RANGERS' DUO FINN-ISHED?
By LARRY BROOKS
THE INTIMIDATED: Jarkko Immonen (right), who spent most of the season with the AHL's Wolf Pack, never quite fit in on the same line with Brendan Shanahan in 11 games last December.June 12, 2007 -- They have gone from prospects to suspects and now it appears as if both Jarkko Immonen and Bryce Lampman will be leaving the Rangers organization to play next season in Finland.
The Post has learned that Immonen, the 25-year-old restricted free agent who failed to grab the Blueshirts' second center-spot when presented with the opportunity last winter, is on the verge of returning to his native country for a guaranteed contract far more lucrative than the two-way qualifier he'll be presented by the Rangers.
At the same time, The Post also has learned that Lampman, the 24-year-old defenseman who has played only 10 games with the Rangers - one last season - since his fourth-round selection in the 2001 Entry Draft, has signed a contract with TPS of Finnish Elite that contains an out clause should he sign an NHL contract by July 10. The Blueshirts are not expected to extend a qualifying offer to Lampman, also a Group II free agent.
Immonen, who came to the Rangers on Mar. 3, 2004 from the Toronto organization as part of the Brian Leetch deal, played 14 games last season for the Blueshirts in which he recorded one goal and five assists. Though he spent most of the year with the Wolf Pack of the AHL, he did have a run of 11 straight games with the Rangers from Dec. 7-26, the first seven of which he skated between Brendan Shanahan and Matt Cullen (or, for one game, Martin Straka rather than Cullen). Immonen appeared intimidated playing with Shanahan. The line never clicked.
With coach Tom Renney regularly referring to doubts about Immonen's skating and his ability to prosper in an accelerated NHL pace, there is little chance he'd be able to earn a spot on next year's club, even with Michael Nylander's status in limbo. Immonen's ship has sailed.
Should a worst-case scenario develop prior to July 1 with Nylander (who has yet to hire an agent) choosing to go on the open market rather than re-signing with them, the Rangers would aggressively pursue both Scott Gomez and Chris Drury rather than choosing between the impending free agents.
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--Jim Schoenfeld
--Gordie Clark
--Adam Graves
--Mark Messier
--Anyone But Mark Messier
--Someone From Outsidse The Organisation
--It doesnt matter Slats runs the show anyway
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While henrik Lundqvists agent met with Rangers GM Slats, Wednesday in Toronto to begin negotiating a new contract for the franchise goaltender, center Michael Nylander , having sat on a 3 year offer from the Rangers for three months now, appears destined to become an unrestricted free agent on july 1 .
Nylander recently fired Manhattan based agent Paul Theofanous Alltho it has been reported elsewhere that Nylander believed Theofanous negotiated a belowmarket deal , the Daily News has learned that Sather offered Nylander a threee year worth 3.75 million per in March , And, instead of rejecting it or instructing Theofanous to make a counteroffer, Nylander requested three times that Sather leave the offer on the tablewhile he mulled it over. Now , it is unlikely that Sather will budge off that offer even if Nylander is wooed by rival teams come July 1
i dont like this .
make the guy an offer, he was fucking excellent this year , show him the respect that he has earned thusfar.
thoughts ? ( i know- its not even july yet, but c'mon---- camp opens up before you fellas know it )
Lets Go Rangers
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friend of a friend got the 10 game book plan this past season,
they included an event held today at the training center in greenburgh ny, at the nyr facility up there.
they had photos , autographs and some photos, as well as a tour of the facility.
he saw the gold goalnet they gave richter,
and met graves ,colton orr rod gilbert, dave maloney, Ron Dugay, valliquette , got photos and autographs.
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i met rod gilbert once. it was that day in july 2005 where fans waited around the garden to get a voucher for free tickets.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Michael Nylander, meanwhile, a studious sort, has to yet to hire an agent with free agency beckoning in little more than two weeks.
The Rangers' Plan B in the event of a Nylander defection - a hypothetical the front office never envisioned even as Glen Sather knew he would need No. 92's agreement on the three-year, $11.25 million deal the GM struck preliminarily with since-fired agent Paul Theofanous - will be to try to convince Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to each accept less than they could get elsewhere to join forces on Broadway.
It won't be an easy trick to pull, not with ravenous hordes set to pounce on Gomez and Drury both, which is something Sather might want to seriously consider whenever it is he sits across the table from Nylander's new agent.
Is it true as we're hearing that the Rangers would target Russian winger Alexei Cherepanov with the third overall choice in Friday's Entry Draft if they succeed in prying it from Don Maloney's Coyotes?
If Benoit Allaire isn't convinced that Stephen Valiquette can do the job for 14-18 starts as backup to Henrik Lundqvist, then the Rangers should make the call to quintessential pro Sean Burke to act as the King's understudy.
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June 17, 2007 Summer Fan Fest Report
The Rangers held their Summer Fan Fest for season ticket holders at the MSG Training Center yesterday. Mitch Beck was there and sends in this brief report: "Tom Renney was exceptionally candid in his assessment of the season, the addition and deletion of certain players, the young players' development, and the timing on bringing them in. He was exceptional in talking about Game 5 against Buffalo, saying that he took full responsibility for who was sent out in that scenario [in the final seconds] and was, for lack of a better term, asleep at the wheel (my words, not his).
"I asked him if, without naming names, he felt the Rangers would acquire one of the elite free agents that are out there. He said, 'Yes, I would expect that we will get one and possibly two. We have a new atmosphere here and people want to play here.' He then went on to talk about the importance of Brendan Shanahan in that respect. In regards to Jed Ortmeyer, he said it would be 'a business decision and not a hockey decision.' I think that means it’s safe to say that Jed is gone."
Thanks, Mitch! For more on the Summer Fan Fest, see the Journal News -- no, not Sam Weinman, who is out in Oakmont waxing ecstatic about Tiger Woods (sorry!). In other Sunday reading, with Jaromir Jagr out of the country, someone else has to lift up the quipster quotient, which is exactly what Larry Brooks does in the Post today -- the only thing missing from his column are rim shots. From Ottawa, news that one-time Ranger coach John Muckler is out as Senator GM after their Cup final loss.
Several draft and free agent articles out today. The most notable thing about this one on free agent busts since the lockout is that the Rangers are not mentioned. In this look at draft busts, the Rangers are again absent, although the Devils, Isles, and Glen Sather from his Oilers days figure prominently. The Rangers do figure in tangentially -- first overall draft busts Alexandre Daigle and Brian Lawton passed through New York on their paths to oblivion, and Quebec bust Daniel Dore was selected with the #5 overall pick the Rangers were forced to give the Nords in compensation for Phil Esposito stealing coach Michel Bergeron away from them illegally. In this draft preview, Ranger scout Tim Murray says, "In my 14 years of scouting, this is one of the weakest draft I've seen."
Posted by Dubi on June 17, 2007 at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
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June 18, 2007 Top Pick Will Be Tough to Trade Away
Jess Rubenstein's first installment in his draft week coverage:
As draft week begins, one has to look at what is being said about this upcoming draft to realize that if Ranger fans are expecting great things to happen, they will be greatly disappointed. It is as if even the Rangers are trying to warn their fans not to get their hopes up when one of their own scouts, Tim Murray, is calling this draft weak. Of course, this could be the Rangers' way of trying to mask the team’s intentions, but by the time the Rangers get to select at #17, the players left will never be expected to develop into top line forwards or defensemen.
