With the additions of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, the New York Rangers without question upped the ante, establishing themselves as bona fide Stanley Cup contenders… at least on paper. But as New York’s hockey fans have learned so very many times, a contender on paper often turns out to be far less on the ice.

Although Gomez and Drury were certainly wonderful additions for this much-improved Rangers team, last month’s subsequent cost-cutting measure—the trading of versatile center Matt Cullen to the Carolina Hurricanes—left the Blueshirts with a gaping hole in the middle of their checking line.

Reports out of New York last week indicated that Michael Peca was on the verge of signing a free-agent contract with the Blueshirts, a move that would have made great sense for all parties involved. The combination of Peca—a two-time Selke Trophy winner as the league’s best defensive forward—and irascible winger Sean Avery would will make life absolutely miserable for opposing scorers. And best of all, both players boast above-average playmaking ability, delivering a transition game just as dangerous as their open-ice hits.

But the Rangers were slow to pull the trigger on a deal for the checking center, and so Peca decided to instead sign a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Peca is surely a nice addition for Columbus, but it's unlikely that the Blue Jackets will compete for a playoff spot, much less the Cup.

Meanwhile, the Rangers, stocked and loaded, would have given Peca a very real opportunity to win his first Cup ring. Clearly, Peca chose the security of the Blue Jackets' contract--and perhaps the money contained within--over a very real opportunity to win hockey's holy grail on the sport's brightest stage.

Now, the Rangers must decide whether or not they are prepared to entrust Blair Betts with the checking center's role. And if not, the most likely candidate is Sean Avery, who is experienced at playing both center and the wing.

Looking at the rest of the Blueshirts' talented forward corps, it would seem obvious to pair Gomez with star winger Jaromir Jagr on the top line. However, a different configuration would likely yield far better results, and would enable the Blueshirts to take proper advantage of what is now the deepest, most talented forward corps in the Eastern Conference.

Throughout his Hall of Fame-caliber career, Jagr has distinguished himself as one of the NHL’s all-time best playmaking wingers, tallying 901 helpers in 1191 games. As a left-handed shot playing on the right wing, Jagr is nearly always in perfect position to set up a right-shooting linemate with a picturesque pass, a scenario that played itself out dozens upon dozens of times when Jagr played alongside Mario Lemieux.

In addition, Jagr and Gomez both like to carry the puck, quarterbacking the offense both on the power play and at even strength. And with only one puck to share, this is a combination that would likely turn out to mix as well as oil and water. Instead, pairing Jagr with Drury—a clutch finisher with a right-handed shot—could be expected to yield far greater results. Last season, Drury tallied 37 goals for the Sabres, a career high, and he could certainly top that total playing alongside Jagr.

Of course, this then leaves Gomez available to play on what would be a devastating second scoring line alongside Brendan Shanahan, who remains one of the NHL’s most dangerous goal scorers. Shanahan played a key role in the recruiting of Gomez, and it stands to reason that the two players would be happily motivated to line up together. Shanahan is a right-handed shooter who often lines up at left wing, which will put him in the perfect position to capitalize on Gomez’ smooth feeds from center ice.

Of course, this leaves the checking line, where Peca is expected to fill a gaping hole. Following Cullen’s departure, Blair Betts became the Blueshirts’ best option to center the checking line, a questionable recipe for Cup-winning success given his lack of experience in that role. But with Peca anchoring the third line—and with Betts providing injury insurance as a very capable fourth-line pivot—the Rangers’ depth down the middle would be second to none in the Eastern Conference.

Listed at just 5’11” and 181 pounds, Peca plays far larger, throwing his diminutive frame around the ice with reckless abandon. He was slowed somewhat by a knee injury suffered while playing for the Islanders in the 2002 playoffs, and he missed 47 games last season with various injuries. But when healthy, Peca is a formidable checking presence capable of neutralizing the NHL’s finest offensive talents.

Their forward corps is coming together nicely, and with Henrik Lundqvist a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in each of his first two seasons, the Blueshirts are quite set in goal. The only question mark remaining is the defense, where quantity reigns over quality. There isn’t a single blueliner capable of logging 30 minutes per night and playing in all situations a la the Anaheim Ducks’ Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, and so Renney must instead rely upon a committee of capable if not spectacular rearguards.

High hopes are held out for Marc Staal, the Blueshirts’ 2005 first round draft pick, expected to make the opening night roster. And prospects Bobby Sanguinetti (2006 first rounder), Ivan Baranka (2003 second rounder), and Michael Sauer are also expected to compete with returning youngsters Thomas Pock and Daniel Girardi for playing time. But without question, two much-maligned, underrated veterans will again be expected to anchor the blue line corps in 2007-08.

Michal Rozsival has proven to be the Blueshirts’ most versatile rearguard, doing a capable job running the point on the power play while—more importantly—delivering a solid performance in the defensive zone nearly every night. Rozsival’s biggest crime, of course, is that he doesn’t compare favorably to his predecessor as the Blueshirts’ top defender, future Hall of Famer Brian Leetch. But that’s hardly his fault, and judged solely on his own performance, Rozsival has far exceeded all reasonable expectations.

Rozsival’s defense partner, Marek Malik, is a trickier subject. Over the course of the last season, he became a regular target of Madison Square Garden’s boo-birds, whose ire he drew with his lack of foot-speed and unwillingness to assert a more physical presence with his hulking 6’6”, 240-pound frame.

But though hockey statistics can often lie, Malik has gone long past the point of statistical significance with regard to his plus/minus rating. Over the past four seasons, Malik has compiled a gaudy plus-118 rating, a statistical accomplishment made all the more impressive by his relatively minimal offensive contributions (he averages only around 20 points per year, most of them secondary assists).

Last season, Malik finished a plus-32 in only 69 games, while only Jagr (plus-26) did better than half as well. He is consistently matched up against the opposition’s top forwards, an incredibly difficult task, and he’s handled the pressure with aplomb. But now that Peca has chosen not to sign with the Rangers, the hole on the checking line will make the much-maligned Malik’s task that much more difficult.

Even without Peca, the Rangers boast one of the most formidable lineups in the Eastern Conference. But it is mission critical that the checking center's role be filled capably, for otherwise their talented team will turn out to be just another Broadway flop.