When 19-year-old Michael Del Zotto broke into the NHL as the New York Rangers' youngest defenseman to ever open a season in 2009, many had hoped that he would be the one to fill the void left by Brian Leetch's departure in 2004.
He hasn't. Yet.
With Glen Sather currently playing hardball with Del Zotto regarding his first NHL contract beyond his entry-level deal, it's tough to tell if Slats still believes DZ is the guy to fill that hole in the lineup. And let's get one thing straight—it most certainly is a gaping hole.
The Rangers' defense has gotten one thing down: playing good defense. Well, that's just fantastic, but in hockey, you also have to put the puck in the other team's net. Obviously, the Rangers' defensive corps missed the memo.
All joking aside, the reason this team doesn't receive a strong offensive contribution from their defense is because they lack the skill. That being said, there is one exception, and that's Del Zotto.
He possesses top-notch vision and sublime passing skills to go along with it. He also has a solid slapper and excellent hockey sense. These attributes h ...
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Article written by Andrew Capitelli
Michael Del Zotto: Why the Rangers Need to Get Him Under Contract ASAP
October 23rd, 2012 by Andrew Capitelli Leave a reply »
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