Epic Fail

Yes, I have epically failed in keeping this updated.

Unfortunately, the Rangers' season came to a close with a 5 game series loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins - who, of course, went on to lose to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Congrats to Detroit, they deserve it (I feel it would've been a failure of a season had they NOT won the Cup...).

Last week was the NHL Awards Show. Henrik Lundqvist, for the 3rd year in a row, did not win the Vezina Trophy. I feel this year should have been his year. Brodeur certainly should not have won it. I respect the man greatly, and I think he's revolutionized the position of goaltender...but if not Lundqvist, then certainly Nabakov. He had a great season for a very solid Sharks team. He almost equaled the record for wins in a season (held by Brodeur). Lundqvist certainly had the credentials this time around - the numbers were great, and he led the league in shutouts, and it was his 3rd straight season with 30+ wins. Also, he played on a team with a vastly under-performing offense and a no-name, inexperienced defense. Remember the beginning of the season, where Lundqvist was considered a favorite for the MVP right out of the gate? Yes, he struggled in the middle - his father was facing serious, life-threatening medical conditions in Sweden - but Lundqvist played through it. He turned it on down the stretch, yet again, to propel the Rangers into the playoffs for the 3rd straight year. He also beat Brodeur all but once in the regular season. 7 out of 8 game, I believe. He outperformed him each time out. But I doubt voters even took him seriously. Really, what is it going to take for Lundqvist to be taken seriously?

Anyway - tonight is the Entry Draft, and the Rangers have the 20th pick. It's a pretty deep draft this year, though I understand that there are fewer "Crosbys" or "Ovechkins" - just a lot of very talented players. That's the best kind of draft, in my opinion. We should get a lot of respectable NHLers out of this one. Even with the 20th pick, the Rangers have a chance to bolster their farm system immediately - combine that with their abundant youth and talent already, and the Rangers should be set for seasons to come.

Looking to the future, Free Agency is just around the window. The Blueshirts have many issues to address. They need to either re-sign or replace Jaromir Jagr, Sean Avery, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka, and Michal Roszival, plus bolster their offensive depth and defensive depth. That's a lot to have to do when you're working under the salary cap. I think they need to bring back Jagr - at a discount hopefully - as well as Avery. He's a catalyst, and as much as people hate him, he plays hard. Shanahan may not have much left, and the same goes for Straka - either one year deals or let them go. Roszival is a big one - I want him back, and I think he should be back. He's a gifted player, and still pretty young. It'll be tough to add him and another top-tier guy (Liles from Colorado or Campbell from San Jose), but they could add a lesser guy (Streit from Montreal) to help shore up an inexperienced blueline. As far as other free agents go, Hossa is a possibility, but one I highly doubt. Malone is more likely, but I don't see him coming into Rangers' Blue anytime soon. Honestly, I think the Rangers are best off resigning their key guys, shoring up the defense, and grooming some younger AHLers. They showed they have a talented team - they just need to add a few pieces. As a good friend of mine told me, this wasn't their year, and next year may not be either - but they're going to be a very, very dangerous team in a few seasons. The depth of their youthful talent is awesome.

Otherwise, there hasn't been much going on in the Rangers' world recently. Avery is interning at Vogue Magazine, for those who care to know. Until next time, which hopefully won't be quite as long, I leave you to ponder Lundqvist's qualifications as a Vezina winner, the Rangers' farm system, and Avery's fashion sense.

(Note: I'll be attempting to keep these a bit more informal, like this one - it makes them easier to write. But I'll have several very formal posts as well)