Jimmy Vesey said that Mats Zuccarello inspires everyone with his work ethic and how "tenacious he is on the puck." (Newsday)

Brendan Smith praised Zuccarello's work ethic and said that when he is making plays and winning battles "everybody feeds off of it."

Mike Milbury said early in the series against Montreal that Zuccarello is "fun to watch" and always plays with energy.

7/21/17 | Jimmy Vesey said during the playoffs that he still has "so much room to grow" as a player and that just going through the season and playoffs gave him confidence. (NY Post)

5/29/17 | Jimmy Vesey said toward the end of the regular season that he considered his rookie year to be "pretty good" and that he was "only going to get better" from that point forward. (NY Post)

He said that during the regular season he had some "stretches of really good hockey" but also had some "lulls." (NY Post)

At NHL.com, Dan Rosen projects what the Rangers depth chart, as of now, could be for the season:

• Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello
• Jimmy Vesey, Kevin Hayes, Rick Nash
• JT Miller, David Desharnais, Pavel Buchnevich
• Michael Grabner, Boo Nieves, Jesper Fast

Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk

Brady Skjei, Brendan Smith

Marc Staal, Nick Holden

Sean Day said that he would like to move on from his junior hockey career in the OHL and transition to the pro game but said that he has to show the Rangers that he is ready to play pro hockey. (NY Post)

He said that he is going to do whatever he can to take the "next step" and show the organization that he is "ready.' (NY Post)

Day is able to play in the AHL this season and was also invited to Team USA's World Junior Camp. (NY Post)

Henrik Lundqvist says that he has played against new backup goalie Ondrej Pavelec many times in his career and that Pavelec as experience both as a starter and back up. (HockeySverige)

Lundqvist said that every time he plays with a new a goalie there are things he learns about training and preparation.

He said that the most "important thing" is that they develop a good relationship early on because they will spend a lot of time together and with goalie coach Benoit Allaire.

Pavelec has appeared in 11 games against Lundqvist in his career, stopping 92% of the shots, allowing 2.1 goals per game and pitching two shutouts with a record of 5-4-1. (Hockey Ref)

Newly signed Rangers goalie prospect Alexander Georgiev left Russia to play in Finland after feeling he wasn't going to get a good chance to play with his team in Russia. (Championat)

He was invited to Finland at a youth goalie camp by Finnish and former NHL goalie Fredrik Norrena, who is the goalie coach for TPS Turku. (Championat)

Georgiev said that he had been speaking with the Rangers for some time and knew that they were considering a contract for him when he came over for development camp. (Sports.RU)

Mika Zibanejad has an arbitration hearing scheduled for this coming Tuesday, July 25.

If no contract has been reached by Sunday than both parties will submit their numbers to the arbitrator for Tuesday's hearing.

Last summer the Rangers submitted $3.2 million and Chris Kreider submitted $4.75 million, for a one-year deal, before they settled on a four-year contract worth $4.625 million per season.

7/19/17: The Rangers have officially announced the signing.

7/18/17 | The Rangers have signed goalie prospect Alexander Georgiev to an entry-level deal that has a cap hit of $792,500. (Cap Friendly)

Georgiev was at Rangers development camp earlier this month and played last season for TPS in the Finnish league.

Pavel Buchnevich spoke with Championat in Russia and said the following:

• He is spending more time with family in Russia this summer but will travel to New York soon to prepare for the season.
• Losing Derek Stepan is a "substantial loss" but the team has young players like JT Miller and Kevin Hayes that will get more experience and should be better next season.
• His focus is on playing this season without injuries.
• His back is healed and he spent time with the medical staff of his former team in the KHL.
• He isn't afraid of "Russian torturer" Lindy Ruff and that Ruff will be working with the defense.
• The AHL is "classic North American hockey" and features a lot of hitting and fighting.
• He was supported by his teammates during his goal drought.

