The Rangers have undoubtedly done a good thing by signing Alexander Frolov. Where Frolov goes, he generally tends to win things. In international play he has won five medals with the Russian national team. This includes his World Junior championship gold medal, and also a world championship gold medal from a year ago.
For seven years, interrupted only by a stint back in Russia during the 2004 NHL lockout, he has been a faithful servant of the Los Angeles Kings hockey club. During his tenure with the Kings, he has scored 168 goals and 213 assists for 381 points in 536 matches. This translates to roughly a goal every three games and nearly a point a game (.71).
Shortly after the deal on July 27th, there was a Stanley Cup match from this Spring on television. I watched Frolov play several shifts. His intensity level seemed to be quite high. Frolov wasn’t shy about hitting, and also set up a goal with a one-time pass from the side of the net. Effort, execution, and desire don’t seem to be problems for Frolov, which is good as Ranger’s coach John Tortorella will consistently demand it of him.
On the negative side:
1. Frolov has only signed for one year, admittedly to increase his bargaining position with NHL clubs. The Rangers are a club desperately searching for consistency and continuity.
2. For an organization that insists that they are building through youth, signing a 28 year old free agent to fill a gap that could be filled by one of the Rangers’ promising young farmhands at Hartford, doesn’t exactly demonstrate confidence in the club’s young prospects.
We keep hearing about how Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Chris Kreider, Ryan Bourque, and Evgeny Grachev among other prospects in the Rangers’ organization are going to be stars. Going to be.
During an NHL on NBC intermission analysis presented by Mike Milbury and Pierre Mcguire, Mcguire said something like ‘…the future looks bright for the New York Rangers..’ to which Milbury contended along the lines of ‘…great, then I’ll buy tickets to the future.’
When is the future going to be now for the New York Rangers?
