Rangers Still Reap Benefits From Gomez Trade

Written on 9/30/2010 by Jim Cerny

By placing Wade Redden on waivers last week, and eventually removing his $6.5 million hit from the salary cap by assigning the veteran defenseman to Hartford, Rangers GM Glen Sather at least partially erased a big mistake from the Rangers' recent past.

Of course, it is a costly mistake as the Blueshirts are still on the hook to pay Redden, not only this year, but for three more seasons aftewards.

Stll Sather removed a mistake from the roster. And that, along with what I have seen so far in Rangers training camp, has made me think of what a great job Sather did in erasing another mistake: the pricey signing of free agent center Scott Gomez four summers ago.

After a solid 70-point first year with the Rangers in 2007-08, Gomez not only was limited to 58 points the following season, but his fit in the locker room was not a good one. Plus his cap hit, along with those of Redden and Chris Drury, was suffocating the team.

So Sather engineered a masterful trade with Montreal, one that I would argue is the type which could set up a franchise in a positive way for years to come.

Please follow my logic:

The Rangers unloaded Gomez and his big salary....
...which freed them up financially to sign the superstar sniper they desired in Marian Gaborik. That alone would make this a winning trade for the Blueshirts. Trading Gomez, a decent second-line center at his best, for an elite goal-scoring machine is a slam dunk win for the Rangers. Yes, I understand that Gaborik is a risk because of his past medical history. But after one healthy 42-goal season on Broadway, the Rangers have to love this swap.

The Rangers received Christopher Higgins in the trade...
....and though the Long Island native did not pan out with the Rangers, Sather shuffled him off to Calgary in the Olli Jokinen trade. Included in that deal was winger Brandon Prust, a rugged third-liner who helped spark the Rangers down the stretch last season and who is a terrific locker-room presence. So, in essence, Prust, not Higgins, was part of this deal since Prust is still playing for the Rangers. Another plus.

The Rangers received Ryan McDonagh in the trade...
....and after leading the University of Wisconsin to the NCAA Championship Game last season, the 21 year-old defenseman turned pro this past summer. McDonagh, a former first round pick of the Canadiens, has looked rock solid and very mature in his first pro camp with the Rangers, and he is on the verge of earning a spot on the opening night roster. He is projected to be a top-four defenseman for years to come.

The Rangers received Pavel Valentenko in the trade...
...and though Valentenko flew under the radar since the deal went down he has emerged as the biggest surprise in this year's training camp for the Rangers. Valentenko is a bruising, fearless, hard-hitting defenseman who told me last night that rocking someone's world "is my favorite". Love it. He also has a cannon of a slap shot, and is not afraid to fire it. Valentenko may start the season in Hartford for more seasoning, but the 22 year-old has an NHL future without question. If he finds his way on to the Rangers roster at some point, that would be four solid NHL players in the lineup in exchange for one regular.

The Rangers traded away little else other than Gomez....
...not to demean center Tom Pyatt, who is a gritty fourth-liner, but the Rangers did not surrender a top prospect to Montreal when they sent Gomez up north. And not to demean Gomez either. He put up only 59 points in Montreal last year, but he did play very well at times in the playoffs, notching 14 points in 19 games as the Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference Finals. But especially with the emergence of McDonagh and Valentenko, this trade keeps getting better by the day for the Rangers.

Posted in Brandon Prust, Christopher Higgins, Glen Sather, Marian Gaborik, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, NHL, Pavel Valentenko, Rink Rap, Ryan McDonagh, Scott Gomez, Wade Redden | Comment Now!

Rangers Land Olli Jokinen

Written on 2/02/2010 by Jim Cerny

Now that the Olli Jokinen-to-Broadway trade has been completed one big question remains: will it be worth the wait for both the Rangers and the Flames?

Seemingly done on Sunday, only to be held up then nearly dead late Sunday/early Monday, the anticipated trade of Jokinen and rugged Brandon Prust to the Rangers for forwards Christopher Higgins and Ales Kotalik finally was consummated in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

What held the trade up and nearly sent it sprialing to its death even after all four players had heard their names mentioned in various media reports about the deal?