Kevin Shattenkirk met with the media on Tuesday at the Rangers practice facility and said (SNY, NYR):

• On holding up his jersey, "it's pretty surreal. I walked in and they had the jersey for me, that was the last thing that I expected, a jersey with my number on it. I'm really privileged to play in the NHL every day and I don't take it for granted but to have it now with my favorite team, that really hits home."
• Where are you going to live, "I don't have much with me, just my fiance and a dog. I think we will stick around in the City and we don't really have kids we have to worry about yet. I think we will move into the big city and get the full experience."

The Rangers have announced that Kevin Shattenkirk will wear #22 for this season.

Nick Holden wore 22 for the Rangers last season and Shattenkirk said when he signed that his heart was set on wearing the number.

Shattenkirk joked when he signed, "I have not had the chance to talk to him yet but am hoping we can work out some sort of deal. I may have to sweeten the pot a bit but a couple of people told me he is a good guy so hopefully he won't shake me down too much."

Last season for the Rangers, Derek Stepan had:

• 17 goals (6th on the team for forwards)
• 38 assists (2nd on the team for forwards)
• 18 PP points (1st on the team for forwards)
• 36 even strength points (5th on the team for forwards)
• 1 shorthanded goal (Tied for 2nd on the team for forwards)
• 2 Game Winning Goals (Tied for 9th on the team for forwards)
• 209 shots (1st on the team for forwards)
• A 47% win percentage on faceoffs
• 25.4 shifts per game (1st on the team for forwards)
• 18:37 per game (2nd on the team for forwards)
• 15:38 at even strength per game (2nd on the team for forwards)
• 1:22 per game on the PK (4th on the team for forwards)
• 2:32 per game on the PP (4th on the team for forwards)
• 50.7% shot attempts when he was on the ice (3rd on the team for forward that played at least 75 games)

Alain Vigneault said recently that the Rangers "hope and believe" that Kevin Hayes and Mika Zibanejad have "more to give us" and that they will both have an opportunity to take on "bigger roles and have more responsibility" next season. (NY Post)

Zibanejad averaged 13:58 at 5 on 5 and Hayes averaged 13:40 at 5 on 5 but Stepan only played three more minutes on the PK overall (111 to 108) than Hayes did and Hayes played in five fewer games.

Alain Vigneault said that he is focused on having the "best coaching staff" possible and that bringing in Lindy Ruff gives the Rangers a "stronger staff and gives our team a better chance to win." (NY Post)

He said that Ruff brings "so much" to the Rangers in terms of experiences and knowledge from being both a head coach in Buffalo and Dallas as well as an assistant from his time in Florida and with Team Canada. (NY Post)

Vigneault said that all of the talk about Ruff being a potential replacement if the Rangers struggle doesn't bother him. (NY Post)

Dan Girardi spoke with the media in Tampa Bay earlier today and spoke about the end of his time with the Rangers and his decision to sign in Tampa. (TB)

• "The ending in New York wasn't what I wanted but I think this is a good opportunity for me to come here and help the younger guys on the back end and do what I canto help this team win."
• "Getting bought out makes me even more hungry to show that I can still play and contribute."
• On the buyout, "it was a little bit surprising, you hear rumblings here and there throughout the year but until it actually happens you are pretty surprised. It is what it is, it's way in the past for me. I am way past my chapter in New York and looking forward to my time in Tampa."
• Steve Yzerman called Girardi spoke for "20 minutes about how he wanted me here and I was sold from there on."

In his career, Kevin Shattenkirk averages 21:06 per game and he has twice played over 22 minutes a game.

By season, Shattenkirk played:

• 11-12| 21:36 (2nd on St. Louis)
• 12-13|21:18 (3rd on St. Louis)
• 13-14|20:34 (3rd on St. Louis)
• 14-15|22:23 (3rd on St. Louis)
• 15-16|22:25 (3rd on St. Louis)
• 16-17| 19:51 (5th on St. Louis)
• 16-17| 20:02 (3rd on the Caps in 19 games)

Since 2011-12, Shattenkirk ranks 45th overall in total time on ice among all players, 16th in PP time for defensemen and 2nd in PP points, just behind Erik Karlsson.

