Rangers training camp latest, Girardi gets a job, Nieves gets an opportunity

Odds and ends from the New York Rangers with training camps about to open

New York Rangers President John Davidson and General Manager Jeff Gorton had a media availability Saturday on the eve of the opening of training camp.

The full press conference isn’t available online yet, but some highlights have been reported via Twitter.

From Vince Mercogliano of Lohud.com here are the headlines:

• All players are at camp and accounted for.
• Mika Zibanejad, Justin Richards and Keith Kinkaid are day-to-day.
• K’Andre Miller has a “great” shot at making the team.
• Vitali Kravtsov is definitely going to finish the KHL season.
• They will look at trying a left winger to the right side at training camp,b ut it won’t be Panarin.

More to come.

Youngest team?

Here’s an interesting tidbit, courtesy of Capfriendly.com.  In looking at the projected rosters, the Rangers are going to be the youngest team in the NHL this season.

The Rangers’ anticipated 20-man roster averages 25 years of age, a full year younger than the next team, the Ottawa Senators at 26 years. The Washington Capitals, even without Henrik Lundqvist, are the oldest team in the league with an average age of 29.7 years.  Signing Zdeno Chara made an old team even older.

Dan Girardi to Buffalo

Retired defenseman Dan Girardi is back in hockey in a player development role.

Girardi retired after the 2018-19 season after playing 927 regular season and 143 playoff games in his long career.  Bringing him on can only be a good thing for the Sabres, a team that has been defensively challenged for years despite some outstanding young blueliners. .

Boo Nieves gets a tryout in Tampa Bay

After the Rangers left Boo Nieves escape as a Group 6 unrestricted free agent, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that he will be going to their training camp on a Professional Tryout  (PTO).  Nieves was scoreless in four games for the Rangers least season and scored only five goals in 43 games in Hartford.  He had some success as a depth center for the Rangers, playing a career high 43 games in 2018-19 with four goals and 10 points.

While it’s doubtful that Nieves will be able to win a job with the loaded NHL club, he may be able to stick with their Syracuse Crunch affiliate.

Lafrenière “defeats” the coronavirus

In a crazy video released on Twitter, Rangers prospect goes one-one-one with a coronavirus goalie and scores.  The video came from a New Year’s Eve telecast in Quebec.

He does look good in a Rangers uniform.