Good morning, boneheads!
If someone wants to write a few words about last night’s disaster, feel free. Until this flu season is on downtrend, all I’ll be able to contribute is new posts and Go Time. And occasional comments. But even if I had time, I wouldn’t be able to review the game. I barely remember much of it. Just a bad taste in my mouth…
I wonder if we could all chip in and pay Carp before he starts writing for the Athletic, so he could review this game. Bet you it would honest and entertaining at the same time.
I’ll also say this- it’s not about this season anymore. As painful as it is to watch, we need to look at the big picture. If Gorton does the right thing, this team can turn around rather fast. We aren’t looking at bottoming down for 3-4 seasons. They have enough assets to get what they need fast. Let’s hope the management is on it.
371 responses to “Rangers-1, Bruins-6”
Any truth to the rumor that Jeff Gorton consulted Derek Jeter for advice on how to conduct a rebuild?
Jeter duped Gorton into taking that awful Marlins HR monument sculpture
For your reading pleasure: https://www.nhl.com/rangers/news/a-message-from-glen-sather-and-jeff-gorton-about-our-team/c-295742648
James: You have said it all:: Right back where we were 14 years ago with the same man standing on the podium and not a single Championship to their names. The same fellow who said “If I had the Rangers’ money, I would win the cup every year.” Be very afraid.
TYM – was about to print the very same Slats quote from years and years ago.
Eric Staal in my opinion would have made little difference last year or this (by little i mean the ultimate goal not saying they won’t have made the playoffs this year but that is not the goal).
He’ll be 34 in fall. Minnesota is a fringe playoff team even with him. That’s what we’d be with him. Fringe.
Enough of old mercenaries.
A message to Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton:
Drop Dead!
Sincerely, A Rangers Fan.
The only way Hank ever leaves is if he gets to a point where he feels he has two good years left and the team doesn’t have a chance to win.
https://www.nhl.com/rangers/news/rangers-shift-focus-to-long-term-retool/c-295747422
good article
ending is a classic (to clean up the mess started by glen savior as Steve Somers always said on the fan)
“”We want fast players. We want character players. We want players we can build our team around,” Gorton said. “That’s what we’ll be looking for.”
With the goal in mind, the work now begins, and as President Glen Sather said, the road to success will be a difficult one.
“I’ve been through this a few times. It’s not easy,” he said. “[Gorton is] going to have a lot of work ahead of him.”
Eric Staal would have been a godsend! Who’s kidding whom?
I’m under moderation. Might as well hang myself.
“It’s not easy,” says Sather. Tell that to your boss after you’ve failed for 25 years in a row.
disagree big time cooscoos
Eric Staal would be same old same old running in place. He’s 33 now. He’s the past not the future. Retreads don’t work. Except Messier and he was a far better and younger player when he came here.
Rangers win out they finish top 3 in metro. Bring on the Caps. If it’s the second season, it’s time for playoff hockey!!!
We want the cup
We want the cup
We want the cup
http://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/trade_list_by_GM/Jeff_Gorton/286
gorton’s trades
http://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/trade_list_by_GM/Glen_Sather/28
sather’s trades -with rangers
Alex – Have you looked at our centers lately? Are you familiar with E Staal’s season? Time for a little homework. And 3.5 mil per. What are we paying his useless brother?
if I’m naming a current player who I think Is gonna be here next year captain. It’s Jesper Fasth
Cooscoos
the point is at best even with Eric Staal we’re in limbo. I don’t know if that’s what you want but i don’t . Being mediocre is horrendous. This team needs a lot of better pieces and Eric will be 34 in the fall.
Making the playoffs and losing first round is not better than bottoming out and getting the rebuild going in earnest.
Lets see how Minny does in the playoffs.
I’ll say this now, regardless of who is or isn’t traded by the deadline, this team will play better after.
I absolutely think the looming moves way heavily on this group.
Agree.
Fast has not been good this season. So much so that the usual Fast fans barely mention him.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/goes-brown-12-nhl-gms-deadline-pressure/
reading a few comments to this article people make it sound like there’s more sellers than buyers especially for wingers
i wonder if we add a 3rd rd pick going the other way will get us the 1st rd pick for Grabner or Nash
It’ll be salary eating to get a good pick and prospect for Nash. There will be teams close to the cap that want him
Forget about Minny. We have no centers.
