Pilsner Time For Straka?

Martin Straka is home in the Czech Republic deciding his future -- whether to retire from the NHL and play at home, or return to North America for another season at age 36. Because the Czech Extraliga starts training sooner than the NHL, his immediate concern is making that first major choice, and then picking an offer to accept. He spoke to a Czech reporter from iDNES the other day (translation graciously provided for us by DaTeL of newyorkrangers.cz).

“It’s crazy for sure,” Straka said of his post-season dilemma. “I don’t know what happens next, where I’ll go and whether I’ll stay in the NHL. It’s different than usual. I’ll talk to several people, I’ll think about the options. We’ll see what would suit me best and that is what I’ll choose. It will be one of the most important ones I’ve ever made. If I stay in the CR, I know that the NHL is history. It’s that way at my age.”

He said he has plenty of offers to choose from, including his hometown team in Pilsen and Sparta Prague in the Czech capital. “There are many offers,” he told the reporter. “That’s why I changed my phone number, so there would be no more. I talked to someone, but I won’t tell whom. I’m having more meetings this and next week. There’s not that much time left. If I stay in the CR, I’ll have to go on the ice in mid-July. It’s right around the corner, so I have to be ready. In that scenario, it is important to be at full strength physically.”

He’s approaching these offers not only in terms of his immediate future as a player but also his long-term future with the frachise. “Definitely in Pilsen’s case,” he said of that aspect of his thinking (more here). But he has not ruled out returning to the NHL either, with the status of teammate and friend Jaromir Jagr factoring into his plans. “It may influence my decision to some extent,” he said of what Jagr chooses to do for himself. “If I get an offer from the Rangers and Jarda will be there, it might be easier. On the other hand, I don’t think he is going to base his decision on whether I stay or not. But there’s plenty of time for the NHL. Now is the time to make the decision about my return to the CR.”

One thing he was not asked about was the latest rumor out of Russia, where a radio report said that Avangard Omsk, Jagr’s team during the lockout, has offered Jagr more than the $7 million allowed for franchise players (now that the KHL’s salary cap rules have been waived with respect to NHL players). On top of that, the report said that Jagr could name three players of his choice that Omsk would sign along with him. Presumably, given their history together, Straka could be one of the three players Jagr names were he to go in that direction. (See translated versions of Russian reports here and here.)

Meanwhile, back on the Jagr front, the Daily News spoke to the Rangers' captain yesterday and learned that he has not yet been contacted by Glen Sather and wants to know if the Rangers are interested in him before he even begins to consider other offers (including the one he admits he got from Omsk). He made it sound as if the lack of contact was mainly due to his agents worrying about another client, Sidney Crosby, but that should be at an end now that the playoffs are over. Another major Ranger free agent is making more headway with his fashion career than his hockey career (though that will change once the offers start rolling in on the first of July) -- Sean Avery, still interning for Vogue, has reportedly started up his own company along with a recently departed Calvin Klein executive described in this report as his "best friend".

In other reading, see Prospect Park for Jess's take on the dismantling of the Edmonton old boys' network, Stan Fischler at Game On! on lessons the Rangers (and other area teams) can learn from the Red Wings, and Howlings for some news out of Charlotte. The Dolans have settled yet another lawsuit, this one having nothing to do with the Rangers or Garden though. Hall of Famer Pat Egan, who started his NHL career in New York with the Amerks and finished it with two seasons as a Ranger, including the 1950 season when the Rangers took the Wings to double overtime of Game 7 of the Cup final before bowing, passed away at his home in New Jersey at the age of 90.

Comments

[Pavel]

Why does Cinderella need time with his agent? He's signed for like 8 years!

[fran]

RIP Pat. I remember Pat Egan well...glad to hear that he lived to a ripe old age. He was a fine steady defenseman with a (booming shot, to use a cliche.) However in those days the slap shot wasn't even on the horizon. No helmets or goalie masks, and all point shots were wristers. Pat's was as close to "booming" as they got, and he was very respected by his opponents. He also had the ability to step into a player ( God help him if he had his head down) and level him with an open ice body check. He used to wear # 4 if I recall properly....it's been a while you see. He could also carry a puck pretty well. He was not very tall, but very solid and stocky, and could skate very well.

We should all be so fortunate to have had his life expectancy fulfilled.

[i]

Pavel probably by the terms of crybaby's contract, they have to be there to wipe his tears and give him hugs ;-)

[Dubi]

The obit says that hockey historians credit Egan with being the first to use the slap shot. Not sure if that's been settled yet, but he definitely has a claim.

[Jess]

I

Now now you should be nicer to Crosby as he is a bit more mature than that.

They were there to blow his nose for him and to make sure he did not overfill his pampers.

Cmon let us not be so mean to Crosby after all we are not Penguin fans We are civilized Ranger fans.

