The Rangers released their pre-season schedule today, and it includes a firm schedule date for an exhibition game against the Florida Panthers in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday, September 23rd. It has long been known that the game was a possibility. Training camp opens September 14th at the MSG Training Center. Pre-season opens a few days later on the 19th with the start of a home and home match-up with the Devils on consecutive nights. When the Rangers return from Puerto Rico, they will then face the Islanders and Bruins twice each, once at home and once on the road.
Canucks today signed Joe Rullier, whose Ranger career peaked in '05 training camp,
http://www.canucks.com/news/pressreleases.asp?sectionID=31&id=612
they also signed Jan Bulis, who had been favored by some post-ers here -
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I will raise this one last time, since it'll be August next week - i am still hoping they'll sign Corey Potter, Nate Guenin and Joe Crabb - they may be just as likely to make it as the other recent kid signees
see these Potter articles and excerpts:
Gritty Potter a consistent force on Spartans' defense http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=35335
...Corey Potter has been a quiet force on the Spartans' blue line for the past four years and has emerged as one of the best defenders in the nation.... "...playing physical and aggressive and just making sure that the other team doesn't want to come in our zone — that's one of the things I take most pride in....I like to play physical and be tough....I like to punish the opponents. I don't want them in our zone, and I want the puck out....Anything I can do to keep the puck out of the net and out of our zone is what I have to do."
Potter is Spartans' rock on D
http://www.greenandwhite.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060324/GW03/603240348/1023/GW
His offensive numbers are better than ever. And he's having his best season as a rough, tough and responsible defenseman. "If you asked any coach who they would want out on the ice late in the game, trying to protect a lead, they'd have to say Corey Potter,'' the MSU coach said. "You put Corey on any team in our league and he'd be among their top two defensemen.'' ...He's happy doing his thing - playing physical, being nasty, helping to keep the puck out of the Spartan net and - this year - winning a lot of games...
Posted by: elsie | July 24, 2006 at 06:30 PM
was it here that I read that Ranger rookies will have a pre-training-camp 'league' in the midwest? are there details online somehwere? thanks much
Posted by: elsie | July 24, 2006 at 06:50 PM
yeah its me again - is Petruzalek signed, or did he only sign an ATO that covered the AHL Playoffs? thanks
Posted by: elsie | July 24, 2006 at 11:04 PM
Elsie
Are you feeling lonely or something? Should Dubi come over with some milk and cookies to help you make it though the summer?
Seriously now for (I hope the last time please):
Nate Guenin and Joey Crabb appears headed to free agency for sure, Corey Potter was brought to the developmental camp but given that he was not signed then it appears that he too will become a free agent.
The Rangers are very close to the 50 contract limit so unless those 3 sign AHL contracts it appears that they will not become Rangers in the all too near future.
I can see interest in all 3 but I believe that the road to the NHL for all 3 will start in the ECHL or below.
Posted by: Jess | July 24, 2006 at 11:46 PM
Jess -
Is this is your week to slap around the post-ers? My interest in these guys is as appropriate (and less redundant!) than your 'crush' on Dubinsky, or the sign\trade proposals we've been seeing...
Monday was the deadline for tix renewal and the preseason sched was released - Got me thinking ahead; of the unfinished business, of how close camp and the season are getting.
I understand they won't make the NYR this year, and the NHL contract limit. But as with Bahensky, AHL pacts maybe? They seem as accomplished and promising as an undrafted college player(Degon), undersized overage junior(Callahan) or draft-re-entrant late-rounder(Hunter). 2 are physical, righty D, leader-types - do we have too many of those? All were 4-year NCAA Div.1 full-timers, 2 on contenders at legendary hockey programs.
IMHO, letting them walk is dumb. No need to reply.
Posted by: elsie | July 25, 2006 at 07:49 AM
Elsie, thanks for the links on Rullier et.al. Last I heard on Petruzalek was a Czech article a few weeks ago where he said his agent was negotiating with Hartford for an AHL deal. If he couldn't get it, he would stay with his old team in the Czech Republic. No updates since then.
Don't worry about Jess -- he was just trying to be funny. I guess you hadda be there.
Posted by: Dubi | July 25, 2006 at 10:41 AM
Dubi no need to apologize as I can answer Elsie myself.
Elsie how many times do I have to answer the same question for you? Even you yourself said "I will raise this one last time" and in the previous other times I responded with the same reply.
If you pay attention to this site or Rangers.com you would have known there was a change in the status of said prospects but no you while we are talking about other subjects asked a question that you have asked a few times before.
Ah but I poked some humor at you rather that give you this kind of reply because I was trying to be nice about your very repeated question.
Now if you think I "slapped you around" trust me anyone who knows me from either RFC, the New York Times or anyplace else will tell you that I didn't even lift a pinky towards you.
As for my interest in Dubinsky this I might add will most likely be the first mention of him I have had in a few weeks that was not a response to a question. If you want to throw your fit and call my interest in him a "crush" then so be it as at least the players I follow have futures instead of those you are so worried about the Rangers not signing. All 3 were bottom of the prospect chart.
Posted by: Jess | July 25, 2006 at 10:07 PM
this is getting over the top, so I will be brief.
the posting above about the 3 graduated draftees doesn't include a question. I said I still hoped they'd be signed. I supplied some evidence why. there's a deadline coming. i believe its relevent to this audience, otherwise I wouldnt post it.
Posted by: elsie | July 25, 2006 at 11:41 PM
this is getting over the top, so I will be brief. my posting above about the 3 graduated draftees didn't include a question. I wrote I still hoped they'd be signed. I cited some evidence why. there's a deadline coming. IMHO, its relevent to this audience
Posted by: elsie | July 25, 2006 at 11:48 PM
No Elsie what you did was repost OLD NEWS that is not relevant because it has been made crystal clear (except it appears to you) that the Rangers had no intention to sign Crabb or Guenin and lukewarm interest in signing Potter.
I reported this stuff BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the draft and you keep ignoring it so how much clearer do I have to make it for you to understand.
So to put an end to this once and for all.
Come Aug 15th Joey Crabb, Mike Walsh, Nate Guenin and very likely Corey Potter will become UFAs.
Except for Potter none of them have a shot at being signed DIRECTLY by the Rangers.
They could sign AHL contract but that too is very unlikely except for Potter.
They could sign with Charlotte but they would not be Ranger property.
They could even sign with Memphis (ok how many of you honestly know that the River Kings are a Ranger affiliate?) of the CHL.
Heck in all honestly I would prefer that they sign Petruzalek or Paiement instead.
Posted by: Jess | July 26, 2006 at 01:44 AM