As someone who covers prospects, if I was running the draft, I would trade out of the first round altogether. I would look to see if I could find a trading partner who would be willing to swap a future first rounder (2008 or 2009 appear to be good strong drafts) along with an extra 3rd or 4th round pick for that #17. If you were hoping for the Rangers to put a package together to move up to one of the top 5 picks, then realize that in a weak draft like this there will be a lot of competition from other teams. That might make the price tag not worth the deal. Already rumors have teams like the Ducks trying to move up from #16. The Oilers may try to take advantage of having multiple picks, as will the Blues, with three first round picks each (the Flyers, Coyotes, Caps, and Habs each have two first round picks).
For the Rangers, not taking someone in the first road could provide savings down the round. First round picks command guaranteed contracts, and if the best the Rangers can get is a role player, why waste the money in 2008 or 2009? Not to mention that an extra first round draft pick during either of the next two drafts could be the difference in a trade for "that one player" should the Rangers actually make a serious run at the Stanley Cup. So again, if it was up to me, I trade the pick. Once Ranger fans start seeing the various mock drafts that appear this week, they will see that trading the pick might be a good idea.
Some of those mock drafts that are already out -- Shane Malloy at FoxSports.com, who has the Rangers taking a defenseman, and Hockey's Future, which has Maxim Mayorov dropping into their laps thanks to Russia's refusal to sign the transfer agreement. Kyle Woodlief's assessment of top available defensemen is here, top goalies here. TSN.ca has ISS's final take of the top 30, plus goalies. And NYR.com has an alphabetical list of top available players with a composite their Hockey News, ISS, and Red Line Report rankings
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June 19, 2007 Just Can't Get Enough (Goalies, That Is)
Jess Rubebstein's draft week previews continue today with his look at what the Rangers should do to shore up their organizational depth in net:
Here is an area that I am sure will cause some debate -- goalies. This is not going to be about whether or not Montoya has an NHL future or if Vally can replace Weekes, but instead a look at some goalies on whom I believe the Rangers can invest a late round pick and hope they develop. The Rangers simply do not have enough goalies in the pipeline to overcome a major injury to anyone, whether it be Henrik or Monty. The lessons of Danny Blackburn and Mikey should still ring loud and clear -- you can never have enough goalies. At worst, having too many goalies gives you a major trading chip to fill any other holes you may have. I would like to see the Rangers use two draft picks on goalies in this draft, their 5th rounder and one of the two picks they have in the 7th round.
Josh Unice’s stock rose as the year went on. His performance at the Under-18 World Championships (he was voted best goalie) might have moved him up into the 3rd or 4th round, but if he is still there come the 5th round, the Rangers have to grab him. Unice is headed to Bowling Green, but he is going to continue working with Ian Clark, the goalie coach who developed Roberto Luongo. A goalie whose stock fell, mainly because his team was so very bad, was Kurtis Mucha of the Portland Winter Hawks. Mucha had a great performance in the 2005-06 WHL playoffs, but with Portland rebuilding during the past season, Mucha got zero support. When you are one of the older players on your team but you are still just 17, you know you are in for a long season. To his credit, Mucha did not complain. He went out every night and kept a very young Winter Hawk team in games they had no business being in. Put Mucha with a team that has an experienced defense and his numbers will greatly improve. Use a 6th or 7th round selection on him, and he will be well worth the gamble.
Some other sleepers who might still be available in later rounds: Jeremie Dupont, who plays for Chris Holt’s alma mater, Nebraska-Omaha. Dupont’s father Jerome was an NHL player. His son is an interesting possibility because he was just 17 for most of his freshman year and earned his fair share of playing time. Dupont has talent, but the question is, will he develop as time goes on? Use only a 7th rounder on him. John Muse is also an interesting possibility. The BC recruit had a strong high school season for Nobles (2.17 GAA, 8 shutouts). He is flying low on the radar, but what caught my eye is that BC, a national power, is strongly considering him as their starter even as a freshman. Use a 5th or 6th round pick on him. The final sleeper for your consideration is Scott Darling, a 6’6 goalie who played in the EJHL but is now headed to Maine to play for our friend Tim Whitehead. That alone makes us want to take a look at a huge goalie who is raw and clearly a project -- if Whitehead can turn him into a player, the Rangers would have a monster steal. Use a 7th rounder (the second one) on him.
Now as I turn this over to Dubi, he cannot be too mad at me since I did not propose using a 1st or 2nd round pick on a goalie, something he is majorly opposed to. But if I did, then I would use it to take Jeremy Smith of the Plymouth Whalers, as he was the reason why Marc Staal did not get to play in the Memorial Cup, carrying his team to the OHL championship past Staal's Sudbury Wolves.
The only new addition today in the wide wide world of draft previews is at TSN.ca, where they have a list of their top 60 prospects, along with blurbs from the scouts, and an overall preview article. The only other Ranger related article in the news today is Kevin Greenstein's look at the three area teams' off-season game plan in the Sun.
Remind me again why the NHL lost an entire season to forge a new CBA that was supposed to solve the league's financial problems? So that a 32-year-old defenseman could get more than $6 million a year for six years after being traded, along with another front-line player, for the 23rd overall pick in the draft in a weak draft year? Gary Bettman tried to legislate stupidity away, but stupid is as stupid does -- the insanity continues, emanating out of Philadelphia, as is so often the case. Can you imagine the howls of indignation across the continent if the Rangers had made this move? Of course, we can make fun of Gary and Philly all we want, but it's pretty obvious what is really happening here -- a 110-point team has begun dismantling itself in order to further justify its move out of town for more money than that franchise was ever worth. That's all the lockout was ever about -- franchise value. To read more, check out Spector at FoxSports.com and the Nashville Tennessean.
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June 19, 2007 Hossa a Hero
Marcel Hossa played the role of hero back in his native Slovakia, helping save a man's life after fellow NHLer Branko Radivojevic and a friend fought off the gang who attacked the man. Our friend DaTel sends in this translation of a report on the incident from Pravda.sk [warning: do not open the link if the sight of blood disturbs you -- there is a very graphic photo of the bloody knife used in the attack at the top of the story]:
"Hockey stars Marcel Hossa along with Branko Radivojevic probably saved the life of a 39 year old man who was attacked in Trencin on Saturday by a group of young neo-nazis. There were about 20 skinheads in the square around midnight. Half of them attacked a local citizen, cut the man's throat, and stabbed him in the back. Officials have no idea about what caused the incident. After the initial attack, the man fell to the ground. The aggressors started kicking him and jumping on him.
"At that very moment, Radivojevic and a friend of his came to the rescue. They fought the attackers and forced the skinheads to run away in no time. The entire incident took about 20 seconds. Afterwards, both guys along with Marcel Hossa took the wounded man to the hospital. Doctors found shards of the knife he was stabbed with close to his spinal chord. The attacked man is now out of danger. Radivojevic declined to comment on the matter. 'Until the investigation's over, I will not comment,' said the Minnesota Wild forward."
In other Ranger news, scout Tim Murray appears to be headed to Ottawa to work for his uncle Bryan Murray, the newly minted GM there, as previously relayed by Blueshirt Bulletin readers in our Comments section based on an Ottawa Sun article. Murray has always worked wherever his uncle was GM -- he broke into the NHL as a scout when Bryan was head man in Detroit, he worked his way up to director of amateur scouting under his uncle in Florida, and he was director of player personnel before the lockout for Murray in Anaheim when the Ducks drafted Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, key members of their Stanley Cup team. He came to the Rangers after the lockout as a scout working under head scout Gordie Clark.
