OK, with the Peca deal off the table, where do the Rangers go?
Perhaps C Brandon Dubinsky isn't ready for third-line duty.
One possible scenario: Move Martin Straka, who just had arthroscopic knee surgery in the Czech Republic, but will be ready for camp, to center and make room for winger Nigel Dawes.
The team needs to find out whether Dawes---a 30-goal scorer in Hartford---is ready. He had a goal in a brief eight-game stint on Broadway last season.
Another possibility: Alex Bourret, who came from Atlanta in the Pascal Dupuis trade, is a promising forward and very close to NHL level, according to Rangers director of player personnel Gordie Clark, who was interviewed by nhl.com. The stocky right wing had three goals and eight assists in seven playoff games for Hartford.
Your thoughts?
Comments (15)
i hate this move. we have a 2 year window with jagr and company. i think now is the time to go for it. if peca failed then u could have brought up dubinksy. now we have question marks down the middle and god forbid someone gets hurt we are done. i hate it!!!!!!!!
it has to be Dawes. Bourret, and Dubinsky just arent ready, nor is anyone else really.
Eric cant agree with you more. Sather is wrong here. We are trying to win a cup and you dont win with question marks. Dawes sucks he is another Christan Dube. Straka is not a good center and you know the Rangers when they realize thay made they will then have to trade a prospect or a pick for a third line center they could have had for just money. They took a step back. Damn Sather.
butch - the screwup was not not signing Peca but rather trading Cullen. And I don't believe he asked to be traded. I think it was the news the day before he got traded that had an article quoting him as wanting badly to stay or words to that effect. the team screwed it's cap mgt this off season and not have a huge hole at 3rd center.
that now instead of not in the last sentence.
RC - you have to find yourself a new boyfriend to keep you off this blog. You add absolutely nothing to the conversation here.
I'm giving Sather the benefit of the doubt here. Peca does seem like the perfect 3rd line center; great defensively, great on faceoffs, plays a tough hard game- but he has alot of miles on him, and he has played bigger than his size for his entire career. A guy with pins in his leg, that plays a game like Peca does, has to make you wonder how many games he would be able to play this season. I'm curious to see how many games he ends up playing for the Blue Jackets.
As far as Cullen goes, it seems he wanted out, so let him go.
The third line center position typically requires someone with some defensive prowess, and with Callahan and Prucha likely to be on that 3rd line, putting a guy like Dubinsky there might be risky. I foresee Renny giving a guy like Betts or even Straka time centering the 3rd line; with some spot duty to guys like Dubinsky and Dawes. Hopefully one of the young guys really just tears it up and forces Renny to put them there, but it's probably more likely the team will look to fill the spot from outside.... all just in my opinion of course ! ! !
My lines for opening night:
Hossa-Gomez-Jagr
Shanny-Drury-Avery/Callahan
Prucha-Straka-Callahan/Avery
Orr-Betts-Hollweg
You can also switch Prucha and Hossa, but Hossa was such a beast at the end of last year that I think you have to give him first crack. Either way, it looks good.
Oh, and as for Peca, I'm ambivalent. If he came, fine; since he's not, fine. I don't think he makes the difference either way.
IF THEY PASSED ON PECA THEY MUST KNOW SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T. PERHAPS HIS LEG IS MUCH WORSE THAN ANYONE IS LETTING ON AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BROADCAST THAT ALL OVER THE NHL BECAUSE IT COULD HURT PECA'S CHANCE OF SIGNING WITH ANOTHER TEAM. IN OTHER WORDS LET THE BUYER BEWARE AND THE RANGERS SEEM TO HAVE DONE THAT. I DON'T SERIOUSLY THINK THAT MIKE PECA WAS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL SEASON ONE WAY OR THE OTHER BUT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SAAVY VET ADDITION HAD HE BEEN HEALTHY. SO LET'S MOVE ON AND SEE WHAT COMES TO THE TOP AT CAMP.
NYI...oops I mean Rag Contraction, get a life, seriously. I love this, Peca would have given the Rangers 21 good games before another leg injury. I am all for the kids to be given a shot. When will Rangers fans, that hate this move, realize that kids can be given a shot, even when the team is going for it all? Some fans just are still stuck in the old Ranger mentality. Respect to Renney and CO. actually giving kids a chance to shine here on Broadway.
"Dawes sucks he is another Christan Dube"
Ummmmm, Butch, this is a seriously dumb comment.
Dawes has scored a total of 62 goals the last 2 regular seasons in Hartford and added another 11 goals in 20 playoff games.
Dube scored exactly 0 goals in 15 career playoff games for Hartford. NONE.
He was horrible, then left and went to Switzerland.
There is not one thing similar about Nigel Dawes and Christian Dube.
NOT ONE
Peca had to be in bad shape . . . they had a deal, then Sather backed out. He learned something was up to snuff. I'm excited to see which of the "prospects" can make the leap. Perhaps Anismov is the real deal. He's BIG & supposedly defensive minded with a scoring touch.
Dube did suck, Dawes very well may be VERY good, but could use some lifts in his skates . . .
wasn't up to snuff
no lines are simple. yeah theyll tinker a bit when neceassary but clearly there is aplan that looks like this. First line- line 1A Jags has lost his european passing machine who he had great chemistry with-nyls-...that s easy bring his old home boy straka back to line 1. first line center is not what you think- jags and straka can both carry the puck..you just dont need gomez to carry the puck for these guys--what you do need is some grit, someone who backchecks, wins faceoffs,and most important someone to get in front, crash net and get all those jagr rebounds--drury is the best in the league at these four combined...thats easy. Second line is easy too. Gomez is the puck carrier here (Do you really want drury and shanny lugging it up and down?) and maybe the best in the league at gaining the zone--feed shanny and boom--shanny 50 goals from line 1AA--avery fills it out-this line is a terror...and thus spelled the doom for cullen, because line 1aa will get line 1 ice time and there no sense paying cull 3mm for 10 minutes a game- sorry love his skill but hes expendable in this situation. Line 3 will be callahan, a center to be determined- hopefully one of the kids and probably pruchs or hossa...line 4 probably ends up betts, hollyweg, and orr(when need or pruchs -hoosa) with very little playing time for this line...lets not kid ourselves into thinking we can predict what kid will force their way onto the team--it will only be determined by their preseason play which has been the case--bouret and dawes, and dubinsky are the best bets--but who knows what surprises await, and the little playing 3rd line will be adjusted accordingly...just my take...ps dubinsky more than filled in his call up last year and if not for callahans explosion onto the scene would have stayed...
Rag Contraction- you sound alot like that idiot who used to post on RFC and went by the name Captain Ego. Why don't you go away like Yashin did with Greshner's sloppy seconds
Charlie
for the 3rd line are you kidding me at 10 minutes/game. Drury for one played on a team that rolled 4 lines. Between JJ, Shanny, Straka (if on number 1 line), Drury, how are you going to play these guys 22 minutes plus for 82 games and expect to do anything in the playoffs. These are not young guys and hockey is a bruising sport. Plus most 3rd line type players also get significant pk time. Don't expect that just because a guy is making $ 7 mm / yr that we can abuse him with insane minutes and that he'll produce point wise more than he ever has. Both new guys have reputations for being clutch and playoff performers. They need something left in the tank for that to work. And on an individual game basis that depends on the situation. If behind shorten the bench in the 3rd.