And so, we bid adieu to No. 68, the five-time NHL scoring champ, the whip-smart contrarian with a surprising sense of humor and a pretty darn good hockey player even now at age 36.
The alarmists in the hockey media -- and there is no shortage of them -- will suggest Jaromir Jagr's decision to turn his back on the NHL and return to Avangard Omsk, the Russian elite league team he played for during the 2004-05 lockout, will signal a flood of NHL talent jumping to the cash-soaked league.
[+] EnlargeJason Bridge/US Presswire
Jaromir Jagr's new deal in Russia contains a "no-out" clause, which means he's obligated to play with Omsk for at least two years.
Ha.
If there's something Jagr is not, it's a trendsetter. He marches to his own beat and the beat told him when it became clear the New York Rangers had chosen a different path, his own path would take him to Omsk, not Edmonton or anywhere else in North America.
As anyone who has ever been to Russia in the dead of winter or even spoken to anyone who's ever been there when the sun disappears for days on end could attest, there will no more be a cavalcade of stars heading east than there will be a Stanley Cup parade in Toronto next spring. Unless you lament the absence of Alexander Perezhogin and Alexei Kaigorodov playing third- and fourth-line minutes for an NHL club near you, the eastward exodus is all fantasy, just like recent reports of Evgeni Malkin preparing to head back to Russia for a mountain of cash.
There may be money in Russia (just don't ask where it came from and don't complain if it doesn't get to you in an orderly fashion), but the hockey is hit-and-miss, even with Jagr creating headlines.
Have we seen the end of Jagr outside international competition? Who knows. Sources told ESPN.com on Friday that Jagr has a "no-out" clause, locking him into staying in Russia for the length of the deal -- at least two years with a third possible at Jagr's discretion. If that's the way it shakes down, we have likely seen the last of the big winger and there is a feeling of melancholy at seeing Jagr go.
Statistically, Jagr had one of his worst seasons ever with just 25 goals and 71 points in 2007-08, totals that prevented him from meeting triggers in his contract that would have kept him in New York for at least one more season. Yet, as the playoffs neared, Jagr became a force and was the team's best player down the stretch and through the two rounds of the playoffs.
Even when the Rangers fell behind the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 in the second round, we remember Jagr sitting in his dressing room stall at the team's practice facility, speaking passionately about believing in the Rangers' chances of defeating the Penguins and his desire to be part of history.
Even as the Jagr era in New York closed with the Rangers' signing of free-agent forward Markus Naslund on Thursday, there remained a number of interesting possibilities for Jagr. Edmonton was hungry for his experience and talent as part of a revamped Oilers offense. The Penguins, despite signing Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko on Thursday, presumably could have found room for the former Pittsburgh star.
But if it wasn't New York, it wasn't going to be anywhere for Jagr. If he stays with Omsk for the full three years, a source told ESPN.com that Jagr could collect $35 million (U.S.) over the life of the deal.
In an interview with Larry Brooks of the New York Post on Thursday, Jagr ended his conversation by saying: "And I also want to say to the people like Mike Milbury, who made their living by criticizing me all the time, that they can kiss my [butt]."
It was vintage Jagr.
The Rangers and their fans saw Jagr at his best. When few gave the Rangers any chance of being close to the postseason coming out of the lockout, Jagr guaranteed a playoff berth. Jagr turned in a virtuoso 123-point performance that saw him finish second to San Jose's Joe Thornton in NHL scoring and Hart Trophy voting.
It was great fun.
But last summer, as the Rangers tried to find the pieces that would propel them from playoff lock to Cup contender, they inadvertently altered the chemistry in their dressing room as it related to Jagr.
By signing Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to long-term deals, they shifted the balance of power and it never was quite right again at Madison Square Garden. This isn't about egos -- Jagr having to share the stage with the two talented and personable centers -- but about dynamics.
Jagr worked in almost perfect harmony with center Michael Nylander the first two years after the lockout. The understated Nylander was a casualty of the Gomez/Drury signings and Jagr never found his rhythm with either center, finishing the season playing mostly with Brandon Dubinsky.