[Jess]

From the last thread

Tony M

One major problem with free agency this year is that the talent pool isn't very good,

They will claim it is a market driven price but I totally agree. Of course the moment the Rangers even try to sign someone the critics will come out saying the Rangers are to blame for higher salaries.

so a guy like Malone will probably get close to $ 4 or $ 5 mil per year , which is way too much.

Again agreed as Malone would drive the salary structure on many a team because he is not now or will be a superstar, he is a complimentary player who benefits from having Crosby/Malkin on his team.

Orpik will get big bucks too and the Rangers ARE NOT the only team out there . I expect the Leafs; Isles; Flyers; Lanche; Flames; LA; Habs; Ducks; Sharks etc. to be spending in free agency too.

The Kings are not going to be big spenders as they are still paying for some previous bad contracts. The Leafs will due to their fan pressure, the Islanders will be moderate because they do have some young talent but few big names want to play there.

I think the Ducks have Cap issues which will handcuff them but the team I think will spend the most will be the Avs to try to lure Sakic back for his swan song

Oh and I pray that Straka decides to stay in the CR, yes he did his job but that was when he was not hurt.

You can set a watch by how often he gets hurt his last couple of seasons.

[Pavel]

Dubi, it took until the 1940s for someone to figure out the slapshot!?!

[Tom]

Yea i would think that (a slapshot) would be the second shot discovered after a snap shot and before a wrist shot. I feel the wrister would be the last one discovered cause i feel it's not as an instictive way to shoot a puck liek a snap or slap

[Greg L]

i dunno what to think now...Jess says dump ( don't sign him) Straka and for him to stay in the CR . Straka is good ?..hes fast ...? and hes got moves ...yes . Bad news is hes injury prone , can't hit the net and is getting older and isn't the biggest guy. Hmmmmm what to do ...i say ride the Jagr and Straka train and get the rookies going !!! Straka is fast / but can't hit the net. Are we gonna want him throw outta town cuz us as fans don't think hes a good Ranger? This is a tough one , ....ok if were not signing Jagr , clean house and start over with Drury as Captain ,with assistant to Gomez ,Play 3 more rookies on the 4th line combine with the top 2 , if we cleaning house i geuss Straka gone , Jagr gone , avery gone, Malik ,rozival and holleweg dump prucha and mara . Replace all of them with rookies !!!! we will be fast . Hate to see those guys go ...Glen Sather MAKE UP YOUR MIND SOON ....IM GOING CRAZY!!

[Pavel]

I don't understand how bringing back the ever-aging Czech national team will make the Rangers even more cup-worthy. Jagr is the only elite player out of all of them, but he can't give that effort 100%.

Drury/Gomez were given monstrous contracts, so that the team can build around THEM. Maybe it's time for this?

[Greg L]

maybe , maybe not . Drury/Gomez monster contracts- yes . Good point . Must do something here so the cash on them don't waste away. Time is Money . Jagr carried the team when it counts . You be the one to let him go ...I would n't wanna be the guy who lets our Captain go . If Jagr goes , i will move on , BUT i will NOT be happy . I'LL accept the new move on... Jagr shows passion with our team , I love him for it . We want Players that wanna be RANGERS not free agent signing for the Money and for Monsterous contracts.( not saying drury and Gomez did ) Jagr is Captain , no Captain other than Mark Messier has the Rangers Moving . Say what you will ...bla bla bla . I'd take Jagr on my team with his heart anytime.

[Pavel]

I'd take Jagr in a heartbeat, but Straka, Rozsival, Malik, and the rest of the 1983 Czech team have to go elsewhere.

[Nick]

Hey Dubi,

Now the interesting part starts with the draft and free agency only weeks away. Is there any chance that the Rangers trade up to move within the top 10 in the draft? This is suppossed to be a pretty solid draft, so maybe it is worth the move.

They could use a goalie of the future since Montoya is gone and LaFleur had a miserable season last year. I don't think Leveneau who they got from Phx in the Montoya deal is salvagable - at least anything more than being an AHL goalie.

I think we are solid at center with Drury and Gomez locked up for year to come, Dubinsky in the fold and Anisimov on the way, let alone Betts still in the mix for a year or two when his contract ends. If they don't go for a goalie - my pick is Chet Pikard from the Tri-City Americans - they should get a winger.

I think they may go for a winger regardless since that is where they have immediate need and need in their system. Outside of Cherapanov (and who knows when he will actually play in North America given the lack of a transfer agreements with the Russians and they fact they are throwing money around like it is going out of style) the Rangers have no scoring threats or snipers in their system.

With Jagr, Shanny, and Straka either gone this year or next and their offensive numbers dwindling, the Rangers lack scoring up front on the flanks. With a slim free agent market this off season there will be lots of competition and lots of overpayment for available scoring wingers.

Hossa is the only sure-fire sniper. I would love to have him on the Rangers playing with Gomez up front but I dont think the Rangers will land him. Outside of that there is a huge dropoff with Ryan Malone, Michael Ryder and others as the next tier of free agent wingers. Besides that, the better UFA wingers are all on the downside of their careers such as Markus Naslund and Joe Sakic.

