The New York Rangers recently acquired forward Adam Cracknell of the Dallas Stars. How well will he fit in with the roster?
There are many positive attributes to associate with Adam Cracknell. While he won’t be the missing puzzle piece or the ultimate forward solution, the New York Rangers will definitely be glad they made this move.
Cracknell can be described most importantly as consistent. There’s nothing the Rangers need more now than players that can start and end games strong.
Another thing the Rangers are missing with their young group of players is veteran leadership. Of course, this has nothing to do with how good a player is. It has to do with age and experience in the league, and that’s something Cracknell brings to the table.
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Having played with the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars, he is well-versed in many different systems with many different teams. But what exactly does that mean for the Rangers?
It means he’ll be able to learn their style of play rather fast. More than that, he is capable of playing more than one forward role. He’s spent time as left wing and at center, a position the Rangers could definitely use some depth in.
Cracknell is a hardworking player who tries to simplify his game in order to get the best results. He could be the reason the Rangers are able to boost their fourth line and finally get some scoring going.
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Furthermore, his biggest strength is when he uses his physicality to his advantage. At 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, Cracknell has size, which yields him the ability to finish his checks. This will be beneficial to the Rangers in an area they need a lot of help in –the dump and chase.
As a bottom six forward, the main thing a team can ask for is consistency, and as mentioned, that is something Cracknell can hold claim to being. He has a knack for seeing opportunities and won’t stop until he’s made the most out of them.
As for his stats, last season, he played in 69 games for the Dallas Stars and registered ten goals and six assists for 16 points. He also only sat in the penalty box for a total of 12 minutes, showing that he knows how to use his strength wisely and not draw penalties.
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Overall, Cracknell is a solid fourth line solution and fits in well with the Rangers. Of course, this assumes he is given a substantial amount of ice time to be able to prove his worth. This was a good move by the team, and it might just help them finally get into the groove of rolling four consistent lines.
A special BLS thank you to Carolyn Wilke for providing useful information on Cracknell.