August 02, 2007 Cap Sizing Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa were the last two unsigned players for the Rangers. Now that they are under contract for next season, here is how the Rangers stand vs. the salary cap. During the offseason, all one-way NHL contracts count fully toward the cap (including bonuses), and teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10%, which this seaon would total $55.33 million. There are 21 players who currently count under the cap for a total of $51,978,976 (let's say $52 million to make it easy on ourselves). That by definition includes Darius Kasparatis, and it also includes all of Brendan Shanahan's performance bonuses. Not included are Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, or any other player on a two-way entry-level contract.
Heading into the season, predicting the Rangers' cap position is a bit tricky. That's because there are at this time ten defensemen to consider. Teams usually carry seven, but the Rangers could conceivably carry eight, since two (Thomas Pock and Jason Strudwick) can swing up to forwrad if necessary. That still leaves two that have to be cut. Kasparaitis, despite reports from reporters who have seen him over the summer saying that he is back in great shape and hoping to get back to the NHL level, will have be sent back to Hartford because there is simply no scenario in which his $2,989,333 cap hit can be absorbed (barring trade or another high-salaried player being waived). It's going to take training camp to determine whether the Rangers start the season with Staal in the NHL, in which case they would have to waive Pock or Andrew Hutchison, or whether the latter two both stick with the big club while Staal starts his pro career in Hartford.
For the moment, let's take the 23 players most likely to stick in the NHL, even though there is one defenseman too many (we're not counting Kasparaitis among them). And let's, just to make things easy, defer Shanahan's $2.8 million bonus money to the 2008-09 cap calculation in order to judge how much wiggle room the Rangers have. That totals to $48,341,310, which leaves the team with just a shade under $2 million of free space. All of the players on bubble -- Staal, Pock, and Hutchison as possible casualties on the blue line who could be replaced by forwards Brandon Dubinsky, Nigel Dawes, or Artem Anisimov -- earn between $475,000 and $850,000, so any mixing and matching among them is not going to significantly change the cap position. One position where there will be no mixing and matching is in net -- Steve Valiquette costs $617,000 under the cap while Al Montoya takes up $1,834,200 at the NHL level, an amount the Rangers can ill afford to use even if Montoya would be better served as a lightly used NHL back-up than an AHL starter (which of course he is not).
For more on Avery's signing, see the Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Times, Post, and Record. The TV guys check in with their take at MSG.com here, here, and here. John Dellapina is back from vacation (and not a moment too soon, with the Post continuing to repeat the out of context D-word even as Avery and Glen Sather make nice-nice in the wake of the contract resolution), and he checks in on a number of subjects (cap, Cullen, Schoenfeld, and Avery) in his Blueshirts Blog here and here. The most interesting footnote in his reports are that the quotes attributed to Sather in the Avery arbitration brief were actually written by capologist Cam Hope (now one of Sather's assistant GMs), obviously with Sather's approval (whether it be active or passive approval).
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Jaromir Jagr began his off-season on-ice training a week ago in the Czech Republic. “I had a chance to skate a little bit during the hockey school in Slany,” he told reporters during a conference call the other day. “On Tuesday, I was on the ice with team Kladno, and I would like to practice with them.” But he hasn’t had a chance to swing a golf club yet, even at Team Jagr’s recent benefit tournament, where he appeared on the golf course only to hand out awards.
The Rangers’ captain is rare among NHL players in having never played golf. “Hockey players like golf,” he observed. “Some hockey players play golf even during the hockey season. Many do so over the entire summer. Every team holds a golf tournament for sponsors. When I arrived in Pittsburgh as an 18-year-old, I tried it.” The difficult golf swing is a natural for hockey players because the mechanics are the same as a slapshot (although there is no one trying to bodycheck you or block your shot in golf). Maybe Jagr feels that his weak slapper would make him a weak golfer (although he seems to be the only person extant who believes that his slapshot is weak).
But he now wants to learn golf so that he can participate in future tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic. “I haven’t tried it yet but I will try to in the future,” he said. “After the season, I wanted to stay in the America a little longer and hire a coach. To show me and teach me so I could drive a little. I didn’t have that much time [so] I postponed it for next year. To be good at something, you need to practice, to know something about it, and to have a good coach. I hope that once I learn, I’ll be able to drive and putt myself to shame,” he added with a smile. “I won’t go for the records, though.”
Now in quipster mode, Jagr said, “Teammates wouldn’t have the time to coach me. Mainly Petr Nedved, who thinks he’s really good, but he’s not. He’s very inconsistent. I need someone who’s consistent.” Jagr continued busting his former Pittsburgh teammate’s chops. “[The golf cart] is important. It’s tiring to go around with the bag. I went with Petr Nedved once and he almost knocked me out. I haven’t played since.”
Speaking of golf, don't forget Vic Hadfield's charity tournament, to be held October 1st in River Vale, New Jersey, where you will get to meet and possibly play with a number of Ranger personalities (E-mail us here for more information). My own game is coming together with all the practice I’ve gotten all summer. If I can only keep my shots out of the woods and the water hazards, I might even be able to break 120. My weak slapshot hasn’t helped me at all, but learning the golf swing has made my slapshot better. But no golf this weekend -- tomorrow is Mitch’s cookout for subscribers, and though conflicts arose that keep me from attending in person, I will call in (along with Hockey Rodent and possibly other guests) for a live Rangers Four on Four with those in attendance.
But back to the news from the Czech Republic -- Jagr and Ranger teammate Martin Straka are two of ten finalists for the Golden Stick Award, given annually to the best Czech hockey player. Jagr has won the award seven times, more than any other player. He is going for his third straight. Despite his injury-hampered season, he may still have had the best season among the ten finalists. Straka has never won a Golden Stick. The complete list of finalists can be seen here, and a list of past winners here. Links to articles on Team Jagr’s golf tournament can be found here, here, and here (all in Czech, if you can read it). Thanks go out once again to DaTeL for bringing us the Czech news -- he was also the first that we can tell to note (in an Outside the Garden forum) that Sean Avery was in violation of the CBA’s arbitration rules when he leaked portions of the Ranger brief to the press.
In other Ranger news today, the team has finally announced the signing of Russian center Artem Anisimov, which we reported weeks ago and which they would neither confirm nor deny at the time. Clearly, they were waiting for Avery and Marcel Hossa to get under contract before making an official announcement. Anisimov will be in training camp and is believed to have an outside shot at making the team, although a season of seasoning in the AHL is far more probable. Avery’s contentious arbitration hearing spurs the Ottawa Citizen to call for changes. The Hockey Humorist has his take on the bungled brief. CBS Sportsline rates the Rangers highly for their off-season retooling, while the New York Sun reports how the Devils and Islanders are chasing the Rangers
i'm off to the garden tonight, i'll be looking up at our banners and retired #s while i listen to The Police
peace
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David Kveton, whom the Rangers drafted in the fourth round in 2006, will not be splitting his upcoming season between his home team Vsetin in the Czech Republic and the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL, as he did last season. “As far as I know, the club drafted one Czech and one German,” Kveton told Hokej.cz, referring to a rule that limits Canadian junior teams to two import players and therefore rules him out of Gatineau. But Kveton is not phased by this development. “I would prefer playing with men,” he said. And if his Czech Extraliga team is able to resolve its dispute with the league -- it is currently not licensed to compete but has taken its case to an arbitrator -- that is what he will do. “It’s unpleasant, we have to wait,” he said of the arbitration process. “But we’re working hard as usual -- two-phase workouts and practices, pre-season games, full throttle.”