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June 19, 2007 Hossa a Hero
Marcel Hossa played the role of hero back in his native Slovakia, helping save a man's life after fellow NHLer Branko Radivojevic and a friend fought off the gang who attacked the man. Our friend DaTel sends in this translation of a report on the incident from Pravda.sk [warning: do not open the link if the sight of blood disturbs you -- there is a very graphic photo of the bloody knife used in the attack at the top of the story]:
"Hockey stars Marcel Hossa along with Branko Radivojevic probably saved the life of a 39 year old man who was attacked in Trencin on Saturday by a group of young neo-nazis. There were about 20 skinheads in the square around midnight. Half of them attacked a local citizen, cut the man's throat, and stabbed him in the back. Officials have no idea about what caused the incident. After the initial attack, the man fell to the ground. The aggressors started kicking him and jumping on him.
"At that very moment, Radivojevic and a friend of his came to the rescue. They fought the attackers and forced the skinheads to run away in no time. The entire incident took about 20 seconds. Afterwards, both guys along with Marcel Hossa took the wounded man to the hospital. Doctors found shards of the knife he was stabbed with close to his spinal chord. The attacked man is now out of danger. Radivojevic declined to comment on the matter. 'Until the investigation's over, I will not comment,' said the Minnesota Wild forward."
In other Ranger news, scout Tim Murray appears to be headed to Ottawa to work for his uncle Bryan Murray, the newly minted GM there, as previously relayed by Blueshirt Bulletin readers in our Comments section based on an Ottawa Sun article. Murray has always worked wherever his uncle was GM -- he broke into the NHL as a scout when Bryan was head man in Detroit, he worked his way up to director of amateur scouting under his uncle in Florida, and he was director of player personnel before the lockout for Murray in Anaheim when the Ducks drafted Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, key members of their Stanley Cup team. He came to the Rangers after the lockout as a scout working under head scout Gordie Clark.
that's an incredible story! glad nothing happened to marcel. he really came on during the 2nd half of the season.
Shanny Returning
Brendan Shanahan told Larry Brooks of the Post that he wants to play again next season and will only play for the Rangers -- add him to the list of players whose agents will talk to Glen Sather during the draft. That brings one of the two top-line UFAs back into the fold -- Michael Nylander remains a question mark until his new agent talks to Sather this weekend. If July unfolds the way the past two have, the Rangers will be priced out of the market for big name centers and will have to dip into lower tiers -- one of the possible replacements for Nylander as Jagr's center is Robert Lang, who was told by Detroit that he will not be offered a contract there (report here).
Two Blueshirt Bulletin columnists are on their way to the draft -- Jess Rubenstein and Mitch Beck will both be roaming the vast confines of whatever they call their arena in Columbus looking to get us firsthand information on whatever the Rangers do and on whomever they select. So check in with us throughout the day Friday (especially during the first round) and again on Saturday for their reports. During the waits that always occur on draft day, you can chime in with your own ideas on what's going on. In the meantime, here is part two of Jess's mock draft, taking us through the Rangers' #17 pick:
As someone heads out the door, running to the airport on his way to Columbus, here is the second part of the mock draft through the Rangers' #17 pick for you to argue over. Hopefully this time I sent the right version in. Once I get to Columbus, I hope to start with whatever news I can find from the scene. When we last left the draft floor, Christer Rockstrom was jumping up and down on the Ranger draft table begging both Gordie Clark and Glen Sather to move up two spots by trading with the Oilers. But there was no need, as the player Rockstrom wants the Rangers to take will be there at #17.
16. Ducks: TSN picks Thomas Hickey -- Brian Burke will tease the heck out of his partner in the Chilliwack Bruins (Sather) trying to swap places in the draft, but Sather will not bite. Burke still has plenty of options to choose from, but California native Jonathon Blum, a smallish defenseman who played for the Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants, is too much for him to bypass. It is a solid win-win pick for the Ducks -- they get a mobile defender who comes from an excellent program, the first native son to be picked by the Ducks.
17. Rangers: TSN picks Colton Gillies -- Yes, the Rangers need a big forward, no doubt about it. However, Gillies will be long gone by the time the Rangers pick, so the Ranger draft table will be fun to watch as Christer Rockstrom argues for Swedish prospect Mikael Backlund, a 6’0 195-pound center. The western scouts will want Oscar Moeller (5’11-179), another Swedish center, and the eastern scouts will say Logan MacMillian (6’1 172), whose father Bob was the Rangers' first round draft choice (15th overall) exactly 35 years ago (but who played only 22 games as a Ranger before moving on to a long career elsewhere). In the end it will be Rockstrom who wins the argument.
Backlund would not have dropped this far had he not suffered a left knee injury. Concern over his knee has been misplaced, as he recovered nicely and was back playing the strong two-way game he is known for. Backlund will win Ranger fans over because he does not know how not to play hard at either end of the ice. On offense, Backlund attacks the net as if he was a bigger player, while defensively he has strong hockey sense that makes him appear to be a play ahead of the other team.
In other draft reading, go to NY Sports Day for part 3 and part 4 of Anthony Mastantuoni's preview series. SI's mock draft has the Rangers selecting speedy forward Lars Eller. E.J. Hradek brands Hugh Jessiman one of five worst value draft picks among active players in his look at the best and worst ever at ESPN. The NHL approved a few minor rules changes and rewarded Boston owner Jeremey Jacobs for leading the lockout by naming him chairman of the board of governors -- ironically, on the same day he named his 17th coach in the past thirty years. If he leads the NHL like he leads the Bruins, we'll all be soccer fans in few years.
Marek Malik is back in the Czech Republic preparing for next season after a short family vacation in Florida along with the families of Martin Straka and Michal Rozsival. He was interviewed after a soccer exhibition in which he played, interestingly, not for Team Jagr, but for Team Kubina. He characterized the Rangers' past season as, "Kind of strange. In the beginning, it wasn’t very good. Then the middle part was great, and the ending fantastic. And then came the elimination, which was a disappointment. We had it in us [to go farther in the playoffs]. We were unable to protect leads -- they kept vanishing. We didn’t manage to turn it on, to finish them when they were stumbling. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a way to finish them off."
Asked about his own performance, he expressed some level of unhappiness with himself but mostly stuck to what he has always insisted, that the team comes first. "I keep saying that individual output is good for nothing when the team can’t proceed. It’s kind of puzzling -- I have mixed feelings." Thanks again to DaTeL for the great translation -- if you want to read more in Czech, see the complete interview at iDNES.
Posted by Dubi on June 21, 2007 at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
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Shanny Returning
Brendan Shanahan told Larry Brooks of the Post that he wants to play again next season and will only play for the Rangers -- add him to the list of players whose agents will talk to Glen Sather during the draft. That brings one of the two top-line UFAs back into the fold -- Michael Nylander remains a question mark until his new agent talks to Sather this weekend. If July unfolds the way the past two have, the Rangers will be priced out of the market for big name centers and will have to dip into lower tiers -- one of the possible replacements for Nylander as Jagr's center is Robert Lang, who was told by Detroit that he will not be offered a contract there (report here).
