Giants Fit To Be Tied

Coming into their game against the Washington Commanders yesterday, the New York Giants had played four games: Two good, one bad and one ugly. Well now you now can add bizarre to that list. Because bizarre is the only description that fits this game.

It was a tale of two halves. In the first half, the Giants managed only 82 yards of total offense; Jameis Winston was 7/16 for 72 yards; and Dominic Zvada missed a 50-yard field goal attempt. New York trailed 12-3 at halftime.

Then in the second half, the Giants got their second wind. They put up 239 yards of total offense to the Commanders 173. Winston threw for 3 touchdowns, including the game-tying one to Malik Nabers with 1:43 left in regulation, and New York outscored Washington 24-15 to force overtime. 

In the OT, the Commanders won the coin toss and elected to have the Giants receive. The Jints took the ball down to the Washington 28, where Zvada missed a 46-yard field goal attempt; his third miss of the game. The Commanders then took over at their own 36, but managed only 13 yards before having to punt the ball back to the Giants.

With a new lease on life, the Giants again marched down the field with a mix of passing and rushing. They had the ball at the Washington 24 with 2 minutes left in OT. A field goal would've won the game. But after watching Zvada miss three field-goal attempts, Matt Naggy, wanted to pick up a few extra yards to help his kicker. He called a run play for Cam Skattebo. The last two plays, Skattebo picked up 14 yards. The Giants were hoping he'd pick up at least five. 

Unfortunately, he did the one thing you can't do in that situation; he fumbled the ball and the Commanders recovered it at their own 23. With 155 left, Washington now had a golden opportunity to win the game. And win it they almost did.

I say almost, because this is where things got truly bizarre. Jayden Daniels, who ran for two touchdowns on the day, completed passes to Terry McLaurin (16 yards) and Antonio Williams (6 yards) to get to his own 45. Daniels then scrambled down the right-side line for 16 yards and completed a pass to Treylon Burks for 13 yards to get to the New York 26 with 1:02 left. The Commanders then ran the ball off right tackle, I suppose, to put the ball at the right hashtag for their kicker.

There were 50 seconds left, with the clock running and the Commanders out of timeouts. All they had to do was spike the ball and kick the winning field goal. Instead, for some reason only they know, they elected to run another play. Daniels let the clock run down to 12 seconds before taking the snap. He dropped back like he was going to pass, then decided to run. By the time he was tackled there were only 8 seconds left, not nearly enough time for his players to get back to the line of scrimmage and for him to spike the football. Time had run out and, as improbable as it was,  the game ended in a 27-27 tie. 

Like I said, bizarre. 

On the one hand, the Giants were disappointed they didn't win; on the other hand, they were fortunate they didn't lose. It's not every week that a team commits that kind of malpractice. The last time something like this happened in a game that featured the Giants was on opening week of the 2022 season in Dallas. The Cowboys, like the Commanders, could't get back to the line of scrimmage in time to spike the ball and get their field-goal unit on before the clock ran out. It's also the first time since that same 2022 season that the Giants played to a tie, ironically against the Commanders at MetLife.

But while the Giants didn't win, they still had some incredible performances from some of their players. Winston continued his metamorphosis from the player everyone sweared at to the player everyone swears by. Overall, he was 33/54 for 326 yards with 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a QBR of 77.2. In his last two games, he's thrown for 576 yards with 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. If this is what the Giants envisioned when they signed him to an extension, mission accomplished. If nothing else, he's put to bed all the talk of J.J. McCarthy taking over the reigns. For the time being, this is his team. 

Nabers and Isaiah Likely were also exceptional. On a day when the running game couldn't get going, they combined for 22 receptions, 215 yards and 3 touchdowns. For the Giants to continue to succeed, they will need both of them to contribute.

And despite giving up some explosive plays, the defense played quite well. Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese each had nine tackles and a sack. Abdul Carter and Dru Phillips had five tackles a piece and combined for 3 sacks. As a unit, the Giants defense had a 2.14 average time to pressure against the Commanders; the fastest time for any team in a game this season. Over the last two games, Dennard Wilson really has this defense clicking.

All things being equal, I'd much rather be a Giants fan today than a Commanders fan. The Giants are in first place in the NFC East; the Commanders are in dead last. Neither team deserved to win and both probably deserved to lose. In a sense, it was a fitting end to the most bizarre game played in years.