At this time, Kveton is not sure whether he will attend Ranger training camp in September. “As of now, I don’t know if it will work out,” he said. “We’ll see.” If he does come over, he will have two advantages over his initial experience last fall. He will have had a taste of North American hockey -- “Fewer combinations and crossing, more simplicity and directness,” he said, comparing it to the style he had grown up with. And perhaps as importantly, he will have learned to communicate in English. “Prior to departing [a year ago], I wasn’t able to speak [English] at all,” he said. “But I’m better now. It’s not ideal but I am able to communicate. I played with one Russian, so I couldn’t talk to anyone in Czech,” he said, referring again to the two-man limit on import players in the CHL.
His departure from Gatineau early last season after playing just five games was the subject of some controversy. The official story was that he preferred, as he now says again, “playing with men.” The rumor mill, however, whispered that he was homesick, in large part because of his language problems. Now he says that he returned in order to represent his nation in the World Junior Championship. Once they were over, and given little ice time in Vsetin, he returned to Canada. “I was very satisfied in Gatineau,” he says. “I tasted a different brand of hockey. It certainly was a great experience for me. When I came back, I found everything in place. The guys were great, the coach gave me a lot of space from the get-go. It was up and down later on, but I can’t complain. It helped me a lot.”
As far as homesickness went, Kveton explained how comfortable he actually was in Gatineau. Many Czechs played there as juniors before him, including Jiri Fischer and Ales Hemsky, and most billeted in the same house. “They like remembering the Czech guys there,” he said. “The truth is that all the guys were staying with this lady. She has a very glowing relationship with the Czechs and she takes great care. It was really great -- I had outstanding conditions.” But his team did not go far. “They wanted to succeed,” he said. “They talked about the Memorial Cup. But we were eliminated in the first round, which was a huge disappointment.”
If his initial return from Quebec was to represent the national team in the Under-20 WJC, his return after the Olympiques’ season ended was greeted with a similar opportunity, the Under-18 WJC. But he couldn’t play. “I came back with a cold from Canada,” he explained, “and it seemed it wouldn’t go away. I had to ask for a leave of absence. But I’m OK now and I’m looking forward to both the guys whom I always love to play with and the quality matches.” He was referring to his return next week to the Czech Under-20 Team, as national teams begin their preparations for next winter’s WJC with selection camps this month.
Unless Kveton garners international attention in the next WJC, which will be held in the Czech Republic, improving in a big way over his no-point, -3 performance in six games last year, and also steps up as a major player in the Extraliga (if his team gets back into the league), one has to wonder if he has already fallen off the Rangers’ radar screen. With a return to the CHL no longer an option, the Rangers have chosen not to sign Kveton and bring him to Hartford, even after having him there last spring on an ATO (amateur try-out) contract (although he did not see any game action). Or perhaps Kveton himself made the decision to stay in his native land. With draft rights to European players expiring after two seasons, and given the 50-contract limit under the CBA, the Rangers may have no choice but to write him off. But an eye-grabbing performance this season could turn all that around.
USA Hockey holds its WJC evaluation camp this week as well, having convened in Lake Placid yesterday for a week of workouts and scrimmages. The Rangers’ lone representative among the 45 invitees is Bobby Sanguinetti, who was conspicuous by his absence last year, as the political structure of USA Hockey favored players in its own National Team Development Program (NTDP) and U.S. college programs. This year, with a number of CHL players invited, performance may trump politics, in which case Sanguinetti should get his chance. To read USA Hockey’s camp preview, click here. For a full roster, click here. Thanks again to DaTeL for the translation of the Hokej.cz article on Kveton.
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Dellapina just returned from italy
and updated his blog .
The Blueshirts Blog
« Rangers, Avery to Meet Halfway on 1-Year Deal | Main
Rangers' Cap Situation is Buono
Buona sera.
Just got back from two glorious weeks in Italia (half in Rome, half on Capri with brief stops in Naples and Positano.) Grazie a tutti for keeping the Rangers conversation going in my absence.
Money matters first:
By my calculations, the Rangers' cap situation is as follows:
Counting everybody and everything, they are committed to approximately $53.5 million in salaries and bonuses for this season. That assumes Marc Staal and Ryan Callahan are on the team, with Jason Strudwick as the 13th forward/swingman and Stephen Valiquette as the backup goalie (which apparently is the plan.) It also counts the $2.8 million in bonuses Brendan Shanahan easily will earn and the $2.989 million for cap purposes that is due Darius Kasparaitis.
As that is less than 10 percent over the $50.3 million cap, the Rangers are in offseason compliance.
Kasparaitis will go back to Hartford before the season begins, knocking the number down to approximately $50.5 million. But as Shanahan's bonus money can be deferred (if it takes the Rangers over the cap by season's end, the difference will be deducted from their cap space for 2008-09), the team cap number drops further to $47.7 million.
The Rangers would like to keep it there, as it gives them wiggle room should in-season events require an acquisition.
• A word about the Matt Cullen trade:
I was a fan from the opening of training camp last season and always thought that criticism of what Cullen didn't do (distribute the puck, finish) inappropriately overshadowed what he did (use his speed on the forecheck and PK.) I also would have liked to have seen him get more PP point time.
That said, once you've signed Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to eat up 40 minutes of ice time per night, I don't see how, in a salary cap world, it makes any sense to pay a third-line center $2.8 million. Cullen was a model citizen and strong player as a Ranger last season. He simply didn't fit going forward. Fortunately for him, the Rangers sent him back to a place he likes and a team that has a need for him.
• Jim Schoenfeld (pictured) getting the Asst. GM job was an all-too-rare example in sports of a guy ultimately getting rewarded for doing the right thing. When Glen Sather finally ended the Bryan Trottier disaster, he made the obvious move and offered the head coaching job to Schoenfeld.
But Schoenfeld (who was doing most of the head coaching anyway) declined -- largely because he had promised Trottier when he signed on as an assistant coach that he would not take his job. That refusal led to Sather coaching himself, which wasn't good. But Slats didn't hold it against Schoenfeld -- handing him the reins in Hartford and eventually giving him Don Maloney's old office. Which reflects well on both of them.
• If, as reported, Sean Avery was as shocked and hurt by the terminology the Rangers used in their arbitration brief to argue for a lower salary award, just chalk it up as the latest inevitable mess created by the arbitration system.
Avery, who says far worse to countless opponents during warmups every night, apparently didn't realize what he was getting himself into when he opted for arbitration. Compliments aren't supposed to be part of the club's argument.
