Day: October 13, 2008

The Rangers finished their season last year, loaded with draft picks and prospects that they had developed. Lauri Korpikoski made his NHL debut in the final game, and joined Petr Prucha, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Nigel Dawes, Fedor Tyutin, Marc Staal, Ryan Hollweg and Henrik Lundqvist on a team that featured nine Rangers’ draft picks, and a tenth player (Dan Girardi).

Over the summer, Glen Sather took the opportunity to move a couple of those players, sending Hollweg to Toronto (draft pick) and Tyutin to Columbus (Zherdev trade), but still figured to have eight of those picks in the line-up come opening night thanks to the play of Korpikoski in the preseason.

The Rangers host the New Jersey Devils tonight (7:00pm – MSG) in their third game in four nights (they still have another three in the next five before they get four days off). Needless to say the Devils are keen to renew the rivalry after the Rangers went 11-1-1 and not losing a single game in regulation.

According to Steve Zipay and Sam Weinman, Dan Fritsche will make his Rangers debut tonight, with Patrick Rissmiller sitting due to an ankle injury.