Rink Rap | A New York Rangers Podcast from Forever Blueshirts

Jim Cerny is back from a week off and welcomes Dan D'Uva, the radio voice of the Vegas Golden Knights, for an in-depth look at the Pavel Dorofeyev trade. D'Uva breaks down why Vegas moved on from their leading goal scorer, what he brings to a Rangers lineup starved for scoring, how he compares to guys like Nikita Kucherov in adjusting to a new language and market, and whether he can produce without setups from Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Along the way, Jim and Dan swap stories about broadcast booths and arenas around the league (catwalks, gondolas, and the infamous Johnstown press box), and Dan reflects on growing up a Devils fan in Jersey, chasing Doc Emrick and Mike Miller with a tape recorder, and how the 1994 Rangers-Devils series shaped his hockey fandom.Chapters:00:00 – Cold open / intro 00:15 – Jim welcomes listeners back from vacation, brings on Dan Duva 00:48 – Dan Duva introduced, voice of the Vegas Golden Knights 01:02 – Jim's Canadian Rockies trip and the new Calgary arena 01:45 – Catwalk vs. no-catwalk broadcast booths 02:35 – Ranking arenas by broadcast position (Islanders, old vs. new buildings) 04:16 – Edmonton's gondola/press bridge that never got built 04:56 – T-Mobile Arena vs. Little Caesars Arena, hopes for new Calgary arena 04:57 (5:00ish) – Saddledome and the gondola view of warmups 05:31 – Johnstown, PA and the Slap Shot broadcast booth story 06:59 – Wrapping up the arena talk, back to hockey 07:12 – Dan's Jersey/Devils roots growing up in Nutley 08:22 – The 1994 Rangers-Devils series and Stefan Matteau/Seinfeld reference 09:11 – The '95 lockout and Devils' Stanley Cup win 09:39 – Broadcasting practice tapes as a teenager, Ridgewood high school hockey 10:22 – Pestering Devils broadcasters (Mike Miller, Randy Velischek, Chico Resch) 14:52 – Transition into the Pavel Dorofeyev trade discussion 15:36 – Did Duva see the trade coming / draft-day reaction 17:01 – Salary cap situation and why Vegas moved on from Dorofeyev 19:22 – Dorofeyev's power play production and Viktor Olofsson's arrival 21:16 – Playoff scoring surge and comparison to Brett Howden 23:33 – White House visit story and Dorofeyevs drive to be a champion 26:00 – Comparing Dorofeyev to Nikita Kucherov's English/language journey 30:00 – Ivan Barbashev's influence and personality contrast 33:00 – Igor Shesterkin comparison and "I don't speak English" bit 34:33 – What Dorofeyev brings on the power play and even strength 36:35 – Can Dorofeyev be trusted in all situations (Mike Sullivan's demands) 42:39 – John Tortorella's role in Dorofeev's late-season push 47:54 – Whether Dorofeyev needs elite setup men (Eichel/Marner) to produce 52:17 – Reily Smith's "buy stock in Dorofeyev" story 56:17 – Handling the pressure of a big Rangers contract and market 1:00:20 – Comparing Dorofeyev's stage experience to Jack Eichel's Vegas arrival 1:03:23 – Ryan Craig named new Golden Knights head coach, background 1:05:10 – John Tortorella's arrival in Vegas, building early rapport 1:07:00 – The Cape Cod/Maine connection that broke the ice with Tortorella 1:11:16 – What Tortorella hates: the "non-question question" 1:16:33 – How Tortorella made Duva a better interviewer, contrast with Bruce Cassidy 1:20:33 – Tortorella's return to MSG and the "family" story with Jim's son 1:23:24 – Carter Hart's relationship with Tortorella from Philadelphia 1:25:57 – Closing thanks and sign-off

Hart Levine, founder of PuckPedia, joins Jim Cerny on the Rink Rap podcast to break down the rapidly rising NHL salary cap, the evolving free-agency market, the real impact of offer sheets, and the New York Rangers’ critical upcoming decisions on Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, and Braden Schneider.They also dig into the Pavel Dorofeyev contract, why teams are shifting toward shorter deals, how the end of the flat-cap era is changing player leverage, and the danger of the “mushy middle” for the Rangers as they try to retool.If you care about Rangers cap strategy, NHL contracts, offer sheets, or the future of free agency, this is essential listening.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro0:48 – Hart Levine joins1:39 – Origin story of PuckPedia (2018)3:16 – How the site exploded after the competition folded5:38 – “Welcome to the league” moments & recognition from teams/agents11:22 – Wild offseason & free-agency trends with the rising cap16:41 – Offer sheets: Carlsson, Hayton, threats vs. actual deals21:00 – Rangers’ big decisions: Perreault, Cuylle, Schneider32:04 – Pavel Dorofeyev’s 7-year, $11M deal analyzed36:00 – Avoiding the mushy middle & Rangers’ path forwardSubscribe for more New York Rangers analysis, NHL cap talk, and interviews. Follow PuckPedia for the latest contract data and tools.

Russ Cohen of NHL Network Radio joins Rink Rap to break down the Rangers' prospect pipeline — his specialty — and doesn't hold back. Cohen explains why he thinks the Rangers "compromised down the middle" in the Vincent Trocheck trade, why he's not sold on Noah Laba as a third-line center replacement, and why center prospect Cole Beaudoin might be the best piece of the return package, even with Sean Durzi in the mix. He also digs into Alexis Lafreniere's evolution into a "different player," caps his ceiling at 60 points, makes the case for tempering expectations on Gabe Perreault despite his top-6 upside as a line driver and line builder, and previews top prospects Liam Greentree and Alberts Smits. Russ closes with his Metropolitan Division predictions for 2026-27.Chapters:00:00 — Intro 00:15 — Welcome & guest intro: Russ Cohen (Sportsology/NHL Network Radio 1:22 — Mets talk (off-topic tangent) 2:39 — Into the NHL offseason 2:52 — Jason Robertson's one-year deal with Dallas 7:03 — Flyers' offer sheet for Carlson & rising agent power 8:42 — Vincent Trocheck trade: Rangers "compromised down the middle" 10:51 — Can Noah Laba replace Trocheck at 3rd-line center? 12:35 — Trocheck return package: Sean Durzi & Cole Beaudoin 16:09 — Alexis Lafreniere's evolution & point ceiling 18:03 — The Gabe Perreault debate (Pronman vs. Wheeler) 31:18 — Rangers' prospect philosophy: character over skill 32:11 — Liam Greentree breakdown 33:27 — Alberts Smits breakdown 34:59 — Should Smits start in Hartford or the NHL? 39:05 — Metro Division parity & playoff picture 48:05 — Final Metro Division predictions 52:49 — Wrap-up & where to find Russ Cohen

Jim breaks down why the Rangers made the Miller trade, what it means now that he's a champion, and who New York should be eyeing with the fifth overall pick in next week's draft.