The Rangers apparently didn't accurately read Avery's sensititvity level when Sather OK'd the disparaging words written by Asst. GM/Hockey Operations Cam Hope. And that could wind up poisoning a relationship between player and club that was proceeding famously until now.
Two agents I talked to scoffed today when asked if the terminology the Rangers used was "harsh" by NHL arbitration standards.
Of course, that's not as relevant as what Avery feels. And whether that feeling will lead to a problem in re-signing him at the end of this season.
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The Rangers have ten defensemen . Most Teams carry sevenm into the season . Assume Darius Kasparaitis goes to Hartford , and an eighth defensemen is used as a swingman to help fill the forward position .Going into training camp , who should be the leading candidate among the remaining nine players to be odd man out on the Rangers' Blueline ?
*****Marek Malik : A liability on D - waive him or trade him to cut his salary out from under the cap.
*****Paul Mara : Inconsistent over 82 games - trade him to cut his salaray out from under the cap
*****Thomas Pocl : Someone has to go- waive him and hope noonew claims him
*****Andrew Hutchinson : He was just a throw in when Cullens salary was dumped- waive him
*****Jason Strudwick : waive him - we never should have signed him in the first place
*****Marc Staal : He needs seasoning in the AHL- start him out in Hartford
*****Dan Girardi : He may not hold up fpor 82 games , send him to Hartford so that we can keep the others
*****Fedor Tyutin : He'll never find his offensive game, tradhe him before everyone else figures that out
*****Michal Rozsival : He'll be too expensive to sign as an UFA , trade him now while he has value.
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Ex-Isle Peca looks for Blueshirts' fit
BY JOHN DELLAPINA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Friday, August 10th 2007, 4:00 AM
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Michael Peca wants to jump aboard the Rangers' bandwagon. He expects to find out today whether the feeling is mutual.
Peca's agent, Don Meehan, told the Daily News last night that he has been talking to only the Rangers in recent weeks regarding a deal for the two-time Selke Trophy winner. And Meehan said he expected Rangers GM Glen Sather to inform him today whether the club wanted to slot in Peca, 33, as the checking center behind free-agent prizes Scott Gomez and Chris Drury.
"I'm talking to Glen," Meehan said. "If you ask me, I'd say the chances are 50-50 that he'll sign with the Rangers. Michael is extremely interested in them. And we're not really talking to anybody else."
At the NHL Players Association's annual charity golf tournament outside Toronto on Wednesday, Peca told the Canadian Press that he believed he'd mesh nicely with the Rangers' retooled roster.
"I think there's been some interest," said Peca, the former Islanders captain who played last season with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. "That would be a great fit. Is it going to happen? I'm not 100% sure. We'll see what happens."
The Rangers dealt third-line center Matt Cullen back to Carolina three weeks ago to clear his $2.8 million salary.
Peca was limited to 35 games and 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) last season because of a leg injury. He insists that he is completely healed.
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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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well everyone wants to kill sean avery before they become his teammate...
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."
well everyone wants to kill sean avery before they become his teammate...
i fucking hated the guy when i saw him as a KING i believe, do the pushups on the ice after scoring. i thought " what a shcmuck "
nice piece that i missed in the Bulletin about the NYR sticking up for themselves, and the 3 events that solidifed the team last year:
August 11, 2007 Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
It's Saturday, the slowest news day of the week, in August, the slowest month for hockey news. So let us continue our video series today with the Saturday Night Fights, tackling this thorny issue on a day when there is little else to discuss. The Rangers have been open to accusations of not doing enough to protect themselves, particularly their stars, Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist. But that began to change in the middle of last season as a result of three occurrences. The first was when Brendan Shanahan personally took umbrage with the Caps' Donald Brashear for tangling with Jagr, fighting the big heavyweight and holding his own:
As much of a statement as Shanahan made, the real turning point came when Tom Renney scratched Colton Orr from a particularly nasty game against the Flyers when both Jagr and Lundqvist were targeted. Renney vowed never to do that again, noting that his hopes of the league taking steps against such incidents were at an end and it was time for the team to take matters into their own hands. Orr was in the line-up most of the time after that, and got a measure of revenge when he KO'd the Flyers' Todd Fedoruk, one of the players who ran roughshod over the Rangers in that earlier meeting. We won't show you that video -- instead, here's Orr catching the Devils' Cam Janssen with a similar punch and knocking him down in response to Janssen's hit on Thomas Pock:
Finally, the Rangers acquired Sean Avery. Avery is not the best fighter in the world, but he will go when he has too, which in his case is not infrequent. As an agitator supreme, Avery has raised everyone's awareness of the concept of sticking up for each other, whether it's him sticking up for his teammates or his teammates having to stick up for him. Here is his most memorable fight as a Ranger -- he goaded Darcy Tucker into instingating the fight by telling him that he (Tucker) was afraid of getting his butt kicked in front of 20,000 Garden fans, and then he proceeded to kick Tucker's butt:
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During the 2006-07 season, defenseman Dan Girardi proved to be one of the most reliable Rangers over the second half of the season. Stepping into the lineup as an undrafted rookie, Girardi played with the poise of a veteran and by the end of the season was managing to shut down some of the league's highest-scoring forwards.
Shortly after the playoffs ended, the Rangers signed 21-year-old Michael Busto, another undrafted free agent defenseman whom they believe has the potential to play regularly and reliably in the NHL. Because of their similar situations, comparisons between Busto and Girardi will be inevitable, but there's no doubt Busto's junior career indicates he has what it takes to make the jump and could emerge as an offensive threat in the NHL
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from suburban Vancouver had a standout season with the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League in 2006-07, registering 20 goals and 43 assists for 63 points, along with 79 penalty minutes and a plus-21 rating in 70 games.
Busto led Kootenay defenseman in goals, assists and points, finishing third in scoring among all WHL blueliners. He also ranked third in the WHL for goals by a defenseman, and his 27 power-play assists ranked him 12th in the entire league. He was also in the WHL's top 40 for scoring.
"Michael is a very steady, firm and in control defenseman," said Rangers Head Coach Tom Renney. "He doesn't get too rattled or worked up. He plays with the poise that you need back there and makes simple, smart decisions. He's got some bite and sandpaper to his game, too, where he finishes his checks and plays you hard down low. We like that, and we see this as a good signing for a young free agent player who will probably take a few years until he gets to the point where he is challenging for an NHL job, but we believe we've got that in him."
Given all of his upside, it's hard to understand why a player like Busto could slip through the 2004, 2005 and 2006 NHL Entry Drafts, making him eligible to sign with any team.
"That's a good question," said Rangers Assistant Coach Mike Pelino. "You look at someone like a Dan Girardi who didn't get drafted, and it's probably that Michael doesn't have one quality that makes him stand out above everyone else. It's just that he's got a lot of good qualities, and I think Girardi was the same way. It's not where he's an exceptional skater, has an exceptional shot or is either an offensive defenseman or defensive defenseman; he can just to everything well. And I think that's what Mike's got in his repertoire."
Pelino is one of the biggest advocates of Busto.
