Blue Notes

"At least one player has told friends he wouldn't mind being moved."

You might as well say "My dad's friend's cousin's friend said that someone on the rangers thought about signing with another team."

Jeez man, write something at least a little bit credible.

Agreed. If it's uncomfirmed, just don't say anything about it at all. Now you're no better then any of these clowns who post false rumors. You're better than that, Steve.

Steve, hope your recovery went well. :)

Anyone hear about the new schedule release date? The last few years it has been on the Wednesday after the baseball All-Star game - tomorrow - but I can't find any confirmation anywhere.

Christ now he has me wondering who is getting traded.

Whoops - next time I'll check the earlier posts by Zipay.

Schedule will be released tomorrow.

Obviously the player is one of the following:

Mara, Cullen, Malik, Prucha

I would say your right ... minus Cullen i think hes happy here.

Larry Brooks wouldn't ever say anything like, at least 'one player' has blablabla...

BROOKS would tell us flat-out that Malik is tired of the booing, or Cullen likely feels threatened by the additions of Gomez & Drury, or Prucha wants more ice time with the big guns, or Mara needs a chance to quarterback a power play.

What's with the gutless reporting?

I was actually going to say I think it is Matt Cullen.

I would think he is unhappy about the lack of ice time he might be looking at with the additions of Drury and Gomez.

I seriously doubt it is Prucha. I think he loves the fact he is on the same team as Jagr and Straka.

I think it's Hossa... He realizes he's not going to see top line time anymore with Prucha's contract and Callahan on the roster...

I think it's Hossa... He realizes he's not going to see top line time anymore with Prucha's contract and Callahan on the roster...

On the trade rumor...Why post this if you don't have any solid info that you can confirm? This is posted this on a blog, but also it's part of Newsdays website - where are the effin standards? This is total BS and doesn't stand up to any journalistic benchmark.

You suck Zippy, and you should know that your reputation and integrity should extend to your blog too.

Well im hoping its Cullen because were not getting much for eaither Cullen or Hossa but in Cullens case at least we drop quite a bit of salary. Although Cullen and Mara could land us a good player. Visnovki perhaps? (im just throwing it out there)

The Fourth period reports Shanahan is back another year!

this is sweet news

http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/nyr070710.html

Good news on Shanny, but, I didnt really care. Zipay, this last blog is horrible man---he said/she said with no concrete, proactive opinion attached? Is this amateur hour?

Steve,

ok, continue to use the blog as a bitch session then, go right ahead.

Cool article about Marc Staal and Tom Pyatt:

http://newyorkrangers.com/pressbox/pressreleases.asp?id=2962

Im quite happy about Shanny but we need to sign Lundqvist to a long term deal. Ive heard rumos somewhere around 10 years and 5 million dollars. Anyway according to Steves "controversial post" we may be dropping Cullens salary of 2 and some change. So who knows. But i want Lundqvist signed soon!

Cullen makes close to 3 million, quite a bit considering he is a 3rd line center on this team with a lot of young players desperate for spots.

Cullen could be a #2 center on other teams, but not here.

What?

Cullen could be a #2 center on other teams, but not here.

I hear what your saying Joe but its still really good news that we signed Shanny. Especially with the morons who posted about him going to the islanders LOL

That wasnt me eaither.

How is it good news that we resigned a 40 year old player who was invisible in the 2nd half and is coming off of a career threatening injury? Oh, I guess the go dnews is that Drury won't have to skate so hard because he'll always have to wait from Shanny.

He had a great year. He almost had a point per game and he had a very solid playoffs. So what if the second half of the year was slow he did have a severe injury so what hes a leader and a great player. He scored the game winning goal against Atlanta in game 2. Plus were signing him for 2 -2.5 million for at least a 65 point guy who has alot of leadreship. How is it bad?

Peter,

what? Shanahan was solid in the playoffs, scored 5 goals in 10 games.

Did you watch the playoffs at all?

Shanny had good numbers last year and his presence alone is worth resigning for AT LEAST another year.

