understand the discipline is really crucial," he said. "

The New York Rangers made the playoffs for the eighth time in the past nine seasons, and went on a nice postseason run, ultimately losing the Stanley Cup Final in five games. The series was close enough, with three overtime losses, that the Rangers can feel like they should be contenders, but it was also clear that there is room for improvement to match the leagues best. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Rangers team that has a good core group, but is looking at some significant roster turnover this summer. Having finished sixth in (Fenwick Close) puck possession during the regular season, along with one of the games premier goaltenders, the Rangers had credentials to justify their strong postseason run and it should keep expectations high for the future. If the Rangers return most of the same roster, with Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard and Carl Hagelin as the forward core, the Rangers will likely be a playoff team next year, but there are enough free agents that it cant be assumed the Rangers will have the same roster. Mix in a buyout of Brad Richards, and potential free agent departures of defenceman Anton Stralman along with forwards Benoit Pouliot, Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore and others and that will present an opportunity to make some changes. Additionally, the Rangers are known for being big-game hunters and, in a summer in which many big names are already being floated in trade rumours, it would come as no surprise if at least one of those big names found its way to Broadway. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACH Glen Sather/Alain Vigneault Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Martin St. Louis 74.43 81 30 39 69 50.4% $5.625M Rick Nash 73.50 65 26 13 39 54.2% $7.8M Derek Stepan 71.31 82 17 40 57 53.1% $3.075M Carl Hagelin 67.10 72 17 16 33 54.5% $2.25M Brad Richards 65.55 82 20 31 51 54.1% $6.667M Derek Dorsett 59.31 51 4 4 8 50.5% $1.633M Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Chris Kreider 72.68 66 17 20 37 55.2% RFA $1.325M Mats Zuccarello 72.45 77 19 40 59 53.8% RFA $1.15M Derick Brassard 67.31 81 18 27 45 53.5% RFA $53.2M Benoit Pouliot 65.59 80 15 21 36 53.8% UFA $1.3M Brian Boyle 64.97 82 6 12 18 46.9% UFA $1.7M Dominic Moore 62.10 73 6 12 18 55.2% UFA $1.0M Daniel Carcillo 62.08 57 4 1 5 50.5% UFA $825K Its pretty sweet when the reigning scoring champ insists on a trade to one team, and your team is the beneficiary, but the Rangers probably hoped for more than what they got from Martin St. Louis, who scored one goal and eight points in 19 games with the Blueshirts before a little better production (8 G, 7 A in 25 GP) in the postseason. St. Louis has a brilliant track record -- Joe Thornton is the only player with more points since 2003-2004 -- but St. Louis is also 39 and his production with the Rangers is a little troubling, with his shots on goal way down from earlier in the season in Tampa Bay. St. Louis is going into the final year of his contract, and may have more years left in him, but 0.85 points per game was St. Louis lowest rate since 2005-2006 and its not a given that a player in his late thirties will simply rebound offensively. After leading the NHL playoffs with 83 shots on goal, yet managing only three goals, Rick Nash came under heavy fire for his lack of production. And yet, over the past two seasons, no one gets shots on goal during 5-on-5 play at a higher rate than Nash and his goals/60 is also best in the league. Yes, it was a bad slump in the postseason but Nash, who just turned 30, has strong enough underlying numbers to believe he can still be a top goal-scorer. Derek Stepan got off to a slow start after signing a new contract shortly before the start of the regular season, but finished with 22 points in his last 23 regular season games. Hes a strong two-way player who hasnt missed a regular season game in four years (though he did miss one game after having his jaw broken in the playoffs). A winger whose speed puts pressure on opposing defences, Carl Hagelin is a strong puck possession player, who scored 33 points without netting a single point on the power play. He may not put up huge point totals because of the lack of power play time, but Hagelin creates chances at even strength. Technically, at this moment, Brad Richards is under contract to the Rangers for next season, but the most likely scenario involves Richards being bought out of his contract because his play has declined and there is no earthly way to believe that he can provide value on a contract that runs through 2020. While Derek Dorsetts calling card is his aggressive play -- he has 51 fights over the past four seasons -- hes also taken regular shifts in a defensive role, consistently starting more shifts in the defensive zone and surviving despite that tilted ice. Chris Kreider had a very strong rookie season, with strong possession stats, he showcased his game in the playoffs, scoring 13 points in 15 games once he returned from a broken hand. Kreider doesnt have top-tier finishing skill, but he has a rare combination