Oh my goodness gracious... NICE deals at the deadline.
Ward for a bigger player who is 6 years younger, plays a better offensive game and has a better contract ($250K more, but 1 year less). I know he's been underperforming this year, but if you had Ward 12 months ago and were told you could trade him straight up for Mara, do you even think twice?
But I digress - the real point of my post: For those of you who are counting, all year long our prospect pool has lost only Cliche and added Bourret. That deal, with the progress we're seeing from basically everyone at HFD, we've GOT to be moving into the top five best systems in the league - and with the Rangers' awful January and February we'll get some decent picks in this year's very deep draft even if we somehow squeak into the last playoff spot.
Throw in the development of Tyutin, Hossa (I told yo - okay, I won't say it) and Lundqvist's stabilizing after some October struggles and we have the potential for a very good, young team for years to come. I am psyched.
It might, just MIGHT be time to give Sather and Maloney credit for tellling the truth in '04.
Last edited by BrooklynRangersFan: 02-27-2007 at 09:40 PM.
With these deals I really do think that Satherony know what they are doing (I was never a doomsday-sather hater anyways but still) I mean they basically traded a 26 (?) year old 3rd liner at best player in Moore for a first line potential 1st rd draft pick in 2005 in Bourret. AMAZING!
If Mara can return to his form from last season (47pts) and is only 250K more then Ward that is a STEAL imo..
I think a big thing will be what happens next year in regards to young players making the team.
I think there are guys in Hartford who are pretty much ready, and the Rangers need to find room for some, IMO.
They already have a lot of forward positions filled, so I'm not sure what will happen there. And same on D, really. They have Mara, Tyutin, Rozsival, Malik, and Girardi as guys who are signed and can be expected to return. That leaves one spot open, though Girardi might be fighting to keep his spot still. Does it go to Staal? Baranka? Do they re-sign Pock or Rachunek? Who knows, but this is where the three year deal with Malik gets annoying.
So...the Rangers need to work some young players in, IMO, but it's not gonna be easy
i think it was jas who suggested the core group on hartford stay together next season and come up as a year later after being totally in tune w/ each others game. this would allow us to basically change styles overnight w/ the departures of jagr straka, malik, etc following that season
For some reason I thought Ward had yet another year - must have attributed some of Cullen's deal to him. Regardless, I love trading for Mara in exchange for Ward +$250K of cap space. And if it turns our our kids are ready, he should be eminently tradeable next year.
More importantly, just look at the youth on this roster and waiting in the wings. (Not to mention that even our vets outside of Jags, Nylander, Straka, Malik and Shanny are pretty young.) Barring some major screwups or injuries, we could be set for a long time.
Levitate, I hear you regarding the kids on D getting a chance, but a) I don't have a problem if management wants to break the Staals and Sauers in with a year of AHL first and b) if they are NHL ready but get crowded out, who crowds them? The answer is Girardi/Pock - so that's still the youth movement.
lol where do you guys think Bourret would fall on our "Top Prospects Ranking"?
All I know is that I can't wait to see all these young kids play. Anisimov, Dubinsky, Korpido, Dawes, Callahan, Sanguenetti, Staal, Sauer, Baranka, Montoya, BOURRET, even Jessiman who (hopefully will continue) is turning it around. Mesh that with Toots, Lundqvist, and Prucha, I like this teams future, specially with the younger UFA age.
lol where do you guys think Bourret would fall on our "Top Prospects Ranking"?
All I know is that I can't wait to see all these young kids play. Anisimov, Dubinsky, Korpido, Dawes, Callahan, Sanguenetti, Staal, Sauer, Baranka, Montoya, BOURRET, even Jessiman who (hopefully will continue) is turning it around. Mesh that with Toots, Lundqvist, and Prucha, I like this teams future, specially with the younger UFA age.
as far as forwards go, i would rank Korpedo our best forward as far as how i see them developing (not right now) followed by bourret and then dubinsky.
as far as forwards go, i would rank Korpedo our best forward as far as how i see them developing (not right now) followed by bourret and then dubinsky.