Two Blueshirt Bulletin columnists are on their way to the draft -- Jess Rubenstein and Mitch Beck will both be roaming the vast confines of whatever they call their arena in Columbus looking to get us firsthand information on whatever the Rangers do and on whomever they select. So check in with us throughout the day Friday (especially during the first round) and again on Saturday for their reports. During the waits that always occur on draft day, you can chime in with your own ideas on what's going on. In the meantime, here is part two of Jess's mock draft, taking us through the Rangers' #17 pick:
As someone heads out the door, running to the airport on his way to Columbus, here is the second part of the mock draft through the Rangers' #17 pick for you to argue over. Hopefully this time I sent the right version in. Once I get to Columbus, I hope to start with whatever news I can find from the scene. When we last left the draft floor, Christer Rockstrom was jumping up and down on the Ranger draft table begging both Gordie Clark and Glen Sather to move up two spots by trading with the Oilers. But there was no need, as the player Rockstrom wants the Rangers to take will be there at #17.
16. Ducks: TSN picks Thomas Hickey -- Brian Burke will tease the heck out of his partner in the Chilliwack Bruins (Sather) trying to swap places in the draft, but Sather will not bite. Burke still has plenty of options to choose from, but California native Jonathon Blum, a smallish defenseman who played for the Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants, is too much for him to bypass. It is a solid win-win pick for the Ducks -- they get a mobile defender who comes from an excellent program, the first native son to be picked by the Ducks.
17. Rangers: TSN picks Colton Gillies -- Yes, the Rangers need a big forward, no doubt about it. However, Gillies will be long gone by the time the Rangers pick, so the Ranger draft table will be fun to watch as Christer Rockstrom argues for Swedish prospect Mikael Backlund, a 6’0 195-pound center. The western scouts will want Oscar Moeller (5’11-179), another Swedish center, and the eastern scouts will say Logan MacMillian (6’1 172), whose father Bob was the Rangers' first round draft choice (15th overall) exactly 35 years ago (but who played only 22 games as a Ranger before moving on to a long career elsewhere). In the end it will be Rockstrom who wins the argument.
Backlund would not have dropped this far had he not suffered a left knee injury. Concern over his knee has been misplaced, as he recovered nicely and was back playing the strong two-way game he is known for. Backlund will win Ranger fans over because he does not know how not to play hard at either end of the ice. On offense, Backlund attacks the net as if he was a bigger player, while defensively he has strong hockey sense that makes him appear to be a play ahead of the other team.
In other draft reading, go to NY Sports Day for part 3 and part 4 of Anthony Mastantuoni's preview series. SI's mock draft has the Rangers selecting speedy forward Lars Eller. E.J. Hradek brands Hugh Jessiman one of five worst value draft picks among active players in his look at the best and worst ever at ESPN. The NHL approved a few minor rules changes and rewarded Boston owner Jeremey Jacobs for leading the lockout by naming him chairman of the board of governors -- ironically, on the same day he named his 17th coach in the past thirty years. If he leads the NHL like he leads the Bruins, we'll all be soccer fans in few years.
Marek Malik is back in the Czech Republic preparing for next season after a short family vacation in Florida along with the families of Martin Straka and Michal Rozsival. He was interviewed after a soccer exhibition in which he played, interestingly, not for Team Jagr, but for Team Kubina. He characterized the Rangers' past season as, "Kind of strange. In the beginning, it wasn’t very good. Then the middle part was great, and the ending fantastic. And then came the elimination, which was a disappointment. We had it in us [to go farther in the playoffs]. We were unable to protect leads -- they kept vanishing. We didn’t manage to turn it on, to finish them when they were stumbling. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a way to finish them off."
Asked about his own performance, he expressed some level of unhappiness with himself but mostly stuck to what he has always insisted, that the team comes first. "I keep saying that individual output is good for nothing when the team can’t proceed. It’s kind of puzzling -- I have mixed feelings." Thanks again to DaTeL for the great translation -- if you want to read more in Czech, see the complete interview at iDNES.
Posted by Dubi on June 21, 2007 at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
GREAT NEWS!
we just need to resign avery & nylander now, and persue scott gomez.
we just need to resign avery & nylander now, and persue scott gomez.
agree, nylander has to be priority.
It is also in his better interests to resign , he had his best career hockey playing alongside Jagr and the other various linemates- an overall good mix and chemistry.
nylander amazes me sometimes how he appears to defy laws of physics and gravity with some of those abrupt turns and changes in dircection he makes regularly. i hope he tweaks that " need to pass first " mentality and shoot some more. The guy is crafty.
this friday and saturday will be the days the names will be tossed around in the draft, then july 1 not far behind. ( i hope ) it should be good for NY.
i think avery is a lock.
he loves the city , ( so does his movie star girlfriend )
and he loives the team/franchise/fanbase.
he was pretty much accepted right away on broadway, very big impact guy .
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agree, nylander has to be priority.
It is also in his better interests to resign , he had his best career hockey playing alongside Jagr and the other various linemates- an overall good mix and chemistry.
nylander amazes me sometimes how he appears to defy laws of physics and gravity with some of those abrupt turns and changes in dircection he makes regularly. i hope he tweaks that " need to pass first " mentality and shoot some more. The guy is crafty.
this friday and saturday will be the days the names will be tossed around in the draft, then july 1 not far behind. ( i hope ) it should be good for NY.
his play making is amazing. sam rosen said that he is the best play maker the rangers have seen since gretzky. bold, but i have a hard time disagreeing with that.
NYR are stocked with picks this year ! ( even tho this draft is supposebly pretty weak )
PICK 'EM: In addition to the 17th pick, the Rangers also have selections in Rounds2 (No. 48), 5 (138), 6 (168), and 7 (193, from Montreal, and 198) during the two-day draft.
Gord Clark told reporters yesterday that he's looking for falling stars in the middle of the draft, much the way Marc Staal (and Bobby Sanguinetti) fell into the Rangers' mid-round laps the past two years. He doesn't expect the Rangers to be able to trade up in the draft, and prefers a forward over a defenseman but will take the best available player. Larry Brooks writes in the New York Post of Clark that he "scoffed at some of the names attached to the Rangers in mock drafts. It is, however, believed the team is keenly interested in Swedish center Mikael Backlund, who's not likely to be available, and perhaps in Swiss center Luca Cunti."
On the free agent front, John Dellapina of the Daily News adds Sean Avery's name to the list of players who will be negotiating with Sather at the draft. "Nylander's mind-set isn't clear," he writes about another player negotiating for a new contract. "Having asked Sather three times since March to leave a three-year, $11.25 million offer on the table while he mulled it over, the top-line center has yet to make a counter-proposal or declare that he plans to try unrestricted free agency." More from the local papers in the Journal News, Newsday (on the possibility of an Islander son going to the Rangers), and the New York Sun (mostly on the Devils despite the headline about the Rangers).
With all the attention on James Van Riemsdyk, another local area product who grew up a Ranger fan will be a high draft choice this year -- Kevin Shattenkirk of New Rochelle. Read about him in the Journal News. For the remainder of Anthony Mastantuoni's multi-volume draft preview, go to NY Sports Day -- part 5, part 6, and part 7. We'll be back later with more as things unfold, so check back with us through the day and especially this evening, as Jess and Mitch report live from Columbus.
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let me get this straight, a guy with the last name "Cunti" might be playing in New York. This could get a little ugly.
havent seen or heard that name beofre this article,
but i am pretty sure it is pronounced in a way ( swedish ? ) that is different from what you and i as americans would read that as .
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this guy supposebly has skills and already has broken some of Pavel Bures Rookie stats over in Russia.
