The Maven Responds (5/6)
How Rangers fit in
Posted on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 2:00 PMChris Levey: How's it going, Stan? I was curious if you knew anything about what's going to happen with guys like Colton Orr, Sean Avery and Blair Betts whose primary goal isn't scoring? It seems as though Tortorella wants to make this a sniper team. Any idea where it's all going for next season?
The Maven Responds: Dear Chris Levey – You raise very cogent points. Let's start with Colton Orr. He matured under Tom Renney and saw plenty of ice then. That changed under John Tortorella. If Renney had stayed, Orr would definitely be back for next season. Now he's iffy. The question is this: Would you rather have a fighter with limited offensive ability or a young stud like Artem Anisimov who'll guarantee you goals? I'd take Artem; although it's not an easy call because grit is needed, and it could be found in Chris Neil, an unrestricted free agent who can score.
As for Avery, I noted in an earlier blog that his scoring potential has not been fully tapped. Torts will have him concentrate on offense and limit the verbiage, which foes are learning to handle. Sean's goal-getting best is yet to come.
Betts' value is manifold. He should be back in his penalty-killing role where he's always a shorthanded scoring threat. Tortorella understands that not everyone on an offense-oriented team has to score. That's why I see the latter pair as sure-things with Orr in the "iffy" category.
Sincerely,
The Maven
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