While speaking on Edmonton radio in 2013, Rangers President Glen Sather said that to build a winner "your core players need to be drafted."

Sather added "you need a young group that can grow up together."

At the time of the interview, Sather said of that Rangers team that was coming off a second round playoff loss, "I think we are in the situation today where we are very competitive, the youth we have, we have some good prospects. It doesn't mean you are going to win....we thought we were gonna be in the finals last year, but we ran into tough injuries and it took a toll on our team."

7/19/18 | Vesey said that he has spoken with Quinn, that the two were familiar with each and that he is really excited to him coaching the team.

Vesey signed a two-year deal that has a cap hit of $2.275 million.

6/16/18 |Jeff Gorton told the Boston Globe that Jimmy Vesey needed a bit of a "fresh start" and one of the players that Gorton thinks David Quinn will help.

Corey Pronman of The Athletic put together his top 10 list of members of the Rangers organization that are 23 and younger.

Filip Chytil (18) is ranked first on the list followed by Pavel Buchnevich (23), Vitali Kravtsov (18), Lias Andersson (19) and Igor Shesterkin (22). (The Athletic)

Pronman says that he thinks Buchnevich's best days are still ahead of him. (The Athletic)

The Hockey News has released their Pool Guide for this season and it has the following projections for the Rangers:

• Pavel Buchnevich: 23 goals, 35 assists
• Kevin Hayes: 17 goals, 26 assists
• Chris Kreider: 21 goals, 25 assists
• Vlad Namestnikov: 15 goals, 25 assists
• Kevin Shattenkirk: 11 goals, 35 assists
• Brady Skjei: 5 goals, 25 assists
• Ryan Spooner: 15 goals, 26 assists
• Mika Zibanejad: 23 goals, 27 assists
• Mats Zuccarello: 18 goals, 48 assists

They project Jimmy Vesey to end up with 37 points, Flip Chytil with 32 and Lias Andersson with 26.

7/24/18 | Penguins coach, and former Rangers assistant, Mike Sullivan said that the Rangers are getting a "really good coach" in David Quinn. (NHL.com)

Sullivan and Quinn were teammates at BU in the late 80s and Sullivan aid that the Rangers are getting a "real competitive guy" that will "build relationships" and get the most out of players. (NHL.com)

He added that Quinn is a "real good coach, a good teacher. I think he's going to bring that to the table at the pro level with the young Rangers team." (NHL.com)

Sullivan said that Quinn's "biggest strength" is how he builds relationships and brings a love and passion of hockey to the rink every day. (NHL.com)

8/15/18 | Quinn said that a captain "emerges" and that the Rangers don't want to "put a burden on somebody" that isn't ready for the role. (NHL.com)

Quinn said that it will take care of itself and that someone will either separate themselves from the pack and show that they should be captain, "or it won't."(NHL.com)

8/13/17 | David Quinn said that talk about who will be the next Rangers captain is "on the back-burner" and he wants to wait until the team is assembled. (MSG)

Brady Skjei said recently that he thinks he will play more minutes this season and that all of the young Rangers have a "chance to step up." (NHL.com)

Skjei said, "we have a lot of guys that can really prove themselves this year, and I'm excited for that." (NHL.com)

He averaged 21:02 overall last season and in the 50 games prior to the All-Star break he averaged 19:57 and in the 32 games after he averaged 22:42.

Rangers first round pick Vitali Kravtsov scored a first period goal for Traktor in a KHL preseason game on Wednesday.

He scored on Tuesday both in regulation and in a shootout.

Watch below.

The Hockey News has released their annual pool guide and with it a list of the Rangers top 10 prospects.

1. Lias Andersson
2. Filip Chytil
3. Vitali Kravtsov
4. Igor Shesterkin

Rangers first round pick Vitali Kravtsov scored a first period goal for Traktor in a KHL preseason game on Tuesday.

Watch below.

Brady Skjei and Vinni Lettieri each scored on Monday in their Minnesota summer league games

The Athletic's Scott Wheeler put together his list of the Top 50 drafted prospects in the NHL.

