*Scroll down to the previous post to get a bit of closure on the 2008-09 season.
I love the NHL.
Just when you're starting to go through a bit of hockey withdrawal, and you're missing the familiar grind of the long, tough NHL season, the coolest game on Earth quickly feeds your hunger with the NHL draft (a pretty exciting one this year), and then the best Free Agent Frenzy of any professional sport in the world. *we'll see about Lebron in 2010.
Perhaps the best part of rooting for the New York Rangers is knowing that your team WILL make some kind of crazy splash- good or bad- in the Free Agent Pool and/or on the Trade market.
On the contrary, as my friend Dmitriy, a Devil fan put it; "UFA day for Devils fans is like Christmas Day for Jews."
As if his team's style of play isn't enough to put you to sleep, Lou Lamoriello refuses to take any sort of gamble during the NHL offseason- regardless of whether his team is in dire need of it or not. *They are
There are General Managers like that, and then there are GMs like Glen Sather. New York's beloved, experienced, established, cigar-smoking, lack-of-chemistry creating, money-throwing, retarded GENIUS of an architect.
For Today At Least.
Before we get to what Mr. Sather did on the first day of Free Agency, let's look step-by-step at the roster turnover thus far since the team bowed out to the Washington Alexander Ovechkins in 7 games. (excluding draft picks)
REMAINING UFA's: Betts, Morris (assume all are gone), Mara (unknown)
REMAINING RFA's: Callahan, Dubinsky, Higgins, Korpikoski, Zherdev, Byers, Potter (assume all will be resigned)
Newly Off-Broadway:
- Markus Naslund- The veteran Swede did the Rangers a $2 million favor when he retired shortly after the Rangers' elimination. Nazzy went 22-24-46 for the Blueshirts last season- which, while not awful numbers confirmed initial thoughts that the Rangers shelled out the cash to another declining star. Much like Shanahan before him, he just ran out out gas and fizzled toward the end of the season and playoffs.
- Blair Betts- The PK and face-off specialist, though yet to sign elsewhere, has more or less been run out of town by the arrival of recent acquisitions. Betts was a good skater and a hard worker as a Blueshirt, but his lack of offensive production (6g 4a in 81 games) clearly wore thin for NYR in a league where the importance of depth scoring has been magnified more than ever.
- Fredrik Sjostrom- Another blue-collar, lunch-pail, low output player for the Rangers last season, Shoes' will move on to Calgary next season after he was not offered a contract as a restricted free agent earlier in the week. Sjostrom is another top notch penalty killer and responsible two-way guy, but does little scoring (7g 6a in 79 games). Best of luck to Freddie.
- Colton Orr- Completing the departure of the entire 4th line is elite tough guy and fan favorite Colton Orr. Orr worked hard last off-season to improve his skating and develop his game into more than just an enforcer. His skating improved a little, but as a whole his play with the gloves on was just not up to par. He'll police the ice for the Maple Leafs for the next two years.
- Derek Morris: The aging blueliner was brought in from Phoenix at the deadline to provide some physicality and power play help from the blueline. He did neither. See ya later.
- Nik Antropov- The 6'6 Kazakh was brought in from Toronto at the trade deadline for a 2nd round draft pick. Before he arrived we were told to beware of his maddening inconsistency, and that's exactly what we witnessed. Antro scored 7 goals and 13 points in 18 games as a Ranger, and added 2g and 1a in 7 playoff games. While those aren't bad numbers, Nik didn't provide the elite scoring touch that the Blueshirts sorely needed. Now an unrestricted free agent, Antro is reportedly seeking an absurd contract that the Rangers can't and wont pay him. UPDATE: Antro has signed a multi-year deal with Atlanta
- Scott Gomez- I'll get to a breakdown of Sather's masterful trade of the disappointing centerman shortly. But looking at Scotty's Ranger career, one has to wonder what exactly went wrong. Why didn't Gomez ever fit in with the Garden Faithful? Why couldn't he find success playing with ANYBODY? Forget the fact that Gomer was a second line talent being paid elite, first-line money- that was not his fault, it was Glen's. This, however, does not excuse Scott's inability to find chemistry with Jaromir Jagr, Nik Zherdev, Brenden Shanahan, Markus Naslund, or anybody else for that matter. It's hard to build a team around a guy who doesn't fit with any other pieces. Gomer was a target of abuse at the Garden not just because he didn't *(couldn't) live up to his contract, but because he showed no fire, no desire, and no willingness to sacrifice anything for a Double-you. If he thinks he had it tough in New York's hockey market, wait till he shies away from a check in The Forum in Montreal. I don't care if he's playing with Cammaleri, Gianta or Gretzky, he'll get eaten alive.
Now Playing On Broadway:
- Brian Boyle- The big man (6'7) from LA was acquired on draft day for a 3rd round pick next year. In 36 NHL games, the former first round pick (LA in '03) has recorded 8g and 2a for 10 points. While that's not terrible for a 4th liner, I'm left scratching my head at this trade. Could cheaper, home-grown talent Dane Byers not put up the same numbers? We'll see.