The Rangers were somewhere between Jagr's team and the future, and while they advanced to the second round for the second straight season, they were no match for Pittsburgh and its clearly defined pecking order of Sidney Crosby, Malkin, Marian Hossa and the rest.
With Jagr gone, the page has been turned in New York.
Gomez and Drury will become the faces of the franchise and the rest of the newcomers, Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Fritsche, Wade Redden and Naslund, will fall into line.
Will it work? Zherdev is unpredictable and Naslund over the past few seasons has shown little resemblance to the player he was. But the makings are there.
We suggested at the trade deadline that the Rangers might be further ahead by trading Jagr, bound for unrestricted free agency, in an effort to speed up this evolutionary process. Although the Rangers and their fans will miss Jagr by the time next spring rolls around, they may be a much better team despite his absence.
After all, that's what letting Jagr walk away was all about, right?
well it remains to be seen if were gonna be better of without him
and as far as that staement dude made "the rangers were obviously no match for th epenguins pecking order of malkin, crosby etc..."
bullfuckingshit. I will never believe anything else other than the fact that we gave that series away. PERIOD. NO MATCH MY ASS!! We take that 1st game you see how much of a match pittsburgh would NOT have been and then that STUPID hollweg penalty...god..I cant even think about it it makes me wanna throw up.
But whatever whats done is done and next yr anything short of the 3rd round will be a huge dissapointment
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...
************************************
gomez and drury will finally be able to play their game.
well those 2 Im not worried about..its all these replacements we got. Let's hope everybody plays up to their potential and we'll be alright.
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...
************************************
July 28, 2008
Rangers Won't O.D. on Offensive Defensemen
Three times in the last four years, the Rangers have had highly rated defensemen fall into their laps during the NHL Entry Draft. In 2005, with Marc Staal still available when the #12 pick rolled around, the Rangers traded up to get him. In 2006, drafting 21st overall, the Rangers got Bobby Sanguinetti, more of an offensive defenseman than the two-way Staal. This June, another offensive defenseman remained on the board when the Rangers' turn came at #20 -- Mike Del Zotto, a six foot tall Ontario native who was still only 17 years old that day. A few days later, Del Zotto joined Sanguinetti on the ice at Ranger Prospect Development Camp, Sanguinetti now among the elder statesmen of Ranger prospects two years after he was introduced at prospect camp.
"It's a big adjustment throughout the three years," Sanguinetti said of his experiences at the annual summer gathering of young hopefuls designed mainly to introduce them to the Rangers' fitness program and indoctrinate them into the Ranger culture. "You come in not really knowing what to expect your first year, the second year you feel a little more comfortable, and even more so the third year. I've learned a lot every year. I'm going to continue to pick the coaches' brains and [conditioning coach] Reg [Grant] on the off-ice program. I'm just going to continue to work hard and hopefully keep developing."
But Del Zotto, who hardly came off like a kid who hadn't even hit 18, seemed to be handling it all in stride. "It was pretty good," he said of his first skate as a Ranger draftee. "I hadn't been on too much [before today]. It took me a little to get into it. But I had some fun out there, and I'm gonna keep working hard. I thought I did pretty well out here -- I was battling, I seemed to keep up with the pace. I need to take it one game at a time and keep working hard."
Coach Tom Renney expected no less of Del Zotto. "A young guy like that who's just been drafted that high should be able to hold his own," he said after watching his newest charge skate at the MSG Training Center for the first time. Still, he could see how much farther along Sanguinetti, now 20 years old, is. "You can see the difference now in age and experience," he said of Sanguinetti, most likely headed for Hartford this season, though he will get a chance to prove himself in Ranger training camp. "Bobby's a bigger, stronger kid. He's been exposed to us and what we do and training methods that suggest that from a physical perspective he should be a more mature guy, and he is."
Del Zotto, interestingly, lost some weight heading into the draft, a time when most players his age look to put on weight to reach NHL size standards. "I lost 15 pounds," he said of dropping from around 210 to 195. "I trimmed down. I feel like my strength is there -- I just want to get a bit quicker, just do everything I can to be in the best shape to come into [training] camp. I want to get to a certain weight and keep it there -- body fat very low, my strength at its peak, just do everything I can to work hard."