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RUSSIAN ROULETTE RANGERS HIT JACKPOT WITH STEAL OF NHL DRAFT
By LARRY BROOKS
ALEXEI THE GREAT:.June 23, 2007 -- COLUMBUS, Ohio - On the night NHL Entry Draft history was made when Americans went 1-2 for the first time, the Rangers may well have come away with the steal of the first round by reaching across the ocean to Russia to grab consensus top-five pick Alexei Cherepanov 17th overall.
Management personnel at the Blueshirts’ draft table reacted with a mixture of glee, shock and anticipation as one team after another passed on Central Scouting’s highest-rated European skater, apparently all scared off by the lack of a current transfer agreement between the NHL and the IIHF.
Indeed, the Rangers thought so highly of Cherepanov, who has two years remaining on his contract with Omsk that includes an escape or buyout clause following this coming season, that they mulled attempting to deal with Phoenix in order to grab him third overall.
“We had him going way before [17th],” draft chief Gordie Clark said, looking every bit like the cat that swallowed the canary. “I don’t know what other teams were thinking about, the [lack of a transfer agreement
or his contract], but my boss, Glen Sather, told me, ‘If this kid is what you think of him, if you think he is special, then take him and we can get all that worked out.’
“The guy has got an incredible pair of hands. He’s a young kid who has scored the most big goals I’ve seen in years in all the international tournaments. He’s a special talent.
“I really wanted to get a forward out of this draft. My philosophy the last two years has been to draft as much ability as possible. They’re not all going to work out, we know that, but we don’t have first- and second-liners coming.
“It’s my job to get us ready for the post-Jagr stage of the Rangers.”
Cherepanov said he had watched Jaromir Jagr play for his Omsk squad during the 2004-05 lockout. He named Jagr as his favorite player. Cherepanov was named the top forward in the 2007 World Juniors, and with 18 goals broke Pavel Bure’s Russian Elite League rookie goal-scoring record by one.
Through an interpreter, Cherepanov said he had hoped to be either chosen in the top three of the draft or by the Rangers, who made history in 1991 by making Alexei Kovalev the first Russian to be selected in the first round, 15th overall.
“I was a little surprised [to slide] but I have no regrets about anything because [New York] is a great place to be,” the 18-year-old, 6-foot, 183-pound winger said through interpreter Ilya Moliver. “I have two years left on my contract, but there is no clause that will not let me leave the year after this. Next year [2008-09] is my goal. Next year is what I’m going to achieve.”
*
Middletown, N.J., native James van Riemsdyk was chosen second by the Flyers after Buffalo-born Patrick Kane was selected by the Blackhawks. The Avalanche chose Kevin Shattenkirk of New Rochelle with the 14th pick. . . . Rounds 2-7 will be conducted here today.
*
A year after sending big-time Finnish goaltending prospect Tuukka Rask to the Bruins for netminder Andrew
Raycroft, the Maple Leafs yesterday dealt a first-round pick in either the 2007, 2008 or 2009 draft, a 2007 second-rounder and a 2009 fourthrounder to San Jose for goaltender Vesa Toskala and winger Mark Bell.
. . . The Panthers acquired goaltender Tomas Vokoun from the Predators in exchange for a first-rounder last night and a pair of second-rounders: one this year, and one next year
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June 19, 2007 Hossa a Hero
Marcel Hossa played the role of hero back in his native Slovakia, helping save a man's life after fellow NHLer Branko Radivojevic and a friend fought off the gang who attacked the man. Our friend DaTel sends in this translation of a report on the incident from Pravda.sk [warning: do not open the link if the sight of blood disturbs you -- there is a very graphic photo of the bloody knife used in the attack at the top of the story]:
"Hockey stars Marcel Hossa along with Branko Radivojevic probably saved the life of a 39 year old man who was attacked in Trencin on Saturday by a group of young neo-nazis. There were about 20 skinheads in the square around midnight. Half of them attacked a local citizen, cut the man's throat, and stabbed him in the back. Officials have no idea about what caused the incident. After the initial attack, the man fell to the ground. The aggressors started kicking him and jumping on him.
"At that very moment, Radivojevic and a friend of his came to the rescue. They fought the attackers and forced the skinheads to run away in no time. The entire incident took about 20 seconds. Afterwards, both guys along with Marcel Hossa took the wounded man to the hospital. Doctors found shards of the knife he was stabbed with close to his spinal chord. The attacked man is now out of danger. Radivojevic declined to comment on the matter. 'Until the investigation's over, I will not comment,' said the Minnesota Wild forward."
In other Ranger news, scout Tim Murray appears to be headed to Ottawa to work for his uncle Bryan Murray, the newly minted GM there, as previously relayed by Blueshirt Bulletin readers in our Comments section based on an Ottawa Sun article. Murray has always worked wherever his uncle was GM -- he broke into the NHL as a scout when Bryan was head man in Detroit, he worked his way up to director of amateur scouting under his uncle in Florida, and he was director of player personnel before the lockout for Murray in Anaheim when the Ducks drafted Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, key members of their Stanley Cup team. He came to the Rangers after the lockout as a scout working under head scout Gordie Clark.
this story about Marcel Hossa has been bumped up for NYPJ1 as he was baking in the miami heat for the last week, i know he missed this story along with the other headlines profiled here in our blueshirts thread.
oh yeah, and Shannys coming back again next season.
welcome home J
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this story about Marcel Hossa has been bumped up for NYPJ1 as he was baking in the miami heat for the last week, i know he missed this story along with the other headlines profiled here in our blueshirts thread.
oh yeah, and Shannys coming back again next season.
welcome home J
thanx for the welcome
wow hossa awesome story ,,well bad for the dude attacked,,bu at least they helped
no contract yet but he decided his health is ready and able ( no concussion symptoms ) , so he's all good and it will only be NYR for him.
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If you're still wondering why Cherepanov fell so far in the first round, check out this video at NHL.com -- over five minutes of footage of AC, some of it of entire shifts, where he routinely does nothing, not even break a sweat, unless you consider turnovers something. If this one game was all a scout ever saw of him, no wonder no one wanted to draft him. Glen Sather, having gone to Russia to scout Cherry on his own, saw more of him than just this sad little clip.
looks like he snagged 3 mermaids at the big parade out at Brooklyns version of the mardi- gras ! :eek: :eek:
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On Wednesday, the National Hockey League’s Board of Governors approved four rules changes, effective the start of the 2007-08 season.
Rule 24 -- Gross Misconduct. The term "Gross Misconduct" was eliminated from the rule book. Any act that would have been assessed a Gross Misconduct penalty will receive a Game Misconduct penalty. Accumulated Game Misconduct penalties can lead to fines or suspension.
Rule 25 -- Penalty Shot. A player may be awarded a penalty shot if he is fouled on a clear breakaway outside his defensive zone (i.e., anywhere in the neutral zone or in the attacking zone). Previously, a penalty shot was awarded only when the player on a clear breakaway was fouled on the attacking side of the center line.
Rule 56 -- Interference. Referees were given discretion to assess a major penalty and a game misconduct when an injury results from an act of interference. Previously, only a minor penalty could be assessed for interference.
Rule 76 -- Face-offs. All face-offs must be conducted at one of the nine face-off dots painted on the rink. Previously, there had been instances, such as when a puck left the playing surface, which caused the face-off to occur on unmarked ice, parallel to the dot nearest the place where the puck departed.