of size and speed to create chances. It took some time for Mats Zuccarello to establish a regular role in the NHL, but he did last season, playing 77 games and leading the Rangers with 59 points. Zuccarello is short, but he doesnt shy away from physical play and has been high-end in terms of puck possession. Derick Brassard has been a valuable complementary forward for the Rangers, scoring 80 points with solid possession numbers in 129 (regular season plus playoff) games since he was acquired from Columbus. As a third-line centre with offensive upside, Brassard tends to get favourable matchups. There are definitely going to be holes to fill for the Rangers, with four unrestricted free agent forwards, and thats without counting Richards, so there will undoubtedly be some changes. Of all the unrestricted free agents, Dominic Moore may be the best bet to return. Moore was a reliable checker for the Rangers last season and played well in the postseason, so it shouldnt be difficult to find room for him on next years roster. Looking outside the roster, a trade for Joe Thornton -- who does have some history with Rick Nash -- would be a way to upgrade down the middle and keep the Rangers among the best teams in the Eastern Conference. It might require some financial maneuvering, but would also be worth the trouble. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Ryan McDonagh 75.65 77 14 29 43 51.1% $4.7M Dan Girardi 66.91 81 5 19 24 49.9% $5.5M Marc Staal 64.22 72 3 11 14 54.4% $3.975M Kevin Klein 58.44 77 2 7 9 46.5% $2.9M Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Raphael Diaz 63.21 63 2 13 15 49.7% UFA $1.225M Anton Stralman 62.74 81 1 12 13 56.5% UFA $1.7M John Moore 61.73 74 4 11 15 51.6% RFA $965K Justin Falk 55.54 21 0 2 2 45.2% RFA $975K Not only did Ryan McDonagh set career highs in goals (14) and assists (29), but he also did so while facing the oppositions best lines, starting more shifts in the defensive zone and still managed positive possession stats. The 25-year-old rising star is a terrific skater and can handle physical play. Often partnered with McDonagh, Dan Girardi is an interesting case. Hes something of an underdog story, undrafted out of junior, and only half a dozen defencemen had more combined hits and blocked shots last season than Girardis 365, so he isnt shy about sacrificing his body. However, his critics will note that others -- particularly McDonagh -- tend to fare better when playing without Girardi and cite hit and block totals as evidence that the puck is in the Rangers end too often when Girardi is on the ice. Maybe the solution is to find less demanding matchups for Girardi, because he has a six-year contract extension that kicks in next season, so hell likely be around a while. Mostly healthy last season, aside from suffering one concussion, Marc Staal had a solid season alongside Anton Stralman, though 20:31 average ice time per game was below his standard. As he gets more comfortable, and puts injuries further in the rearview, Staal could resume playing big minutes. Once he arrived in New York, in a trade for Michael Del Zotto, Kevin Klein was relegated to the third pair, so he didnt play as much as he had in Nashville, and while Kleins regular season was mediocre, he put up strong possession numbers in the playoffs. The question for the Rangers is whether its worth paying Klein at this rate to play as a third pair defenceman, or can he move up the depth chart, if necessary? 23-year-old John Moore hasnt yet risen above a third-pairing role, but hes been effective with that sheltered usage. There could be more opportunity for him to move up, depending on what happens with the rest of the Rangers defensive unit. A big stay-at-home defenceman, Justin Falk didnt play much in the 21 games that he did dress last season, so his future with the Rangers, or in the NHL, could be in doubt. Perhaps the biggest issue facing the Rangers defence is the pending unrestricted free agency of Anton Stralman, something of a hockey nomad who finally found his game in the past couple seasons, putting up elite-level possession stats while handling a top-four role on the Blueshirts blueline. Stralmans strong play may price him out of the Rangers range, so his departure would leave a hole that needs to be filled. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Henrik Lundqvist 77.88 63 33 24 5 2.36 .920 $8.5M Cam Talbot 76.24 21 12 6 1 1.64 .941 $563K Pretty much from the time he arrived in the NHL, in 2005-2006, Henrik Lundqvist has been among the top puck-stoppers in the game and though he struggled in the first half of last season, posting a .908 save percentage through the end of December, he was lights-out after that, right through the playoffs. Since they signed him to a seven-year contract extension, the Rangers had better hope that 32-year-old Lundqvist ages well. Undrafted out of Alabama-Huntsville, Cam Talbot had three-plus years in the AHL when he was summoned to New York after Martin Birons sudden early-season retirement. Talbot enjoyed a phenomenal year, one that he cant be expected to duplicate, but hes an inexpensive backup for Lundqvist. