Quick post-mortem on a wild and fascinating few days and nights:
Love Jagr. one of the classiest and most approachable star athletes I've met on this long journey since I started in the newspaper racket in the mid-1970s. Be grateful for the three years.
The Rangers seem to have had a plan on two players, Jagr and Avery, and held to their convictions. Maybe it won't work this season, maybe it will.
All I know is, it would have been easy to give in.
Now, save money and see if maybe, just maybe, Sundin comes around.
That's pro sports.
Sure there's some loyalty, some soul, which is good, but in the end, it's business.
Things change when you don't win..
The games change.
You adjust. Roll the dice.
Nothing's forever.
Comments (27)
Think getting Naslund was in a little way trying to lure sundin this way?
whats the cap situation
there is no way we can afford sundin...hes got a 2 yr 20 mill offer from vancouver (rumored)..we only got 3 mill or so left.
we need to sign dawes, so that should be tops on the list.
we need to cut bait with hollweg, orr, betts and a few others to get a bit more cap room aswell.
steve montador as 6th dman
rangers have $3,471,157
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=NYR
Hey Steve... Nice way of putting it...
I guess we all get attached to the great ones and never want to let them go. I'm sad to see Jagr go.. he really was a great one!!. But we really have no say in this do we. What about Shanny ... any word on him? We have some Jr. Ranger fans wanting to know.
I'm young, 21. Hockey is by far and away my favorite sport. I love the Yankees and Giants but I would give anything to see the Rangers win the cup. For so many years they brought in the big names and sucked, it was hard to get attached. Jagr had a bad reputation coming in, but seeing him on the ice, especially down the stretch this year, it was great. Reading his great quotes in the paper, he seemed like he really enjoyed being here. It's rough seeing so many guys from this team gone. Yeah they didn't win the cup, and yeah they were frustrating as all hell December-February, but I really like this team.
Good luck 68, and Let's Go Rangers!
Before the Rangers got Jagr as a last ditch effort to turn around their ship of assorted mercenary stars to a viable team, I hadthe same feelings about Jagr that others did, he was selfish, lazy, soft and umotivated.
ended
However, once the lockout ended, Sather decided to build around Jagr with fellow country men and a new attack devised by Tom Renney. SI picked us 30th out of 30 teams that yer and Jagr hung it up in his locker.
He took the Rangers on his shoulders and set the tone in the ice. Renney adapted to Jagr's style and was able to put together a team system that Jagr flourished in. Renney and Jagr were the two biggest reasons the Rangers woke up from the doldrums they had been in and surprised everyone in the NHL, playing a team system with great defense while allowing Jagr and his line creative freedom.
I slowly came to respect and actually like Jagr. He changed people's minds and showed he was still an offensive force - breaking Graves record for goals and points in a season and could buy into Renney's defensive resposnibility and accountability, impressing many. He and Renney put Rangers hockey back on the map and relevant again. They helped us make the playoffs in '06, which no one expected. Jagr led the way as captain and brought our franchise, along with Renney back to respectability and back to being proud to be Ranger fans again.
Jagr was never my favorite player, before he was a Ranger or afterwards. I would have rather not had him as the captain either, but it worked out.
Thanks, Jags, you will not soon be forgotton by all of us fans for all you have done for the franchise.
Clearly, the Rangers want to change their style of hockey and their leadership. Once Drury and Gomez were signed and Nylander was let go, Jagr new the Rangers were changing and were not revolving around him anymore.
I am happy with Sather's moves so far this summer. The only thing I would do different was to try to do anything else to get Orpik from the Pens. Outside of that, the Rangers are now Chris Drury and Scott Gomez' team. The Rangers can build their forwards and defense around a more North American style perhaps and they dont have to appease Jagr on the PP or ice time.
We needed an offensive d-man to QB the power play and to fill our #1 role - Sather solved this by signing Redden. Resigning Roszival and getting Kalinin gives the Rangers 3 d-men who can work the Power Play now.
The Rangers were brave enough to change their focus and make the adjustments. Naslund, former captain of the Canucks, can fill a leadership role along with Drury and Gomer. Redden, an assistant captain on the Sens may also be considered as an assistant captain on the Rangers. The door is still open for the Rangers to bring back Shanny in some capacity and if he does he adds another veteran presence up front.
