Rangers season preview

Well, the Rangers open Saturday night in Buffalo and unfortunately, this will be first time in three years that I will not have the Center Ice package. Just have to make some sacrifices right now. I hope it doesn't take away from my feeling toward the team or excitement about the season. So I guess I will be relying on the radio feed and my a black market video site if I can find one.

Anyway, I'm feeling okay about this team, not too great, not too bad. Here are 5 positives and 5 negatives I saw from this offseason and looking ahead. Starting with the good.

1) Signing Alex Frolov. All of last seaosn, the Rangers struggled to find goal scorers aside from Marian Gaborik. And they signed a very talented, but enigmatic sniper to a 1 year deal for just $3 million. A very worthwhile risk to take.

2) Derek Stepan makes the roster. I am so excited to watch this 20-year-old kid play in New York. He was the captain of the USA juniors team that upset Canada for the title, a huge feat. And on a team that does not ahve a top-flight center, I hope this kid can take steps towards fulfilling that gap.

3) Wade Redden is playing in Hartford!

4) The continued emergence of Michael Del Zotto as the QB of the power play. With his rookie year behind him, he does have to learn to position himself better on defense. A defenseman with a +/- rating of -20 needs to be improved upon.

5) Henrik Lundqvist. The best goalie in hockey. And they finally have a legit backup in Marty Biron.

The bad

1) Lack of a top centerman. This is a division with Travis Zajac, Mike Richards, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and John Taveras. The Rangers are planning to start the year with Erik Christiansen as their top center between Gaborik and Frolov. This guy plays great for two games and then disappears for four. I wish Tortorella would give Artem Anisimov a shot there for more than two games!

2) Who will clear the crease? Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko were both sent to Hartford and they were two of the more physical d-men in camp. This team has to protect Hank and not let other teams run into him. The lack of reacting just shows a lack of team toughness.

3) The division keeps getting better. Paul Martin and Mike Comrie to Pittsburgh, Nik Zherdev to Philly, Ilya Kovalchuk to NJ. At least the Islanders have their cuppycakes...

4) Home ice. Last season, the Rangers were 18-17-6 at Madison Square Garden, 25th overall in the NHL. It is time to make the Garden a building that other teams dread playing in.

5) Glen Sather is still employed.

Realistically, I think this team can make the playoffs, but they're still in that place where I cannot see them getting past the second round. I will say 3rd place in the Atlantic, the 7th seed in the East, and out in the first round of the playoffs.