head coach: Colin Campbell

roster: C - Wayne Gretzky, Mike Eastwood, Brian Skrudland, Chris Ferraro, Christian Dube. LW - Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Niklas Sundstrom, Darren Langdon, Bill Berg, Mike Peluso. RW - Russ Courtnall*, Alexei Kovalev, Pat Flatley*, Mike Keane, Shane Churla, Ryan VandenBussche*. D - Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce Driver, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Eric Cairns, Jeff Finley. G - Mike Richter, Rob Stauber.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: 07/07 - Signed free agent center Brian Skrudland (Florida) to a three-year, $5 million contract; signed free agent right wing Mike Keane (Colorado) to a four-year contract. 08/05 - Agreed to terms with free-agent forward Darren Langdon. 08/06 - Agreed to terms with left wing Mike Peluso; signed center Joe Sakic to an offer sheet. 08/08 - Traded their fourth-round draft pick in the 1998 Entry Draft to the Carolina Hurricanes for goaltender Jason Muzzatti. 08/12 - Agreed to terms with defenseman Doug Lidster. 08/14 - Named Craig MacTavish assistant coach. 08/19 - Signed defenseman Dale Purinton. 08/20 - Agreed to terms with defenseman Alexei Vasiliev. 08/21 - Signed forward Johan Lindbom. 08/25 - Signed defenseman Jeff Brown. 08/26 - Agreed to terms with free-agent defenseman Brent Thompson. 08/27 - Signed left wing Pierre Sevigny. 08/28 - Acquired left wing Kevin Stevens from the Los Angeles Kings for left wing Luc Robitaille. 09/02 - Agreed to terms with forwards Sylvain Blouin and Ken Gernander. 09/03 - Signed free-agent goaltender Robb Stauber and forward P.J. Stock. 09/04 - Agreed to terms on new contracts with assistant coaches Dick Todd and Bill Moores. 09/08 - Agreed to terms with defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev; named John Paddock director of professional scouting and Martin Madden, Jr. to the scouting staff. 09/09 - Agreed to terms with free-agent forward Alexei Kovalev. 09/11 - Signed free-agent left wing Tim Sweeney, who had been with the Boston Bruins.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:
OVERALL      38-34-10
 HOME         21-14-6
 ROAD         17-20-4
 POINTS:             86  (8th)
GOALS SCORED:      258  (4th)
GOALS AGAINST:     231 (10th)
POWER PLAY:      22.0%  (1st)
PENALTY KILLING: 79.9% (25th)

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
9/14 at Montreal        L 4-2

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

RANGERS LOOKING FOR HELP

It's been a rough off-season for the Rangers. First Mark Messier bails on them, and then their bid to land Joe Sakic comes up empty. The Blueshirts are still scrambling to recover. There's been rumors of them taking a run at restricted free agents Sergei Fedorov, Mike Modano, or Paul Kariya, or even swinging a trade with Buffalo for Pat LaFontaine. No one knows exactly what deal will be made. But make no mistake, GM Neil Smith will do something.

OFFENSE: No More Messier

Messier's departure obviously creates an enormous void on the New York roster. His status as the best leader in hockey has to come into question since he did rabbit on his teammates, but there is still a leadership void that has to be addressed. Luckily, the club had signed free agents Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland shortly before Messier left town. Replacing Messier's intangibles will be hard, but Keane and Skrudland are a pretty good place to start. Both guys are former captains that have won Stanley Cups. They'll bring a definite presence to the room.

While Keane and Skrudland can pick up the leadership slack, the Rangers still have to find someone to make up for the 30 or 40 goals Messier scored. Until a big name can get traded for or signed, most of that missing offense will have to be supplied by Alexei Kovalev. The Rangers have showed unbelievable patience in waiting for this guy to become a superstar, now's the time for him to say thank you. Kovalev missed most of last season with a knee injury, but should be good to go at the start of the season. He is easily one of the most skilled players in the league and needs to assert himself on the scoresheet. A 40-goal season from Kovalev is almost a necessity.