Like Sanguinetti, Del Zotto is adept at the offensive end of the game despite lining up as a defenseman. "My strength is definitely being an offensive defenseman," he told MSG's John Giannone. "I love to quarterback the power play, create offense from the back end. My biggest asset is my vision and passing." He models himself after the original offensive defenseman. "Bobby Orr," he said. "He was my dad's favorite player and I grew up watching The Best of Bobby Orr -- I probably watched that video twenty-plus times. I model my game after him -- his abilty to skate and move the puck, basically control the tempo of the game by himself."
He also patterns himself after Scott Niedermayer because of "his ability to control the game from the back end," Del Zotto said. "The coaching staff was telling me that the fans aren't too happy about that," he added when told that Niedermayer was a longtime Ranger rival when he was with the Devils. "So I guess I'll find a new favorite player." But he doesn't really have to -- Ranger fans will be thrilled to see a Scott Niedermayer clone wearing the Blueshirt on Garden ice. They'd be equally thrilled to see Sanguinetti, who grew up in New Jersey as a Ranger fan, in blue. "I'm hugely excited," Sanguinetti said of the possibility. "It would be huge dream come true to play for the Rangers. I'd probably be a little nervous at first, but hopefully turn the nerves into excitement and stay focused."
But is there room on one team for two players with such similar skill sets? Renney sees the league heading in a direction that requires making room for at least two. "I do envision coaching suggesting 'Go!' when it's there," he said of defensemen joining the offense. "You still have to have shut-down D, two-way guys, a power play quarterback -- you gotta have guys that transition well. Go when it's there for you -- [even] the out of the play defenseman, the non-passing defenseman was going. I can see that being very much part of our game, and that's the same for a defensive Put pressure on the other team by creating a numerical advantage. I don't think you'll see teams with four or five 'Go' guys, but you'll see teams with good mobility on the back end, good passing, really encourage guys if need be to join [the play]."
And Sanguinetti and Del Zotto can be those guys for Renney. "With that, the instincts are similar, the intuition to jump and make things happen," he said of his twin prospects. "You can see that Mike is willing to jump up and get involved, it seems like he's a good passer -- the same attributes as Bobby." Sanguinetti also sees good qualities in Del Zotto, whom he played against in the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons. "Playing a couple of years against him, he's a great player," Sanguinetti said. "He's really smart and has great on-ice vision. To be out here playing with him is great. Hopefully [I can] help him out a little bit and learn from him as well. I'm really excited to have him."
And Del Zotto, like most young players, is thrilled to be with the Rangers. "Unbelievable -- words can't describe it," he said. "A team with such great history, great young talent coming up, great team that did well last year. I'm just happy to be part of it and I just want to move forward and do everything I can. Unbelievable facility here -- I was in shock when I walked in. You get treated so well here."
It took a while for his number to come up in the draft, but he was happy it came up with the Rangers. "It was getting a little nerve-wracking," he said, noting that he was "sweating a bit. But once I heard my name called by Mr. Sather and the Rangers, it was a sigh of relief. I don't think I stopped smiling for three hours after the draft." And that's how he got to spend his 18th birthday in New York City rather than back home in Ontario in suburban Toronto. "I was talking to my mom about that," he said. "I would never have thought I would spend my 18th birthday in New York. I had fun today."
Although he knows he'll probably spend next season back in Oshawa, one of the things he was taught by the Ranger coaching staff is to come to camp believing that you can make it. "Any kid wants to jump in and play as soon as they can," Del Zotto said. "I'm going to do everything I can this off-season to get into the best possible shape, come into camp, and give the coaching staff a hard decision. You see a lot of the young guys throughout the whole league, especially Marc [Staal] and Dubi [Brandon Dubinsky] did really well last year. To see what kind of numbers and how many minutes they're logging, it's a huge confidence builder -- it gives you the motivation to make sure you come [to camp] in top shape ready to compete for a job."
The Rangers have proven that they will give the young players they draft and develop a chance to do exactly that. Sanguinetti will get his first real shot this September, and will be expected to make the leap next September. Del Zotto will follow the same path -- another two seasons in junior hockey, a year or two learning the pro game in the AHL, and then the big show. It may be years before these players make their mark, but they are already on their way.
