I'm really unhappy after reading those press conference details, I think Sather really f'ckd up bigtime by not showing an initiative to get Jagr locked up.
Now we're going to lose him, and one of the other NHL teams (likely the Pens or Habs) is going to be significantly strengthened, kind of like what the Rangers and Flyers did to the Sabres last summer, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Rangers missed the playoffs without Jagr on the team.
Well, if Jagr comes back, expected Sundin to be here. Because it seems the only way Jagr is coming back is if they're going to make a serious push for the cup and sign Sundin. What Jagr has wanted, Jagr has gotten, and if they're serious about bringing him back, something tells me they'll sign Sundin.
If this is the case, I hope to god that they can find a way to get it done without killing all of our capspace. At least if it's a 1-2 year deal, we can still go after Kovalchuk in 2010.
Did you read Rodent's newest post from this afternoon? Jagr is saying he's unhappy that Sather never called him, he was waiting around in NY and never heard from him, and now he won't sign anything before July 1st, he wants to hear all his alternatives now.
Rodent - great job on the press conference details. Wow - Jags sounds pretty unhappy. I am starting to get used to the idea that he probably will not be around next season. I wonder if letting Jags go is the right move. For better or for worse, we committed ourselves to Chris and Scotty when we signed them to those contracts. Say what you will about them, but by the nature of those deals, we have to build around them. I LOVE Jags. He is one of my favorite players, but do we re-sign Jags and nab Sundin for a year while we alienate Scotty by not getting him a winger and push Drury farther down the depth chart? I don't really know.
Did you read Rodent's newest post from this afternoon? Jagr is saying he's unhappy that Sather never called him, he was waiting around in NY and never heard from him, and now he won't sign anything before July 1st, he wants to hear all his alternatives now.
Actually, Rodent inferred that he looked disappointed by Sather not calling him...there's no actual quote of him saying he was unhappy.
Rodent - great job on the press conference details. Wow - Jags sounds pretty unhappy. I am starting to get used to the idea that he probably will not be around next season. I wonder if letting Jags go is the right move. For better or for worse, we committed ourselves to Chris and Scotty when we signed them to those contracts. Say what you will about them, but by the nature of those deals, we have to build around them. I LOVE Jags. He is one of my favorite players, but do we re-sign Jags and nab Sundin for a year while we alienate Scotty by not getting him a winger and push Drury farther down the depth chart? I don't really know.
IMO, yes, and if Drury doesn't like it, let him waive his NMC and trade him. Not signing a better player just for the sake of not wanting to push someone else down the depth chart is idiotic, IMO. If you can get a better player, you do it. That's the whole idea, to win, not to have Drury playing 2nd-line center.
Actually, Rodent inferred that he looked disappointed by Sather not calling him...there's no actual quote of him saying he was unhappy.
I think it was more than inference, and just because there's no direct quote (even though there actually is, when JJ says "I don't know why Glen didn't call"), that doesn't mean it's only inference.
Anyway, even if it was, I trust Rodent enough to believe any inference is accurate.
It just seems that the Rangers are making a return to their short sighted ways of the past. When the Rangers signed Drury and Gomer, they said it was to give them insurance for the post-Jagr era. That era looks like it could be coming any day now. With all due respect to Jags, he played his heart out, but we should not have to further appease a player that may only be in the league for the next 1-2 years. I just think its foolish to sign Sundin, despite how much I appreciate him as a player, when we already have three very solid NHL centers on our roster. The general consensus has been that the Rangers need to get better on the back line. How does bringing in Mats Sundin do that?
It just seems that the Rangers are making a return to their short sighted ways of the past. When the Rangers signed Drury and Gomer, they said it was to give them insurance for the post-Jagr era. That era looks like it could be coming any day now. With all due respect to Jags, he played his heart out, but we should not have to further appease a player that may only be in the league for the next 1-2 years. I just think its foolish to sign Sundin, despite how much I appreciate him as a player, when we already have three very solid NHL centers on our roster. The general consensus has been that the Rangers need to get better on the back line. How does bringing in Mats Sundin do that?
No, actually, they're not; signing a Sundin to a one-year deal actually allows more flexibilty beyond the upcoming season. I'm more fearful of giving someone like Hossa or Campbell a long-term deal.
