Steve Zipay at Newsday says the Rangers youth movement has apparently been stalled…
“Before the Rangers left for Europe to conclude their preseason schedule, coach John Tortorella stressed that he wants to continue adding young talent to the roster and would be disappointed if that didn’t happen. Now, six days before the team’s regular-season opener in Stockholm against the Kings, that infusion has been delayed.”
…funny how I said the exact thing was going to happen when the Rangers signed Richards. I guess when you’re in win-now mode having players like Erik Christensen and Stu Bickel on the roster are more important than Ryan Bourque and Tim Erixon.
Torts had this to say about why the kids were sent down to the CT Whale…
“I think he has a bright future,” Tortorella said of Erixon, 20. “I know everybody talked about him stepping in and playing but that’s a very difficult thing to do in the NHL, especially on defense. The most important thing is getting him playing immediately, getting him used to the North American style. We want him to follow Ryan McDonagh [who spent the first half of last season in the AHL before being recalled and blossoming into a top-four defenseman] . . . Hagelin and Bourque, they need to go and play. Weise, he had an even better camp this year than last. He’ll probably get some games in along the way.”
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