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

NY PJ1 wrote:

ortmeyer to nashville :(

The Rangers still have to re-sign free agents Brendan Shanahan, Sean Avery, Henrik Lundqvist, Marcel Hossa, and Petr Prucha, but they appear to have the cap space and flexibility to get those deals done. The first three love playing in New York and will be amenable to helping make the Rangers more competitive -- in another bold move that will probably pay off, that is certainly why Glen Sather held off on signing them until after July 1st. Hossa really has little choice beyond his qualifying offer, as the Rangers will not cry if he goes elsewhere. Prucha benefits from being as in love with the Rangers as the others as well as willing to play for peanuts at this point in his career. "It only started," he told Hokej.cz yesterday about his contract negotiations. "I got the qualifying offer so I am not an unrestricted free agent. I didn’t want that to happen. Sure I’d like some more [money], but I let my agent do the work and I’m not really thinking about it."

"Last season was definitely harder on my psyche," Prucha said about the pressure of trying to follow up his surprise 30-goal rookie campaign. "I set the bar rather high -- it’s not easy to score thirty goals. I tried to come close and to play my best." After a slow start, Prucha ended up fourth in goal scoring on the team with 22 goals. Prucha recognizes that reduced responsibility was a factor in his lower goal total. "Most of all, I wasn’t a part of the first power play unit which influences the numbers a lot," he said. "But I am grateful for every minute I get, so I didn’t complain. I was glad I could play."

Moving out of Jagr's apartment and out from under his wing was also part of Prucha's growth last season. "My apartment is quite close to Jarda," he said. "It wasn’t complicated to find it. I chose quickly -- as a matter of fact I picked the first one I was offered. I just didn’t want anything old -- a nice new flat. Two bedrooms just in case a visitor came in town. That’s all I was asking for." He also bought himself a new car. "I went with looks," Prucha said of his Mercedes CLS. "I liked it a lot. I wanted to buy it some time ago and now it went through." He hasn't put it through its paces yet. "It’s not that I don’t like speed, but I’m not actively seeking it. But if I was offered to try it [on a race course], I would." He also bought a small shop in Prague for his mother -- life is good for an NHL player, even at the lower end of the salary spectrum.

At the opposite end of the Rangers' payroll is Prucha's mentor, Jagr. Before yesterday's events unfolded, Jagr spoke to Denik Sport about the center ice position on his line. "I told him that I wish he stayed with us," Jagr said of Nylander, whom he called a few days ago. "It is very important to us that he stays. We would be very relieved. But it’s all about the money. I know Michael wants to play in New York, but he wants more money. He’s got five or six kids [six], so he wants to secure himself. I understand he wants to seize the situation he’s in."

"They command big bucks," Jagr said of the alternatives to Nylander, the Rangers now having signed two of them in Drury and Gomez. "Around $7 million dollars for six years," he said, predicting the figures almost exactly. "Management will overpay for these guys. If they don’t play well, then we’re screwed." So he was hoping for the return of his friend Nylander and the signing of a second line center to play with Shanahan. "Gomez would be best for that," he said. Now he will get to see how Gomez works out as his center, with Drury likely filling the second line pivot with Shanahan.

The report went on to say that Nylander told the Rangers he would test the open market and tell Sather what he got so that he could match any offer. If he wouldn’t match, Nylander would go elsewhere. Now we know how things transpired -- Sather didn't want to match Nylander's offer at $5 million a year for four years, not at his age (35), and got the younger Drury for $2 million more a year for one additional year. Nylander rolled the dice, and is now gone. Time will tell how happy Jagr will be with this turn of events, but it's hard to imagine him unhappy with the Rangers having added both of these top tier centers.

July 02, 2007
Jagr and Straka Delighted But Disappointed; Strudwick Signed
In a TV interview in the Czech Republic, Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka expressed regret that the Rangers were unable to re-sign Michael Nylander, but were delighted with the acquisition of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. "They are major additions," Jagr said of the Rangers' two new centers. "You never know, it might work out well, or not. But it will have to work out somehow because these guys are signed for a long time."

Jagr knew that Nylander would strive for the best deal possible. But he still felt the sting of his loss on a personal level. "I’m a little disappointed," he said. "We meshed well. We knew what to expect from each other." Straka said of Nylander, "He was our key player. I myself am surprised." But he too knew that the Rangers took a step forward with these signings. "Now we have a great chance to go somewhere," he said. "Certainly," agreed Jagr. "[But] to reach of the highest ranks, we still need a defenseman."

Jason Strudwick is probably not the defenseman Jagr had in mind -- he was probably talking about a power play quarterback or a stopper on D. Nevertheless, Strudwick was re-signed today, the Rangers bringing back the free agent who played part of last season in New York and all of the prior season as a depth defenseman who is a popular and positive influence in the locker room.

Posted by Dubi on July 02, 2007 at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (36) | TrackBack (0)