I was thrilled that the Rangers got to select Alexei Cherapanov at numer 17. Most projections had him as a top 5 player. The initial expalnation was that the lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia scared most teams off. I don't buy that. Cherapanov's agent was very quick to point out that the kid's contract has an escape clause after this coming season. I'm sure all G.M.'s were made aware of this. So why did he slip so far in the draft? I think it's a combination of questionable work ethic and the "herd mentality". The question of his work ethic speaks for itself. The "herd mentality" is a little more complicated: Every season NHL GM's seek to emulate the Stanley Cup Champions. When the old Oilers won cups with offense, everyone tried to play offense. When Jersey killed the game with the trap, the rest of the league followed suit. You might think that part of the job description for an NHL GM is leadership, vision and confidence. You'd be wrong!!! Sports is a microcosm of life: few leaders and an abundance of followers. With new rules opening up the game, GM's have been in a quandry: no one knows precisely how the game will change so there are no clear cut leaders to follow. Would small finesse oriented players take over the game (i.e. Buffalo) or would the big boys still own the ice (i.e. Ducks)? With Buffalo's playoff failure and Annaheim's ultimate success, GM's had some clear cut direction again: Size still matters. A skilled player like Cherapanov was no longer such a hot commodity (especially in light of his alleged character defects). Luckily for us Ranger fans, at number 17 the Rangers couldn't have passed on the kid even if they wanted to.
As much a I love watching the Isles suffer, I can't help but feel a little bit bad for them. They bite the bullet by buying out Yashin in order to restore credibility in their locker room and with their fan base. They hope that this will send a message that they're a serious hockey club prepared to make difficult hockey decisions for the sake of restoring a winning/competitive atmosphere within the franchise. They basically offer Ryan Smyth (Captain Canada) a blank check to re-sign with the club, and then..... NOTHING! He doesn't seem to have any interest in coming back to the club that went out on a limb at the trade deadline to acquire him. After playing in Edmonton, I guess Long Island is too small of a market for him! If the Isles don't re-sign this guy, what little free agent lure they have will be out the window. No marquee talent will voluntarily want to sign with their club. The only way they'll be able to dress marquee players is by drafting them and/or trading for them. The real issue here is over expansion. The league should have never put a franchise on Long Island. They'll never be able to come out of the Rangers' shadow. Ditto for the Devils. Ditto for Hartford, oh wait, they actually figured that one out!
Henrik, Montoya and now...Lafluer! In what some are interperating as a sign that Al Montoya's days as a Ranger are numbered, the club used its second round draft pick on a goalie. Hey Glenn, don't loose Tampa Bay's telephone number. We may not have selected Angelo at the draft but maybe we can land Vinny via trade.
Please tell me I didn't read what I thought I just read. Please tell me you're not going to play the card of "I'm so happy I'm a Ranger fan because everyone envies us and because we have money and you don't and blah blah blah". And please don't go comparing them to the Yankees. I only expect that from your junior- the honeymooner, not from you. I don't want to get into that whole "envy" argument again b/c it's boring already and we'll never agree on it anyway. But if you're going to try to tell me that the Rangers got Cherapanov because of their ingenuity and outside-the-box thinking... ni**a please!
They got him because of one thing and one thing only: MONEY.
Posted by: thedirtyboy | June 25, 2007 at 03:08 PM
somebody's got a chip on their shoulder! Money is irrelevant nowadays. We lost a full season of hockey so that owners can get a salary cap.
I never said the Rangers got Cherapanov because of ingenuity or outside the box thinking. In fact, I wrote that "Luckily for us Ranger fans, at number 17 the Rangers couldn't have passed on the kid even if they wanted to", meaning they have no ingenuity but at #17 even the Rangers couldn't mess this one up. By the way, Pittsburgh was somehow able to pry a much bigger star out of Russia (i.e., Malkin) and they're not exactly a team swimming in cash. So I don't think money had much to do with this situation.
The bottom line is that the Isles lack of appeal has nothing to do with a lack of money. Most athletes are competitive, they want to be the best/#1. The Isles are the #2 team in the NY area. Period. That's not Isle's bashing, it's a fact.
Posted by: The Hockey Rabbi | June 25, 2007 at 08:19 PM
Listen, you got to stop with the whole chip on the shoulder thing. I am a realist. The Islanders can win 4 cups in a row and it will never "mean as much" as the Rangers winning just one. The Islanders are a small market team in a big market state. The Rangers are where free agents prefer to sign. The garden is a historical building, the coliseum is a run down old barn. But Ranger fans need to be realists too. Their team has an allure because of where they are geographically situated- not because of any team related history. Not because there is any identifiable moment that screams "I want to wear that jersey". We can go back and forth (and I'm sure we will) for years, but there's one thing you can never talk your way out of. There's one thing that will always come back to haunt you when you try to argue for your team:
The Rangers have won ONE Stanley Cup in the last 67 years!!!!!
So let's sum up. The Rangers have the following on their side in order to help them lure free agents:
Play in New York City
Pre-salary cap unlimited Dolan Dollars
Corporate sponsorships galore
Most important market to the vitality of the NHL
Best shops, restaurants, nightlife, museums, lodging, etc in the world
Historical building
Constant Spotlight- great for endorsements
I could go on and on. The point is with all these decided advantages in the free agent game and with all the marquee names they have signed over the years, and with people flocking to NY to come play for them:
The Rangers have won ONE Stanley Cup in the last 67 years!!!!!
So do me a favor, or favour if you're Canadian. You can go cheer for the magnitude of relevance of your team, and play the whole "you have a chip on your shoulder" card... because that's all you have left to cheer for. Sports is a results based business. But you can't cheer for results because that's one thing your team DOES NOT OFFER!
Posted by: thedirtyboy | June 26, 2007 at 08:23 AM
Agreed! And I still wouldn't trade my hell for your heaven.
Posted by: The Hockey Rabbi | June 26, 2007 at 08:29 AM