July 23, 2007 What We Know and What We Don't Know (Yet)
First line -- What we know: Jaromir Jagr will enter the season healthy, with a full summer's worth of training, and with two years left on his contract and in all likelihood his NHL career, he is on a mission. What we don't know: Who will Jagr's center be, Scott Gomez or Chris Drury, and will they be able to re-create the chemistry Jagr had with his former center? Tom Renney has already said both new signess will be tried there as the season progresses. Gomez, a puck-carrying playmaker, would seem to be the natural in the pivot for Jagr -- he plays the game a lot like Jagr's former center, but he has more speed and will keep the puck moving forward at least until he gains the blue line. But will he and Jagr click? What we also don't know is how Martin Straka's shoulder/upper arm will hold up. Resting it for the summer will certainly have helped, but will he come to camp 100%? And will it hold out over the course of the season? If it doesn't, the Rangers have two fallback positions -- Marcel Hossa and Petr Prucha.
Second line -- What we know: Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery will definitely be back, matched up again on opposite wings. If Avery comes in with a one-year contract and something to prove as he heads toward free agency, then we can expect more of the same from him that we saw after he came to New York. Shanahan will no doubt follow the same pattern of recent years -- hot start, cool winter, resurgent next spring. His injury is a thing of the past. What we don't know: Who will center the line? If Gomez clicks with Jagr, Drury will get the call, and while the trio of Drury between Avery and Shanahan will score more at even strength than they did with Matt Cullen in the middle, expect them to be more of a two-way unit. On the other hand, if Gomez ends up centering the line, he could set up a bushel of goals for Shanahan.
Third line -- What we know: Nothing, really. Which is a shame, because we coul have expected a long-term trial of the dynamic line of Cullen between Prucha and Ryan Callahan had Cullen not been traded. Now, we're not even sure these guys will man the third line. Renney may go back to a third line with a defensive mandate, with Blair Betts at center and with the wings up for grabs in training camp. He is on record as saying that he is not sure what Callahan can do over an 82-game NHL season, and he has yet to use Prucha consistently over his first two seasons. On the other hand, the wingers may remain in place with a center to be named later filling the hole in the middle -- either a free agent acquisition such as the rumored (though longshot) Mike Peca, or someone coming up from Hartford, like Brandon Dubinsky.
Fourth line -- What we know: That the most sensible configuration heading into the season is Betts centering Hossa on the left and a platoon of Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr on the right (using Hollweg for hitting in most cases, with Orr stepping in when a nuclear deterrent is necessary). What we don't know: If Hossa will even be back -- if he gets an arbitration award higher than the Rangers can stomach given their salary cap situation, they may let him walk. But that is a worst-case scenario -- the Rangers will almost certainly keep Hossa as a fourth line insurance policy for Straka in case a hole opens up on Jagr's left wing. In fact, Hossa could end up on a third line with Betts and a right winger to be named later (maybe Callahan) if the Rangers choose to jerk Prucha around like they did last season.
Defense -- What we know: That there are too many defenseman on the roster right now. We know that Michal Rozsival and Fedor Tyutin will anchor the top two defensive pairs. Marek Malik will return as Rozsival's partner unless he is traded or waived to create cap space. Dan Girardi is a frontrunner to pair up with Tyutin but is, like Callahan, according to Renney, not a lock. Paul Mara will be back, unless he is traded, to help on the power play. Jason Strudwick will be the depth defenseman thanks to his locker room presence. What we don't know: Who the sixth defenseman will be -- Thomas Pock and Andrew Hutchison will be claimed on waivers if they're sent down, and Marc Staal is expected to compete for an NHL job. Unless Malik and/or Mara are shed, there will be at least one odd man out, and that by necessity may be Staal, whom Renney has already said will not be force-fed to the NHL.
Special Teams -- What we know: The Rangers were most successful on the power play when they split Jagr and Shanahan across two units. A first unit of Gomez, Jagr, and Prucha, with Straka dropping to the point along with Rozsival, makes the most sense, with the second line of Drury, Avery, and Shanahan up front on the second unit along with Mara on the point. What we don't know: If Renney will be able to stick with this game plan, especially if the first unit eats up too much power play time. In that case, he might be tempted to move Shanahan up to the first unit and drop Prucha down. On the penalty kill, Blair Betts will again lead the team in shorthanded ice time, Drury will get nearly as much in place of Cullen, and Shanahan, Avery, and Hossa will be used. But who will replace Jed Ortmeyer? Don't count on Gomez -- he has averaged about five seconds a game as a penalty killer over the past five seasons.
Goaltending -- What we know: Henrik Lundqvist will be a workhorse in net, Steve Valiquette will be a lightly-used back-up, and Al Montoya will spend the season in Hartford -- the Rangers will not be able to afford his NHL cap hit even if he's ready to play at that level. All this of course is barring injury and major meltdown by Lundqvist. What we don't know: If Valiquette will be enough of a back-up, especially if, as was the case early last season, Lundqvist needs a few games off to find his game again.
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Chris Simon re-ups with Islanders
23/07/2007 4:12:19 PM
Coach Ted Nolan offered a thumbs up following the New York Islanders' re-signing of unrestricted free-agent forward Chris Simon.
Islanders' Chris Simon has five games remaining on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
(Don Heupel/Associated Press)
"Chris is just one of those old school guys who gave our team a little bit of everything last season," Nolan said in a statement Monday. "We can't overstate Si's leadership.
Simon, who will earn $800,000 US on a one-year deal, had 10 goals and 27 points in 67 games last season.
The base salary in the deal is $475,000 but Simon will get another $325,000 in a games played bonus. He can also earn more in performance bonuses.
"He'll have a big role with our team, just like last season," Nolan added.
Simon, 35, still has five games to serve next season on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
"I take a lot of pride in being an Islander and I didn't consider playing anywhere else this season but on Long Island," Simon, a native of Wawa, Ont., said in a statement. "Everyone knows the respect I have for Ted Nolan but it goes well beyond that.
"Everyone connected with the Islanders, from the owner to the fans, have been first-class. I cannot wait to get the season started."
Van 92.07.21 / Van 98.07.19 / Sea 98.07.22 / Tor 98.08.22 / Sea 00.11.06 / Van 03.05.30/ Van 05.09.02/ Gorge 06.07.22 & 23 / EV Van 08.04.02 / Tor 09.08.21 / Sea 09.09.21 & 22 / Van 09.09.25 / Van 11.09.25 / Van 13.12.04 / Pem 16.07.17 / Sea 18.08.10
Chris Simon re-ups with Islanders
23/07/2007 4:12:19 PM
Coach Ted Nolan offered a thumbs up following the New York Islanders' re-signing of unrestricted free-agent forward Chris Simon.
Islanders' Chris Simon has five games remaining on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
(Don Heupel/Associated Press)
"Chris is just one of those old school guys who gave our team a little bit of everything last season," Nolan said in a statement Monday. "We can't overstate Si's leadership.
Simon, who will earn $800,000 US on a one-year deal, had 10 goals and 27 points in 67 games last season.
The base salary in the deal is $475,000 but Simon will get another $325,000 in a games played bonus. He can also earn more in performance bonuses.
"He'll have a big role with our team, just like last season," Nolan added.
Simon, 35, still has five games to serve next season on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
"I take a lot of pride in being an Islander and I didn't consider playing anywhere else this season but on Long Island," Simon, a native of Wawa, Ont., said in a statement. "Everyone knows the respect I have for Ted Nolan but it goes well beyond that.
"Everyone connected with the Islanders, from the owner to the fans, have been first-class. I cannot wait to get the season started."
haha, i cant wait for the orr/simon fight on november 6th. that whole game is gonna be a slugfest
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
Chris Simon re-ups with Islanders
23/07/2007 4:12:19 PM
Coach Ted Nolan offered a thumbs up following the New York Islanders' re-signing of unrestricted free-agent forward Chris Simon.
