Islanders and Rangers

The regular season of the NHL officially came to a close last night, and the Rangers and Islanders finished 4th and 5th in the Eastern Conference, respectively. The Rangers, who finished with 101 points, will square off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, April 13th at 8:00 pm Eastern. The Islanders ended the year with 100 points, and will face the Florida Panthers on Thursday, April 14th at 8:00 pm Eastern. 

Before we dive into the playoff preview, let's take a look at some of the end of the season statistics.

Starting with the Rangers, 

Games Played: J.T. Miller (82), Keith Yandle (82), and Mats Zuccarello (81)

Goals: Derick Brassard (27), Mats Zuccarello (26), Derek Stepan (22), J.T. Miller (22)

Assists: Keith Yandle (42), Mats Zuccarello (35), Derick Brassard (31), Derek Stepan (31)

Points: Mats Zuccarello (61), Derick Brassard (58), Derek Stepan (53)

+/- : Ryan McDonagh (26), Dan Girardi (18), Kevin Klein (16)

Shot Percentage: J.T. Miller (16.3), Mats Zuccarello (15.7), Derick Brassard (14.8)

Goals Allowed Per Game: Antti Raanta (2.24), Henrik Lundqvist (2.48)

Save Percentage: Henrik Lindqvist (.920), Antti Raanta (.919)

Brief Preview:

New York has gone deeper in the playoffs in each of Alain Vigneault's two seasons then they had in any of their previous 10 seasons. They got to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in the 2014 season, and Game 7 of the Conference Final last year. 

J.T. Miller had a breakout season for NYR

In order for the Rangers to win, they need Rick Nash to be effective, as well as mid-season acquisition Eric Staal, J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, and Chris Kreider. Brassard, Stepan, Zuccarello, and Fast have been relatively consistent this season, so it is vital that the team's aforementioned forwards step up their game. 

Right now, it is unclear whether captain Ryan McDonagh will play in the series, as well as defenseman Dan Girardi. In their place, the team will look to Marc Staal, Kevin Klein, Dan Boyle, or Keith Yandle to help pick up the slack. 

Of-course, Lundqvist needs to be at the top of his game, as the Penguins have some talented scorers. 

Speaking of those Penguins, they have had a whirl of a season. After starting the season 15-10-3, they fired coach Mike Johnston, and promoted former Rangers assistant Mike Sullivan to the position. Sullivan turned around the team, making them into one of the hottest in the league.

The headliner for Pittsburgh is still Sidney Crosby, who finished with 36 goals and 85 points after a very slow start. The organization also has star defenseman Kris Letang and speedstar Carl Hagelin, a former Ranger forward. 

Evgeni Malkin, who was one of Pittsburgh's consistent offensive threats, is recovering from an upper body injury that may keep him out for the entire first round. On the topic of injuries, their star goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury, has been sidelined with a concussion. Fleury was replaced by backup Matthew Murray, who went 4-0-0 in his absence. However, Murray was injured in a collision on the ice this past Saturday, putting his status in question. 

Both Fleury and Murray's status for Wednesday are unknown, and if they cannot play it will put the position in the hands of third string goalie Jeff Zatkoff, who has made 35 career NHL starts in 3 seasons, going 16-14-3. 

Now, let's move to the Islanders

Games Played:  *TIED* Frans Nielsen (81), Nick Leddy (81), Brock Nelson (81), Josh Bailey (81), Nikolay Kulemin (81)

Goals: John Tavares (33), Brock Nelson (26), Kyle Okposo (22)

Assists: Kyle Okposo (42), John Tavares (37), Nick Leddy (35)

Points: John Tavares (70), Kyle Okposo (64), Frans Nielsen (52)

+/- : Johnny Boychuk (17), Nikolay Kulemin (13), Thomas Hickey (9)

Shot Percentage (Min. 70 games): Cal Clutterbuck (18.80), Brock Nelson (15.80), John Tavares (13.20)

Goals Allowed Per Game: Jaroslav Halak (2.30), Thomas Greiss (2.36)

Save Percentage: Thomas Greiss (.925), Jaroslav Halak (.919)

Brief Preview:

The Islanders, led by cornerstone piece John Tavares, are trying to end a long post-season drought. The team has clinched a playoff spot in 3 of the last 4 seasons, but have been unable to win a series since 1993. Coach Jack Capuano has won over 200 games since taking the position in November 2010, but his job may be in jeopardy if the organization cannot find a way past the Panthers. 

