Joe Fortunato
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joefortunato.bsky.social
Joe Fortunato
@joefortunato.bsky.social
Owner and Publisher of Blueshirt Banter. People don't boo nobodies. Official pitmaster of NYR Twitter. Quinnipiac Bobcat.
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This was the longest podcast we've ever done! Had a lot to talk about. Went in depth on Gavrikov, the Miller trade, the body of work Drury put together on 7/1, the draft, and then some longer term discussions about the implications if no big names are available in 2026.
🔈🔉🔊 New podcast!

@JoeFortunatoBSB and @iEricKohn are back to break down the NHL Draft, free agency, the K'Andre Miller trade, and more. Chris Drury did well for himself and the Rangers. Will it be enough? Give it a listen!

Listen & subscribe ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/blueshirt-ba... #NYR
Blueshirt Bandwidth #39: Drury’s July 1 Masterclass, Miller Out, Gavrikov In
Between the NHL Draft, free agency, and the K'Andre Miller trade, Chris Drury did well for himself and the Rangers. Will it be enough?
www.blueshirtbanter.com
Reposted by Joe Fortunato
🔈🔉🔊 New podcast!

@joefortunato.bsky.social & @ierickohn.bsky.social are joined by @scottcwheeler.bsky.social of @theathletic.com to break down the Rangers’ prospects. Plus Kreider's exit interview, Lafrenière's ceiling, and more!

Listen & subscribe ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/blueshirt-ba... #NYR
Blueshirt Bandwidth #42 w/ Scott Wheeler: Chris Kreider’s Exit Interview, Lafrenière’s Ceiling, & What’s Next for NYR Prospects
The Athletic's Scott Wheeler joins the show to talk Rangers prospects and who should make the opening night lineup.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
July 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
This was the longest podcast we've ever done! Had a lot to talk about. Went in depth on Gavrikov, the Miller trade, the body of work Drury put together on 7/1, the draft, and then some longer term discussions about the implications if no big names are available in 2026.
🔈🔉🔊 New podcast!

@JoeFortunatoBSB and @iEricKohn are back to break down the NHL Draft, free agency, the K'Andre Miller trade, and more. Chris Drury did well for himself and the Rangers. Will it be enough? Give it a listen!

Listen & subscribe ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/blueshirt-ba... #NYR
Blueshirt Bandwidth #39: Drury’s July 1 Masterclass, Miller Out, Gavrikov In
Between the NHL Draft, free agency, and the K'Andre Miller trade, Chris Drury did well for himself and the Rangers. Will it be enough?
www.blueshirtbanter.com
July 3, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The notorious Chip 23 joins me. Is he Chris Drury? Maybe! Do you want a Leaf? Any Leaf? Tavares? Standing pat? Trading up in the draft (to actually make a selection????) and where it makes sense. This was a good one!
🔈🔉🔊 New Podcast!

John Tavares, New York Ranger?

With @ierickohn.bsky.social out this week, @joefortunato.bsky.social is joined by Chip23. Should the Rangers go after that former Maple Leafs free agent? Not Marner. John Tavares.

Listen & subscribe ➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/blueshirt-ba... #NYR
Blueshirt Bandwidth #33: John Tavares, New York Ranger?
Can that free agent, big name Toronto Maple Leaf help the Rangers? No, not that one, the other one.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
May 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Full strength episode. Honestly about 12 of the 90 minutes was on the Rangers directly. Some good discussion on Perreault, Tortorella, Drury, Laviolette, Kreider, and more.
Rangers vs. Wild: Extra Effort, Extra Point

It was a wild win against the Wild in Gabe Perreault's NHL debut. And it was two points for the Rangers. But is it too little, too late?

Read it here ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/rangers-vs-w... via @joefortunato.bsky.social #NYR
Rangers vs. Wild: Extra Effort, Extra Point
It was a wild win against the Wild in Gabe Perreault's NHL debut. And it was two points for the Rangers. But is it too little, too late?
www.blueshirtbanter.com
April 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Sam's show. The Rangers are still bad. Drury and analytics. The summer bloodbath. Do we really care if the kids are or aren't playing? What exactly led to some of these lineup decisions. Did I say the Rangers are bad?

My God do I wish we knew about Torts before we recorded.
🔈🔉🔊 New podcast!