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Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Comments
and 2 more NYR bite the dust , looks like they will be following Darius' exit and be leaving the Rangers, this time to play in Finland.
from todays NY Post
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who should take over for D Maloney
the choices :
--Jim Schoenfeld
--Gordie Clark
--Adam Graves
--Mark Messier
--Anyone But Mark Messier
--Someone From Outsidse The Organisation
--It doesnt matter Slats runs the show anyway
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SPORTSWIRE
i dont like this .
make the guy an offer, he was fucking excellent this year , show him the respect that he has earned thusfar.
thoughts ? ( i know- its not even july yet, but c'mon---- camp opens up before you fellas know it )
Lets Go Rangers
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they included an event held today at the training center in greenburgh ny, at the nyr facility up there.
they had photos , autographs and some photos, as well as a tour of the facility.
he saw the gold goalnet they gave richter,
and met graves ,colton orr rod gilbert, dave maloney, Ron Dugay, valliquette , got photos and autographs.
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Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
:eek:
todays Slapshots:
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Top Pick Will Be Tough to Trade Away
Jess Rubenstein's first installment in his draft week coverage:
As draft week begins, one has to look at what is being said about this upcoming draft to realize that if Ranger fans are expecting great things to happen, they will be greatly disappointed. It is as if even the Rangers are trying to warn their fans not to get their hopes up when one of their own scouts, Tim Murray, is calling this draft weak. Of course, this could be the Rangers' way of trying to mask the team’s intentions, but by the time the Rangers get to select at #17, the players left will never be expected to develop into top line forwards or defensemen.
As someone who covers prospects, if I was running the draft, I would trade out of the first round altogether. I would look to see if I could find a trading partner who would be willing to swap a future first rounder (2008 or 2009 appear to be good strong drafts) along with an extra 3rd or 4th round pick for that #17. If you were hoping for the Rangers to put a package together to move up to one of the top 5 picks, then realize that in a weak draft like this there will be a lot of competition from other teams. That might make the price tag not worth the deal. Already rumors have teams like the Ducks trying to move up from #16. The Oilers may try to take advantage of having multiple picks, as will the Blues, with three first round picks each (the Flyers, Coyotes, Caps, and Habs each have two first round picks).
For the Rangers, not taking someone in the first road could provide savings down the round. First round picks command guaranteed contracts, and if the best the Rangers can get is a role player, why waste the money in 2008 or 2009? Not to mention that an extra first round draft pick during either of the next two drafts could be the difference in a trade for "that one player" should the Rangers actually make a serious run at the Stanley Cup. So again, if it was up to me, I trade the pick. Once Ranger fans start seeing the various mock drafts that appear this week, they will see that trading the pick might be a good idea.
Some of those mock drafts that are already out -- Shane Malloy at FoxSports.com, who has the Rangers taking a defenseman, and Hockey's Future, which has Maxim Mayorov dropping into their laps thanks to Russia's refusal to sign the transfer agreement. Kyle Woodlief's assessment of top available defensemen is here, top goalies here. TSN.ca has ISS's final take of the top 30, plus goalies. And NYR.com has an alphabetical list of top available players with a composite their Hockey News, ISS, and Red Line Report rankings
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Just Can't Get Enough (Goalies, That Is)
Jess Rubebstein's draft week previews continue today with his look at what the Rangers should do to shore up their organizational depth in net:
Here is an area that I am sure will cause some debate -- goalies. This is not going to be about whether or not Montoya has an NHL future or if Vally can replace Weekes, but instead a look at some goalies on whom I believe the Rangers can invest a late round pick and hope they develop. The Rangers simply do not have enough goalies in the pipeline to overcome a major injury to anyone, whether it be Henrik or Monty. The lessons of Danny Blackburn and Mikey should still ring loud and clear -- you can never have enough goalies. At worst, having too many goalies gives you a major trading chip to fill any other holes you may have. I would like to see the Rangers use two draft picks on goalies in this draft, their 5th rounder and one of the two picks they have in the 7th round.
Josh Unice’s stock rose as the year went on. His performance at the Under-18 World Championships (he was voted best goalie) might have moved him up into the 3rd or 4th round, but if he is still there come the 5th round, the Rangers have to grab him. Unice is headed to Bowling Green, but he is going to continue working with Ian Clark, the goalie coach who developed Roberto Luongo. A goalie whose stock fell, mainly because his team was so very bad, was Kurtis Mucha of the Portland Winter Hawks. Mucha had a great performance in the 2005-06 WHL playoffs, but with Portland rebuilding during the past season, Mucha got zero support. When you are one of the older players on your team but you are still just 17, you know you are in for a long season. To his credit, Mucha did not complain. He went out every night and kept a very young Winter Hawk team in games they had no business being in. Put Mucha with a team that has an experienced defense and his numbers will greatly improve. Use a 6th or 7th round selection on him, and he will be well worth the gamble.
Some other sleepers who might still be available in later rounds: Jeremie Dupont, who plays for Chris Holt’s alma mater, Nebraska-Omaha. Dupont’s father Jerome was an NHL player. His son is an interesting possibility because he was just 17 for most of his freshman year and earned his fair share of playing time. Dupont has talent, but the question is, will he develop as time goes on? Use only a 7th rounder on him. John Muse is also an interesting possibility. The BC recruit had a strong high school season for Nobles (2.17 GAA, 8 shutouts). He is flying low on the radar, but what caught my eye is that BC, a national power, is strongly considering him as their starter even as a freshman. Use a 5th or 6th round pick on him. The final sleeper for your consideration is Scott Darling, a 6’6 goalie who played in the EJHL but is now headed to Maine to play for our friend Tim Whitehead. That alone makes us want to take a look at a huge goalie who is raw and clearly a project -- if Whitehead can turn him into a player, the Rangers would have a monster steal. Use a 7th rounder (the second one) on him.
Now as I turn this over to Dubi, he cannot be too mad at me since I did not propose using a 1st or 2nd round pick on a goalie, something he is majorly opposed to. But if I did, then I would use it to take Jeremy Smith of the Plymouth Whalers, as he was the reason why Marc Staal did not get to play in the Memorial Cup, carrying his team to the OHL championship past Staal's Sudbury Wolves.
The only new addition today in the wide wide world of draft previews is at TSN.ca, where they have a list of their top 60 prospects, along with blurbs from the scouts, and an overall preview article. The only other Ranger related article in the news today is Kevin Greenstein's look at the three area teams' off-season game plan in the Sun.
Remind me again why the NHL lost an entire season to forge a new CBA that was supposed to solve the league's financial problems? So that a 32-year-old defenseman could get more than $6 million a year for six years after being traded, along with another front-line player, for the 23rd overall pick in the draft in a weak draft year? Gary Bettman tried to legislate stupidity away, but stupid is as stupid does -- the insanity continues, emanating out of Philadelphia, as is so often the case. Can you imagine the howls of indignation across the continent if the Rangers had made this move? Of course, we can make fun of Gary and Philly all we want, but it's pretty obvious what is really happening here -- a 110-point team has begun dismantling itself in order to further justify its move out of town for more money than that franchise was ever worth. That's all the lockout was ever about -- franchise value. To read more, check out Spector at FoxSports.com and the Nashville Tennessean.