The only Ranger to make the list was Filip Chytil at 23. (The Athletic)

On Chytil, Wheeler writes that Chytil projects more as a second line center than a first line center but that he is someone that "loves" to have the puck on his stick and, despite his size, has a "fluid, light stride" and more agility than "you'd expect." (The Athletic)

Mats Zuccarello scored three goals in the charity game that he and Henrik Lundqvist put together in Norway.

Henrik Lundqvist said that he hopes Mats Zuccarello is part of the Rangers plans moving forward.(VG)

Lundqvist said that Zuccarello adds a lot to the team on and off the ice and sets an example with his work ethic. (VG)

Zuccarello is entering the final-year of a four-year deal that has a cap hit of $4.5 million.

Mats Zuccarello's skates for tomorrow's Summer Classic Outdoor Game in Norway feature cartoon versions of Zuccarello and Henrik Lundqvist.

Chris Kreider said that he is feeling "really good" this summer and is continuing to stay at a lower weight like he did when he returned last season. (Salem News)

• He said in June that he was feeling 110%.
• Kreider missed time due to a blood clot and rib resection surgery last year.

Kreider said that he played at around 230 pounds prior to his injury last season and that now he is under 220 but still feels "really strong." (Salem News)

He noted that the lighter weight could help him be more mobile and "quicker to an extent." (Salem News)

Henrik Lundqvist and Mats Zuccarello are putting on an outdoor charity game in Oslo. Norway this season.

In addition to Zuccarello and Lundqvist, some of the other NHLers expected to play include Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Derick Brassard, Carl Hagelin, Antti Raanta, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh,William Nylander, Zdeno Chara, Artem Anisimov.

To see the full list, click HERE.

Today is the 30th Anniversary of Wayne Gretzky's trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings.

Gretzky was traded to LA for a package that included Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three future first-round (traded to NJ for Corey Foster, Marty Rucinsky, Nick Stajduhar) draft picks and $15 million.

Reports from the New York Times in 1988 indicate that Rangers GM Phil Espositio was approached by Edmonton GM Glen Sather about Gretzky at the draft that June.

Vinni Lettieri scored off the rush tonight in his game in Minnesota summer league Da Beauty League.

Craig Custance took a look at the Capitals, how their roster fit into five categories and then compared that to the rest of the teams in the Metro. (The Athletic)

The criteria he looked at included "great centers," "a game breaker," "offensive defenseman," "playoff experience" and "size." (The Athletic)

Custance notes that the Rangers have had "good" but not "great" centers lately and that the hope is that they will be able to find a "great" center during their rebuild." (The Athletic)

New Rangers assistant coach David Oliver was a 7th round pick of the Edmonton OIlers in 1991 and after playing four years at the University of Michigan, he played half a season for the Oilers in 1994-95.

Oliver then spent the next season and part of another with the Oilers before joining the Rangers for 14 regular season and 3 playoff games at the end of the 1996-97 season.

Edmonton's GM throughout Oliver's entire time in the Oilers organization was current Rangers President Glen Sather.

Henrik Lundqvist is on the ice practicing ahead of this weekend's outdoor charity game in Norway with Mats Zuccarello.

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who played at BU under David Quinn for two seasons, said that he couldn't be happier that Quinn is now the head coach of the Rangers. (The Athletic)

McAvoy praised Quinn for "the way that he cares" and said that Quinn was around to help him with extra video, one on one meetings and how his game was going.(The Athletic)

He added that Quinn "did so much" for me." (The Athletic)

8/1/18| Jeff Gorton said that Chris Kreider is not a "young player anymore" and that right now he is in his "prime years." (MSG)

Gorton said that because of Kreider's experience and stature with the team he will be a good player for the young Rangers to "lean on" and added that he feels Kreider is "ready for that role." (MSG)

Kreider, 27, has played in 381 regular season games and 77 playoff games in his NHL career.

Former Rangers associate coach Scott Arniel has joined the Washington Capitals as an assistant coach to Todd Reirden. 

He was let go by the Rangers when Alain Vigneault was relieved of his duties as head coach.

Arniel was with the Rangers for the past five seasons as part of Vigneault's staff. 

Jeff Gorton said recently that while the Rangers want their "young kids" to make the team and "do well" they aren't going to be putting any of them in a "tough spot."

