Post by New York Rangers on Nov 8, 2021 14:43:57 GMT -6
2021/22 PFHL New York Rangers
This new PFHL venture has seen the New York Rangers hire new management. The following is a quick Q&A session with new GM Richter.
What brought you to the PFHL?
I guess it was the opportunity for a new challenge in this upstart league. It is always exciting and interesting to get in on the ground floor on any new venture. Looking forward to building some lasting relationships with my GM peers.
What qualifications do you bring to the GM role of the historic New York Rangers?
To this GM role I bring championship winning experience from just one year ago. I was able to form a team through dispersal, shepherd it through a challenging regular season, and then witness a dominant post season run culminating in a championship.
Although your GM experience is rather limited do you have a style or template for your team’s make up?
I don’t know if I have a particular style yet. If I reflect on my previous experience, I guess there are a few areas that will be important for a team of mine. Firstly, I place a great deal of importance on the Center position. I will always seek out players that combine scoring ability, face-off prowess, and defensive awareness. Brayden Point and Tomas Hertl cover that off and will anchor the top two lines.
Secondly, I place a great deal of importance on experienced D-men with solid defensive ability. The group assembled for the Rangers is stacked with leadership, experience, and defensive chops. Mark Giordano, Ryan Suter, Aaron Ekblad, and Alex Goligoski will comprise our top 4.
Lastly I believe my teams should have a balance of veterans and younger cost controlled RFA talent. I’m excited to have a trio of very good youngsters that will hopefully blossom into top tier PFHL players. Trevor Zegras, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Noah Dobson will be contributors to this Rangers team for many years to come. A benefit of these young top end talents is the re-rate options in the next 2 to 3 years.
How do foresee the start of this inaugural PFHL season going?
I honestly don’t know how things will start for this team. There is so much uncertainty with rosters league wide that it’ll take a little while for some questions to be answered. For my part I will give this roster a long leash before exploring the trade market. I’ve always been a deliberate and low volume trader so I don’t think that will change to start this year.