However, if Shanny and Jagr do not come back, it may be worthwhile to sign a similar player to a 1 or 2 yr deal to still have a veteran presence - my bet would be to sign Brian Rolston who is 34 yrs old, still productive, an EXCELLENT penalty killer and can stil provide some scoring. He would look great on the 2nd line as Drury's winger.

What are your thoughts Dubi and other readers?

Any thoughts on the draft and on any Rangers trades to move up? I think the Rangers should think about moving up if they can. Unless Renney is actually committed to giving Prucha some real playing time on one of the top 3 lines next season, they should see if he still has some value and include him in a trade to move up or get a scoring winger through a trade.

Nick

[MikeA]

Draft the best player available whether it's a physical dman or a big winger. Size + skating is needed. Choose wisely Slats.

As for UFAs..I think Cory Stillman can be Martin Straka 2.0 and Stillman is very good on the PP. My pick for UFAs are Stillman and also Vrbata for under $3 million if Avery isn't gonna be signed. On D Mike Commodore and Ron Hainsney. My logic: Stillman will replace Straka short term, Vrbata could replace Shanny or be a nasty 3rd liner, and the two Dmen will be more affordable and replace Malik/Mara. Then the D looks like Staal/Tyutin/Girardi/Commodore/Haiseney. Resign Rozi if possible, but for cheap, and give Potter a shot. Dump Backman.

On forwards, I really wanna see what Anisimov can do. He'll probably start in Hartford, but he's gonna mature physically and maybe him and Jagr/Dubi would have some chemistry. Try Dawes/Anisimov/Gomez too.

Get Hollweg off the roster and make room for Byers or Korpo.

[pghas]

What I want is to really understand what system the Rangers are going to be playing game in and game out for the next 5 years and go out and find draftees and UFAs that fit that system.

[ThisYearsModel]

Let the Czechs walk........bring up the Wolf Pack, get into the Tavares lottery. Is that what you guys want? That's what will happen, then we'll get hosed in the lottery again.

[Nick]

As the Rangers faithful fans continue to hope for the Rangers to sign or acquire a real puck-moving, power play defenseman who can eat up minutes and transition the puck for us, it reminds me of one of the good reasons the Rangers fired Neil Smith - he traded away Sergei Zubov, who up till today is still a top 2 puck moving defenseman. Arguably, if we had him today our PP would be more effective. Any how does Smith trade Zubov away when his tandem with Leetch was electric on the PP and after Zubov led the entire Rangers team in points the regular season they won the cup.

So who is everyone's pick for us to sign or acquire in a trade to fill this ever-present need. No more high risk gambles like Ozolinsh, Backman, Gusarov, Mara, Pock...

[savebylundqvist353330]

i do not want straka to return. he is to passive. on to many occasions he would pass on shots for the pass which then in turn was intercepted by the other team causing a turnover and our offence couldnt get anything going.

[SavebyRichter]

I think the Rangers need to dumb shanny for sure and straka.... id keep rosv ... but what the rangers need the most is a sniper ... just one and a solid checking D man ... i would grab orpik and maybe a redden or campbell if possible for the offense .... what happened to ollie jokinin ? the rangers should grab him and forget about anymore offense ... we need str in our Def game

[MikeA]

Sergei Zubov=most underrated Ranger of All-Time. He was though of as soft and not able to deal with the clutching and grabbing of the mid-late 90s so that's the reason both the Rangers and Pitt gave up on him. There hasn't been a day that's gone by in the last 10 years that I have not pictured him wearing the C in my head. I have issues I know LOL :)P

[Andrea]

Dubi, each time I've tried the Pat Egan link (both at work and at home) I've gotten the CableVision story link. Which paper carried the obit? Thanks.

[Dubi]

Link corrected -- sorry about that!

[Jess]

Nick

This is suppossed to be a pretty solid draft, so maybe it is worth the move.

I have already covered this over at Prospect Park. The question is at what price would it cost the Rangers to move up from 20? The pricetag to move up to the top ten starts with one of the better Ranger prospects.

Do you want to give up Sanguinetti, Staal, or even Dubinsky? In my eyes the Rangers can stay at 20 and still get a need addressed.

In fact you are right this is a very deep draft and I in fact think the Rangers can trade down and out of the first round while getting some very solid prospects.

They could use a goalie of the future since Montoya is gone and LaFleur had a miserable season last year. I don't think Leveneau who they got from Phx in the Montoya deal is salvagable - at least anything more than being an AHL goalie.

my pick is Chet Pikard from the Tri-City Americans - they should get a winger.

I totally agree with you here as this is why I advocate trading down as the Rangers could grab a goalie of the future in the end of the second round or in the 3rd round. The quiet side of this draft as I see no less than 6 really good goalies this year.

the Rangers have no scoring threats or snipers in their system.

