B R O A D W A Y***B L U E S H I R T S

Hawkshore · June 2007

Bathgate66 wrote:

interesting about the teams winning stanleys cup since the NYR in 94.

was just looking at the website for free agenmcy ( that hawkshore supplide here )

so we actually have nylander locked up for this season

but even tho we still have to lock him up unless theyre going to completely renovate, aand go against jagrs wishes.

and wow - look at the time we have cullen locked up for.

a couple of restricted FAs approaching - but i dont know what they even mean . " restricted " ?

anyhow still will be nice to see some new FAs signed on july 1 .

With an RFA the team has matching rights if another team signs them, similar to when the Rangers signed Sakic several years ago. The Avalanche had matching rights and offered Joes the same deal so the Lanch retained him. The other benefit to the team that holds the rights to an RFA is if they decide not to match the other teams offer sheet they are entitled to compensatory draft picks from the team that signed them.

Bathgate66 · June 2007

Hawkshore wrote:

With an RFA the team has matching rights if another team signs them, similar to when the Rangers signed Sakic several years ago. The Avalanche had matching rights and offered Joes the same deal so the Lanch retained him. The other benefit to the team that holds the rights to an RFA is if they decide not to match the other teams offer sheet they are entitled to compensatory draft picks from the team that signed them.

precise and to the point.

thanks again.

something tells me we aint letting hossa , or prucha go anywhere.

NY PJ1 · June 2007

Hawkshore wrote:

With an RFA the team has matching rights if another team signs them, similar to when the Rangers signed Sakic several years ago. The Avalanche had matching rights and offered Joes the same deal so the Lanch retained him. The other benefit to the team that holds the rights to an RFA is if they decide not to match the other teams offer sheet they are entitled to compensatory draft picks from the team that signed them.

MY BOY SAKIC,,THAT WAS A DARK DAY WHEN THE AVS MATCHED

Bathgate66 · June 2007

PACK'S STRONG SEASON A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

Hartford's Al Montoya was the AHL's Goaltender of the Month in February
6/5/2007

Hockey fans who cheered recent news that the Wolf Pack will be staying in Hartford can hardly be blamed after watching the team's performance in 2006-07. While the Blueshirts' late-season surge heading into the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs was certainly thrilling, a very similar story also unfolded for the Pack.

After a slow start last fall, Hartford made an impressive run down the stretch to secure its playoff berth. The Wolf Pack then extended their first-round playoff series with the Providence Bruins to a Game 7 before losing 4-3 on April 29.

It was indeed a season to remember for the Wolf Pack, who entered their 10th anniversary campaign with the youngest team in the American Hockey League. By the end of December 2006, the Wolf Pack sat last in the Atlantic Division, yet by the time their regular season closed on April 15, 2007, they had gone 42-18-3 over the final 63 games to finish second with 98 points.

"It takes a while sometimes for players to acclimate themselves when they go from one league to another," said Wolf Pack general manager and head coach Jim Schoenfeld. "There was real big turnaround, and it was due in large part to the skill level of the players that came and their ability to keep working. It's difficult to lose games as we were, and some players would have given up, but this group was very resilient. Eventually, their games improved to the point where those that were scoring in juniors and in college that couldn't find their scoring touch here found it and so the last half of our season was very strong."

During the season, the league recognized many Wolf Pack players for individual accomplishments. Jarkko Immonen was named AHL Player of the Week for the week ending April 8, and Al Montoya, the Rangers' 2004 first-round draft pick, was named Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 31 as well as Goalie of the Month for February.

Midway through the year, Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan were nominated to the AHL All Star Classic, but Girardi missed the game after being called up to the Rangers. Callahan scored the game-winning goal for Planet USA in the All-Star Classic and eventually found his way to the NHL as well.

In addition, Hugh Jessiman, the Rangers' first-round draft pick in 2003, received an AHL Man of the Year nomination for his charity and community commitment during the 2006-2007 season.

"Anytime our players get recognized for fine play in this league, we're all happy for them -- the coaching staff, trainers, office staff and all the other players," Schoenfeld said. "It's a player that's on the move, on the rise, and his accomplishments were recognized by the league, so that's a real plus."

Girardi, Callahan, Brad Isbister, Stephen Valiquette, Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, David Liffiton, Bryce Lampman and Immonen all saw action with both the Pack and the Blueshirts during the season. By getting a taste of the NHL during their call-ups, these players gained valuable insight into what it takes to play at hockey's top level.

