Rink Rap | A New York Rangers Podcast from Forever Blueshirts

Forever Blueshirts
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Forever Blueshirts Radio and the Rink Rap podcast are where New York Rangers fans are ALL IN! Host Jim Cerny provides top-flight interviews, as well as seasoned insight from his 30 years covering the Rangers and NHL. Be sure to visit us online at www.foreverblueshirts.com or follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @4EverBlueshirts

  1. Rangers Fall to #5 in NHL Draft Lottery as Maple Leafs Steal #1 | Rink Rap LIVE from Mustang Harry's

    4D AGO

    Rangers Fall to #5 in NHL Draft Lottery as Maple Leafs Steal #1 | Rink Rap LIVE from Mustang Harry's

    Jim Cerny is live from Mustang Harry's in midtown Manhattan with Lou Orlando of Forever Blueshirts for instant reaction to the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery — and it didn't go the Rangers' way. Sitting on the third-best odds, the Blueshirts got leapfrogged twice as the Toronto Maple Leafs vaulted up to grab the No. 1 overall pick (saving Boston the Brandon Carlo trade pick in the process) and the San Jose Sharks landed No. 2. The Rangers slide all the way down to fifth. Jim and Lou break down what a top-five pick in a deep draft class actually means for a team that needs everything: Gavin McKenna goes to Toronto, Michael Misa or one of the top defensemen like Chase Reid and Jackson Smith become the realistic targets at five, and the conversation turns to whether Chris Drury should trade the pick for proven NHL talent — Brady Tkachuk, Jason Robertson, Pavel Dorofeyev, even a hypothetical Connor McDavid scenario after his frustrated end-of-season presser in Edmonton. Plus: where Will Cuylle really fits, the Braden Schneider trade fit in San Jose, and why "retool, not rebuild" isn't just semantics for James Dolan and the front office. #Rangers #NYR #NHLDraftLottery #RinkRap #ForeverBlueshirts #NHLDraft #LetsGoRangers Chapters:  00:00 — Live from Mustang Harry's, the lottery results are in 01:00 — How the balls fell: Rangers needed 9 or 14, got 12 03:00 — Toronto jumps to #1, saves Boston's Carlo pick 05:00 — The new top five: Rangers slide to fifth 07:30 — Lou Orlando joins the show 11:30 — Misa, Reid, and who could fall to five 17:00 — Did the final month soften the blow? 24:30 — Schneider to San Jose — does it still make sense? 27:30 — Retool vs. rebuild: why the word matters 38:00 — Drafting for need or best player available 45:00 — A pissed-off McDavid and what it could mean 49:00 — The Brady Tkachuk trade math 52:00 — Robertson and Dorofeyev as RFA targets 58:00 — Where Will Cuylle actually fits 1:01:30 — Lou's gut reaction to the lottery 1:06:00 — What to do with that second first-round pick 1:09:30 — Wrap-up from Mustang Harry's

    1h 11m
  2. Brady Tkachuk SHUTS DOWN Trade Rumors + Rangers Draft Lottery & Offseason Preview | Rink Rap

    APR 29

    Brady Tkachuk SHUTS DOWN Trade Rumors + Rangers Draft Lottery & Offseason Preview | Rink Rap

