Dan Rosen at NHL.com reports that while Michael Del Zotto proves to the club and the entire hockey world that he's the real thing, the one guy he hasn't had to convince is Ranger Assistant GM and assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld...Here's a quote from Schoenfeld on what he saw from Del Zotto, then just 18, during a Ranger preseason game last season in which he coached...
"The longer the game went on, he emerged as our best defenseman," Schoenfeld told NHL.com Monday morning. "He was the best on the power play and fine in any one-on-one competition defensively. It's one thing to watch him from a managerial perspective or a scouting perspective, but there is a sense that a coach gets when you feel comfortable putting someone on the ice. For one game I was in that role and I had a great sense of confidence and comfort in putting him on the ice in any situation."
On Del Zotto's adjustment to the NHL, John Tortorella said...
"Forget about his skill and all the points he's put on the board, but it's the way he handles himself," Tortorella said. "I don't think he's afraid. I don't think he's afraid to make mistakes so it allows him to try to make a difference. That's pretty unique for a 19-year-old guy playing the toughest position in the game."
...great piece by Rosen. Really gives us an insight into what the Rangers organization thinks about one of their rising stars.
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