"The whole thing is a learning and growing experience," Schoenfeld said. "They realize they have to improve, so we get the benefit of having a player come back to us. Once he is over the emotional letdown (of returning to Hartford), he realizes that he still has a lot of work to do before he becomes a full-time New York Ranger."

In the midst of the NHL playoff run, Girardi and Callahan were called up to New York. The longtime friends played an important part in the team's success, and instantly became fan favorites with the Garden Faithful.

Schoenfeld sees the Rangers' future getting brighter and brighter with the influx of talented players in Hartford.

"It was four years ago where, organizationally, we made a strong commitment to having Hartford become a more developmental team," he said. "In four short years, if you look at the roster in Game 6 against Buffalo, there were 10 players who had come through Hartford who were on the New York roster. The commitment we made to development, and the expertise of our scouts in drafting fine young hockey players, combined with vision from the top, puts New York in a very good shape for the future."

from hockey rodent:

Reports that Jaromir Jagr is contemplating 2007-2008 as his final season in the NHL may be surfacing now due to Glen Sather attempting to reformulate the club's five-year plan absent Bon Maloney who has taken the helm in Phoenix. Glen may have huddled with Jagr to explain the big picture and it is possible the future Hall of Famer was told he's no longer "strategic" in twelve months.

JJ's future directly influences the number and type of unrestricted free agents Slats pursues this summer, not the least of which may be Michael Nylander who (depending upon whom you listen to) might be seeking a long-term deal. Penning the Swede to more than two years is stupid. NYR already suffers an age/stamina handicap.

Does Glen go all-out come July for a run at the big pie given it's #68's last chance? Or does the boss adhere to the pledge to incubate talent from within and establish a continuously sustainable chain of promotions from Hartford each season to backfill aging (and expensive) legs?

With the likes of Joe Thornton potentially UFA in thirteen months and potentially available in March should Shark fortunes slide, does it make sense for New York to commit a major fraction of the payroll to Daniel Briere or Chris Drury?

As for Scott Gomez... This would be a huge mistake for Gotham.

• Officiating during the postseason was atrocious: Both on the ice and off. The contradictions of these kick-in goal rulings is disgraceful and likens the circuit to roller derby or Saturday wrestling where the striped arbiter seems always to be looking in the wrong direction when the pin is being applied. The decisions smelled of ice tilting.

• As for the diving... I stopped watching the NBA entirely many years ago when games amounted to palming and bitch-slapping and a flip of the coin as to whether the whistle would be blown. That, and the fact that the final sixty seconds of a game can take a quarter of an hour to play (when you count the commercials).

NY PJ1 · June 2007

folks around the league who presume CHRIS DRURY will leave buffalo to play in LA or COLORADO are overloooking the BIG MOMENT KID'S LIFELONG DESIRE TO PLAY THE BIG STAGE ON BROADWAYand the reciprocal interest the ranger's organization has in him
--LARRY BROOKS

Bathgate66 · June 2007

NY PJ1 wrote:

folks around the league who presume CHRIS DRURY will leave buffalo to play in LA or COLORADO are overloooking the BIG MOMENT KID'S LIFELONG DESIRE TO PLAY THE BIG STAGE ON BROADWAYand the reciprocal interest the ranger's organization has in him
--LARRY BROOKS

He would look good in the blue white and red.

then again, that uniform looks good on anyone ,...

including Karel Rachunek and Sandis Ozolincsh .

Bathgate66 · June 2007

With hockey done for the season, player movement and roster management become the big topics for the summer. Some of today's Sunday columns have bits related to the Rangers. Larry Brooks of the Post( http://www.nypost.com/seven/06102007/sports/players_lose_ground_with_nhl_expansion_sports_larry_brooks.htm?page=0 ) discusses Chris Drury's desire to play in New York, despite rumblings here and elsewhere that his wife wants to go to L.A. If the Chris Pronger case is at all indicative, the wife will probably win out. Brooks also describes how the Rangers can manipulate the salary cap via bonus clauses for Brendan Shanahan.

TheEdmonton Sun analyzes Ryan Smyth's chances of returning to Long Island and mention in passing that the Rangers will be in the market for him and might take a flyer on Alexei Yashin on the cheap. Sportsnet.ca by contrast believes Yashin is headed to the southeast or out west. They also summarize Michael Nylander's situation, and say the Rangers will pursue Scott Gomez aggressively.