@joefortunato.bsky.social & @ierickohn.bsky.social talk about Sam Rosen and the Rangers being bad. Can we judge the D-men in this system? That Igor guy is good? And, should we have been calling Panarin "Yeast Mode?"

Listen & subscribe: www.blueshirtbanter.com/blueshirt-ba... #NYR
Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast #25: Sam Rosen Is the Only Good Thing About This Rangers Season
Without Sam Rosen, this season would be intolerable.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 27, 2025 at 2:03 PM
We come for a few fan complaints on this show. More on the mediocrity of this team, the damage that’s being done, and it’s too late to change it.
🔈🔉🔊 New podcast!

Blueshirt Rancor & Ranting the Rangers

@joefortunato.bsky.social & @ierickohn.bsky.social are here to discuss the Rangers no-show against Calgary, evaporating playoff hopes, people somehow blaming Igor, and more.

Listen & subscribe ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/blueshirt-ba... #NYR
Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast #24: Blueshirt Rancor & Ranting the Rangers
This podcast represents more collective effort than the Rangers had against the Calgary Flames.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 20, 2025 at 2:24 PM
I wrote about how Drury and Laviolette seem to have different visions for this team.

And the guy who is currently making the calls won't be here next year and why that's weird
The Obvious and Growing Rift Between Drury and Laviolette

Chris Drury has gone out to get new faces to join the team over the course of the year. It appears Laviolette doesn't see them in a similar light.

Read it here ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/the-obvious-... via @joefortunato.bsky.social #NYR
The Obvious and Growing Rift Between Drury and Laviolette
Chris Drury has gone out to get new faces to join the team over the course of the year. It appears Laviolette doesn't see them in a similar light.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 14, 2025 at 4:59 PM
We talked about this on the pod this week, but I'm divorcing myself from getting annoyed over the lineup card. Lavi is gonna do what he's gonna do, and Drury is gonna have to clean up the mess this summer.

That said, I don't hate the forwards. Miller and Laf I've wanted to see
Rangers lines and D pairs this morning:

Panarin-Trocheck-Cuylle
Lafrenière-Miller-Zibanejad
Kreider-Carrick-Berard
Othmann-Brodzinski-Rempe

Miller-Borgen
Vaakanainen-Schneider
Soucy-Jones
March 13, 2025 at 5:13 PM
90 minutes of: All of us divorcing ourselves from the Laviolette lineup card (kids won't develop anyway with the way he'd play them), a potential rift between Drury and Laviolette, the three-game losing streak, systems, Urho extended, next year, and our good boy Quick.
March 13, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Soucy didn't even get 13 minutes last night. I'm writing something up about this but it sure feels like Laviolette doesn't have much of an interest in some of these guys who are going to be here next year.

Perhaps because he knows he will not be.
March 12, 2025 at 1:16 PM
The Rangers will continue to be in the playoff discussion because of how bad the east is, but they continue to show you they are very simply not good enough. It's either that, or they are unable to meet the moment of games that matter.

Neither of those are good
March 12, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Also worth noting Ottawa has two games in hand and Columbus has one.
At the 42-game mark, #NYR were 4 points back of WC2 and 5 back of WC1. At the 64-game mark they trail WC2 by 1 point and WC1 by 2. It took 22 games to makeup just 3 points, and they're still on the outside looking in with the 4th-most difficult remaining schedule (Tankathon).
March 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Two must win, basically playoff games, and the Rangers have played two of their worst 5v5 games of the year (which is saying something)
March 10, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Reposted by Joe Fortunato
Rangers vs. Senators: Bad, Worse, and Demoralizing

The New York Rangers lost a game they couldn't have needed more, and in the worst way possible.

Read it here ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/rangers-vs-s... via @joefortunato.bsky.social #NYR
Rangers vs. Senators: Bad, Worse, and Demoralizing
The New York Rangers lost a game they couldn't have needed more, and in the worst way possible.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 9, 2025 at 2:20 PM
My Laviolette gut tells me Jones wears the L for yesterday and aside from inserting de Haan for him there are no other lineup changes
March 9, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Reposted by Joe Fortunato
MTPS: What the Hell Was That?? An NHL Trade Deadline Post-Mortem

The trade deadline isn’t black and white. There are lots of shades of gray. Here are the winners, losers, what the actual f*%!, and more.

