Postulation in the space between

So, great preseason, yeah?  1-5, outscored 22-9?  Whatever, it's the preseason; let's wait until next week, when we've been outscored 22-9 in the regular season, to be upset.

The Rangers will announce their final training camp cuts tomorrow, in anticipation of the deadline Monday at 3 PM, by which time they must be at or under 23.  By all indications (again, based on the airtight reliability of Twitter), it sounds like they'll be cutting down enough to leave Callahan and Hagelin among the active players.  Between that and the signing of Stepan (for almost exactly what the Rangers had been offering this whole time, by the way), Vigneault will have to make quite a few more cuts than I anticipated.  20 dress per night, and if Callahan and Hagelin are 2 more under the 23, that leaves room for only 1 more, likely a 7th defenseman.  From the current 20 forwards and 9 defensemen, then, it sounds like Vigneault may cut as many as 6 up front and 2 on the blue line tomorrow.  So, who?

It seems pretty likely that Boyle, Brassard, Moore, Nash, Pouliot, Richards, Stepan, and Zuccarello make the cut.  Given the way Miller's played, including last night's team-wide Frozen Fury Failure, he's got to make the list as well.  It's harder to be sure of this, but Dorsett's probably also looked good enough to stick around.  That leaves 2 spots open for: Asham, Fast, Hrivik, Kreider, Lindberg, Mashinter, Powe, and Pyatt.  Fast, Hrivik, Lindberg, and Mashinter almost certainly get cut, but it's hard to guess at the other two.  Regardless, it seems like they're the two that would sit if Callahan and Hagelin came back immediately.

In the back, obviously, Del Zotto, Girardi, McDonagh, Moore, and Staal are starters, and unfortunately, so is Stralman (though he's been outplayed by others).  So, the 7th D spot is left to one of Allen, Bickel, and Falk.  To me, Allen has clearly outplayed the other two, but he's also the 23-year-old who would benefit from regular play time in Hartford.  Personally, I'd give him the 6th spot in Stralman's stead and see what happened, but that's unlikely, and it seems like a waste to have Allen on the NHL squad to sit on the bench every night - much like Cam Talbot, who outplayed Biron in camp, but who was ultimately sent down to the Wolfpack to get regular play.  Discounting Allen, Falk should get the #7 spot over Bickel.

That's all I've got.  Tomorrow, we'll see why I'm an idiot.  Bye!