The Mike Peca saga will end tomorrow.
Don Meehan, the agent for the free-agent center, who the Rangers had in for a physical and talks with brass last week, said his client will choose Tuesday about which team he'll play for this season.
"He'll make a decision (tomorrow)," Meehan said during a brief phone call last night of Peca, 33, who played just 35 games last seaon after breaking his right leg in late December while skating for the Maple Leafs."It's down to a few teams."
Peca, a two-time Selke Trophy winner who has said he would sign a cap-friendly deal to play with the Rangers, had been waiting for days for an offer from Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather, expected to be in the $1 million to $1.25 million range, including performance incentives.
Meehan last night didn't name the other teams, but Toronto was said to be considering an offer, as was Columbus, which expressed interest last weekend. The Rangers, however, lhave been considered the frontrunner for weeks.
The 5-11, 190-pound Toronto native, who earned $2.5 million last season, is pencilled in as the team's third-line center. The Rangers shipped Matt Cullen to Carolina last month, and Peca also would serve as a veteran backup in case top centers Chris Drury or Scott Gomez are injured.
When healthy, Peca---who played on Long Island from 2001-2004, is a defense-first center, skilled on face-offs and penalty-killing, areas in which the Rangers could use his talents. In 12 NHL seasons, Peca has played 728 games, scored 164 goals, added 245 assists and is a plus-73.
Currently, the Rangers have Blair Betts, who signed a two-year extension late last season, as a fourth-line center, with prospect Brandon Dubinsky, 21, who played for Hartford last season, waiting in the wings.
Comments (21)
Thanks for the info, tihs is the only place with an update on this story at this time... nice job.
Part of me hopes the Rangers sign him and part of me hopes he goes elsewhere.
This will cause some crowding up front and eliminate another spot that a kid could be filling but I suppose if there were any centers ready to make the jump, they wouldn't be talking to Peca at all.
What's the official word on Immonen? He went back to Europe and is to be forgotten? I liked the little we saw of him but apparently he was considered to be too slow?
Sather is going to pass. YES!
I think Peca thinks he's better than he really is at this point in his career, "I'll make a decision today", ok Great One, were all waiting on you...if we get him good, if not whatever.
MIke Peca should chance his name to Mike Hock instead.
Potvin, DP and the Asslanders SUCK! No place is Islander country! LOL!
IF RAG CONTRACTIONS BOYFRIEND WOULD STOP BREAKING UP WITH HIM ONCE A WEEK HE WOULD NOT BE SO ANGRY...POOR GUY NEEDS A HUG...DOH! YOUR G@Y JUST LIKE YOUR PATHETIC TEAM!
Rag Contraction, did Dady leave you while at a young age. Did he touch you or beat you? Did mommy not let you play hockey because you could get hurt? Are you a mama's boy?
Where do you come up with this stuff? Do u make it up as you go along, or do you stay up all night thinking about how to sound like a fool?
How did you feel about Peca leaving when he did? Was it that the island sucked to play on, or was he just done with being considered a left over?
Who the hell care is Peca becomes a Ranger or not. The fact remains he'll only play a few games anyway. I'm SURE once those gritty Nolan types step out onto the ice, his leg will just break again from the fear. ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh!
AH! is Mike Comrie and Fedupatanko. Look out here comes Samuri Simon.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
is it hard to be an islanders fan?
is it hard to buy tickets to a crap game?
is it more than likely they're going to miss the playoffs?
is it easier to hate, than to love the real NY team?
Is it hard to watch them play on tv.
is it hard to look in the mirror and lie to yourself day after day, repeating the islanders ARE good!,over and over and over again?
is it likely that the team will remove one of those "leaders" responsible for sending the team into the gutter for the last couple of years?
Is it easier to never address the facts and only bring up a 25 old history?
Is it something the Rangers did over the last 50 years to your life that made you so bitter?
is it that in high school and the Ranger fan kids beat you up all the time because you wanted to be different?
is it that being different gives you the feeling that you are not a sheep?
is it that, because you are a sheep, that you wear the wolf cloths?
