Gilroy Goes Down

Judging by the reactions of some people, you would think Matt Gilroy is the shining light and only hope of the Rangers, unfairly snuffed out in his prime by a cruel and uncaring John Tortorella. Gilroy was sent down to Hartford yesterday, with Ilkka Heikkinen taking his place, and immediately the pitchforks and torches were being gathered. People wondered why Gilroy was being "punished", why other players weren't being sent down.

Can we get real for a moment? Gilroy isn't being punished. Yes, this move probably had a lot to do with his play in the Chicago game - both standing around while Blackhawks crowded the crease on the first goal, and being burned by Dustin Byfuglien on the second - but that game was just the last straw. Gilroy was great in pre-season and more than solid in the first 10 games or so, but his play has declined since. Has he been awful? No, but he hasn't been good, either. He's had a couple of very good games, a couple of real stinkers, and many games where he was just okay. It's been pointed out that he's the only defenseman on the Rangers with a plus-rating - which we all knows is the be-all and end-all of stats (cue eyeroll) - but nobody seems to notice that since the beginning of November, he's had only 3 points and is a -4.

I could overlook the lack of offensive production if I thought it was because he was concentrating on bettering the defensive side of his game, but it's clear that that's becoming an issue, too. Yes, he's a rookie, and these are rookie mistakes he's making, but wouldn't it better benefit both him and the team if he could work on correcting them in an environment a little less high-pressure than the NHL? In the meantime, Heikkinen - a player who is more physical than Gilroy and has played in a professional league before - gets a chance to prove his worth. A player, by the way, who is the same age as Gilroy and also an NHL rookie.

Some of you might think, But what about the other D? They've been sucking it up, too. There's been grumbling about Tortorella and the lack of accountability, but what can he do? Send down Staal and Girardi? Yeah, that'd teach them a lesson, hold them real accountable when another team snatches them off waivers.

And no, sending Rozsival or Redden to the AHL is not an option, no matter what Larry Brooks thinks. Nevermind the fact that sending them down means we'd have to either a) sign or trade for a D to take their place, which would be hard to do with the Rangers up against the cap and their 50 contract limit; or b) bring up yet another rookie. People seem to be under the impression that the AHL is some kind of magical fairyland where bad mistakes can disappear forever with no consequences. Fact: the AHL actually does have a salary cap, too. Somewhere around $10 million, I believe, and either one of them would put Hartford over. Another fact: the AHL has a limit on the number of vets that can be dressed for a team, and Hartford is at that limit, too.

When it comes down to it, sending Gilroy down is the most sensible choice, both for the player and the team.

Rome wasn't built in a day

It always amazes me how impatient and bipolar Ranger fans are. (I've heard this is true of NY sports fans in general, but since hockey is the only sport I follow, my experience is limited to what I see there.) At the beginning of the season, people were planning the Cup parade, and now, with the team on a downward spiral, people are instead planning on a complete firesale of the team, wanting to get rid of everyone from Voros to Lundqvist to the coach. There never seems to be a middle ground.

I've said it once before and I'll say it again - this just might be a retooling year for the Rangers. I know that's not what fans want - they want to win it all and they want to win it NOW - but sometimes you need to take a step back to move forward. We have Gaborik and Lundqvist for several more years. We have a good core of young players. We have one of the best groups of prospects in the league. Would I like to see the Rangers win it all this year? Of course I would, but as long as the organization lets the kids develop, I'd be just as happy to see them win a few years down the line.

Somewhat relatedly, one of the complaints I see most often is about Tortorella, how he's not getting results, how he's already a failure as a coach because the team isn't winning. I have to wonder - do those people think he turned Tampa Bay into a championship team in one season? If I remember correctly, in his first year, they missed the playoffs and were one of the worst teams in the league. A few years later, they were raising the Cup.

I know some people will see this and think, 'Yeah, like that'll happen to the Rangers. The Bolts had Lecavalier, Richards, and St. Louis.' To that I say, exactly. That team had much more talent than the Rangers currently have, and it still took time before Tortorella could mold them into champions - and mold them he did, considering how young Richards and Lecavalier were, and that St. Louis was a little over one year into his NHL career. How can anyone reasonably expect him to do that in NY in less than a season?