We've speculated here, with no basis whatsoever other than rumors of a possible trade deadline deal that never happened, that Florida might want to trade for Al Montoya as part of a solution for their problems in net. But a report in the Palm Beach Post listing all of the options the Panthers are looking at makes no mention of Montoya as one of those options -- like most teams, they have their own "goalie of the future" they can wait on, so why would they want to trade for ours?

We're not sure we qualify as "another Ranger-fan web site," but another Ranger fan website has questioned the accuracy of a translation of Jaromir Jagr's comments in Czech similar to our admittedly "rough translation", saying that Jagr was miscontrued. Their own interpretation of what Jagr said was pretty much identical to ours, subtleties and all, so they must have been referring to some other Ranger fan website. Given our limitations with the language, at least we had a translation, and one that came pretty close to boot.

Bathgate66 · June 2007

met him at the Garden pearl jam gig on night 1 - when they filmed the dvd .

i kinda liked darius , he usually had something funny to say . he also threw a mean hipcheck ( sometimes ) .

oh well. all the best to him,...

Blueshirt Bulletin

In the news today, Darius Kasparaitis will have his contract bought out by the Rangers, according to a translation by our friends over at Sidearm Delivery of a Russian interview of his agent that is mainly about another one of his clients, Alexei Yashin (possibly heading to Washington to center Alex Ovechkin). From hokej.cz, if you can read Czech, a story on Fedor Tyutin -- we're not going to risk angering the translation police this time because, from our initial reading, there is nothing newsworthy to report, Tyutin talking mostly about the Russian national team as well as looking back at the Rangers' season. And food for thought from TSN.ca -- the Rangers get their off-season game plan treatment, which adds nothing new to what we already know, and in another article, available defensemen are discussed, including (via trade) Wade Redden and Bryan McCabe.

NY PJ1 · June 2007

RUMOR CENTRAL

Monday, June 11
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Chris Drury
Sabres Sabres
Rangers?
Kings?
Sharks? No Philly for Drury?
Jun 11 - Everyone knows Chris Drury is one of this offseason's biggest free agents, but one team will likely not be in the running for the veteran forward.
According to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Flyers will not go after Drury because the price -- and fit into the roster -- isn't right.

The Inquirer speculated that the Flyers will turn their efforts toward soon-to-be free agent and longtime Devils veteran Scott Gomez.

If the Sabres don't re-sign him before July 1, Drury will hit the market. The Rangers and Sharks, among many others, are reportedly interested in the veteran.

Some have also speculated that the Kings could be a leading contender because Drury lives in Manhattan Beach, Calif., during the offseason, not far from Los Angeles D Rob Blake.

Reports previously indicated the Sabres will have to offer Drury $6M-$7M per season, about what he'd be offered on the open market.

Friday, June 8
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Dominik Hasek
Red Wings Red Wings Hasek decision expected next week
Jun 8 - The Detroit Red Wings said Thursday that they expect to have an answer on Dominik Hasek's future some time next week.
"Once we know about Dom, it's like a domino effect," GM Ken Holland told The Detroit News. "But we need to know if Dom is going to play, for how much [salary], and then what are other free agents [are going to ask for]. We are in a salary-cap world."

Hasek, 42, made just $750,000 in base salary last season, but he gets an additional $450,000 for each playoff series the Wings win and another $200,000 for a Stanley Cup victory, according to the reports.

Hasek previously told the News that he and his family will discuss playing another season.

WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Mats Sundin
Maple Leafs Maple Leafs Sundin close to deal?
Jun 8 - After Mats Sundin received yet another confirmation that his hip problems weren't as bad as initially thought, the captain and the Leafs are coming close to a new deal.
Dr. Marc Philippon from the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., confirmed that Sundin will not need surgery for a torn labrum in his hip.

With that news, both Sundin and the Leafs are closing in on a two-year deal reportedly worth $11 million. According to The Sports Network of Canada, both sides are still trying to work out the structure and actual dollar amount of the deal.

Sundin, 36, had 27 goals and 49 assists in 75 games this past season.

WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Ducks Giguere is Ducks' "top priority"
Jun 8 - The Ducks don't have long to celebrate their Stanley Cup win this week. Why? Because goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere is set to become an unrestricted free agent in less than a month.
Ducks GM Brian Burke said Thursday that the team's main goal is to re-sign Giguere, arguably the best goalie on the free-agent market.

"Our top priority now becomes to re-sign J.S. Giguere, to sit down with him and see if we can do something that makes sense," Burke was quoted as saying in the Orange County Register.

Giguere, 30, is set to hit the market July 1 and some teams will be looking to fill a need in net.

According to a previous report in the Los Angeles Times, the Ducks might have a problem paying Giguere. The Ducks' No. 1 goalie made $3.9M this season, but the team is set to pay Chris Pronger ($6.25 million) and Scott Niedermayer ($6.75M) big bucks, while a potential Teemu Selanne return to the team after a 48-goal season will cost Anaheim more money.

Dustin Penner and Travis Moen are also restricted free agents; they could get raises this offseason.

So, where does that leave Giguere? Roberto Luongo received a $6 million annual deal in Vancouver and some reports speculate Jiggy could command comparable numbers.

WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Ryan Smyth
Islanders Rangers?
Islanders
Maple Leafs?
Stars?
Oilers?
Avalanche? Latest on Smyth and the Isles
Jun 8 - Ryan Smyth's agent, Don Meehan, told New York-area newspapers Thursday that he and the Islanders had preliminary discussions about a new deal, but that Alexei Yashin's buyout would not have any more bearing on whether Captain Canada would stay with the team.
"The buyout is a consideration on a number of levels, but I don't think it's a critical or determining factor for Ryan," Meehan told The New York Post. "We have not yet had serious conversations with the Islanders, but Ryan will give the team every opportunity to sign him.

"He has not told me that he is committed to becoming a free agent on July 1. We expect to have conversations with the Islanders in the near future."

With Yashin out of town, many have speculated that Smyth would be a natural choice as the team's next captain.

Smyth, 31, was acquired from the Oilers on Feb. 27 for two prospects and a first-round pick.

WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Chris Chelios
Red Wings Red Wings Why stop now?
Jun 8 - Red Wings 45-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios still doesn't look as if he's ready for retirement.
According to local reports, the Wings and Chelios are close to signing a one-year deal.

"Nothing's signed, but we had a recent conversation and we're close," Wings general manager Ken Holland told reporters Thursday.

Holland added that if the team locks up Chelios, the Red Wings will look to shore up a few more defensemen and forwards, some from their own free-agent pool.

Chelios, G Dominik Hasek, D Mathieu Schneider, D Danny Markov, F Todd Bertuzzi, F Kyle Calder and C Robert Lang are all set to become unrestricted free agents July 1.

WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

NY PJ1 · June 2007

Michael Peca
Maple Leafs Maple Leafs? A return to the Island?
Jun 8 - With Alexei Yashin out of the picture, there are rumors swirling as to who might want to return to the Islanders given the Russian's buyout.
One of those players: Michael Peca.

The veteran forward and former Islander, whose rocky relationship with Yashin reportedly led to his trade to Edmonton during the 2005-06 season, could be interested in a return to Long Island, the New York Post reported Friday.

Peca, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, also played under current Isles coach Ted Nolan in Buffalo.

The possibility of Peca returning to New York all hinges on this week's talks with the Maple Leafs. In 2006-07, Peca played an injury-shortened season, posting 15 points in 35 games.

Friday, June 1
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Sheldon Souray
Canadiens Canadiens?
Kings?
Sharks? Souray mulling over Habs' offer
Jun 1 - After locking up 28-year-old defenseman Andrei Markov to a four-year, $23-million deal, the Canadiens have an offer out to another blue-liner, Sheldon Souray.
Montreal has made an offer to Souray, who is now mulling over whether to take that offer or test the market when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

"We got the offer," Paul Theofanous, Souray's agent, told The Montreal Gazette. "It's May, late May, but it's still early, and we're just going to sit here and evaluate Sheldon's free-agent options over the next couple of weeks."

Souray had 26 goals and 38 assists this season, topping his 15 goals of 2003-04 and 27 assists of 2005-06.

Souray has said in the past that if the Canadiens make him a fair offer, he'd be willing to take less than market value to stay with Montreal.

If the Canadiens can't re-sign him, the Kings and Sharks are rumored to be leading contenders because Souray's daughter lives in California with his estranged wife.

WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Keith Tkachuk
Thrashers Tkachuk will hit market
Jun 1 - The Thrashers are letting Keith Tkachuk go ... for now.
According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GM Don Waddell said the team will not offer Tkachuk a deal before the veteran forward becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.

After that, the Thrashers lose negotiation rights, but Waddell said he wasn't against talking to Tkachuk after July 1.

I won't rule anything out, he told the newspaper.

The Thrashes acquired Tkachuk from the St. Louis Blues before this season's trade deadline in the hopes that it would help them make a deep playoffs run. Instead, the Thrashers were swept by the New York Rangers in the first round. Tkachuk was in the final season of his contract, which paid him $5.7 million.

Monday, May 21
WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Daniel Briere
Sabres Canadiens?
Flyers? What next for Briere?
May 21 - As the Sabres made another early playoff exit, they now face some tough offseason questions.
Who will they keep: Daniel Briere or Chris Drury?

Early reports speculate that the 29-year-old Briere will be the one to leave Buffalo. The Toronto Star reported over the weekend that the forward will draw heavy interest from the Flyers and Canadiens.

Briere told reporters after Saturday's elimination game that he is "hoping" to be back with the Sabres. "But, at this point, the last of my worries is what will happen in the next few weeks."

Briere, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, had 32 goals and 63 assists this season.

Bathgate66 · June 2007

of all of those listed only the 2 players from the sabres pose any interest to me, whatsoever.

and 2 more NYR bite the dust , looks like they will be following Darius' exit and be leaving the Rangers, this time to play in Finland.

from todays NY Post

RANGERS' DUO FINN-ISHED?
By LARRY BROOKS
THE INTIMIDATED: Jarkko Immonen (right), who spent most of the season with the AHL's Wolf Pack, never quite fit in on the same line with Brendan Shanahan in 11 games last December.June 12, 2007 -- They have gone from prospects to suspects and now it appears as if both Jarkko Immonen and Bryce Lampman will be leaving the Rangers organization to play next season in Finland.

The Post has learned that Immonen, the 25-year-old restricted free agent who failed to grab the Blueshirts' second center-spot when presented with the opportunity last winter, is on the verge of returning to his native country for a guaranteed contract far more lucrative than the two-way qualifier he'll be presented by the Rangers.

At the same time, The Post also has learned that Lampman, the 24-year-old defenseman who has played only 10 games with the Rangers - one last season - since his fourth-round selection in the 2001 Entry Draft, has signed a contract with TPS of Finnish Elite that contains an out clause should he sign an NHL contract by July 10. The Blueshirts are not expected to extend a qualifying offer to Lampman, also a Group II free agent.

Immonen, who came to the Rangers on Mar. 3, 2004 from the Toronto organization as part of the Brian Leetch deal, played 14 games last season for the Blueshirts in which he recorded one goal and five assists. Though he spent most of the year with the Wolf Pack of the AHL, he did have a run of 11 straight games with the Rangers from Dec. 7-26, the first seven of which he skated between Brendan Shanahan and Matt Cullen (or, for one game, Martin Straka rather than Cullen). Immonen appeared intimidated playing with Shanahan. The line never clicked.

With coach Tom Renney regularly referring to doubts about Immonen's skating and his ability to prosper in an accelerated NHL pace, there is little chance he'd be able to earn a spot on next year's club, even with Michael Nylander's status in limbo. Immonen's ship has sailed.

Should a worst-case scenario develop prior to July 1 with Nylander (who has yet to hire an agent) choosing to go on the open market rather than re-signing with them, the Rangers would aggressively pursue both Scott Gomez and Chris Drury rather than choosing between the impending free agents.

larry.brooks@nypost.com

Bathgate66 · June 2007

Blueshirt Bulletin Poll
who should take over for D Maloney

the choices :

--Jim Schoenfeld
--Gordie Clark
--Adam Graves
--Mark Messier
--Anyone But Mark Messier
--Someone From Outsidse The Organisation
--It doesnt matter Slats runs the show anyway

