Rangers Making Moves

Added by Joe Clewell on February 4, 2013.

After an impressive road victory, their 1^st of the season on Saturday night against the Lightening in Tampa Bay, Glen Sather today made a few bold moves. His first move was trading Enforcer Mike Rupp to the Minnesota Wild for 27 year old Darroll Powe and 23 year old Nick Palmieri.  In another move the Rangers sent Benn Ferriero back down to the the Whale and called up talented youngster JT Miller and the very strong and physical Brandon Mashinter. Here is a quick look at the players involved in these moves:

Darroll Powe: the 27 year old Right Winger is 5’11” and 201 lbs. Last season he was second in the NHL with 91 blocked shots and should help the Rangers struggling PK unit and slide in on the fourth line.

Nick Palmieri: the 23 year old Right Winger stands 6’3” tall and weighs in at 230lbs. He was originally a 3^rd round Draft pick of the New Jersey Devils before being traded to the  Minnesota Wild in February of 2012. Plamieri has bounced around from the AHL to the NHL over the last 3 seasons. In 87 NHL games, he has 13 goals and 12 assists. He is said to possess the skills complimentary forward in the NHL, but he doesn’t mind doing the grunt work for his line mates. Has a quick release on his shot, likes to drive to the net, and knows how to use his large frame. His downside is that he is not very quick and his inconsistency is the reason he has had trouble staying in the NHL.

JT Miller: The 19 year old stand at 6’1” and weighs in at 198 lbs. Miller was the Rangers 1^st pick (15^th overall) in the 2011 draft. Miller is an excellent 2 way player with some offensive talent and plays very well in the physical areas along the boards and in front of the net. The big question is whether or not Miller is ready to play in the NHL. The Rangers have 6 games to figure it out before they burn a year on his ELC (entry level contract).

Brandon Mashinter: the 24 year old stands at 6’4” and weighs in at 235lbs. The Left Winger was un-drafted but signed with the San Jose Sharks in March of 2009. He was acquired by the Rangers in a trade on January 16, 2013. Mashinter is a very physical and gritty player  who needs to utilize his size in front of the net screening the goaltender. If he is going to score any goals, they  are going to come off of rebounds in front of the net. He will most likely slide in on the 4^th line as a checking forward and filling the physical void the Rangers are lacking with the departure of Rupp.

These moves by the Rangers may not be “headline” making moves; instead they are smaller level moves being made to try and help this team in the areas they are having issues. Rupp was somewhat of a fan favorite after scoring 2 goals in the Winter Classic and for shoving Martin Brodeur in the East Conference Final.  Rupp has noticeably lost a step or two, and has not been able to hold his own in the few fights he has had this year with younger players. The fact that Sather was able to move the 34 year old Rupp for 2 younger players shows that Sather knew Rupp was not in his long term plans and that he is looking at the present and future of the Rangers organization. Miller, Mashinter and Powe should all be in the line up tomorrow night when the Rangers take on the Devils for the first time since the Devils eliminated them from the Stanley Cup playoffs last season.

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