Islanders' Chris Simon has five games remaining on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
(Don Heupel/Associated Press)
"Chris is just one of those old school guys who gave our team a little bit of everything last season," Nolan said in a statement Monday. "We can't overstate Si's leadership.
Simon, who will earn $800,000 US on a one-year deal, had 10 goals and 27 points in 67 games last season.
The base salary in the deal is $475,000 but Simon will get another $325,000 in a games played bonus. He can also earn more in performance bonuses.
"He'll have a big role with our team, just like last season," Nolan added.
Simon, 35, still has five games to serve next season on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
"I take a lot of pride in being an Islander and I didn't consider playing anywhere else this season but on Long Island," Simon, a native of Wawa, Ont., said in a statement. "Everyone knows the respect I have for Ted Nolan but it goes well beyond that.
"Everyone connected with the Islanders, from the owner to the fans, have been first-class. I cannot wait to get the season started."
yea he's a big tough guy...... punk bring it simon
July 23, 2007 What We Know and What We Don't Know (Yet)
First line -- What we know: Jaromir Jagr will enter the season healthy, with a full summer's worth of training, and with two years left on his contract and in all likelihood his NHL career, he is on a mission. What we don't know: Who will Jagr's center be, Scott Gomez or Chris Drury, and will they be able to re-create the chemistry Jagr had with his former center? Tom Renney has already said both new signess will be tried there as the season progresses. Gomez, a puck-carrying playmaker, would seem to be the natural in the pivot for Jagr -- he plays the game a lot like Jagr's former center, but he has more speed and will keep the puck moving forward at least until he gains the blue line. But will he and Jagr click? What we also don't know is how Martin Straka's shoulder/upper arm will hold up. Resting it for the summer will certainly have helped, but will he come to camp 100%? And will it hold out over the course of the season? If it doesn't, the Rangers have two fallback positions -- Marcel Hossa and Petr Prucha.
Second line -- What we know: Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery will definitely be back, matched up again on opposite wings. If Avery comes in with a one-year contract and something to prove as he heads toward free agency, then we can expect more of the same from him that we saw after he came to New York. Shanahan will no doubt follow the same pattern of recent years -- hot start, cool winter, resurgent next spring. His injury is a thing of the past. What we don't know: Who will center the line? If Gomez clicks with Jagr, Drury will get the call, and while the trio of Drury between Avery and Shanahan will score more at even strength than they did with Matt Cullen in the middle, expect them to be more of a two-way unit. On the other hand, if Gomez ends up centering the line, he could set up a bushel of goals for Shanahan.
Third line -- What we know: Nothing, really. Which is a shame, because we coul have expected a long-term trial of the dynamic line of Cullen between Prucha and Ryan Callahan had Cullen not been traded. Now, we're not even sure these guys will man the third line. Renney may go back to a third line with a defensive mandate, with Blair Betts at center and with the wings up for grabs in training camp. He is on record as saying that he is not sure what Callahan can do over an 82-game NHL season, and he has yet to use Prucha consistently over his first two seasons. On the other hand, the wingers may remain in place with a center to be named later filling the hole in the middle -- either a free agent acquisition such as the rumored (though longshot) Mike Peca, or someone coming up from Hartford, like Brandon Dubinsky.
Fourth line -- What we know: That the most sensible configuration heading into the season is Betts centering Hossa on the left and a platoon of Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr on the right (using Hollweg for hitting in most cases, with Orr stepping in when a nuclear deterrent is necessary). What we don't know: If Hossa will even be back -- if he gets an arbitration award higher than the Rangers can stomach given their salary cap situation, they may let him walk. But that is a worst-case scenario -- the Rangers will almost certainly keep Hossa as a fourth line insurance policy for Straka in case a hole opens up on Jagr's left wing. In fact, Hossa could end up on a third line with Betts and a right winger to be named later (maybe Callahan) if the Rangers choose to jerk Prucha around like they did last season.
Defense -- What we know: That there are too many defenseman on the roster right now. We know that Michal Rozsival and Fedor Tyutin will anchor the top two defensive pairs. Marek Malik will return as Rozsival's partner unless he is traded or waived to create cap space. Dan Girardi is a frontrunner to pair up with Tyutin but is, like Callahan, according to Renney, not a lock. Paul Mara will be back, unless he is traded, to help on the power play. Jason Strudwick will be the depth defenseman thanks to his locker room presence. What we don't know: Who the sixth defenseman will be -- Thomas Pock and Andrew Hutchison will be claimed on waivers if they're sent down, and Marc Staal is expected to compete for an NHL job. Unless Malik and/or Mara are shed, there will be at least one odd man out, and that by necessity may be Staal, whom Renney has already said will not be force-fed to the NHL.
Special Teams -- What we know: The Rangers were most successful on the power play when they split Jagr and Shanahan across two units. A first unit of Gomez, Jagr, and Prucha, with Straka dropping to the point along with Rozsival, makes the most sense, with the second line of Drury, Avery, and Shanahan up front on the second unit along with Mara on the point. What we don't know: If Renney will be able to stick with this game plan, especially if the first unit eats up too much power play time. In that case, he might be tempted to move Shanahan up to the first unit and drop Prucha down. On the penalty kill, Blair Betts will again lead the team in shorthanded ice time, Drury will get nearly as much in place of Cullen, and Shanahan, Avery, and Hossa will be used. But who will replace Jed Ortmeyer? Don't count on Gomez -- he has averaged about five seconds a game as a penalty killer over the past five seasons.
Goaltending -- What we know: Henrik Lundqvist will be a workhorse in net, Steve Valiquette will be a lightly-used back-up, and Al Montoya will spend the season in Hartford -- the Rangers will not be able to afford his NHL cap hit even if he's ready to play at that level. All this of course is barring injury and major meltdown by Lundqvist. What we don't know: If Valiquette will be enough of a back-up, especially if, as was the case early last season, Lundqvist needs a few games off to find his game again.
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That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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GET AN ISLANDER THREAD METS ,,keep that shit outta here
hey metsy didnt drag it in ( hawkshore did )
and heck we welcome any teams fans to talk hockey
but that guys a dolt and not even worth it.
colton orr will knock his block off, but woith his hands, not his stick .
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That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Staals Gone Wild
I didn't see your boy Marc's name mentioned in the article. Either he is smarter than his brothers and avoided being arrested or he just doesn't know how to have a good time at a bachelor party.
Staals Gone Wild
I didn't see your boy Marc's name mentioned in the article. Either he is smarter than his brothers and avoided being arrested or he just doesn't know how to have a good time at a bachelor party.
interesting article- good that marc was not mentioned.
perhaps the return of matt cullen will provide the veteran leadership that these kids obviously need.
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interesting article- good that marc was not mentioned.
perhaps the return of matt cullen will provide the veteran leadership that these kids obviously need.
Not sure about Cullen necessarily, but I have no doubt that Brind'Amour will have a talk with him. While I'm sure the Canes and the Pens aren't to thrilled with seeing their guys names in the paper for an off the ice incident all indications are that they come from a fine family and all 4 of them are good kids. While I've never been arrested, I've done some pretty silly stuff when I was that age and under the influence. I just found the thing kind of humorous. Sounds like a hell of a party!
July 25, 2007 Marc Not Among Arrested Staal Brothers [Updated]
What makes one of four brothers decide to become a steady stay at home defenseman instead of a brash forward like his siblings? Maybe it's the same mindset that kept Ranger prospect Marc Staal from being arrested along with his brothers Eric and Jordan in Minnesota after Eric's bachelor party got out of hand last weekend (little brother Jarred was probably deemed too young to attend -- Jordan himself was underage for the drunken party, that being one of the charges laid against him). Whether Marc attended the party is unknown, but he was not among the fourteen family members and friends who were arrested for harrassing motorists at the side of the highway at 4:00 AM Saturday morning -- the Cook County sherriff's office just read me the names of five Staal family members from the list of those detained, and Marc was not one of them (nor was Jarred). See news reports in the Raleigh News-Observer and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
According the a press release from the Cook County Sherriff's office, the party at the Lusten Resort was warned prior to 1:00 AM about loud screaming and loud music after numerous complaints were lodged. At 3:00 AM, after repeated warnings, representatives of three law enforcement agencies helped resort staff shut down the Staal party and remove all participants from the property. At 4:00 AM, the group was arrested at the side of the road for disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process. Some members of the group fled into the woods and were therefore not detained with the others -- we have no way of knowing at this time whether Marc was among this group, or if he was even at the party at all. Jordan was among four detainees released after booking -- the other ten, including Eric, were held overnight.
