Procrastination

If Jaromir Jagr is intent on remaining a Ranger for at least one more season, as his agent told Larry Brooks (see yesterday's New York Post) -- and the truth is that we're still not convinced that he will return -- then perhaps we ought to be looking beyond this season's free agent crop to next year's. If we assume that a couple of dominoes will fall in line behind Jagr (dominoes named Straka and Rozsival), and if we assume that Sean Avery and the Rangers will figure out that they have no better match for each other than each other, then there is really no room for a marquee free agent, except perhaps on defense where a power play quarterback and crease clearer are still chronic shortcomings.

Should this scenario unfold (and you probably have to add Brendan Shanahan back into the mix for one more season, making next year's Rangers almost identical to last year's), then the 2009 free agent market is what we should really be working toward to find high-scoring wingers, the one thing the Rangers have not been able to acquire in the draft -- there are not nearly enough on this year's ultra-thin menu, especially up front. Granted that some -- many -- of these players will be re-signed by their current teams before they hit the open market, here are the top names currently slated for unrestricted free agency a year from now:

The most important area to consider is on the wing, as the Rangers will remain stocked down the middle a year from now with Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Brandon Dubinsky. Candidates in what looks like the deepest positional pool for 2009-10 currently include Marian Gaborik, Martin Havlat, Henrik Zetterberg, Alex Tanguay, Daniel Sedin, Brian Gionta, Maxim Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik, Jere Lehtinen, Erik Cole, and a half dozen or so familiar names we don't want because most are aging and fading fast, some of whom have already been in and out of New York (Kovalev, Sykora, Dvorak -- the first two had good seasons, but does anyone doubt how fast they'd fade if they came here in 2009?).

At center, there is Vincent Lecavalier, Henrik Sedin, Mike Cammalleri, Nik Antropov, Johan Franzen, Shawn Horcoff, Mike Comrie, Tim Connolly, and another half dozen aging veterans, plus a half dozen defensive specialists. Even on defense, next year's list has some intriguing names, though most would only be short-term placeholders until (if) Bobby Sanguinetti is ready to step up: Scott Niedermayer, Sergei Zubov, Mattias Ohlund, Filip Kuba, Derek Morris, Nick Boynton, and Brendan Witt. The most intriguing name, Mike Komisarek, cannot possibly reach free agency, although the way Montreal handled its goaltending situation this spring, one can suppose that anything's possible up there.

In other Ranger news, Fedor Tyutin proved to be the one out of four Rangers in the World Championship to bring home the gold in Russia's win over Canada, with Tyutin assisting on the goal that began Russia's third period comeback from two goals down (see NYR.com). Henrik Lundqvist complained of burn-out after Sweden was ousted by Canada in the semifinals (story here), and Canadian coach Pat Burns boasted about instructing his players to go high on Lundqvist, although he also granted that as a Devils coach his team was only able to beat Lundqvist twice in thirteen tries this season (story here). A Globe and Mail analysis that postulates that coaches control special teams and defense but not five-on-five goal scoring has the Rangers' staff finishing sixth in the league despite their low-ranked power play.

Finally, after taking a lot of grief about our complaints over the officiating in the Rangers' second round series against Pittsburgh, it's interesting to note that complaints have not diminished even though the Rangers and Ranger fans are no longer part of the mix -- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman actually had to answer questions posed by the Denver Post about the league rooting for a Detroit-Pittsburgh final, and Spector at FoxSports.com analyzed Flyer fans' complaints of league bias toward Pittsburgh. Spector is going to have to update his comments to include more than just the number of penalty calls for and against if he, like us, is left wondering how the Pens could score a goal after checking the stick out of the goalie's hands behind the net without penalty and then get a power play for a nearly identical play behind their own net less than 90 seconds later.

