New York Rangers: Five most frustrating players of the Lundqvist era
All teams need a punching bag every once in a while. Fans can agree that these five players had rather frustrating tenures with the New York Rangers.
For 13 seasons Henrik Lundqvist has been the man guarding the New York Rangers goal. Over that span, Lundqvist has proved to be among the NHL’s elite at the goaltending position. His success has directly correlated with the Rangers postseason-rich history over the last decade-plus.
However, on his way to 431 regular season wins, Lundqvist has had no shortage of turbulent moments in net. At 36 years old, Lundqvist has outstayed any Rangers player during his tenure. Because of that, Lundqvist has had the pleasure of sharing the ice with his fair share of frustrating teammates.
Some players have a way of proving to be universally disliked, whether it be because of lack of production, effort, or overall role. Fan bases are often at the root of every negative player narrative, and being on the New York Rangers takes the pressure to a whole different level.
These are five of the most frustrating players on the New York Rangers since the beginning of the Henrik Lundqvist era.
Dan Girardi
I’ll go ahead and get it out of the way early. Dan Girardi is easily the most notable frustrating player the New York Rangers have had in over a decade.
Girardi’s final years as a member of the Rangers were trying for management and fans alike. A player that had gone to battle for the organization was in an obvious decline. Making matters more gut-wrenching being the fact that it may have been to no fault of his own.
Alain Vigneault’s consistent usage of Girardi as a top-pairing, shutdown defenseman not only magnified his decline but also accelerated it. The Rangers’ former assistant captain fought through various injuries before his departure a season ago.
While Girardi’s tenure as a New York Rangers was certainly frustrating it was also rewarding. Unlike others on this list, Girardi does a good number of memories to look back on in New York.
Taylor Pyatt
Former first-round picks don’t get less boring than a player like Taylor Pyatt. Following an extremely successful tenure in the OHL, Pyatt was taken with the eighth overall pick in the 1999 draft by the New York Islanders. His career, and subsequent brief tenures with the Rangers, never quite lived up to expectations.
Pyatt was signed as a free agent in the offseason of the lockout-shortened season. While expectations were low, Pyatt found a way to fail to meet any of them. Across 70 games with the team, he recorded just 12 points. Despite his hulking size, Pyatt failed to even provide a solid body in front of the opposing team’s goaltender.
Following his second stint with the Rangers, Pyatt was quickly erased from professional relevance. His career, and time in New York, will be remembered for his frustrating inability to serve any relevance on an NHL roster.
Ryane Clowe
The same year as the trade that brought the New York Rangers fan-favorite Derick Brassard, Glen Sather brought in Ryane Clowe. 30 years old at the time, Clowe spent the first seven-plus years of his career with the San Jose Sharks.
At the time of his arrival, Clowe was in the midst of his worst offensive season. Through 28 games with the Sharks, he registered 11 points, all assists. The immediate return was nice as he scored two points in his inaugural game with the Rangers. However, Clowe did little else for the team after that date.
After arriving at the trade deadline, Clowe only skated in 12 games for the New York Rangers. He produced more minutes than games played, and showed obvious signs of aging. Inconsistencies in health and on-ice performance made it impossible for Clowe to stay in the lineup, whose exit was welcomed at season’s end.
Wade Redden
There are very few busts bigger than this one for the New York Rangers brass. Wade Redden goes down as one of the most disappointing free agents to bring their talents to Madison Square Garden.
When Redden signed prior to the 2008-09 season, he was brought in to add a punch to the Rangers’ defensive group. During his time in Ottawa, the former first-round pick produced the majority of his points with the man-advantage. The cost for two seasons of Redden at the NHL level was a lofty $39-million over six years.
After registering five goals and 35 assists in 156 career games with the Rangers, Redden was relegated to the AHL. He spent two years playing with New York’s minor-league affiliate before being bought out of the final two years of his deal.
Redden will go down of one of the first crippling contracts the Rangers’ front-office has dealt out during the Lundqvist era.
Brad Richards
Brad Richards was given the keys to the New York Rangers when he signed a nine-year deal back in 2011. The bidding war for his service came down to Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and the Rangers. In the end, Richards was reunited with is former head coach John Tortorella, and was promptly rewarded with a $60-million contract.
That deal would end up haunting the Rangers, resulting in an eventual buyout in 2014 with six years remaining on the contract.
As an outsider looking in, Richards production during his time with the Rangers seems acceptable. He finished top-five in team scoring every year with the team while consistently centering the team’s top line. However, a financial commitment like his comes with a new level of expectations.
Next: New York Rangers: What if the team found a way to keep Yandle
Rangers fans will remember Richards waning speed and the decline of his power-play quarterbacking abilities. Not to mention the frustrations associated with his disappearing act during multiple postseason runs.