Early morning news: Rangers sign Prospal, news on Dubinsky and Messier

Larry Brooks of the New York Post had a busy morning, reporting that the Rangers have signed former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vinnie Prospal to a one-year $1.1 million contract. The 34 year-old was recently bought out by the Lightning and is familiar with John Tortorella, having played for him before and after the 2004 Stanley Cup Championship.

Prospal is coming off a slow year, scoring 19 goals and 26 assists, but has shown the ability to be a fairly consistent 20+ goal scorer. A natural winger, Prospal can also play center and may get an opportunity at first line if Brandon Dubinsky doesn't fit the bill.

Speaking of Dubinsky, Brooks is also reporting that negotiations have hit a snag and it appears that Dubinsky is destined to play the season on his one-year qualifier for $698,500 so long as he doesn't sign an offer sheet elsewhere. That would save the Rangers considerable cap space this season and the opportunity to sign Dubinsky to an extension during the season.

Finally, Mark "The Captain" Messier will be re-joining the Rangers organization as special assistant to GM Glen Sather. This full-time position is likened to the role that Steve Yzerman is playing with Detroit.

More this evening...

Comments

[Alan]

kevin dupont says, regarding phil kessel, who also signed a qualifier, that per the cba if he doesn't sign by dec. 1 he cannot play this season. how is that different from dubinsky who according to the maven brooks will play under the qualifying offer?

[oleosmirf]

Alan

Dubinsky can choose to sign that contract or he can sit out...same with Kessel...

[Bones]

GREAT news about Messier! I was afraid he'd go elsewhere and this sets the table for him to take over when THE GENIUS retires(soon I hope). More & more this team takes on a Torts persona, which is alright by me. As for Dubinsky, I like him, but I wouldn't be upset if he was moved in the right kind of trade. Personally, I think 2 mil is about right for him.

[Alan]

thanks for the clarification, ole.

[T_Bird]

DARTH SATHER (to Messier)
You do not yet realize your importance. You
have only begun to discover your
power. Join me and I will complete
your training. With our combined
strength, we can end this destructive
conflict and bring order to the
Rangers.

MESS
I'll never join you!

SATHER
If you only knew the power of the
dark side. Dolan never told
you what happened to the Rangers.

MESS
He told me enough! It was you
who killed them.

SATHER
No. I am your father.

Shocked, Messier looks at Sather in utter disbelief.

MESS
No. No. That's not true!
That's impossible!

SATHER
Search your feelings. You know
it to be true.

MESS
No! No! No!

SATHER
Mess. You can destroy the Dolans.
They have foreseen this. It is your
destiny. Join me, and together
we can rule the Rangers as father
and son. Come with me. It is the
only way.

MESS
Okey-Dokey....

[Jeremy]

love that mess is coming back! and prospal is a good move too. he'll give 20 or so goals. that's what we need. http://theblogofchampions.com/2009/08/16/mark-messier-coming-back-to-the-rangers/

[Bob M]

Mess belongs with the Rangers as much as Adam Graves. It would be to weird to see him elsewhere. I would also love to see a position someplace for Leetchie. Things just never ended well for him after leaving the Rangers and not wanted elsewhere. He belongs at MSG or working up at the training facility. I can't imagine he would say no to an offer.

[ken]

If the Rangers trade Dubi, it will be the final nail in the coffin for me rooting for the Rangers. I love them to death and have for 30 years. But with the Brashear signing and then trading the future ranger captain. I will have just about of had it with the rangers.

[Jess]

BTW has anyone seen the Francis Buillon contract announcement? It was supposed to be a done deal LAST WEEK.

In other words folks, Rumors are like backsides, everyone has one and sometimes the stuff that comes out stinks.

As for Dubinsky, Brooks is wrong about what is going on with the contract talks. Dubinsky wants to remain a Ranger and a deal will get done.

[Bog]

You have to love when Sather keeps adding old fart vet forward after old fart vet forward. Screwing our young players over.

[oleosmirf]

the Rangers will have at least 3 rookies (maybe even 5) to start the season. For a team that will most likely make the playoffs, 3-5 rookies is more than pretty much every team in the league so all this talk of the Rangers ignoring the prospects is pretty baseless

[kwill]

Jess-
Bouillon was just a rumor not an official signing. It was a bad
translation from a French article. At least that's what I have heard.

Ken -
Callahan is going to be the future captain of this team, not Dubi. and that's only because we let Ortmeyer walk. Now that guy was the future captain of this team.

[T_Bird]

3-5 rookies to start the season? Sather has plenty of time to fix that scenario. No way you'll ever see 5 Ranger rookies start the season as long as Stogypuss is calling the shots. 5 rookies would mean he's actually rebuilding, and Sather will NEVER rebuild in NY. (Neither will Dolan.)