Sorry here I disagree as Sanguinetti, Ryan Hillier, Korpikoski are scoring threats. Dubinsky, Dawes and Callahan all have track records as scorers as well so in my eyes the Rangers need a pure nasty defender or a power forward/center.

Greg L

Ok if not for Straka's being injury prone then how about how many goals did Straka score from Jan 1 until the end of the season? 7 goals in 41 games and sorry that is unacceptable.

I also do not want to see Shanahan resigned in part because he is even older but more than anything else he hurt the team by playing hurt. He was ineffective down the stretch so give some else his minutes.

If it was me then either Dustin Tokarski, Chet Pickard, or Kevin Poulin are future goalie who would do good.

[Jameson]

Jess,
I don't really think Shanahan hurt the team, there wasn't really anyone losing ice time to him that was doing a ton more offensively and he still held his own on the Penalty Kill. He also did have a few good shots that I can remember when he was on the powerplays.

[Nick]

Hi Jess,

Thanks for the responses to my post - I really appreciate your opinions and feedback. This is part of what makes Blueshirt Bulletin such a great website and trade paper.

I also wanted to congratulate you because I recently started reading your Prospect Park page, which is now in my Favorites on my computer. Your insight is amazing and for True Blue fans like myself who follow Rangers news every day of the year, including the summer, you satisfy my need to know about everything Rangers and Rangers prospect related!!

As far as your opinion of the points in my post, here is my take:

-If the pricetag for moving up in the draft is Dubinsky, Staal, Sanguinetti, Callahan or Dawes, I wouldn't bite. These are keys to our present and future and we shouldnt give them up. Also, if the draft is so deep, the Rangers should be able to find some good picks with their current picks that they hold for the entire draft.

However, if there is interest in any of the following Rangers players/prospects:

-HUGH JESSIMAN (a huge disaster of a pick who I dont think has a future in the NHL)
-PETR PRUCHA (who I do not feel Renney has confidence in to give real minutes to in his lineup)
-ALEX BOURRET (whos conditioning program injury last summer/training camp may have left a bad taste in the Rangers mind)
-THOMAS POCK (who also Renney seems to lack confidence in his skills at the NHL level)

-RYAN HOLLWEG (his style of play has been consistently undisciplined and has gotten worse in the last season and a half, SEE the boarding of the Pens player that lead to the Rangers loss of a game in the series)

-CHRISTIAN BACKMAN (this year's trade deadline attempt of getting a Ozolinsh type player to blossom into the PP/puck mover we have lacked for years, unfortunately his huge contract for next season will probably preclude anyone from taking our new favorite defensively inept Marik Malik wannabe)

then I think it may be worthwhile to package these guys together or part of seperate deals to move up in the draft.

I agree the Rangers should take a goalie at some point in this draft and if they need to trade up in one of the rounds to get him, then so be it.

When I mentioned the lack of snipers I was particularly talking about proven scoring wingers in our system.

Dawes was a proven scorer in junior and I think he will get better as time goes on.

If you say Korpikoski will be a sniper I will go with you and agree as you have seen him more than I, however it seems he has become more of a two way, perhaps defensive forward in the last season in Hartford. I agree with the other players you mentioned and I will take your word for the assessment of Hillier since I dont know much about him.

Speaking of snipers, I know Cherepanov has another year left on his Russian contract, however he does have permission to come to the Rangers training camp this September. Is there anyway if he impressed at camp that the Rangers would be able to keep in in North America for the season either on the Rangers roster or in the AHL?

On that topic, who do you see as the prime candidates to ake the jump from Hartford to the big club in September?

I like the play of Michael Sauer on defense but I know he had an injury towards the end of the year. What is your assessment of him from what you know and is there any chance he may make the big club's roster come September??

Similarly, Is there any chance that Sanguinetti impresses in camp and makes the jump from juniors straight to the NHL as Marc Staal did?

Lastly, who are best bets to make the Rangers roster from Hartfod in training camp come September?? From what I know, my picks are Greg Moore, Lauri Korpikoski, Dane Byers, and Artem Anisimov up front. On defense everyone is saying Corey Potter possibly.

Thanks for all of your work, Jess. I will continue to read your Prospect Park page religiously now. I hope to hear your responses to some of the points I mentioned in this posting.

Thanks,

Nick

[Nick]

Hey Savebyrichter, I agree with you 100%:

-sign Orpik to provide the sandpaper, grit and physical presence, let alone his shot blocking ability

-sign Redden, who is a complete well rounded d-man who can be your #1 defenseman, playing the power play and the penalty kill and still relatively young

signing these to would go a long way to solving a bunch of this teams shortcomings. signing these d-men should be the Rangers #1 and #1A priorities.

with what $ is left over they can try to spend it on getting a scoring winger or two or hoping one of there prospects in Hartford can make the jump and produce.

Nick

[jack]

I think Redden would be a huge mistake. He is on the decline.

I would love Orpik and say Lilja...he looked very steady to me.