"Busto, I think, is someone who's got good potential. He's got good hockey sense on the back end. He's got the ability to shoot the puck. He needs to continue to improve his quickness and foot speed. I think right now he's trying to find himself as to what his ideal playing weight is. He's someone who I've liked and had my eye on for a real long time."
The Rangers first contacted the 21-year-old last spring, as he neared the end of his junior career with Kootenay.
"They came up to watch one of my playoff games," Busto recalled. "I played pretty well, and they were pretty happy, so we started talking once my season was over. From there I went on to signing a contract offer."
A confident young man, Busto knows what he brings to a team.
"I am a player that can play physical," he said. "I can slow down the offense that is coming at me. I can make that first pass, and I see the ice pretty well so I can jump into the play and make the right choices usually. Still, I definitely need to get quicker and faster for the pro game. I've got to sort of learn from everyone I watch and pick up little traits from the older players."
Busto will arrive at his first Rangers training camp next month, and if he's looking for inspiration, he'll have a great mentor in Girardi, who has already shown that missing out on the draft experience can be a blessing in disguise.
are we stocked up on D or what??? If either him or Girardi can even come close to being like a Rafalski who was also unsigned we'll be straight!
question to bathy or the othe blueshirts fans....where do I sign up for the Rangers Fanclub...they do still have one right?
Aah, fuck it, I’m just gonna go home, turn on the fuckin’ TV...
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
************************************
question to bathy or the othe blueshirts fans....where do I sign up for the Rangers Fanclub...they do still have one right?
indeed they do- i joined a few years ago- but stopped after a few.
they ran it really nice- its one of if not the oldest fanclubs in the league. ( est 1950 )
i dont know excatly where to point you- other then the Blueshirt Bulletin where they run regular ads to join in .
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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Donate Organs and Save a Life
indeed they do- i joined a few years ago- but stopped after a few.
they ran it really nice- its one of if not the oldest fanclubs in the league. ( est 1950 )
i dont know excatly where to point you- other then the Blueshirt Bulletin where they run regular ads to join in .
you're the man...I always thought about doing it and just last week my roomate got his in the mail from the Dallas Cowboys and they offered some cool stuff so it got me wanting to do the Ranger one.
thanx
Aah, fuck it, I’m just gonna go home, turn on the fuckin’ TV...
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
************************************
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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Donate Organs and Save a Life
First Chris Drury. Then Scott Gomez. Now, the Rangers could very soon be adding a third free-agent center: former Islanders captain Michael Peca.
Peca, 33, who played just 35 games for Toronto last season after fracturing the tibia and damaging ligaments in his right leg in a late December game against the Blackhawks, has reportedly been skating in Buffalo, and the Rangers are apparently double-checking on his health.
To cover themselves, the Rangers would offer a salary cap-friendly deal with performance bonuses, which could be deferred. A Rangers spokesman was not immediately available for comment this morning. A phone call to Don Meehan, Peca's agent, has not been returned. Peca said a few weeks ago that the Rangers would be "a good fit" and Meehan has been discussing the situation with Rangers President and general manager Glen Sather.
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The 5-11, 190-pound Toronto native is reportedly seeking $1.25 million (half of what he earned with the Leafs). The Rangers---who are gearing up to make a run at the Stanley Cup---could use a third-line center, having shipped Matt Cullen to Carolina last month, and a veteran backup in case Drury or Gomez is injured.
Currently, the Rangers have Blair Betts---and potentially Sean Avery and Martin Straka as other centers---although the latter are more valuable and productive on the wing. C Brandon Dubinsky, 21, who played for Hartford last season, is another possibility.
When healthy, Peca---who played on Long Island from 2001-2004, is a defense-first center, skilled on face-offs and penalty-killing, areas in which the Rangers could use his talents. He won the Frank J. Selke trophy, awarded to the league's top defensive forward, in 1996-97 and 2001-2002.
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
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"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."
RANGERS, PECA TO RESUME TALKS
By MARK EVERSON
August 14, 2007 -- Negotiations may have bogged down to bring Mike Peca to the Rangers, but it seems likely the former Sabre and Islander captain will soon join an already formidable arsenal of Blueshirt forwards.
Talks are expected to resume shortly, perhaps tomorrow, aimed at adding the 33-year-old center to a lineup boasting Jaromir Jagr, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha, Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa.
Peca is an unrestricted free agent from the Maple Leafs and is believed to be focusing on joining the Rangers' charge at the Stanley Cup. He played only 35 games last season, suffering a massive leg fracture that required pins and plates.
At his best, Peca is a dogged and inspirational checker and penalty killer with plenty of offensive bite. A two-time Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's top defensive forward, Peca has long been dogged by injuries, playing much bigger than his 5-11, 190-pound listing.
A second-round Vancouver pick in 1992, Peca was dealt to Buffalo with Mike Wilson and a first-rounder for Alexander Mogilny and a fifth-rounder in 1995. He sat out the entire 2000-01 season in a contract dispute with the Sabres and was shipped to the Isles for Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt on June 24, 2001. He was dealt to the Oilers in August 2005 for Mike York and a fourth-rounder, and signed as a free agent with the Maple Leafs last summer for $2.5 million.
i still am totally on the fence concerning peca in the blue white and red . Even moreso because of the injurey to his tibia and tendons , ect .
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Well ill take him back in Toronto then cause the Leafs penalty killing went from middle of the pact with him there, to next to last after the injury
Yeah , but supposebly he wants to play for the NYR
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August 14, 2007 Still a Possibility to Pick Up Peca [Updated]
We should find out today whether the Rangers are truly interested in signing Michael Peca to fill the role of third line center vacated by Matt Cullen when he was traded back to Carolina last month. Stories persist that Peca is talking to the Rangers -- Spector at FoxSports.com picks up on John Dellapina's Daily News story from last week which was the first to discuss the Rangers' renewed interest in the former Islander and Sabre, the Post reports that talks with Peca will resume this week, and a Blueshirt Bulletin reader claims to have spoken to Peca yesterday on his way into New York for a physical examination by the Rangers. By all accounts, both sides had cooled down over the possibility of Peca coming to New York after last Friday's D-Day, as Dellapina described it. But that might have just been part of the negotiating process.
Ten days ago, a certain rumormonger who shall not be named (not because we fear him, but because he does not deserve it, and won't even name himself) said that Alex Auld was coming to the Rangers and Al Montoya was headed to Phoenix (no links -- he doesn't deserve that either). Well, now Auld is in Phoenix (report here) and Montoya is still in the Ranger organization. Who woulda thunk it? His predictions about Peca to the Rangers are meaningless either way (even as a reverse barometer) since he was just parroting the Daily News report last weekend. We don't mean to lump Hockey Rodent in with this loser -- Rodent is on the other end of the spectrum, always posting intelligently and not relying on fictitious sources -- but he weighs in today with his analysis of Peca as a Ranger (we're just trying to balance the paragraph sizing).
UPDATE: John Dellapina updates us on what he knows about the Peca situation at his Blueshirts Blog -- Glen Sather and Tom Renney are deciding between Peca and a pair of rookies -- Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov -- to fill the middle on the third line during a potential Cup run. Over at Newsday, Steve Zipay confirms the information posted by one of our readers that Peca is in town for a physical exam.