[oleosmirf]

T_bird

well so far we have Anisimov, Gilroy and the 6th d-man (all of those guys in camp so far are rookies). Then we have 2 spots on the 4th line up for grabs plus an additional 2-3 healthy scratches so as of now 3-5 rookies is realistic although i expect a veteran cheap d-man to be signed (like a Strudwick type)

[kwill]

T_bird how do you figure 2 spots on the fourth line for rooks? Unless Arnason, Voros and Boyle all get a ticket to the minors. There isn't a forward spot available for a rookie. Although we all expect AA to be up with the rangers all year or Grachev there isn't a spot on this roster with the Prospel signing. Drury, Gabby, Higgins, Callahan, Avery, Dubi (assuming he is signed and not traded), Lisin, Brashear, Prospel, Arnason, Boyle and Voros are all NHL level players from last season. Even AA will have to earn himself a spot if he wants playing time at this level.

Defense is the only place where a rookie has a legit chance to make this team. Since we only have 4 NHL defensemen right now... Giving maybe 3 rookies a shot at 5-7 on the d depth chart.

[kwill]

ugh and i forgot kotalik... I don't expect all of those players to make the roster and at least 1 roster spot for a rookie but he will have earn any playing time, and I don't think we keep someone like grachev, (maybe AA) to play 4th line center for a coach that usually only runs 3 lines for the majority of the game.

[T_Bird]

Kwill
You have mistaken me for Oleosmurf, that is his comment.

Oleo- 3? Maybe. 5? Never. Even you expect Sather to pick up another "Strudwick type". There is no room at the inn for all the rookies you envision.

Sather has loaded up again with "free" marginal NHL'ers (His scratch and dent sales)who will favor them to start the season if only because he can send the prospects down without passing them thru waivers. And besides, any rookies he does keep in NY will probably get the Pock/Prucha treatment and manage to start every tenth game or so, until they're game shape is non-existent and their confidence is shot beyond repair. Sather will then trade them for a 4th round pick or other marginal player and start the cycle all over again.

It's the Sather Way. As Messier will soon learn...

[oleosmirf]

kwill and T_Bird

i never said those 2 spots are only for rookies but the 4th line LW and C are both available as Boyle and Arnason can both be optioned to Hartford without passing through waivers.

Byers or a dark horse guy like Dupont can definately makes this team as the extra winger rotating with Voros, Lisin (if he's here) and Brashear.

As for the defense. We have 4 players guaranteed a roster spot with 2 spots (3 if they carry a 7th). Considering all the players in training camp other than those 4 are rookies there will be 2 rookies on defense with a possible 3rd if we carry 7 d-men.

Now this can change at any minute as I expect a veteran d-man to be brought in as the 7th defenseman but this is how i suspect the lines will be

Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik
Higgins-Drury-Kotalik (yes i know i have Callahan on the 3rd line)
Avery-Anisimov-Callahan
Brashear-Boyle-Lisin
Voros-Byers (scratched)

Staal-Rozsival
Redden-Girardi
Heikkinen/Potter-Gilroy

that is 5 rookies right there although I admit 3 is probably the most likely but it still is possible to have 5.

[kwill]

Well the good thing about Torts and this team so far is that he will run 3 lines the majority of the games and the season. This team unlike last year looks like it is heading into camp with solid 3 second lines. We really only have 1 player worthy or being called a first line player on this team. Which is good and bad, but its better than what we had last year which was 2 second lines and a third... kind of. I do see a top player in the lines you have listed above getting shafted however and torts giving lisin a chance to play with gabby. Simply because of his speed. Whoever gets that "3rd" line center role will end up with Cally on his wing but I don't think a decrease in ice time will happen, what will PK and he'll be on the PP this year as well.

[T_Bird]

Well, with at least a month and a half until the season starts, I won't quibble anymore now. I am patient. I can wait 'til opening night to see who skates out on the ice for the Rangers. I will say this though, Oleo, there won't be 5 Ranger rookies in the lineup- I'd bet your life on that...

[Chris QCT]

kwill - I agree. It seems we have a stronger top-9 than we've had the past few seasons. Assuming that Dubinsky signs, it also seems apparent that the organization feels that Grachev will be playing in Hartfoird this season. Nothing wrong with that, IMHO.

Also, based on Tort's quotes today (and a few others from players that I've heard recently), it seems the NYR have some decent expectations from Matt Gilroy this season. Zipay already said he's guessing he'll make the team based on the prospect camp. I'm real interested to see how Gilroy looks in camp. He has not been playing defense for too long, so I am kind of expecting him to have a rough start if he makes it. Torts does not have a lot of patience (just ask Mike Sauer). I'm also interested to see how a guy like Bobby Sanguinetti plays in camp now that the NYR brought in d-men like Gilroy and McDonagh (and DelZotto is already here as well). Without a strong camp, Sanguinetti could be caught in a bad situation...

[John1612]

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[John794]

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right

[oleosmirf]

T-bird

i never said 5 rookies in the lineup, i said 5 rookies on the team...

[Chris QCT]

I have to ask this question. What is up with DelZotto not being invited to Canada's WJC evaluation camp both this season and last season? He looked good in camp here last year and seemed to have a good season in Junior last year as well. Most of what has been written about him has been very positive.

Why the snub two years in a row? Is it charachter issues or something? Is he not one of the top D-men in Juniors?

[T_Bird]

Oleo- Point noted.

[John1422]

I want to say - thank you for this!