Sometimes the football gods smile on you, sometimes they frown on you, and sometimes they just shrug their shoulders. 

Leon Lays Down the Law

There's one rule that supersedes all others when it comes to sales: you never negotiate against yourself. Case in point: a customer walks into a store to buy something but thinks the price is too high - What else is new? 

I'm going to lay out two scenarios for you.

Scenario one:

Customer: "What can you do for me on that price?"

Salesman: "I can save you twenty bucks."

Customer: "Still too much."

Salesman: "How about forty?"

Customer: "Sorry, still too much."

Salesman: "Well, how about sixty? That's a pretty good discount."

Customer: "Can I speak to your manager? Maybe he can give me a better price."

Scenario two:

Customer: "What can you do for me on that price?"

Salesman: "What do you mean? That's a great price."

Customer: "Too high."

Salesman: "Well, what are you looking to spend?"

Customer: "Less than what you're charging."

Salesman: "And that is?"

Customer: "Not sayin'."

Salesman: "Did you see it for less somewhere else? I'll match any legitimate price."

Customer: "No, I just know I can get it for cheaper."

Salesman: "Well, I really can't do anything on the price without knowing what you're willing to spend."

Now you may be thinking, what the fuck does this have to do with the negotiations between the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns? Everything.

That first scenario is basically a salesman negotiating against himself. Without any proof that the item was in fact cheaper elsewhere, he lowered the price, not once, not twice, but three times. And he still didn't get the sale. All that work, and in the end, his manager had to get involved to clean up the mess.

In the second scenario, we see a salesman who knows he made a fair offer, but is still willing to negotiate the price if the customer gives him proof that it's cheaper elsewhere. When the customer doesn't comply, the salesman ends the negotiation by putting the onus back on the customer where it belongs. 

Guess which salesman Leon Rose is? Granted, in this case Towns is not looking for a discount but rather an increase over the offer he received from Rose. But other than that, it's pretty much the same thing.

Towns is eligible for a max deal of $276 million; the Knicks offered him $185 million. They then up'd that offer to $200 million. The reason we know that is because the agency representing Towns leaked both offers. How do we know they leaked them? Because the one thing the Knicks and Rangers both have in common is that neither franchise airs its linen in public. If you know anything about James Dolan, he treats public statements from his employees the same way the Pentagon treats classified leaks. It's frowned upon. Indeed, the only time we ever see Rose and Chris Drury make public statements is when someone is hired or fired. Other than that, you never hear a peep out of them.

We also know that the leaks were from Towns' agent because we still don't know what they're looking for. All we keep hearing is that KAT is willing to take a discount from the $276 million he's eligible for, but like that customer in scenario one, we don't know how much of a discount.

And therein lies the problem. Ten days from the start of the regular season, Rose found himself at an impasse. His initial offer was rejected; he increased it and it was still rejected. How much higher does he have to go to get a yes? Ten million? Twenty million? You see the dilemma, right?

Only a lousy salesman would continue to negotiate against himself. And Rose is hardly a lousy salesman. Prior to becoming President of the Knicks, he was co-partner at CAA Sports, the very agency currently representing Towns. Indeed, Rose once repped Towns, along with other notable players like LeBron James. And Jessica Holtz, Towns' current agent, once worked for Rose. You think he doesn't know how this game is played? There isn't an I he hasn't dotted or a T he hasn't crossed in his career.  As I wrote in an earlier piece, he's forgotten more than most GMs - or agents for that matter - know. 

That's why I'm not that concerned that the Knicks have decided to "table" all contract extension talks until later in the season. That's Rose's way of letting Holtz know that he's not playing her game. If she isn't willing to let him know what number Towns is looking for, he's not going to guess what it might be. The offer is $200 million. Take it or leave it.

Holtz knows all this. She's not stupid. She's up against her former boss; the man who taught her everything she knows; the man who, despite what the numb nuts on social media keep saying, knows full well what he's doing. She no more wants to see Towns leave the Knicks than Rose does. Playing poker with a man who owns the deck is not a winning strategy. In fact, it can backfire badly.