Based on prorated space, most teams would be able to afford Nash, even at full value. Dallas, St. Louis, and Boston are the only potential buyers that would have a really hard time fitting him under their cap.
Alex
That’s why I think it’s a very smart move by gorton if he moves Hayes now.
Oh, and Minnesota.
Boy, Nashville would make a lot of sense. If they hadn’t given up so much for Turris, I’d be really excited about the possibility Nash went there.
Maybe AV is safe for now because a new coach might spark them and ruin the firesale?
Dave, AV is safe for now because there is no point in firing him at this point.
The comments on the facebook feed were hilarious! I took a few screenshots of some!
http://www.dtcreative.com/press.jpg
Sather>Mo, Gorton>Larry, AV>Curly
Is there any way to watch this press conference?
Honestly guys, as much as another injection of youth is going to be a good thing, this team isn’t going to win without elite talent. I don’t know many of the prospects that you guys know. What I do know is that going back to yesteryear we had a young core that including the likes of Hank, Callahan, Dubinsky, Girardi, Staal eventually Stepan and Anisimov came along as did Zucc and the signing and trades for the likes of Mcdonagh, Gaborik, Nash…just never that guy that could put them over the top. I know it’s not easy to find those generational talents but the sad reality is that without one theres a better chance they’ll go through another era of almost being good enough but never getting there. This wasn’t the first time it’s happened and without that guy it’s not going to be the last.
I’m not really up on the current goings of things, I barely watch. I saw a handful of games around the holidays. I listen on the radio, I read a lot, pay attention to people who I know knows their stuff. Like you guys. Didn’t know fast was having a bad year.
And I’m not sure about this either but someone can either correct me or confirm for me. But I don’t think victor hedman’s injury and timetable, return date have ever been announced. Say they know internally he may miss the 1st round, the 1st two rounds, but is sure to be back sometime in early may. What if yzerman is concerned that they may get knocked off before he’s able to come back. That’s awfully risky for a team with as good a shot as any if not most in a wide open year. You trade for mcdonagh and you got insurance for that, when Hedmen is healthy you got the best 1-2 punch in the league and you got it for the two runs before Kucherov’s new caphit.
I really think Hedman and mcdonagh mean a cup in Tampa. With that offense and that goalie. 50+ mins of hedman or Mac. Yzerman will regret not making that trade.
On the flip side, Boston may feel Tampa without hedman is ripe for the offing in the 2nd second and adding/keeping Mcdonagh away from Tampa is their road to the finals.
And maybe Minnie want to take the chance of mac winning big and resigning in Tampa or Boston and pays for the ability to bring mcdonagh into the fold mid season as a fan base grand slam and possible playoff run starter.
Whatever it may be. JG don’t think for a second you don’t hold the keys to this years stanley cup. Ante up
Minnie may not want**
Yeah scroll down the twitter feed to about 120. And there’s nyr official tweet with a link to it
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155534931089858&id=19064794857&refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2Fk9hVmKc2UM&_rdr
There you go bud. Skip the first 10mins
If I’m Gorton I’m not going to let Mcdonagh go to Tampa without a serious return. One that includes Cal Foote and one of their young centers.
Awesome, Thanks JPP.
JPP
Hedman’s back already
Wicky
at this point anybody is available in the right deal. i don’t disagree with you on Hayes at all.
From Rosen
Gorton, wouldn’t offer a definitive answer when asked if Vigneault will be back next season.
“We have 25, almost 30 games to go,” Gorton said. “AV is our coach. We have a lot of faith in AV and what he’s done here. We’ll leave it at that.”
Hockey central on Sirius was ripping on Gorton and letting everyone know they ” open for business ” it takes the hammer out of your hand if people know you’re eager to move people was the gist of it.
I expect we’ll end up with a few picks, some maybe as high as the fourth round…
Casino night Feb 20th
only 3 games left before deadline after that.
do some of the Hartford guys have to be measured for tuxes just in case.