Some reports claim it was Kotalik's fault, that he couldn't decide whether or not to waive his limited no-trade clause. Other reports state that fault lies with the Sutter brothers who insisted that Jokinen be in the lineup for last night's tilt against the Flyers at the Saddledome.

Either way it was a confusing, bizarre, somewhat embarrassing, and potentially damaging (if the potential trade had completely blown up) situation.

Prust said that he was up and pacing all of Sunday night/Monday morning waiting to hear official word from the Flames. When the call didn't come, he and Jokinen---fatigued both mentally and physically---dressed and played in the eventual 3-0 loss to the Flyers. As soon as the game was over the two learned of their fate.

"You play hard every time you go on the ice no matter the distractions," Jokinen said after the game. "You play for that sweater and the logo on the front."

The 31 year-old Jokinen, a former 3rd overall pick of the LA Kings and a six-time 20-goal scorer, did not seem happy at all about the trade. He said, "It's a real slap in the face to be traded."

He has now been traded five times in his 11-year career. This is the first time Jokinen has responded to being traded in this angry of a fashion. Perhaps he feels that the Sutters are making him---along with Dion Phaneuf---the scapegoat for Calgary's brutal play through January.

"I was hoping to stay here the rest of my career," said Jokinen. "It's a brutal business. But it comes with the salary we make. $5 million, 11 goals, that's not going to cut it."

Of course had Jokinen been more on a pace for, say, the 29 goals he scored a year ago, he wouldn't have been traded. But he hits the nail on the head by pointing out that a salary in excess of five mill, coupled with a scant 11 goals, just doesn't cut it.

I got to know Olli a bit when we were both with the Islanders back in 1999-2000, his only year on the Island after being acquired from LA in the Ziggy Palffy trade and before being shipped to Florida along with Roberto Luongo for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha---quite possibly one of the worst trades in NHL history. Of course he was just a kid, 21, back then, but his commitment to the game did not seem great. He wasn't in the best of shape, hadn't learned to compete and battle every night just yet. But Olli was a good guy, quick with a smile and a joke.

Jokinen matured greatly down in Florida, eventually becoming the captain, an All- Star, and 39-goal scorer and 91 point-producer. He most definitely has shown the ability to be a star, a big physical presence with a sweet skill set to boot. But he is dogged by claims that he is not a team-first player. And last spring was his first go-round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Winning is not in his genes yet.

But all that said, Rangers GM Glen Sather made a good deal here. First he received the best player, by far, involved in the trade. Second Sather acquired a true heavyweight in the 25 year-old Prust, a role that has been passed back and forth this season between the game-but-overmatched Aaron Voros and 37 year-old Donald Brashear. Third Sather rid his club of Kotalik's inflated contract, which called for two more years at $3 million per for the underperforming winger. Fourth he included Higgins, an UFA this coming July who had struggled mightily on the offensive side of the puck in his first year on Broadway. And finally Sather can clear Jokinen's $5 million plus off the books next summer because he, too, is an UFA. So whether or not Jokinen lights it up or not, the Rangers have freed up money next summer, which they wouldn't have done if they were still tied to Kotalik's contract.

As for Sather's counterpart, Darryl Sutter, he completed a true housecleaning this weekend, moving two big names in Phaneuf and Jokinen, along with their big contracts. But did he get enough in return for either player? Time will tell.

So Jokinen and Prust are in Los Angeles, and both will be in the lineup tonight for the Rangers. Jokinen will even center red-hot Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal on the club's top line. Whether he remains there or shifts to a second line to, in theory, spread out the offense, well, only time will tell again.

Rangers' coach John Tortorella knows Olli really well. As coach of the Lightning, Torts saw Olli at his best with the Panthers on a regular basis. Their relationship will be an interesting one to watch develop, or erupt depending upon how you think things will go.