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
July 31, 2008
Nedved Invited to Training Camp
Petr Nedved told Denik Sport in the Czech Republic that Ranger GM Glen Sather has agreed to invite him to training camp to give the NHL one last try. "We agreed that the Rangers will try," the two-time former Ranger said. "Sather does not give me any certainty. It is a huge challenge for me. I do not have a guarantee, but I'm going to do it. I have nothing to lose and neither do the Rangers, whether this works out or not. I will not disguise anything, it attracts me terribly. Even though I have some age, I still believe I can play in the NHL."
He said that coach Tom Renney confirmed for him what he (via his agent, J.P. Barry, who suggested the idea) had already heard from Sather. "He confirmed to me that he will give me the chance and is curious to see me for himself," Nedved said. "He knows that I played for the Rangers, and I want to prove to him that I have something I can give them even if I play a few minutes on the fourth line or the third line." Blueshirts Blog has a more precise translation of what Nedved said as well as an analysis of his chances (somewhere between slim and none, leaning more toward none). We're still waiting to see if the Rangers will confirm this news.
Elsewhere, Blue Notes examines the ongoing possibility of Mats Sundin coming to New York. And there's a great story in the Glasgow Daily Record of Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark returning to Scotland to seek out his roots -- the first story appeared in June about his search, and a follow-up story a few days ago reported that he was successful in locating the Scottish branch of his family.
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
i thought we have no room left under our cap. how can they still be talking about bring sundin to NY and now nedved!? i don't get it.
just please squeeze shanny onto the roster however you can.
wow....wtf is going on i Slats head man
why would you wanna talk or consider going to nedved.....
and you leave Shanny hanging
yea
that makes sense
:rolleyes:
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...
************************************
I thought I'd share something with you that was beyond cool. I got married this past weekend, and after the ceremony when I was sitting alone in the bridal suite with my new wife, she says, " I have a surprise for you!" She raised up her dress to show me her garter, and it was a New York Rangers garter. Awesome!
I thought I'd share something with you that was beyond cool. I got married this past weekend, and after the ceremony when I was sitting alone in the bridal suite with my new wife, she says, " I have a surprise for you!" She raised up her dress to show me her garter, and it was a New York Rangers garter. Awesome!
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
niiiiiiice....and congrats!
my wife would wear the hair-tie thing I for her once in awhile....not even close to yours;)
If a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
I thought I'd share something with you that was beyond cool. I got married this past weekend, and after the ceremony when I was sitting alone in the bridal suite with my new wife, she says, " I have a surprise for you!" She raised up her dress to show me her garter, and it was a New York Rangers garter. Awesome!
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
thats awesome!!!! lol CONGRATULATIONS!!
um i hope u can posts some pics here
Well, I didn't quite get a picture of the garter on her leg, but she still has it because she knew I'd want to keep it.
we dont wanna see her legs..well I dont, being the respectful guy that I am but I can only speak for myself! lol...just take a pic of the garter
I wanna wife like that someday!
congrats man!
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...
************************************
LETS GO GARTER!!!! hahaha
man Ijust noticed..Babylon? and hellfish from west islip??
lmao I prolly lived right near you guys somewere..well back in 88-91 we had a house on Wavecrest down the block from that 7-11 on the corner
babylon LIRR stop was my best friend to come back in the city
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...
************************************
LETS GO GARTER!!!! hahaha
man Ijust noticed..Babylon? and hellfish from west islip??
lmao I prolly lived right near you guys somewere..well back in 88-91 we had a house on Wavecrest down the block from that 7-11 on the corner
babylon LIRR stop was my best friend to come back in the city
Actually, it hasn't been Babylon for a year, I moved back in with my parents before I got married. Now I'm at my wife's place, now our place, in Wantagh.
Actually, it hasn't been Babylon for a year, I moved back in with my parents before I got married. Now I'm at my wife's place, now our place, in Wantagh.
Wantagh huh
you like it better there?
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...
************************************
Actually, it hasn't been Babylon for a year, I moved back in with my parents before I got married. Now I'm at my wife's place, now our place, in Wantagh.
L.I. has the best block parties..I remember that much when living there
you at the show last nite or going tonite?
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...