Bathgate66 · June 2007

NY Daily News
SPORTSWIRE

While henrik Lundqvists agent met with Rangers GM Slats, Wednesday in Toronto to begin negotiating a new contract for the franchise goaltender, center Michael Nylander , having sat on a 3 year offer from the Rangers for three months now, appears destined to become an unrestricted free agent on july 1 .
Nylander recently fired Manhattan based agent Paul Theofanous Alltho it has been reported elsewhere that Nylander believed Theofanous negotiated a belowmarket deal , the Daily News has learned that Sather offered Nylander a threee year worth 3.75 million per in March , And, instead of rejecting it or instructing Theofanous to make a counteroffer, Nylander requested three times that Sather leave the offer on the tablewhile he mulled it over. Now , it is unlikely that Sather will budge off that offer even if Nylander is wooed by rival teams come July 1

i dont like this .

make the guy an offer, he was fucking excellent this year , show him the respect that he has earned thusfar.

thoughts ? ( i know- its not even july yet, but c'mon---- camp opens up before you fellas know it )

Lets Go Rangers

Bathgate66 · June 2007

friend of a friend got the 10 game book plan this past season,
they included an event held today at the training center in greenburgh ny, at the nyr facility up there.

they had photos , autographs and some photos, as well as a tour of the facility.

he saw the gold goalnet they gave richter,

and met graves ,colton orr rod gilbert, dave maloney, Ron Dugay, valliquette , got photos and autographs.

xavier mcdaniel · June 2007

i met rod gilbert once. it was that day in july 2005 where fans waited around the garden to get a voucher for free tickets.

Bathgate66 · June 2007

holy crap did i mention he got photos?

:eek:

todays Slapshots:

Michael Nylander, meanwhile, a studious sort, has to yet to hire an agent with free agency beckoning in little more than two weeks.

The Rangers' Plan B in the event of a Nylander defection - a hypothetical the front office never envisioned even as Glen Sather knew he would need No. 92's agreement on the three-year, $11.25 million deal the GM struck preliminarily with since-fired agent Paul Theofanous - will be to try to convince Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to each accept less than they could get elsewhere to join forces on Broadway.

It won't be an easy trick to pull, not with ravenous hordes set to pounce on Gomez and Drury both, which is something Sather might want to seriously consider whenever it is he sits across the table from Nylander's new agent.

Is it true as we're hearing that the Rangers would target Russian winger Alexei Cherepanov with the third overall choice in Friday's Entry Draft if they succeed in prying it from Don Maloney's Coyotes?

If Benoit Allaire isn't convinced that Stephen Valiquette can do the job for 14-18 starts as backup to Henrik Lundqvist, then the Rangers should make the call to quintessential pro Sean Burke to act as the King's understudy.

Bathgate66 · June 2007

fanfest coverage on the Blueshirt Bulletin

June 17, 2007
Summer Fan Fest Report
The Rangers held their Summer Fan Fest for season ticket holders at the MSG Training Center yesterday. Mitch Beck was there and sends in this brief report: "Tom Renney was exceptionally candid in his assessment of the season, the addition and deletion of certain players, the young players' development, and the timing on bringing them in. He was exceptional in talking about Game 5 against Buffalo, saying that he took full responsibility for who was sent out in that scenario [in the final seconds] and was, for lack of a better term, asleep at the wheel (my words, not his).

"I asked him if, without naming names, he felt the Rangers would acquire one of the elite free agents that are out there. He said, 'Yes, I would expect that we will get one and possibly two. We have a new atmosphere here and people want to play here.' He then went on to talk about the importance of Brendan Shanahan in that respect. In regards to Jed Ortmeyer, he said it would be 'a business decision and not a hockey decision.' I think that means it’s safe to say that Jed is gone."

Thanks, Mitch! For more on the Summer Fan Fest, see the Journal News -- no, not Sam Weinman, who is out in Oakmont waxing ecstatic about Tiger Woods (sorry!). In other Sunday reading, with Jaromir Jagr out of the country, someone else has to lift up the quipster quotient, which is exactly what Larry Brooks does in the Post today -- the only thing missing from his column are rim shots. From Ottawa, news that one-time Ranger coach John Muckler is out as Senator GM after their Cup final loss.

Several draft and free agent articles out today. The most notable thing about this one on free agent busts since the lockout is that the Rangers are not mentioned. In this look at draft busts, the Rangers are again absent, although the Devils, Isles, and Glen Sather from his Oilers days figure prominently. The Rangers do figure in tangentially -- first overall draft busts Alexandre Daigle and Brian Lawton passed through New York on their paths to oblivion, and Quebec bust Daniel Dore was selected with the #5 overall pick the Rangers were forced to give the Nords in compensation for Phil Esposito stealing coach Michel Bergeron away from them illegally. In this draft preview, Ranger scout Tim Murray says, "In my 14 years of scouting, this is one of the weakest draft I've seen."