Of course, the Rangers will still have Wayne Gretzky around to carry most of the load. A 30-goal effort from the Great One to go along with his usual assist-per-game would be a nice bonus. Gretzky spent most of last season centering Nicklas Sundstrom and Luc Robitaille. Sundstrom is only 22, but has already cemented himself as one of the game's best defensive forwards. As for Robitaille, he was traded back to L.A. to acquire good ol' Kevin Stevens. Artie, as Stevens is known to his friends, was once a member of the vaunted "Option Line" in Pittsburgh with Mark Recchi and LCS hero, and the idol of millions from eight to eighty, Johnny Cullen. From there he went on to post four straight 40-goal seasons, including back-to-back 50-goal efforts in 1991-92 and 1992-93, and help lead the Penguins to two consecutive Stanley Cups. During the first few years of the 90s, Stevens was the premier power forward in the game. Recently he's bounced around with Boston and Los Angeles without doing a whole lot of anything, but he still has all the tools to regain his once lofty perch among the NHL's elite. He has one of the best shot releases in all of hockey. Put him on a line with Gretzky and he'll just sit and grin, and the goals will roll right in.

Messier spent most of his time last season centering Adam Graves and Esa Tikkanen. Well, Tikkanen also left over the summer, signing with the Florida Panthers. Graves could play the middle, but when he does it's usually in a checking role, or he could stay on the wing. But if he stays on the wing, then the Rangers definitely have to go get a second-line center from somewhere. Mike Eastwood could fill in, but he is by no means a scorer. He is a good checking center, tho'. Russ Courtnall can play the right side on the second line and add speed to complement Graves' grit. The club's been experimenting at camp with a checking line of Skrudland between Keane and Bill Berg. And of course Sundstrom can also play the middle. So if it's one thing the Rangers don't need, it's a defensive center, since they're pretty much stacked with candidates for that job in Eastwood, Skrudland, Graves, and Sundstrom. What they do need is a center that can score. Pat LaFontaine, we're looking in your direction...

Toughness up front will be provided by Shane Churla, Darren Langdon, and perhaps Ryan Vandenbussche, who scored a scary knockout over Nick Kypreos during exhibition play. The club also acquired Mike Peluso from St. Louis for future considerations to add yet another physical presence. At least the Blueshirts won't get pushed around. What they need, tho', is someone to punch the puck in the net. There is some potential talent in Chris and Peter Ferraro, Daniel Goneau, Vladimir Vorobiev, Christian Dube, and Marc Savard, but most of them are on the small side. Although, Savard may win himself a spot on the roster thanks to a strong camp.

DEFENSE:Leetch Leads Solid Group

While the forward ranks could still use one or two scorers, the blue line is solid. Brian Leetch and Jeff Beukeboom make up the club's top pair and are as good as it gets. They've been playing together forever and compliment each other perfectly. Leetch has all the offensive skills and Beukeboom is the perfect stay-at- home guy that is also just flat out mean.

The second pair features Ulf Samuelsson and Alexander Karpovtsev. Samuelsson has taken a beating over his 13-year career, but he still comes to play every night. Karpovtsev isn't as well known, be he's a damn fine defenseman in his own right. He's got great size, plays physical, and can also handle one of the points on the second power-play unit.

Veterans Bruce Driver and Doug Lidster make up the third pair. Both are mobile skaters with good skills. Driver usually mans the point with Leetch on the first power play. The club lost Dallas Eakins to free agency, but signed Jeff Finley and Brent Thompson to help add depth. Big 6'6" Eric Cairns is also still around.

GOALTENDING: Healy Split

The Rangers suffered another significant free-agent loss when backup goaltender Glenn Healy skipped town for Toronto. That means Mike Richter might have to go more than the 61 games he played last season. The club acquired former Whale Jason Muzzatti to serve as Richter's apprentice. Muzzatti flops around more than a chimp on ether. He's not exactly a lock to hold the job. Former 1994 first-rounder Dan Cloutier could challenge him.

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* The club still has a strong core with Gretzky, Graves, Leetch, and Richter.

* Keane and Skrudland are excellent leaders and penalty-killers.

* The blue line is rock solid one through six.

TROUBLE

* Team desperately needs a second-line center that can score.

* Losing Messier could have an adverse effect on the team's morale.

* Healy's departure puts the goaltending situation into some question.

1997-98 OUTLOOK: As long as the Rangers can find a scoring center to anchor the second line, they'll be just fine. There's still plenty of character veterans on the team, the defense is excellent, they're packed solid with toughness, and Richter is a superstar in net. Plus, Stevens and Kovalev could have big comeback years.

PREDICTION: Fourth in the Atlantic and once again in the playoffs.

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