    Brady Tkachuk spoke to the media in Ottawa — and he didn't hold back. Murray Pam of Hockey Hot Stove joins us live from the arena, straight out of the press conference, to break down exactly what Tkachuk said and what his body language told the room. Spoiler: he's frustrated, he's committed, and he's tired of being asked. Then we pivot to the New York Rangers offseason — the NHL Draft Lottery is just days away (Tuesday, May 5), and the Rangers hold an 11.5% chance at the #1 overall pick with a guaranteed top-5 selection. We break down what that means for the rebuild, how the roster looks right now, what Mike Sullivan said at breakup day, and who the key players are in the bottom-six development race. Plus: GM moves around the league — Toronto eyeing John Chayka and Mats Sundin, Sunny Mehta named New Jersey's new GM, and former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton talks about the 2018 rebuild, Jim Dolan's vision, and how he found out he was fired. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview  01:00 – BREAKING: Brady Tkachuk Press Conference (w/ Murray Pam, Hockey Hot Stove)  18:05 – Segment 2 Intro: Rangers Offseason & Draft Lottery Preview  25:00 – NHL Draft Lottery: Rangers' Odds, Top Prospects & What's at Stake 32:00 – Rangers Roster Breakdown: Bottom-Six, Greentree, Aspinall, Cartier & More  42:00 – Free Agency Strategy & Pavel Dorofeyev as a Target  46:30 – GM Carousel: Toronto, New Jersey, Vancouver & Seattle  48:45 – Jeff Gorton on the 2018 Rangers Rebuild & Jim Dolan  51:00 – Closing & What's Coming Next Week (Hart Levine/Puckpedia)

    50 min
  3. Tkachuk Speaks: Murray Pam of Hockey Hot Stove Has Latest From Ottawa

    APR 29

    Tkachuk Speaks: Murray Pam of Hockey Hot Stove Has Latest From Ottawa

    Murray Pam joins straight from the rink to break down Brady Tkachuk's surprise Ottawa press conference — why he's fed up with trade rumors, his commitment to the Senators, and what the next 12 months could mean for his future.

    42 min
  4. Let's Talk Rangers Reset for 2026-27

    APR 29

    Let's Talk Rangers Reset for 2026-27

    Jim breaks down the Rangers' offseason priorities — the high-stakes May 5 Draft Lottery, the roster as it stands today, free agency strategy (including a Dorofeyev offer-sheet idea), and the latest on GM moves around the league.

    9 min
  5. Colin Stephenson on the Rangers' Offseason: Top Six Holes, Panarin Trade Fallout & What Comes Next

    APR 21

    Colin Stephenson on the Rangers' Offseason: Top Six Holes, Panarin Trade Fallout & What Comes Next

    Jim Cerny sits down with Newsday Rangers beat writer Colin Stephenson to break down a difficult season and look ahead to what could be a defining offseason for New York. The two dig into the gaping hole in the top six left by the Artemi Panarin trade, whether the Rangers have the pieces — or the assets — to fix it, and why the free agent market this summer won't bail them out. They also assess Mike Sullivan's first year behind the bench, the encouraging post-Olympic stretch from Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault, what to realistically expect from the prospect pipeline, the Mika Zibanejad bounce-back season, the injury toll on Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox, and what a Chris Drury retool actually looks like. Plus — should Vincent Trocheck be moved, and is Alex Tuch a realistic free agent target? 🎙️ Rink Rap is the New York Rangers podcast from Forever Blueshirts. 🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. Chapters: 0:00 — Intro & welcome to Colin Stephenson  3:56 — Rangers' top six problem: who replaces Panarin's production?  6:29 — Was trading Panarin always the plan — and why?  8:02 — JT Miller & the shift toward a grittier identity  26:14 — Lafreniere's breakout: sustainable or situational?  29:24 — Gabe Perreault: encouraging signs, but pump the brakes  30:00 — Sakura, Kamilash and keeping youth expectations in check  32:06 — Mike Sullivan's first season: the good, the bad, the verdict  43:57 — Vincent Trocheck: keep him or trade him?  48:17 — The Florida Panthers model and why skill still wins  50:51 — Chris Drury's roster-building philosophy: overcorrected on grit?  57:30 — Adam Fox injury concerns and the Igor Shesterkin health factor  01:01:46 — Cap space, free agency outlook and the Tuch/Radish UFA market  01:02:28 — Trade vs. free agency: the smarter path to upgrading the Rangers

    1h 6m
  6. [FULL EPISIODE] Jonathan Quick's Farewell, Rangers' Goaltending Future & the Trocheck Decision

