The best weekly column on the NHL. Elliotte has covered the Rangers-Caps series for CBC. You can tell he has spent some time talking to the Rangers people.
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18. The next day (Sunday), the Rangers reminded players about their "rules" of shot blocking. As one explained it, Lundqvist (and the coaches), ask that if you're going to block, you have to stop everything low. That is your responsibility. Green's shot got through the otherwise excellent Ryan McDonagh for the score.There are not supposed to be any holes along (or slightly above) the ice.
About the Gomez deal.
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22. When Sather realized he had a shot at making the deal, he went to Director of player personnel Gordie Clark and asked, "Who should we get?" Both Clark and assistant GM Jeff Gorton had McDonagh No. 1. The Rangers really liked him going back to the NHL combine of his draft year and always kept an eye on him. (He was taken before New York selected the late Alexei Cherepanov.) Who was No. 2 if Montreal said no? "It never got that far," Clark said.
23. Clark explained how the Rangers (and presumably every other team) keep an updated list of about four/five players from all other organizations they'd target in a deal. "We're not talking about guys like [Steven] Stamkos," he said. "Everybody wants him. It's about prospects or lesser-known players. You watch everyone else's like you watch your own." That way, when Sather needs an answer, he gets one quickly.
24. Clark added the Rangers liked McDonagh for the same reason they noticed Chris Kreider and Dylan McIlrath at their comebines. "Physically, it was like men amongst boys," he said. "You have to be careful to make certain they have the hockey sense to play the way they need to, but they really stood out."
I remember when the Rangers had one pro scout under Neil Smith and they didn't know what they were doing. That pro scout used to be a Rangers intern. Slats is the boss but Gorton,Clark and head pro scout Kevin Maxwell have major input on personnel.
In hindsight, it's insane, but at the time many people had thought McDonagh's development had stalled and he'd never turn into the #1 d-man that he was projected to be. The defensive game was there, but he never consistently showed the offensive game that he was thought to have had.
Hell, I'll be the first one to admit that I thought he was looking like more of a #4 guy than a #1. I compared him to Brad Stuart after we picked him up in the trade. A mobile 2nd pairing guy who could hit and make a smart play. Didn't think he'd live up to expectations. Glad to be proven wrong.
The best weekly column on the NHL. Elliotte has covered the Rangers-Caps series for CBC. You can tell he has spent some time talking to the Rangers people.
I remember when the Rangers had one pro scout under Neil Smith and they didn't know what they were doing. That pro scout used to be a Rangers intern. Slats is the boss but Gorton,Clark and head pro scout Kevin Maxwell have major input on personnel.
Just curious - who was that one pro scout under Smith that was an intern?
McD could have turned into another Marek Malik and we still would have come out winners in that trade.
I enjoyed the notion that at the time leading up until the trade, I had resided to the fact that we were going to need to bait another team into taking on the Gomez contract by giving up additional assets or giving them a 1st rounder in the process. That's why I was so floored to learn that we not only shed the contract, but also acquired significant asset(s) in the process.
And to compound the absurdity of the trade is that even if McDonagh busted, we still got a generally useful player in addition to him with Chris Higgins. He didn't score with us, but he was at least a responsible penalty killing forward. Had McDonagh never seen a game in the NHL we STILL would have been huge winners in that deal.
Just curious - who was that one pro scout under Smith that was an intern?
Kevin McDonald. When Neil Smith was fired in 2000,McDonald joined Larry Pleau in St.Louis the following season. Pleau was the Rangers AGM from 1989-1997. McDonald is still with the Blues.
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The 2011-12 season is McDonald’s 24th season working in the NHL. He began his career in professional hockey in 1988 as a member of the communications department of the New York Rangers. McDonald served in a variety of capacities in that department, including Director of Communications. Following the 1993-94 season, when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, he moved into the Rangers’ hockey operations department and worked as an assistant to Rangers General Manager Neil Smith during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season. From 1995 to 2001, McDonald served as a professional scout for the Rangers, traveling throughout North America and Europe to evaluate professional hockey players.
He was an intern. Brooks made a big deal about the Rangers lack of scouting in a Sunday column. Smith did not have a big support staff. It was him and Pleau. The Rangers had the money to hire more people but they didn't.
I enjoyed the notion that at the time leading up until the trade, I had resided to the fact that we were going to need to bait another team into taking on the Gomez contract by giving up additional assets or giving them a 1st rounder in the process. That's why I was so floored to learn that we not only shed the contract, but also acquired significant asset(s) in the process.
One of my best memories since joining HFBoards was reading the announcement that we'd traded Gomez...and actually gotten assets back.
And that's having no clue who McDonagh was either.
I enjoyed the notion that at the time leading up until the trade, I had resided to the fact that we were going to need to bait another team into taking on the Gomez contract by giving up additional assets or giving them a 1st rounder in the process. That's why I was so floored to learn that we not only shed the contract, but also acquired significant asset(s) in the process.
Yup I was shocked when Montreal had to add to the deal.
And to compound the absurdity of the trade is that even if McDonagh busted, we still got a generally useful player in addition to him with Chris Higgins. He didn't score with us, but he was at least a responsible penalty killing forward. Had McDonagh never seen a game in the NHL we STILL would have been huge winners in that deal.
And Higgins gave us Prust, while the $$$ saved on Gomez allowed us to sign Gaborik. Amazing trade. I know McGuire isn't the most popular person on these boards , but I remember listening to him after this trade & he was trying to be respectful of the trade
but basically said the HAbs blew this big time. This trade defined the upcoming years for both franchises. What a trade can do !!!!
In hindsight, it's insane, but at the time many people had thought McDonagh's development had stalled and he'd never turn into the #1 d-man that he was projected to be. The defensive game was there, but he never consistently showed the offensive game that he was thought to have had.
Hell, I'll be the first one to admit that I thought he was looking like more of a #4 guy than a #1. I compared him to Brad Stuart after we picked him up in the trade. A mobile 2nd pairing guy who could hit and make a smart play. Didn't think he'd live up to expectations. Glad to be proven wrong.
He's a first pairing guy but everything else here is correct.