That's why I still think this gets resolved by October 19, and for a number around $228 million. That comes out to $57 million per season; the exact salary Towns is making this season. And if it doesn't get resolved by then; if it ends up dragging into next summer and Towns insists on becoming the highest paid player in the NBA - Steph Curry currently holds that distinction at $62.5 million - then he can go play for the Brooklyn Nets next season. I'm sure Julius Randle would love that.

Wouldn't that be a hoot? The two players who were traded for one another landing on the same team.

Since the second apron was fully implemented by the NBA in the summer of 2024, only five teams have gone over it: the Boston Celtics (2024-25); the Cleveland Cavaliers (2025-26); the Denver Nuggets (2026-27); the Minnesota Timberwolves (2025-26); and the Phoenix Suns (2024-25 & 2025-26). Of those teams, only the Celtics have a championship to show for it. They subsequently unloaded several key players from their core. They are now $22.9 million under the second apron.

Leon Rose is trying to thread a needle. He would like nothing more than to keep his core together for another three years, but in order to do that - and still stay under the second apron - he has to stick to his budget. Karl-Anthony Towns wants to get paid what he thinks he's worth. There's nothing wrong with that. But if paying him what he wants means Rose would have to trade a Mikal Bridges, that doesn't make any sense. KAT may not want to hear that, but it doesn't make it any less true. 

The fact is the Knicks won the title last season because they had the best five-man starting rotation in the league. The only way they will win another is by keeping it intact.

Either they win together or they lose apart. It's that simple.

Rangers Turning Heads, Instead of Stomachs

It's early, I know, but there's something different about this New York Rangers team; something we haven't seen in quite some time. And no, it's not the 4-1 record. The Rangers have gotten off to good starts before. Two years ago, they got off to a 7-2-1 start. We all know what happened that season. 

No, the thing that's different about this Rangers team is HOW they're winning. After an opening night dud in Boston against the Bruins, in which they looked very much like last season's team, the Blueshirts have won four consecutive games, three in impressive fashion. They have yet to allow a goal in the first period.

The turnaround has been noticeable. While the Rangers rank 15th in the NHL in Corsi 5v5 shot attempts - no surprise given their history - they are second in team save percentage (.940) and first in team goals against average (1.60). They have the first and fourth best defensive pairings (Marcus Pettersson - Sean Dursi) and (Vladislav Gavrikov - Adam Fox); and the 6th and 7th best forward lines (Gabe Perrault - Mika Zibanejad - Alexis Lafreniere) and (Pavel Dorofeyev - J.T. Miller - Oliver Bjorkstrand).

As much as it pains me to admit it: Chris Drury did a much better job during the offseason than I gave him credit for. The acquisitions of Dorofeyev, Pettersson, Dursi and Bjorkstrand, along with Eeli Tolvanen and Alberts Smits (via the draft) have paid off handsomely. This team looks nothing like the bottom-feeder that was routinely booed off the ice by its fans last season. It's a much more cohesive unit. The forwards finish their checks; the defensemen rarely get caught pinching; the neutral zone coverage has been, for lack of a better term, exceptional; the penalty killers are aggressive in their checking; both power play units are getting good chances to score; and most importantly, they aren't relying on Igor Shesterkin to bail them out. While Shesterkin has been brilliant, he hasn't needed to be Super Man the way the team needed him to be in past seasons.

Case in point, Tuesday night's 5-2 win over the Islanders. Going into the third period, New York led 3-2. Normally, the Rangers would've gone into a shell and Igor would've been subjected to a barrage of shots. This time, however, the Blueshirts hunkered down. They limited the Isles to a measly 5 shots on goal the entire period. With 1:41 remaining in regulation, Zibanejad forced a neutral-zone turnover by Matthew Schaefer. Miller picked up the loose puck, skated into the Islanders zone and fed Lafreniere for the one timer into the empty net. Last season, Schaefer would've been allowed to skate into the Rangers zone to set up what would've been multiple scoring chances.

Lafreniere was clearly the best player on the ice for either team. He had a hat trick and assisted on Bjorkstrand's opening goal. I said going into the season that for the Rangers to be successful, Lafreniere was going to have to "deliver on his promise." And while I realize that two of his goals were empty netters, that doesn't detract from his level of play. Perrault is another player who has stood out so far. He has 2 goals and 2 assists this season. He's looked impressive on the first line with Zibanaejad and Lafreniere. 