************************************
as for vedder ,im only going to jersey thurs night
no ny shows for me
what?? you should just come up man! prolly get a ticket for like 20 bucks right b4 the show!
ah...I did shrooms once,, off the hook!
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...
************************************
YEA I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT but i have alot of shit to do tonight and tom
and id rather get it done so i can relax thursday and party all night
and to be honest with ya,, i honestly dont feel the need to see more than 1 solo show ...so im just gonna go on thursday and check it out
that being said... HAVE A BLAST
I feel ya ..yea one is cool with me but since i got hooked up yest I said fuck it..tonites my last 1 till next pj tour
do your thing man and enjoy ...its much better than I expected for an "ed" show!
staying on topic
LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!!..how long till camps open up???Im getting antsy now that footballs around the corner..hockeys not too far off
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...
************************************
I got a blank NYR jersey for my birthday. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where to send it to get it customized? I'm waiting to see if they give Drury the C before I send it out.
I got a blank NYR jersey for my birthday. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where to send it to get it customized? I'm waiting to see if they give Drury the C before I send it out.
Comments
The alarmists in the hockey media -- and there is no shortage of them -- will suggest Jaromir Jagr's decision to turn his back on the NHL and return to Avangard Omsk, the Russian elite league team he played for during the 2004-05 lockout, will signal a flood of NHL talent jumping to the cash-soaked league.
[+] EnlargeJason Bridge/US Presswire
Jaromir Jagr's new deal in Russia contains a "no-out" clause, which means he's obligated to play with Omsk for at least two years.
Ha.
If there's something Jagr is not, it's a trendsetter. He marches to his own beat and the beat told him when it became clear the New York Rangers had chosen a different path, his own path would take him to Omsk, not Edmonton or anywhere else in North America.
As anyone who has ever been to Russia in the dead of winter or even spoken to anyone who's ever been there when the sun disappears for days on end could attest, there will no more be a cavalcade of stars heading east than there will be a Stanley Cup parade in Toronto next spring. Unless you lament the absence of Alexander Perezhogin and Alexei Kaigorodov playing third- and fourth-line minutes for an NHL club near you, the eastward exodus is all fantasy, just like recent reports of Evgeni Malkin preparing to head back to Russia for a mountain of cash.
There may be money in Russia (just don't ask where it came from and don't complain if it doesn't get to you in an orderly fashion), but the hockey is hit-and-miss, even with Jagr creating headlines.
Have we seen the end of Jagr outside international competition? Who knows. Sources told ESPN.com on Friday that Jagr has a "no-out" clause, locking him into staying in Russia for the length of the deal -- at least two years with a third possible at Jagr's discretion. If that's the way it shakes down, we have likely seen the last of the big winger and there is a feeling of melancholy at seeing Jagr go.
Statistically, Jagr had one of his worst seasons ever with just 25 goals and 71 points in 2007-08, totals that prevented him from meeting triggers in his contract that would have kept him in New York for at least one more season. Yet, as the playoffs neared, Jagr became a force and was the team's best player down the stretch and through the two rounds of the playoffs.
Even when the Rangers fell behind the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 in the second round, we remember Jagr sitting in his dressing room stall at the team's practice facility, speaking passionately about believing in the Rangers' chances of defeating the Penguins and his desire to be part of history.
Even as the Jagr era in New York closed with the Rangers' signing of free-agent forward Markus Naslund on Thursday, there remained a number of interesting possibilities for Jagr. Edmonton was hungry for his experience and talent as part of a revamped Oilers offense. The Penguins, despite signing Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko on Thursday, presumably could have found room for the former Pittsburgh star.
But if it wasn't New York, it wasn't going to be anywhere for Jagr. If he stays with Omsk for the full three years, a source told ESPN.com that Jagr could collect $35 million (U.S.) over the life of the deal.
In an interview with Larry Brooks of the New York Post on Thursday, Jagr ended his conversation by saying: "And I also want to say to the people like Mike Milbury, who made their living by criticizing me all the time, that they can kiss my [butt]."
It was vintage Jagr.
