CHICAGO — Now that the NHL draft is over, the Rangers can focus internally, and that’s starting with a change in the coaching staff. First-year assistant Jeff Beukeboom will no longer hold that job next season, and all signs are pointing to veteran headman Lindy Ruff taking over the defensive responsibilities, if not more. Because […]
Read MoreI don’t believe Alain Vigneault should feel threatened by Lindy Ruff’s anticipated, if not imminent, addition to the coaching staff in place of Jeff Beukeboom, but it also would be silly not to infer Ruff would be next in line when a change at the top ultimately is made. It is always a matter of […]
Read MoreTime and again it happened to the Rangers in the postseason. Their centers were outplayed by their counterparts, resulting in the Blueshirts coming up short of the ultimate prize. Now that pseudo-weakness down the middle has become even more depleted as general manager Jeff Gorton made a fastidious move last weekend in trading away integral […]
Read MoreBrendan Smith remains an impending free agent, but Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton and the 28-year-old defenseman remain engaged in talks that could keep the important deadline acquisition on Broadway. “Jeff and I are continuing to have a good dialogue,” agent Anton Thun told The Post on Monday. “Hopefully we’re working toward a resolution that […]
Read MoreElite talent is the one ingredient that all the cap space in the world won’t buy for the Rangers, whose past practice of trading draft choices in their chase for an elusive Stanley Cup has left the organization all but bereft of high-end, difference-making skill. But the Blueshirts, who probably didn’t go for the highest-ceiling […]
Read MoreWith quite a few open spots on the Rangers’ back end, they didn’t want to let Brendan Smith hit the open market and lose him to the highest bidder. The Blueshirts agreed to terms Wednesday with the rugged 28-year-old defenseman on a four-year, $17.4 million deal, carrying an annual salary-cap hit of $4.35 million. The […]
Read MoreA picture is worth a thousand words, or in Connor McDavid‘s case, more than 12,000 likes on Twitter. After a photo of the NHL MVP sandwiched between two touchy fans went viral last month, McDavid, 20, cleared up how the situation played out. “I was walking into the security line, and I had actually walked […]
Read MoreAn offseason of core-splitting featuring the buyout of Dan Girardi and the trade of Derek Stepan has struck home for the Rangers’ senior and most important player. “You expect changes every year because that’s just part of the business we’re in, but this summer has been a little different because of the magnitude of the […]
Read MoreOne only can imagine the look on Garth Snow’s face when the Islanders general manager heard about the contract extension Oilers’ wunderkind Connor McDavid reportedly has agreed to in principle. That’s because all of the Islanders’ business is being done in the hopes of keeping their star, John Tavares, who is set to become an […]
Read MoreThe Rangers need centers, and they just happened to draft one with the No. 7 overall pick in the NHL draft last week. Whether that need will be immediately filled by the new addition, Lias Andersson, is still to be seen. But Andersson already has begun making a good impression, and he said his sights […]
Read More