Thursday, November 26, 2009
Rangers Forward Lines if Season Started Today
Barring any other changes made by Glen Sather in the next few months, the New York Rangers forward lines will likely look something like this:
Gaborik - Dubinsky - Callahan
Higgins - Drury - Kotalik
Avery - Anisimov - Lisin
Brashear - Boyle - Byers
Dubinsky has to be re-signed (get it done already!) as he's a RFA, as is Lisin, who was just acquired this week from Phoenix.
The only position that is a lock in my opinion is that Marian Gaborik will be on the first line (knock on wood: as long as he remains healthy). The rest of the players are all interchangable, on any given night Brandon Dubinsky could be the first line center or the third line center, just as Callahan could be a top line player or a second line winger.
Evgeny Grachev, Jordan Owens, Andres Ambuhl, Tyler Arnason and Aaron Voros also have legitimate shots at making the team but in all likelihood the only positions currently up for grabs are spots on the! third and fourth lines.
I actually think that the Rangers will carry 13 forwards most of the season because I think that in John Tortorella's system, many nights Donald Brashear could be a healthy scratch.
What do you think?