So after tomorrow's two scrimmages and four practices (one for each squad), the Rangers will cut the roster down from its current 54 to about 29 or 30, John Tortorella said after tonight's 3-2 shootout loss to the Devils. Tortorella will probably meet with the media in the 4-5 time frame tomorrow so that's when that news should start becoming available.
Assuming 30 players stay, here's one reporter's best educated guess on who'll still be around after tomorrow:
Forwards: Dane Byers, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Aaron Voros, Sean Avery, Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, Brian Boyle, Paul Crowder, Brodie Dupont, Donald Brashear, Evgeny Grachev, Enver Lisin, P.A. Parenteau, Artem Anisimov, Ales Kotalik, Patrick Rissmiller
Defensemen: Matt Gilroy, Marc Staal, Corey Potter, Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi, Bobby Sanguinetti, Mike Sauer, Nigel Williams
Goalies: Henrik Lundqvist, Steve Valiquette
Thoughts?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AGrossRecord
I don't give Crowder, DuPont, Rissmiller or Sanguinetti much of a shot even though they might survive the first round of cuts.
Posted by: TK | September 16, 2009 at 11:37 PM
I think Parenteau and Rissmiller get cut. Semenov, Owens and Johnson are not cut..yet.
Crowder and Dupont? Why wouldn't they be cut? I think Ambuhl and Heikkenen are more likely to get a longer look. Do you know something we don't?
Posted by: bob | September 16, 2009 at 11:38 PM
Is your thinking that Dupont stays over Owens because of the parity at center? I'm wondering if they go with an odd number of defensemen in order to keep Owens after the cut. Then, if Dubi is traded for a defenseman, we're back to ten for the next round of cuts...
Posted by: CP (Chris) | September 16, 2009 at 11:38 PM
Wasn't Dupont a winger? In any case Prospal is good at center, so besides Drury we have 3 good centers in Prospal, Anisimov and Boyle.
Nigel Williams? Was he really good so far?
Posted by: bob | September 16, 2009 at 11:47 PM
No, Dupont is a center. Realistically, I'm not sure who can offer more on the 3rd and 4th lines between Anisimov, Boyle, and Dupont. I would like to say Anisimov and Boyle, but I just don't know since Dupont is a more offensively-gifted Byers. Great shot, too.
I have a feeling Andrew put Nigel down because he is a big, offensive defenseman, and if Heikkinen doesn't make the cut, Nigel probably will. Andrew feel free to weigh in and correct me if that's not the reason for listing Dupont and Nigel.
Posted by: CP (Chris) | September 17, 2009 at 12:18 AM
If he is more offensively gifted than Byers, he did not prove in in AHL.
Posted by: bob | September 17, 2009 at 12:29 AM
Yeah, that's just my opinion of Dupont from watching him. Byers is gifted, too, though. I'm not taking anything away from Byers as I would rather see him get a chance this season over Dupont. I think if Dupont lost ten pounds, he could be a very effective player. He's bigger than Byers.
Posted by: CP (Chris) | September 17, 2009 at 12:49 AM
Dupont hasn't played center since turning pro. He's played left wing exclusively in both of his seasons in Hartford.
Posted by: laurie | September 17, 2009 at 01:11 AM
Who centered him in Hartford? I haven't watched him seen clips of him since around the time he was drafted, but always thought highly of him. Regardless, I wouldn't be suprised if Torts looks at him as a center.
Posted by: CP (Chris) | September 17, 2009 at 01:58 AM
I'm guessing Heikkinen and Semenov over Sanguinetti and Williams. Maybe a third goalie, Johnson, instead of Crowder.
Posted by: Spiderpig | September 17, 2009 at 02:18 AM