Actually I can understand how Peter would think Shanahan was invisible in the playoffs - it was hard to watch any playoff games given the television schedule so technically he (along with every other NHL player) was invisible.

If that's not what Peter was talking about, then I'm lost on what he is thinking.

As for the player who might want to be moved - wouldn't it be a kick in the stones if it were Jagr who is upset the team didn't bring back Nylander? I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying THAT would be news.

Doubt it's Prucha - if it was he wouldn't have signed a 2 year deal here, he would have just had the team take him to arbitration. Maybe it's Marcel Hossa who projects to split time on the fourth line with Hollweg and Orr.

The NYR have agreed to let me use a harness and Sean Avery to pull me around the ice, pending league aproval of course.

WHO LOVES YA SHANNY

Guys who I think might be irritated enough to ask for a trade:

Hossa - as I said before, he played very well when healthy - even outshining his brother in the playoffs and now looking at the forward chart he projects to a part time player on the fourth line.

Al Montoya - Drafted as the goalie of the future he won't get a shot here unless Henrik leaves and I don't see that happening.

Malik - Booed throughout the season

Cullen - signed as a 2nd line center and is now probably a third line center and maybe getting some PP time

Straka/Jagr - upset that their buddy Nylander wasn't brought back

Pock - got jerked around a lot last year and probably won't see any additional PT this year with the emergence of Staal

Betts - might want to be more than a fourth line center

Hollweg/Orr - might want to play somewhere else where they get to dress more often.

Why won't this Koho tattoo on my face go away????

I doubt the Rangers are interested in trading Hossa now if ever.

Last season confounded me at some points why they kept playing this guy, then all of a sudden, he started to pan out, and it made it finally look like Renney knew what he was doing by continuing to throw him out there.

I am excited about his continued development this season.

I seriously seriously doubt the unhappy player was Jagr. Zipay's comments don't lead me to believe it was a player high profile like Jagr.

Chip agree with most of what your saying except:

1) A black hole could outshine Hossa (ATL) in the playoffs. But i wouldnt be suprised if it was him.
2) I agree with Jim that was far too dismissive of a statment to be Jagr or Straka.
As for the rest i kinda understand where your coming from.

Die hard Ranger fan here who believes we are a big defensemen away from a serious Cup contender. Hopefully Marc Staal will make the roster and be a top 6 D man this yr. Hopefully we'll see a pairing of Roszival/Mara as are top unit... Sean Avery better be back...as for Ranger/Isles fans going at it on each other's blogs, I think it's pretty juvenile. Obviously if your a Ranger fan you hate the Isles and vice versa but let's worry about are own teams and try to just discuss hockey in civilized terms.

Shanahan is officially back.

I really am thrilled he is back.

Never in one season did I ever appreciate a player so much.

http://www.newyorkrangers.com/pressbox/pressreleases.asp?id=2963

Agreed Jim, im glad he is back we can deffinitly use a guy like him!

Although it seems to make sense in terms of playing time, it's unlikely Hossa would want to be traded because he filed for arbitration with the Rangers in the first place. If he wanted to leave the Rangers, he could have easily accepted an offer sheet from another team. And considering his young age and possible upswing, it's likely he got a few offers.

The player that seems to make the most sense is Malik. He has no option to get out of his contract this year and he's been hearing the boo-birds from the Garden crowd. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a trade at all.

Pock is the other possibility. He's been in and out of the lineup and doesn't seem to have Renney's confidence. I'm sure he was pissed in the playoffs when after playing four solid games against Atlanta, he was replaced by Rachunek back from injury. And with Staal coming up, where's he going to play?

That being said, I hope the Rangers elect to trade Malik. At 32, he's the oldest d-man on the team and has no upswing ahead of him. And he costs 2.5 million in cap space, which is more that Rozy and second only to Mara, who I think is worth more to the team's future than Malik.

What about me ? I'm clean now, and I'm attending anger management classes. Now I know its ok to hate my father. Slatts, I'm beggin ya Please, sign me soon, I'm loosing it again!!!!!