I wonder if Smith gets traded for a problem deal from the other side.
I still think he could be usable next year with a full summer f training and no weddings his own or otherwise
James – agree, always the sum of its parts. Lowest pick was 10 (McIlbust), most of those guys 2nd round or later. The more recent later round 1st; Kreider, Miller, Shea are their core now. Funny how that works…
.
The strategy to move from a possession team to a speed team without centers to play that way is just asinine. Who do they think carries and creates? The f’n pivot. Go get good young pivots and 2 way D, wingers you can get in Free agency.
and don’t forget the D who can’t move the puck. The ones that could (Stralman) and they got over the hill Dam Boil, who wasn’t bad, just not what they needed.
.
Slatapus is in the cat birds seat, ultimate authority on personnel decisions and none of the accountability of being GM. Corp protestations notwithstanding, that what it be.
That’s a little dramatic. at the end of the day no one is going to not acquire a player they feel can put them over the top just to spite Gorton.
Interestingly enough, AV’s press conference today seemed telling. No shocker here -he’s not on board with the Smith demotion or the idea of getting younger. Called the decision to waive Smith DRAMATIC.
No big surprise there as it sounds like it may have been “suggested” from above to get Smith out of the lineup in order to get Pionk playing. The coach also stopped himself when discussing Pionk. Caught himself about to say “he’ll be playing on a regular basis” and changed it to “in the regular season”..I’m sure he’s yanking Marc Staal out of concussion protocol activities as we speak and telling him he has no choice but to dress against the Flames.
“Sather didn’t move” too funny. Reminds me of the time I was at a dead show and hooked up with some “paralyzer weed”. Show ended and I couldn’t move, literally, for another 2 hours.
C-Dubb
Gorton always looks like he is coming off a bender. Where’s his drinking buddy Gordie Clark?
Those two centers better work out or this franchise is f’d.
Might need to card some of these kids on Casino night
seeedubbb – Had a nice talk with a friend after work who suggested the same thing. My response was that if GMs didn’t realize the Rangers were “open for business then they shouldn’t be working in the NHL. Once the Rangers asked for Nash’s tradeable teams the cat was out of the bag.
The dog and pony show this afternoon is to prepare those fans who root for the name on the back of the jersey (as opposed to the New York on the front) that their favorite player(s) may very well be on their way out.
If done correctly (big IF), a younger/revamped Rangers team could be in the mix as soon as next year. Vegas has shown what you can accomplish with a coherent plan, a coherent coach and a group of players who have bought into both the plan and the coach.
Lol, Stranger. He does look like that!
Smith to Montreal for Shaw…watch for it
SN what you said about pivots is why I think they need to bring back at least one good center in a potential Tampa-Mcdonagh deal. I know there will be resistance because of their size but I think that another issue we haven’t discussed much is you need guys that can improve the faceoff ability and the possession numbers for this team. Johnson, Point, Namestnikov. Any of them would be a sight better than what we’ve witnessed down the middle this year and could serve well as a third line center. In Point’s case he’d probably be or no.1…
And another thing about this “now teams know they’re open for business” nonsense. EVERYONE knows by the deadline who is selling or buying. Arizona is a seller every year and they’ve gotten two of the only first rounders that have been given up over the last two years. I don’t know what this panic mentality is as if the Rangers are tipping their hand the moment they do something that 30 other teams can do without any issue made out of it.
I swear sather and foley in Vegas are twins
Wicky we should be so lucky
Man if could only Gorton for Yzerman?
Omg, stop with this nonsense about all prospects. This team needs to add at least one nhl experienced centre, preferably a top 2 line centre.
It also needs a centre that can consistently win important draws. It may need to be a vet some may not “want”. It may be a guy that isn’t a speed demon.
As far as a speed team goes, them more this team moved away from two way type players (who were fast decision makers) to speed guys (that could just skate fast), the worse they have become.
It’s crazy Anthony. It also raises the question what if you don’t or can’t move the guys you want.
Seeedubbb,
I think letting everybody know you are open for business is smart. It puts pressure on other GMs. Ownership, and fan base knowing who’s available. Are you telling me Nash was available and we didn’t make a play for him? etc. they will get there deals.
