Jason Strudwick was signed today by the Edmonton Oilers to a one year contract for an undisclosed amount. He is a decent 6/7th defenseman and quietly gets the job done. Jason can also play wing when needed. He was a good utility player in his 2+ seasons with the New York Rangers and always put out 100% effort.

That is the description of what Struddy brought to the Rangers on the ice. But Jason is more then the some of his parts. Off the ice and in the room, Jason Strudwick was the ultimate team player. Whether he walked Henrik Lundqvist’s dog when the team was on the road or mentored the younger players in the lockerroom or on the bench, Struddy always did it with a smile and a positive attitude.

He also took his positive attitude and his incandescent smile to the fans. Whether greeting fans or while involved in the many Ranger charity functions, Jason was a good ambassador for the team and for the game. I can attest to this because I was the beneficiary of his graciousness on several occassions.

Now it is time for me to say a heartfelt farewell to Struddy. Jason is going back to his hometown to play with the Oilers. This has to be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for him. He’ll be around his family and hopefully he can settle down and raise his own family now.

Jason Strudwick embodied the phrase “Be A Ranger”. I am sure this is not the last we will hear from Struddy. He’ll make a fine coach and maybe he’ll come back to the Rangers organization someday.

mhurley with Jason Strudwick #34 - Skate with the Rangers at Bryant Park November 2005
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Today is the first day New York Ranger fans are waking up to a world without Jaromir Jagr. After three plus seasons of seeing “The Jaromir Jagr Show”, we learned yesterday that Glen Sather couldn’t wait any longer for Jagr to make up his mind. Sather had the opportunity to sign Markus Naslund for two years for the same amount of money Jagr wanted for one. I can’t blame Sather for moving on.

Some fans out there may perceive the signing of Nasland as a sign of Sather disrespecting Jagr. I don’t think anything could be further from the truth. Jagr and his agent were playing possum. Sather had to make a business decision in the best interest of the team. We are now hearing that Jagr has signed with Avangard Omsk but the amount has not been disclosed. Going to the RSL seems to have been his plan all along. What did Jagr think Sather was going to do, mortgage the team and it’s future by paying Jagr $8 million dollars a season for two more years?  

If Jagr has signed with Omsk, it begs the question as to whether Jagr may have diliberately failed to make the contract triggers that could have kept him with the Rangers. Perhaps testing the waters and looking for the highest bidder either here or abroad was his intention all along. If this is the case, then I would say Jagr has been the disingenous one. We will never know.

No matter. What’s done is done and I for one am not unhappy with what has transpired so far. By signing Redden, Nasland, and Talinin in particular, Sather has filled some holes while still allowing the youth movement to continue. He has not mortgaged the future and still has space to maneuver later in the season if need be.

After three semi-successful seasons with Jaromir Jagr as leader, this new team now truly belongs to Tom Renney and his coaching staff. It is truly Independence Day for them. Much is expected from those to whom much has been given. Like Michael Rozsival, Renney and the coaching staff will now have their feet to the fire to produce now that the Jagr reign is over.

Thanks and good luck to Jaromir Jagr and Marty Straka. Of all players who are leaving, I think I will miss Stracena the most. Marty was the Walter Tkaczuk of post-lockout Rangers.

Happy 4th of July to everyone.

“I say high, you say low.
You say why and I say I don’t know, oh no.
You say goodbye and I say hello”

-Hello, Goodbye, The Beatles

Free Agency day is at once the best of times and the worst of times. It’s a time when we say hello to new faces and goodbye to others.  Everyone has their opinion. Some players and fans are happy. Others are not.

Overall, two days in, I think the Rangers are holding their own. I cannot imagine how difficult it is for Glen Sather in this capped environment. The highest bidder usually wins in most circumstances. Once the bar is set on the price for a particular type of player, there is precious little time to reevaluate the other players left and to determine how best to fill in your gaps. Some folks like to complain about Sather fishing, smoking cigars and eating ice cream cones but at this time of year, I’m sure he earns his keep.