The Times's Slap Shot blog seems to think checking the stick out of a goalie's hands is not a penalty in their long examination of the history of claims that the NHL influences games on purpose -- they seems to be making the point that the fix is not in, despite an eye-opening list of incidents that go way back, and they don't seem to make the connection that the only alternative explanation to bias is gross unrelenting endemic incompetence. I know it's a huge stretch to imagine a conspiracy that so many people have to be part of -- though it's not a stretch for me, having been told by someone who was in the room that the NHL asked its officials to make sure the Pens would not be adversely affected by the loss of Mario Lemieux in the 1992 playoffs after he was slashed by Adam Graves.

But it's just as huge of a stretch to see such massive incompetence continue year after year after year without anyone ever looking across the street to the NFL for the simplest of answers: just enforce the damn rules as they are written! That the NHL steadfastly refuses to take such an easy and sensible course of action leaves only two possibilities, and neither of them are flattering to the people making the decisions.

Please scroll down to the next story to read about Blueshirt Bulletin's summer subscription giveaway.

Comments

[jason]

Great read in regards to the NHL "cheering" on specific teams on the Times Blog:

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/the-morning-skate-is-hockey-fixed/#more-615

[njaco1215]

Nhl pretty much got the matchups they wanted
*Jagr vs his old team
*then battle for PA, a matchup of 2 teams from the 2nd 6
*And now Det vs pitt (if detriot is allowed to win)

Im also so sick of seeing about maf getting his 3rd shutout of the playoffs yesterday.sadly (i dont beleave im saying this) the cryers were robbed a goal at the last min of the 2nd which might have givin them some life for the 3rd. nbc reviewed it but noone else felt the need to.

Just aslong as the ice chickens dont win the cup i'll be happy till next year

[Jess]

I am going to disagree with Dubi here as I believe the Rangers are going to resign Jagr in part because cap wise it is the better option for today.

They can pay him last season's cap number and bonus him out the rest on the 09 cap to keep money free for this season.

I do not think they will resign Shanahan as injuries or not he is blocking a prospect now.

Resigning Jagr opens a door to have some money to spend on defense like the Ron Hainseys or Kurt Sauers who are affordable but very solid options.

You can replace Straka with another Czech this time Vrbata who is that scoring winger so many crave.

You can do this and have enough left over to also resign Sean Avery.

[amanda fialk]

lets not resign Shanny - he is done! I would love to see Malone playing on Gomez wing.

[Chris]

The Spector Post defies all logic. The argument seems to be that if the penalties assessed to each team are even, that means all is fine.

So tell me, if one team doesn't commit a single infraction all game, the other team commits ten, but each team is officially assessed five penalties, that means everything is fair? That's a pretty lame analysis of NHL officiating.

[Remember Pilar?]

I've been saying this since last year in regards to FA signings: if the rumors are true about Gaborik and Lemaire's quarrels in Minnesota, pick him up right away if he isn't resigned him. You set him up on the wing with Gomez and you have a shifty center who can match Gaborik's speed and dish him the puck. That would be a killer 1-2 punch.

[Greg L]

We all want the penguins to lose , but we want their players!!!!??? Malone , Orpik , next people will be saying ...we need Dupuis back . Ok enough already , Lets not fall in love with those ice chickens like pittsburgh has , the day they won the Draft lottery . Penguin fans are ALL followers!!! Last i looked before crying crosby was a penguin ...Pitts was bailing out on guys like Jagr , Kovalev , Lang ,straka ...and the fans left too ...crosby did save the franchise , so that is good they won the draft lottery . Penguins and there fans should be humble , not sitting there with there feather up in the air.

[Alan]

if we're talking about unhappy wingers who need a new home, kovalchuk would look real nice in our blue sweater. and i thought he was one of the 2009-'10 UFAs, if i'm not mistaken, and i would have gotten that from some prior posting here. am i wrong? he was awesome yesterday on the tying and winning goal, making ward look real bad both times.

[Ice]

I agree with Dubi that our top FA signings this year should be concentrated on defense. If our D for next year was improved enough that Girardi and Tyutin were the 3rd. pairing, then I could be more optimistic about next year.

