Ranger Rants

Letterman Top 10 preview

A preview of tonight's David Letterman Top 10, featuring Chris Drury, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Donald Brashear, Brandon Dubinsky, Dan Girardi, Sean Avery, Christopher Higgins, Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik can be viewed here.

The subject is Top 10 things never spoken before by a hockey player. Just wondering how Dubinsky's No. 7 - "I really wish these fans would watch their language" - would fly with coach John Tortorella, who doesn't exactly always use the cleanest language. Kidding, of course.
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Semenov pleased it worked out

Alexei Semenov signed a one-year deal worth $600,000, deciding he would take what the Rangers considered their best offer rather than try to make more elsewhere.

"We were talking for a couple of days, just talking about what was better for us, what was better for them," Semenov said by phone tonight. "It's a good thing that we agreed on the contract. We had a couple of more opportunities to go to but I felt like this is one of the best teams out there. I feel that Glen Sather and the head coach (John Tortorella) and the rest of management are just perfect."

The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Semenov comes as advertised - a big body who has not displayed much offensive flair in his career and is not the fastest-skating defensemen. Those last two non-attributes might make it seem like he's a bad fit for Tortorella's high-octane brand of hockey but there's also value in a veteran who can spell rookies Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto can keep veterans Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival motivated with the threat that there's a veteran who could come off the bench to supplant them for a game or stretch of games.
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Semenov signs

The Rangers have agreed to terms with veteran defenseman Alexei Semenov, 28, who came to training camp on a tryout basis. No definitive numbers on the salary yet but expect it to be a one-year deal for slightly over the NHL minimum of $500,000.

As has been written in this space before, it should be a decent signing for the Rangers. Semenov is not a guy that will be counted on to play in every game - Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto along with returnees Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival are clearly the top six. But Semenov will be able to step in when needed and play 15 minutes. He's a big body who, while not fast (hey, neither are Redden or Rozsival) can clog up the middle. Plus, he does have a heavy shot when he takes it.

Semenov played in 69 games over the past two seasons with the Sharks, with two goals, 10 assists and 93 penalty minutes. Overall, he has seven goals and 26 assists in 211 career games, dating to 2002-03 with the Oilers. Remember, Rangers GM Glen Sather, then the Edmonton boss, picked Semenov with the 36th pick of the 1999 draft.

I'll pass along contract details when I can...
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Nothing definitive

On Sean Avery's status for Friday, that is. Neither John Tortorella (annoyed at the question) or Avery (he's taking it day by day) had any insight into whether he'd recover in time for the Rangers' season opener at Pittsburgh.

The Grate One skated in an orange non-contact jersey today and while he said he didn't push his sprained right knee too hard, he looked fairly mobile while skating on his own, taking some tight turns as he shot one-on-one against Henrik Lundqvist.

"It felt good," Avery said. "It's been about a week since I got on the ice (Sept. 21) so that's a good feeling for sure. We'll take tomorrow and see how it goes."
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Avery on the ice

Morning practice has begun here at the MSG Training Center and Sean Avery (sprained right knee) has joined his teammates on ice for the first time since colliding with Ryan Callahan on Sept. 21 during the morning skate. Avery is wearing an orange, non-contact jersey.

Still would have to think Avery's doubtful for Friday's opener at Pittsburgh. At the very least, the Rangers can't make any real statements on Avery's health/status until tomorrow because they need to see how his knee reacts to today's skate.

More soon...
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Morning reading

The Record began rolling out its NHL/Rangers/Devils preview stories in this morning's editions.

First, here's a league overview by Tom Gulitti and myself. Next is five keys to the Rangers' season. Also, here's this morning's story on Dan Girardi's mature reaction to John Tortorella's Sunday criticism.

In tomorrow's paper, Tom and I will break down the Rangers and Devils position-by-position. Friday, we'll have our teams' season previews.

Also, just a reminder. You can find all of this on The Record's dedicated hockey page at http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/hockey/. Or, if you want to filter out the Devils, just bookmark our dedicated Rangers' page at http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/hockey/rangers/. There, you can find a link to this blog as well as all our daily Rangers' coverage.