7/11/17 | When the Rangers acquired Anthony DeAngelo as part of the package for Derek Stepan, Jeff Gorton said that DeAngelo was a certain type of player and brought a certain type of game that the Rangers didn't have.

Gorton said that DeAngelo is someone who can run a PP, can really skate and also "do a lot of things that we need."

Gorton said that there aren't a lot of players like DeAngelo who can run a PP, shoot the puck and are also right handed shots.

Henrik Lundqvist and Mats Zuccarello attended Carl Hagelin's wedding last night.

Derick Brassard did not attend Hagelin's wedding but was instead with Kevin Hayes in Boston.

See the pictures below

Larry Brooks writes that the baseline contract for Mika Zibanejad is likely around $4.8 million per year but that number could increase depending on the length of the deal. (NY Post)

Zibanejad has an arbitration hearing scheduled for later this month and if he goes through with the hearing he would be eligible for a two-year reward that would allow him to become a UFA in 2019. (NY Post)

Brooks writes that Zibanejad is likely interested in a shorter term deal that could land him a bigger contract in a couple of years while the Rangers are likely interested in something around a 5-year deal. (NY Post)

According to reports, Brandon Pirri may join Kevin Klein in the Swiss league, playing for Zurich.

Pirri was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Rangers and is a UFA.

Pirri, 26, played in 60 games for the Rangers this season, netting 8 goals, 10 assists, 96 shots, 201 shot attempts, a minus 8 rating and 12:17 per game.

Alain Vigneault mentioned at a few different times this season that, in regards to Pirri, a player only gets so many kicks at the can.

Henrik Lundqvist said that he still feels he has some "great hockey" left in him and that he is not near the end of his career. (Watch Journal, via Henrik Lundqvist Blog)

Lundqvist said that as he has gotten older he has learned he needs to spend more time care of his body off the ice as well as "preparing properly." (Watch Journal, via Henrik Lundqvist Blog)

He said, "those things are important at any age, but particularly for me at this point in my career. (Watch Journal, via Henrik Lundqvist Blog)

Lindy Ruff was on NHL Tonight earlier this week and said the following about joining the Rangers:

• Why this job, "there weren't any head coaching jobs available and when asked if I was interested, I thought about it for a while and felt that it was a chance to go back to the East and work with two other real good head coaches in Alain and Scott Arniel, to get inside someone else's system and really see how another team operates."
• On playing an up-tempo game, "I spent a good time talking to Alain about the position and the role, handling the defense and how the team wants to play and how successful we were playing a certain way, knowing that we needed to play a bit better away from the puck in Dallas, but there were some things we did extremely well and that was on the offensive side. If you look at the Penguins, who won the past two Cups, they were a lot about having their defense involved, their defense being active, pinching and helping create offense at the right times in the game and were very successful at it. After a lengthy talk with Alain it seemed like this thing would work."

The Rangers have announced that they have come to terms with first round pick Filip Chytil.

Chytil, 17, was one of the youngest players in the 2017 Draft.

Chytil said that he isn't sure that his plans are for next season but that he would like to stay in the Czech league for another season. (Isport)

Chris Drury said that the Rangers have been looking at Neal Pionk for two seasons and that every team is looking for right handed puck moving defensemen. (NYR)

Drury said that Pionk's combo of "character, compete level and grit, to go along with the way he plays the game - both offensively and defensively - are the reasons why we wanted to add him." (NYR)

Gordie Clark said that Pionk was the top offensive college free agent defenseman on the market and said that he has the opportunity to be the right hand shot offensive defenseman the Rangers have been looking for. (NYR)

Following his retirement from the NHL last week, Kevin Klein has signed a one-year deal to play with the Zurich Lions in the Swiss league.

The Swiss team said in their release that,"Kevin brings a lot of leadership, he lives the team first thoughts, plays hard and at the same time quiet. With his solid first pass and good shot, the legal rifle will be a big help to us. "

It was rumored initially that Klein would retire from the NHL and play in Europe but he did not mention that as an option in recent interviews when asked about his future.