This is from a guy vetted on another site who I know from the years to be in the know to some extent.
This from a trusted source…everyone is asking the Rangers about McDonagh. Some teams are more serious than others but there are plenty of interested suitors, including his team. The price the Rangers have set is “astronomical”. My friend (NHL scout) thinks that he is the one player that the Rangers hold on to and resign.
I also thinking the press conference means some of these deals are being finalized and hammered out, but that the parameters are there. Expect a trade in the next week
Now that I got to watch that presser and not just read the info, I get the impression that AV may not be as safe as I originally thought. Gorton’s demeanor didn’t change at all when discussing the coach but what I heard certainly wasn’t an endorsement. It was more of a “this discussion isn’t for right now”..Then the AV presser where he doesn’t seem very happy with what transpired with Smith and Pionk. I might be reading too much into it but I might not be.
Wicky,
Do I need to keep saying I agree with you. You are right on about NHL ready centers. At least one hockey trade is going to have to be made. Somebody we have talked about is going to be traded.
Somebody we have NOT talked about is getting traded.
I expect multiple trades, Jpp. Even if nothing ground breaking they’ll shed salary and gather some draft picks. As for Mcdonagh I have no issue with him staying if he’s going to get extended. The problem is the extension. And good on them for wanting an astronomical price. That’s what teams want for their top players. Some get it and some don’t. But again this Rangers fan panic/ neurosis I’ve seen at times not just here but on other sites as well bout how Mcdonagh is only going to bring back 3rd and 4th round picks is just not reality.
Keep Zuc and make him captain. His stats will soar next season. I’m taking 2 goals 21 assists for 23 points.
Zooooooooooooook
Same guy followed up:
Personal guess. Yes.
Defenseman of his caliber don’t often find their way to market, especially with such a favorable contract. I think someone close will pay that “astronomical” price.
BDL what do you think about Tampa’s centers? None are very big or physical but most are putting up good numbers. Another name I haven’t seen mentioned yet is Ondrej Palat. Not a center but still a young player who’s game I like a lot.
I think Nash and Grabner are 100% out of here. Mac probably isn’t far behind. Guys like Holden and Zucc may be a 50/50 shot at best.
Open for business talk is kind of silly..most of League already knew that weeks ago. Not opposed to moving McD but they have to get top center back ..Toronto seems to be only fit. If no Marner or Nylander then keep him
They put up points because of that team as a whole. Just because they score for Tampa, doesn’t mean they’re scoring here.
James,
I’m thinking more along the lines of Sam Bennet, or Sam Reinhart. And the two unexpected Rangers to watch out for are Vesey, and Buchnevich.
Especially if AV is staying.
Bennett is a solid choice
Very Seinfeldian presser today. A Press Conference about Nothing.
On the flip side of that, if Zuccarello or Fast are traded, AV is gone.
I still think they’ll make the playoffs. Then, watch out. Our sexy boys are hungry. Pozy pozy pozy. No neggy
I didn’t see the AV presser yet but from what I saw of Gorton I think AV is gone after season. Total no brainer if Q is available but I think it happens anyway.
regarding the Rangers speed I only think of these guys as fast and one of them is out.
Kreider
Grabner
McDonagh
Skjei
Gorton mentioned the previous identity vs this years identity. Said we were a speed team last year and prior. Lost that and have no identifiable identity currently.
If it’s a prospect from the jets I want Lemieux or vesalainen
I just listened to gorton talking to Michael Kay and dan legreco. He mentioned something like ‘each of our trades’. Something that spoke to the fact he has like 3-5 trades ready to make.
Don*
Let’s go Rangers
Let’s go Rangers
$5 you can see.
$10 you can touch it.
PB is gonna PB like Slats is gonna Slats
I’m gonna serve one up for you boneheads.
Can’t teach old dogs new tricks
Let’s see how many one-liners you guys can pull out of that one
@jpp – I would rather Slats behind the bench then Ruff, the master of our worst defense in the past five years. On the other stuff, the first asking price must always be high or there is little room to negotiate from. I think they also realize that they can move him over the summer as well and perhaps have more bidders.