Acquiring Zherdev and Fritsche while somehow convincing another GM that Backman was a valuable player is a stroke of genius on Sather's part - he just fixed his mistake of acquiring Backman, his large contract and his defensive miscues by getting rid of him.
Zherdev can be an amazing player and Renney often has the kep to teaching and ulocking potential. Zherdev will also have a top flight center in Gomez to dish him the puck and will probably have Naslund playing the opposite wing, so he should be able to put up some big points for us.
Also, in a season or two, we may be salivating over the combo of
Zherdev-Anisimov-Cherepanov...
Good job, Sather, we look like we are on the right track and the upswing.
ortmyer,
i completely agree with you on orpik, as do most ranger fans. but sather offered him a 5 year deal with MORE MONEY that what pitt gave him for over 6 years. so he did his best to sign him, but orpik gave pitt a hometown discount of sorts
Can anyone tell me exactly what Voros, Rissmiller and Jamtin do that we wasted a couple of million dollars on these guys? Weren't there similar or better players already on the roster or in the minors?
Dan Boyle is available...somehow, some way, I would love to see Sather put something together and grab this guy...and do it before the Flyers do. His contract is really high $ wise, but somehow, if Slats can pull this off, our D will be complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Voros is an upgrade on the 4th line - he's a better player than Orr. 14 points from your 4th line fighter is actually pretty good.
I agree with you on Rissmiller. The Rangers have more than enough young guys to fill back line roles (Anisimov, Sjostrom, Korpikoski, Moore, etc). Hopefully he's dealt before the season starts, I'd hate to see a young player sent down to Hartford despite a great camp/preseason because there's no room on a back line.
Can't get on Sather for Orpik, not when he offered more money than Pittsburgh. Before the 2nd half of last season, 6 yrs, 22.5 mil for Orpik would have been insanity.
I would have taken Jagr back, but waiting for him to make his decision would have been problematic. What if the Rangers held onto that cap space to stay in position to sign Jagr, and he decided to go to Russia? Then you're left with no Jagr, no Naslund, no Demitra, probably no Sundin, and depending on Petr Prucha to regain his scoring touch.
Voros is an upgrade on the 4th line - he's a better player than Orr. 14 points from your 4th line fighter is actually pretty good.
I agree with you on Rissmiller. The Rangers have more than enough young guys to fill back line roles (Anisimov, Sjostrom, Korpikoski, Moore, etc). Hopefully he's dealt before the season starts, I'd hate to see a young player get sent down to Hartford despite a great camp/preseason because there's no room on a back line.
Can't get on Sather for Orpik, not when he offered more money than Pittsburgh. Before the 2nd half of last season, 6 yrs, 22.5 mil for Orpik would have been insanity.
I would have taken Jagr back, but waiting for him to make his decision would have been problematic. What if the Rangers held onto that cap space to stay in position to sign Jagr, and he decided to go to Russia? Then you're left with no Jagr, no Naslund, no Demitra, probably no Sundin, and depending on Petr Prucha to regain his scoring touch.
Jagr has signed with Omsk.
2 year deal with an option year.
Announcement to come later today.
http://www.hawk.ru/news/4536.html
http://hockeysverige.se/news_show_jagr_klar_for_omsk.html?id=668484
I guess Sather knew what he was talking about when he 'said call us if it doesn't work out in Russia'
Thank You Mr. Jagr for not joining Pittsburgh or another team in the NHL. You are a class act.
GO Rangers!!
Gene above talks about how for years we tried to win with the big names only. It didn't work. Jagr came in the same way and was a spark but in an earlier blog Jagr himself was quoted that he needed it to be HIS team for him to be motivated. I think all the dollars and the drive to win should be motivation enough. You earn the leadership role, it doesn't get handed to you. Earlier in the season he was performing very poorly and only elevated his game near the end. Who knows where we would have ended in the standings had he played his game the whole season. I'll miss him but I don't think the team will suffer for losing him. Unlike Gene, who is 21, I remember only one player whose loss really affected the team. I remember losing Eddie Giacomin and I remember the game when he returned.