Mika Zibanejad said on breakup day that he wants to be a Number One Center and that he feels there is a "great opportunity" with the Rangers for him to do that.

He said that he feels he can take on the role but added, "it starts with me and I have a great opportunity this summer to work on the things I want to work on." (NYR)

He added that the opportunity is there and it's "just up to me to go out and get it." (NYR)

7/11/17 | 5:53PM: Alain Vigneault told Larry Brooks that Miller's versatility and ability to play center is "very important" but that he doesn't see Miller starting the season in the middle. (NY Post)

Vigneault said that Miller was scouted as a center and that management likes his potential in the middle and said "I think that J.T. has a lot to offer us in different ways." (NY Post)

7/2/17 | Jeff Gorton said that he knows that the Rangers need a center and that they are trying to fix the hole that they have there.

The Rangers have announced that they have signed first round pick Lias Andersson to his entry-level contract.

Andersson is hoping to compete for a spot on the roster this coming season.

From the Rangers release:

• Andersson, 18, skated in 42 games with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this past season, registering nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points, along with a plus-21 rating and 18 penalty minutes.
• He established SHL career-highs in several categories in 2016-17, including games played, goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating. Andersson ranked eighth in the SHL - and led all junior players (younger than 20 years old) in the league - in plus/minus rating this past season.
• He also ranked second among all junior players in the SHL in goals and assists, and tied for second among all junior players in the SHL in points in 2016-17.

Alain Vigneault said that he spoke with both Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi and told them how much they meant to the team and to himself as both players and people. (NY Post)

Vigneault said, "those are the kinds of people you care about. Everyone knows how important they were to our group." (NY Post)

He said though that the Rangers had "decisions to make" and that even with the moves the Rangers are still a "good team and we still have our goal set on winning the Stanley Cup." (NY Post)

Larry Brooks wrote on Sunday that next summer the Rangers will be in a position to extend Ryan McDonagh's contract since he will be one-year away from being a UFA. (NY Post)

McDonagh is entering the 5th of 6 seasons on his contract that pays him $5.1 million this year but still has a cap hit of $4.7 million. (NY Post)

McDonagh will be 30 when he is eligible to become a UFA in July 2019 and Brooks says that not only will the Rangers have to decide if they want to extend their captain but McDonagh has to decide if he intends to play his entire career with the Rangers. (NY Post)

7/12/17 | Alain Vigneault said that he "really liked" what he saw from 7th overall pick Lias Andersson at development camp and said that he will get "every opportunity" to make the team. (NY Post)

Vigneault said that Andersson has "great hands and he can play." (NY Post)

7/10/17 | Lias Andersson said during Rangers development camp that he wants to compete for a spot on the roster this season.

Andersson, the 7th overall pick in the draft, said that the Rangers are looking for centers and noted that he has played with men in Sweden for the past two seasons.

Nicklas Jensen has signed with Jokerit of the KHL for this season and with an option for the 2018-19 season.

The Rangers retain Jensen's rights since they offered him a qualifying offer.

Jokerit GM and former Ranger Jarri Kurri said that Jensen is the "profile of the power striker and scorer, who has an excellent shot."

7/11/17 | Klein was on the NHL Network on Monday and said:

"Mentally, the grind of a season, 13 years I have done it both in the AHL and NHL it was the right time for myself and my family. I feel I can still play at a high level, it's just that when your heart isn't fully in it, for me, it's pretty obvious that I needed a change and something new."

On what is next, "lots of family time, traveling. I have a lot of interests, I'll most likely be involved in some business that I have and I might apprentice at a garage and really fine tune my mechanic skills. I got lots of stuff that I really want to do."

On his time with the Rangers, "I knew a few of the guys on the team, didn't take me too long to adjust. A quiet leadership role and this came kind of naturally and when you have a few guys you have played and battled it makes you feel at home. It was a perfect fit for me, I didn't want to leave Nashville and I was a little surprised but when you put on that Rangers uniform, that was one of the most fun times I have ever had. It was great for my career and something I will definitely never forget."