Stoked to see Shanny is back. Now a few more signings and perhaps a trade and this team is ready to get started. Woo Hoo!

Jay,

Pretty sure it was the Rangers that forced Hossa into arbitration. And I think if any offer sheets had been issued for him you would've heard about it. The arb move was probably designed to prevent offer sheets.

The trade that Zipay is sensing isn't really to dificult to see coming. It's something that has to happen if the Rangers have any hope of signing Lunqvist, Avery AND Hossa. There just isn't enought cap room to sign all 3 without some kind of player move to create space.

Before the Shanny signing, there was 8.2 million of cap space. Assuming the rumors about Shanny's 2.5 million salary are true (not including incentives), that leaves 5.7 million. You have to figure Henrik will cost at least 4.0-4.5 million (Miller got 3.0 a YEAR ago, and DP is inked for 4.5 per). That would put the Rangers right at the cap if both Avery and Hossa sign for their CURRENT salaries, which aint gonna happen.

Expecting a player move is a no brainer.

my ass hurts can we please tell billy to use lube!!

The Kasparitis buyout has yet to happen and will happen, and that will save 2 million.

But, of course somebody is going.

People disagree, but to me the biggest no brainer is trying to move Cullen.

Some might argue to get some value now for Straka before he's UFA. Cullen can't match his production, but he's 3 years younger.

I think Straka is one of those guys who wanted to play one more year for the Rangers and then retire.

Jim - if they want to seriously make an attempt at the cup, I would strongly suggest keeping Cullen. But what do I know - you're the only one here who knows anything and you tell people about it every ten minutes.

What is wrong with 5 goals in 10 playoff games? Remember, games get tighter in the playoffs than during the regular season - plus you are playing better teams. If that weren't enough, 5 goals in 10 games proates out to 41 goals in 82 games. Yup, the Rangers don't need someone like that

There is an extra forward....or two

Gomez-Jagr...top line

Shanahan-Drury...2nd line

Straka-Prucha-Avery-Callahan-Hossa (any of them could be the 3rd winger on either of the top 2 lines)

Let's say for arguments sake we add these guys to the 2 lines.

Hossa-Gomez-Jagr

Shanahan-Drury-Avery

Matt Cullen centers the third line as it stands now.

Straka-Cullen-Prucha?

that leaves Callahan out

I like Prucha-Straka-Callahan

Matt Cullen getting moved

4th line

Hollweg-Betts-Orr/Dawes/Dubinsky

Matt Cullen needs to be moved, if not, then it's Prucha, but it only saves half the salary cap space.

last palce rangers!
last place rangers!

The Rangers should not buy Kasparaitis out. If they do, they are still subject to a salary cap hit. The thing to do is put him on waivers. If he isn't claimed, then you send him to Hartford where his salary does not count against the cap.

last place ranegrs!
last place rangers!

"But what do I know - you're the only one here who knows anything and you tell people about it every ten minutes"

huh...OK

well, let's stay in salary cap trouble and hang onto a 3rd line center who scored 15 goals last season when he had the second center role handed to him on a silver platter.

If someone else has a better suggestion to create some salary space than a 3rd line center making 3 million a year when we have Avery and Straka who are more than capable of being 3rd line centers, I am all ears.

I think its time to placate management and sign darius.

Keep trying yo mothar, you'll get it right soon. I'm pulling for you.

Don't be discouraged, Islanders fans are dumb.

Anthony,

They may do that with Kaspar.

I know that if they do buy him out, he will count 1 million against the cap, but they may send him to Hartford, good point.

If you really watched, you'd see that Shanahan scored most of his playoff points in the Atlanta series.

Don't blame his crappy second half on injury, the guy was goal-less in 25 games shortly BEFORE he got hurt.

Pay attention.

Peter, wow, to be so uninformed....

First of what happened to Shanahan wasn't just an "injury", it was devestating and near career ending.

"the guy was goal-less in 25 games shortly BEFORE he got hurt"

ummmmm, WRONG!!!!, he got hurt Feb 18th, he had 4 goals in his last 8 games before the incident. So, you are very wrong.