Posted by Dubi on July 25, 2007 at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
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As further information comes to light about what went down at Eric Staal's bachelor party, Ranger fans can take solace that our Staal brother, Marc, apparently the smart one in the family, did not attend, choosing to go to bed instead, at least according to their agent, Rick Curran. See reports in Slam! Sports, Raleigh News-Observer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Canada.com, and Thunder Bay Source. Many have wondered why a bachelor party gone awry is a news story -- lucky for the Staal brothers that it did not become a bigger story, with no one getting hurt, which could easily have been the case when you have a situation where over a dozen drunken partygoers, all riled up after being evicted by multiple law enforcement agencies, end up on the main road in town at 4:00 AM harrassing passing motorists.
In other Ranger reading today, NYR.com has a feature on prospect Brodie Dupont as he prepares for his first pro season, Kenny Albert gets excited at MSG.com, Michael Peca tells the CP that the Rangers have expressed interest in signing him, and the Hockey Humorist takes on the Devils. Filip Novak, the first player drafted under Glen Sather's watch (in the second round, 64th overall, in 2000) who was sent to Florida in the trade for Pavel Bure, has gone back to play in his native Czech Republic after appearing in only 17 NHL games, divided between Ottawa and Columbus. Novak's potential was probably damaged irreperably by an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2003-04 season.
Posted by Dubi on July 26, 2007 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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As further information comes to light about what went down at Eric Staal's bachelor party, Ranger fans can take solace that our Staal brother, Marc, apparently the smart one in the family, did not attend, choosing to go to bed instead, at least according to their agent, Rick Curran. See reports in Slam! Sports, Raleigh News-Observer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Canada.com, and Thunder Bay Source. Many have wondered why a bachelor party gone awry is a news story -- lucky for the Staal brothers that it did not become a bigger story, with no one getting hurt, which could easily have been the case when you have a situation where over a dozen drunken partygoers, all riled up after being evicted by multiple law enforcement agencies, end up on the main road in town at 4:00 AM harrassing passing motorists.
In other Ranger reading today, NYR.com has a feature on prospect Brodie Dupont as he prepares for his first pro season, Kenny Albert gets excited at MSG.com, Michael Peca tells the CP that the Rangers have expressed interest in signing him, and the Hockey Humorist takes on the Devils. Filip Novak, the first player drafted under Glen Sather's watch (in the second round, 64th overall, in 2000) who was sent to Florida in the trade for Pavel Bure, has gone back to play in his native Czech Republic after appearing in only 17 NHL games, divided between Ottawa and Columbus. Novak's potential was probably damaged irreperably by an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2003-04 season.
Posted by Dubi on July 26, 2007 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
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an encouraging piece while we wait for camp to open up.
July 27, 2007
Rangers Rebuild While Winning
A funny thing happened on the way to the long-term rebuilding program the Rangers promised fans when they came out of the lockout two years ago. The league-wide roster churn caused by the lockout and by the reduced age of free agency turned them into contenders quicker than anyone, including team management, anticipated. With players still in their prime becoming available on the open market and with the salary cap forcing the team to look inward to fill out the roster rather than going overboard on veterans, the Rangers were able to put together a contender with a combination of youth, experience, and talent.
For seven long years, the Rangers tried to "win now" without success. At first, the mandate was to capitalize on the remaining core from the 1994 Stanley Cup team. That didn't last, especially with coach Colin Campbell favoring anonymous interchangeable parts over talented young Europeans like Alexei Kovalev, Sergei Zubov, and Petr Nedved. The disastrous trade of Mattias Norstrom (among other young assets) for Jari Kurri (and other retirement-bound veterans) caused the team to shift to a hybrid plan of trying to rebuild a homegrown core while continuing to sign free agents to win now.
Some good young players were brought along, like Marc Savard, Kim Johnsson, Mike York, Niklas Sundstrom, Dan Cloutier, Jan Hlavac, Radek Dvorak, and others. But they were the exception rather than the rule, the Rangers otherwise undermined by poor drafting (top picks Manny Malhotra, Pavel Brendl, Jamie Lundmark, Jeff Brown, Daniel Goneau, and Christian Dube, as well as myriad lower picks) and a string of disastrous veteran acquisitions (Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland one year, Theo Fleury, Valeri Kamensky, Sylvain Lefebvre, and Stephane Quintal another year, Igor Ulanov, Dave Karpa, and Zdeno Cigar -- you know the drill).
But since the lockout, despite being shackled by a salary cap -- indeed, as we all expected, because of the discipline imposed by the salary cap -- the Rangers have miraculously been able to win now, and have even been able to win incrementally each season, with more expected next season, while still bringing along a strong group of young players bred as Rangers. This article is not about the inspired decision to build the 2005-06 team around Jaromir Jagr and his friends, a time-biding move that proved to be a stroke of genius. Nor is it about the upgrades that have been made to that core last season and heading into this season, as indispensible as those moves have been in creating a team that is competitive. It is about young players who have been just as indispensible, even as they are being brought along cautiously by a brain trust that does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past, whether they be force-feeding players into the NHL with inflated expectations or letting promising prospects wither on the vine while useless veterans parachute their way into lucrative retirement packages.
Jaromir Jagr was the first to point a finger (a good one) across the room during 2005-06, praising rookies Dominic Moore and Ryan Hollweg, second year man Jed Ortmeyer, virtual rookie Blair Betts, and virtual second year man Jason Ward for their unsung contributions injecting energy and providing a defensive conscience for him and his European compatriots on the top two lines. He also personally mentored Petr Prucha, a surprise 30-goal scorer as a rookie who played his way onto the team in training camp and was placed on the first line even before Martin Rucinsky was hurt. And this season, Brendan Shanahan sounded the importance of enforcer Colton Orr, a rookie added to the team in the fall of 2005 when he was 23.
On defense, everyone thought the presence of non-roster invitee Anders Eriksson at training camp meant the Rangers were hedging their bets on a youth movement. But Eriksson was dispatched to Hartford while the Russian rookie tandem of Fedor Tyutin and Maxim Kondratiev got their chance to play in the NHL. Tyutin established himself as an everyday defenseman before wearing out when the defensive corps was decimated by injury. The following year he established himself as a workhorse who got stronger as the season wore on. With that under his belt, and with his prime still ahead of him, having just turned 24, he can perhaps locate the offensive portion of his game this coming season, especially if he ever finds a home on the power play. Kondratiev wasn't as successful, traded for second line offense (Petr Sykora) and still not an NHL player.
And of course, in net, Henrik Lundqvist quickly emerged as one of the league's top keepers. It didn't take head coach Tom Renney long to stop insisting that Kevin Weekes was his number one goaltender, with Lundqvist conquering the Garden faithful as well as NHL snipers in short order. Renney's initial concerns about overusing a player used to a shorter European season were somewhat borne out when Lundqvist returned from the 2006 Olympics with a gold medal and a slight case of fatigue. But with Lundqvist en route to a second straight Vezina Trophy nomination this past season (and that in spite of a sputtering start), Renney stopped dressing Weekes altogether, and heads into this coming season without a true NHL back-up, expecting Brodeur-like work from the 25-year-old Swede.