Wade Redden wasn’t even on my radar. I would not have thought he would leave Ottawa after spending 11 seasons there. I would have thought Sather would have targeted a younger player as well. It was rumoured that the Rangers were going after Campbell. Campbell went for a ridiculous amount of money for eight years. Redden is the puckmoving powerplay quarterback the Rangers so desperately need. He has experience. Sather addressed his most pressing need with the best deal for the best player available. $6 million dollars for six years may seem high and long to some. After all, Redden is 31. But, Redden’s deal pales in comparison to Rozsivals.

Heaven help you Michal Rozsival if you do not live up to this contract. If you thought the treatment Malik got was bad, the Garden Faithful will crucify you. You will become the new whipping boy if you don’t produce. Considering Rozsival’s physical state and hometown status, you would think he’d have come a little cheaper. I guess Sather knew he had to give up Tyutin to get Zherdev. Keeping Rozsival makes sense. 

I think most people could see the handwriting on the wall for Sean Avery.  Yes, indeed, Sean will be cutting a swathe through the Southern Belles in Big D with his new boss, Big B. Tony Romo better get a chastity belt for Jessica Simpson because Avery is coming to Dallas and he does blondes.  Brett Hull has a bigger ego then Avery. Let’s see how long this honeymoon will last. At least Sean had the decency to sign with a Western Conference team. I am sure there are many Ranger fans out there who want Sather’s head on a platter for losing “Vogue Boy”. If these fans didn’t see this coming, they are blind.

You don’t cross Glen Sather. Avery cast the die when he bucked Sather by going to arbitration last summer. Then, like it or not, his circus act performance during the playoffs made the Rangers a laughing stock and caused the creation of the “Avery Rule”. Without Shanny to reign in this loose cannon, Avery would have just created more problems then he is worth. Four years at $3.87 million was too much for Glen to  gamble on the “Avery Effect”.

Finally, we learned today that we lost one Russian for another. As much as I hate to see Tyutin go, hockey is a business. There is little room for sentiment. Tyutin was homegrown and one of the original post lockout kids that we all came to love three seasons ago. He showed such promise. Many say his development stalled and they might be right. Still, it is sad to see him go. God speed Fedor. You were a good Ranger.

Tyutin and Backman for Zherdev and Fritsche is a good trade. Zherdev has skill and speed and should compliment Gomez well. He should be exciting to watch. Will he take the place of the fiery Avery or, dare I say it, Jaromir Jagr? That remains to be seen…

Hello Zherdev, Redden, Fritsche, Rissmiller  and Voros.

Goodbye Avery, Backman and Tyutin.

Stay tuned for the next episode of “As the Free Agent Turns”.

Today we learned that Michael Rozsival must have surgery on his hip and that he was playing through the pain at the end of the season and in the playoffs.

Labral Tear(from MayoClinic.com)

The socket of your hip joint (acetabulum) is lined by cartilage called your labrum. This cartilage provides stability and cushioning for your hip joint, allowing the ball of your thighbone (femur) to move smoothly and painlessly in the socket.

A tear in your labrum, known as a hip labral tear or acetabular labral tear, can result from injury, repetitive movements that cause wear-and-tear on your hip joint, or degeneration, such as from osteoarthritis.

In many cases, a hip labral tear causes no signs or symptoms and doesn’t require treatment. Occasionally, however, a hip labral tear may cause pain or a “catching” sensation in the hip joint.

When treatment for a hip labral tear is necessary, it may consist of physical therapy, medications or a combination. Less frequently, surgery is necessary to treat a hip labral tear.

Boy, after lambasting poor Michael Rozsival at the end of the playoffs, do I feel like a jackass right now. Sure, none of us were to know that Rozsival was injured and playing in pain. And yes, I understand that management does not want to disclose the exact nature of player’s injuries lest they be targeted for more punishment by the opposition. (ie, Gary Roberts taking head shots on Johan Franzen).