After he came back, he was still clearly not himself, but he had terrific chemistry with Avery and added a bunch of assists.

Here is the game by game listing for Shanahan.

WROOOOOOOOOONG!!!

http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/gamelog/?id=539&team=nhl

Jim- Your blogs are a bit preachy and telling a blogger its a "bitch fest" when criticizing his Zipay's blog is absurd. The point of a blog is to exchange ideas, complaints, lauding players etc. True, moron Islander fans play tit-for-tat on our blog and the Islander blog--that makes everyone a biy edgy. But, Zipay is a writer adn deserves any and all criticism. His last blog is indeed general, not helpful, and the kind of "drivel" I expect from a clueless Islander fan. So, the sanctimony is not warranted and this forum is open to all real Ranger fans(not that I question your Ranger loyalty). Thxs.

My bitch fest comment was directed at someone who didn't want to talk about the Shanahan signing, but wanted to continue to complain about Zipay's statement.

After like 30 people saying the same thing, isn't enough? Can't we talk Rangers now?

I get it--just trying to keep it all real.To your point, if ya hate Zipay, get off the blog. What about penalty killing? Do we have the depth?

I heard Avery is dropping a few lbs to be quicker and help even more on the pk....

dropping weight? Never saw him as slow or chunky-lol.
There are two areas Im concerned with 1) clearing the crease 2) second pk units point of attack quickness.

Blue Seats,

we have so much depth up front right now, it's crazy.

I'd really like to see Nigel Dawes get a legit chance, doesn't look like there is room.

Penalty killing, Blair Betts will continue to be our man with that.

Lots of people point to losing Ortmeyer hurting the penalty killing, but if you recall, Orts was scratched a couple of times vs Buffalo and the Rangers penalty killing was stifling at times in that series.

Chris Drury is an excellent penalty killer too, 3 SHG.

Jim - Go inside those stats you posted...What I said was that he was goal-less in 25 games SHORTLY before his injury. I was wrong. He had not scored an EVEN STRENGTH goal in 24 games. That's quite the feat.

Also, you mention it was career threatening, all the more reason NOT to bring him back.

Look, you can lick the jocks of all the big names you want, the bottom line is that signing slow-footed, over 40, "power" forwards who now play a perimeter game is NOT a good idea. All he'll do is take away a spot from Prucha/Callahan/Dawes and Renney will run him into the ground by December, just like last year. Even worse, with Shanahan slumping, Renney refused to take him off the 1st PP line. Only when he was injured did Prucha regain his RIGHTFUL place on the #1 unit.

People like you are the worst. All you do is look at big names and salivate, not really paying attention to how these guys actually play the game.

Peter,

You are crazy, there is nobody here, nobody who wants to give the young players a chance more than me.

Shanahan, BTW is not over 40, is such an inspirational player, so well loved by his teammates, such a leader.

Do you not remember the Brashear incident? Do you not remember where this team was and where it went after that?

If you have to have a veteran over 35 player on your team, this is the guy you WANT.

With the depth this team has now as compared to last season, first 40 games when Shanahan was playing too much, no way with Renney overuse him.

First 40 games last season, Renney overused Jagr, Shanahan and Straka. Agreed.

However, this team has so so much more than that now.

To be scared that Renney will overuse Shanahan is absurd.

I went to this game on St Pat's day vs Bruins, a 7-0 win, Callahan's first NHL goals.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8995151652362526051&q=team%3Arangers&total=46&start=0&num=10&so=1&type=search&plindex=5

It's a great watch again and again!!!

I definitely think we needed Shanny back, for all the reason's J from woodbury mentioned + more - he is as close to an ultimate leader as you can get without the last name Messier and a #11 on your back. We all know Jagr wears the C but Shanny I think commands the respect and drives the level of play up for all the players on his team!! A class act who is a huge addition to any locker room.

For all those ripping on Zipay...why can't his rumor be just a piece of bait thrown out there to be chewed on and spit out?? Does it necessarily need to be even true? Maybe he just wanted to put a topic out there to give the bloggers something to think about/ discuss. If you can't stand him and/ or think his writing is garbage, then why come here to read it?? Other than to just steal somebody's tag and put up a ridiculous posting such as "sorry fellow rangers fans but Shanny just signed with the Islanders!"