Posted by Dubi on June 17, 2007 at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

Bathgate66 · June 2007

June 18, 2007
Top Pick Will Be Tough to Trade Away

Jess Rubenstein's first installment in his draft week coverage:

As draft week begins, one has to look at what is being said about this upcoming draft to realize that if Ranger fans are expecting great things to happen, they will be greatly disappointed. It is as if even the Rangers are trying to warn their fans not to get their hopes up when one of their own scouts, Tim Murray, is calling this draft weak. Of course, this could be the Rangers' way of trying to mask the team’s intentions, but by the time the Rangers get to select at #17, the players left will never be expected to develop into top line forwards or defensemen.

As someone who covers prospects, if I was running the draft, I would trade out of the first round altogether. I would look to see if I could find a trading partner who would be willing to swap a future first rounder (2008 or 2009 appear to be good strong drafts) along with an extra 3rd or 4th round pick for that #17. If you were hoping for the Rangers to put a package together to move up to one of the top 5 picks, then realize that in a weak draft like this there will be a lot of competition from other teams. That might make the price tag not worth the deal. Already rumors have teams like the Ducks trying to move up from #16. The Oilers may try to take advantage of having multiple picks, as will the Blues, with three first round picks each (the Flyers, Coyotes, Caps, and Habs each have two first round picks).

For the Rangers, not taking someone in the first road could provide savings down the round. First round picks command guaranteed contracts, and if the best the Rangers can get is a role player, why waste the money in 2008 or 2009? Not to mention that an extra first round draft pick during either of the next two drafts could be the difference in a trade for "that one player" should the Rangers actually make a serious run at the Stanley Cup. So again, if it was up to me, I trade the pick. Once Ranger fans start seeing the various mock drafts that appear this week, they will see that trading the pick might be a good idea.

Some of those mock drafts that are already out -- Shane Malloy at FoxSports.com, who has the Rangers taking a defenseman, and Hockey's Future, which has Maxim Mayorov dropping into their laps thanks to Russia's refusal to sign the transfer agreement. Kyle Woodlief's assessment of top available defensemen is here, top goalies here. TSN.ca has ISS's final take of the top 30, plus goalies. And NYR.com has an alphabetical list of top available players with a composite their Hockey News, ISS, and Red Line Report rankings

Bathgate66 · June 2007

June 19, 2007
Just Can't Get Enough (Goalies, That Is)
Jess Rubebstein's draft week previews continue today with his look at what the Rangers should do to shore up their organizational depth in net:

Here is an area that I am sure will cause some debate -- goalies. This is not going to be about whether or not Montoya has an NHL future or if Vally can replace Weekes, but instead a look at some goalies on whom I believe the Rangers can invest a late round pick and hope they develop. The Rangers simply do not have enough goalies in the pipeline to overcome a major injury to anyone, whether it be Henrik or Monty. The lessons of Danny Blackburn and Mikey should still ring loud and clear -- you can never have enough goalies. At worst, having too many goalies gives you a major trading chip to fill any other holes you may have. I would like to see the Rangers use two draft picks on goalies in this draft, their 5th rounder and one of the two picks they have in the 7th round.

Josh Unice’s stock rose as the year went on. His performance at the Under-18 World Championships (he was voted best goalie) might have moved him up into the 3rd or 4th round, but if he is still there come the 5th round, the Rangers have to grab him. Unice is headed to Bowling Green, but he is going to continue working with Ian Clark, the goalie coach who developed Roberto Luongo. A goalie whose stock fell, mainly because his team was so very bad, was Kurtis Mucha of the Portland Winter Hawks. Mucha had a great performance in the 2005-06 WHL playoffs, but with Portland rebuilding during the past season, Mucha got zero support. When you are one of the older players on your team but you are still just 17, you know you are in for a long season. To his credit, Mucha did not complain. He went out every night and kept a very young Winter Hawk team in games they had no business being in. Put Mucha with a team that has an experienced defense and his numbers will greatly improve. Use a 6th or 7th round selection on him, and he will be well worth the gamble.

