What Tye Kartye And Oliver Bjorkstrand Can Bring To Rangers This Season

There are two guys on the Rangers roster who can make or break the team this season. (This, brothers and sisters, is neither a Maven joke nor a Matt Rempe rejoinder, whatever that means.)

The Maven – first of all – is wondering whether you can guess who they are, but since I'm convinced that the challenge will extend into both the American and Canadian Thanksgiving,

I can't wait that long. Give up? Yes?? No??? 

Enough stalling already here goes. (And don't even pretend to tell me that you knew it already.

MAKE OR BREAK GUY NO. 1 OLIVER BJORKSTRAND: The 31-year-old Dane – Tampa Bay Lightning expatriate – is listed as the Rangers  #2 right wing behind Gabe Perreault. (No fainting please, I've run out of Advil.)

Trouble is that Babe Gabe just might turn out to be a failure on this, his second time around. Could happen. 

If so, that's why Ollie B becomes so much more important to coach Sully.  And even as the second best right wing, Ollie still looms as a vital forward. Here's how my high I.Q. scout Glenn Dreyfuss X-Rays Bjorkstrand:

"Oliver is offensively gifted, but he needs other offensively-gifted players around him. Bjorkstrand didn't have that luxury in Seattle, and he may not have any Blueshirt to dish the puck to him either.

"Furthermore, even on a good team like the Tampa Bay Lightning he only produced 12 goals in 80 games last season," snaps Dreyfuss. "And the Bolts let him walk."

MAKE OR BREAK GUY NO. 2 TYE KARTYE: With Matt Rempe damaged goods for most of last season somebody had to fight for this bedraggled team. It was Slingin' Sam Carrick to the rescue. Carrick's gutsy work – game in and game out – cannot be minimized but Sammy is now earning his keep in Buffalo, which means someone has to pick up the slugging.

That's where The Pride of Kingston, Ontario – Mister-Tye-One-On – must take center stage. I'm a big fan of putting on Kartye-Before-The-Horse so here's what the Demon Dreyfuss has to say. (For Heaven's sake, don't stop reading now, Gorgeous Glenn is a sensitive fellow:)

"Kartye," declares the dauntless Dreyfuss, "is a prototypical fourth-liner. He'll bring energy to the dressing room, on the bench and on the ice. He relishes contact – and relishing, I'm secretly told, is his favorite condiment. Also, the guy is a good fella and a better interview.

"This Kartye fella rose from AHL fourth-liner to that league's rookie of the year," adds Dreyfuss. "And then to the NHL. Just don't expect much offense."

MAVEN ADDS: From a fourth-liner you can't have EVERYTHING. So, don't be so demanding.  Just watch how he'll be better than Carrick and Rempe PUT TOGETHER.