No, actually, they're not; signing a Sundin to a one-year deal actually allows more flexibilty beyond the upcoming season. I'm more fearful of giving someone like Hossa or Campbell a long-term deal.
gogo rangers, sign campbell, and sundin to 10 years deals
Jas, I respectfully disagree. I like Sundin as a player and understand that signing him for 1 year gives us more flexibility than signing a Hossa or Campbell, but what need does it fill? If Jags wants to be a Ranger, why cant Brandon Dubinsky center him? Coming into this off-season, I thought the Rangers needed to do four things. They needed to get a winger for Scottie Gomez, they needed to get a physical power forward to stand in front of the net, and they needed to acquire two defensemen. I am not just criticizing Rangers management for "returning to the past", as I termed it, I like our staff and agree with most of their moves since the lockout, I just fail to see where Sundin fits. I know people are going to say that signing Sundin will allow Drury move to wing on a line with Gomez. Is that really a good thing? Drury has not played the wing consistently since his time in Colorado. He played there at times last season, but I cant recall him looking at all comfortable.
The full transcript of JJ's press conference will be printed online at hokej.cz on Saturday. Perhaps someone could motivate Datel to do the formal translation so that my synopsis can be refined and any potential misunderstandings be resolved.
Edit: I got the literal translation Friday evening and put it on the rant page.
I honestly think if Jags comes back, the Rangers are going to have another playoff year. If Jags doesn't come back, the Rangers are going to have another playoff year. With the budding defense of Staal, Girardi, and Tyutin, Lundqvist in net, and Gomez and Drury's veteran leadership this team is almost a shoe in for the playoffs. Let's just sit back, and enjoy the ride.
I honestly think if Jags comes back, the Rangers are going to have another playoff year. If Jags doesn't come back, the Rangers are going to have another playoff year. With the budding defense of Staal, Girardi, and Tyutin, Lundqvist in net, and Gomez and Drury's veteran leadership this team is almost a shoe in for the playoffs. Let's just sit back, and enjoy the ride.
I don't think this team is a shoe in for the playoffs if Jagr doesn't come back. Honestly I don't see how we could call it better than 50/50 right now. We were a dreadful offensive team with Jagr and Straka and Shanny...and if they are all gone the reality is we will be worse...unless we open the vault for a guy like Hossa. And even if we do sign Marian, we may very well still score fewer goals than we did last year. Now an improved defense can help...but someone is going to have to put the puck in the net!
I don't think this team is a shoe in for the playoffs if Jagr doesn't come back. Honestly I don't see how we could call it better than 50/50 right now. We were a dreadful offensive team with Jagr and Straka and Shanny...and if they are all gone the reality is we will be worse...unless we open the vault for a guy like Hossa. And even if we do sign Marian, we may very well still score fewer goals than we did last year. Now an improved defense can help...but someone is going to have to put the puck in the net!
I disagree. If Jagr goes, we shift from the Euro style game we were playing last year to a more north american game, if he comes back, we have what we had last year.
I'm in the lets move away from the Jagr era camp. Sure he was great for us and especially in the playoffs, but were not going to win the Cup with the way the team is currently built (revolving around Jagr), so the sooner we move on the better, as others have said. I'd rather spend that money on bringing in guys like Campbell and Orpik, who are going to fill our needs.
I'm predicting Jagr ends up back in Pittsburgh for a bunch of reasons. Pens are gonna lose some guys, they are going to want to bring back some star power. From his standpoint, I think Jagr wants to win another Cup badly, and doing it back in Pitt would be like coming full circle. He still has a house there. He hates that fans there boo him and I think he left feeling that they got the wrong impression of him. He is still good friends with Mario. It would be the perfect way to stick it to the Rangers. Not to mention that retiring there would probably get them to raise his banner. What do you guys think?
if jj loves nyc so much, why doesn't he ask the rangers to back-end a two-year, incentive-laden deal so they can sign sundin and JJ for 2009. With the money we are saving by NOT re-signing Avery, Shanny and Straka, we can afford Sundin at say 6.5 for 3 years, then bump Jagr up to a 12-million for 2, but 2009 will only be a 5 million hit, and 2010 will be say 7.