The day they traded Zubov away I was devastated...I knew he was going to be special. He played in the Cup with poise and skill. I love Ulfie...he is my type of player but if that deal was Nedved for Ulf then things would have been totally different.

The Rangers organization from 1995 to 2004 really tested fans.

You look at who has played or drafted by us and then given up on is mind boggling.

[Greg L]

Nick , i love your brown-nosing on Jess :) , and you have a good point " the Rangers fired Neil Smith - he traded away Sergei Zubov " is sooooo correct!! Mike A , you are not alone about how Zubov was let go ...it acually bugged me this season ( i was thinking about it). Leetch and Zubov , we had ALLSTAR DEFENSMEN!!! Waaaaa!!! ( i'll stop crying now)

"7 goals in 41 games and sorry that is unacceptable." Yes Jess it is awfull , but alot of games hes been in , hes really fast , holds the puck well, he passes good ...only prob is someones gotta sit him down and say SHOOT!! , his shots not that bad , he may of cost us a game or 2 cause he was set up and missed. He looks good out there , seriously Straka is shifty and if he get to play another season for us ...I'll know why.

Great draft 2004 in Raleigh , N.C with us getting Dubinsky and Callahan ..no reson Korpikoski and Dane byers can't start next season and make the club like there other 2 draftees. I like Korpi , he was the first pick for us and sure looks like a gem.

One final note ...This one touched me as the DETROIT REDWINGS won the Stanley Cup ...the interveiws on the ice with MIKAEL SAMMEULSSON , The reporter talking to him mentions Florida and San Jose and how it got him here...Sammeullson quikly mentions the Rangers as i thought "WOW" ONCE A RANGER ALWAYS A RANGER!!!
He was dam good in the series ...one more let go...

[MikeA]

Yeah, Greg, the Dallas Stars have the two guys who should have the A and C for the Rangers; Zubov and Norstrom. I loved Zubov in 94 and 95. I was very confused when that trade was made at age 14.

I hope Sauer can stay healthy.

[Jameson]

One thing I notice here is that just because a player is on the decline it's automatically viewed as a bad signing. As long as the player in question isn't just looking to simply get one last nice payday, that doesn't mean a thing. I'm sure everyone wouldn't have the Shanahan signing another way if they were to go back, but at the time everyone was sceptacle. It's ok to sign older players, it just has to be the right ones to the right contract. An older defenseman like Wade Redden, Mattias Norstrom, even Sergei Zubov, to the right contract if they are willing, would be an excellent move. They'd act as a bridge to get to the years when Sanguietti and perhaps Sauer and some of our other prospects are ready to step into the NHL. Age is only a number for a lot of guys in the NHL, Chris Chelios just got a ring in his 40's, Kris Draper is in his late 30's, Gary Roberts and Daryl Sydor were on the Pens.

[Jameson]

Greg L,
Up to that series Sameullson had been nothing but a dissapointment just about everywhere he went. Even in detroit, when he had that two goal game in games 1 or 2 the detroit fans were all saying "WELL FINALLY" rather than "So glad we've got this guy". He played a big series but "another one let go"... with good reason.

[Jameson]

Jack
Lillja is garbage, he's a turnover machine and I don't even wanna think about how bad he'll be without Nicklas Lidstrom opposite him.

[Jameson]

I'm looking at the UFA list and I'm surprised a few names haven't at least been mentioned around here.
Dmitri Kalinin(BUF) - Buffalo came out and said they won't resign him, he'll definitely be a free agent. He's a little injury prone but the year before the lockout he had 10 goals 24 assists in 77 games. There's risk/reward involved with signing him, but he probably can't really demand more than what he made last year which was 2.5 mil, since he only played in 46 games. He was great in the playoffs last year for the Sabres.
Bret Hedican(CAR) - Could be a physical presence and a decent cheaper stopgap to Sanguietti and the younger guys than Roszival and co.
Barret Jackman(STL) - Would've rather had this guy than Backman that's for sure, not sure it'll be easy to pry him away from St. Louis though.
Karel Rachunek(NJ) - lol jk
Mike Mottau(NJ) - This guy impressed me when I saw him play, could be a dark horse kind of signing, it'd be nice to grab someone from NJ that could pay off for us.

[Jameson]

As far as forwards go, Michael Ryder, JP Dumont, and to a point Owen Nolan intrigue me. I saw every playoff game of the Flames on CBC and Nolan's still got some left in the tank, if we don't re-sign Jagr I don't think it'd be bad seeing Nolan on our 1st or 2nd line. I liked how Andrew Brunette looked for Colorado in the playoff games I saw too. Nagy and Naslund aren't bad players either, which is why I think Ryan Malone won't get GROSSLY overpaid if these guys don't get resigned before july. Jay Pandolfo is another interesting name.

[jack]

Jameson,

I am pretty sure Mottau is already signed (another one of our own) and Jackman is signed.

I stated it weeks ago...sign Orpik and any of the three Commodore/Vandermmer/Hainsey.

Guys who are not sure if they want to play here or are waiting for Jagr should be kicked to the curb.