With increased expectations heading into last season, and with fewer openings due to the number of jobs already held down by young players, opportunities were scarce for prospects. Consider too that, with a group of rookies aged 22 to 25 having crashed the line-up after the lockout, the remaining prospects were for the most part far younger. Nevertheless, Nigel Dawes made the team out of training camp at age 21, as did Thomas Pock, 24, the last cut on defense a year before who needed more work on the defensive side of his game. As it turned out during his brief early season audition, Dawes needed another year in the AHL, and has now been tagged by Hartford GM Jim Schoenfeld as the one Pack player ready to step up. Renney kept Pock in reserve for much of the season, believing he still needed to shore up his defense while practicing at the NHL level. Pock played well when given the chance, but did not produce offensive defenseman points, except for a two-week stretch in March.
As the Rangers struggled early in the season, little help was available in Hartford, where the the youngest team in the AHL also stumbled out of the gate. Still, when Matt Cullen could not provide consistent offense as second line center, Jarkko Immonen, 24, who had a good NHL debut late in the prior season, got a chance. But he could not take the pressure of playing on a line with the likes of Shanahan, let alone playing against players of that stature. The Rangers are apparently giving up on him, allowing him to return to Finland to play this season rather than re-signing him -- not every prospect can make it, but at least Immonen (like Kondratiev, with whom he came from Toronto in the Brian Leetch deal) got his shot.
During the all-star break, Renney and Don Maloney went to Hartford to see if any member of the resurgent Wolf Pack was ready to move up. They came back with Dan Girardi, an undrafted stay at home defenseman who came out of nowhere at age 22 to claim a spot on the team. Popular veteran Darius Kasparaitis was waived and sent to Hartford to make room for Girardi. Renney and Maloney also determined that Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky were ready. Dubinsky, still only 20 at the time, looked promising in his six games when Martin Straka's injury created an opening. Callahan, shortly before his 22nd birthday, grabbed a spot and held onto it. Renney has served notice that Girardi and Callahan have to demonstrate an ability to play that way over a full season, but both clearly have the inside track on full-time jobs next season. With Cullen gone, Dubinsky is expecting another shot at training camp and is preparing this summer to grab it by the throat and not let it go.
So two years into their rebuilding plan, the Rangers have added a star goalie (Lundqvist), a versatile forward (Prucha) who has scored over 50 goals despite playing a variety of roles, a solid defensive pairing (Tyutin and Girardi), an energetic winger who may be a keeper (Callahan), a trio of valuable role players (Hollweg, Orr, and Betts), and a depth defenseman (Pock) who may yet emerge as a power play specialist. They traded Moore, Ward, and Kondratiev for valuable assets. They have three draftees who will get a real shot at making the team this year -- Dawes, Dubinsky, and hot defensive prospect Marc Staal, the sensible Staal brother. They have a whole new class of promising draftees coming to Hartford, where Mike Sauer, Tommy Pyatt, Artem Anisimov, and Brodie Dupont, plus undrafted Mike Busto, will join Ivan Baranka, Alex Bourret, Al Montoya, Dane Byers, and Lauri Korpikoski. And top picks Alexei Cherepanov and Bobby Sanguinetti will arrive a year from now.
Sure, there have been mystifying flirtations with retreads like Sandis Ozolinsh, Karel Rachunek, Brad Isbister, Jason Krog, Pascal Dupuis, Fedor Fedorov, and in the estimation of some, even Marcel Hossa, though many would argue that he is in fact a developing young player. But even these have been fewer than Ranger fans had become used to in years past, and will always be a fact of life for any team vying for postseason success. At the end of the day, all of these players are gone, except (for the moment) Hossa, while an even greater number of young players are now regular contributors -- with more on the way.
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SLATS NOT FAIR! RANGERS CALL AVERY 'DETRIMENT' IN BRIEF
By LARRY BROOKS
July 30, 2007 -- Rangers coach Tom Renney repeatedly referred to Sean Avery as one of the team's most valuable components during the drive to the conference semifinals, so imagine the 27-year-old winger's surprise and anger upon reading that management called him "a reasonably effective player as well as a detriment to the team," in the team's salary arbitration brief that will be presented during today's hearing at Toronto.
"It's hard not to take something like that personally and not to be emotional about it," Avery told The Post yesterday. "I know this is part of the business, I know this is part of the process, but it's extremely disappointing to read something like that coming from Slats [GM Glen Sather] and not to be offended by it.
"They talk about me taking, 'unnecessary penalties,' and make a lot of references about me that I don't want to go into but that I don't think are fair. I certainly don't think I was a detriment to the team."
No one could possibly think Avery was a detriment to the Rangers. That's careless and inaccurate terminology Sather is employing in his bid to win the salary arbitration case. The fact is that after acquiring Avery from the Kings on Feb. 5, the Blueshirts went 17-6-6 with him in the lineup, adding a jagged edge to a team that had been way too smooth for its own good the first four months of the season.
Avery, who earned $1.1 million last year while recording 48 points (18-30) in 84 games overall and 20 points (8-12) in 29 games for the Rangers, is seeking an arbitration award of $2.6M. That's a bit of a reach, but the Rangers' submission of $1.3M is laughably low.
"At the end of the season, my hope was to sign a long-term deal," said Avery, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. "I would have loved that. . . . But that never became a legitimate possibility. It became obvious pretty quickly that I was going to wind up going to arbitration. That's OK, I understand the situation with the cap and I understand that this is a business, but not only aren't we anywhere close, they've decided to really go after me in this brief.
"I don't think that's necessary."
Two days after the elimination by Buffalo for which he assumed responsibility after going scoreless in the six-game series, Avery lobbied for the Rangers to sign Scott Gomez. On July 1, the Rangers signed Gomez and Chris Drury. One or the other will skate between Avery and Brendan Shanahan.
"The arbitration hasn't changed my opinion at all about wanting to be a Ranger and being excited about this season," Avery said. "I'm really high on the team. I just wish Slats hadn't said these things about me. That's hard to take."
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."
i think the main point of the article is that sather is going to use avery's tendency to be an agitator, which results in penalties, against him in an effort to convince the hearing to go in his favor.
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."
these guys break down the contractual CBA details,
but i sure hope it doesnt get as contentious as they portray that it could get ,... both sides benefit from each other, just iron out something to make both sides happy and move on.
dont disrupt the teams chemistry and role players, as minor or major they are in the mix.
July 30, 2007 Avery Arbitration Favors Rangers
Unless the Rangers reach an eleventh hour agreement with Sean Avery, the fiery winger who helped catalyze their late season playoff run will have his arbitration hearing today. Briefs having already been filed with the arbitrator, and Avery is unhappy with the way the Rangers played hardball in theirs -- see today's article by Larry Brooks in the New York Post. So it's a virtual lock that the 27 year old agitator will duke it out with GM Glen Sather in front of a third party today, making good on his agent's threat to take a one-year contract and test the free agent waters a year from now (the Post reports that Avery is asking for $2.6 million with the Rangers offering $1.3). It will be a tough hearing for both Avery and the Rangers -- for Avery because there are very few comparable players whom he will be allowed to present, according to the rules of evidence in the CBA, and for the Rangers because the crux of Avery's case will be the intangible impact he had on the club after his acquisition, which makes him a far more valuable player than his personal statistics can measure.
Unfortunately for Avery, he cannot use Scott Hartnell, the player he most closely matches statistically, as a point of comparison. Hartnell is two years younger and little bigger than Avery, but he has scored exactly the same number of points since the lockout, has played in exactly the same number of playoff games in that time with similar stats, and boasts big penalty numbers that reflect his feisty level of play (though not nearly as big as Avery, which the Rangers are using to diminish Avery's stature). But the contract he signed with the Flyers that will pay him an average of $4.2 million a year and $5.2 million this year cannot be brought into evidence by Avery, according to the CBA, because Hartnell was not a Group 2 player when it was signed -- he was going to be a Group 3 free agent when Philadelphia traded for him.