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats J.T. Miller RW Hartford (AHL) 15-28-43, +10, 41 GP Brady Skjei D Minnesota (Big 10) 6-8-14, +15, 40 GP Jesper Fast RW Hartford (AHL) 17-17-34, +14, 48 GP Conor Allen D Hartford (AHL) 6-25-31, -4, 72 GP Anthony Duclair LW Quebec (QMJHL) 50-49-99, +19, 59 GP Dylan McIlrath D Hartford (AHL) 6-11-17, +2, 62 GP Danny Kristo RW Hartford (AHL) 25-18-43, even, 65 GP Oscar Lindberg C Hartford (AHL) 18-26-44, +2, 75 GP Pavel Buchnevich LW Cherepovets Severstal (KHL) 7-11-18, -1, 40 GP Ryan Haggerty RW RPI (ECAC) 28-15-43, +7, 35 GP Mat Bodie D Union (ECAC) 8-31-39, +28, 40 GP Mackenzie Skapski G Kootenay (WHL) 2.70 GAA, .916 SV%, 53 GP The 15th pick in the 2011 Draft, J.T. Miller has established that he can produce in the AHL, but has 10 points in 56 career NHL games and has taken some criticism from new coach Alain Vigneault. If he sticks around, Miller should have a good shot at a top-nine role next season. Picked 28th in 2012, Brady Skjei is a strong skating defensive defenceman who is still working on the offensive side of his game with the Golden Gophers. A sixth-round pick in 2010, Jesper Fast had a solid showing in his first season in North America, earning 11 games with the Rangers and impressing with his skating. If he gets stronger, improving his physical game, hell have a chance to make the jump soon. Signed as a free agent out of UMass-Amherst, Conor Allen was solid in his first pro campaign, solid enough to get a three-game look with the Rangers and the 24-year-old is as likely as any defenceman in the organization to get called up. Drafted in the third round last summer, Anthony Duclair erupted offensively last season, raising the ceiling on what he might be expected to become once he turns pro. If he can show that his 50-goal season wasnt a fluke, well, that offers interesting potential in the long term. Towering tough guy defenceman Dylan McIlrath was the 10th pick in 2010, and while hes not going to do anything flashy, hes a tough customer who scrapped with Flames heavyweight Brian McGrattan during his two-game trial in the NHL last season. Acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens, Danny Kristo is a fast winger who can score, but needs to get stronger if hes going to handle the rigors of NHL action. Picked up in a 2011 trade with Phoenix, Oscar Lindberg is a two-way centre that had a solid showing in his first North American season. It would not be a surprise to see him get some time in New York next year. A third-round pick last summer, Pavel Buchnevich is a skinny skilled winger who had a nice year on a poor team in the KHL. Theres no rush to get him to North America just yet. Signed as a free agent out of national-champion Union College, Mat Bodie is a puck mover who lacks ideal size, but is a good skater and passer who can play an offensive role. Taken in the sixth round last summer, Mackenzie Skapski has played well under a heavy workload over the past couple seasons in Kootenay. Rangers advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFTNo first-round pick. FREE AGENCY According to www.capgeek.com, the Rangers have approximately $54.0M committed to the 2014-2015 salary cap for 13 players. Check out my possible Rangers lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: One top nine forward, four more forwards, one top four defenceman, depth defencemen. What I said the Rangers needed last year: Two-three top nine forwards, depth defencemen. They added: Chris Kreider, Benoit Pouliot, Dominic Moore, Taylor Pyatt, Jesper Fast, Justin Falk. TRADE MARKET J.T. Miller, Kevin Klein, John Moore. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Air Jordan Discount . Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon; a brief, poor outing that served to highlight two trends that have developed this season. Cheap Jordan From China .C. Lions signed cornerback Dante Marsh to a contract extension on Friay and released receiver Paris Jackson. https://www.jordanchina.us/ . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins. Jordan China . Those cheers seemed more special this time because the captains run on Broadway could soon be over. The adoration surely sounded much nicer to Callahan than all the recent trade talk. Fake Jordan . The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled to arrive in Boston in time for a workout on Tuesday afternoon. Much of Mondays discussion focused on Bostons lineup considerations as the series progresses, specifically when the venue shifts to St.Heading into the second round series between the Boston and Montreal, the favoured Bruins were doing plenty of talking through the media to spur up the hatred. Now with the series tied at one after two exciting games in Boston and headed to what promises to be a raucous Bell Centre, the Canadiens jumped into the fray with some verbal barbs of their own on Monday. After being stonewalled by Canadiens goalie Carey Price in Game 1 - when he made 48 saves to help his team steal one with a 4-3 double overtime win - and then finding themselves down 3-1 halfway through the third period of Game 2, the Bruins scored three goals in 5:32 to take a 