Read it here ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/mtps-what-th... #NYR
MTPS: What the Hell Was That?? An NHL Trade Deadline Post-Mortem
Lazy sites break down the trade deadline into winners and losers. But we ain’t lazy. The trade deadline isn’t black and white. There are lots of shades of gray. Here are the winners, losers, what the ...
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I mean if you're Chris Drury there is no way you don't have three chefs from the best Italian restaurants in the city bringing the ingredients to make chicken parm on the spot after the game on Ottawa, right?

Gotta show Brady the high life.
March 8, 2025 at 1:52 PM
🔊🔊🔊If you all missed it, @iEricKohn and I did a full trade deadline Emergency Bandwidth about the Smith and Soucy trades, do some Kreider and Miller speculation, and talk a bit about some of the other big things that happened this deadline.

open.spotify.com/episode/3Pgk...
Emergency Bandwidth: Rangers Trade Deadline Reactions
Blueshirt Bandwidth · Episode
open.spotify.com
March 8, 2025 at 1:02 PM
I give Drury a solid B+ for the deadline. Moved the guys he needed to move, got back long term pieces that help right now, and re-stocked the draft cupboard.

Gotta see how some of these younger guys pan out, but he only gave up players they weren’t keeping around next year.
March 7, 2025 at 9:38 PM
We talked a lot of things.

Trade deadline thoughts, obviously. Rangers should probably keep Jones. The kids are dawgs and it has made the team somewhat enjoyable again. A playoff push would have real meaning now (but still don't have expectations). Kreider/Mika speculation.
🔈🔉🔊 New Podcast!

Twas the Night Before the Trade Deadline

Lindgren and Vesey are already gone. Reilly Smith is next. Could Chris Kreider follow, too? @joefortunato.bsky.social & @ierickohn.bsky.social are here to discuss it all.

Listen & subscribe ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/blueshirt-ba... #NYR
Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast #22: Twas the Night Before the Trade Deadline
Lindgren and Vesey are already gone. Reilly Smith is next. Could Chris Kreider follow, too?
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 6, 2025 at 2:17 PM
We've talked about this a bunch on the podcast, but @ierickohn.bsky.social goes into some serious depth on the subject for our full access subscribers
Don't Judge Chris Drury for What He Was Never Asked To Do Until Now

Drury is reshaping this Rangers roster in his image. Judge him for that. Not for not doing it when the justification just wasn't there.

Read it here ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/dont-judge-c... via @ierickohn.bsky.social #NYR
Don't Judge Chris Drury for What He Was Never Asked To Do Until Now
Chris Drury is reshaping this New York Rangers roster in his image. Judge him for that. Not for not doing it when the justification just wasn't there.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 5, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Joe Fortunato
Rangers vs. Islanders: Another Good Win Against a Bad Team

Winning 4-0 over the Islanders just one day after winning 4-0 against the Predators is nice. But these are good wins over bad teams.

Read it here ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/rangers-vs-i... via @joefortunato.bsky.social #NYR
Rangers vs. Islanders: Another Good Win Against a Bad Team
Winning 4-0 over the Islanders just one day after winning 4-0 against the Predators is nice. But these are good wins over bad teams.
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 4, 2025 at 3:05 PM
About 1,600 words on what's ultimately another trade win for Chris Drury, what it says about the direction he's going in, re-shaping the team in his imagine, analysis on what the Rangers sent out and, of course, what they got back in return.
Grading the Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey Trade

The New York Rangers made the first of what's expected to be a flurry of moves. How did Chris Drury do?

Get the trade grade here ➡️➡️➡️ www.blueshirtbanter.com/grading-the-... via @joefortunato.bsky.social #NYR
Grading the Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey Trade
The New York Rangers made the first of what's expected to be a flurry of moves. How did Chris Drury do?
www.blueshirtbanter.com
March 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I am pleasantly surprised by this
No supplemental discipline for Matt Rempe on the Blankenburg hit
March 3, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I will say, one of the major differences between this team and the team right out of the Four Nations is there are now numerous guys (Othmann, Berard, Parssinen, Jones) who have been injected into the lineup who don’t stop skating. Motor running every shift. Makes a difference
March 3, 2025 at 2:23 AM