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Mike Peca has had a team-requested physical from the New York Rangers and is scheduled to meet with head coach Tom Renney.
Pending the outcome of these two points, the team will likely start talking numbers today, writes the New York Post.
The main concern for the Rangers is Peca's penchant for injury, which is a result of years of playing with reckless abandon.
I just read what Eklund said on his blob.......its a ploy to get the Sabres to bite. Don't he know Regier isn't gonna do a f'n thing? hahahahahahaha peca's as good as yours there Slats
I just read what Eklund said on his blob.......its a ploy to get the Sabres to bite. Don't he know Regier isn't gonna do a f'n thing? hahahahahahaha peca's as good as yours there Slats
and the defensive pairings................and yes, they will need Dmen even with those lines
coming along
malik///rosival
tyutin/giradi
then choose fromm staal ,,mara, hutch, strudwick
im sure we will be looking ,,dont worry bout a thang
interested to see who makes the cuts on defense- as previously stated we are stacked on " D " .
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If you just make the playoffs again this year, there is something to be said about money not being able to buy a winner. Again.....just saying.
?
from a fellow original 6 fan ?
all the teams are spending the same ammount now that theres a cap , no ?
sounds like a jelly- belly to me,
just saying,...
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Comments
August 02, 2007
Cap Sizing
Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa were the last two unsigned players for the Rangers. Now that they are under contract for next season, here is how the Rangers stand vs. the salary cap. During the offseason, all one-way NHL contracts count fully toward the cap (including bonuses), and teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10%, which this seaon would total $55.33 million. There are 21 players who currently count under the cap for a total of $51,978,976 (let's say $52 million to make it easy on ourselves). That by definition includes Darius Kasparatis, and it also includes all of Brendan Shanahan's performance bonuses. Not included are Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, or any other player on a two-way entry-level contract.
Heading into the season, predicting the Rangers' cap position is a bit tricky. That's because there are at this time ten defensemen to consider. Teams usually carry seven, but the Rangers could conceivably carry eight, since two (Thomas Pock and Jason Strudwick) can swing up to forwrad if necessary. That still leaves two that have to be cut. Kasparaitis, despite reports from reporters who have seen him over the summer saying that he is back in great shape and hoping to get back to the NHL level, will have be sent back to Hartford because there is simply no scenario in which his $2,989,333 cap hit can be absorbed (barring trade or another high-salaried player being waived). It's going to take training camp to determine whether the Rangers start the season with Staal in the NHL, in which case they would have to waive Pock or Andrew Hutchison, or whether the latter two both stick with the big club while Staal starts his pro career in Hartford.
For the moment, let's take the 23 players most likely to stick in the NHL, even though there is one defenseman too many (we're not counting Kasparaitis among them). And let's, just to make things easy, defer Shanahan's $2.8 million bonus money to the 2008-09 cap calculation in order to judge how much wiggle room the Rangers have. That totals to $48,341,310, which leaves the team with just a shade under $2 million of free space. All of the players on bubble -- Staal, Pock, and Hutchison as possible casualties on the blue line who could be replaced by forwards Brandon Dubinsky, Nigel Dawes, or Artem Anisimov -- earn between $475,000 and $850,000, so any mixing and matching among them is not going to significantly change the cap position. One position where there will be no mixing and matching is in net -- Steve Valiquette costs $617,000 under the cap while Al Montoya takes up $1,834,200 at the NHL level, an amount the Rangers can ill afford to use even if Montoya would be better served as a lightly used NHL back-up than an AHL starter (which of course he is not).
For more on Avery's signing, see the Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Times, Post, and Record. The TV guys check in with their take at MSG.com here, here, and here. John Dellapina is back from vacation (and not a moment too soon, with the Post continuing to repeat the out of context D-word even as Avery and Glen Sather make nice-nice in the wake of the contract resolution), and he checks in on a number of subjects (cap, Cullen, Schoenfeld, and Avery) in his Blueshirts Blog here and here. The most interesting footnote in his reports are that the quotes attributed to Sather in the Avery arbitration brief were actually written by capologist Cam Hope (now one of Sather's assistant GMs), obviously with Sather's approval (whether it be active or passive approval).
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Jaromir Jagr began his off-season on-ice training a week ago in the Czech Republic. “I had a chance to skate a little bit during the hockey school in Slany,” he told reporters during a conference call the other day. “On Tuesday, I was on the ice with team Kladno, and I would like to practice with them.” But he hasn’t had a chance to swing a golf club yet, even at Team Jagr’s recent benefit tournament, where he appeared on the golf course only to hand out awards.
The Rangers’ captain is rare among NHL players in having never played golf. “Hockey players like golf,” he observed. “Some hockey players play golf even during the hockey season. Many do so over the entire summer. Every team holds a golf tournament for sponsors. When I arrived in Pittsburgh as an 18-year-old, I tried it.” The difficult golf swing is a natural for hockey players because the mechanics are the same as a slapshot (although there is no one trying to bodycheck you or block your shot in golf). Maybe Jagr feels that his weak slapper would make him a weak golfer (although he seems to be the only person extant who believes that his slapshot is weak).
But he now wants to learn golf so that he can participate in future tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic. “I haven’t tried it yet but I will try to in the future,” he said. “After the season, I wanted to stay in the America a little longer and hire a coach. To show me and teach me so I could drive a little. I didn’t have that much time [so] I postponed it for next year. To be good at something, you need to practice, to know something about it, and to have a good coach. I hope that once I learn, I’ll be able to drive and putt myself to shame,” he added with a smile. “I won’t go for the records, though.”
Now in quipster mode, Jagr said, “Teammates wouldn’t have the time to coach me. Mainly Petr Nedved, who thinks he’s really good, but he’s not. He’s very inconsistent. I need someone who’s consistent.” Jagr continued busting his former Pittsburgh teammate’s chops. “[The golf cart] is important. It’s tiring to go around with the bag. I went with Petr Nedved once and he almost knocked me out. I haven’t played since.”
Speaking of golf, don't forget Vic Hadfield's charity tournament, to be held October 1st in River Vale, New Jersey, where you will get to meet and possibly play with a number of Ranger personalities (E-mail us here for more information). My own game is coming together with all the practice I’ve gotten all summer. If I can only keep my shots out of the woods and the water hazards, I might even be able to break 120. My weak slapshot hasn’t helped me at all, but learning the golf swing has made my slapshot better. But no golf this weekend -- tomorrow is Mitch’s cookout for subscribers, and though conflicts arose that keep me from attending in person, I will call in (along with Hockey Rodent and possibly other guests) for a live Rangers Four on Four with those in attendance.