The Rangers and their fans saw Jagr at his best. When few gave the Rangers any chance of being close to the postseason coming out of the lockout, Jagr guaranteed a playoff berth. Jagr turned in a virtuoso 123-point performance that saw him finish second to San Jose's Joe Thornton in NHL scoring and Hart Trophy voting.
It was great fun.
But last summer, as the Rangers tried to find the pieces that would propel them from playoff lock to Cup contender, they inadvertently altered the chemistry in their dressing room as it related to Jagr.
By signing Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to long-term deals, they shifted the balance of power and it never was quite right again at Madison Square Garden. This isn't about egos -- Jagr having to share the stage with the two talented and personable centers -- but about dynamics.
Jagr worked in almost perfect harmony with center Michael Nylander the first two years after the lockout. The understated Nylander was a casualty of the Gomez/Drury signings and Jagr never found his rhythm with either center, finishing the season playing mostly with Brandon Dubinsky.
The Rangers were somewhere between Jagr's team and the future, and while they advanced to the second round for the second straight season, they were no match for Pittsburgh and its clearly defined pecking order of Sidney Crosby, Malkin, Marian Hossa and the rest.
With Jagr gone, the page has been turned in New York.
Gomez and Drury will become the faces of the franchise and the rest of the newcomers, Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Fritsche, Wade Redden and Naslund, will fall into line.
Will it work? Zherdev is unpredictable and Naslund over the past few seasons has shown little resemblance to the player he was. But the makings are there.
We suggested at the trade deadline that the Rangers might be further ahead by trading Jagr, bound for unrestricted free agency, in an effort to speed up this evolutionary process. Although the Rangers and their fans will miss Jagr by the time next spring rolls around, they may be a much better team despite his absence.
After all, that's what letting Jagr walk away was all about, right?
and as far as that staement dude made "the rangers were obviously no match for th epenguins pecking order of malkin, crosby etc..."
bullfuckingshit. I will never believe anything else other than the fact that we gave that series away. PERIOD. NO MATCH MY ASS!! We take that 1st game you see how much of a match pittsburgh would NOT have been and then that STUPID hollweg penalty...god..I cant even think about it it makes me wanna throw up.
But whatever whats done is done and next yr anything short of the 3rd round will be a huge dissapointment
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
************************************
they will be.
gomez and drury will finally be able to play their game.
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
************************************
Rangers Won't O.D. on Offensive Defensemen
Three times in the last four years, the Rangers have had highly rated defensemen fall into their laps during the NHL Entry Draft. In 2005, with Marc Staal still available when the #12 pick rolled around, the Rangers traded up to get him. In 2006, drafting 21st overall, the Rangers got Bobby Sanguinetti, more of an offensive defenseman than the two-way Staal. This June, another offensive defenseman remained on the board when the Rangers' turn came at #20 -- Mike Del Zotto, a six foot tall Ontario native who was still only 17 years old that day. A few days later, Del Zotto joined Sanguinetti on the ice at Ranger Prospect Development Camp, Sanguinetti now among the elder statesmen of Ranger prospects two years after he was introduced at prospect camp.
"It's a big adjustment throughout the three years," Sanguinetti said of his experiences at the annual summer gathering of young hopefuls designed mainly to introduce them to the Rangers' fitness program and indoctrinate them into the Ranger culture. "You come in not really knowing what to expect your first year, the second year you feel a little more comfortable, and even more so the third year. I've learned a lot every year. I'm going to continue to pick the coaches' brains and [conditioning coach] Reg [Grant] on the off-ice program. I'm just going to continue to work hard and hopefully keep developing."
But Del Zotto, who hardly came off like a kid who hadn't even hit 18, seemed to be handling it all in stride. "It was pretty good," he said of his first skate as a Ranger draftee. "I hadn't been on too much [before today]. It took me a little to get into it. But I had some fun out there, and I'm gonna keep working hard. I thought I did pretty well out here -- I was battling, I seemed to keep up with the pace. I need to take it one game at a time and keep working hard."
Coach Tom Renney expected no less of Del Zotto. "A young guy like that who's just been drafted that high should be able to hold his own," he said after watching his newest charge skate at the MSG Training Center for the first time. Still, he could see how much farther along Sanguinetti, now 20 years old, is. "You can see the difference now in age and experience," he said of Sanguinetti, most likely headed for Hartford this season, though he will get a chance to prove himself in Ranger training camp. "Bobby's a bigger, stronger kid. He's been exposed to us and what we do and training methods that suggest that from a physical perspective he should be a more mature guy, and he is."