If Rozy takes 2.5 then he can stay...dime over that and he goes.

Give Avery 3.1 for 4 years and keep the heart of this time where it belongs.

Shanny loves NY and we love him...he should be a coach for us.

If we are going to keep Renney then fire Pearn and Pelino and make Shanny and Graves coaches.

[rangerbill94]

Jack

Orpik isn't going to be worth what he's going to get, so forget him. Rozi is a $3.5 to $4 million guy, keep him for 2-3 years more...he's the ONLY offense from the backline. Don't sign Campbell...too much money. Better to spend that amount on TWO defenseman. Hainsey, Commodore and/or Kirt Sauer should help. Avery should get $3.75MM and if he has any sense, and I'm not sure he does, he should play ONLY for the Rangers. We are the ONLY team that REQUIRED him to play hockey and he responded very well. Injuries will be a problem because of his style of play. Shanny and Graves would be bad coaches right now, they both need some training at the AHL level.

[Jess]

Nick

HUGH JESSIMAN (a huge disaster of a pick who I dont think has a future in the NHL)

He might have a future but it is doubtful it will be anything like his draft status should be. Both he and Montoya are bad picks by Maloney.

PETR PRUCHA (who I do not feel Renney has confidence in to give real minutes to in his lineup)

Not sure what Renney thinks of Prucha anymore whether it is a lack of confidence or concern over his size. I hate to lose Prucha but I think when you lose the coach then you need a new place to play at.

ALEX BOURRET (whos conditioning program injury last summer/training camp may have left a bad taste in the Rangers mind)

Oh it was more than training camp as he has gotten the Wolfpack coaches mad at him at times as well.

THOMAS POCK (who also Renney seems to lack confidence in his skills at the NHL level)

To be honest Pock really is nothing more than a 6th defenseman. He (IMO)lost Renney when he complained to the media about his status.

The only one I can see getting anything back in value is Prucha who could replace the 4th round pick the Rangers lost in the Backman disaster.

RYAN HOLLWEG (his style of play has been consistently undisciplined and has gotten worse in the last season and a half, SEE the boarding of the Pens player that lead to the Rangers loss of a game in the series)

His lack of common sense in key situations kills his trade value.

I agree the Rangers should take a goalie at some point in this draft and if they need to trade up in one of the rounds to get him, then so be it.

I do not think the Rangers need to trade up as there will be a good one in the 2nd or 3rd round.

When I mentioned the lack of snipers I was particularly talking about proven scoring wingers in our system.

Fair enough I misunderstood you.

Speaking of snipers, I know Cherepanov has another year left on his Russian contract, however he does have permission to come to the Rangers training camp this September. Is there anyway if he impressed at camp that the Rangers would be able to keep in in North America for the season either on the Rangers roster or in the AHL?

This is just my own opinion but I view it as (a) an attempt to get the Rangers to buy out Cherepanov's contract and (b) garner yet more publicity for Omsk. Say what one wants about the Russians but they are getting very good at PR.

On that topic, who do you see as the prime candidates to ake the jump from Hartford to the big club in September?

In my eyes, Korpikoski will be a scorer replacement for Shanny or Straka, Byers to replace Hollweg and Potter has the best chance to replace Strudwick.

I like the play of Michael Sauer on defense but I know he had an injury towards the end of the year. What is your assessment of him from what you know and is there any chance he may make the big club's roster come September??

Sauer struggled with his game during his rookie professional season so just on that I expected him to spend another year in Hartford. Tearing an ACL when he did just sealed the deal.

Similarly, Is there any chance that Sanguinetti impresses in camp and makes the jump from juniors straight to the NHL as Marc Staal did?

I like Sanguinetti a lot but he still need to refine his game especially on the defensive end. The Rangers can use his offensive creativity but for the long term I think the Rangers will not force feed him to the NHL.

Lastly, who are best bets to make the Rangers roster from Hartfod in training camp come September?? From what I know, my picks are Greg Moore, Lauri Korpikoski, Dane Byers, and Artem Anisimov up front. On defense everyone is saying Corey Potter possibly.

I agree with all but Anisimov who I think started to get his game together late in the season. I think he is 1/2 a season away but if he fills out his body over the summer then Blair Betts better be looking over his shoulder.

[Jess]

Greg L

nly prob is someones gotta sit him down and say SHOOT!! , his shots not that bad , he may of cost us a game or 2 cause he was set up and missed. He looks good out there , seriously Straka is shifty and if he get to play another season for us ...I'll know why.

But they should not have to tell him that, a first line player should be putting up much more than 14 goals injured or not. I also would prefer that the Rangers spend the money on a guy like Vrbata who is close about 8 years younger and has no problems shooting the puck.

FYI Nick was not brown nosing he was simply being polite ; - P

[Jess]

And we would be remiss if we did not mention how the passing of Jim McKay was the end of a true era.