But back to the news from the Czech Republic -- Jagr and Ranger teammate Martin Straka are two of ten finalists for the Golden Stick Award, given annually to the best Czech hockey player. Jagr has won the award seven times, more than any other player. He is going for his third straight. Despite his injury-hampered season, he may still have had the best season among the ten finalists. Straka has never won a Golden Stick. The complete list of finalists can be seen here, and a list of past winners here. Links to articles on Team Jagr’s golf tournament can be found here, here, and here (all in Czech, if you can read it). Thanks go out once again to DaTeL for bringing us the Czech news -- he was also the first that we can tell to note (in an Outside the Garden forum) that Sean Avery was in violation of the CBA’s arbitration rules when he leaked portions of the Ranger brief to the press.
In other Ranger news today, the team has finally announced the signing of Russian center Artem Anisimov, which we reported weeks ago and which they would neither confirm nor deny at the time. Clearly, they were waiting for Avery and Marcel Hossa to get under contract before making an official announcement. Anisimov will be in training camp and is believed to have an outside shot at making the team, although a season of seasoning in the AHL is far more probable. Avery’s contentious arbitration hearing spurs the Ottawa Citizen to call for changes. The Hockey Humorist has his take on the bungled brief. CBS Sportsline rates the Rangers highly for their off-season retooling, while the New York Sun reports how the Devils and Islanders are chasing the Rangers
i'm off to the garden tonight, i'll be looking up at our banners and retired #s while i listen to The Police
peace
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At this time, Kveton is not sure whether he will attend Ranger training camp in September. “As of now, I don’t know if it will work out,” he said. “We’ll see.” If he does come over, he will have two advantages over his initial experience last fall. He will have had a taste of North American hockey -- “Fewer combinations and crossing, more simplicity and directness,” he said, comparing it to the style he had grown up with. And perhaps as importantly, he will have learned to communicate in English. “Prior to departing [a year ago], I wasn’t able to speak [English] at all,” he said. “But I’m better now. It’s not ideal but I am able to communicate. I played with one Russian, so I couldn’t talk to anyone in Czech,” he said, referring again to the two-man limit on import players in the CHL.
His departure from Gatineau early last season after playing just five games was the subject of some controversy. The official story was that he preferred, as he now says again, “playing with men.” The rumor mill, however, whispered that he was homesick, in large part because of his language problems. Now he says that he returned in order to represent his nation in the World Junior Championship. Once they were over, and given little ice time in Vsetin, he returned to Canada. “I was very satisfied in Gatineau,” he says. “I tasted a different brand of hockey. It certainly was a great experience for me. When I came back, I found everything in place. The guys were great, the coach gave me a lot of space from the get-go. It was up and down later on, but I can’t complain. It helped me a lot.”
As far as homesickness went, Kveton explained how comfortable he actually was in Gatineau. Many Czechs played there as juniors before him, including Jiri Fischer and Ales Hemsky, and most billeted in the same house. “They like remembering the Czech guys there,” he said. “The truth is that all the guys were staying with this lady. She has a very glowing relationship with the Czechs and she takes great care. It was really great -- I had outstanding conditions.” But his team did not go far. “They wanted to succeed,” he said. “They talked about the Memorial Cup. But we were eliminated in the first round, which was a huge disappointment.”
If his initial return from Quebec was to represent the national team in the Under-20 WJC, his return after the Olympiques’ season ended was greeted with a similar opportunity, the Under-18 WJC. But he couldn’t play. “I came back with a cold from Canada,” he explained, “and it seemed it wouldn’t go away. I had to ask for a leave of absence. But I’m OK now and I’m looking forward to both the guys whom I always love to play with and the quality matches.” He was referring to his return next week to the Czech Under-20 Team, as national teams begin their preparations for next winter’s WJC with selection camps this month.
Unless Kveton garners international attention in the next WJC, which will be held in the Czech Republic, improving in a big way over his no-point, -3 performance in six games last year, and also steps up as a major player in the Extraliga (if his team gets back into the league), one has to wonder if he has already fallen off the Rangers’ radar screen. With a return to the CHL no longer an option, the Rangers have chosen not to sign Kveton and bring him to Hartford, even after having him there last spring on an ATO (amateur try-out) contract (although he did not see any game action). Or perhaps Kveton himself made the decision to stay in his native land. With draft rights to European players expiring after two seasons, and given the 50-contract limit under the CBA, the Rangers may have no choice but to write him off. But an eye-grabbing performance this season could turn all that around.
USA Hockey holds its WJC evaluation camp this week as well, having convened in Lake Placid yesterday for a week of workouts and scrimmages. The Rangers’ lone representative among the 45 invitees is Bobby Sanguinetti, who was conspicuous by his absence last year, as the political structure of USA Hockey favored players in its own National Team Development Program (NTDP) and U.S. college programs. This year, with a number of CHL players invited, performance may trump politics, in which case Sanguinetti should get his chance. To read USA Hockey’s camp preview, click here. For a full roster, click here. Thanks again to DaTeL for the translation of the Hokej.cz article on Kveton.
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Rangers' Cap Situation is Buono
Buona sera.
Just got back from two glorious weeks in Italia (half in Rome, half on Capri with brief stops in Naples and Positano.) Grazie a tutti for keeping the Rangers conversation going in my absence.
Money matters first:
By my calculations, the Rangers' cap situation is as follows:
Counting everybody and everything, they are committed to approximately $53.5 million in salaries and bonuses for this season. That assumes Marc Staal and Ryan Callahan are on the team, with Jason Strudwick as the 13th forward/swingman and Stephen Valiquette as the backup goalie (which apparently is the plan.) It also counts the $2.8 million in bonuses Brendan Shanahan easily will earn and the $2.989 million for cap purposes that is due Darius Kasparaitis.
As that is less than 10 percent over the $50.3 million cap, the Rangers are in offseason compliance.
Kasparaitis will go back to Hartford before the season begins, knocking the number down to approximately $50.5 million. But as Shanahan's bonus money can be deferred (if it takes the Rangers over the cap by season's end, the difference will be deducted from their cap space for 2008-09), the team cap number drops further to $47.7 million.
The Rangers would like to keep it there, as it gives them wiggle room should in-season events require an acquisition.
• A word about the Matt Cullen trade:
I was a fan from the opening of training camp last season and always thought that criticism of what Cullen didn't do (distribute the puck, finish) inappropriately overshadowed what he did (use his speed on the forecheck and PK.) I also would have liked to have seen him get more PP point time.
That said, once you've signed Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to eat up 40 minutes of ice time per night, I don't see how, in a salary cap world, it makes any sense to pay a third-line center $2.8 million. Cullen was a model citizen and strong player as a Ranger last season. He simply didn't fit going forward. Fortunately for him, the Rangers sent him back to a place he likes and a team that has a need for him.
• Jim Schoenfeld (pictured) getting the Asst. GM job was an all-too-rare example in sports of a guy ultimately getting rewarded for doing the right thing. When Glen Sather finally ended the Bryan Trottier disaster, he made the obvious move and offered the head coaching job to Schoenfeld.
But Schoenfeld (who was doing most of the head coaching anyway) declined -- largely because he had promised Trottier when he signed on as an assistant coach that he would not take his job. That refusal led to Sather coaching himself, which wasn't good. But Slats didn't hold it against Schoenfeld -- handing him the reins in Hartford and eventually giving him Don Maloney's old office. Which reflects well on both of them.