The defensive pairings have, for the most part, been solid, and have given this team something it hasn't had in a long time: stability. The Rangers can finally get out of their own zone without being hemmed in for long stretches. Not only that, but because they've been so successful at controlling the puck along the boards, the Rangers are better able to gain the offensive zone and set up their forecheck.

If there is one area of concern, it's the lack of goal scoring from the bottom six. So far, only Tolvanen has lit the lamp, though to be fair, Will Cuylle and Tye Kartye have three and two assists respectively. Mike Sullivan has to find a way to get production from these two lines for the Rangers to continue to do well. With the injury to Joe Veleno, that's going to be a bit harder. 

The power play could use some work, too. Though it's generating chances, as I mentioned above, it isn't converting the way it needs to. It's currently 11th in the league; last season, it finished 4th. The penalty kill has been marginally better. It's currently 8th; last season, it was 13th. If Sullivan can get both into the top 5, this will be a very formidable team.

Like I said, it's still early. While there's a lot to like here, past Rangers teams have gotten off to good starts before, only to peter out as the season wore on. That 2024-25 team I mentioned above that got off to a 7-2-1 start, eventually finished 39-26-7.

Bottom line, if you're a Rangers fan, you're cautiously optimistic. But you also know you've seen this movie before. It never seems to end well.

Making Sense of the KAT, Hart Negotiations

With the start of the 2026-27 NBA season just two weeks away, the big story swirling around Madison Square Garden isn't whether the Knicks will repeat as champions, but whether they will be able to re-sign Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart to extensions. Both players, it should be pointed out, are currently under contract this season. To hear some people put it, the sky is falling.

At the risk of throwing cold water on the hypochondriacs out there, some of whom should know better, this is much ado about nothing. Don't get me wrong: Towns and Hart are essential to this team, and the Knicks should make every effort to re-sign both, if possible. No doubt Towns was not thrilled with the initial offer he received from Leon Rose. You gotta admit, $180 million over four years is pretty low. But as someone who spent a quarter century in sales, you never start out a negotiation with your best offer. Typically, both sides have their preferred number and eventually will meet somewhere in the middle. Remember, we don't know what Towns is looking for; all we know is that after this season, he has a $61 million player option. He can either opt in or opt out. It's his choice.

Here's what we know so far:

The Knicks have no intention of going over the second apron, and at the risk of repeating myself, it has nothing to do with the money. To sum up what I wrote back in June, there are profound consequences for teams that go over the second apron; consequences that Rose wants no part of. So if you still think that this is about James Dolan being stingy, don't. The fact is if Dolan went into Rose's office tomorrow and gave him permission to go $20 million over the second apron, Rose would still refuse. The man built a championship roster, for God's sake. He has forgotten more than most GMs will ever know about contract negotiations. Why on Earth would he paint himself into a corner?

KAT is eligible for a four-year max extension of $276 million, which comes out to $69 million per season. Hart is eligible for a four-year max extension of $132 million, which comes out to $33 million per season. The chances of either of them getting that max deal from the Knicks is nil.

As I mentioned above, both players are under contract this season. KAT has a player option for 2027-28; the Knicks hold a team option on Hart for the same season. So you can forget about either one of them getting traded during the season. Barring something extraordinary, the Knicks will defend their title with the same starting lineup and bench, sans Mitchell Robinson, that they had last season.

But this is where things get tricky. It isn't whether Towns and Hart re-sign, but when and for how much. In the case of Towns, Fred Katz wrote an excellent piece in The Athletic about this which is required reading. To sum up, the best-case scenario for the Knicks would be for a deal to get done by October 19, the day before the start of the season. That would allow Towns to opt in to his $61 million player option while simultaneously allowing the Knicks to structure the remaining three years at a lower AAV.

Why is that important? Because the real problem for the Knicks isn't the next two seasons, it's what comes next. You see that's when Jalen Brunson will be eligible for an extension. In a nutshell, he's looking at a max contract of somewhere between $290 to $323 million, or $72.5 to $80.75 million per season. If you think he's leaving money on the table like he did the last time, you're on crack. If ever there was a player who's earned the right to get paid what he's worth, it's Captain Clutch. The issue isn't whether he'll get paid, but whether Rose will have enough money left over to construct a roster around him. 