Olga for President/GM.
Beezle. I just want someone who will go in that room for the rest of the season and say alright boys nothing to lose let’s have some &.’f, fun and make these @.)? work their azzes off or take the night off.
Mixed doubles curling! Shuffle board on ice with brooms. Has anyone done a double blind study to prove the brooms actually do anything?
Does that blanket statement about Tampa centers apply to other guys who are over 6’ tall, Wick? 😛
Ones they will part with…yes
Actually James, I take that back…iirc they have howden, if they do, he’d be of mild interest to me at centre.
Re: Smith.
Gorton just signed this stiff for last year – 4 years 17 million. And now he’s on waivers and probably can’t give him away. I’m supposed to have faith in the same guy making trades to “retool” the team? His whole trade history is linked somewhere up above. There was not a “win” in the bunch. Sorry, but he is going to get fleeced by the trade deadline, draft a bunch of duds and “projects” with the picks he does get. Then Slats is going to throw him and AV under the bus to save his own wrinkled azz.
It’s the Sather Way.
Wouldn’t shock me in the least if they signed Bozak in the summer, Wick.
And now that we know Sather is still involved I fully expect them to make a play for Tavares
Hawks – Dallas 8:30. Chicago is another team that pulled the flush handle and is currently circling the bowl.
I’d absolutely be making a play for Tavares, sather or not.
Bizarre at the beginning of this season I would have been ok with.
Now or in the summer…not so much.
Bizarre=bozak
Olga for President? Tremendous idea. Huuuuge! Bigly!
I’d like to be Rangers President for 1 minute. Just long enough to say “Slats? Get the F**K out!”
I’d make a play for Tavares.
Would he come here?
I still tend to doubt it. Would alienate all the fans who’ve loved him for all these years.
The Rangers would have to convince him that they had a plan that had them contending in the near future.
Some reasons to keep AV for the rest of the season.
-Higher draft picks next year.
-Might not have to pay as much to resign. RFA’s as their stats don’t improve
-because, they’ve got to pay him anyway so why not?
Some reasons to replace AV immediately with a competent interim head coach with a solid defensive scheme.
-stabilize/raise the value of trading chips
-evaluate what we have (including McDonough) before we trade them
-Keep Hank from losing his mind
-teach younger players good habits at NHL level and give them some solid experience to build off of next year.
The Isles will NEVER trade Tavares to the Rangers. Any GM that did that, just might as well slit his wrists the same day.
Besides, if YOU had Tavares to trade, what could you possibly want from the Rangers?
First thing on my list would be the Rangers 1st round pick this July.
I’d sign him in off season not trade for him
Ditto to what Wick said.
How much would you be willing to pay him?
I’d be all for trying to sign Tavares if he hits free agency, though I still doubt he would sign here, but it would be incredibly stupid for the Rangers to trade for him this season. It will cost any team a ton and it would cost the Rangers even more. It would be even worse than when the Knicks traded for Mello instead of waiting to sign him as a free agent (Mello screwed the Knicks on so many levels, it’s great!)
Dreger during second intermission of sens game on tsn says rangers in complete sell mode and miller and kreider names coming up a lot.
25 scouts at msg last night
Wick, they need an actual 1st line center, not just another “top 6” center and they can’t get someone who is currently a top 6 in a trade, only potentially could trade a young NHLer or prospect who could turn into one. If they go that route it has to be a far better quality young player/prospect than Mika, who never really should have been looked at as that kind of player, otherwise it would have cost a lot more than Brassard to get him!
Yeah, I would not trade for him, but I’d be all in this summer.
I’d have no problem giving him 10 mil plus per
Elite talent
Pete
I agree 100%. Need 1st line talent…especially at centre
I still like Galchenyuk. Prime candidate for change of scenery.
Didn’t mean him as 1C tho
We like messing with guys on their birthday
Smith waivers
I believe Leetch was traded on his birthday “(or veryclose)
Carp’s first car with a spare tire
Get up close look at Bennett tomorrow night
I’d only take on Galchenyuk if the price was cheap. Have paid way too much for change of scenery guys in the past. I also think they’d need a new coach for him to have a shot here as can see AV getting very impatient with him real fast
Agree re price and coach.
