Someone please explain to me how Parise and Suter signing in Minnesota makes the Rangers better? Sure NJ is in a tough spot now with Parise leaving, but serioulsy, does it take eastern conference teams getting worse for this team to get better? Pretty pathetic way to look at it, we have the same issues today as we did two months ago that still need addressing. The only team and fanbase that has a reason to be celebrating is Minnesota.... Ridiculous
I wanted either of Ray Whitney, Jaromir Jagr, Jiri Hudler, Steve Sullivan(well, as a late option). I also would've liked Sami Salo at that price to complete our D. I also feel like we could've gotten in on the Roy trade.
As to who is available, Mueller looks like an option. Also Semin if all else fall through. But to tell you the truth, we should've acted way earlier on the players I listed above. But they're already signed now.
Bad list. Whitney 39 years old--small--commit $9 mil over 2 years? I don't think so.
Jagr--also 39 and definitely on the decline--$4.5 mil for one? More arguable than Whitney but no.
Sullivan--38--small as well--got a lot of pwp time with the Pens last year padding his stats. No.
Hudler--27--another small guy. Talented but defensively irresponsible. $4 mil per for 4 years? Nope.
Salo--38--injury prone. 2 years at $3.75 mil per? Nope on that too.
It's easy to say we didn't score enough goals in the playoffs. With a guy like Nash who has almost no playoff experience--there's not a lot to go on. Regular season is one thing--playoffs another. Looking back at Ottawa, Washington and New Jersey--the most effective forwards more often than not were not their big guns. These teams did their damnedest to match us defensively and guys like Neil, Konopka, Chimera, Brouwer, Hendricks, Zubrus, Bernier, Carter and Ponikarovsky gave us fits practically every game we played against them. What these forwards have in common is they are all big, strong, gritty, physical guys. Looking at the Rangers wingers matching up against them--Gaborik, Hagelin, Callahan, Dubinsky (injured for about half of the playoffs), Kreider (a raw rookie), Anisimov, Fedetenko, Prust, Rupp--not so big or strong. It wasn't scoring that broke down so much --more that we couldn't keep matching the size and grit the other teams were using against us along the walls. And in the end New Jersey started pinning us in our own end too much on the forecheck. The kind of team that the Devils dressed was constantly winning a territorial advantage over us.
Do yo really think we'll sweep the Flyers again? Odds are pretty slim.
The Flyers have no defense and no goaltending. Why the **** wouldn't we? They even lost Matt Caryle.
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"Of course giving Sather cap space is like giving teenagers whiskey and car keys." - SBOB "Watching Sather build a team is like watching a blind man with no fingers trying to put together an elaborate puzzle." - Shadowtron
Sestito still on the make a wish tour. - rholt168
Someone please explain to me how Parise and Suter signing in Minnesota makes the Rangers better? Sure NJ is in a tough spot now with Parise leaving, but serioulsy, does it take eastern conference teams getting worse for this team to get better? Pretty pathetic way to look at it, we have the same issues today as we did two months ago that still need addressing. The only team and fanbase that has a reason to be celebrating is Minnesota.... Ridiculous
Who said it makes the Rangers better? But this free agency has made the teams around the Rangers significantly worse.
We are in a better spot. No one is saying our team is better.
Maybe we should've done what you wanted and signed Prust for 10M over 4 years. Yeah. That'd make us a **** ton better.
Pitts was without Crosby most of the season. They lost Staal..They have Crosby back all season.. Hmm, if I'm a Pens fan I'd rather have Crosby on the ice all season. Lets not exaggerate Staal being traded, I'm sure he'll be missed, but not as much with a healthy Crosby. Therefore to say they're going to be significantly worse, isn't even close to the truth.
Do yo really think we'll sweep the Flyers again? Odds are pretty slim.
BOTH sides are playing the "hope" game. Pro-Nashers are hoping that he will produce at a level he NEVER has in Columbus. They hope that his three straight seasons of regression won't continue. You are absolutely correct that it's possible that Dubi doesn't bounce back, that Gaborik struggles in his return from injury or half a dozen other things. The difference is that if we trade for Nash and your hopes are unfulfilled, we're stuck. There's no way out of that contract. It's an all or nothing move.
In sticking with what we have, we are going with the safer route. The odds of all of our players doing well OR doing poorly are fairly minimal. As the season goes on, we can address any deficiencies via trade. Now just isn't the right time to make a huge move.
Well, it doesn't create a bidding war between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, two bitter Eastern Concference rivals who have tried to pry Nash away from the Blue Jackets without giving up any proven NHL players or high-end prospects. If one of them had landed Parise -- the Flyers made an offer, not the Rangers -- it could have gotten interesting. Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson was banking on that.
The Rangers are just about what they were last year. No better, no worse.
The Atlantic division isn't quite as strong as it was last year.
At this point, those points are pretty straight forward.
The question we should be asking is, are we a championship team with what we have?
The answer is probably not. But I don't think today's roster will be our opening night roster either.
Chillax.
Then again today's roster is one thing--opening night is another--and post trade deadline another still.
IMO I don't see the urgency right now to force things--such as a Nash or Ryan trade--though I'd prefer Ryan over Nash all things being equal.
I really don't think the new CBA negotiations are going to go very smoothly. NHLPA seems set on a harder line of approach than last time. That being said I think the owners have about 95% of the leverage--and they know from last time that a lockout is a winning strategy. IMO the cap is going to be lower before all is said and done and too many larger contracts are not going to be good for any team. Not making a move now at least leaves you flexibility to do something later when the smoke has cleared.
I don't follow his logic. Wouldn't it be better for them with neither the Rangers or Flyers getting Parise? More bidders?
If Parise and/or Suter would have went to the Atlantic it would have created more desperation for the Rangers and/or Flyers to add Nash to stay competitive.
No. The hope would be one gets Parise and the other then makes a move to keep up.
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Originally Posted by Svenhart2008
If Parise and/or Suter would have went to the Atlantic it would have created more desperation for the Rangers and/or Flyers to add Nash to stay competitive.
I guess, still think it would be more beneficial to have the Rangers and Flyers competing for Nash's services.
Okay! Parise and Suter are taken. Finally!!! I am just happy they didn't sign to play in the Atlantic.
Now we can move on. Semin and Doan to sign and we are good to go! I really hope Sather just mans the F up and does something for a change.
Forget about Nash. Howson is asking way too much. Free agents it is! Doan and Semin add the spark we need and especially Semin is a potential 1st line player who can spark our offense.
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James Mirtle @mirtle
So Detroit has $16.8-million in cap space. Washington has $19-million. The Rangers have $15.8-million. What do they spend it on?
We have 15 million to spare! That means we can get both Semin and Doan and have money to re-sign Stralman. The remaining 4 million we can use to add some experience to our D (And I am not talking about a goon!)
I think Sather can be a little more patient with making a move with the Pens, Flyers and Devils losing key players. Still need to address the goal scoring though, but he doesn't have to jump in on Nash and overpay. If a team outbids them for Nash, so be it, let them. Save the assets for a better deal down the road.
