• Just another week before hockey returns •
As our fine skiff ends its summer of wandering and approaches port in lower Manhattan, we look forward to a return of hockey related posts and news. Rookies are making final preparations for their camp opening and there will even be a couple games soon. Rejoice!
85 responses to “We are almost there…”
Ma-toe day!
https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/1962863078808367146
Huzzah!
Ferry nice pic.
From Seravalli:
Sources: The #NHL and #NHLPA have agreed to a rolling implementation schedule for CBA changes.
Among them: the new playoff salary cap system will come into effect *this season* for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Players will have until Sept. 15, 2026 to sign deals with current structure (term, signing bonus, variability). All deals signed after Sept. 16, 2026 will be subject to new CBA.
Also: Changes to player dress code and players’ ability to endorse wine/spirits begins immediately.
players cave in time after time
What’s the cliff notes version of what the playoff cap means?
Kucherov klause
every playoff game the 20 guys dressed have to fit into the cap. so who knows maybe the backup goalie will be minimum salary guy,
no effect on rangers this season i think. i don’t see us making playoffs
be interesting to see how this limits trade deadline activity
Thanks Alex
the Vegas rule
I think what you are going to see is, teams will dress less than 20 players come playoff time.
i think guys like wade redden of years past will be healthy scratch come playoff time. the level of hatred toward certain players will increase exponetially
🤡
This is what happens when you give kids who have played one, maybe two seasons six year extensions at mega bucks instead of making use of the leverage RFA RFA/A status gives the clubs. This is not on the players, it is on the club management.
and it’s a nice day for a ferry ride!
This is what happens when you have a salary cap.
Alex,
I agree with you on the playoffs. The way this team is currently built, an awful lot would have to go right for them to make the playoffs. Cuylle, and
Lafrenier would have to take big steps forward. If Zibanejad is on the wing, someone is going to have to emerge as the 3C. One of the 3 youths, Berard, Othmann, or Perreault is going to have establish themselves as NHLers. A lot to hope goes right.
You also have to wonder if missing the playoffs is for the better. Maybe that would allow them to move on from Panarin. One of 10, or 93 needs to go. Probably both, but I think Panarin is more tradable in season than Zibanejad.
this sould reduce the high cost of high priced rentals even with retention. unless a contender has a high priced guy truly done for the season, or a complete sloth getting paid big bucks they would be overpaying only to sit another effective player.
They are better than last year talent wise ..and they should have made the playoffs last year but some pouted and mailed it in
Disagree. Definitely less talented. Certainly not nearly as deep.
At a minimum, the four big names of Fox, Igor, Zika and JT must perform at better levels than their recent past (Fox defensively) to have hope of playoffs. Laffy and Cuylle are important but second to that. As to the kids – defense first, don’t be the reason why points are lost, scoring will come.
Gavrikov >>>>>>> Lindy
Gavrikov >>>>>>> Lindy
🤷♂️ Bubble team
Beezle hey what’s Igor do wrong besides take too much $$? I think he performed last season like a top-10 starter on a bottom-10 team. Amazingly consistent actually 😉
Of goalies with 40 or more games, Eyegor #15 in SV% (0.905) and #22 in GAA (2.86). Our league leading contract goalie needs to be top 10, otherwise just get a $5 or $6M goalie and blame it on the defense.
My own observation is that he seems to lose focus. Too many early goals and end of period goals.
Players may now wear travel dresses and heels.
Gavrikov in, KAM out, good start re: D in front of Igor, the Gothic, fly-eating villain.
Carey Wilson
Wed 03 Sep 2025 16:55
Disagree. Definitely less talented. Certainly not nearly as deep.
couldn’t agree more
Agree Igor needs to tighten up on those early and late goals, as desperately do the skaters.
Meanwhile, while the team in front of Igor was a hot mess and basically embarrassed the jersey all year, which affected Igor’s basic stats counting stats, he was still #7 in GSAx/60 among 40-start goalies, with 0.37. The prior year team president award winner season he was #8, with 0.222 – significantly lower.
JtMiller came in half way through the season as a marquee trade into a broken locker room that had already checked out for the year and still brought energy in all situations and put up a point a game and won 58% of face offs or whatever.
So he also gets a pass in my book for last year too, let’s see what he brings this season. I’m not counting on perennial 100 points though.
I really don’t hold out too much hope for this season. I don’t think this team has improved at all, while the others teams in their division did. Making the playoffs will be a real challenge for a team that is very slow, not physical enough and doesn’t have a sufficient compete level. Unfortunately, the bright side for this season is most likely a lottery pick, unless the idiot GM trades it away.
Given the poor cap situation, lack of draft picks and decent prospects, present a bleak future for years to come. I hope I am wrong, but many years of following this team lead me to believe I am on point.
the next gm will have a major undertaking to create a brighter future.
Did you guys know Drury signed a multi year extension in April?
Long history of GMs and coaches with new contracts getting fired not long after. In fact, there was one that coached at MSG until this June and who is owed about $30M.
Hank lost one of his idols today
I’m not as doom and gloom as some of you are. Uphill battle for sure but expect them to be a bubble playoff team and one that should be playing a stronger game later in the season than to start.
Sure, the wheels can still fall off but until they put the team up on blocks have to hope for the best!