And that's why these next couple of weeks are so important. What happens with the Towns extension, and to a lesser extent Hart's, will determine whether the core Rose assembled over the last two years can stay together or whether it'll have to be broken up. In short, if Towns sticks to his guns and demands the Knicks pay him his max deal, Rose will have no choice but to trade one of his starting players; if he's willing to follow in Brunson's footsteps and "leave some money on the table," than the core stays intact. 

Towns has indicated he's amenable to taking less than the max, which is good. The question is how much less? Let's assume that the initial offer from Rose of $180 million was just a bargaining ploy. If both sides can meet halfway, that comes out to $228 million, or $57 million per year. That's about what he's making this season, and roughly $4 million less than his player option next season. And if the deal gets done before October 20, and Towns opts into his player option - absolutely essential - Rose can incorporate that player option into the overall contract, thus lower the remaining three years, perhaps enough to avoid having to shed salary in another two years.

If Towns elects not to sign an extension and opts out of his player option next summer, believing he can get a better deal elsewhere, there is currently only one team that would be able to accommodate his demands without having to get rid of a player: the Brooklyn Nets. The Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers will have $56m and $54m respectively, meaning they would still need to shed salary in order to sign him. All three teams are not considered contenders. Translation: KAT doesn't have the leverage he thinks he does. He can pout all he wants, but if he wants to play for a contender, the Knicks are his best and only choice.

As for Hart, I'm less worried about him. The Knicks can always pick up his team option of $22.3 million next season and kick the can down the road until 2028. They'd be taking a chance that Hart doesn't bolt, but given how tight he and Brunson are, it's a chance worth taking. Besides, with that finger the way it is, there's no guarantee that Hart will be playing basketball in another three years. Signing him to a multiyear extension would not be a wise business decision. And if we know anything about Leon Rose, it's that he makes excellent business decisions.

How concerned should Knicks fans be? On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say about a 4. The closer we get to October 20, the more that number climbs. But even if we get to the 20th and no deal is done, that doesn't mean a deal can't happen later; it just makes it harder for the numbers to work.

My point is this: the Knicks won the NBA championship last season. The man responsible for assembling that roster has earned the benefit of the doubt. Don't panic; avoid the naysayers who feel the need to stir the pot. They don't know as much as they say they do.

To quote the late, great Bob Marley, "Don't worry about a thing. Cos every little thing gonna be alright."

Banks A Lot

They say baseball is a game of redemption. They obviously never watched a football game. Going into yesterday's contest between the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium, Deonte Banks was a man with something to prove. The beleaguered cornerback had a brutal 2025, and many thought he was certainly going to be a goner in the offseason.

But rather than cut him, John Harbaugh elected to keep him, believing his skills could be harnessed with a new defensive coordinator. Through the first three games of this season that faith had not been rewarded. Though Banks was marginally better than last season, he was still a far cry from the player the Giants thought they were getting when Joe Schoen traded up in the 2023 draft to take him with the 24th pick.

And then, just like that, a switch flipped and Banks had the game of his pro life. He broke up no less than five passes thrown by Jacoby Brissett. But it was the last three that proved to be the difference maker. With Arizona on the Giants four-yard line, and trailing by six with 22 seconds left in the game, Banks broke up passes to Michael Wilson and Trey McBride at the goal line. And then on 4th and goal, Banks jumped the route, intercepted a pass meant for Wilson and ran it all the way back 98 yards for the icing on the cake. 

Final score: Giants 36-24.

On a day when Jameis Winston proved he could still throw a football in this league, the outcome came down to a goal-line stand from the unlikeliest player on the roster. Indeed, it was the second straight week that the Giants needed a defensive stop to preserve a win. What a difference a year makes. Last season both these games would've been losses. You know it and I know it.

While Banks may have earned himself a game ball, he was not the only defensive hero on the field for Big Blue. For the second game in a row Arvell Reese made his presence felt. He had nine tackles - one for a loss - and one interception. The former Ohio State phenom leads the NFL with 27 solo tackles this season. He has been everything the Giants could've hoped for when they took him with the 5th pick in the 2026 draft. It is inconceivable that two teams with defensive needs passed on him; one of those teams just happened to be the Jets.

