Blue Line Station
Fansided

Five big problems for Jeff Gorton and the Rangers

By Steve Paulus

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 07: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers congratulates Igor Shesterkin #31 after he gets the first win of his NHL career against the Colorado Avalanche at Madison Square Garden on January 07, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 07: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers congratulates Igor Shesterkin #31 after he gets the first win of his NHL career against the Colorado Avalanche at Madison Square Garden on January 07, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Tony DeAngelo #77 of the New York Rangers salutes the crowd after being named the first star of the game
Tony DeAngelo #77 of the New York Rangers salutes the crowd after being named the first star of the game /

Problem #2:  Tony DeAngelo

Before last night, DeAngelo was the team’s best trade bait outside of Chris Kreider for a deadline deal . He’s an arbitration eligible restricted free agent who will be looking for a huge increase on his $925k salary.  At the rate he is going, he’ll get it.

After his five point night, he is the fifth highest scoring defenseman in the league. He is seventh in goals and assists.  If Neal Pionk could get $3 million from the Jets last summer, just think how much DeAngelo will ask for in arbitration.  He has better stats than Erik Karlsson, Morgan Rielly and Brent Burns just to name a few.  True, he can be defensively challenged (look at the missed assignment on the Devils’ shorthanded goal), but that breakout pass to Kreider was simply spectacular.

So, is there any way the team trades Anthony DeAngelo at the deadline or after this season?  There are a dozen teams salivating at the prospect of adding a top offensive defender who is a righthanded shot to boot.

Let’s not forget the horrendous cap situation the team is in, nor the fact that they have a surplus of righthanded shooting defensemen including $8 million man Jacob Trouba and Long Island native Adam Fox with Joey Keane and Nils Lundkvist waiting in the wings.

This will be Gorton’s toughest and potentially most unpopular decision.  I’ll say it one more time, try DeAngelo at forward….if he succeeds, it provides a whole new dimension to the roster situation and makes keeping him a better option.

Home/Editorials