Rangers Re-Sign Potter, More D Moves to Come?

The New York Rangers have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Corey Potter. Although Glen Sather decided to almost always carry six blueliners on the roster last season, Potter was essentially their number seven- waiting in Hartford beside a phone for whenever he was needed in New York. Potter, 25, played in five games for the Blueshirts and registered a goal and an assist. In AAA, he led the Wolf Pack as an alternate captain and contributed ten goals and twenty-two assists in sixty-seven games.

Potter will be part of a crowded group of defenseman in training camp looking to secure a spot with the Rangers. Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Marc Staal, and Dan Girardi (unless any are traded) will definitely be on the final roster. The fifth defenseman will probably be either Matt Gilroy or Bobby Sanguinetti, whichever rookie impresses the most during camp and the preseason. The other will continue to develop in Hartford, and would be called up in case of any injuries.

New York will probably look for a low-budget veteran who can play the powerplay point to fill its sixth defenseman hole. They have been talking with Derek Morris's agent, but Morris should be demanding around the $3.95 million he made last year, and I highly doubt the Rangers will want to pay that.

A possible option to replace Morris is the soon to be 39 year-old Sergei Zubov. The longtime Star looks to be leaving Dallas after an injury-plagued season which saw him play only ten games. It is believed that Zubov will be fully healthy by the start of next season after coming off of a season-ending surgery in January for chronic hip problems. His age and recent injuries should drive his price down, and the Rangers are rumored to be very interested in him. Zubov can provide a veteran presence and scoring ability, although nobody should expect him to play like he did for the Blueshirts in the 1994 playoffs with nineteen points in twenty-two games. As long as Zubov is truly healthy, it can't hurt for New York to sign him to a low-price 1-year contract.

And now...back to Corey Potter. Most likely, he will once again be the Rangers seventh defenseman, but this time on the actual roster and get more playing time. Potter showed last season that he can handle the NHL, and continued to develop his skills in the AHL. His current competition is basically only Michael Sauer-who is more of a physical player than Potter, but has lesser scoring ability, NHL readiness, and maturity. Sauer has a lot of upside, but is not yet NHL ready- an opinion John Tortorella has appeared to support.

Rangers Notes:

New York has announced its 2009 preseason schedule:

Sept. 15 VS Bruins, 7 PM
Sept. 16 @ Devils 7 PM
Sept. 18 @ Red Wings, 7:30 PM
Sept. 19 @ Bruins, 4 PM
Sept. 21 VS Red Wings, 7 PM
Sept. 24 VS Capitals, 7 PM
Sept. 27 @ Capitals, Noon