Is it that you're really the first little pig, still running away from the big bad wolf.
is it that you were raped as a child by a man wearing a Rangers Jersey?
is it that you are too simple minded to get over the fact that the isles were good when you went to school, or were you already an old piece of crap?
is it likely that mommy did all the abuse that turned you into a tiny little twerp.
is it that you really are a tiny little twerp pretending to be a badass mofo with a keyboard?
is it that you're lonely?
is it that you're wife left you?
is it that you're boyfriend left you?
is it that your dog died?
is it that you don't really know what your problem is?
is it that you need a new friend and are looking for more a holes like yourself?
is it that maybe, just maybe, you were dropped on your head too many times.
is it that your favorite colour is orange?
is it that your favorite colour is blue?
is it that you are likely to be a serial killer one day?
is it safe to say you already are?
is it hard to be you, fat, ugly, lonely, jobless, no family, little peen, gay and a little twerp?
The answer ladies is Yes to all
Why is it that when Isles fans come in the conversion always turns into moronic no nothing about hockey commentary? Opps I forgot the Isles fans know nothing about hockey! Please go back the Island and watch your number 1 line "The Ice Girls"
i like to kill dear.
Is it that Rag Contraction is living in the closet as not only a gay man, but a Rangers fan too.
See you in Hamilton losers!
No NHL team is going to Hamilton. Kansas City or Las Vegas are real cities that would get an NHL team one day. Hamilton is a dump no one will play in.
Bear/Hamilton/Imposter just give it a rest. You sound pathetic. NO NHL TEAM WILL PLAY IN DUMPWATER HAMILTON!!!!!! Say something believable at least.
If any team is gonna be contracted, it'll be the Pi(s)les.
Get off Ranger turf and give up the fishstix, Rag contraction.
Peca signed with Columbus!
RAG LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YES! Thank GOD.
No Peca love for you!
Eat my Peca, Rags!!!!!!
See you in Hamilton losers!
is it hard to be an islanders fan?
NOPE
is it hard to buy tickets to a crap game?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it more than likely they're going to miss the playoffs?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it easier to hate, than to love the real NY team?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
Is it hard to watch them play on tv.
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it hard to look in the mirror and lie to yourself day after day, repeating the rangers ARE good!,over and over and over again?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it likely that the team will remove one of those "leaders" responsible for sending the team into the gutter for the last couple of years?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
Is it easier to never address the facts and only bring up a 9 year old history?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
Is it something the rangers did over the last 50 years to your life that made you so bitter?
RANGERS NEVER ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING IN 50 YEARS LOL
is it that in high school and the Ranger fan kids beat you up all the time because you wanted to be different?
RAGS FANS ARE WIMPS THEY BEAT NO ONE UP. LOL
is it that being different gives you the feeling that you are not a sheep?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it that, because you are a sheep, that you wear the wolf cloths?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
Is it that you're really the first little pig, still running away from the big bad wolf.
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it that you were raped as a child by a man wearing a Islanders Jersey?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it that you are too simple minded to get over the fact that the rangers were never good when you went to school, or were you already an old piece of crap?
YEAH SOUNDS RIGHT
is it likely that mommy did all the abuse that turned you into a tiny little twerp.
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it that you really are a tiny little twerp pretending to be a badass mofo with a keyboard?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it that you're lonely?
NOT SINCE IM SLEEPING WITH YOUR WIFE
is it that you're wife left you?
DON"T CARE IM WITH YOUR HAG OF A WIFE NOW
is it that you're boyfriend left you?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it that your dog died?
DIED, MORE LIKE A RAGS FAN KILLED AND ATE HIM THATS HOW PATHETIC THEY ARE
is it that you don't really know what your problem is?
I LIKE WINNING TEAMS SO NO
is it that you need a new friend and are looking for more a holes like yourself?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it that maybe, just maybe, you were dropped on your head too many times.
NOPE
is it that your favorite colour is orange?
YES!!!!
is it that your favorite colour is blue?
HELLS YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
is it that you are likely to be a serial killer one day?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it safe to say you already are?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN
is it hard to be you, fat, ugly, lonely, jobless, no family, little peen, gay and a little twerp?
WOULDN'T KNOW IM NOT A RAGS FAN, AND IM NOT THE LOSER WHO WROTE ALL THESE QUESTIONS.
Peca Won’t Be a Ranger
Michael Peca will not be a Ranger this season.
Agent Don Meehan confirmed moments ago that the Rangers did not make Peca a contract offer.
Meehan said that he expected to complete negotiation on a one-year deal for the 33-year-old center within a couple of hours. Columbus appears to be the city where the former Islanders captain will be playing his home games this season.
Posted by John Dellapina on August 21, 2007 8:36 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/2007/08/peca_wont_be_a_ranger.html
I like the idea of putting Straka as the third line center. But, can he hold up after his surgery. Love to see one the kids (Dubinsky?)jump into that spot! You have to like there enthusiasm!