Staal-Backman
Girardi-Tyutin
Montador-Sanguinetti (he'll get called up)
Reasons for my lineup:
1) I feel like our younger guys will make a jump to produce more offense. They need ice time, and with some of the vets gone they will get it. I think Dawes can replace Shanny's 25-goals or so. Prucha with a regular shift may be good for 20. And Cally will easily replace Straka's output with some PP time.
2) Lundqvist will be even better and steal more games for us.
3) Staal should be ready for 25 mins a game and a spot on the pp. He deserved it after the way he played in the playoffs.
4) Sundin is versatile. He can shift to Center with Drury and Jagr, and Dubi can center a very fast and energetic third line.
if jj loves nyc so much, why doesn't he ask the rangers to back-end a two-year, incentive-laden deal so they can sign sundin and JJ for 2009. With the money we are saving by NOT re-signing Avery, Shanny and Straka, we can afford Sundin at say 6.5 for 3 years, then bump Jagr up to a 12-million for 2, but 2009 will only be a 5 million hit, and 2010 will be say 7.
The cap doesn't work that way.
1) incentives can only be given on a 1-year deal, and that only once per player. For example, Shanny couldn't be given another incentive-laden deal because he was given one last year. And if that's what they wanted to do with Jagr, it would have to be a 1-year deal.
2) the cap hit is the average yearly salary, meaning a 2-year, $12mil deal would be a $6mil cap hit for each of the two years. You can frontload or backload the salary, but the cap hit is always the average amount of the total.
3) Backman isn't a 1st-pair defenseman, and using him that way would be fatal.
Why do people assume what TR wrote is what JJ sias and/or felt? I trust second hand Sam Rosen gossip before His Furriness. TR has an agenda, and it's definitely Czech related.
Why do people assume what TR wrote is what JJ sias and/or felt? I trust second hand Sam Rosen gossip before His Furriness. TR has an agenda, and it's definitely Czech related.
so you think he just totally made all that up and is lying about everything?
in that case, check Dellapina's blog, he has similar stuff up there.
1) incentives can only be given on a 1-year deal, and that only once per player. For example, Shanny couldn't be given another incentive-laden deal because he was given one last year. And if that's what they wanted to do with Jagr, it would have to be a 1-year deal.
2) the cap hit is the average yearly salary, meaning a 2-year, $12mil deal would be a $6mil cap hit for each of the two years. You can frontload or backload the salary, but the cap hit is always the average amount of the total.
3) Backman isn't a 1st-pair defenseman, and using him that way would be fatal.
Thanks for the info on the cap. Didn't realize the volume of stipulations.
. As for Backman, I know he is putrid. But if my dream line-up has Montador, a Backman-Sanguinetti pair would be a lot more dangerous to us, so put the steady Montador with a rookie, and our stud d-man with a marginal partner he's played with already.
What about one-time signing bonuses like the NFL uses?
so you think he just totally made all that up and is lying about everything?
in that case, check Dellapina's blog, he has similar stuff up there.
I did't say TR was lying, but he certainly is injecting his own bias into his translation/transcription. Not saying he's incorrect, but it's anothewr front in the "Jagr said/Slats said" debate, and TR has a definitive POV.
I disagree. If Jagr goes, we shift from the Euro style game we were playing last year to a more north american game, if he comes back, we have what we had last year.
We didn't play a Euro style of game last year, we played a boring as hell defense-first system with no offense and and none of the puck possession you see in the Euro game. It was antithesis of the open, free-flowing game we'd be playing if we were actually playing the type of game Jagr wants to play.
Why do people assume what TR wrote is what JJ sias and/or felt? I trust second hand Sam Rosen gossip before His Furriness. TR has an agenda, and it's definitely Czech related.
This is BS. I have no agenda. Clearly you haven't read my rants this spring. If anything, I was accused of being anti-check.
My purpose is to watch entertaining hockey no matter who plays.
So stop the crap putting words into my mouth. I like Prucha because of his style of play no matter what his nationality. I liked Anders Hedberg because of his style of play, not because he is Swede.
I criticized Malik and Roszy not because they are Czech but because of their play. Did I not roast Straka this spring for not shooting?
How can you accuse me of having an agenda when I dish it out to the Czechs (including Marty and JJ) just as much as I laud them when they do good(ly)?
