Brendan Azoff

Brendan Azoff is a THW contributor and podcast host dedicated to covering the New York Rangers. His passion for hockey started when he first laced up the skates at three, growing into his love for writing and talking about the greatest sport in the world. His podcast, The Backcheck, breaks down the Rangers, Islanders, and NHL news and can be found on The Hockey Writers Podcast Network and Belly Up Sports. Brendan has been writing about the Rangers and the NHL for over two years, with his content also found on Puck Prose, Blue Line Station, and E2G Sports. If you want to connect with Brendan and stay up-to-date on his posts, follow him on Twitter. He is always available for content ideas and interviews, don't be afraid to ask!

Rangers Have Cap Space & Youth Heading into 2021-22 Season

November 21, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

There are a lot of unknowns regarding the status of the 2020-21 NHL season, let alone this year’s New York Rangers squad. General manager Jeff Gorton and President John Davidson…

Projecting the Rangers’ 2020-21 Opening Night Roster

November 12, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

The New York Rangers avoided arbitration with their two remaining RFAs in Ryan Strome and Brendan Lemieux, finalizing the puzzle that was their 2021 roster. Awarding Strome’s 59-point campaign with…

Rangers’ Offense in 2021 Can Be Special

October 29, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

The New York Rangers possess an offense that other organizations are envious of. It is talented, young, fast, and lethal, attacking opposing defenses and keeping them on their heels for…

Rangers’ Faith in Shesterkin Stems From His Track Record

October 20, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

Up until the 2019-20 season, we had only the murmurs from Russia telling us tales of the mythical brilliance of Igor Shesterkin. We had seen footage of split and stick…

New York Rangers Were Busy On Day 2

October 8, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

After a stagnant start to Day 2, the New York Rangers jumped into the second round by trading the seventh pick in the 2017 draft, Lias Andersson, to the Los…

Rangers Land Their Big Fish In Alexis Lafreniere, Trade Up in Round 1

October 7, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

The wait is finally over, Rangers’ fans! The New York Rangers selected Alexis Lafreniere first overall, landing the best player in the 2020 NHL draft. After an improbable lottery win…

Rangers Have Multiple Options to Fix Their Defense

September 29, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

On Saturday, Sept. 26, the New York Rangers moved Marc Staal to the Detroit Red Wings to free up almost $6 million in additional cap space. The trade, albeit a…

Rangers Need to Use Their Sizable Youth

September 26, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

If the Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars is any indication, size and physicality are still prevalent in today’s NHL. Each game has seen at…

Is a Derek Stepan Reunion in Rangers’ Future?

September 21, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

Ths offseason seems like the most pivotal one for the New York Rangers since they announced their rebuild in 2018. With the first overall selection at their fingertips and a…

3 Options for Rangers to Handle Their RFA Issues

September 4, 2020September 1, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

The New York Rangers’ main offseason problem comes in the form of filling the two roster gaps that could be left behind by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. Just like…

Rangers’ 2019-20 Regular Season Report Card

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

The New York Rangers season came to an abrupt halt twice in 2019-20, the first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the second was at the hands of the Carolina…

5 New York Rangers Free Agent Targets

August 21, 2020August 19, 2020 by Brendan Azoff

The New York Rangers are in a position that many other franchises are envious of. They have their No. 1 goaltender, superstar forwards, and possess a plethora of young talent…