Lindy Ruff said that he was speaking with Rangers associate coach Scott Arniel about his future when Arniel asked if he might have interest in joining the Rangers staff. (NYR)

Arniel and Ruff were teammates with the Sabres in the 80s and Arniel was an assistant to Ruff in the early 2000s. (NYR)

Alain Vigneault said that Arniel suggested Ruff as an option while the Rangers were going through player and staff evaluations. (NY Post)

Arniel, at the time, was interviewing for the openings in Florida and Buffalo and convinced Vigneault to reach out to Ruff. (NY Post)

Coyotes GM John Chayka said that they entered into the offseason with the intention of landing Antti Raanta to be their number one goalie.

He said that when the Coyotes got the chance to get Raanta "we wanted to make sure we got him."

Raanta said that he feels his game is going in the right direction and that he is ready to take the next step towards being a number one goalie.

The Rangers have officially announced that Lindy Ruff will join Alain Vigneault's coaching staff as an assistant coach.

Alain Vigneault is reportedly in support of Ruff's addition to coach the Rangers defense.

Some of Ruff's connections to the Rangers include:

• Playing for the Rangers in the late 80s and early 90s
• Coaching Chris Drury while in Buffalo (2003-04 - 2006-07)
• Played with Scott Arniel in Buffalo for three seasons (1986-87 - 1988-1989)
• Having Arniel as an assistant coach in Buffalo for three seasons (2002-03 - 2005-06)
• Rangers SVP Jim Schoenfeld was a teammate in Buffalo (1979-80 - 1981-82, 1984-85)
• Being part of Team Canada's coaching staff in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, where he coached Rick Nash.
• Teammate of Rangers broadcast Dave Maloney in Buffalo (84-85)

From the Rangers: Ruff has been a head coach in the NHL for the last 19 seasons and has a .561 career winning percentage.

• He was selected as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for the third time in 2015-16, as he guided the Stars to a 50-23-9 record and helped the team finish in first place in the Central Division and in the Western Conference during the regular season.
• Over Ruff's four-year tenure in Dallas, the Stars ranked second in the NHL - and led the Western Conference - in goals per game (2.97).
• Ruff helped Canada earn a silver medal while serving as the Head Coach at the 2009 IIHF World Championship and also served as Team Canada's Head Coach at the 2013 IIHF World Championship.
• In addition, Ruff earned a gold medal while serving as the Associate Coach for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
• Ruff skated in 691 career NHL games over parts of 12 seasons in the league (1979-80 - 1990-91), registering 105 goals and 195 assists for 300 points, along with 1,264 penalty minutes.
• He played parts of three seasons with the Rangers (1988-89 - 1990-91) after he was acquired from Buffalo on March 7, 1989, and he recorded 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 83 career contests with the Blueshirts.

When Kevin Shattenkirk was signed last week, Jeff Gorton said that the Rangers were able to get a "really good player for a term that we could live with and felt was fair for him and fair for us."

It had been rumored that Shattenkirk would likely be able to command 7 years as a UFA but that the Rangers were not interested in that much term.

Shattenkirk said that he left term and money on the table to realize his dream of playing for the Rangers.

Ondrej Pavelec was sent to Manitoba of the AHL shortly before the start of the 2016-17 season, a decision that Jets coach Paul Maurice said was "tough" but one that Pavelec handled "like a pro." (Jets)

Pavelec was 8-7-2 in the AHL with a save percentage of .917 and GAA of 2.78.

It was his first time as a regular in the AHL since starting 40 games in 2008-09.

Larry Brooks writes that if Toronto decides to start taking calls on center Tyler Bozak, "expect" the Rangers to be interested. (NY Post)

Bozak has one-year left on his contract at $4.2 million and Brooks writes that a potential deal could be built, from a Rangers point of view, around defenseman Nick Holden. (NY Post)

Bozak,31, had 55 points last season for Toronto and has averaged .63 points per game in his NHL career. He also has won 53.6% of faceoffs in his career.