Speaking of which, am headed over to this morning's 11 a.m. practice. Crucial will be whether Sean Avery skates (doubtful). If he doesn't, I can't imagine him playing either Friday at Pittsburgh or Saturday at the Garden against the Senators. And if he doesn't play in those two games, I think he'll also miss Monday's game at The Rock against the Devils, given there's only one practice day in between and, quite possibly, Tortorella will make that Sunday an off day.

We'll explore this further down the line but the logical assumption is once Avery returns, center Brian Boyle can be sent to Hartford (AHL), no waivers, and Vinny Prospal can move from left wing to center.
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Following up

So here's the list of Rangers who will appear on tomorrow night's David Letterman show reading the top 10: Sean Avery, Donald Brashear, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Marian Gaborik, Dan Girardi, Christopher Higgins, Henrik Lundqvist and Marc Staal.

If you compare that to my list in the previous post, you'll see my educated guess was 90 percent right - I had Matt Gilroy in for Dan Girardi. Truth be told, I'm guilty of overthinking because I had Girardi in my original list but I substituted in Gilroy, thinking he's a local (from Long Island).

Also, I asked Michael Del Zotto whether he felt he was still with the Rangers on an extended tryout basis, having cleared the first hurdle of training camp but now having another nine games to prove he can play at this level before the Rangers must decide whether to keep him all season or return him to his junior club in London (OHL). More importantly, I asked him if he'd been told anything of that nature by any of the Rangers' brass.

"They still have not said one word to me," Del Zotto said. "I'm assuming it will stay like that, day by day."
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Of note

Walked over to Alexei Semenov's locker today and the big Russian just shrugged his shoulders and said he had nothing to tell me. GM Glen Sather said the same thing when I asked him during practice whether there was anything to report in signing Semenov to a contract. He's still here on a tryout, though coach John Tortorella said he was including him in the 22 on the roster. Sather did say Semenov could start the season on a tryout contract.

Most likely, the Rangers are waiting to see what names pop up on the waiver wire. For instance, Vancouover waived veteran Brad Lukowich, who played for Tortorella with the Lightning. But Lukowich is due $1.6 million this season, way too much for the Rangers. That same goes for defenseman Randy Jones ($2.8 million), who was waived by the Flyers.
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Grachev to Hartford

Word coming in that the Rangers are reducing their roster to 22 by sending 19-year-old wing Evgeny Grachev, who had a goal in this afternoon's 4-3 loss to the Capitals and, one day, no doubt will be a top six forward in the NHL, to Hartford (AHL).

Talent aside, the move makes sense from a business standpoint since Grachev would have earned a reported $875,000, or nearly as much as Aaron Voros ($1 million) if he stayed with the Rangers. Plus, Grachev doesn't have to pass through waivers so he can come back to the Rangers much more easily than Voros. Brian Boyle doens't have to pass through waivers either but the Rangers need center depth for now since it looks like Vinny Prospal will play left wing, at least in Sean Avery's absence. Artem Anisimov was staying, And I don't think there's any doubt Grachev will wear a Ranger uniform again at some point this season. As for Anisimov, Tortorella is going to find a way to get him ice time. He's just got too much raw talent right now that can help the Rangers immediately.

Grachev has a tremendous amount of raw talent as well and had a goal and two assists in five preseason games. He's a very fluid skater for a bigger guy and he's got a potent, quick shot as he showed today on his goal. But he's still immature physically and probably could take his conditioning up a notch for Tortorella's liking.

The move leaves the Rangers with 13 forwards: Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Brandon Dubinsky, Marian Gaborik, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin, Vinny Prospal, Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery (out for now with a sprained right knee), Donald Brashear, Brian Boyle and Aaron Voros.

It also means, we presume, that 19-year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto starts the season with the Rangers. As noted, the Rangers have nine games in which he plays to decide whether to keep him for the whole season or return him to the OHL. Del Zotto cannot be assigned to Hartford until after his junior season ends.
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Caps 4, Rangers 3: Wrapup

I've made a command decision with Ranger Rants and the in-game live blogs. From now on, rather than bury my post-game notes/thoughts/analysis at the bottom of the Live Blog, I'm going to create a new blog entry just for those items (please tell me if that's easier/not easier/no different for you guys).

And, for a preseason game, lots to go over from here at the Verizon Center, where the locals are dying/crying as they watch their Redskins struggle against the Lions, who have lost 19 straight games.

Anyway, click below for what happened post-game here.
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