Go figure, right?

But defense was not the only story of this game. The offense had its best showing since opening week against the Cowboys. Malik Nabers caught 6 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown. It was the first time since the loss at Dallas last season that the all-pro wide receiver cracked the 100 yard mark. And just days after the Giants acquired J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 5th round pick, Winston had arguably his best game as a Giant. The 12 year veteran threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns. 

It took a while but the Giants offense finally got going late in the second quarter. Winston hooked up with Malachi Fields and Nabers to put the Jints up 19-14. In typical Winston fashion, however, he also threw two picks which led directly to 10 points for the Cardinals. You take the bad with the good with Jameis. Remember, this was the same guy who in 2019 led the league in passing yards AND interceptions. It's 50 / 50 whether the hits his own player or the opponent's.

That the Giants are 3-1 after losing both Jaxson Dart and Brian Burns is a testament to Harbaugh and his coaching staff. He simply refuses to let his players feel sorry for themselves. You can tell by their demeanor that they expect to win. And on a day when the franchise honored the 1986 championship team, the 2026 team found a way to do just that. 

For the time being, New York sits alone in first place in the NFC East. They travel to Washington next Sunday to play a 1-3 Commanders team that lost at home to the Indianapolis Colts and is missing its starting quarterback Jayden Daniels and its backup Marcus Mariota both to injuries. After that, the New Orleans Saints come to MetLife. Dare I say a 5-1 start is in the offing.

I'm getting ahead of myself, you might say. Perhaps you're right. But after watching this team find new ways to lose winnable games over the last few years, maybe it's time to dream big. 

After all, what have we got to lose? 

2026-27 Rangers and NHL Preview

It's that time again. Opening night in the NHL. The New York Rangers open the 2026-27 season against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. After missing the playoffs two years in a row, Chris Drury made some roster changes over the summer to make sure the third time would be the charm.

Gone are Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Edstrom, Will Borgen, Taylor Raddysh and Jonathan Quick.

In are Pavel Dorofeyev, Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Joonas Korpisalo, Joe Veleno, Eeli Tolvanen and Alberts Smits. 

Dorofeyev, though not the playmaker Panarin was, is a better scorer. Pettersson, Durzi and Smits stabilize a defense corp that was one of the worst in the league last season; Korpisalo replaces Quick as Igor Shesterkin's backup; and Bjorkstrand, Valeno and Tolvanen add depth to the bottom six. The one loss that may be difficult to replace is Trocheck. He was a solid 2C / 3C who was excellent on face-offs, could kill penalties and was effective on the power play. His presence will be missed.

It's not a stretch to say that this is a make or break season for Drury. There's no telling what Quentin Dolan might do if the Rangers fail to make the postseason again, especially with the Knicks being so successful. Nothing pisses the Dolans off more than lost playoff revenues. 

Also on the hot seat is Mike Sullivan. The two-time Stanley Cup winning head coach begins his second season behind the New York bench. His fate is tied to Drury's. They sink or swim together.

I gave Drury a B+ during the offseason, which I thought was a fair grade. The moves he made have improved this roster. The sixty-four thousand dollar question is did they improve it enough to qualify for the postseason? That depends on the following:

Can the Rangers get enough production from their bottom six? Noah Laba, Will Cuylle and Tolvanen will have a lot to say about that. Cuylle has had back-to-back 20 goal seasons. The Rangers need him to do that again. Laba showed some promise last season, but he needs to take the next step. As for Tolvanen, he scored 23 goals for the Seattle Kraken two seasons ago. He needs to repeat that on Broadway.

Will Alexis Lafreniere finally deliver on his promise? Since he was drafted number one overall in 2020, the Rangers have been patiently waiting for Lafreniere to blossom into the player scouts thought he could be. From time to time he has shown signs of being elite. It's time for him to shit or get off the pot. The Rangers need to see consistent scoring from him to become a legit playoff team.

Will J.T. Miller regain his former scoring prowess? Last year, the expectation was that Miller would anchor the number one line and be one of the scoring leaders on this team. But an injury sustained in the preseason severely hampered his play, and Miller finished with just 53 points in 68 games. Without Trocheck, the Rangers need him to become the player he was in Vancouver when he averaged over a point per game.