Some other sleepers who might still be available in later rounds: Jeremie Dupont, who plays for Chris Holt’s alma mater, Nebraska-Omaha. Dupont’s father Jerome was an NHL player. His son is an interesting possibility because he was just 17 for most of his freshman year and earned his fair share of playing time. Dupont has talent, but the question is, will he develop as time goes on? Use only a 7th rounder on him. John Muse is also an interesting possibility. The BC recruit had a strong high school season for Nobles (2.17 GAA, 8 shutouts). He is flying low on the radar, but what caught my eye is that BC, a national power, is strongly considering him as their starter even as a freshman. Use a 5th or 6th round pick on him. The final sleeper for your consideration is Scott Darling, a 6’6 goalie who played in the EJHL but is now headed to Maine to play for our friend Tim Whitehead. That alone makes us want to take a look at a huge goalie who is raw and clearly a project -- if Whitehead can turn him into a player, the Rangers would have a monster steal. Use a 7th rounder (the second one) on him.

Now as I turn this over to Dubi, he cannot be too mad at me since I did not propose using a 1st or 2nd round pick on a goalie, something he is majorly opposed to. But if I did, then I would use it to take Jeremy Smith of the Plymouth Whalers, as he was the reason why Marc Staal did not get to play in the Memorial Cup, carrying his team to the OHL championship past Staal's Sudbury Wolves.

The only new addition today in the wide wide world of draft previews is at TSN.ca, where they have a list of their top 60 prospects, along with blurbs from the scouts, and an overall preview article. The only other Ranger related article in the news today is Kevin Greenstein's look at the three area teams' off-season game plan in the Sun.

Remind me again why the NHL lost an entire season to forge a new CBA that was supposed to solve the league's financial problems? So that a 32-year-old defenseman could get more than $6 million a year for six years after being traded, along with another front-line player, for the 23rd overall pick in the draft in a weak draft year? Gary Bettman tried to legislate stupidity away, but stupid is as stupid does -- the insanity continues, emanating out of Philadelphia, as is so often the case. Can you imagine the howls of indignation across the continent if the Rangers had made this move? Of course, we can make fun of Gary and Philly all we want, but it's pretty obvious what is really happening here -- a 110-point team has begun dismantling itself in order to further justify its move out of town for more money than that franchise was ever worth. That's all the lockout was ever about -- franchise value. To read more, check out Spector at FoxSports.com and the Nashville Tennessean.

Bathgate66 · June 2007

June 19, 2007
Hossa a Hero
Marcel Hossa played the role of hero back in his native Slovakia, helping save a man's life after fellow NHLer Branko Radivojevic and a friend fought off the gang who attacked the man. Our friend DaTel sends in this translation of a report on the incident from Pravda.sk [warning: do not open the link if the sight of blood disturbs you -- there is a very graphic photo of the bloody knife used in the attack at the top of the story]:

"Hockey stars Marcel Hossa along with Branko Radivojevic probably saved the life of a 39 year old man who was attacked in Trencin on Saturday by a group of young neo-nazis. There were about 20 skinheads in the square around midnight. Half of them attacked a local citizen, cut the man's throat, and stabbed him in the back. Officials have no idea about what caused the incident. After the initial attack, the man fell to the ground. The aggressors started kicking him and jumping on him.

"At that very moment, Radivojevic and a friend of his came to the rescue. They fought the attackers and forced the skinheads to run away in no time. The entire incident took about 20 seconds. Afterwards, both guys along with Marcel Hossa took the wounded man to the hospital. Doctors found shards of the knife he was stabbed with close to his spinal chord. The attacked man is now out of danger. Radivojevic declined to comment on the matter. 'Until the investigation's over, I will not comment,' said the Minnesota Wild forward."

In other Ranger news, scout Tim Murray appears to be headed to Ottawa to work for his uncle Bryan Murray, the newly minted GM there, as previously relayed by Blueshirt Bulletin readers in our Comments section based on an Ottawa Sun article. Murray has always worked wherever his uncle was GM -- he broke into the NHL as a scout when Bryan was head man in Detroit, he worked his way up to director of amateur scouting under his uncle in Florida, and he was director of player personnel before the lockout for Murray in Anaheim when the Ducks drafted Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, key members of their Stanley Cup team. He came to the Rangers after the lockout as a scout working under head scout Gordie Clark.

B R O A D W A Y***B L U E S H I R T S

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