Very well put steve. I think we have a good group shaping up for this season. should be interesting at the very least.
Glad they got Voros (not the best fighter but an certain upgrade to Hollweg) - adds to the depth of toughness ... they still NEED Orr around to take on the "heavies" around the leauge (i.e. BGL signs with Canadians, which has been reivigorated as a major rivalry) - Zherdev looks like he has some skill bit a crazed personality to go with it - and the traded the only other Russian on the team to get him - I think Zherdev only speaks Russian.. (assuming the two younger guys are not there) .. Naslund makes no sense to me, as sather contradicts himself by getting a 35 yr old on the downside.. might as well have appeased the fans and signed Avery... I have been pro Boyle for a long time, but looking thru the offensive numbers...he may not be worth what Tampa is asking... if they can pry the more physical Boumeister away from Fla somehow, I would go there..overall, I am not a Sather guy in the least and unimpressed with the off season moves, in general..
Why doesn't Naslund make sense?
He is only getting 4 million a year for two years, maybe coming to Broadway will rejuvenate his game, playing with Henrik.
Last year was an off year for Naslund and he still would have led us in goals.
Don't forget when thinking of Zherdev, Cherepanov and Anismnov are not too far off in the horizon.
Jagr and Tyutin were more "Rangers" than Zherdev and Naslund will ever be.
No fear on Russian, Rozsival and Prucha both speak Russian... in primary and secondary school in the Czech republic they get Russian.
One day I was hanging with a Russian fellow waiting for autographs, Rozsival and Tyutin come together so he started talking to Toots in Russian and Rozsival actually answered him.
so whoever was worried about language its all right.
btw, I read this blog but didn't post before, the real reason I came by was becuase I saw that Mara was signed, but the guy who stated it did not provide a source, can anyone help on whether this is true or not?
Thank you Jags.
Rangers get some good news in a couple of areas today. First it looks like Jagr will go to Russia meaning we wont be facing him as a penguin or canadien. Secondly it looks like Boyle will be going out west. This helps in two ways. First we don't have to worry too much about Boyle and from the looks of the trade I think Tampa just weakened their defense even more. Tampa is amazing up front with nothing on defense. Depending on team chemistry and further trades I think the Rangers should really battle for a top spot in the east. It's going to be a long summer and I cannot wait for training camp. This should be the most competitive camp in years with the level of skill and nastiness that different players will be bringing. Good job Sather!!!!!
nyrpaulh - That's a great piece of Rangers history you brought up, thanks! From what I remember as a very young Rangers fan was that Emile Francis was ultimately fired for his hotheaded decision to let Giacomon go. Maybe I'm wrong on that, just pulling it from memory. Giacomon and Villameure, what an excellent tandem they were and man, those were exciting Rangers teams.
nyrpaulh - That's a great piece of Rangers history you brought up, thanks! From what I remember as a very young Rangers fan was that Emile Francis was ultimately fired for his hotheaded decision to let Giacomin go. Maybe I'm wrong on that, just pulling it from memory. Giacomin and Villameure, what an excellent tandem they were and man, those were exciting Rangers teams.
I realize Jagr came in the same way, but he really grew on me. For 7 years to have no playoffs, to go to a game in March, 2003 (I still remember this clearly) when the Penguins had no chance at the playoffs, were on a 19 GAME WINLESS STREAK, and them Mario doesn't play. To see the big shot Rangers roll over in that game, I hated them.
Jagr invigorated the team. Whether they won the big one or not, they did better than I ever could remember them doing. And for that I say thank you Jaromir, your service to this franchise will be appreciated, even if it wasn't always the smoothest sailing.
Guys, don't forget we picked up Nik Kalinin too. He is Russian, and, in my humble opinion, a very solid D-man. He should help Zherdev acclimate and mature. He also is an all around, top-notch player. Hits very well( much better than Tyutin), skates well, not a defensive liability, not scared to jump up into the play, and when he does, has a great shot.He was injured the last part of last season, but i hear is fully rehabbed, and has a great conditioning routine. One of the "sleeper" pickups that I think we will all(except bob, of course) be very pleasantly surprised by.