• If, as reported, Sean Avery was as shocked and hurt by the terminology the Rangers used in their arbitration brief to argue for a lower salary award, just chalk it up as the latest inevitable mess created by the arbitration system.
Avery, who says far worse to countless opponents during warmups every night, apparently didn't realize what he was getting himself into when he opted for arbitration. Compliments aren't supposed to be part of the club's argument.
The Rangers apparently didn't accurately read Avery's sensititvity level when Sather OK'd the disparaging words written by Asst. GM/Hockey Operations Cam Hope. And that could wind up poisoning a relationship between player and club that was proceeding famously until now.
Two agents I talked to scoffed today when asked if the terminology the Rangers used was "harsh" by NHL arbitration standards.
Of course, that's not as relevant as what Avery feels. And whether that feeling will lead to a problem in re-signing him at the end of this season.
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Blueshirt Bulletin
Aug 7 2007
Odd Man Out
The Rangers have ten defensemen . Most Teams carry sevenm into the season . Assume Darius Kasparaitis goes to Hartford , and an eighth defensemen is used as a swingman to help fill the forward position .Going into training camp , who should be the leading candidate among the remaining nine players to be odd man out on the Rangers' Blueline ?
*****Marek Malik : A liability on D - waive him or trade him to cut his salary out from under the cap.
*****Paul Mara : Inconsistent over 82 games - trade him to cut his salaray out from under the cap
*****Thomas Pocl : Someone has to go- waive him and hope noonew claims him
*****Andrew Hutchinson : He was just a throw in when Cullens salary was dumped- waive him
*****Jason Strudwick : waive him - we never should have signed him in the first place
*****Marc Staal : He needs seasoning in the AHL- start him out in Hartford
*****Dan Girardi : He may not hold up fpor 82 games , send him to Hartford so that we can keep the others
*****Fedor Tyutin : He'll never find his offensive game, tradhe him before everyone else figures that out
*****Michal Rozsival : He'll be too expensive to sign as an UFA , trade him now while he has value.
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Ex-Isle Peca looks for Blueshirts' fit
BY JOHN DELLAPINA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Friday, August 10th 2007, 4:00 AM
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Michael Peca wants to jump aboard the Rangers' bandwagon. He expects to find out today whether the feeling is mutual.
Peca's agent, Don Meehan, told the Daily News last night that he has been talking to only the Rangers in recent weeks regarding a deal for the two-time Selke Trophy winner. And Meehan said he expected Rangers GM Glen Sather to inform him today whether the club wanted to slot in Peca, 33, as the checking center behind free-agent prizes Scott Gomez and Chris Drury.
"I'm talking to Glen," Meehan said. "If you ask me, I'd say the chances are 50-50 that he'll sign with the Rangers. Michael is extremely interested in them. And we're not really talking to anybody else."
At the NHL Players Association's annual charity golf tournament outside Toronto on Wednesday, Peca told the Canadian Press that he believed he'd mesh nicely with the Rangers' retooled roster.
"I think there's been some interest," said Peca, the former Islanders captain who played last season with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. "That would be a great fit. Is it going to happen? I'm not 100% sure. We'll see what happens."
The Rangers dealt third-line center Matt Cullen back to Carolina three weeks ago to clear his $2.8 million salary.
Peca was limited to 35 games and 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) last season because of a leg injury. He insists that he is completely healed.
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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."
i fucking hated the guy when i saw him as a KING i believe, do the pushups on the ice after scoring. i thought " what a shcmuck "
nice piece that i missed in the Bulletin about the NYR sticking up for themselves, and the 3 events that solidifed the team last year:
August 11, 2007
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
It's Saturday, the slowest news day of the week, in August, the slowest month for hockey news. So let us continue our video series today with the Saturday Night Fights, tackling this thorny issue on a day when there is little else to discuss. The Rangers have been open to accusations of not doing enough to protect themselves, particularly their stars, Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist. But that began to change in the middle of last season as a result of three occurrences. The first was when Brendan Shanahan personally took umbrage with the Caps' Donald Brashear for tangling with Jagr, fighting the big heavyweight and holding his own:
As much of a statement as Shanahan made, the real turning point came when Tom Renney scratched Colton Orr from a particularly nasty game against the Flyers when both Jagr and Lundqvist were targeted. Renney vowed never to do that again, noting that his hopes of the league taking steps against such incidents were at an end and it was time for the team to take matters into their own hands. Orr was in the line-up most of the time after that, and got a measure of revenge when he KO'd the Flyers' Todd Fedoruk, one of the players who ran roughshod over the Rangers in that earlier meeting. We won't show you that video -- instead, here's Orr catching the Devils' Cam Janssen with a similar punch and knocking him down in response to Janssen's hit on Thomas Pock:
Finally, the Rangers acquired Sean Avery. Avery is not the best fighter in the world, but he will go when he has too, which in his case is not infrequent. As an agitator supreme, Avery has raised everyone's awareness of the concept of sticking up for each other, whether it's him sticking up for his teammates or his teammates having to stick up for him. Here is his most memorable fight as a Ranger -- he goaded Darcy Tucker into instingating the fight by telling him that he (Tucker) was afraid of getting his butt kicked in front of 20,000 Garden fans, and then he proceeded to kick Tucker's butt:
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During the 2006-07 season, defenseman Dan Girardi proved to be one of the most reliable Rangers over the second half of the season. Stepping into the lineup as an undrafted rookie, Girardi played with the poise of a veteran and by the end of the season was managing to shut down some of the league's highest-scoring forwards.
Shortly after the playoffs ended, the Rangers signed 21-year-old Michael Busto, another undrafted free agent defenseman whom they believe has the potential to play regularly and reliably in the NHL. Because of their similar situations, comparisons between Busto and Girardi will be inevitable, but there's no doubt Busto's junior career indicates he has what it takes to make the jump and could emerge as an offensive threat in the NHL
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from suburban Vancouver had a standout season with the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League in 2006-07, registering 20 goals and 43 assists for 63 points, along with 79 penalty minutes and a plus-21 rating in 70 games.
Busto led Kootenay defenseman in goals, assists and points, finishing third in scoring among all WHL blueliners. He also ranked third in the WHL for goals by a defenseman, and his 27 power-play assists ranked him 12th in the entire league. He was also in the WHL's top 40 for scoring.
"Michael is a very steady, firm and in control defenseman," said Rangers Head Coach Tom Renney. "He doesn't get too rattled or worked up. He plays with the poise that you need back there and makes simple, smart decisions. He's got some bite and sandpaper to his game, too, where he finishes his checks and plays you hard down low. We like that, and we see this as a good signing for a young free agent player who will probably take a few years until he gets to the point where he is challenging for an NHL job, but we believe we've got that in him."
Given all of his upside, it's hard to understand why a player like Busto could slip through the 2004, 2005 and 2006 NHL Entry Drafts, making him eligible to sign with any team.
