The long wait is finally over. Later today, the new look Rangers minus former captain Jaromir Jagr take to the ice for a two-game series against the Lightning over in Prague. No matter what NHL brass says, it has to be bittersweet for them and especially Czech fans that No.68 won’t be in a Ranger sweater returning to his home land for the first ever NHL regular season games over in Europe.

While new team captain Chris Drury along with alternates Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund prepare to take the ice in Prague, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins will be meeting the Senators in a two-game series over in Stockholm, Sweden.

So, the Rangers and Bolts won’t be the only teams representing the NHL kicking off a much anticipated 2008-09 season a few days early.

The big questions surrounding Tom Renney’s club is how quickly key additions Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev and Wade Redden adjust to their new surroundings. Can they help pickup the tempo transitioning from a deliberate East/West game to a more fluid North American style contingent on seriously competing for a Stanley Cup?

We’ll have to patiently wait and see. For now, let’s take a glance at how the Blueshirts roster shapes up.

FORWARDS: Gone are Jagr, fellow Czech Martin Straka and veteran Brendan Shanahan, who remains in limbo hoping to play another season. It’s still possible he could wind up either here or elsewhere on a contender. Also out is key agitator Sean Avery (signed w/ Stars) along with antagonist Ryan Hollweg (traded to Leafs).

Can switching conferences spark Naslund’s game? How well will Russian enigma Zherdev play under Renney? The good news is his best season came under Ken Hitchcock. The bad is it was in Columbus where there was no real pressure. Expectations are much higher here.

Aaron Voros looks to be a good addition capable of providing energy and physicality but won’t finish as much as Avery. Dan Fritsche and Fredrik Sjostrom are speedy complementary fourth line wings who bring solid work ethic. Patrick Rissmiller is basically another Blair Betts who can kill penalties but now looks like overkill with former No.1 pick Lauri Korpikoski proving he’s ready. Colton Orr’s one of the best heavyweights in the league who Renney can now insert when necessary instead of playing him every night.

Figure Drury and Gomez to be better than their first seasons in New York where it took them time to get acclimated to Renney’s system. Shifting Drury to Gomez’ wing could pay dividends with sophomore Brandon Dubinsky continuing to impress to the point where he’ll start as the team’s second line center. If the lines get out slow, the Ranger coach can always move Drury back to center and shift Dubinsky to the third line.

Much depends on second-year wingers Ryan Callahan and Nigel Dawes, who both are being asked to score more goals. Callahan is a very smart two-way threat who is a good shorthanded player that works diligently on the forecheck taking the body. He looked good in preseason. The same can’t be said for Dawes, who made strides last season becoming a trusted regular in Renney’s rotation. He has excellent hands and is an underrated passer capable of transitioning from defense to offense. He’s scored at every level and his 14 goals in limited duty gave every indication he’s fully capable.

On such a crowded roster, where does Petr Prucha fit? The former 30-goal scorer has seen his production drop the past two campaigns from 22 to only seven in 2007-08. Part of it was due to a diminished role and less ice-time especially on power plays. It would be wise for Renney to allot the hard working 26 year-old Czech some time. He’s always been willing to pay a price which is why fans love him frequently chanting, “Pru-uuu-uuu.”

If Prucha gets a fair chance, he can still be an important player on a team which must fully emphasize scoring by committee.

DEFENSE: No longer around are Fedor Tyutin (traded to Jackets), Christian Backman (traded to Jackets), whipping boy Marek Malik (unsigned FA), popular extra Jason Strudwick (signed w/ Oilers) and Thomas Pock (claimed by Islanders).

So, no Malik means they automatically upgraded. Not necessarily. Much will depend on how well Wade Redden applies himself after such a huge contract rewarded to him by his biggest fan Glen Sather. The former Senator certainly is capable of logging the big minutes required possessing an excellent first pass, solid wheels and a good shot from the point which should bolster the power play.

But is the 31 year-old in decline after posting a second straight season under 40 points or can he get back to an All-Star level which saw him achieve career bests in assists (40), points (50) and plus/minus (35) in just 65 contests with Ottawa in 2005-06 helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final? Thus far, he’s emphasized team success to take pressure off which is admirable. However, you know the first mistake he makes that leads to a goal against will result in boos and questions as to whether he can handle New York.

After struggling much of exhibition with Dan Girardi, he was tried with Michal Rozsival, who also got a big contract from Sather. The good news is Redden performed better. The bad is that Rozsival looked shaky which can’t happen if the revamped blueline is to have success. Both will be asked to log big minutes and man the points on the man-advantage.