I agree Korpido is up there, but I didn't Rank them in any particular order lol. Just lots of talent!
On D we know that Rozsival, Tyutin, Malik and Girardi will be back. Will the team sign Pock (Or will he sign with the team?) You would also hope that Rachuneck would be dumped.
I am very happy about getting Bouret. Not that I know anything about him, other than what I read here, but I think it was great to aquire an established prospect. Lots of teams were giving up 1st round draft picks this year which would have been great to get, but with our scouting teams track record over the last few years, I am glad we got someone we know is a top flight prospect. I dont know how Sather pulled this off, but Kudos.
On D we know that Rozsival, Tyutin, Malik and Girardi will be back. Will the team sign Pock (Or will he sign with the team?) You would also hope that Rachuneck would be dumped.
Obviously I am hoping for Marc Staal in that #6 spot and a tough defenseman free agent defenseman ala Studwick in the #7 spot.
Time will tell........
You forgot about Shanny! I honestly have no idea now about what the lines will look like next season until well into the UFA signing period and most of the big names are off the market. If Nylanders asking price is not rediculous I really don't see Satherony not re-signing him. If the Rangers sign Drury and re-sign Shanny and Nylander, the lines might look something like this:
So everybody is now in love with Hossa, but a month ago I probably couldn't find one person on this board who wanted him on the Charlotte Checkers, let alone the big club( me included). So I gotta ask, which Hossa can we expect next year? Is he playing this well b/c he is with Jagr? Because he has confidence? What happens if he goes the first 8 games of the year without a goal? Is the confidence gonna be shot and we can expect another 2 goal in 50 games stretch? Im not sure which to expect, but I think it's gonna be more close to the 2 goals in 50 games. Not that drastic I hope, I think he's a 15-20 goal player, but definately not the almost goal a game player we have seen over the last 3 weeks.
So everybody is now in love with Hossa, but a month ago I probably couldn't find one person on this board who wanted him on the Charlotte Checkers, let alone the big club( me included). So I gotta ask, which Hossa can we expect next year? Is he playing this well b/c he is with Jagr? Because he has confidence? What happens if he goes the first 8 games of the year without a goal? Is the confidence gonna be shot and we can expect another 2 goal in 50 games stretch? Im not sure which to expect, but I think it's gonna be more close to the 2 goals in 50 games. Not that drastic I hope, I think he's a 15-20 goal player, but definately not the almost goal a game player we have seen over the last 3 weeks.
I think Hossa might be a case of just he had to learn on the job. I think the staff would have loved to have him develop on minors but Im pretty sure he would have to go through waivers so they were forced to teach him on the big club. I also have to give Jagr credit as he showed Hossa a lot, Hossa as you see now is cashing in on the potential, it was always there, it was just a matter of Hossa showing it ever night on a consistent basis.
With these deals I really do think that Satherony know what they are doing (I was never a doomsday-sather hater anyways but still) I mean they basically traded a 26 (?) year old 3rd liner at best player in Moore for a first line potential 1st rd draft pick in 2005 in Bourret. AMAZING!
If Mara can return to his form from last season (47pts) and is only 250K more then Ward that is a STEAL imo..
I like Mara, but why not and try and get Boynton. Mara was dealt to the Bruins for Boynton. So its basically Ward for Boynton. Bruins made a great one there.
Mara will help our PP, but we dont really have a big defensive hitting dman. Boynton is another player who I wanted yesterday. Oh well, Rangers win this deadline.
Mara will help our PP, but we dont really have a big defensive hitting dman. Boynton is another player who I wanted yesterday. Oh well, Rangers win this deadline.
I think the Rangers are hoping one of either Tyutin or Staal can become that big hitter, and in all fairness to Fedor, he has stepped his game up this season from last, and I think there is still room for growth of his game and physical growth. He still looks like he's filling out to me, and he has taken on a more physical presence .
and Lundqvist's stabilizing after some October struggles and we have the potential for a very good, young team for years to come. I am psyched.
Bruins made a great one there.