Staal - Campbell or Redden
Orpik - Rozsival
Tyutin - Girardi

As long as we sign Jagr and Avery, we can replace Shanny and Straka from within the organization(have to anyway due to cap $$). Gionta in 2009 would be a great addition for Gomez (who is going to play the part of Elias?).

Avery - Dubinsky - Jagr
Dawes - Gomez - Callahan
Korpikoski - Drury - Prucha
Sjostrom - Betts - Orr

After reading the Blueshirt Bulletin I realize that with a few bounces we could have beaten the Pens. Let's improve the D this year and go for forwards the following year.

[ivrydov]

Red Fisher, Montreal, the dean of hockey writers in the world, says they should go back to the one referee system. I don't recall the refereeing being as bad as it is now since the strike. The first year the excuse was they had to get used to the new enforcement guidelines and the phantom and over-zealous calls will go down. That seems to have happened, but the gross errors compounded by gross inconsistencies is mind-boggling. I guess the Detroit goal called back because it was claimed that Holmstrom's ass was stuck out too far is an insult to human intelligence and it symbollizes everything. The look on Datsyuk's face took me back to 1972 in the Soviet-Canada series when they were required to use European (then amateur) referees in Russia. You saw that look of incredulity on the faces of the Canadian players again and again. They were a joke. (The name Josef Kompalla became a legend in Canada.The normally mild-mannered J.P. Parise at one point took a two-handed swing with his stick at him after an imaginary call, pulling up at the last second.) But the fact is the NHL referees have slipped down almost to Kompalla's level. I don't understand it. I bet though if there were just one referee with his own pride and reputation on the line, he would make an effort to get it right, set a standard so that everyone players and fans alike knew what it was, stick to it, and let them play hockey. That's the way it used to be.

[Chris]

A couple of suggestions I would make to the competition committee if I could:

1. If a D player contacts an O player with his stick "parallel to the ice", but the player was in no position to play the puck or score a goal anyway, no penalty. Like in the NFL where there has been pass interference but the pass was uncatchable.

2. If a player has been bloodied or knock out by a check, and no referee or linesman saw why, use replay in game to determine if a penalty should be assessed. And don't give me crap about slowing down the game, as if the ridiculous penalties called game in and game out haven't already done that.

3. Stop this mind boggling practice of calling both a hook/trip along with a dive. Either it was hook/trip that caused the fall, or it was a dive. This is probably the silliest call in all of sports.

4. If a power play is awarded to a team with less than two minutes to go in the third period, and that team is down by one goal, don't stop the game until the power play time runs out. Similar to football where a game can't end on a defensive penalty.

[Effigy of the Forgotten]

Biron was the one who initiated any contact with Malone behind the net, and that is why Biron lost his stick. It was a good non-call.

[Jasper]

I like your rule changes Chris, especially #4. Make it the same deal in overtime also. OT would not end until the full penalty time is served.

[jason]

Effigy,

You're right. He went out to play the puck, lost his stick on the incidental contact, good noncall. And as for the Flyers goal that was called off, another good call. A flyer bumped another flyer in the Fluery as the puck was going in while he was deep in his crease.

[smitty]

Regarding possible referee changes:
perhaps a one-referee system could work, but with some increased ability of the linesmen to assist on goals scored or even on penalties committed...that way we might get more consistency from the one-ref system, but with responsibilities of the lone ref shared or transfered to the other zebras...
for example, in rugby, the linesmen are allowed to advise the ref on foul play and then the ref makes the call...

the game is too fast for the ref to cover all the penalties AND have to cover the goal area...UNLESS, of course, greater goal area coverage, including Holmstrom type calls are transfered in part upstairs to the NHL warroom...

not completely thought out, so please take it easy on me...

[Colorado Mark]

Ice- You really think we are going to be able to afford Campbell/Redden, Orpik AND Roszival, not to mention Jagr and Avery? If we get Jags and Avery, I would say we MIGHT be able to get one of the four defensemen you mentioned, but not three.

[Ice]

Colorado - I said Campbell OR Redden; which admittedly may still be over the cap.
However, if Rozy paid us to take him back, so he could be with Jagr, then it could all work out.