The same holds true for other players who fit Avery's statistical profile -- Darcy Tucker, who as much as Avery disdains him is exactly who Avery is and will be, but whose $4 million salary was signed in his Group 3 year; Keith Tkachuk, who is at this point in time a similar player statistically and just re-signed as an impending UFA for an average of $4 million; or Dustin Penner, whose 29 goals and Stanley Cup ring may make him an inappropriate comparable to begin with, but whose $4+ million offer sheet from Edmonton cannot be entered as evidence -- unless the contract is filed by the time Avery's hearing takes place. Even former teammate Matt Cullen's $2.68 million salary cannot be used despite Avery outperforming him because it was a UFA contract. The CBA was carefully written to keep teams from having to suffer via arbitration for the foolish UFA contracts handed out by others -- only contracts signed under comparable circumstances can be considered comparable. The Rangers are in the same boat in some cases -- Tomas Holstrom, Gary Roberts, and other players who resemble Avery are now making in the $1.5-2 million range that the Rangers would like to keep Avery in, but those were UFA deals and are therefore inadmissable.
But the Rangers can submit as comparables a number of players who recently signed less lucrative Group 2 contracts who are statistically in the same ballpark as Avery -- Mike Fisher got an RFA deal at $1.5 million a year, and Avery would have a hard time arguing that he is more valuable to the Rangers than Fisher has been for a much longer time to Ottawa; Matt Lombardi got $1.8 milion from Calgary, although he has had only one good season under his belt and lacks Avery's intangibles; Alexei Ponikarovsky will average slightly north of $2 million over three years but will get less than $1.6 this year. There are numerous additional examples, including the Rangers' own Petr Prucha, who has the exact same number of points the past two seasons in fewer games, without the physical presence (at least statistically) but with many more goals, but who is only going to get $1.6 million this year.
The best thing Avery has going for him is a category of evidence that is often difficult to quantify -- "the overall contribution of the Player to the competitive success or failure of his Club in the preceding season," as the CBA puts it. Although the CBA prohibits him from using as evidence testimonials, newspaper reports, and the like, many of which can readily be found attesting to his impact on the Rangers after his acquisition last season, Avery will be able to unequivocably quantify the change in the Rangers' fortunes simply by laying out the team's record before and after he came over -- they were treading water at 25-24-4 when he arrived, out of playoff position, and went 17-6-6 the rest of the way to qualify. The hard part for him will be to then locate a Group 2 contract for a player with similar personal statistics who commanded more money for similar intangible reasons -- Penner would be the one, but as we have seen, his contract cannot be used unless it is signed immediately (it may already be too late).
Avery is sure to get a raise from the $1.1 million he earned last year, probably more than the Rangers' current offer of $1.3. His agent is sure to have performed a more exhaustive search (i.e. is willing to stretch farther) for comparable contracts with which to get him as rich a deal as possible. But the Rangers will have done an equally exhaustive search, will have the benefit of a CBA that still favors the team in arbitration hearings due to rules of evidence that limit the presentation of comparables favorable to the player, and (as Brooks has demonstrated) are willing to play hardball. That is why we expect him to get a nice raise like Prucha did, but not obviously at the level he wants -- he will probably come in around $2 million, whether he goes through the arbitration process or reaches a last minute agreement. And as we've said before, a one-year arbitration award would be a win-win situation for both Avery and the Rangers if it keeps Avery motivated as he plays for a UFA contract while helping maintain cap flexibility for the Rangers. And if Avery for some reason cannot accomplish that, a one-year deal will still be a win for the Rangers, who will not have committed too deeply to a player who in the past has had difficulty being a positive influence for his team in the long term.
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From what they say, the arbitration process sucks. Teams have to come up with negative things to say about their player to try and win the judgement. That's one of the main reasons why teams try to avoid arbitration and reach an agreement on their own.
July 31, 2007 -- Salary arbitration hearings are, by definition, adversarial proceedings, but yesterday's faceoff in Toronto between the Rangers and Sean Avery was difficult enough to have left the 27-year-old winger shaken.
For in seeking to give Avery just a $200,000 raise over the $1.1 million he earned last season, the Blueshirts simply hammered away at one of their most important players in an astonishingly short-sighted, penny-saved-pound-foolish attack.
For The Post has learned that in addition to referring to Avery as, "a reasonably effective player as well as a detriment to the team," in the team brief that was presented to the arbitrator, Ranger management also said:
"Avery is not a mature player. He plays, at times, like an individual rather than a member of a team. This is sometimes referred to as an inability to see the ice, and in Avery's case this seems to fit with his overall approach to the game."
Understand. These are the words chosen to represent Rangers management's view of Avery's worth.
Apparently forgotten were all the testimonials delivered to Avery from the Rangers' hierarchy last spring when the winger was repeatedly lauded for the intangibles he brought to the team both on and off the ice upon his Feb. 5 acquisition from the Kings.
Apparently forgotten as well were similar testimonials delivered by teammates including Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Henrik Lundqvist.
"I have no idea what to say," Avery, who went into the hearing seeking $2.6M, wrote in an e-mail to The Post following the hearing in Toronto. "I don't know what this was about.
"I'm shocked."
It's shocking that GM Glen Sather, who attended yesterday's hearing with VP Cam Hope, would have directed this type of strategy. One can only wonder what coach Tom Renney, who will be left to reassemble the pieces once camp begins, makes of all this.
If the assault works, if the Rangers were convincing enough in tearing down their player, maybe they'll wind up paying Avery - eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer - $1.8M rather than $2.1M when the decision is released tomorrow or Thursday.
But at what price, and at what ultimate cost?
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."
July 31, 2007 -- Salary arbitration hearings are, by definition, adversarial proceedings, but yesterday's faceoff in Toronto between the Rangers and Sean Avery was difficult enough to have left the 27-year-old winger shaken.
For in seeking to give Avery just a $200,000 raise over the $1.1 million he earned last season, the Blueshirts simply hammered away at one of their most important players in an astonishingly short-sighted, penny-saved-pound-foolish attack.
For The Post has learned that in addition to referring to Avery as, "a reasonably effective player as well as a detriment to the team," in the team brief that was presented to the arbitrator, Ranger management also said:
"Avery is not a mature player. He plays, at times, like an individual rather than a member of a team. This is sometimes referred to as an inability to see the ice, and in Avery's case this seems to fit with his overall approach to the game."
Understand. These are the words chosen to represent Rangers management's view of Avery's worth.
Apparently forgotten were all the testimonials delivered to Avery from the Rangers' hierarchy last spring when the winger was repeatedly lauded for the intangibles he brought to the team both on and off the ice upon his Feb. 5 acquisition from the Kings.
Apparently forgotten as well were similar testimonials delivered by teammates including Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Henrik Lundqvist.
"I have no idea what to say," Avery, who went into the hearing seeking $2.6M, wrote in an e-mail to The Post following the hearing in Toronto. "I don't know what this was about.
"I'm shocked."
It's shocking that GM Glen Sather, who attended yesterday's hearing with VP Cam Hope, would have directed this type of strategy. One can only wonder what coach Tom Renney, who will be left to reassemble the pieces once camp begins, makes of all this.
If the assault works, if the Rangers were convincing enough in tearing down their player, maybe they'll wind up paying Avery - eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer - $1.8M rather than $2.1M when the decision is released tomorrow or Thursday.
Comments
July 23, 2007
What We Know and What We Don't Know (Yet)
First line -- What we know: Jaromir Jagr will enter the season healthy, with a full summer's worth of training, and with two years left on his contract and in all likelihood his NHL career, he is on a mission. What we don't know: Who will Jagr's center be, Scott Gomez or Chris Drury, and will they be able to re-create the chemistry Jagr had with his former center? Tom Renney has already said both new signess will be tried there as the season progresses. Gomez, a puck-carrying playmaker, would seem to be the natural in the pivot for Jagr -- he plays the game a lot like Jagr's former center, but he has more speed and will keep the puck moving forward at least until he gains the blue line. But will he and Jagr click? What we also don't know is how Martin Straka's shoulder/upper arm will hold up. Resting it for the summer will certainly have helped, but will he come to camp 100%? And will it hold out over the course of the season? If it doesn't, the Rangers have two fallback positions -- Marcel Hossa and Petr Prucha.