The Islanders are looking for their first series win since 1993

New York may begin the playoffs without their top defenseman, Travis Hamonic, due to a lower body injury that he sustained on March 31. Calvin de Haan was regarded as the team's most underrated defenseman this year, as he was among the NHL's top blockers. 

Not only if the team missing Hamonic, but they will be without star goalie Jaroslav Halak as he is out with a lower body injury as well. Halak is unlikely to come back unless the Islanders find a way past the first round. Despite this, backup Thomas Greiss has been solid all season long, and was arguably their most valuable player during the first half of the year. 

Postseason hockey always relies on strong goaltending, and this series won't be any different. Greiss, who has only participated in one career NHL playoff game, will need to step up big time if the Islanders have any chance of staying alive. 

The Panthers have been of the most surprising and exciting teams in the NHL this year. Led by Jaromir Jagr, Florida won the second division title in franchise history and is back in the playoffs for the first time in four years. 

Starting goalie Roberto Luongo, a former Islanders draft choice, turned 37 on April 4, but remained a top tiered goalie in the league. Backup goalie Al Montoya rebounded from a mediocre 2014-2015 season, so in the event of a potential Luongo injury, the Panthers are well equipped with a replacement. 

The trio of Jagr, Aleksander Barkov, and Jonathan Huberdeau (the latter two being acquired by the Devils in 2015) has dominated games with their ability to control the puck, combined with creative passing. 

Aaron Ekblad, the team's first pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, paired with Brian Campbell, are regarded as offensive-minded defenseman, and Ekblad's knack for shooting on the power play makes him a valuable commodity. 

Rangers make two moves before the deadline

On February 28th, the New York Rangers acquired center Eric Staal from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a pair of 2nd round picks, and Finnish prospect Aleksi Saarela. Eric, brother of current Rangers player Marc Staal, waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal. 

Staal will be taking his talents to the Big Apple

Staal had spent his entire career, 12 seasons, with the Hurricanes, and is eligible for free agency after the 2015-2016 season. He is in the final season of a seven year, $55.75 million deal he signed with Carolina in 2008. Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced that Carolina retained some of Staal's salary for the current season, so New York has enough financial flexibility to add "a small salary player," in addition to Staal, if they chose to. 

Shortly after the deal was announced, Gorton spoke to reporters and explained the thought process behind acquiring Eric Staal. He said "We felt like he was one of the best, if not the best, player available on the market to give us what we're looking for in our top nine."

Eric (left) and Marc (right) at the NHL Skills Challenge in 2011

Eric will be leaving one Staal brother, Jordan, and joining another, Marc, who has been a defense man on the Rangers since 2007. 

Gorton also spoke of the idea of having Eric and Marc play on the same team together. He said "I think it'll help. He probably knows a lot of players on our team because of Marc. But at the end of the day, it wasn't really that I or anybody here felt like if we bring him here he's going to be more comfortable because of what Marc's doing. It's all about Eric."

Eric Staal has 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games this season, and has been named an All-Star four times in his career. He is the Hurricanes career leader in almost every category, including 909 games played, 332 goals and 775 points. 

As for the prospect that Carolina is receiving, Saarela was the Rangers' third round pick from the 2015 NHL Draft. The 19 year old has played for Assat Pori of the Finnish elite league, leading the team with 18 goals and has a total of 31 points in 46 games.

It's been five seasons since Staal last put up his 30+ goal year, so it's fair to say that he is on the decline of his career at the age of 31. However, the Rangers did very well in this deal because they did not forfeit much to acquire him. Also, as said before, he is a free agent at the end of this current season, and according to reports, the Rangers are not looking to bring him back on a new contract.

In addition to the Staal deal, the team announced a few hours later that it had also acquired forward Chris Brown from the Washington Capitals in exchange for fellow forward Ryan Bourque. 

Ryan will be reunited with his brother, Chris Bourque, on the Bears

Brown, 25, has had a few stints in the NHL since being drafted as a 2nd rounder in 2012-2013. This season, he has stuck with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in 20 games. 

Bourque, 25, has been with the Rangers since 2011, but never truly panned out. He played one game for the NHL squad this season, but has primarily been with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. In that league, he has put up 10 goals and 14 assists in 55 games. 

The Rangers are currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference behind the Washington Capitals. The NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as it is February 29th at 3 pm ET.