- Donald Brashear- Ugh. See... there are some guys in this league who when you bring up their name and how much you dislike them, you wind up figuring out that he's a guy you'd hate to play against, but love to play alongside (see: Avery, Sean. Samuelsson, Ulf). Brashear is not one of those players. He's a goon and a cheap-shot artist. The thought of him in Blue makes me nauseous. The deal he was given as a free agent (2 years 1.4M per) is even more repulsive. On the other side of this, however, the Rangers new 4th liners (Boyle, Brashear) are pretty Hechting big and tough.
- Ryan McDonagh- Acquired in the Gomez trade to Montreal, McD isn't going to help the Rangers out next season. However, this guy is an elite defensive prospect in the NHL. How Canadiens GM Bob Gainey gave this guy away WITH Chris Higgins for Scott Freakin' Gomez is mind boggling- but I am not complaining. Add him to Staal, Girardi, Sanguinetti, Del Zotto, and Gilroy, and the Rangers have a hell of a defensive corps blooming.
- Chris Higgins- Now we're talking. Another, and perhaps the main, piece coming back this way in the Gomez deal, the 6'0 Smithstown, NY native is a more developed Ryan Callahan. He will (if he's not traded) quickly become a Garden favorite with his work ethic and scoring ability. He's topped 20 goals in 3 of his 4 NHL seasons, and that fourth season was marred by injury. Consider him a 2nd liner who can net 30 goals and was born to play the kind of style that Head Coach John Tortorella preaches.
- Marian Gaborik- The New York Rangers have not had an elite offensive talent IN HIS PRIME on their roster since... a very long time ago (Maybe Graves in '94). They haven't had a player this electrifying since an aging Pavel Bure suited up for 51 games in at the Garden. Well my Blueshirt Brethren, that player has now come to Broadway. When on the ice, Gabs is EASILY one of the games 10 best players. However, the 27 year old Slovak has a knack for getting injured, and that is what makes his 5-year, 7.5M per contract a gamble.
But listen to this, naysayers. Gaborik has scored 30 or more goals in 5 of his 8 seasons in the league! The three years he hasn't? 1) His rookie year, where he scored 18 in 71 games. 2) The year before the lockout- 18g in 65 games and 3) Last year, where he scored 13 goals and 23 points in 17 games!! His other seasons include: 78 games, 30g, 81games 30g, 65games 38g, 48games 30g, and 77 games 42g.
The guy could miss half the season and still lead the Rangers in scoring.
And to ease your conscience further, the Rangers doctors have had conversations with Gaborik's doctors, and the surgeons who performed the same procedure on Gaborik as was performed on Michal Rozsival before last season. They insist, as does Marian, that the sniper is healthy and ready to light up broadway. I can't wait.
Now while Sather has been masterful thus far in managing the salary cap, doing away with unnecessary parts, and picking up an elite scorer, there is still plenty of work to be done.
Contrary to popular opinion. The Rangers, even after the Gaborik deal, still have about $16 million remaining in cap space at this time. While this amount would likely be more than enough to sign their remaining RFA's (Cally, Duby etc), you can be sure that Sather is far from finished restructuring this team. In fact, it's not even worth speculating about line combinations at this point.
The Rangers still need a #1 center (at this point it's Dubinsky..), a crease-clearing defenseman, and a depth defensemen.
Potential Targets:
- Dany Heatley (OTT)- Heatley wants to be a Ranger. He has all but said this, and his veto-ing of a trade to Edmonton, while maintaining his desire to be traded may open up some doors. Whether the Rangers can swing a deal for the high scoring winger remains to be seen, as Ottawa would have to take back some serious dough in return (ROZSIVAL). If you have Heatley and Gaborik on your top line, you don't need a #1 center.*
- Saku Koivu- The long-tenured Canadiens captain has been run out of town this offseason without any fanfare or appreciation. Koivu still has legs and could be the left-handed centerman for Gaborik that Sather is rumored to be looking for.
- Brad Richards (DAL)- Tort's former go-to-guy in Tampa would be a nice fit on the top line in NY. Again, NY would hope to move at least Rozsival in such a trade.*
- Joe Thornton (SJS)- With the choking that's gone on in San Jose, everybody is on the block.*
- Phil Kessel (BOS) - The Bruins are trying to move the 21-year old speedster. Such a move would require trading some serious prospects and picks.*
- Alex Tanguay (FA)- Shifty pivot still has something to give
- Mikael Samuelsson (FA)- Former Ranger, became a solid threat and PP man in Detroit.
Honorable Mention: Alex Kovalev (FA), Ales Kotalik (FA), Manny Malholtra (FA)
*A trade for this player would also need to include at least one of NYR's top defensive prospects
Note**The Rangers are likely to add at least one rookie prospect to their starting roster next season (Anisimov, Grachev, Sanguinetti, Del Zotto)
The rest of the free agent activity can last until the season starts in October. I have a feeling we'll have a good idea of the NYR roster within the next week or two.
You go to sleep tonight a hero, Glen. But there's plenty of time to screw it up. What's your next move?
-Rif
