We have been wondering, with some degree of criticism, why Martin Rucinsky [left] got such a large raise over his previous Ranger contract from 2003-04, despite a new CBA that was supposed to limit such spending. We have gotten some information that makes sense of the move. It's possible that he took more this year in exchange for settling for a one-year deal, rather than the multi-year deal he wanted and was offered elsewhere, and will accept less when re-signing next year (assuming the parties are happy with other) in order to give the Rangers flexibility under the cap. If this is all true (we have not confirmed it), then it has to be considered a good move, a very good move in all its implications. So let's give credit where credit is due. You can continue to debate whether the cap money was best spent on this particular player, but if you accept that this is the player the Rangers wanted, the deal does in fact make sense.
We know the Rangers are waiting for some elite players to become UFAs next summer, but with many of those players having already signed long-term deals, Glen Sather should strike now: Martin St. Louis is not a happy camper down in Tampa and is a rare player who prefers New York over other teams. Tender him an RFA offer sheet now -- it will cost some draft picks, but will cost less under the cap now than it will when he is unrestricted.
Tom Renney has a reputation of being a technocratic coach, a defensively oriented advocate of systems play. Under the old rules, that was something the Rangers lacked, something Renney tried to install as an assistant coach but was not allowed to fully implement. Now, with new rules designed to open up play, there is some question whether Renney's approach will work. Plus, this being New York, and the top lines being built around the creativity of Jaromir Jagr, there is continuing doubt that Renney will even be able to employ a rigorous system. In a nice profile at NHL.com that focuses far more on his background than on his future as Ranger head coach, Renney tries to walk a fine line between the two concepts, quoting his mentor in the Canadian national program, who once said, "Master the technique, but let the spirit prevail." Of the Rangers, he says, "I want a team that thinks its way through a game but performs with a freedom that is exciting to watch. We can X and O ourselves to death and stifle athletes by being so regimented. Creativity and imagination are needed."
Joel Bouchard became the latest player to play for all three New York metropolitan area teams when he signed with the Islanders yesterday. Once the rarest of rarities, three-team players have become more common in this age of peripatetic players -- Vladimir Malakhov had already played for all three teams even before going back to Jersey this summer.
Eric Duhatschek of the Toronto Globe and Mail has begun a ranking of the winners and losers in the new CBA's roster shuffle that he promises to update periodically. Using the Good, Bad, and Ugly formula, he ranks the Rangers 29th out of 30 (only Washington is worse). "What in the world is Glen Sather thinking?" he writes. "The Rangers made a handful of less-than-inspiring acquisitions -- on balance the lights are not going to be bright on Broadway for a long, long time."
Hockey's Future evaluates the performance of WHL prospects in this year's draft. The Rangers, who had quite a few WHL players last season, drafted four more this year -- D Mike Sauer [right], "a blend of athleticism and smarts, above average offensive abilities, a shot to be respected and a good first pass, strong, good size and strength"; C Brodie Dupont "struggled miserably while trying to identify a role, had an exceptional second half, simply put, an all-out player, unlikely to be outworked and out-hustled, excellent forechecking ability and defensive awareness, underrating playmaking and finishing ability"; D Dayln Flatt, "brutally punishing, willing to drop the gloves at a moment’s notice, able to use size to advantage in the defensive zone, keeping the front of the net clear with ease"; and C Ryan Russell, "excellent offensive game, strong vision and passing, excellent skater, isn’t afraid to shoot the puck, great accuracy, undersized at 5’9, 165".
The poster children for the lockout, from the NHL point of view, were always Calgary and Edmonton. The two financially fragile franchises had to be saved from evil American franchise scavengers at all costs. Hockey Rodent analyzes Canadian franchises today and comes to particularly harsh but totally apt conclusions about the two clubs. Canadian fans who bought the NHL party line with respect to Canadian franchises will ultimately have to reconcile the duplicity of these two teams vs. the burdens placed on Vancouver and particularly Ottawa by the new CBA.
Bill Lankhof of the Toronto Sun doesn't believe, as fellow Slam! Sports columnist Rob Brodie does, that Gary Bettman was a magician for getting the OLN deal out of Philly owner Comcast. In his column today, he has some funny bits about OLN, "whose lineup includes croc wrestling, bass fishing and hunting beloved woodland creatures. You know, since folks in the U.S. consider hockey players to be animals anyway. The good news is the channel reaches 64 million households. The bad news is all of them believe frozen water is just a waste of a good fishing hole. Instead of being ignored by 89 million on ESPN, it now will only be a turnoff in 63 million living rooms. If your name is Bettman, this is called progress."
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