The locker room has, again, become a collection of mercenaries with little allegiance to the sweater or, perhaps more disturbingly, to one another. If it is unacceptable that the Rangers don't battle for the puck, it's intolerable that they won't battle for one another. The change in culture effected under Tom Renney following the lockout has dissipated.
Larry was itching to go after the Rangers if you read his twitter yesterday
Quote:
Brashear, who wanted nothing to do with Carcillo last night, is out.
about 14 hours ago from web
Petr Prucha--oops, no, I mean Aaron Voros in Rangers' lineup at Canes tonight for first time since Nov. 30 after 12 straight scratches.
about 14 hours ago from web
So who's on waivers today following last night's Rangers' debacle? Why, nobody. Hey, why ruin the boys' New Year's party?????
about 20 hours ago from web
Why stop with Redden, Rozsival and huggybear? Talks should be ensued with Chris Drury how to solve this mess. He can't be an integral part of this team if we want to be successful.
Higgins should get regular 3rd line time and be offered a 3rd line contract when his old expires (otherwise, buh-bye Higgins), Kotalik should be thrown away. $3 million a year for his play is just pukingly bad.
At least Avery is yapping and hitting people while he's struggling offensively.
And oh, yes, throw $ather out. He's been done for, for a couple of years now, he can't create a contending team.
I have to say, this is my single biggest disappointment with Sather. Even though his drafting with Edmonton was very spotty, I was happy when he got the GM's job for the single reason that he was "tough." He was going to hold players - especially veteran players - accountable. There would be no more Golden Parachutes. No more entitled players. No more country club. No more laziness.
Yet here we are again.
I think there were two years in the last decade where we had a genuinely committed team, and that's just NOT what I expected from any Sather club when we gave him a contract.
I don't know what's up with Brashear--whether he's hurt or not but he shouldn't have a problem with Carcillo. He's been a major disappointment.
Identifying other disappointments isn't hard. 1) Drury 2) Redden 3) Rozsival--though I wouldn't be waiving him yet 4) Kotalik 5) Higgins--sometimes he competes hard-sometimes not so hard-whatever the case he doesn't finish.
I'd rather not argue about more marginal players like Voros or Boyle--as they are what they are and I don't get the feeling that they're lackadaisical and we're not spending so much on either of them.
I don't know what's up with Brashear--whether he's hurt or not but he shouldn't have a problem with Carcillo. He's been a major disappointment.
Identifying other disappointments isn't hard. 1) Drury 2) Redden 3) Rozsival--though I wouldn't be waiving him yet 4) Kotalik 5) Higgins--sometimes he competes hard-sometimes not so hard-whatever the case he doesn't finish.
I'd rather not argue about more marginal players like Voros or Boyle--as they are what they are and I don't get the feeling that they're lackadaisical and we're not spending so much on either of them.
He is cashing in his retirement checks. Why should he be any different then all the other over priced, over aged free agents we have signed since 1995.
Drury is disappointing based on his contract. He gives whatever he's got, though. You can't say the same about double R and Brashear. The sooner we lose those three the better.
Drury is disappointing based on his contract. He gives whatever he's got, though. You can't say the same about double R and Brashear. The sooner we lose those three the better.
Drury knocked in a couple nice goals as a 4th liner and now has disappeared again. 0 shots in the Flyers debacle. 0 shots last night. He's not getting enough opportunities. He can't create for himself which is what a center should be able to do. I've always wondered why the Rangers haven't put him on the wing more but nonetheless this season (14 pts in 35 games) has been a disaster for him. He'll have to put up a point a game the rest of the year just to match his production from the first two years. Very very unlikely from what we've seen so far and for $7 mil + it's pathetic.
I just read the whole article and wow has Brooks just called out Sather and Dolan to do something, not that he has much say or leverage in the situation, but you have to think that they are both going to get wind of this article and maybe make them think.
Redden, Rozy, and Brash just don't seem to care, i would rather have 4 rookie dmen and a rookie tough guy than them here. And as far as drury goes, he makes more than he should yes, but he cares for this team, this organization, and if he gets a few more chances and relaxes, he will be a good player for us!
Hopefully sather finally does something abou redden and rozy and brash soon, before it is too late and we have another debacle like the philly game.
Drury knocked in a couple nice goals as a 4th liner and now has disappeared again. 0 shots in the Flyers debacle. 0 shots last night. He's not getting enough opportunities. He can't create for himself which is what a center should be able to do. I've always wondered why the Rangers haven't put him on the wing more but nonetheless this season (14 pts in 35 games) has been a disaster for him. He'll have to put up a point a game the rest of the year just to match his production from the first two years. Very very unlikely from what we've seen so far and for $7 mil + it's pathetic.
He had a 62.5% face off percentage last night. That's huge.