Is Gabe Perrault the real deal? His hockey I.Q. is off the charts. There's no doubt he can play. But can he ascend to the next level? He had 27 points in 49 games last season, but 19 over his last 28. That comes out to 57 points over the course of a full season. He needs to improve on that to remain in the top six. Seeing action on the power play would help.

Can Adam Fox stay healthy? Last season, Fox appeared in 55 games for New York, scoring 53 points. The Rangers record with him in the lineup was 26-23-6; without him, it was 8-16-3. Clearly a healthy Fox is essential to whatever playoff hopes the Blueshirts have. He's one player they can't afford to be without.

Admittedly these are a lot of questions that need to be answered for the Rangers to make the playoffs. And here's the thing: even if they are all answered in the affirmative, there's still no guarantee that will be enough. That's because the Eastern Conference has gotten better and deeper over the last couple of years. If we assume the Hurricanes will finish first in the Metro, the Flyers and Devils - if they stay healthy - could easily finish second and third respectively. And the Atlantic is so deep, it's conceivable both wild cards will come from that division. That means if the Rangers are going to avoid the trifecta of missing the playoffs they are going to have to finish in the top three. A very tall order.

Prognosis: If everyone stays healthy, Lafreniere pops and the third line does its job, the Rangers will finish in third place in the Metro. If not, Rangers fans will finally have the satisfaction of seeing their nemesis get the boot. Some might say that's a win / win.

Prediction: 45-34-5, 95 points

Below are my predictions for the rest of the league. As per usual, I will pick the top three teams in each division, both wild cards for each conference, and the close, but no cigar contingent. 

Eastern Conference:

Metropolitan Division:

Carolina Hurricanes: They finally won a Cup in the Brind'Amour era. Now they intend to run roughshod over the league in the regular season.

Philadelphia Flyers: A good, young core that is fast and up and coming. 

New York Rangers: See my review above.

Atlantic Division:

Florida Panthers: They were decimated by injuries last season. With the exception of Brad Marchand, they're healthy now, and even without Sergie Bobrovsky, they are still a legitimate threat to get back to the finals.

Montreal Canadiens: The Habs made tremendous strides last season and appear on the verge of greatness. They have one of the most explosive lines in the NHL and the signing of Chris Kreider was a coup that could pay dividends.

Buffalo Sabres: They came out of nowhere to win the Atlantic last season after missing the playoffs 14 straight years. They are no fluke. No fanbase in the country has suffered more than Buffalo.

Wild Cards:

Tampa Bay Lightning: Never count out a Jon Cooper coached team.

Boston Bruins: Despite not being blessed with a ton of talent, this team always manages to make the postseason.

Close, but no cigar: 

Toronto Maple Leafs: They won the Marchenko / Knies trade, barely; it won't be enough to get them in.

New Jersey Devils: The injury bug will strike them again.

Western Conference: 

Central Division:

Dallas Stars: On paper they should have at least one Cup, that's how deep they are. This is the year they  finally break through.

Colorado Avalanche: I could literally cut and paste last season's prediction about them. Best top four players in the NHL. However, it's their depth that keeps tripping them up, and they did not address that in the offseason.

Utah Mammoth: I'm going out on a limb here but I think this may be the team to watch in the West, especially with Vinny Trocheck to help them.

Pacific Division:

Vegas Golden Knights: Even after losing Pavel Dorofeyev, the Knights are still the team to beat in the Pacific.

Edmonton Oilers: Could this be Connor McDavid's last season in Edmonton? That depends on what happens in the Spring.

Los Angeles Kings: Maybe it's the romantic in me but Artemi Panarin and Mats Zuccarello together on the same team intrigues me.

Wild Cards:

Minnesota Wild: Bill Guerin always seems to get his team into the postseason. Unfortunately that's as far as they go.

San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini could be the best player in the NHL. And he's only 20.

Close, but no cigar:

Winnipeg Jets: You think Connor Hellebuyck knows something? 

Anaheim Ducks: Boy did Pat Verbeek really screw up this franchise. That's what he gets for dealing with Chris Drury.