Gorton said, "if they are not ready we aren't going to put them in, won't force them in there. We will take our time and it's the right thing to do for the players, for the team, for us."

When he was asked at development camp which players he thinks could make the team, he pointed to Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson as well as European free agents Michael Lindqvist and Ville Meskanen.

Gorton added that the Rangers won't stop anyone from making the team if they are "good enough."

Libor Hajek's coach in the WHL, John Paddock, said that he is close to being NHL ready, could compete for a roster spot next season and also has the ability to be a "top-four defenseman in the league for a long-time." (Newsday & NY Post)

• Hajek has said that he intends to make the Rangers out of training camp.

Paddock describes Hajek, a left hand shot, as "low maintenance" and is a "real good, solid, all-around player who does a lot of things well." (NYRangers.com)

He added that Hajek was like a "sponge' and always doing extra work and talking to coaches about how to become a better player. (NYRangers.com)

Kevin Shattenkirk said that he is "very" excited to play under David Quinn again and said that Quinn "is someone who really fits the bill perfectly for us in what we need to do moving forward."

Shattenkirk said that Quinn had a "huge impact" on his career and helped develop him not just in their three-years together at BU but also at the start of Shattenkirk's pro career in Lake Erie.

He said that Quinn took him as a raw player in college and helped develop him to succeed at the next level. (NYR)

According to reports out of Russia, the Rangers are interested and possibly willing to offer a contract to Russian winger Sergei Shumakov.

Shumakov, 25, is reportedly holding out from CSKA Moscow due to promises that were not kept and that he has offers from other teams. (Championat)

He is supposed to be heading into the second-year of a three-year deal with CSKA and he had 40 points in 47 games last season.

Mika Zibanejad was Jeff Gorton's answer when he was asked which player needs to take a step offensively this season. (NHL Network)

Gorton said, "Mika has to go to another level offensively for us to compete for a playoff spot." (NHL Network)

Gorton added, "I think he has all the tools, at times he shown he can be a number one center, he can play against some of the better players in the league, defend and offensively push and PP is a threat, he is one guy that really jumps out to me that if he has a big year we should be competing for a playoff spot." (NHL Network)

Over the weekend the Rangers signed 24-year old defenseman Brady Skjei to a six-year deal worth $5.25 million per season.

On Monday the Rangers signed 26-year old Kevin Hayes to a one-year deal worth $5.125 million.

On Tuesday, the Rangers came to terms with Ryan Spooner, 26, on a two-year deal that has a cap hit of $4 million per season.

The Rangers have announced that Ryan Spooner has come to terms on a two-year deal.

The deal is worth $4 million per season. (Elliotte Friedman)

Spooner and the Rangers were scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Saturday.

With the signing of Kevin Hayes on Monday, the Rangers only have one arbitration case, Ryan Spooner on 8/4, remaining.

According to Cap Friendly, the Rangers have $9.67 in cap space right now but that includes Matt Beleskey, Cody McLeod and Peter Holland up front and Brendan Smith, Rob O'Gara and Steven Kampfer on defense.

On a roster that has all of the above players in Hartford but adds Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and Neal Pionk, the Rangers have just over $12 million in cap space.

The Rangers currently have 45 contracts signed on their 50 contract list and 69 out of 90 spots taken on their reserve list.

5:42PM: Hayes' contract is worth $5.125 million, a number that Larry Brooks calls "surprisingly high."

5:39PM: Kevin Hayes will avoid arbitration with the Rangers and sign a one-year deal worth just over $5 million. (Elliotte Friedman)

Hayes will be a UFA after next season.

Reports circulated over the weekend that Hayes and the Rangers were running into issues on a long-term deal and that a one-year deal was the most likely solution.

Following the last game of the Rangers season, Henrik Lundqvist spoke about how the last few months of the season were about "learning and new experiences" but that next season is about "winning games and getting back into the playoffs." (NYR)

• Lundqvist said before the end of the season that next season had to be about winning for the Rangers.

Lundqvist said that the Rangers need to set a goal right away that if you are on the team you are there to make a difference. (NYR)

He said that he thinks the Rangers can turn things around quickly with the experience that some of the young players got as well as with other moves the team can make. (NYR)