My point really wasn't the value to dollar ratio - more that the guy hustles every night and isn't lazy like R & R and particularly Brashear.
I don't get this. I really don't. We're talking about reforming the team to become a real team, yet so many of you defend Chris Drury. WHY? He cares. He skates hard. So frigging what? So did Freddy Sjöström, but that didn't help him get a re-sign @700k. So did Betts, but that didn't get him re-signed. You don't get paid for effort, you get paid for performance. At least on most teams who aren't dumb. We have three players paid close to $7m a year on this team. We have Marian Gaborik. We have Henrik Lundqvist. We have Chris Drury. Find one fault.
We are paying a slightly upgraded Chris Higgins, $7m a year to hopefully be 50/50 at faceoffs, play some PK, hog up PP time which he does absolutely nothing with, "care and skate hard" and score a goal once every 12th game or so (if we're lucky). Forget about any sort playmaking, ok? Forget about any sort of line threat on the line he's playing on. Here it's "dump, turn the puck over and chase." Any 4th liner can do that.
We could've had a Heatley-esque kind of player for the money we have thrown at Drury, a glorified 3rd liner at this point in his career. So why the heck do you constantly try to leave Chris Drury out of the "this team needs to be reformed" equation? You don't think Chris Drury is a big reason why this team is terrible offensively and has been so since he arrived? Think again. He's the 2nd threat this team should've had to relieve Gaborik. That's the money we that jackass with the cigar threw at him. I don't care that he's Captain America and is a poster hanging on many bedroom doors (which I have no clue of why really). Because if he's Captain America, you need to raise your standards.
"But Chimp, he has a NTC! He's the Captain!" So? Yashin was bought out, on a team known for collective failure for a long time now. And he was their best scorer! Nylander was forced into AHL, despite having exactly the same clause as Drury.
"But Chimp, the franchise will look like a ********* if they force their NTC captain off the team!" Say what? Let me get this straight... you're afraid of our franchise reputation, because we might chase a player (in a world of cap floors), who is a big part of dragging the team down - despite a heavy loaded contract - into AHL. We are afraid we might lose franchise reputation, because we're actually trying to hold a huge underachiever accountable? If we scare any other mercenaries away, who had plans to come to New York to cash in for a piss poor performance, I'm not exactly sad. I'm not sad either if the message to the other players is: "If you come to New York, we have some sort of expectations that you can man up to the suitcase of dollars we hand you."
But you're apparently not afraid NYR looks like a ******* retirement home, were you have no accountability whatsoever for your salary, expectations or your level of responsiblity. As long as you fool $ather to pay you the dough, you're set for life. Like some kind of top level politician or corporate executive. Hey, if $ather and Drury can't go golfing together after $ather brings out the axe, it's not exactly like I care. $ather was the one who took a huge dump in his own bed, now he can lay in it. If $ather can't do his ****ing job and sort this mess out, because he thinks it feels awkward that Drury might delete him on facebook, he can go to AHL with him.
"Get set for life in the franchise of no accountability! Get your overpayment here!" How the **** are you going to get any attractive players to a team that is set on autopilot for failure anyway? You tell me that.
Why do you think Zherdev was going for top dollar when playing for NYR? You think he would've pulled that stunt if he was playing for Detroit? He sees all those overpaid bums, performing worse than him and he thinks: "Hey! Why should I receive scrums when I'm one of the top players on this team, when they get paid loads of cash for underperforming?" Zherdev wasn't thinking like a Russian, he was thinking and acting like a true New York Ranger. Minimum performance, maximum pay. I can understand his astonishment when $ather wasn't opening the safe. Instead he chose to throw a boatload of cash at Kotalik for sucking. The overpayment dice didn't land on Zherdev this time.
You think the players on all the other teams describe the word "successful" when they get to name the NYR? I think not. They see "$$$! Yeah baby! Because they're rich AND have a clown of a GM there, who pays out contracts like the money isn't his! At random, unfortunately, but hey, take a chance!"
Before we have the word accountability as an integral part of this franchise, from the top (especially the top) to the bottom, we're done for. We can just as well donate the season ticket money to some other retirement home, I'm sure they need it better than the millionares on skates.
Or what? You leave Captain America out, because his feelings might be hurt? "He tries so hard, yet he fails. We can't blame him for that..." What is this, a hockey forum for New York Rangers (who have a reputation for being hard nosed for some reason) or a forum for kindergarden teachers? You need to throw your money on puppies, not hockey tickets. If Lundqvist would start posting a career .89 save percentage and a 3.30 GAA, or Gaborik scoring 25 goals a year (like a dream coming true for Drury, 25 goals, omg!), it's not exactly like I would defend him with some "but he's trying so hard, give him a break!" Jesus Christ what a bad argument.