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Hossa a Hero
Marcel Hossa played the role of hero back in his native Slovakia, helping save a man's life after fellow NHLer Branko Radivojevic and a friend fought off the gang who attacked the man. Our friend DaTel sends in this translation of a report on the incident from Pravda.sk [warning: do not open the link if the sight of blood disturbs you -- there is a very graphic photo of the bloody knife used in the attack at the top of the story]:
"Hockey stars Marcel Hossa along with Branko Radivojevic probably saved the life of a 39 year old man who was attacked in Trencin on Saturday by a group of young neo-nazis. There were about 20 skinheads in the square around midnight. Half of them attacked a local citizen, cut the man's throat, and stabbed him in the back. Officials have no idea about what caused the incident. After the initial attack, the man fell to the ground. The aggressors started kicking him and jumping on him.
"At that very moment, Radivojevic and a friend of his came to the rescue. They fought the attackers and forced the skinheads to run away in no time. The entire incident took about 20 seconds. Afterwards, both guys along with Marcel Hossa took the wounded man to the hospital. Doctors found shards of the knife he was stabbed with close to his spinal chord. The attacked man is now out of danger. Radivojevic declined to comment on the matter. 'Until the investigation's over, I will not comment,' said the Minnesota Wild forward."
In other Ranger news, scout Tim Murray appears to be headed to Ottawa to work for his uncle Bryan Murray, the newly minted GM there, as previously relayed by Blueshirt Bulletin readers in our Comments section based on an Ottawa Sun article. Murray has always worked wherever his uncle was GM -- he broke into the NHL as a scout when Bryan was head man in Detroit, he worked his way up to director of amateur scouting under his uncle in Florida, and he was director of player personnel before the lockout for Murray in Anaheim when the Ducks drafted Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, key members of their Stanley Cup team. He came to the Rangers after the lockout as a scout working under head scout Gordie Clark.
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that's an incredible story! glad nothing happened to marcel. he really came on during the 2nd half of the season.
June 21, 2007
Shanny Returning
Brendan Shanahan told Larry Brooks of the Post that he wants to play again next season and will only play for the Rangers -- add him to the list of players whose agents will talk to Glen Sather during the draft. That brings one of the two top-line UFAs back into the fold -- Michael Nylander remains a question mark until his new agent talks to Sather this weekend. If July unfolds the way the past two have, the Rangers will be priced out of the market for big name centers and will have to dip into lower tiers -- one of the possible replacements for Nylander as Jagr's center is Robert Lang, who was told by Detroit that he will not be offered a contract there (report here).
Two Blueshirt Bulletin columnists are on their way to the draft -- Jess Rubenstein and Mitch Beck will both be roaming the vast confines of whatever they call their arena in Columbus looking to get us firsthand information on whatever the Rangers do and on whomever they select. So check in with us throughout the day Friday (especially during the first round) and again on Saturday for their reports. During the waits that always occur on draft day, you can chime in with your own ideas on what's going on. In the meantime, here is part two of Jess's mock draft, taking us through the Rangers' #17 pick:
As someone heads out the door, running to the airport on his way to Columbus, here is the second part of the mock draft through the Rangers' #17 pick for you to argue over. Hopefully this time I sent the right version in. Once I get to Columbus, I hope to start with whatever news I can find from the scene. When we last left the draft floor, Christer Rockstrom was jumping up and down on the Ranger draft table begging both Gordie Clark and Glen Sather to move up two spots by trading with the Oilers. But there was no need, as the player Rockstrom wants the Rangers to take will be there at #17.
16. Ducks: TSN picks Thomas Hickey -- Brian Burke will tease the heck out of his partner in the Chilliwack Bruins (Sather) trying to swap places in the draft, but Sather will not bite. Burke still has plenty of options to choose from, but California native Jonathon Blum, a smallish defenseman who played for the Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants, is too much for him to bypass. It is a solid win-win pick for the Ducks -- they get a mobile defender who comes from an excellent program, the first native son to be picked by the Ducks.
17. Rangers: TSN picks Colton Gillies -- Yes, the Rangers need a big forward, no doubt about it. However, Gillies will be long gone by the time the Rangers pick, so the Ranger draft table will be fun to watch as Christer Rockstrom argues for Swedish prospect Mikael Backlund, a 6’0 195-pound center. The western scouts will want Oscar Moeller (5’11-179), another Swedish center, and the eastern scouts will say Logan MacMillian (6’1 172), whose father Bob was the Rangers' first round draft choice (15th overall) exactly 35 years ago (but who played only 22 games as a Ranger before moving on to a long career elsewhere). In the end it will be Rockstrom who wins the argument.
Backlund would not have dropped this far had he not suffered a left knee injury. Concern over his knee has been misplaced, as he recovered nicely and was back playing the strong two-way game he is known for. Backlund will win Ranger fans over because he does not know how not to play hard at either end of the ice. On offense, Backlund attacks the net as if he was a bigger player, while defensively he has strong hockey sense that makes him appear to be a play ahead of the other team.
In other draft reading, go to NY Sports Day for part 3 and part 4 of Anthony Mastantuoni's preview series. SI's mock draft has the Rangers selecting speedy forward Lars Eller. E.J. Hradek brands Hugh Jessiman one of five worst value draft picks among active players in his look at the best and worst ever at ESPN. The NHL approved a few minor rules changes and rewarded Boston owner Jeremey Jacobs for leading the lockout by naming him chairman of the board of governors -- ironically, on the same day he named his 17th coach in the past thirty years. If he leads the NHL like he leads the Bruins, we'll all be soccer fans in few years.
Marek Malik is back in the Czech Republic preparing for next season after a short family vacation in Florida along with the families of Martin Straka and Michal Rozsival. He was interviewed after a soccer exhibition in which he played, interestingly, not for Team Jagr, but for Team Kubina. He characterized the Rangers' past season as, "Kind of strange. In the beginning, it wasn’t very good. Then the middle part was great, and the ending fantastic. And then came the elimination, which was a disappointment. We had it in us [to go farther in the playoffs]. We were unable to protect leads -- they kept vanishing. We didn’t manage to turn it on, to finish them when they were stumbling. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a way to finish them off."
Asked about his own performance, he expressed some level of unhappiness with himself but mostly stuck to what he has always insisted, that the team comes first. "I keep saying that individual output is good for nothing when the team can’t proceed. It’s kind of puzzling -- I have mixed feelings." Thanks again to DaTeL for the great translation -- if you want to read more in Czech, see the complete interview at iDNES.
Posted by Dubi on June 21, 2007 at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
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GREAT NEWS!
we just need to resign avery & nylander now, and persue scott gomez.
agree, nylander has to be priority.
It is also in his better interests to resign , he had his best career hockey playing alongside Jagr and the other various linemates- an overall good mix and chemistry.
nylander amazes me sometimes how he appears to defy laws of physics and gravity with some of those abrupt turns and changes in dircection he makes regularly. i hope he tweaks that " need to pass first " mentality and shoot some more. The guy is crafty.
this friday and saturday will be the days the names will be tossed around in the draft, then july 1 not far behind. ( i hope ) it should be good for NY.
i think avery is a lock.
he loves the city , ( so does his movie star girlfriend )
and he loives the team/franchise/fanbase.
he was pretty much accepted right away on broadway, very big impact guy .
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his play making is amazing. sam rosen said that he is the best play maker the rangers have seen since gretzky. bold, but i have a hard time disagreeing with that.