Gorton stressed “character.” Guess what that means when translated into street English.
Henk for taveres- would you do it?
SN
Yes
Coos
Number one thing McPhee looked for in players for Vegas…character
What a BS penalty on benn.
Funny about Vegas is most of those player were 2nd and 3rd liners on their old team.
Chemistry, hot start, new team or whatever it is, the facts are you do not need a top 5 pick to win on this league with the right group.
.
Wait…Gorton said they were a sped team last year who lost their identity?
So they lost Girardi, Step and Klein and got slower? Too funny
I think the talk about fan favorites in the letter may mean Zucc is in play. They know the casual fans love him and are preparing them for the “loss”.
SN
but the guys who came in like Shatty are not speed guys either (plus knee issue)
early part of last season they had guys like Puempel and Pirri plus others like Mika seemed healthier. P and P had other issues that caught up to them as season progressed.
plus for a month and half one of our fastest in Kreider has been out.
we’re definitely not a speed team currently with a few exceptions.
Well, the 3 guys we lost could play NHL level hockey; they replaced everyone with a lesser player.
Speed means nothing without the puck
https://nypost.com/2018/02/08/rangers-right-to-put-pressure-on-big-money-bust-to-fix-his-game/
Brooks on Smith
SN
and some was related to cap. actually a large part with the future in mind like Stepan for Andersson.
again this team has no identity whether it be speed or physical. last years team did (at least first half of season).
there were plenty of fans willing to drive Stepan, Girardi and Klein 1 way to get them out of here. what a difference a year makes in perceptions.
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/insider-trading-preds-and-stars-front-runners-for-nash~1322724
several Rangers mentioned. Dreger says Dallas and Nashville leaders re Nash.
even Miller and Kreider mentioned.
Where’s carp?
Gorton and Sather should have stood up at the press conference and pointed fingers at each other for the mess they made of this team. Poor drafting,poor trading, overpaying for average talent, poor developing, poor coaching, poor asset management, squandering 1st round picks on temporary rentals. They should be strung up and left hanging in the MSG lobby. I hope Mrs. Dolan gets the Rangers in the divorce settlement. She can certainly do no worse than the last 18 years that Junior has owned the team. This organization is fatally flawed. It needs a royal flush, top to bottom.
Rumour has it smith was waived because of an incident in the locker room with hank
Apparently hank was ripping the ranger skaters for their lack of d zone coverage postgame, so smith threw his Armani suit in the showers.
Carp’s gone, Wicky.
How can you hurt an Armani suit by throwing it in the showers?
The Smith debacle is on Smith himself, but brave of Gorton to go down the route of waivers to send the reminder out to him. Hopefully Smith realises you don’t sign a big money deal like that then turn up to camp out of shape and spend the year playing catch up. Is that doesn’t ring an alarm bell in the guys head then we are better off giving him away
Rightfully so, Simon. But who continually picks these guys? Who overpaid Lundqvist, Girardi, Staal, Nash etc. etc.? How did they end up with a cap strapped team that has won nothing? At least Chicago won a few Cups for all their fiscal problems. Shlt, the Hawks traded away a better team than the Rangers have. And I have to watch those two azzholes stand up there and do everything but admit they did a horrible job, but are willing to do another horrible job in trying to fix it.
Goodnight boys and girls. Tune in again tomorrow as the Rangers saga continues….
McDonough’s struggles (and injuries) might make him easier to extend at a reasonable rate. I’d like to see a healthy McDonough with a coach using a better defensive scheme before I write him off. Also, to trade him now would be selling low.
Slatsko has it correct. That Glen Sather still is employed by the Rangers is a travesty. He has made a mess of the franchise. For him to be standing there following a memo to Ranger fans that is meant to try to keep the $ flowing in from season ticket holders in spite of the club bottoming out is insulting. This is the guy who ran his mouth before he got the job, then made the club a laughingstock by doling out huge dollars to clowns and retreads. Only the implementation of the cap saved us all from further embarrassment. Sather’s continued involvement makes me skeptical about the outcome of this gambit.
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