More reputation and past history which makes you wonder if Drury still has value if the Rangers put him on the market. It's one down season after being a consistent 50-60 point player during his career.
It's the same thing every year for the emphatic overweight ****head. Every summer, he puts himself in this predicament by tossing out a large, abysmal contract and then by the next summer he's looking for ways to remove himself of it.
Here's an idea: DON'T GIVE OUT FAT CONTRACTS. The smaller moves in the summer often seem to be the ones that help your team the most.
Sure, you struck gold with the Gaborik signing. Only because nobody else wanted to pay a glass man that price. Yeah, he hasn't been injured yet? Remember that. Can you imagine this team without Gaborik right now? It's bound to happen, and no, I'm no 8 ball.
Doesn't this guy have a consultant? Helpers? If so; remove them too. They aren't doing anything to contribute. They should be tapping on Sather's forehead going "Hello, McFly! McFly! McFly!" every time he looks at the back of a hockey card and struts "Nice stats, let's throw him something he can't refuse!"
Well said Chimp. Drury has been a huge bust indeed. But for some reason he does get a pass moreso than Redden, probably because he is wearing the C, and his remaining contract is half the years. That said, I wouldn't shed a tear if both Redden and Drury were sent to the minors tomorrow.
Well said Chimp. Drury has been a huge bust indeed. But for some reason he does get a pass moreso than Redden, probably because he is wearing the C, and his remaining contract is half the years. That said, I wouldn't shed a tear if both Redden and Drury were sent to the minors tomorrow.
I dunno, I thought Drury was worth about 50-60 percent of his contract his first two saasons.
Maybe his skills have just diminished.
Redden's been worth about 20-25 percent of his contract from day one.
If it is unacceptable that the Rangers don't battle for the puck, it's intolerable that they won't battle for one another. The change in culture effected under Tom Renney following the lockout has dissipated.
This is what I've been ranting about. This is the biggest problem here, bigger than "secondary scoring" or anything else.
I don't get this. I really don't. We're talking about reforming the team to become a real team, yet so many of you defend Chris Drury. WHY? He cares. He skates hard. So frigging what? So did Freddy Sjöström, but that didn't help him get a re-sign @700k. So did Betts, but that didn't get him re-signed. You don't get paid for effort, you get paid for performance. At least on most teams who aren't dumb. We have three players paid close to $7m a year on this team. We have Marian Gaborik. We have Henrik Lundqvist. We have Chris Drury. Find one fault.
We are paying a slightly upgraded Chris Higgins, $7m a year to hopefully be 50/50 at faceoffs, play some PK, hog up PP time which he does absolutely nothing with, "care and skate hard" and score a goal once every 12th game or so (if we're lucky). Forget about any sort playmaking, ok? Forget about any sort of line threat on the line he's playing on. Here it's "dump, turn the puck over and chase." Any 4th liner can do that.
We could've had a Heatley-esque kind of player for the money we have thrown at Drury, a glorified 3rd liner at this point in his career. So why the heck do you constantly try to leave Chris Drury out of the "this team needs to be reformed" equation? You don't think Chris Drury is a big reason why this team is terrible offensively and has been so since he arrived? Think again. He's the 2nd threat this team should've had to relieve Gaborik. That's the money we that jackass with the cigar threw at him. I don't care that he's Captain America and is a poster hanging on many bedroom doors (which I have no clue of why really). Because if he's Captain America, you need to raise your standards.
"But Chimp, he has a NTC! He's the Captain!" So? Yashin was bought out, on a team known for collective failure for a long time now. And he was their best scorer! Nylander was forced into AHL, despite having exactly the same clause as Drury.
"But Chimp, the franchise will look like a ********* if they force their NTC captain off the team!" Say what? Let me get this straight... you're afraid of our franchise reputation, because we might chase a player (in a world of cap floors), who is a big part of dragging the team down - despite a heavy loaded contract - into AHL. We are afraid we might lose franchise reputation, because we're actually trying to hold a huge underachiever accountable? If we scare any other mercenaries away, who had plans to come to New York to cash in for a piss poor performance, I'm not exactly sad. I'm not sad either if the message to the other players is: "If you come to New York, we have some sort of expectations that you can man up to the suitcase of dollars we hand you."
But you're apparently not afraid NYR looks like a ******* retirement home, were you have no accountability whatsoever for your salary, expectations or your level of responsiblity. As long as you fool $ather to pay you the dough, you're set for life. Like some kind of top level politician or corporate executive. Hey, if $ather and Drury can't go golfing together after $ather brings out the axe, it's not exactly like I care. $ather was the one who took a huge dump in his own bed, now he can lay in it.
"Get set for life in the franchise of no accountability! Get your overpayment here!" How the **** are you going to get any attractive players to a team that is set on autopilot for failure anyway? You tell me that.