All that said, it would have been nice if teams disclosed which players were playing injured and the extent of the injury after the season is over, be it the regular season or the playoffs. Then, total loser hockey geeks like myself would tend to be more temperate with our remarks, player evaluations on the season and projected free agent signing.

Does this news about Rozsival change my opinion of him as a player? You’re darn tootin’ it does!Rozsival was the highest scoring defenseman for the Rangers and was 13th overall in the league with 13 goals, 38 points and an even +/-. He played 80 games. Not too shabby.

All things considered, I cannot be angry with Rozsival for not hitting more and taking the body, which was my chief gripe against him during the playoffs. Considering how weak the Ranger defense was, it was better that Rosie be conservative in face of his injury then risk taking himself out of  action permanently.

I no longer think that Rozsival should be jettisoned by the Rangers, out of hand. He has earned my respect because he played through the pain, taking one for the team. I do think that the Rangers must proceed with caution regarding his re-signing. I question why the disclosure and susequent surgery came a full 6 weeks after the Rangers were eliminated. 

Whose position does such a delay in disclosure strengthen? I would say the Rangers. They can decline to re-sign him based upon his health or they can re-sign him for a lot less then Rozsival would have commanded on the open market were he not damaged goods.  Only time will tell. But, if I am Sather I am signing the best puckmoving free agent defenseman out there at 12:01 am on July 1. If there is no more cap space for Rozsival, quel dommage.  

After watching the Detroit Red Wings dismantle the Eastern Conference Champion Penguins in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, many Eastern Conference fans want to know why and how Detroit came to be so good. How did this team come to be so dominant in every aspect of the game? How did this confluence of offense, defense, special teams and goaltending come about?

Here is one answer. The management of the Detroit Red Wings has invested time and patience in their players. The perfect case in point are their two Selke nominees, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Zetterberg and Datsyuk. They go together like a horse and carriage.

Neither Datsyuk or Zetterberg were drafted in the first round. They were diamonds in the ruff found by the man Brenden Shanahan once dubbed the most important person in the Detroit organization, their European scout.

They came over and worked their way on to the team and into the lineup like any other prospect. They were given the golden opportunity to paired with Brett Hull ( Two Kids and A Goat line). While with Hull, D&Z did not take the body, they did not hit much. While their plus/minus numbers were nowhere near the respective +41 and +30 they are today, they weren’t third line grinders either.  How did these players come so far?

Patience.

Time and patience was not only invested in Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Franzen and Hudler have been afforded the same opportunity. Let’s look at these player’s career numbers:

Year/Team/Games Played/Goals/Assists/Points/+- 

Zetterberg

2002-03 Detroit 79 22 22 44 6

2003-04 Detroit 61 15 28 43 15

2005-06 Detroit 77 39 46 85 29

2006-07 Detroit 63 33 35 68 26

2007-08 Detroit 75 43 49 92 30

Datsyuk

2001-02 Detroit 70 11 24 35 4

2002-03 Detroit 64 12 39 51 20

2003-04 Detroit 75 30 38 68 -2

2005-06 Detroit 75 28 59 87 26

2006-07 Detroit 79 27 60 87 36

2007-08 Detroit 82 31 66 97 41

Franzen

2005-06 Detroit 80 12 4 16 4

2006-07 Detroit 69 10 20 30 20

2007-08 Detroit 72 27 11 38 12

Hudler

2003-04 Detroit 12 1 2 3 -1

2005-06 Detroit 4 0 0 0 0

2006-07 Detroit 76 15 10 25 16

2007-08 Detroit 81 13 29 42 11

Each year, each player has gotten better both offensively and defensively.  And, by farming their home grown talent and getting maximum value for their money, the Red Wings are able to judiciously go out and buy the key free agents they needed. Hasek in 2001 and Rafalski in 2007 are but two examples.

Can the Detroit model apply to the New York Rangers? In his first five seasons as general manager, Glen Sather tried to buy a high priced team of free agents. We all know how that worked out. Since just before the lockout, Sather, Maloney and Renney chose to adopt the “homegrown” philosophy. But, knowing the Ranger fan base’s penchant for marquee names and immediate results, Sather is poised on the precipice of sacrificing promising youth for a much needed puck moving defenseman.