Playoffs:

Eastern Conference Finals: Panthers over Hurricanes 4-2

Western Conference Finals: Stars over Golden Knights 4-3

Stanley Cup Finals: Stars over Panthers 4-3

Year End Awards:

Presidents' Trophy: Carolina Hurricanes

Art Ross Trophy: Connor McDavid, Oilers

Hart Trophy: Macklin Celebrini, Sharks

Norris Trophy: Quinn Hughes, Canucks

Vezina Trophy: Igor Shestrkin, Rangers

Jack Adams Award: Rod Brind'Amour, Hurricanes

Conn Smythe Trophy: Mikko Rantanen, Stars

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

So far this season, we've seen the Giants play three games: one good, one bad and one ugly. Week one, they played their most inspired game in almost a decade, beating the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium 28-20. Week two, they played arguably their worst game in a decade, getting smoked by the Rams in L.A. 28-6. And week three, they played the ugliest game I've seen them play quite possibly in my lifetime; a game in which they hung on to beat the lowly Tennessee Titans 12-7.

Let's not beat around the bush. If the Giants had played a better team out there, they'd be 1-2 instead of 2-1. The offense, without Jaxson Dart, continued to sputter. Twice the Jints had a first and goal inside the Tennessee five yard line, yet had to settle for a field goal both times. Since week one, when they put up four touchdowns against Dallas, New York's only scoring has come from their place kicker.

For the second straight game the pass rush was non-existent. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter combined for zero sacks, zero hits, zero hurries and one tackle. The only bright spots on defense were Arvell Reese, who had 13 tackles - one for a loss - and Jevon Holland, whose interception with 24 seconds left in the game, sealed the win for the Giants. 

Special teams continued to impress. Dominic Zvada is a perfect 6-6 this season; Jordan Stout has averaged 51.1 yards per punt, including a 78 yarder; and Braxton Berrios has averaged 28 yards on kickoff returns. Harbaugh deserves a ton of credit for addressing what was a weak spot on this team last season. 

But the 600 pound gorilla in the room continues to be Jameis Winston. Coming off an abysmal performance against the Rams, he was only marginally better against the Titans, going 14 / 22 for 118 yards. The timing on his passes was still off, and his inability to run with the ball has hampered his team. On the bright side, at least he didn't throw an interception.

Before you blame the weather, remember Cam Ward had to play in the same elements and he was 23 / 36 for 181 yards. And had it not been for a great play by Holland in the end zone, Tennessee would've won this game 14-12. In his two starts, Winston's QBR is 22.9. That's 30th out of 30 starting quarterbacks.

Clearly this cannot continue. While no one believed for a moment the Giants were a legitimate playoff team, having a quarterback with a diminishing skillset playing this poorly is going to eventually take its toll in the locker room. Look what happened last year with Russell Wilson. No way in hell Harbaugh was going to let that happen again.

That might explain why he traded a fifth round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for J.J. McCarthy today. A former 2024 first rounder, McCarthy was 6-4 as a starter last season for the Vikes. He threw for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Like Dart, he is a dual-threat QB with a good arm, who fits Matt Naggy's system more than Winston. Supposedly Harbaugh called his brother Jim before pulling the trigger.

At first, I was ambivalent about this trade. But the more I think about, the more I like it. Despite Harbaugh's insistence that Winston is his starting quarterback "for as long as I can see into the future," I seriously doubt he would've given up a fifth rounder when there were alternatives out there that would not have required draft capital to acquire unless he intended to use him. Ask yourself this question. Three weeks from now when Harbaugh finally pulls the plug on Winston, who would you rather see under center, McCarthy or Jake Haener?

With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if we see McCarthy start against the New Orleans Saints two weeks from now. In fact, we might even see him sooner than that. Harbaugh could use him on certain third down situations the same way Brian Daboll used Dart last season before he became the starter. One thing's for certain: having Winston stand in the pocket like a statue isn't working. No one is fooled. This isn't the '80s or the '90s anymore. To win in this league, you've got to keep defenses honest. Unless your name is Jared Goff, mobility is no longer an option in an NFL quarterback; it's a requirement.

Credit Harbaugh for realizing that much.

As if things weren't bad enough. Before I posted this piece, it was reported by Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport that Brian Burns suffered a torn ACL in yesterday's game and is out for the rest of the season. He led the Giants in sacks last year with 16.5. It was yet another blow to a Giants roster that was already reeling from the loss of Dart last week.

When it rains it pours.