Second line -- What we know: Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery will definitely be back, matched up again on opposite wings. If Avery comes in with a one-year contract and something to prove as he heads toward free agency, then we can expect more of the same from him that we saw after he came to New York. Shanahan will no doubt follow the same pattern of recent years -- hot start, cool winter, resurgent next spring. His injury is a thing of the past. What we don't know: Who will center the line? If Gomez clicks with Jagr, Drury will get the call, and while the trio of Drury between Avery and Shanahan will score more at even strength than they did with Matt Cullen in the middle, expect them to be more of a two-way unit. On the other hand, if Gomez ends up centering the line, he could set up a bushel of goals for Shanahan.
Third line -- What we know: Nothing, really. Which is a shame, because we coul have expected a long-term trial of the dynamic line of Cullen between Prucha and Ryan Callahan had Cullen not been traded. Now, we're not even sure these guys will man the third line. Renney may go back to a third line with a defensive mandate, with Blair Betts at center and with the wings up for grabs in training camp. He is on record as saying that he is not sure what Callahan can do over an 82-game NHL season, and he has yet to use Prucha consistently over his first two seasons. On the other hand, the wingers may remain in place with a center to be named later filling the hole in the middle -- either a free agent acquisition such as the rumored (though longshot) Mike Peca, or someone coming up from Hartford, like Brandon Dubinsky.
Fourth line -- What we know: That the most sensible configuration heading into the season is Betts centering Hossa on the left and a platoon of Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr on the right (using Hollweg for hitting in most cases, with Orr stepping in when a nuclear deterrent is necessary). What we don't know: If Hossa will even be back -- if he gets an arbitration award higher than the Rangers can stomach given their salary cap situation, they may let him walk. But that is a worst-case scenario -- the Rangers will almost certainly keep Hossa as a fourth line insurance policy for Straka in case a hole opens up on Jagr's left wing. In fact, Hossa could end up on a third line with Betts and a right winger to be named later (maybe Callahan) if the Rangers choose to jerk Prucha around like they did last season.
Defense -- What we know: That there are too many defenseman on the roster right now. We know that Michal Rozsival and Fedor Tyutin will anchor the top two defensive pairs. Marek Malik will return as Rozsival's partner unless he is traded or waived to create cap space. Dan Girardi is a frontrunner to pair up with Tyutin but is, like Callahan, according to Renney, not a lock. Paul Mara will be back, unless he is traded, to help on the power play. Jason Strudwick will be the depth defenseman thanks to his locker room presence. What we don't know: Who the sixth defenseman will be -- Thomas Pock and Andrew Hutchison will be claimed on waivers if they're sent down, and Marc Staal is expected to compete for an NHL job. Unless Malik and/or Mara are shed, there will be at least one odd man out, and that by necessity may be Staal, whom Renney has already said will not be force-fed to the NHL.
Special Teams -- What we know: The Rangers were most successful on the power play when they split Jagr and Shanahan across two units. A first unit of Gomez, Jagr, and Prucha, with Straka dropping to the point along with Rozsival, makes the most sense, with the second line of Drury, Avery, and Shanahan up front on the second unit along with Mara on the point. What we don't know: If Renney will be able to stick with this game plan, especially if the first unit eats up too much power play time. In that case, he might be tempted to move Shanahan up to the first unit and drop Prucha down. On the penalty kill, Blair Betts will again lead the team in shorthanded ice time, Drury will get nearly as much in place of Cullen, and Shanahan, Avery, and Hossa will be used. But who will replace Jed Ortmeyer? Don't count on Gomez -- he has averaged about five seconds a game as a penalty killer over the past five seasons.
Goaltending -- What we know: Henrik Lundqvist will be a workhorse in net, Steve Valiquette will be a lightly-used back-up, and Al Montoya will spend the season in Hartford -- the Rangers will not be able to afford his NHL cap hit even if he's ready to play at that level. All this of course is barring injury and major meltdown by Lundqvist. What we don't know: If Valiquette will be enough of a back-up, especially if, as was the case early last season, Lundqvist needs a few games off to find his game again.
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http://sports.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?feedname=CBC-SPORTS-V2&showbyline=True&newsitemid=simon-signing
Chris Simon re-ups with Islanders
23/07/2007 4:12:19 PM
Coach Ted Nolan offered a thumbs up following the New York Islanders' re-signing of unrestricted free-agent forward Chris Simon.
Islanders' Chris Simon has five games remaining on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
(Don Heupel/Associated Press)
"Chris is just one of those old school guys who gave our team a little bit of everything last season," Nolan said in a statement Monday. "We can't overstate Si's leadership.
Simon, who will earn $800,000 US on a one-year deal, had 10 goals and 27 points in 67 games last season.
The base salary in the deal is $475,000 but Simon will get another $325,000 in a games played bonus. He can also earn more in performance bonuses.
"He'll have a big role with our team, just like last season," Nolan added.
Simon, 35, still has five games to serve next season on the 25-game suspension he received for a stick-swinging incident with New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg.
"I take a lot of pride in being an Islander and I didn't consider playing anywhere else this season but on Long Island," Simon, a native of Wawa, Ont., said in a statement. "Everyone knows the respect I have for Ted Nolan but it goes well beyond that.
"Everyone connected with the Islanders, from the owner to the fans, have been first-class. I cannot wait to get the season started."
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
yea he's a big tough guy...... punk bring it simon
he is not even worthy of mention in our blueshirt thread
or even the scum at the bottom of a swampy long island marsh .
back to the subject at hand :
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GOOD POINT BATH
GET AN ISLANDER THREAD METS ,,keep that shit outta here
hey metsy didnt drag it in ( hawkshore did )
and heck we welcome any teams fans to talk hockey
but that guys a dolt and not even worth it.
colton orr will knock his block off, but woith his hands, not his stick .
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Sammi: Wanna just break up?
fucker should have been banned from the game. wake the fuck up bettman, what is it going to take? a player to die on the ice?
not to be overly dramatic, but that slash was close to ending hollweg's life.
islander scum.
yeaaaa get all riled up i psyched now
dude, i am so riled up for this season. october 4th can't come soon enough.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
and that really goes for any player on any team in the league. if he were a ranger and pulled that shit, i would be calling for his head too.
I didn't see your boy Marc's name mentioned in the article. Either he is smarter than his brothers and avoided being arrested or he just doesn't know how to have a good time at a bachelor party.
interesting article- good that marc was not mentioned.
perhaps the return of matt cullen will provide the veteran leadership that these kids obviously need.
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Not sure about Cullen necessarily, but I have no doubt that Brind'Amour will have a talk with him. While I'm sure the Canes and the Pens aren't to thrilled with seeing their guys names in the paper for an off the ice incident all indications are that they come from a fine family and all 4 of them are good kids. While I've never been arrested, I've done some pretty silly stuff when I was that age and under the influence. I just found the thing kind of humorous. Sounds like a hell of a party!
July 25, 2007
Marc Not Among Arrested Staal Brothers [Updated]
What makes one of four brothers decide to become a steady stay at home defenseman instead of a brash forward like his siblings? Maybe it's the same mindset that kept Ranger prospect Marc Staal from being arrested along with his brothers Eric and Jordan in Minnesota after Eric's bachelor party got out of hand last weekend (little brother Jarred was probably deemed too young to attend -- Jordan himself was underage for the drunken party, that being one of the charges laid against him). Whether Marc attended the party is unknown, but he was not among the fourteen family members and friends who were arrested for harrassing motorists at the side of the highway at 4:00 AM Saturday morning -- the Cook County sherriff's office just read me the names of five Staal family members from the list of those detained, and Marc was not one of them (nor was Jarred). See news reports in the Raleigh News-Observer and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
According the a press release from the Cook County Sherriff's office, the party at the Lusten Resort was warned prior to 1:00 AM about loud screaming and loud music after numerous complaints were lodged. At 3:00 AM, after repeated warnings, representatives of three law enforcement agencies helped resort staff shut down the Staal party and remove all participants from the property. At 4:00 AM, the group was arrested at the side of the road for disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process. Some members of the group fled into the woods and were therefore not detained with the others -- we have no way of knowing at this time whether Marc was among this group, or if he was even at the party at all. Jordan was among four detainees released after booking -- the other ten, including Eric, were held overnight.