[jack]

We need grit not campbell or redden or rozy or striet. We need size abd the ability to hurt people. Orpik and any of the following...Vandermeer, Carrot top, Hainsey or Sauer

[rangerbill94]

One inept, biased ref has to be better than two! How 'bout the NHL rate the refs and linesmen and set a standard for performance. If a ref or linesmen exceeds the standard, he gets sent down to the AHL and the top rated AHL ref or linesmen gets to replace him at the NHL level!

Chris

Don't like your rule changes. 1) If an offensive player is breaking for the front of the net for a potential rebound and the defense puts his stick into his side and prevents him from getting to the fron of the net, then you're back to clutch and grab. The onlt goals scored will be those that are shot directly into the net. I'd hold every player up at the blue line until I got my players back into the play. 2) THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION! But remember, that would show up the refs, most of the time we would be seeing a play that the refs is looking right at, proving they are either blind, stupid or biased. 3) A hook doesn't mean a player has to go down to the ice. I can hook a player off the puck and not cause him to fall. So if he falls, did the hook (a penalty) cause him to fall or did he fall to make sure the fres saw it (embellishment). So there are two penalties. If there was no hook, then it embellishment and should be called. Both can happen or either one can happen. 4) Understand where you are coming from, but in football they bet ONE more play. Somebody crosschecks an opponent with 5 seconds remaining and an empty net, maybe a penalty shot but never another 1:55 added to the game. Have you ever heard of "good penalties"?

[Jameson]

I don't get why all these coaches say go high on Lundqvist and you'll beat him. Go high on just about any butterfly or hybrid goaltenders and you'll beat them. If you have your choice of anywhere to shoot in an ideal situation you shoot for the top corners. It's must easier said than done, not sure why these coaches act like they've discovered some formerly secret way of beating Lundqvist.

[rangerbill94]

Jameson

The theory is because Hank tends to play deep in the crease, he exposes more verticle angle than a goalie who plays further out in the crease or even above the crease. The theory is good, until you experience his fast glove side. Then you start trying to get very fine and that's when Hank wins. The goalie coach reminds Hank to come out just a little more for shots from directly out front and about 20 feet away. That cuts the top angle down. Beating Lundqvist will get more difficult as he continues to mature and learn the league. I can not recall any goaltender that is as fast as Hank with his pads, better than Richter. He also can go post-to-post and everything is flat on the ice. Great flexability. If he ever learns to truly handle the puck, there will be more "anti-goalie" rules that will be passed.

[Colorado Mark]

ICE- LOL! Yeah, if Roszival paid us I still might say no! My point was even if it was REDDEN/CAMBELL (1), ROSZIVAL (1) and ORPIK (1) that is three high priced additions, and we don't have any high priced salary to go back in a trade, especially since Jagr was on a 4 mil cap hit last year. He will command at leat 6. Redden, Cambell and Rozy will be at least 6, probably 7 mil a year. We will be able to get one of those three. Orpik's price is going up every day and if the Pens win, he'll be at 5 mil, easy. I have a feeling our D will look something like this:

Rozy (Not my choice- or another UFA)- Staal
Tyutin-Girardi
Potter- Backman (He's not going anywhere, I think we are stuck with him.)

Pock will be traded or waived. I don't think we will sign Hutchinson, but a part of me thinks he and Potter could step in and be a solid third pairing, with Backman moving to the 7th D-man position. If we signed Hutch as a stopgap for Sanguinetti who I doubt will need more than one year in the AHL, so why tie up money in a long term deal for a PP QB if he will just lose his job to Bobby Sangs in a year?

Of course, this set of D does not impose fear, even in the sandbox. I would much rather let Rozy go and sign someone like Orpik or trade for a bruiser (but who do we send away and who do we get?) I would target Suter, but he's going to cost a good amount. But in two years we would have Suter-Staal, Sanguinetti-Sauer, Tyutin-Girardi, which would be a "S"uper "S"et of D!