Figure more responsibility to be given to budding second-year defenseman Marc Staal, who really gained Renney’s trust last season and emerged into one of the club’s best defenders. The Rangers should have a lot of confidence in the 21 year-old former No.1 pick who never seems overmatched and could very well be the next great defenseman for the club.

Staal will work with the steady Girardi, who does many things well including taking the body and jumping up in the play where he can get off a shot that saw him score 10 goals last season after none his rookie year. The 24 year-old find is a clean player who doesn’t take many penalties (14 PIM) and moves the puck efficiently. If the young tandem meshes, they could just become Renney’s shutdown pair.

Meanwhile, 29 year-old Ridgewood, New Jersey native Paul Mara wanted to return taking less because he feels the team can win the Cup. He’s developed into a steady puckmoving D who doesn’t do too much to standout which is the kind of quality you want in a third pair D. He’ll be teamed with former Sabre Dmitri Kalinin, who could become the new Malik.

The 28 year-old Russian didn’t fare well in preseason looking shaky. He needs to keep it simple in his end or fans might start wondering why the team added him. Especially with both cheaper options Corey Potter and Brian Fahey, who were reassigned to Hartford having solid camps.

It’s also worth noting that Kalinin got into only 46 games last season following 2006-07, which saw him appear in a career high 82 with 29 points and a career best plus-19 rating. In two of the last three seasons, he’s missed 63 games.

For the time being, the Rangers will go with only six defensemen. The question is for how long?

GOALIES: The Rangers will only go as far as No.1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist takes them. The 26 year-old Swede was up and down in the first half last season but overcame that to appear in a career high 72 games posting a 37-24-10 record with career bests in GAA (2.23) and shutouts (10), pacing the league to get nominated for a third straight Vezina.

King Henrik clearly is the man in New York and must continue to own the net keeping his team in games when they aren’t finishing. It figures to take time before the offense clicks. So, it will fall on the popular Swede’s shoulders to help the team get out of the gate quicker than the past two seasons which saw them have to go on a tear just to qualify for the postseason.

The question is is he still feeling lingering effects from a collision with the Pens’ Evgeni Malkin? His knees have become an issue. If it’s serious, it could prove costly to the Rangers’ chances.

Stephen Valiquette is a solid veteran backup who’s extremely popular with teammates, staff and beat writers for his calm easy going demeanor. The 31 year-old Toronto native was excellent in relief of Lundqvist winning half of his 10 starts while posting a 2.19 GAA, .916 save percentage along with his first two career shutouts.

What more can you ask for from your second goalie? He was a little rusty in preseason but expect him to rise up to the challenge when called upon.

COACHING: Tom Renney is a very respectable classy coach who communicates well with his team and the media which makes him an extremely popular figure. When it looked like the team was in trouble last year along with his job, he pulled them together and guided the club to its third consecutive postseason appearance.

Avenging a first round sweep to the Devils was sweet but he and the club still failed against a very formidable Pens’ team in the second round losing there a second straight year. Now, he has a differently assembled team and must make it work or the rumblings will start.

There’s going to be more pressure on Renney to make it work. If things get tough early, he must remain grounded and use that same approach Yankee fans grew accustomed to with Joe Torre.

His staff of Perry Pearn, Mike Pelino and Benoit Allaire are solid at breaking down what’s wrong and helping the team prepare. Since Renney got to choose his own staff a couple of years ago, they always have worked well and seem to be on the same page which is a huge plus for a team that’s covered in New York.

They’re well equipped and good at adjusting when things aren’t working.

ANALYSIS: It’s very hard to gauge how well this team will perform. Though I’m not overly optimistic about the roster changes, I’m still a firm believer in what they have up front and in net. Quite frankly, the Rangers possess arguably the best centers from top to bottom in the league. As long as Dubinsky doesn’t suffer from a sophomore slump and Korpikoski continues to prove he belongs, it provides the Blueshirts with an advantage which they should have in many match-ups.

Much has been said about Zherdev and Naslund replacing Jagr and the loss of Avery. However, they can’t worry about who’s no longer around and must just play their games. The leadership of Drury and Gomez should help get them on the same page. Drury’s the one being overlooked and I just can’t see a team led by him missing the postseason.

Neither can I see them suffering with Lundqvist in net. Unless his knee problems are worse than expected, he’s the second best goalie in the league.

Even in a tough division, don’t bet against them.

PREDICTION: 3rd Atlantic, 6th East