"I'm excited to head back to the Eastern Conference and play for an Original Six team," Jokinen said last night. "And it's a chance to play with one of the better players in the league right now in Gaborik."

A quick final word on Kotalik and Higgins as they leave New York. These are two good men, who both worked hard, but just did not get the job done offensively. Projected as two of the team's top six forwards, neither fit that bill this year. Higgins was a force on the forecheck and was a huge part of the team's excellent penalty killing unit. But he just could not score. And Kotalik quickly fell out of favor with Torts because of his middling play at even strength. He found his way to the press box when he could not even help out the team on the power play, which is his specialty.

To Kotalik's credit, he was a true professional even as things spiraled downwards for him. He was always available for interviews, and was polite, funny, and gracious. Most importantly he was good supportive teammate.

Higgins grew more and more withdrawn as the season progressed. The sarcasticly funny Long Islander replaced by a much more quiet player who never said so, but sure seemed to want out of New York. But he, too, remained a good, hard-working teammate right up until the end, and should be commended for that. Higgins never stopped working as hard as he could to turn things around.

Posted in Ales Kotalik, Calgary Flames, Christopher Higgins, Darryl Sutter, Glen Sather, New York Rangers, NHL, NHL Trades, Olli Jokinen, Rink Rap | Comment Now!

Not-So Random Hockey Musings

Written on 9/03/2009 by Jim Cerny

Some interesting stuff from NHL deputy Commisioner Bill Daly, heard on XM's NHL Home Ice this morning. Among the highlights:

• on Jim Balsillie's offer to keep the Coyotes in Glendale for part of the season before moving the club in-season to Hamilton should he be awarded the team through bankruptcy proceedings: "It is disrespectful to the fans and players involved"
• on Balsillie's claim that the Toronto Maple Leafs will sue the NHL if there is ever a team in southern Ontario: "The Maple Leafs do have a say. They have one vote out of 30 on the Board of Directors...the majority vote of the board will apply." and "It is factually untrue. It wreaks of desperation from the Balsillie group."
• on the job Coyotes GM Don Maloney has done despite being surrounded by chaos this off-season: "Don has done a fantastic job in very tough circumstances....he has isolated the hockey operations from everything else...he is executing on his long-term plan."
• on the NHLPA's firing of Executive Director Paul Kelly earlier in the week: "I was very, very surprised by the steps they took there" and "We are committed to working with anybody who's in charge of the Players Association in order to grow the game."
• on Direct TV's decision to drop Versus: "Certainly, at the end of the day we hope this is worked out....there is still time to get a deal done...both sides are working hard at it....we'll be as helpful as possible in the process."

Check out XM Home Ice to listen to the entire interview with Daly.

1. 
   
   The longer deal makes the cap hit less painful for the Canucks.
2. 
   
   BUT, Luongo will be 42 when the deal expires, meaning that a buyout likely will take place at some point and there will be cap ramifications for that.
3. 
   
   BUT GM Mike Gillis surely doesn't expect to be around when that buyout takes place, so his concern is about the here and now.
4. 
   
   AND the here and now is that, in my opinion, the Canucks are a legit Cup contender in the West with a healthy and happy Luongo between then pipes.
5. 
   
   Finally, the cap loophole being exploited in the contracts for the likes of Luongo and Marian Hossa will most assuredly be addressed during the next round of CBA negotiations.

*********************************************************************************

On a less serious note, I attended the Rangers Season Subscriber "Meet the Blueshirts" Fan Forum last night at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden. I conducted video interviews for the Rangers official team site with Donald Brashear, Marian Gaborik, and Christopher Higgins, had a chance to chat backstage with team captain Chris Drury, and was able to meet some fans who are followers of this blog.

The fans asked the players some hard-hitting questions, but all in all it was a light and fun event.

Here is the story I wrote for the official Rangers web site about the fan forum.

Posted in Bill Daly, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Don Maloney, Donald Brashear, Glenn Healy, Jim Balsillie, Marian Gaborik, NHL, Paul Kelly, Rink Rap, Roberto Luongo | Comment Now!