[Pavel]

Rozsival wants 5m+... as does Pitkanen... as probably doo Streit and Liles.. which of those players would you rather give 5m to?

[Jameson]

rangerbill,

I realize that's how Lundqvist plays and that's what he leaves open and why coaches say to go high, but it's not like it's that hard to figure out, you'll rarely beat lundqvist low, and your best bet is to go high. That doesn't mean it's easy, which is why I said much easier said than done. These coaches come out to the media like they had to sit and watch film for hours and hours to figure it out, meanwhile we as fans, as educated and knowledgable as some of us may be, are not coaches, don't have any access to anything like that for the most part, and can see that just watching the games that's what you've gotta do to beat him.

[Jess]

Pavel

Rozsival wants 5m+... as does Pitkanen... as probably doo Streit and Liles.. which of those players would you rather give 5m to?

Not a single one of them is worth 5 million so instead I take the money and give 3 mil to Ron Hainsey who can offer both offense and defense (anyone who played for Ken Hitchcock knows how to play defense) and then 2 mil to Michael Sauer's big brother Kurt Sauer who will make people pay for coming in Henrik's crease.

[Pavel]

Hmm... makes sense Jess. I change my mind constantly (going through different scenarios), but how about this:
Brad Stuart (5m?), Streit (4m), Avery (4m), Jagr (5m + bonus if necessary).. that's 18m for 4 players (I know, I know).. but with 32m dedicated to next year, that's 50m... w/ Shanny's bonus that's 53m spent... waive Backman and Hollweg and that's 50m/55m(est. cap) with money left over to re-sign Sjostrom and Dawes.

[captjameson]

chris, currently the linesmen are allowed to advise the refs of a major infraction that is missed (ie. head shot, spear, boarding) but it is up to the refs' discretion to make a call.

if the league claims to have fair and unbiased officials, then they should stop coaching them to watch certain players for ill or good (according to colin cambell they do). that creates a bias and tilts the ice. bettman has a real problem here and it's turning people off.

[LI Joe]

Pavel - some of Shanny's bonus was able to be fit into this yrs cap - I think Dubi estimated 1/2.

[Pavel]

Oh, I thought it was either you fit all of the bonus, or you must defer 100% to the following year. I hate the new CBA!

[Denver Frank]

What's the current status of Komisarek? Signed, restricted, unrestricted? If available, either way, we should jump all over him, if for no other reason than to protect Jags. Komisarek is a force and, additionally, he's a Long Island boy. In the games I saw on TV against the Habs, I haven't seen a more physical D-man is a long time. He'd solve our physical needs and he could hold the fort until Sangs gets here and then team up with him on the PP. Komisarek would be the greatest local draw since Fotiu. Just some random thoughts.

[stuart]

I say no to Straka and Shanny like them but time to move on.

I say yes to Aver yof he is reasonable, but for 3 or 4 yrs. max.

Jagr 1 or 2 yrs.

No to redden he looked terrible last yr...

I will take Jess's word on Hainsey(not seen him play) Saeur is a good player(stay at home D) for Col. and lesser version of Komisarek.

Add a few guys from with, and get 1 2nd tier forward.

no to hossa and malone(good player will get way more then he should) Orpik good player but again Sauer better and many players like him.

[Lesky]

"Spector is going to have to update his comments to include more than just the number of penalty calls for and against if he, like us, is left wondering how the Pens could score a goal after checking the stick out of the goalie's hands behind the net without penalty and then get a power play for a nearly identical play behind their own net less than 90 seconds later."

----

Although I completly understand the bitterness towards the Pens eliminating us with help from the refs I think this is ridicoulous.

Malone did touch Biron slightly and then Biron pushed Malone and lost his stick - it was right to not call a penalty and there was barely a complaint by the Flyers - they knew it was the right call.

As for the happening a few seconds later, Fleury got clearly tripped - so these two infractions does not compare at all.

Did you happen to forget about Game 4 when the Pens got awarded 3 or 4 completly TERRIBLE calls in the first period to hand the Flyers that game?