"That's a good question," said Rangers Assistant Coach Mike Pelino. "You look at someone like a Dan Girardi who didn't get drafted, and it's probably that Michael doesn't have one quality that makes him stand out above everyone else. It's just that he's got a lot of good qualities, and I think Girardi was the same way. It's not where he's an exceptional skater, has an exceptional shot or is either an offensive defenseman or defensive defenseman; he can just to everything well. And I think that's what Mike's got in his repertoire."
Pelino is one of the biggest advocates of Busto.
"Busto, I think, is someone who's got good potential. He's got good hockey sense on the back end. He's got the ability to shoot the puck. He needs to continue to improve his quickness and foot speed. I think right now he's trying to find himself as to what his ideal playing weight is. He's someone who I've liked and had my eye on for a real long time."
The Rangers first contacted the 21-year-old last spring, as he neared the end of his junior career with Kootenay.
"They came up to watch one of my playoff games," Busto recalled. "I played pretty well, and they were pretty happy, so we started talking once my season was over. From there I went on to signing a contract offer."
A confident young man, Busto knows what he brings to a team.
"I am a player that can play physical," he said. "I can slow down the offense that is coming at me. I can make that first pass, and I see the ice pretty well so I can jump into the play and make the right choices usually. Still, I definitely need to get quicker and faster for the pro game. I've got to sort of learn from everyone I watch and pick up little traits from the older players."
Busto will arrive at his first Rangers training camp next month, and if he's looking for inspiration, he'll have a great mentor in Girardi, who has already shown that missing out on the draft experience can be a blessing in disguise.
are we stocked up on D or what??? If either him or Girardi can even come close to being like a Rafalski who was also unsigned we'll be straight!
question to bathy or the othe blueshirts fans....where do I sign up for the Rangers Fanclub...they do still have one right?
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
************************************
indeed they do- i joined a few years ago- but stopped after a few.
they ran it really nice- its one of if not the oldest fanclubs in the league. ( est 1950 )
i dont know excatly where to point you- other then the Blueshirt Bulletin where they run regular ads to join in .
edit : here you go
http://www.nyrfanclub.com/
http://www.nyrfanclub.com/information.htm
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thanx
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
************************************
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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BY STEVE ZIPAY |
First Chris Drury. Then Scott Gomez. Now, the Rangers could very soon be adding a third free-agent center: former Islanders captain Michael Peca.
Peca, 33, who played just 35 games for Toronto last season after fracturing the tibia and damaging ligaments in his right leg in a late December game against the Blackhawks, has reportedly been skating in Buffalo, and the Rangers are apparently double-checking on his health.
To cover themselves, the Rangers would offer a salary cap-friendly deal with performance bonuses, which could be deferred. A Rangers spokesman was not immediately available for comment this morning. A phone call to Don Meehan, Peca's agent, has not been returned. Peca said a few weeks ago that the Rangers would be "a good fit" and Meehan has been discussing the situation with Rangers President and general manager Glen Sather.
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The 5-11, 190-pound Toronto native is reportedly seeking $1.25 million (half of what he earned with the Leafs). The Rangers---who are gearing up to make a run at the Stanley Cup---could use a third-line center, having shipped Matt Cullen to Carolina last month, and a veteran backup in case Drury or Gomez is injured.
Currently, the Rangers have Blair Betts---and potentially Sean Avery and Martin Straka as other centers---although the latter are more valuable and productive on the wing. C Brandon Dubinsky, 21, who played for Hartford last season, is another possibility.
When healthy, Peca---who played on Long Island from 2001-2004, is a defense-first center, skilled on face-offs and penalty-killing, areas in which the Rangers could use his talents. He won the Frank J. Selke trophy, awarded to the league's top defensive forward, in 1996-97 and 2001-2002.
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 still am totally on the fence concerning peca in the blue white and red . Even moreso because of the injurey to his tibia and tendons , ect .
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Toronto 2011 night 2
Hamilton 2011
London 2013
Yeah , but supposebly he wants to play for the NYR
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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nyr are signing him wheter it turns out good or bad,,,we shall see
yet another reason for this islanders fan to say...ugh.
Toronto 2011 night 2
Hamilton 2011
London 2013
August 14, 2007
Still a Possibility to Pick Up Peca [Updated]
We should find out today whether the Rangers are truly interested in signing Michael Peca to fill the role of third line center vacated by Matt Cullen when he was traded back to Carolina last month. Stories persist that Peca is talking to the Rangers -- Spector at FoxSports.com picks up on John Dellapina's Daily News story from last week which was the first to discuss the Rangers' renewed interest in the former Islander and Sabre, the Post reports that talks with Peca will resume this week, and a Blueshirt Bulletin reader claims to have spoken to Peca yesterday on his way into New York for a physical examination by the Rangers. By all accounts, both sides had cooled down over the possibility of Peca coming to New York after last Friday's D-Day, as Dellapina described it. But that might have just been part of the negotiating process.
Ten days ago, a certain rumormonger who shall not be named (not because we fear him, but because he does not deserve it, and won't even name himself) said that Alex Auld was coming to the Rangers and Al Montoya was headed to Phoenix (no links -- he doesn't deserve that either). Well, now Auld is in Phoenix (report here) and Montoya is still in the Ranger organization. Who woulda thunk it? His predictions about Peca to the Rangers are meaningless either way (even as a reverse barometer) since he was just parroting the Daily News report last weekend. We don't mean to lump Hockey Rodent in with this loser -- Rodent is on the other end of the spectrum, always posting intelligently and not relying on fictitious sources -- but he weighs in today with his analysis of Peca as a Ranger (we're just trying to balance the paragraph sizing).
UPDATE: John Dellapina updates us on what he knows about the Peca situation at his Blueshirts Blog -- Glen Sather and Tom Renney are deciding between Peca and a pair of rookies -- Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov -- to fill the middle on the third line during a potential Cup run. Over at Newsday, Steve Zipay confirms the information posted by one of our readers that Peca is in town for a physical exam.
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seems the Rangers are collecting a few ex-captains.
avery gomez shanny
prucha peca cally
orr/holly betts hossa
Mike Peca has had a team-requested physical from the New York Rangers and is scheduled to meet with head coach Tom Renney.
Pending the outcome of these two points, the team will likely start talking numbers today, writes the New York Post.
The main concern for the Rangers is Peca's penchant for injury, which is a result of years of playing with reckless abandon.
Toronto 2011 night 2
Hamilton 2011
London 2013
and the defensive pairings................and yes, they will need Dmen even with those lines
coming along
malik///rosival
tyutin/giradi
then choose fromm staal ,,mara, hutch, strudwick
im sure we will be looking ,,dont worry bout a thang
could be better could be worse
ironically enough jagr will be playing with gomez - ( the guy who he busted his shoulder on )
Straka - Gomez - Jagr
Avery - Drury - Shanny
Prucha - Peca - Cally
Orr / or Holly --Betts - Hossa
interested to see who makes the cuts on defense- as previously stated we are stacked on " D " .
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
?
from a fellow original 6 fan ?
all the teams are spending the same ammount now that theres a cap , no ?
sounds like a jelly- belly to me,
just saying,...
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
HAHHA hello salary cap,,