The first name that comes to mind as trade bait is Petr Prucha. I think it would be a mistake to  lose any of the following youth to get that puckmoving defenseman. Now is the time for Sather to BUY. These four Rangers are of comparable size and talent to the four aforementioned Red Wings. Their early career numbers are not dissimilar. With time and patience, Prucha, Callahan, Dawes and Dubinsky could well work out to be players of the caliber of Datsyuk, Franzen. Hudler and Zetterberg for the Rangers.

Prucha

2005-06 N.Y. Rangers 68 30 17 47 3

2006-07 N.Y. Rangers 79 22 18 40 -7

2007-08 N.Y. Rangers 62 7 10 17 3

Dubinsky

2006-07 N.Y. Rangers 6 0 0 0 0

2007-08 N.Y. Rangers 82 14 26 40 8

Dawes

2006-07 N.Y. Rangers 8 1 0 1 -4

2007-08 N.Y. Rangers 61 14 15 29 11

Callahan

2006-07 N.Y. Rangers 14 4 2 6 5

2007-08 N.Y. Rangers 52 8 5 13 7

The only decent UFAs on the market, in my opinion, are Brian Campbell,, JM Liles, Mark Streit, Mattias Norstrom, Brooks Orpik, Steve Montador and Jeff Finger, more or less in that order.

G A PTS +/- 2007-08 Salary

8 54 62 +8 Campbell $1.75

6 26 32 +2 Liles $1.4

13 49 62 -6 Streit $600

2 11 13 +3 Norstrom $4.25

1 10 11 +11 Orpik $1.075

8 15 23 +1 Montador $800

8 11 19 +12 Finger $475

Brian Campbell (29)

Assets- Is an extremely gifted offensive talent. Has plenty of creativity and intelligence with the puck. Owns excellent mobility.

Flaws- Can get easily knocked off the puck at the NHL level. Needs to play a tighter game in the defensive zone, so as to avoid being labeled a specialist.

Career potential - Power play quarterback.

Liles (27)

Assets - Has plenty of offensive acumen. Isn’t afraid of the rough going. Plays with supreme confidence when in possession of the puck.

Flaws - His smallish frame will always be an issue at the NHL level. Needs to prove he can raise his level of play with more ice time.

Career potential - Power play quarterback.

Streit (30)

Assets - Moves the puck swiftly up the ice. Is capable of playing the point on the power play. Owns plenty of international experience.

Flaws - Lacks size for the blueline position at the NHL level. Must play with more confidence in the defensive zone.  

Career potential - Power play specialist

Montador (28)

Assets - Makes the most of his ability and has decent offensive skills. Shoots the puck with aplomb and can also deliver big hits.

Flaws - Must make quicker decisions in order to play a regular role in the NHL. Is prone to making mistakes with the puck.

Career potential - No. 6 or 7 defenseman

Finger (28)

Assests - Plays a steady game from the back end and usually limits his mistakes. Can log plenty of ice time and is a solid team-first player.

Flaws - Has never put up great offensive numbers and probably never will. Isn’t a physical player, despite his 6-1, 205-pound frame.Career potential - Top six defenseman.

Norstrom (36)

Assets - Knows his role as a stay-at-home defender and takes care of business in his own end first and foremost. Loves a rough-and-tumble game. Is a fabulous hitter and solid leader.

Flaws - Is not offensively skilled at all. Has virtually no point shot to speak of. May struggle at times against the speedier forwards in the league. Career potential - Defensive defenseman.

Continued

With many players becoming unrestricted free agent on July 1, the burning question becomes who will return in September. Let’s do this alphabetically.

Avery

For sure, the Ranger have more wins when Avery is in the lineup then not but at what cost do we resign him. I am not in favor of paying Avery $4million for four seasons. Lacerated spleen aside, he has proven to be injury prone. He disappeared in the second round of the playoffs and unwittingly made the Rangers the laughingstock of the league with his antics in front of Marty Brodeur. Some are saying those antics were worse then Cindy Crosby’s diving. I am not in favor of having an overpaid, loose cannon on the Rangers with no one to reign him in. (Shanahan). I would take him back but no more than $3million tops four years.