I´m sorry, but the Rangers defeat feels even worse for me when I see people blaming the refs, accusing the Penguins for this and that left and right.

I call biased unfounded reporting on this - one should not fall into the trap of contineusly dis-crediting opponents. It makes you look bad.

Apparantly nobody else has issues with this call (the links in the text)

Lets focus on the Rangers doings, not blaming the refs & bashing opponents!

[Paul R _ _ _ _ _ D]

Man I can not wait for october just so everyone stops making up there own lines and saying what FA's we should go after, its like the 7 year playoff blackout never happened.

[BKL]

Well said Lesky.

[akayama49]

After days and days of reading the postings on this (my favorite) site, I can only say enuf is enuf!! This favored game of ours has evolved over the years I've been watching. What's interesting to me, after the Rangers have been eliminated, is figuring out what tactics the coaches can develop to minimize the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin and Green, etc. in future seasons. The more you see an opponent--even exceptional ones as I've mentioned--the more their moves become familiar and predictable. These players simply have more moves than the norm, but they can all be defended against by applying appropriate team defensive tactics. The key, once an analysis of their game is completed and a strategy adopted to minimize their chances, is to acquire, draft, train and coach the requisite personnel to carry out that strategy with consistency. Sounds simple, right? In my view that's the big picture facing our Rangers in the years to come. Argue all you want about who should be signed, drafted or traded for. If our brain trust doesn't comprehend what it takes to beat our opponents and how to do it consistently, then how can they begin to know what personnel to place or keep on the team in the first place?

[Wild Mutt]

the concept of resigning Straka, Shanny and Rosy because the potential of a Jagr deal is insulting to the fans and our team.
Sure it's late May and your running a site with moderate traffic, so any topic will do... but to consider it, is to validate it, and that shows your desperation.
and from the constant cry for attention from some of your posters it's no wonder desperation stinks this place up to high heaven.

Now there is a massive front page topic here that seems to be skirted around by the die-hards - are the refs playing favorites, being paid off or just bad at officiating?
With so many complaints it's sad to read fans lamb blast other fans for what is a very real overwhelming opinion that something is wrong and needs to be done. It's happened in the NFL, MLB and the NBA. To consider that it isn't possible here in the NHL is foolish and shows your lack of attention to detail. (Are you all fry cooks?)
Consider for a single moment that you don't know anything and look at the data. Some refer to this as objectivity, or to be objective. Your french fry deep fryer can't do this for you, so don't look at the little buttons for help. Your going to need to learn to read and comprehend at the same time.

[joeymole]

it must be a slow tuesday to have wild mutt "lamb blast" this blog and all us posters.

anyway, glad to see red wings dispense with dallas so they can rest and move on to pittsburgh to send the pens down to defeat. i am expecting wings to bring marc-andre back to earth and score lots of clean and dirty goals. the downside is we'll have to endure more versus/nbc coverage. what a friggin' drag. i'm guessing they'll use their 'a' team; doc and eddie.

on rangers, agreeing with jess's most recent analysis. however, as per ron b., what if backman stays? how does the d grow stronger if he stays to play in 08-09?

[zengolfguy]

joey-

I wondered about the lamb blast as well. I thought he meant there was a sheep kegger going on.

[Three Chord Monte]

The NHL has always been poorly officiated, at least since I've been attending games around North America these past forty years. Niskanen's uncalled crosscheck on Draper last night is just another example of the laughable officiating that is the NHL standard. It's actually worse now than ever, as a double standard exists. Can you imagine the on-ice drama if it was golden boy on the receiving end of that?

Officiating in the NHL remains atrocious, but now it’s obviously inequitable. Certain pet players may slew foot, crosscheck, dive and complain and they get not so much as a dirty look from the officials. It’s sickening. Meanwhile cheese whiz calls prevail. More penalties were called in the past two years for non-infractions that did not impede play than in the previous two decades of clutching and grabbing. It’s as if the pendulum swung and got stuck. It’s certainly broken. I’m afraid the NHL has no intention of fixing the problem, just the games.