    APR 14

    [FULL EPISIODE] Jonathan Quick's Farewell, Rangers' Goaltending Future & the Trocheck Decision

    im Cerny breaks down two of the biggest storylines heading into the Rangers offseason. First, he pays tribute to Jonathan Quick, who announced his retirement after 18 NHL seasons — reflecting on the iconic send-off the Florida Panthers gave him after his final game, his legacy as a three-time Stanley Cup champion and probable Hall of Famer, and what his three years in New York meant to the organization on and off the ice. Jim also digs into what comes next between the pipes: the Dylan Gran question, the free agent backup market and how the Rangers' approach will signal exactly how much they trust their prospect. Then after the break, Jim turns to Vincent Trocheck — the elephant in the room. With a failed trade deadline move behind them, Jim examines Trocheck's body language, his reduced media presence, and why moving him this offseason is the right call for both sides. The Trocheck decision, Jim argues, is the linchpin of the entire Rangers retool. #NewYorkRangers #RinkRap #ForeverBlueshirts #JonathanQuick #VincentTrocheck #DylanGran #NHLOffseason Chapters: 0:00 — Jim opens the show, previews a two-topic episode and teases full offseason coverage ahead 1:35 — Jonathan Quick retirement announced; Jim reacts to Quick's final game and the Panthers' ice tribute 4:40 — Bobrovsky orchestrates the on-ice farewell; Jim on what "great appreciates great" really means 6:00 — Quick's legacy: 410 wins, three Cups, and a case for the Hockey Hall of Fame 7:37 — The 2023-24 season revisited — Quick at his best as a Ranger, and the role he played in Igor's mid-year reset 12:00 — This season's collapse; what Quick's decline exposed about the Rangers' backup situation 17:00 — Dylan Gran's playoff track record and the big question: is he ready to be the No. 2? 18:43 — Jim argues the Rangers must sign a veteran backup this offseason — Spencer Martin is not the answer 20:55 — Break preview: goaltender free agent options and the Trocheck situation coming up 23:02 — Back from break; Jim runs through the veteran backup market and no-name-but-solid options 25:15 — Kevin Maxwell returns to the Rangers as Director of Pro Scouting — congratulations and context 26:16 — Cam Talbot, Daniel Tarasov and the two-category framework for evaluating backup candidates 28:00 — The AHL route: Brandon Halverson, Caden Primo, Phoenix Copley and the training camp battle idea 32:40 — What signing a Rittich or Comrie over Gran would actually signal about the organization's plans 35:08 — The Matt Murray wildcard: the Sully factor, the injury history, and whether it's worth a camp invite 39:11 — Pivoting to Trocheck: Jim on the body language, the media absence and the failed trade deadline deal 41:27 — Why trading Trocheck this offseason is the right move — for the Rangers and for Vinnie himself 43:31 — Closing thoughts; Rangers wrap up Wednesday in Tampa, draft lottery odds, and what's ahead on Rink Rap

    45 min
  7. Quick's Farewell: The Legacy of a Ranger

    APR 14

    Quick's Farewell: The Legacy of a Ranger

    Jonathan Quick retires after 18 seasons; Jim reacts to the Panthers' on-ice tribute and reflects on what made Quick one of the most respected players in the league.

    23 min
  8. Who's Next in Goal + The Trocheck Decision

    APR 14

    Who's Next in Goal + The Trocheck Decision

    Dylan Gran's path to the NHL backup job is real, but Jim argues the Rangers can't hand it to him — they need competition, and the free agent market has options at every price point. Trocheck wasn't traded at the deadline, but all signs point to an offseason move. Jim breaks down the body language, the ice time, and why this is the most important decision of the Rangers' retool.

    22 min
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4.4
out of 5
45 Ratings

About

Forever Blueshirts Radio and the Rink Rap podcast are where New York Rangers fans are ALL IN! Host Jim Cerny provides top-flight interviews, as well as seasoned insight from his 30 years covering the Rangers and NHL. Be sure to visit us online at www.foreverblueshirts.com or follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @4EverBlueshirts

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