Del Zotto, interestingly, lost some weight heading into the draft, a time when most players his age look to put on weight to reach NHL size standards. "I lost 15 pounds," he said of dropping from around 210 to 195. "I trimmed down. I feel like my strength is there -- I just want to get a bit quicker, just do everything I can to be in the best shape to come into [training] camp. I want to get to a certain weight and keep it there -- body fat very low, my strength at its peak, just do everything I can to work hard."
Like Sanguinetti, Del Zotto is adept at the offensive end of the game despite lining up as a defenseman. "My strength is definitely being an offensive defenseman," he told MSG's John Giannone. "I love to quarterback the power play, create offense from the back end. My biggest asset is my vision and passing." He models himself after the original offensive defenseman. "Bobby Orr," he said. "He was my dad's favorite player and I grew up watching The Best of Bobby Orr -- I probably watched that video twenty-plus times. I model my game after him -- his abilty to skate and move the puck, basically control the tempo of the game by himself."
He also patterns himself after Scott Niedermayer because of "his ability to control the game from the back end," Del Zotto said. "The coaching staff was telling me that the fans aren't too happy about that," he added when told that Niedermayer was a longtime Ranger rival when he was with the Devils. "So I guess I'll find a new favorite player." But he doesn't really have to -- Ranger fans will be thrilled to see a Scott Niedermayer clone wearing the Blueshirt on Garden ice. They'd be equally thrilled to see Sanguinetti, who grew up in New Jersey as a Ranger fan, in blue. "I'm hugely excited," Sanguinetti said of the possibility. "It would be huge dream come true to play for the Rangers. I'd probably be a little nervous at first, but hopefully turn the nerves into excitement and stay focused."
But is there room on one team for two players with such similar skill sets? Renney sees the league heading in a direction that requires making room for at least two. "I do envision coaching suggesting 'Go!' when it's there," he said of defensemen joining the offense. "You still have to have shut-down D, two-way guys, a power play quarterback -- you gotta have guys that transition well. Go when it's there for you -- [even] the out of the play defenseman, the non-passing defenseman was going. I can see that being very much part of our game, and that's the same for a defensive
And Sanguinetti and Del Zotto can be those guys for Renney. "With that, the instincts are similar, the intuition to jump and make things happen," he said of his twin prospects. "You can see that Mike is willing to jump up and get involved, it seems like he's a good passer -- the same attributes as Bobby." Sanguinetti also sees good qualities in Del Zotto, whom he played against in the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons. "Playing a couple of years against him, he's a great player," Sanguinetti said. "He's really smart and has great on-ice vision. To be out here playing with him is great. Hopefully [I can] help him out a little bit and learn from him as well. I'm really excited to have him."
And Del Zotto, like most young players, is thrilled to be with the Rangers. "Unbelievable -- words can't describe it," he said. "A team with such great history, great young talent coming up, great team that did well last year. I'm just happy to be part of it and I just want to move forward and do everything I can. Unbelievable facility here -- I was in shock when I walked in. You get treated so well here."
It took a while for his number to come up in the draft, but he was happy it came up with the Rangers. "It was getting a little nerve-wracking," he said, noting that he was "sweating a bit. But once I heard my name called by Mr. Sather and the Rangers, it was a sigh of relief. I don't think I stopped smiling for three hours after the draft." And that's how he got to spend his 18th birthday in New York City rather than back home in Ontario in suburban Toronto. "I was talking to my mom about that," he said. "I would never have thought I would spend my 18th birthday in New York. I had fun today."
Although he knows he'll probably spend next season back in Oshawa, one of the things he was taught by the Ranger coaching staff is to come to camp believing that you can make it. "Any kid wants to jump in and play as soon as they can," Del Zotto said. "I'm going to do everything I can this off-season to get into the best possible shape, come into camp, and give the coaching staff a hard decision. You see a lot of the young guys throughout the whole league, especially Marc [Staal] and Dubi [Brandon Dubinsky] did really well last year. To see what kind of numbers and how many minutes they're logging, it's a huge confidence builder -- it gives you the motivation to make sure you come [to camp] in top shape ready to compete for a job."