[Greg L]

Wild Mutt , you need to go to councelling , you sound like some idiot who had too much to smoke!? People post on here to talk RANGERS, ranger , and more Rangers ...and geuss what? You need to say something smart because your post is sick . HAHA , btw Shanny did look old , but ya have to realize , if shanny is willing ,(and he may)to play power play and 4th line duties . Now i know , i know he is slower and older , BUT , he is a huge mentour to all our kids . If we have to cut a kid like korpikoski then noway!! We have a young team so if its shanny's time to go....lets not show him the door , give the vet some respect. How many guys who have his reputation ..leaves the almighty wings for us? Brendan Shanahan has a good ol Ranger heart.Too bad he wasn't here when Messier was here. Give Shanny a coaching job or something if we have to let him go.

[Ros]

Looks like Jags will be back after all.

[cse68]

check out my new Rangers blog!

http://rangers365.blogspot.com

[Wibbles]

I agree that the one referee system is better. I've watched hockey and lived and died with the Rangers for forty years, and long enough to know that the furore about officiating in the NHL is not a 'tempest in a teapot'. There truly is a serious problem.

An interesting proposal I heard was to have the same squad of officiators doing the job throughout a playoff series. Not a bad idea, although that scenario could conceivably generate some new previously unheard of problems. Actually, it does not get to the root of the problem. I do not see refereeing by committee as necessarily accurate or efficient, especially if I use as an example the way things work in 'real life'. I know without waiting for the answer that the NHL never actually ever put their multi-ref system up to any scientific analytical study before they launched it.

Or, am I all wet, and the real problem is that the rule-book pendulum swung way too far over in response to the farce that was the 90's and early 00's, where clutch and grab ruled? What if it takes another ten years for the game we know here in North America to actually become one in which clutching, grabbing, hooking and picking are no longer even natural reactions by a player? In the meantime, we would rather not actually ruin the game, in the manner it DEFINITELY HAS occurred recently.

I sincerely and passionately disagree with opinions that the complaints about officiating are due to partisanship, I think it is quite the opposite. I found Stu Hackel's essay in the New York Times rather useless and head-in-the-sand offensive; does he actually equate so many knowledgeable hockey fans' complaints to that of conspiracy hacks? Many of us, regardless of which team we cheer for, are sincerely angry about what we see. And I think the NHL should try to get a grip on this very soon. Gary Bettman does not actually display that he does, judging from the very corporate-line response I last heard from him.

[Marty]

I agree with having only one referee on the ice at a time.

reason:

By having more then one referee on the ice at a time it dilutes the quality of the officiating. Instead of having 1 semi competent ref on the ice you tend to have 1 so so and the other not so good.

A reduction in the amount required will produce a better quality in my opinion.

Any infraction that draws blood or deserves a double minor or major the linesmen can back the on ice official, oh wait, thats the way it was before.

Sometimes things don't need to be changed just for the sake of changing

[Jess]

Pavel

Pavel

Brad Stuart (5m?), Streit (4m), Avery (4m), Jagr (5m + bonus if necessary).. that's 18m for 4 players (I know, I know).. but with 32m dedicated to next year, that's 50m... w/ Shanny's bonus that's 53m spent... waive Backman and Hollweg and that's 50m/55m(est. cap) with money left over to re-sign Sjostrom and Dawes.

Resigning Dawes and even Sjostrom offers the argument why to pass Stuart by for the 5 mil as he has never done anything to earn that kind of money. I also pass on Streit as stick to my own original idea of Hainsey and Sauer.

My own mantra is always "It is not how much one spends but rather how you spend it". I know you are meaning well but sometimes you get more by spending less.

Stuart

I will take Jess's word on Hainsey(not seen him play) Saeur is a good player(stay at home D) for Col. and lesser version of Komisarek.

Thanks and if that is the case then replace Straka/Shanahan with Vrbata (giving Jagr a new Czech too)

AK

If our brain trust doesn't comprehend what it takes to beat our opponents and how to do it consistently, then how can they begin to know what personnel to place or keep on the team in the first place?