Posted by Dubi on July 25, 2007 at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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July 26, 2007
Marc Was Not There
As further information comes to light about what went down at Eric Staal's bachelor party, Ranger fans can take solace that our Staal brother, Marc, apparently the smart one in the family, did not attend, choosing to go to bed instead, at least according to their agent, Rick Curran. See reports in Slam! Sports, Raleigh News-Observer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Canada.com, and Thunder Bay Source. Many have wondered why a bachelor party gone awry is a news story -- lucky for the Staal brothers that it did not become a bigger story, with no one getting hurt, which could easily have been the case when you have a situation where over a dozen drunken partygoers, all riled up after being evicted by multiple law enforcement agencies, end up on the main road in town at 4:00 AM harrassing passing motorists.
In other Ranger reading today, NYR.com has a feature on prospect Brodie Dupont as he prepares for his first pro season, Kenny Albert gets excited at MSG.com, Michael Peca tells the CP that the Rangers have expressed interest in signing him, and the Hockey Humorist takes on the Devils. Filip Novak, the first player drafted under Glen Sather's watch (in the second round, 64th overall, in 2000) who was sent to Florida in the trade for Pavel Bure, has gone back to play in his native Czech Republic after appearing in only 17 NHL games, divided between Ottawa and Columbus. Novak's potential was probably damaged irreperably by an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2003-04 season.
Posted by Dubi on July 26, 2007 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
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July 26, 2007
Marc Was Not There
As further information comes to light about what went down at Eric Staal's bachelor party, Ranger fans can take solace that our Staal brother, Marc, apparently the smart one in the family, did not attend, choosing to go to bed instead, at least according to their agent, Rick Curran. See reports in Slam! Sports, Raleigh News-Observer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Canada.com, and Thunder Bay Source. Many have wondered why a bachelor party gone awry is a news story -- lucky for the Staal brothers that it did not become a bigger story, with no one getting hurt, which could easily have been the case when you have a situation where over a dozen drunken partygoers, all riled up after being evicted by multiple law enforcement agencies, end up on the main road in town at 4:00 AM harrassing passing motorists.
In other Ranger reading today, NYR.com has a feature on prospect Brodie Dupont as he prepares for his first pro season, Kenny Albert gets excited at MSG.com, Michael Peca tells the CP that the Rangers have expressed interest in signing him, and the Hockey Humorist takes on the Devils. Filip Novak, the first player drafted under Glen Sather's watch (in the second round, 64th overall, in 2000) who was sent to Florida in the trade for Pavel Bure, has gone back to play in his native Czech Republic after appearing in only 17 NHL games, divided between Ottawa and Columbus. Novak's potential was probably damaged irreperably by an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2003-04 season.
Posted by Dubi on July 26, 2007 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
July 27, 2007
Rangers Rebuild While Winning
A funny thing happened on the way to the long-term rebuilding program the Rangers promised fans when they came out of the lockout two years ago. The league-wide roster churn caused by the lockout and by the reduced age of free agency turned them into contenders quicker than anyone, including team management, anticipated. With players still in their prime becoming available on the open market and with the salary cap forcing the team to look inward to fill out the roster rather than going overboard on veterans, the Rangers were able to put together a contender with a combination of youth, experience, and talent.
For seven long years, the Rangers tried to "win now" without success. At first, the mandate was to capitalize on the remaining core from the 1994 Stanley Cup team. That didn't last, especially with coach Colin Campbell favoring anonymous interchangeable parts over talented young Europeans like Alexei Kovalev, Sergei Zubov, and Petr Nedved. The disastrous trade of Mattias Norstrom (among other young assets) for Jari Kurri (and other retirement-bound veterans) caused the team to shift to a hybrid plan of trying to rebuild a homegrown core while continuing to sign free agents to win now.
Some good young players were brought along, like Marc Savard, Kim Johnsson, Mike York, Niklas Sundstrom, Dan Cloutier, Jan Hlavac, Radek Dvorak, and others. But they were the exception rather than the rule, the Rangers otherwise undermined by poor drafting (top picks Manny Malhotra, Pavel Brendl, Jamie Lundmark, Jeff Brown, Daniel Goneau, and Christian Dube, as well as myriad lower picks) and a string of disastrous veteran acquisitions (Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland one year, Theo Fleury, Valeri Kamensky, Sylvain Lefebvre, and Stephane Quintal another year, Igor Ulanov, Dave Karpa, and Zdeno Cigar -- you know the drill).
But since the lockout, despite being shackled by a salary cap -- indeed, as we all expected, because of the discipline imposed by the salary cap -- the Rangers have miraculously been able to win now, and have even been able to win incrementally each season, with more expected next season, while still bringing along a strong group of young players bred as Rangers. This article is not about the inspired decision to build the 2005-06 team around Jaromir Jagr and his friends, a time-biding move that proved to be a stroke of genius. Nor is it about the upgrades that have been made to that core last season and heading into this season, as indispensible as those moves have been in creating a team that is competitive. It is about young players who have been just as indispensible, even as they are being brought along cautiously by a brain trust that does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past, whether they be force-feeding players into the NHL with inflated expectations or letting promising prospects wither on the vine while useless veterans parachute their way into lucrative retirement packages.
Jaromir Jagr was the first to point a finger (a good one) across the room during 2005-06, praising rookies Dominic Moore and Ryan Hollweg, second year man Jed Ortmeyer, virtual rookie Blair Betts, and virtual second year man Jason Ward for their unsung contributions injecting energy and providing a defensive conscience for him and his European compatriots on the top two lines. He also personally mentored Petr Prucha, a surprise 30-goal scorer as a rookie who played his way onto the team in training camp and was placed on the first line even before Martin Rucinsky was hurt. And this season, Brendan Shanahan sounded the importance of enforcer Colton Orr, a rookie added to the team in the fall of 2005 when he was 23.
On defense, everyone thought the presence of non-roster invitee Anders Eriksson at training camp meant the Rangers were hedging their bets on a youth movement. But Eriksson was dispatched to Hartford while the Russian rookie tandem of Fedor Tyutin and Maxim Kondratiev got their chance to play in the NHL. Tyutin established himself as an everyday defenseman before wearing out when the defensive corps was decimated by injury. The following year he established himself as a workhorse who got stronger as the season wore on. With that under his belt, and with his prime still ahead of him, having just turned 24, he can perhaps locate the offensive portion of his game this coming season, especially if he ever finds a home on the power play. Kondratiev wasn't as successful, traded for second line offense (Petr Sykora) and still not an NHL player.
And of course, in net, Henrik Lundqvist quickly emerged as one of the league's top keepers. It didn't take head coach Tom Renney long to stop insisting that Kevin Weekes was his number one goaltender, with Lundqvist conquering the Garden faithful as well as NHL snipers in short order. Renney's initial concerns about overusing a player used to a shorter European season were somewhat borne out when Lundqvist returned from the 2006 Olympics with a gold medal and a slight case of fatigue. But with Lundqvist en route to a second straight Vezina Trophy nomination this past season (and that in spite of a sputtering start), Renney stopped dressing Weekes altogether, and heads into this coming season without a true NHL back-up, expecting Brodeur-like work from the 25-year-old Swede.
