Rangers at a glance
	Camp schedule: Sept. 10-14: Madison Square Garden Sept. 17: Playland Ice Casino (Rye, N.Y.) Coach: Ron Low (2nd season, 33-43-5-1) General manager: Glen Sather (2nd season)

So finally they got the Big E. Big deal?

The Rangers think it is.

Having a Lindros in the middle gives them the strong, two-line presence they were missing a year ago. And the year before that, and the year before that and the year before that...

It's not that they think they're going to win the Stanley Cup. Yo, Rangers fans, forgetaboutit. But with captain Mark Messier stretching the hands of time and Brian Leetch and Mike Richter not getting any younger or much healthier, the Rangers are in a position of merely trying to mend fences with their fans that have been torn down by four straight non-playoff performances.

Making it to the postseason will help them buy a little time while their prospects develop. At least, that's what they say the plan is.

Richter Resurrection, Part II: The longtime Rangers' crease stalwart has to return strong from his second major knee injury in two years. As tentative a question as that is, there's no one ready to step in for him. Quick, name a current Rangers goalie not named Richter … nice try. If you said Vitali Yeremeyev, that's only because you read a boxscore or two last season. Don't expect to see that name become a fixture in New York anytime soon. For this year, it's Richter plus whomever Glen Sather can trade for.

Sobering return: Can Theo Fleury, whose substance-abuse problems prematurely ended his season, return to form both healthy and happy? He says he can. And on Broadway, that's not only good news to spread, but a vital promise. One key in adding Big E to this team is to have a scoring-capable right-hand man. Theo can fit the bill if he can fit back into his old role.

And then came Eric…: Lindros has to stay healthy for the Rangers to have any success at all this season. The fans still puzzle over giving up Jan Hlavac, Kim Johnsson and Brendl for a guy who might be one more major concussion away from his own premature career conclusion. Lindros says he's healthier than ever. That six concussions (the Flyers still say he had no more than four, but we don't want to dredge up old, annoying arguments, eh?) don't necessarily predispose him to an unlucky seventh upon the next big hit. Hockey fans should hope he's right.

Rangers 2001-02 preseason schedule
Date	Opponent	Time
Sat., Sept. 15	at Montreal	Canceled*
Sun., Sept. 16	at Detroit	Canceled^
Mon., Sept. 17	at Detroit	7 p.m.^
Wed., Sept. 19	New Jersey	7 p.m.
Thu., Sept. 20	at Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 22	at N.Y. Islanders	7:30 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 23	Philadelphia	5 p.m.
Tue., Sept. 25	at New Jersey	7:30 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 26	at Montreal	7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 29	at Boston	7 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 30	Boston	5 p.m.
*Rescheduled for Sept. 26 ^Rescheduled for Sept. 17