4-3 lead en route to a 5-3 win. Following the game, Bruins defenceman Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug told the media they believed theyve solved the Canadiens gold-medal winning netminder. "I think weve definitely noticed that when hes screened, hes looking low," said Hamilton who scored first in the three-goal outburst late in Game 2. "He gets really low, so it seems like we score a lot of goals up high when we have net front presence. I dont know if were really trying [to do that], but weve definitely noticed that. When we can get our shots through their defenceman – especially the ones trying to block it -- we have a really good chance of getting it in." "It seems like almost all of the goals so far have gone to the upper half of the net," added Krug. Following practice on Monday, the Canadiens were quick to brush the Bruins analysis of Price aside, with head coach Michel Therrien claiming it was just another example of his counterpart Claude Julien and the Bruins trying to get under the skin of an opposing goalie. Early in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, the Bruins scored frequently on the glove side of Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford and werent shy about telling the media that they were exposing Crawfords weakness. Ironically, Crawfords goalie coach then was current Montreal goalie coach Stephane Waite and Therrien believes the Bruins are playing the same mind games as the series switches to the Bell Centre. "Well we all remember last year and Stephane Waite remember it more than anyone else that they make the same comments when they went into the playoffs and the Stanley Cup final with the Chicago Blackhawks and talking about about Corey Crawford," Therrien pointed out Monday. "Thats part of their game and their thinking. They try to put pressure on the other team with the media." Price seemed to find Hamiltons and Krugs comments almost comical. He pointed out that shooting high through traffic in front of the net is a common objective of most teams and players. "Ive seen a lot of scouting reports on lots of goalies throughout the league and thats pretty much the scouting report on everybody," Price said. "Its the same for Tuukka [Rask], its the same for Ben Bishop and its the same for Corey Crawford. So its a pretty irrelevant comment I thought.dddddddddddd" Price was then asked if this was just another example of the Bruins trying to wage a verbal war through the media. "Sure. I dont know," Price said laughing. "I guess. But like I said, they can try it but its going to be no different. Like I said, thats essentially how most goals are scored this time of year in this league so thats essentially a generic comment." During Game 2, the Bruins took a bench minor due to Julien expressing his displeasure with some calls against his team and what he felt were a lack of calls against the Canadiens. When asked about his teams ability to rally for the win, the Bruins bench boss took what appeared to be a little jab at the officiating. "I think especially the way it happened - we had that tough second period and at the start of the third, they got that other power play goal, but the way we just battled back through, I felt, a lot of crap that we put up with today, was pretty indicative of what our teams all about," Julien said. "It just shows that if you focus on the things you need to focus on, theres a pretty good team that can accomplish a lot." The crap part didnt go unnoticed by Therrien and on Monday he called his counterpart out. "Its the same thing with Claude. Hes not happy with all that ‘crap," he said. "I thought they got away with a lot of things as far as Im concerned, but they try and influence referees. Thats the way they are. Thats not going to change. Thats the way they like to do their things. But for us, were not paying attention to those things. We all know what theyre trying to do but it doesnt affect us at all." Therrien went on to say his team isnt going to focus on more retaliation through the media but rather to stay focused on their game plan on the ice. "We want to play hard and honestly we all understand the discipline is really crucial," he said. "Whatever comments they make on us, Im not a coach thats going to start making comments the other way. Its never been my philosophy. I dont like that. They can say whatever they want. Its their choice. But we know what we have to do to get success." That may very well be true, but the Canadiens made it clear Monday that they also dont plan to let every verbal jab from the Bruins go unheeded. James Murphy is a freelance reporter who also writes for NHL.com, the Boston Herald and XNsports.com. He covered the Boston Bruins/NHL for last 11 seasons writing for ESPNBoston.com, ESPN.com, NHL.com, NESN.com, the Boston Metro, Insidehockey.com and Le Hockey Magazine. Murphy also currently hosts the radio show "Murphys Hockey Law" heard Saturdays 9-11 AM ET on Sirius/XM NHL Network Radio and 4-6 PM ET on Websportsmedia.com. In addition to that, he is a regular guest TSN 690 in Montreal and Sirius/XM NHL Network Radio as well as a hockey analyst on CTV Montreal. ' ' '