With increased expectations heading into last season, and with fewer openings due to the number of jobs already held down by young players, opportunities were scarce for prospects. Consider too that, with a group of rookies aged 22 to 25 having crashed the line-up after the lockout, the remaining prospects were for the most part far younger. Nevertheless, Nigel Dawes made the team out of training camp at age 21, as did Thomas Pock, 24, the last cut on defense a year before who needed more work on the defensive side of his game. As it turned out during his brief early season audition, Dawes needed another year in the AHL, and has now been tagged by Hartford GM Jim Schoenfeld as the one Pack player ready to step up. Renney kept Pock in reserve for much of the season, believing he still needed to shore up his defense while practicing at the NHL level. Pock played well when given the chance, but did not produce offensive defenseman points, except for a two-week stretch in March.
As the Rangers struggled early in the season, little help was available in Hartford, where the the youngest team in the AHL also stumbled out of the gate. Still, when Matt Cullen could not provide consistent offense as second line center, Jarkko Immonen, 24, who had a good NHL debut late in the prior season, got a chance. But he could not take the pressure of playing on a line with the likes of Shanahan, let alone playing against players of that stature. The Rangers are apparently giving up on him, allowing him to return to Finland to play this season rather than re-signing him -- not every prospect can make it, but at least Immonen (like Kondratiev, with whom he came from Toronto in the Brian Leetch deal) got his shot.
During the all-star break, Renney and Don Maloney went to Hartford to see if any member of the resurgent Wolf Pack was ready to move up. They came back with Dan Girardi, an undrafted stay at home defenseman who came out of nowhere at age 22 to claim a spot on the team. Popular veteran Darius Kasparaitis was waived and sent to Hartford to make room for Girardi. Renney and Maloney also determined that Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky were ready. Dubinsky, still only 20 at the time, looked promising in his six games when Martin Straka's injury created an opening. Callahan, shortly before his 22nd birthday, grabbed a spot and held onto it. Renney has served notice that Girardi and Callahan have to demonstrate an ability to play that way over a full season, but both clearly have the inside track on full-time jobs next season. With Cullen gone, Dubinsky is expecting another shot at training camp and is preparing this summer to grab it by the throat and not let it go.
So two years into their rebuilding plan, the Rangers have added a star goalie (Lundqvist), a versatile forward (Prucha) who has scored over 50 goals despite playing a variety of roles, a solid defensive pairing (Tyutin and Girardi), an energetic winger who may be a keeper (Callahan), a trio of valuable role players (Hollweg, Orr, and Betts), and a depth defenseman (Pock) who may yet emerge as a power play specialist. They traded Moore, Ward, and Kondratiev for valuable assets. They have three draftees who will get a real shot at making the team this year -- Dawes, Dubinsky, and hot defensive prospect Marc Staal, the sensible Staal brother. They have a whole new class of promising draftees coming to Hartford, where Mike Sauer, Tommy Pyatt, Artem Anisimov, and Brodie Dupont, plus undrafted Mike Busto, will join Ivan Baranka, Alex Bourret, Al Montoya, Dane Byers, and Lauri Korpikoski. And top picks Alexei Cherepanov and Bobby Sanguinetti will arrive a year from now.
Sure, there have been mystifying flirtations with retreads like Sandis Ozolinsh, Karel Rachunek, Brad Isbister, Jason Krog, Pascal Dupuis, Fedor Fedorov, and in the estimation of some, even Marcel Hossa, though many would argue that he is in fact a developing young player. But even these have been fewer than Ranger fans had become used to in years past, and will always be a fact of life for any team vying for postseason success. At the end of the day, all of these players are gone, except (for the moment) Hossa, while an even greater number of young players are now regular contributors -- with more on the way.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
By LARRY BROOKS
July 30, 2007 -- Rangers coach Tom Renney repeatedly referred to Sean Avery as one of the team's most valuable components during the drive to the conference semifinals, so imagine the 27-year-old winger's surprise and anger upon reading that management called him "a reasonably effective player as well as a detriment to the team," in the team's salary arbitration brief that will be presented during today's hearing at Toronto.
"It's hard not to take something like that personally and not to be emotional about it," Avery told The Post yesterday. "I know this is part of the business, I know this is part of the process, but it's extremely disappointing to read something like that coming from Slats [GM Glen Sather] and not to be offended by it.
"They talk about me taking, 'unnecessary penalties,' and make a lot of references about me that I don't want to go into but that I don't think are fair. I certainly don't think I was a detriment to the team."
No one could possibly think Avery was a detriment to the Rangers. That's careless and inaccurate terminology Sather is employing in his bid to win the salary arbitration case. The fact is that after acquiring Avery from the Kings on Feb. 5, the Blueshirts went 17-6-6 with him in the lineup, adding a jagged edge to a team that had been way too smooth for its own good the first four months of the season.
Avery, who earned $1.1 million last year while recording 48 points (18-30) in 84 games overall and 20 points (8-12) in 29 games for the Rangers, is seeking an arbitration award of $2.6M. That's a bit of a reach, but the Rangers' submission of $1.3M is laughably low.
"At the end of the season, my hope was to sign a long-term deal," said Avery, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. "I would have loved that. . . . But that never became a legitimate possibility. It became obvious pretty quickly that I was going to wind up going to arbitration. That's OK, I understand the situation with the cap and I understand that this is a business, but not only aren't we anywhere close, they've decided to really go after me in this brief.
"I don't think that's necessary."
Two days after the elimination by Buffalo for which he assumed responsibility after going scoreless in the six-game series, Avery lobbied for the Rangers to sign Scott Gomez. On July 1, the Rangers signed Gomez and Chris Drury. One or the other will skate between Avery and Brendan Shanahan.
"The arbitration hasn't changed my opinion at all about wanting to be a Ranger and being excited about this season," Avery said. "I'm really high on the team. I just wish Slats hadn't said these things about me. That's hard to take."
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."
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."
these guys break down the contractual CBA details,
but i sure hope it doesnt get as contentious as they portray that it could get ,... both sides benefit from each other, just iron out something to make both sides happy and move on.
dont disrupt the teams chemistry and role players, as minor or major they are in the mix.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
By LARRY BROOKS
July 31, 2007 -- Salary arbitration hearings are, by definition, adversarial proceedings, but yesterday's faceoff in Toronto between the Rangers and Sean Avery was difficult enough to have left the 27-year-old winger shaken.
For in seeking to give Avery just a $200,000 raise over the $1.1 million he earned last season, the Blueshirts simply hammered away at one of their most important players in an astonishingly short-sighted, penny-saved-pound-foolish attack.
For The Post has learned that in addition to referring to Avery as, "a reasonably effective player as well as a detriment to the team," in the team brief that was presented to the arbitrator, Ranger management also said:
"Avery is not a mature player. He plays, at times, like an individual rather than a member of a team. This is sometimes referred to as an inability to see the ice, and in Avery's case this seems to fit with his overall approach to the game."
Understand. These are the words chosen to represent Rangers management's view of Avery's worth.
Apparently forgotten were all the testimonials delivered to Avery from the Rangers' hierarchy last spring when the winger was repeatedly lauded for the intangibles he brought to the team both on and off the ice upon his Feb. 5 acquisition from the Kings.
Apparently forgotten as well were similar testimonials delivered by teammates including Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Henrik Lundqvist.
"I have no idea what to say," Avery, who went into the hearing seeking $2.6M, wrote in an e-mail to The Post following the hearing in Toronto. "I don't know what this was about.
"I'm shocked."
It's shocking that GM Glen Sather, who attended yesterday's hearing with VP Cam Hope, would have directed this type of strategy. One can only wonder what coach Tom Renney, who will be left to reassemble the pieces once camp begins, makes of all this.
If the assault works, if the Rangers were convincing enough in tearing down their player, maybe they'll wind up paying Avery - eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer - $1.8M rather than $2.1M when the decision is released tomorrow or Thursday.
But at what price, and at what ultimate cost?
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."
this is the typical jerk sather im used to
so stupid