Jagr

Anyone who has read this blog before knows that I am not the biggest fan of Jaromir Jagr. Great player, yes. First ballot Hall of Famer, undoubtedly. 2008-2009 New York Ranger, No. I predict Jagr will not come back and I will venture a guess that it is by his design. Jagr’s play during the lion share of the regular season begs the question, did he even want to make his contract triggers?  Would I re-sign him for one year for $5million plus incentives, maybe. But the way I see it, it’s time for the Rangers to bite the bullet and bring up more youth. Spend the money on better defense and maybe another sniper.

Malik

There’s nothing left to say but Adios to Harry. 

Mara

Paul Mara is an enigma to me. He is large enough but not tough enough. He has a decent shot but he doesn’t really shoot a lot. He doesn’t step up. At 29 years of age and coming off a $3million dollar contract, I do not see a raise being warranted. I’d offer him 3 years at $2.5 million only after locking up the best available defensemen out there. (either via trade or free agency.)

Rozsival

The Rangers need to let Rozsival walk. Even if he does come back to be a Ranger killer on some other team, not having him on the Ranger’s is addition by subtraction. I think of all the player’s in the playoffs I am most disappointed by Rozsival.

Shanahan 

If I knew Brendan personally, I would beg him to retire. He has been and always will be my favorite hockey player but it is clearly time for Shanny to hang them up. Because of the Cup, Messier was able to come back to the Rangers and play four dissolute seasons without destroying his legacy. I fear such would not be the case here for Brendan. I am eternally grateful to the Hockey Gods that I got to see him play as a New York Ranger. Now, if the Hockey Gods could just make him Commissioner, all my prayers will be answered.

Go raimh mile a mah agat, Brendan agus Slan.

Straka

Marty Straka has been a player’s player while a New York Ranger but it is time for Marty to follow his heart and go back home and raise his children in the Czech Republic. All the best to a guy with the heart of a lion. 

Strudwick

After seeing Jason Strudwick in a Ranger uniform for the better part of three seasons, I would not be adverse to seeing him come back. He wouldn’t be a big hit on the cap. He has proven to be reliable and willing to play or not play as instructed. Unless or until Baranka, Sauer or Sanguinetti are ready, keeping Strudwick isn’t the worst idea.

I do not wish to even address trading the players we presently have signed. It is an exercise in futility until we see how the Draft pans out and deal with our unrestricted free agents.

Two days have past since the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs. I finally feel able to put my thoughts into words.

Of course, I am unhappy that the Ranger’s season came to a close on Sunday to such an unworthy opponent. I will make no apology when I say that the Pittsburgh Penguins are unworthy. They are unworthy for no other reason then their poor sportsmanship. They may have talent but they have no class. I guess Crosby really is learning his tricks the feet of Mario Lemieux. I’d bet money he wouldn’t be a whiner or a diver if his mentor were Steve Yzerman.

Gary Bettman and the league want Cindy Crosby and the Penguins to succeed at all costs. They pander to them by allowing the diving and the slew footing to go uncalled. I find that incomprehensible coming from a league straggling behind Nascar and Poker for television viewership. The officiating and the decision making from the war room in Toronto has rendered the product less believable and less palatable than professional wrestling. One needs no better illustration of that then the Ranger/Penguin series.

I am not going to enumerate the uncalled offenses. Everyone saw what happened. Suffice it to say that the next team to play Pittsburgh will have a much easier time because they will know what to expect. I fully expect the Flyers to exact more then a pound of Crosby and the Penguin’s flesh. Let’s hope Darien Hatcher is more successful at it then was Ryan Hollweg.

