Don’t get me wrong, I love the trade of Michal Rozsival for Wojtek Wolski. But for a while now, Ranger fans have been relatively unkind (understatement) to the veteran defenseman. There was some logic there, as Rozsival was being paid $5 million and wasn’t contributed offensively the way he should be. He was also prone to making big mistakes in his own zone, and seemed gun shy on the point on the powerplay. However, what many fans overlook is that Rozsival averaged 20 minutes per game for the entirety of his stay on Broadway. Playing 20 minutes a game means playing on the powerplay, penalty kill, and at even strength, and doing so with enough consistency that the coaching staff doesn’t deem him a liability.
In the game against St. Louis, the last game without Rozsival that the Rangers played, the time on ice differential was staggering. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi each played over 25 minutes. Steve Eminger got in 20 minutes. Michael Sauer played just under 1...
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