The Rangers have proven that they will give the young players they draft and develop a chance to do exactly that. Sanguinetti will get his first real shot this September, and will be expected to make the leap next September. Del Zotto will follow the same path -- another two seasons in junior hockey, a year or two learning the pro game in the AHL, and then the big show. It may be years before these players make their mark, but they are already on their way.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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July 31, 2008
Nedved Invited to Training Camp
Petr Nedved told Denik Sport in the Czech Republic that Ranger GM Glen Sather has agreed to invite him to training camp to give the NHL one last try. "We agreed that the Rangers will try," the two-time former Ranger said. "Sather does not give me any certainty. It is a huge challenge for me. I do not have a guarantee, but I'm going to do it. I have nothing to lose and neither do the Rangers, whether this works out or not. I will not disguise anything, it attracts me terribly. Even though I have some age, I still believe I can play in the NHL."
He said that coach Tom Renney confirmed for him what he (via his agent, J.P. Barry, who suggested the idea) had already heard from Sather. "He confirmed to me that he will give me the chance and is curious to see me for himself," Nedved said. "He knows that I played for the Rangers, and I want to prove to him that I have something I can give them even if I play a few minutes on the fourth line or the third line." Blueshirts Blog has a more precise translation of what Nedved said as well as an analysis of his chances (somewhere between slim and none, leaning more toward none). We're still waiting to see if the Rangers will confirm this news.
Elsewhere, Blue Notes examines the ongoing possibility of Mats Sundin coming to New York. And there's a great story in the Glasgow Daily Record of Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark returning to Scotland to seek out his roots -- the first story appeared in June about his search, and a follow-up story a few days ago reported that he was successful in locating the Scottish branch of his family.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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3rd time... double oh boy
"Chirp"
just please squeeze shanny onto the roster however you can.
why would you wanna talk or consider going to nedved.....
and you leave Shanny hanging
yea
that makes sense
:rolleyes:
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
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I thought I'd share something with you that was beyond cool. I got married this past weekend, and after the ceremony when I was sitting alone in the bridal suite with my new wife, she says, " I have a surprise for you!" She raised up her dress to show me her garter, and it was a New York Rangers garter. Awesome!
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
my wife would wear the hair-tie thing I for her once in awhile....not even close to yours;)
thats awesome!!!! lol CONGRATULATIONS!!
um i hope u can posts some pics here
Well, I didn't quite get a picture of the garter on her leg, but she still has it because she knew I'd want to keep it.
I wanna wife like that someday!
congrats man!
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
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That one I think I can arrange!
LETS GO GARTER!!!! hahaha
man Ijust noticed..Babylon? and hellfish from west islip??
lmao I prolly lived right near you guys somewere..well back in 88-91 we had a house on Wavecrest down the block from that 7-11 on the corner
babylon LIRR stop was my best friend to come back in the city
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Actually, it hasn't been Babylon for a year, I moved back in with my parents before I got married. Now I'm at my wife's place, now our place, in Wantagh.
you like it better there?
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
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i was at a block party on sat in wantaugh
you at the show last nite or going tonite?
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
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yea i was tripping on shrooms ...had a blast lol
as for vedder ,im only going to jersey thurs night
no ny shows for me
ah...I did shrooms once,, off the hook!
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Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
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YEA I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT but i have alot of shit to do tonight and tom
and id rather get it done so i can relax thursday and party all night
and to be honest with ya,, i honestly dont feel the need to see more than 1 solo show ...so im just gonna go on thursday and check it out
that being said... HAVE A BLAST
do your thing man and enjoy ...its much better than I expected for an "ed" show!
staying on topic
LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!!..how long till camps open up???Im getting antsy now that footballs around the corner..hockeys not too far off
Watch the nightly news and drink a beer...
Like I could even change the world, yeah right...
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cosby's next to msg if u live in the area
Little more detail? Cosby's what? Embroidering?
I don't live in NY but my mom does and I'll be there next week so I could drop it off. Do you have a price?