Why do you think Zherdev was going for top dollar when playing for NYR? You think he would've pulled that stunt if he was playing for Detroit? He sees all those overpaid bums, performing worse than him and he thinks: "Hey! Why should I receive scrums when I'm one of the top players on this team, when they get paid loads of cash for underperforming?" Zherdev wasn't thinking like a Russian, he was thinking and acting like a true New York Ranger. Minimum performance, maximum pay. I can understand his astonishment when $ather wasn't opening the safe.
You think the players on all the other teams describe the word "successful" when they get to name the NYR? I think not. They see "$$$! Yeah baby! Because they're rich AND have a clown of a GM there, who pays out contracts like the money isn't his! At random, unfortunately, but hey, take a chance!"
Before we have the word accountability as an integral part of this franchise, from the top (especially the top) to the bottom, we're done for. We can just as well donate the season ticket money to some other retirement home, I'm sure they need it better than the millionares on skates.
ChimpMeister, you have brought a tear to my eye (see avatar). What a beautiful post. I've spent the better part of 18 months in turmoil wondering if I was the only that could see what you have so passionately described. I mean, we had poster pimping Kotalik for crying out loud. Has the bar been set so low that any slop MSG throws out on the ice is good enough?
To this day I can't understand the spell Dreary has over his fanboys that they refuse to see him for what he is. It's always The Baffoon from Banf-f-f's fault.
I still prefer to watch Loffen's Zherdev YT videos than this putrid, pride-less collection of plumbers. Nah, we don't need Z, he's unmotivated, disinterested, no heart, an enigma, greedy, blah, blah, blah. We'll replace his scoring with (goals in bracket)
Why stop with Redden, Rozsival and huggybear? Talks should be ensued with Chris Drury how to solve this mess. He can't be an integral part of this team if we want to be successful.
Higgins should get regular 3rd line time and be offered a 3rd line contract when his old expires (otherwise, buh-bye Higgins), Kotalik should be thrown away. $3 million a year for his play is just pukingly bad.
At least Avery is yapping and hitting people while he's struggling offensively.
And oh, yes, throw $ather out. He's been done for, for a couple of years now, he can't create a contending team.
Good points chimp... I wonder why Drury and Kotalik were not also mentioned, They both have played better as of late, I mean Kotalik and Avery were on the ice at the same time during an even strength shift and carolina didn't even score! But in all seriousness I do wonder why the captain gets a pass and kotalik, I wonder if Jagr got this bad and was still the captain how he would be treated? Sather threw him away for Drury and at the time it seemed like Jagr was too much money, man that was a big mistake, I'd rather have Jagr now on the 2nd line behind Gaborik and be rid of drury... oh well
It's the same thing every year for the emphatic overweight ****head. Every summer, he puts himself in this predicament by tossing out a large, abysmal contract and then by the next summer he's looking for ways to remove himself of it.
Here's an idea: DON'T GIVE OUT FAT CONTRACTS. The smaller moves in the summer often seem to be the ones that help your team the most.
Sure, you struck gold with the Gaborik signing. Only because nobody else wanted to pay a glass man that price. Yeah, he hasn't been injured yet? Remember that. Can you imagine this team without Gaborik right now? It's bound to happen, and no, I'm no 8 ball.
Doesn't this guy have a consultant? Helpers? If so; remove them too. They aren't doing anything to contribute. They should be tapping on Sather's forehead going "Hello, McFly! McFly! McFly!" every time he looks at the back of a hockey card and struts "Nice stats, let's throw him something he can't refuse!"
It's the same thing every year for the emphatic overweight ****head. Every summer, he puts himself in this predicament by tossing out a large, abysmal contract and then by the next summer he's looking for ways to remove himself of it.
Here's an idea: DON'T GIVE OUT FAT CONTRACTS. The smaller moves in the summer often seem to be the ones that help your team the most.
Sure, you struck gold with the Gaborik signing. Only because nobody else wanted to pay a glass man that price. Yeah, he hasn't been injured yet? Remember that. Can you imagine this team without Gaborik right now? It's bound to happen, and no, I'm no 8 ball.
Doesn't this guy have a consultant? Helpers? If so; remove them too. They aren't doing anything to contribute. They should be tapping on Sather's forehead going "Hello, McFly! McFly! McFly!" every time he looks at the back of a hockey card and struts "Nice stats, let's throw him something he can't refuse!"
Give me a break already.
I've wondered about this myself. Why isn't there an active assistant GM working with him? I don't think there is one.
What a beautiful post. I've spent the better part of 18 months in turmoil wondering if I was the only that could see what you have so passionately described. I mean, we had poster pimping Kotalik for crying out loud. Has the bar been set so low that any slop MSG throws out on the ice is good enough? 
