PARENTEAU BACK

Here's the best decision the Rangers have made in a while. If you read my piece in Blueshirt Bulletin magazine, you know that I feel that P.A. Parenteau can and should be a NY Ranger in the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Here's one great reason why.

Now part two will be when the Rangers resign Andrew Hutchinson who also clearly should be in New York.

Here's the official release:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has signed forward P.A. Parenteau to a contract extension.

Parenteau, 25, skated in 75 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) this past season, registering 34 goals and 47 assists for 81 points, along with 81 penalty minutes. In his fifth AHL season he established career-highs in goals (34) and points (81). He ranked among the league leaders in several statistical categories, finishing fourth in points, sixth in goals and ninth in assists. He also tied for fifth in the league with 15 power play goals. In addition, Parenteau appeared in five post-season contests for Hartford, recording three goals and two assists for five points, along with 13 penalty minutes. He led the Wolf Pack in playoff goals (three) and points (five), and tied for second on the team in assists (two).

The 5-11, 195-pound forward has skated in 341 career AHL games in five seasons with Cincinnati, Portland, Norfolk and Hartford, registering 117 goals and 163 assists for 280 points, along with 248 penalty minutes and a plus-26 rating. In 2006-07, Parenteau split the season between Portland and Norfolk, and achieved career-highs in assists (49) and plus/minus rating (plus-19). In addition, he appeared in five NHL games for the Chicago Blackhawks, registering one power play assist. He made his NHL debut on February 7, 2007 at Vancouver and collected his first NHL point on February 14, 2007 at Pittsburgh.

Parenteau has also skated in 46 AHL post-season games with Cincinnati, Portland, Norfolk, and Hartford, tallying 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points, along with 53 penalty minutes and a plus-12 rating. In the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs he established career-highs in games played (19), goals (five), assists (17), points (22), penalty minutes (24), and plus/minus rating (plus-13). His 17 assists tied for third most in the league, while he tied for sixth in scoring with 22 points.

The Hull, Quebec native was acquired on October 11, 2007 from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional seventh round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

In other Rangers related news, Hokej.cz reports that Martin Straka will stay home in the Czech Republic and play HC Lasselsberger Plzen of the Czech Extra League. This will undoubtedly lead to speculation how this will relate to the resigning of one Jaromir Jagr.

(P.A. Parenteau photo courtesy of theahl.com)

Comments

[Dave]

Seems to me that we already have a number of these talented, yet too small wingers... Dawes, Callahan, Prucha. Don't you think we need some size on the wings? Even Gomez and Drury, perhaps our #1 & 2 centers are smallish. In my opinion, we need some size and we need some one to strike just a tad of fear into opposing defencemen on the forecheck.

[Mitch Beck]

Dave,

You make an excellent point about the size of the Rangers/Wolf Pack wingers. I would tell you this in response; you can never have too many guys in the system that can put the puck in the net.

Getting a forward with size doesn't worry me. There are plenty that can be found via free agency. There are also guys on the way up that can fill that need too. Personally, I happen to subscribe to the belief that you can't hit what you can't catch. If the Rangers/Pack are loaded with small and speedy guys and balance that off with a couple of the "rugged, size-guys" that we agree need to be there, the organization will be very difficult to play against.

In Parenteau's case, this kid can flat out play. He has a tremendously accurate shot, is a sensational passer, excellent in the shootout and extremely good on the power play. To keep Tom Renney happy and make a major contribution at the NHL level, he's going to need to improve his defense which is probably just average. He's also going to need to keep himself in better shape to endure the rigors of an NHL season. But trust me on this, this young man has the tools to be an outstanding NHL player.