Friday morning's disaster on the Garden ice may have brought some clarity to the Rangers' front office as the March 8 trade deadline approaches.
Because the question that's been floating around all season, ever since Filip Sitil went down with what appeared to be the fourth concussion of his career, is that when the center went to the ice in a sparsely attended morning, the 72-year-old himself was the most unlucky. Because it could have been answered in a form. He remained seated for at least five minutes and needed help getting up and off the ice.
Of course, this is only Sitil's second day skating with his teammates since suffering the injury on Nov. 2. The Blueshirts had talked about reinforcing him to return to their active roster after a difficult recovery period back home. In the Czech Republic, you will find support from friends and family in a comfortable environment.
Everyone was excited about the popular and friendly 24-year-old.
There are now concerns about Chytil's future quality of life after this setback. The question again is if and when Sithil will be able to resume his career. Back to mentioning Michael Sauer, the Rangers defenseman who retired at age 24 after suffering several concussions.
Without medical information and specific knowledge of Friday morning's incident, it would be foolish to make any kind of declaration about Chytil's future, immediate or otherwise. It's unclear whether he wobbled and lost his balance, or whether a teammate brushed him off and caused him to fall and hit his head on the ice.
Still, it seems very likely that Sitil will be medically cleared to rejoin the team in the near future. Of course, this is separate from the decision that Chytil himself has to face.
The question is simple, but the answer is complex: Is it safe?
It's the way Chytil and his loved ones used to do it, the way Sauer did it, the way Eric and Brett Lindros did it, the way Pat LaFontaine, Keith Primeau, Scott Stevens, Adam Deadmarsh and others did it. It's a decision to confront the way he's done his career, just to name a few. Destroyed by multiple concussions.
General manager Chris Drury is working on alternative scenarios as the deadline approaches. If Chytil is healthy, the Rangers won't need to acquire a third-line center and can focus on other needs. In games where Cityl can't play, the Rangers' priority will be acquiring a center.
But now the problem appears to have been resolved. While everyone is concerned about Sithil's well-being, it's not rude to also be interested in how this surprising incident will affect the Rangers.
This is not a thought or a prayer. The league has not instituted a suspension while Cityll strives to recover, and the hierarchy is considering its options.
There's work to be done, but for a club currently in freefall largely due to an inability to make critical saves in key moments, such as Friday's 5-2 loss to Las Vegas in the Blueshirts' 5-2 loss to Las Vegas. The sooner the better. His team was better for at least 40 of the 60 minutes, but Igor Shesterkin was the second-best goaltender.
Yes, the Rangers need a center to play behind Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, and they will almost certainly end up operating with the $4.4 million in additional cap space that comes with Sitiil. Become.
The most likely candidates are Adam Enrique of Anaheim and Sean Monaghan of Montreal, both of whom have pending leases. Enrique, who turns 34 next month, carries a cap hit of $5.825 million, of which the Ducks will pay 50 percent. If that happens, the cost will increase. Monaghan, 29, will earn $1.985 million.
This is being described as an all-in season for the Rangers. As cup or bust. However, this team is a flawed team, having won 11 out of 25 games since December 5th (11 wins, 12 losses, 2 draws). Trading a first-round pick for a blue-chip prospect to fill a hole is a risky business.
Please tell me this. If Mike Richter had been a below-average goaltender in 1994, would the trades for Stefan Matteau, Craig McTavish, Glenn Anderson, Esa Tikkanen, and Steve Larmer have mattered?
Asked and answered.
On Friday, at 3:18 of the second period, the Rangers outscored Vegas 15-7. They were at a 2-1 disadvantage. The Blueshirts had 38 shots and the Golden Knights had 20. The Rangers have outscored their opponents by an average of more than 11 shots per game in their past eight losses.
Shesterkin's save percentage is below league average at .899, but he has been below .890 in seven of his last 10 starts. He batted below .900 in 15 of his 32 starts this year.
How much do you know now?