Not doom, and gloom. Just looking at the roster, and it’s not good enough. To many things have to go right, and they don’t have the depth to overcome injuries.
Beezle
I always hope for the best, with low expectations.
the current gm has us in a bad state. he throws away draft picks like nobodys business.
I always hope for the best, with low expectations…signed Gloom! LOL
Drury is here for a while and has 2 draft picks..one will be going at deadline unless Meeka decides to abandon ship again
Ranger news 😉
the EC wildcard race last season was not so formidable – Habs CBJ wings? Devils were 3rd in the Metro with 91 points. I’m highly confident the Rangers attain at least the level of mediocrity to be considered competitive with that fearsome list of clubs!
wwpd – agree
Bobbyo
I’m not the slightest bit offended.l by your comment. I would expect nothing less.
Agree wwpd
The cap and dilution through the league most teams have major holes
Not only is our defense better but we have a coaching staff that will easily outperform the last defensive system that was in front of Igor
The roster turnover between last September is this September is pretty striking
The Blog management met for our annual meeting tonight. Many topics discussed!
Among them, Chairman and blog CEO CCCP commends the many contributors of the past year and asks for more to join the party. I was promoted from blog intern to COO and promised triple my current pay and stock options!
Chairman CCCP also was happy to report no expectations of redundancies in the near term, so long as the overall blog conditions remain generally positive.
Expansion plans are modest but timing uncertain. Management expects another great season for RR3!
Hear, hear!
Bobbyo
I’m not the slightest bit offended by your comment. I would expect nothing less.
…and kudos and many thanx to Blog Managers…
Carter Hart drawing alot of interest…when is NHL proceeding on reinstatement for these players? McLeod could be a 3C fit for Rangers
the RR3 sysops should negotiate themselves a max term 8-year extension before the new CBA rule kicks in
Beezle
It was great catching up with you in NYC! Thank you again for all your help! I decided to quadruple your pay! 😀
Also, thanks to all the boneheads… You guys are the heart and soul of the blog, and your passion for the team is what makes it all worthwhile. LGR!
Lafren needs to learn, or remeber, how to play like JT to succeed as a player. He’s already succeeded as a multi-millionaire set for life though so he’s got to look inside for that motivation now. Worried the Bread influence will continue to dominate his choices despite having a pretty good influence of Trocheck at center. I do wonder though how much playing with Panarin’s just requires conforming to that style in order to be effective with him.
would like to see Laffy with JT
One article after another assert that the top 6 are set with Mika at wing flanking Miller and Cuylle, Bread line unchanged from last year. Did I miss a training camp or something?
RIP Ken Dryden. Great Montreal Canadian.
Ken Dryden ..class act…All timer
agree with 9:41 post and i almost never do with that poster.
jeff thanks for letting us know, i’ve been away from twitter for a while.
WWPD it’s like none of these writers watched
Parssenen play last year
Bobby I don’t know whether to 🤣 or 😭 the comment
I have no idea at this point what this team is going to be or look like this season. I need to see games before I give my opinion. It can’t be any worse than it was last year.
https://www.facebook.com/anaheimducks/videos/1030217705712555/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e
Kreider looks super happy! Troobuh, too! Good for them. Tho, I am a bit sad seeing Kreider in that carrot colored jersey.
Whoa, what happened there? Why my comment above looks like that?
That hockey writers article looked like chatgpt had a big role in its writing. Not very good. Had a lot of holes. Superficial insight.
KAM and Phil housley departures are why our D is about to look reborn in a good way
Remember. Fox won the Norris under Quinn’s direction.
Gavrikov bigger and healthier than the warrior robocop lindgren who’s miles took their toll
Borgen is steady and underrrated
Cuyle and Laffy have not peaked. They definitely have another level or two they can attain. Sully will unlock that
Mika took so much flack and was so bad he will come in super motivated and will have had his best offseason training to date.
I will miss Kreider. But something tells me it was time for Mika to lose that comfort pillow in order to turn over a new leaf
It is now Trocheck and JT Millers team
All Aboard!!!!
Happy to read what he’s worked on. And that he trained with Patrick Kane
That being said. Taking the Othman route and developing his pro game against men for some time in AHL I imagine would benefit him. Too many times we’ve seen first rounders thrust into the NHL and their potential stunted
Kreider and Trouba, two class acts. Ducks are lucky to have them. The Rangers have the sexual predator, and woman beating Artemi Panarin instead. One more season, and we can be rid of that POS.
lol Class acts don’t quit
Any fan base would be delighted to have THE and Troubs.
Jints and Jets kicking off – Blueshirts close behind!
I will always be a fan of Trouba and Kreider
Kreider jersey should be retired
That being said. It’s time to turn the page.
Almost like new coaching staff. New leadership voices.
Drury made a big mistake last year with the memos and public way he was trying to rid ThE and troubs
Distraction and as humans, it definitely affected their game and the locker room
Now we have a new hand dealt. Let’s see how they play it.
The NHL trade deadline has been set for Friday, March 6.
In 1940, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was around 62.9 years, increasing significantly to 75.7 years in 1994.
A lifetime to wait from 1994 is a lot more than it used to be!
wwpd, don’t make excuses for Dolan!
This post has been terminated. Please go immediately to the new post, do not collect 200 dollars and optionally go to jail to say hello to CCCP