The Rangers, according to Larry Brooks, had "extended, productive talks" with center Joe Thornton before Thornton decided to return to San Jose on a one-year deal worth $8 million. (NY Post)

Brooks says that the Rangers fell out of things with Patrick Marleau "quickly" after Marleau's price & term exceeded what the Rangers were interested in. (NY Post)

Marleau signed a three-year deal with Toronto with a cap hit of $6.25 million.

It was reported that the Rangers were out on both Thornton and Marleau following the signing of Kevin Shattenkirk.

7/3/17 | "Playing with Ryan McDonagh" was a main reason that Kevin Shattenkirk mentioned multiple times on his conference call and in TV interviews on Saturday as a main reason why he signed with the Rangers.

Shattenkirk said that McDonagh is an "elite defenseman" and plays that a style that will mesh well with how he plays.

He said that McDonagh's skating ability should "drive" his game and that his goal is to "come in here and be a phenomenal defenseman for this team and I think Ryan McDonagh will help me achieve that."

Michael Grabner posted a video today of him jumping out of a pool. It is similar to the famous video of Chris Kreider jumping out of a pool, which is also below.

Kevin Klein retired today from the NHL and during his time with the Rangers he scored some important goals, made big plays and threw a number of hits.

Below are some of his top moments with the Rangers.

With the official announcement of Kevin Klein's retirement, the Rangers have added $2.9 million in cap space and now have $8.4 million available, according to Cap Friendly.

The Rangers currently have 20 players on their roster (11 forwards, 7 defensemen, 2 goalies) and still need to sign Mika Zibanejad to a new contract.

Zibanejad is expected to come in between $4.5 million and $5.5 million depending on the term of the contract.

Kevin Klein has officially announced his retirement from the NHL.

Klein released a statement via the Rangers that said:

I would like to thank both the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers organizations for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing in the NHL. Thank you to the fans of both cities for their appreciation. I couldn't have been happier to play in front of you. I will miss all the friends I've made along the way, from the staff to the guys I've played with.

Tags: Kevin Klein

Read More

• Share:

7/7/17 | 8:43AM: Grigorenko has signed a three-year deal to play for CSKA and in the KHL.

7/1/17 | The Rangers may have interest in former first rounder Mikhail Grigorenko

The Rangers are likely to have interest in UFA and former 12th overall pick Mikhail Grigorenko. (NY Post)

On November 10, 2013, the Mayor of Montreal, Denis Coderre, sent out a tweet in French that translated to sending David Desharnais to Hamilton of the AHL.

At that, Deharnais had 1 assist in the first 17 games of the season.

Max Pacioretty said that he was "very, very upset" about the comments from the Mayor, adding that Desharnais is a great person, hard worker and great teammate. (SI)

7/6/17 | Smith said last week that Skjei makes his game "a lot easier" and said that he is "unbelievable."

He said that Skjei is an "up and coming defenseman that everyone should watch," has "so much talent and made it really easy on me.

5/24/17 | Brendan Smith said during the playoffs that he had been "really impressed" with Brady Skjei since joining the Rangers and that he is sometimes "in awe" of the plays that Skjei makes. (NYR)

Following the Rangers signing of Kevin Shattenkirk, the NHL Network put together their projected defense pairs for the Rangers this season:

• Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Shattenkirk
• Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith
• Marc Staal and Nick Holden

Larry Brooks wrote in the NY Post that Alain Vigneault has to learn from past mistakes and start Shattenkirk on the first pair with Ryan McDonagh. (NY Post)

He said that not putting McDonagh and Shattenkirk together would be "overthinking it."

Brooks says that the Rangers have a "ready-made" second pair of Skjei and Smith and that unless injuries dictate it, the duo should not be broken up. (NY Post)

With the signings of Jesper Fast and David Deharnais today, the Rangers have $5.5 million in cap space, which includes Kevin Klein's $2.9 million. (Cap Friendly)

If Klein retires than the Rangers cap space would increase to $8.4 million with 20 players on the roster.

The Rangers still need to sign Mika Zibanejad as well as add a 13th forward.