Zipay lacks insight and connections. However, the fans on this blog are pretty knoledgeable.

yea, great spelling Rocket. As i have said before, there will be no whining here about Zipay. He's a great writer and has a heck of an arse. I love him.

last comment wasn't me, someone who certainly despises me though

Jim - yeah a suggestion. Don't sign Souray and trade either Malik or Mara and bring up Staal. Don't buy out Kaspar send him to Hartford where he counts zero vs our cap. End of cap problem for this year. And the forwards won't have any injuries? Straka seemed to need surgery at end of yr but did not get it. He for one is a strong candidate to be injured. I like Marty but to count on him to be 3rd center with that shoulder does not make sense to me. And I guarantee you other injuries will happen and there is a real good chance young players will play a vital role anyway.

I thought the Isles blog was bad with trolls. Your Ranger blogs are infested it looks like!

As annoying as they are, the fake posts are hysterical at times.

Im sure the posting will get changed to registrations and such to prevent fake posters at some point soon.

By the way Shannie was a good resigning on your part. Good leader, and player.

looks like with the signing of Shanny, and the almost impending contract that Henry is going to get looks like the rangers are going to be able to look foward to an early exit from the playoffs again without any experienced D. The rangers have a lot of offensive power on their team, like last year however when you best defensive player is one of your top two centers you know your team is in trouble. Defense wins championships and the rangers do not have that this year. Shanny, as much as he is good for the fans, was not the missing piece to their puzzle. The rangers are now handcuffed and can not sign anybody until after the arbritation hearings for both Avery and Henry and by the time that is over all good D will be snached up and ranger rookies are going to be left with the burden of stopping the pucks from their pressure challenged goalie.

The rangers need to cut Orr. Not only is he useless as a skater, his fighting skills make him barely a heavy. Hockey has turned soft, why waste a 4th liner on Orr--if he aint playing in thee playoffs, why bother now.? Orr sucks.

LOL, not me, this guy must be real bored.

LI Joe,

I agree with you that Souray was a bad idea, I definitely don't wanna go there, and I think that is pretty much dead anyway.

We are not going to agree on Matt Cullen, it's ok, I understand where you are coming from, he is talented and he did play better as the season went on.

fredo, we may have trade bait with all this O talent to pick up some solid d-men. Jim, I'm not an Orr fan by any means..he's a subpar player and avergae fighter. But, we need someone in that roll .

Fredo,

All good D will be snatched up? Like who?

All the good D is already snatched up anyway.

Hey, are you still going to be around here when Marc Staal wins the Calder Trophy next year and you have to eat major crow?

1994,

The imposter Jim wrote that, I like Colton Orr, I'd been waiting 30 years for a Flyer to be taken off on a stretcher at MSG from gettin his arse whooped.

I think Fedoruk just signed in Dallas BTW

Im listening to Barry manilow and thinking of you all.

Fedoruk has been an injury prone punching bag forever. I think the Rangers could better use Orr's position for speed or true intimidation..Godard is a better fighter and available, but he does have quick sand skates(couldnt even stick with the Fishsticks). And, for the record, I would have liked to see Tocchet knocked cold when he was running amok! and, if this was the fake Jim, time to go to bed.

Jim Woodbury - I was at the game where he fought Brashear. I was cheering as loud as anyone else, and it was admirable.

But that was definitely NOT the changing point of the season. The acquisition of Sean Avery far more impacted this team.

I'm not knocking what Shanahan did last year for this team. But last year is over and we need to look toward the future. I could argue that Nylander deserved to be here just as much, if not more than Shanahan. He contributed two full years and was far more durable and consistent than Shanahan.

Like I said, not knocking what Shanahan did, just saying we need to turn the page. Why is it absurd to think Renney will overuse him when history shows that Renney will ride vets and sit younger players, even when vets are obviously slumping. The opposite is true,