If you never got to enjoy the work that Jim McKay did then you truly missed a great one. Sure most recall his work from the 1972 Olympics but yours truly was a huge fan of McKay and the Wide World of Sports.

While that show ran the words "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" were not cliches but actual reality. Only Jim McKay could get you interested in cliff diving in Mexico, barrel racing, the demolition derby from Long Island.

Only McKay could make arm wrestling interesting to watch, if the sport was goofy on the surface there was McKay to make it sound like it was important for you to spend the next 90 minutes watching.

Jim McKay like Vin Scully and other broadcasters like former Ranger announcer Jim Gordon knew how to make the game vivid and life like. You could turn your back on the TV and they would describe the action in such a way that you had a great picture no matter what.

There was no screaming, no over hype of the event and no boring "hey look at me I am on TV" with McKay. Unlike today's bozos the game was the reason why you should be watching not who was calling the action.

RIP Jim and thanks. Saturday afternoons were always cool thanks to you

[Nick]

Hey Jess and Dubi,

Is it a forgone conclusion that the Rangers will resign Valliquette to be their backup goalie for a few more years? He is eligible for free agency this summer. If not, do the Rangers bring up Wiikman or Leveneau to be Hank's backup or do they look for someone on the free agent market.

Two choices that I would be interest in considering is Olaf Kolzing, who wont be returning to the Caps, or Johan Hedberg - who has served as a reliable backup who can steal a game here or there.

Also, in terms of defense, if they fail to nab Brooks Orpik, do they try to sign Jason Smith who at 33 has at least 2 more years left and can add grit to the backline in the short term at least? Or perhaps they sign Mattias Norstrom for a 1 or 2 yr deal to provide short term toughness on D.

Do the Blueshirts target John-Michael on Ron Hainsey to be their puck moving d-man at less of a cost than Campbell and Redden?
Also,did Barrett Jackman resign with St.Loouis at the deadline? If not he's a free agent this summer and we should consider him as an option.

Up front, if Sather doesn't want to resign Avery because of money squabbles, does he look to sign a similar type player in Jarko Ruutu, who can be an aggravating force and will not command as much salary as Avery is seeking (around $3.5 million).

In addition, young free agent wingers who the Rangers should consider this year include Ryan Malone and Michael Ryder. There is another tier of free agent forwards that may be worth targeting. See the following candidates:

-Daniel Cleary (the Wings will probably resign him though)

-Trent Hunter (current Islander - former Calder nominee a few years back - a big, power forward with good hands who could still blossom)

-Andrew Brunnette (who has reliable offensive numbers wherever he goes)

-JP Dumont (young still, reliable scorer with some wheels)

-Radim Vrbata (if he can stay healthy, he can put up some points)

Your thoughts??

Nick

[Dubi]

I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Valley will be back, but it is a reasonable one -- he won't be asking for much and he has developed a good relationship with Allaire and Lundqvist which has helped everyone. Unless he makes the foolish mistake of pricing himself out of the market, I expect him back. I'd think the Rangers are prepared for that eventuality with Wiikman or LeNeveu capable of provided the same level of back-up work, given Allaire's coaching. No way the Rangers spend a penny more than necessary on someone like Kolzig.

I'll leave the free agent speculation to others, but I will say that Sather's problem with Avery is not so much the amount of money but the number of years -- there's just telling when he'll wear out his welcome in the locker room, especially if/when Shanny leaves. And yes, Jackman resigned with St. Loo near the end of the season.

[JACK]

Nick,

Trent Hunter resigned. Dupont is small. I like what Jess says about Vrbata. Brunnette is a guy who u wonder how he gets it done. I am not sure Cleary will succeed outside of Detroit.

I say sign Avery and Ruutu together!

Rangerbill,

You say signing Orpik would be overpriced yet you want to give rozy $4 million because he scored 15 goals. On any other team he is a 4th defensemen at best. He is a liability on D. Sounds like a poor mans version of Souray.

Jess,

If we waive Backman does that take us off the hook.

JD is doing things the right way in St. Louis.

[Godot]

We've been speculating about Vrbata here for some time--a way to continue the Czech posse without getting older. I also believe Roszi will be back--he's not a poor man's Souray; he had a bad second half of the season, no doubt about it, but over all his numbers for the Rangers are good.

As for the rest, we need to upgrade the physicality of our D--I think we can replace Shanny with Prucha or Korpi, actually and use the rest of our money for upgrading D.

Imagine this:
Jagr-Dubi-Vrbata
Korpi/Prucha-Gomez-Avery
Dawes-Drury-Callahan
Sjostrom-Betts-Orr

It could work.

G

[MikeA]

Hainsey is a a great bargain and he's from Connecticut; the Rangers should buy his family season tickets (no cap hit!) to lure him here!

Dumont is small and doesn't hit, Rangers have enough of those.

Hedican would be good but he doesn't do that well when he leaves Car so I don't think he'd come over.

Rolston could take over as the grizzled veteran for Shanny.

Hunter did resign. I was surprised how little money he got. The Islanders have a good thing going with him. Great team player.