As far as the play of the Rangers themselves, one need look no further than their nonexistant powerplay. One can’t be disappointed over something they never had. The Rangers had no consistent powerplay all season.  The reason the Rangers had no powerplay is two fold. They did not have anyone to quarterback their powerplay; the Rangers have no one who could honestly be considered an No. 1 NHL defenseman. That is not the coaching staff’s fault nor is it the fault of the players. The only player who has any promise of being a top pair defenseman for the Rangers on the present team is Marc Staal.

Dan Girardi is decent but not top notch. Fedor Tyutin regressed this year. Paul Mara would be a better player if he were tougher and took more shots but he cannot be considered a top pair defenseman. Jason Studwick is better than Backman and Malik but that isn’t saying much. The person I am the most disappointed in is Rozsival. He has a good shot but doesn’t take it. He can hit but he doesn’t. I have a hard time categorizing him as a number two defenseman. The whole kit and kaboodle don’t clear the crease and take out the opposition. The Rangers defense was pretty much useless. With a defense like this, it’s a a miracle they made the playoffs, no less the second round. Yikes, what does that say about the New Jersey Devils.

Tom Renney preached “defense first” without a No. 1 defensemen. That’s like trying to get bread to rise without yeast. Getting a topnotch puck carrying defenseman who can quarterback the powerplay should be Glen Sather’s number one priority this off season. Not re-signing Jagr. Not re-signing Avery.

To be continued….

If  it’s time for me to sing, at least I get to pick the song.

They Can’t Take That Away From Me (words and music by George and Ira Gershwin)

The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can’t take that away from me

The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can’t take that away from me

We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I’ll always, always keep the memory of

The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can’t take that away from me
No, they can’t take that away from me

After watching the Rangers play badly on Tuesday and go down 3-0 in this series, walking in to Madison Square Garden last night felt like walking in to a wake. I pride myself on being an honest person. I’ll admit that I thought the Rangers would not prevail last night. 

I give my friends Bobby Granger and Scott Wolke tremendous credit. They never stopped believing. I give no credit to certain of my seatmates from 409 who sold their tickets and bailed on last night’s game. They know who they are. Shame on them. They missed a great game and a lot of fun. I still love you guys anyway.

I felt badly on Tuesday that there were no balloons raining down from Section 409 at the start of the national anthem. Maybe it was bad karma that we failed to do the balloons.  Maybe it was a bad omen that John Amorante didn’t sing the anthem. Ordinarily I am not a superstitious person. I didn’t wear my Canterbury Cross on Tuesday either. It was a triple whammy.

Last night I made sure the balloons went down, the cross was around my neck and I was relieved to see Amorante walk out with the Color Guard to sing.  John was in good voice. Last night I quelled my nerves and commiserated with my Section mates about the Rangers predicament as we blew up a couple of hundred balloons. Keeping busy is the best remedy for anxiety.

The fans in the Garden did not disappoint their team. They were just as loud and brash as they were on Tuesday and during the Devils series. The Rangers didn’t disappoint their fans. Captain Jagr and his team showed their true colors while exposing the Pittsburgh Penguins for the cry babies and poor sports they are.

Evgeni Malkin slew footed Mara twice at the end of the game. That’s a suspendable offense. Predictably, there was no call by the on ice officials and no comment by the NHL. This same cheap shot artist was awarded a penalty shot on a phantom penalty. He was pushed in the back by the stickless hands of Ranger defenseman Dan Girardi. The puck forced in the net by Malkin’s diving body was declared a no goal. Malkins penalty shot attempt was soundly foiled by our Vezina candidate. Boo-hoo Pengiuns.  

Last night, no Ranger committed an egregious error or took a bad penalty that resulted in a goal. The Rangers played their game and Henrik Lundqvist posted a shut out. Amorante may have sang but this fat lady didn’t. The team without home ice advantage has to win two games in the building of them team with it. The Rangers still have to do that. I think they can.

The most important part of the game last night was the Rangers stick salute and the stars of the game, Lundqvist, Jagr and Dubinsky. If last night was the last time we will see this Ranger team on the ice at Madison Square Garden,  at least Ranger fans got to show their appreciation for these players and another successful season.