No offense but how can the "braintrust" plan to be someone when by the time next season rolls around the other team's roster will be different.

You are advocating reacting to what other teams are doing instead of building a Ranger team to force others to react to them. Sorry I view that as a passive attack instead going on the attack.

Wild Mutt

Your post really does look like someone who was on drugs prior to writing it. It rambles making accusations but offers zero in solutions.

Come back when sober and offer something worth discussing

[Pavel]

It's not that Stuart is "worth" 5m, but he made 3.5m in his currently expiring contract... seeing as how Orpik will probably get 5-6m, I think Stuart will get offered at least 4-5.

I predicted (last summer) that Drury, Gomez, Briere, Vanek would be signed (by whoever) for no more than 5m each, and I was off by 2-3m...

[rangerbill94]

Yes, the officiating needs to be fixed (maybe that's a poor choice of words). As Wibbles said, this is a serious problem. We have an interference call that negates a clearly legal goal, we have a goal scored after the puck bounces back onto the ice off the netting and that counts, we have players truly run the goalie and no call, we have phantom interference calls and I could go on for pages.

I have a suggestion. Shanny needs to retire. The owners need to elect him COMMISSIONER OF THE NHL! He needs to replace Campbell with someone who doesn't make excuses for the officials and he needs to replace the Head of Officials with someone who will set Standards of Performance for the on-ice officials. Develop some system of ACCOUNTABILITY.

This is a simple game with simple rules. Yes, there are gray areas and judgement, good judgement, is required. Yes, mistakes will be made, calls will be missed, penalties will be handed out when none occured, but something must be done because the problem is now so obvious to all...even the new fan who is puzzled by what he sees.

With modern, high tech video conferencing available, ALL refs should have a mandatory one hour update from the previous days games that review ACTUAL, ON ICE PLAYS that the league deemed as "questionable" and review those with all the refs and discuss what the correct call should have been. An example is the player who get a hard hit from behind and gets smashed into the boards. Yes, on the surface it looks like a boarding call. But, did the player turn his back at the last second, did the other player have an opportunity to try to hold up? All these things need to be factored into the call. Conference calls like I describe hopefully will lead to CONSISTENCY, officials will "see" and discuss; that can only be helpful. Well, that's just my thoughts.

[kovazub94]

Just my 2 cents on officiating. Since our problem is that we think the refs are biased, NHL should invite on a trial basis some European refs. They don't depend on NHL in anyway so at least we can count on their neutrality. This practice is in place during international ternaments and also for some soccer national competition.

[paulinflorida]

Hey Dubi....the 'pony express' finally got my hardcopy of the current Blueshirt Bulletin down to me in Florida. Great job on the issue....my favorite pieces are about the 'future' Rangers. Great insight to what's going on in the organization. No sense crying about spilled milk at this point...got to look ahead to the future and find ways to win another Cup. Thanks and keep up the good work....

[Haywood]

Challenging the play (just like the NFL) from the bench boss will place consistency at the top of the NHL's officials list. The play can't be ignored by a quick drop of the puck to move play along.
Video replay for the bench would be extremely important either up above in an office or on the bench itself.
I'd also like to see an immediate stoppage in play with bleeding players. A review of the accident and proper calls to be made. This will ensure safety throughout the game and the season.
All goals reviewed by Toronto. In today's world, this should only take few moments.
I'd like to think that Toronto would be able to review infractions quickly too, but that might be asking for too much micro management of the refs. It would ensure responsibility to a NHL office official for poor calls, bad goals and dirty play. Is the head office ready for that kind of responsibility? Are they ready to give up on fixing game out comes, if they are guilty of fixing? It would certainly help clear the air by taking on the responsibility.
An off ice official would be a smart move. Given a flag or whistle for incidents behind the play, questionable calls, and the ability for video review on such plays will clean up the questions of the so many "non-calls" by on ice officials.
I'd like to think that it's just a matter of putting more eyes on a fast moving game, but something tells me it's more the dishonest fixing games that is the problem.
Radical ideas?