Snake Eyes
Posted 11:22 AM ET | Comments 0
I still believe the Rangers are in for another major move. Sather is just lying in the tall grass waiting to strike. Slithering around. Waiting for other deals to fall apart. From what I've read, the hang-up with Dubinsky's deal seems to be term NOT money. Why would they be afraid to give him a 3 or 4 year deal? Shouldn't he be a building block? Despite the cap issues, I get the feeling that Sather is trying to wait out Bryan Murray and the Senators for Dany Heatley. Although, I've read that he wouldn't give up Dubinsky in prior discussions with Murray, I think that he still might if he could get Murray to take some salary and he could land another center.
Enter Mats Sundin. There's still interest. What kind of message are the Rangers sending Dubinsky if they sign Sundin without having offered him (Dubinsky) a long-term deal? Maybe they're keeping Dubinsky's term and money "flexible" to lessen the immediate hit to the Senators in a deal for Heatley. Maybe the hang up in a deal for Heatley isn't the inclusion of Dubinsky but the additional salary the Rangers would need to dump on Ottawa.
Maybe I need to get out of the house more....alright.....after this last musing...
Clearly, the Rangers are going to bring in another veteran D-man. There's been lots of chatter around Francis Bouillon and now Denis Seidenberg.
What I'd like to know is.....why wasn't Paul Mara resigned? He was one of the most consistent Rangers last season. He appeared to be taking more of a leadership role in the locker room (I thought he would have made a good alternate captain). And...let's face it....he had a fantastic playoff beard (old school). I'm at a loss to explain the Rangers apparent lack of interest. He went on to sign a very reasonable 1 year, $1.7 million deal with Montreal. I know he and Tortorella have something of a past but I'd have a hard time with a coach (if I were the GM...which I'm not) that couldn't judge a player objectively. Obviously, I'm drawing conclusions on circumstantial evidence (I live life that way...why should my hockey commentary be any different?) but with neither Seidenberg nor Bouillon being a significant upgrade (if any at all...and I'm leaning toward these options being, at best, a wash), I'm at a loss to understand the Rangers motives. There's been significant turnover on the roster....this is just one position where they had a chance to have some continuity.
Enter Mats Sundin. There's still interest. What kind of message are the Rangers sending Dubinsky if they sign Sundin without having offered him (Dubinsky) a long-term deal? Maybe they're keeping Dubinsky's term and money "flexible" to lessen the immediate hit to the Senators in a deal for Heatley. Maybe the hang up in a deal for Heatley isn't the inclusion of Dubinsky but the additional salary the Rangers would need to dump on Ottawa.
Maybe I need to get out of the house more....alright.....after this last musing...
Clearly, the Rangers are going to bring in another veteran D-man. There's been lots of chatter around Francis Bouillon and now Denis Seidenberg.
What I'd like to know is.....why wasn't Paul Mara resigned? He was one of the most consistent Rangers last season. He appeared to be taking more of a leadership role in the locker room (I thought he would have made a good alternate captain). And...let's face it....he had a fantastic playoff beard (old school). I'm at a loss to explain the Rangers apparent lack of interest. He went on to sign a very reasonable 1 year, $1.7 million deal with Montreal. I know he and Tortorella have something of a past but I'd have a hard time with a coach (if I were the GM...which I'm not) that couldn't judge a player objectively. Obviously, I'm drawing conclusions on circumstantial evidence (I live life that way...why should my hockey commentary be any different?) but with neither Seidenberg nor Bouillon being a significant upgrade (if any at all...and I'm leaning toward these options being, at best, a wash), I'm at a loss to understand the Rangers motives. There's been significant turnover on the roster....this is just one position where they had a chance to have some continuity.