Blueshirt Bulletin
June 22, 2007
Rangers Shoot For Another Falling Star
Gord Clark told reporters yesterday that he's looking for falling stars in the middle of the draft, much the way Marc Staal (and Bobby Sanguinetti) fell into the Rangers' mid-round laps the past two years. He doesn't expect the Rangers to be able to trade up in the draft, and prefers a forward over a defenseman but will take the best available player. Larry Brooks writes in the New York Post of Clark that he "scoffed at some of the names attached to the Rangers in mock drafts. It is, however, believed the team is keenly interested in Swedish center Mikael Backlund, who's not likely to be available, and perhaps in Swiss center Luca Cunti."
On the free agent front, John Dellapina of the Daily News adds Sean Avery's name to the list of players who will be negotiating with Sather at the draft. "Nylander's mind-set isn't clear," he writes about another player negotiating for a new contract. "Having asked Sather three times since March to leave a three-year, $11.25 million offer on the table while he mulled it over, the top-line center has yet to make a counter-proposal or declare that he plans to try unrestricted free agency." More from the local papers in the Journal News, Newsday (on the possibility of an Islander son going to the Rangers), and the New York Sun (mostly on the Devils despite the headline about the Rangers).
With all the attention on James Van Riemsdyk, another local area product who grew up a Ranger fan will be a high draft choice this year -- Kevin Shattenkirk of New Rochelle. Read about him in the Journal News. For the remainder of Anthony Mastantuoni's multi-volume draft preview, go to NY Sports Day -- part 5, part 6, and part 7. We'll be back later with more as things unfold, so check back with us through the day and especially this evening, as Jess and Mitch report live from Columbus.
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havent seen or heard that name beofre this article,
but i am pretty sure it is pronounced in a way ( swedish ? ) that is different from what you and i as americans would read that as .
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NYR pick Russian prodigy Cherepanov.
this guy supposebly has skills and already has broken some of Pavel Bures Rookie stats over in Russia.
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RANGERS HIT JACKPOT WITH STEAL OF NHL DRAFT
By LARRY BROOKS
ALEXEI THE GREAT:.June 23, 2007 -- COLUMBUS, Ohio - On the night NHL Entry Draft history was made when Americans went 1-2 for the first time, the Rangers may well have come away with the steal of the first round by reaching across the ocean to Russia to grab consensus top-five pick Alexei Cherepanov 17th overall.
Management personnel at the Blueshirts’ draft table reacted with a mixture of glee, shock and anticipation as one team after another passed on Central Scouting’s highest-rated European skater, apparently all scared off by the lack of a current transfer agreement between the NHL and the IIHF.
Indeed, the Rangers thought so highly of Cherepanov, who has two years remaining on his contract with Omsk that includes an escape or buyout clause following this coming season, that they mulled attempting to deal with Phoenix in order to grab him third overall.
“We had him going way before [17th],” draft chief Gordie Clark said, looking every bit like the cat that swallowed the canary. “I don’t know what other teams were thinking about, the [lack of a transfer agreement
or his contract], but my boss, Glen Sather, told me, ‘If this kid is what you think of him, if you think he is special, then take him and we can get all that worked out.’
“The guy has got an incredible pair of hands. He’s a young kid who has scored the most big goals I’ve seen in years in all the international tournaments. He’s a special talent.
“I really wanted to get a forward out of this draft. My philosophy the last two years has been to draft as much ability as possible. They’re not all going to work out, we know that, but we don’t have first- and second-liners coming.
“It’s my job to get us ready for the post-Jagr stage of the Rangers.”
Cherepanov said he had watched Jaromir Jagr play for his Omsk squad during the 2004-05 lockout. He named Jagr as his favorite player. Cherepanov was named the top forward in the 2007 World Juniors, and with 18 goals broke Pavel Bure’s Russian Elite League rookie goal-scoring record by one.
Through an interpreter, Cherepanov said he had hoped to be either chosen in the top three of the draft or by the Rangers, who made history in 1991 by making Alexei Kovalev the first Russian to be selected in the first round, 15th overall.
“I was a little surprised [to slide] but I have no regrets about anything because [New York] is a great place to be,” the 18-year-old, 6-foot, 183-pound winger said through interpreter Ilya Moliver. “I have two years left on my contract, but there is no clause that will not let me leave the year after this. Next year [2008-09] is my goal. Next year is what I’m going to achieve.”
*
Middletown, N.J., native James van Riemsdyk was chosen second by the Flyers after Buffalo-born Patrick Kane was selected by the Blackhawks. The Avalanche chose Kevin Shattenkirk of New Rochelle with the 14th pick. . . . Rounds 2-7 will be conducted here today.
*
A year after sending big-time Finnish goaltending prospect Tuukka Rask to the Bruins for netminder Andrew
Raycroft, the Maple Leafs yesterday dealt a first-round pick in either the 2007, 2008 or 2009 draft, a 2007 second-rounder and a 2009 fourthrounder to San Jose for goaltender Vesa Toskala and winger Mark Bell.
. . . The Panthers acquired goaltender Tomas Vokoun from the Predators in exchange for a first-rounder last night and a pair of second-rounders: one this year, and one next year
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they question his work ethic,,but he has awesome potential
hopefully it will work out
this story about Marcel Hossa has been bumped up for NYPJ1 as he was baking in the miami heat for the last week, i know he missed this story along with the other headlines profiled here in our blueshirts thread.
oh yeah, and Shannys coming back again next season.
welcome home J
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thanx for the welcome
wow hossa awesome story ,,well bad for the dude attacked,,bu at least they helped
shanny signed?? 1 year??
no contract yet but he decided his health is ready and able ( no concussion symptoms ) , so he's all good and it will only be NYR for him.
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from the blueshirt bulletin
and lookey here J
he was right in your neck of the woods yesterday.
looks like he snagged 3 mermaids at the big parade out at Brooklyns version of the mardi- gras ! :eek: :eek:
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fromNYR .com
NHL APPROVES FOUR RULES CHANGES FOR 2007-08
6/20/2007
NHL Press Release
On Wednesday, the National Hockey League’s Board of Governors approved four rules changes, effective the start of the 2007-08 season.
Rule 24 -- Gross Misconduct. The term "Gross Misconduct" was eliminated from the rule book. Any act that would have been assessed a Gross Misconduct penalty will receive a Game Misconduct penalty. Accumulated Game Misconduct penalties can lead to fines or suspension.
Rule 25 -- Penalty Shot. A player may be awarded a penalty shot if he is fouled on a clear breakaway outside his defensive zone (i.e., anywhere in the neutral zone or in the attacking zone). Previously, a penalty shot was awarded only when the player on a clear breakaway was fouled on the attacking side of the center line.
Rule 56 -- Interference. Referees were given discretion to assess a major penalty and a game misconduct when an injury results from an act of interference. Previously, only a minor penalty could be assessed for interference.
Rule 76 -- Face-offs. All face-offs must be conducted at one of the nine face-off dots painted on the rink. Previously, there had been instances, such as when a puck left the playing surface, which caused the face-off to occur on unmarked ice, parallel to the dot nearest the place where the puck departed.
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i dont see many problems in the video
first clip he back-checked the whole way
then stole the puck behind his own net
every shift he goes right in front always towards the net like that
few sloppy turnovers ,, but hey it happens,,hopfully not much
dont forget the bigger ice overseas
so the clips that looked like he was hanging abit,,he did have his man covered
i still think he had to be chosen
the potential is limitless imo
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06262007/sports/rangers/blueshirts_cut_rachunek_loose_rangers_larry_brooks.htm
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
i think were banking on staal being ready
after all those numbers add up ,,we still have room left
this is gonna get interesting