I think Anisimov is gonna have a monster camp, he played well this year and had a great camp and now he's gonna continue to bulk up.

[Greg L]

Rangers are a pritty young team , and it seems that the players that maynot be signed are the older age variety. So we are ahead of ourselfs . We got Gomez to move the puck , Drury to be there when the pucks there and to win some faceoffs . What WE NEED is a sniper on wing and a solid defenseman , thats it!! Were young in goal , set at center ...coaching is Great , or is it? ...well lets not kid ourselfs , the PP coach is killing us!!

Jagr and Avery give us a heartbeat .We keep them , We Need them , but Shanny and straka could give us more grief so its probally a good thing to let them go .

All this speculating on whos gone or whos comming in , is very interesting . For years we have been buying , selling, trading and doing stuiped things . This year as Fans , we know we have our thinking caps on as an organization. It's great to know we will not be apart of some quik fix and that the future as a New York Ranger fan is even more brighter than ever before.

yes ,Jess ...Nick is a polite guy , He sure shows passion , which is Great! I do like the idea of Jason Smith , Just please don't make him Captain!! :0

[Ralph]

i thin miika wiikinen or however u spell it is going to be the backup to hank

[rangerbill94]

Jack

I like Rozsival not because of his 15 goals this past season. But rather, what he has done since being a Ranger. In his first 5 years he scored 18 goals and 47 assists. In his 3 years with the Rangers he has 28 goals and 80 assists (two less seasons). He has played 80 games or more each year as a Ranger. His ATOI has gone up each year as a Ranger. I think Orpik will be looking for something around $5-$6MM/yr. I don't think Rozi or Orpik are worth that much. If Rozi can't come to terms with the Rangers at $3-$4MM, then Orpik or Campbell might be a fit. I'm looking to add 3 good defensemen to our roster by opening day. That means I get rid of Malik, Mara, Strudwick and Backman. If I keep Rozi at a fair price, then Commodore, Sauer and/or Hainsey would be my choices. I would not have a problem with Potter if he looks ready in training camp. BTW, Rozi finished pretty high amoung defensemen this year and finished pertty high among Ranger scorers. Further, I agree he is a second pair D'man, but I would love to have a team with 6 second pair defenseman on it.

[Greg L]

If I was running the team :
Fired Renny , replace with Torts. Hire the pp coaching staff from MTL and give them big bucks to produce goals over here!! Hank is a very hot comodity and that makes him GREAT trade bait!! Trade Lunqvist with Jagr for Hal gill (now we got Hal)and Ty Conclin with the rights to talk to Hossa. We save big bucks on salary unloading those posers , cus King Hendrick is just too soft up high and I hate having the game determined by a goalie.
Marc Staal showed promise but has made too many rookie mistakes!! Ship him now before he looks worse and unload him for a pricey solid D-man like Chris Chelios ( hes got to be fresh , sitting on the bench all during the finals)

Prucha is the next Jagr ( they did room together in Peters rookie season) So Make him our top 1st line winger with Marian Hossa. Hossa,s other brother Marcel ( who we trade back for in exchange for Dubinsky!! Dubinsky was too much a puck -hog last year and with Jags gone , he is USELESS!!) We make the younger Hossa our top Center , kinda like the Sedin twins.
Drurys too small , Gomez is too spazy and runs around like a chicken with his head cut off...those guys can destroy a teams chemstry like Jagr said when they were signed!! Swap Drury for Danial Breier because Danial is aleast an inch taller , and has Philly experience!!
Gomez need to goto Washington for Nylander , Now that Jagrs gone ,Nylander can come back and show hes a top 2 forward without his help .Nylanders injury has made him even hungrier this season and should be signed to atleast 5 years.
Avery is kinda girlee being involed with Vouge and is too much a pritty boy , I can see it now on the ice " Ohhh , tuff guy Sean , go get yer toe nails painted like your fingers!!!" I hate to say but pritty boy is gonzo!! Promote Holeweg in his spot to tuff in up that position!!

Shanny has atleast 3 more good years in him , Make him captain and give him Top Powerplay minutes. He our 2nd line winger again so we have some chemestry there.
Send down Dawes to Hartford for good and let him help out the young guys. He would be way more usefull down there. Maybe make him a Special coach in Hartford. His legs just didnt seem to last during a vigour NHL season.
Malik was a trooper and sat down for the playoffs , we did miss his + /- and im thinkin hes a solid choice to have back , Backman and Struds too. Giradi and toots need more time in Hartford or just need to be put on waivers.

So as we have it our team should look something like this :

Prucha HOSSA HOSSA
Shanny Nylander Holleweg
F/A? Brier callahan
orr betts Shoey

Defense: Chelios , Gill ,Backman ,Struds and Malik
Goal : Ty Conclin
Coach: Torts

[jj]

?
someone missed a dose of meds today.

[NYRanger4Life]

Greg L
Thanks for the laugh
-Management