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No Quick Fix — But a Few Ideas

by Brian Monzo on April 30th, 2009 at 7:23 pm

There is no quick fix to the Rangers problems, obviously.

Here are the pressing issues:

  • Lack of a true goal scorer
  • Power-play is a nightmare
  • Not a great core of prospects

A few ideas (Note — I have heard nothing and I am not making up rumors, I am just playing GM):

  • Dangle RFA Nikolai Zherdev, and perhaps Dan Girardi, the Rangers 1st and 3rd round picks to the LA Kings for the 5th overall pick and Jack Johnson. Draft 5’11, physical and goal scoring center Evander Kane.
  • Buy out the contract of Markus Naslund.
  • Sign Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan to long-term deals.
  • Make a bold move, and sign a RFA (Travis Zajac, Drew Stafford, Phil Kessel, David Booth)
  • Take a serious look at the contracts of Scott Gomez, Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden and even Chris Drury — and see if one of them can be moved (this will likely be visited by Glen Sather, but extremely unlikely.

More later……
  • Jay G.

    I’m pretty sure Mike Cammalleri is a FA. The rangers should look at him, he scored 39 goals and had 82 points and he probably wouldnt cost as much as a Hossa or Gaborik

  • waynefromwestbury

    Brian, this is like the third time I’ve tried to write since we last spoke on the phone and I’m always pulled away. But it’s Happy Hour now and I have the floor. So with no further interruptions my first post season analysis of the NY Rangers. There are 7 guys who I say we should keep. Gomez who is still young enough and a great great skater who can have 70+ assists with the right line mates. Avery cause HE IS A RANGER and when he plays within the rules of the game he can play with anybody and in case you haven’t noticed he can only be successful as a Ranger. Callahan who I believe next year will score 30-35 goals and has quite a nice career ahead of him as a RANGER. Every time Cally is on the ice something always happened every guy on the team should approach the game as Ryan Callahan and he should be a Ranger forever. Marc Staal, who is steadily making his way deeper into the offense. I think he will be the best and In two years Staal, Drew Doughty, and Zach Bogosian will be the best in the business and yes maybe Jack Johnson too if he can stay healthy. A close second will have to watch Erik Johnson after he comes back from major surgery. Staal I think will be Captain one day he is close to great now and we haven’t seen close to his best yet another one who should be a Ranger for life. I have 3 other guys to mention but before I do we must remember how hockey is the only major sport with a hard cap, AND IT’S PROBABLY GOING DOWN. Glen Sather took this job feeling he could do it in his sleep with the bankroll of Dolan behind him. Then the rules changed and the lack of hockey knowledge and lack of effort exploded out like holy Hiroshima. EVERY RANGER FAN WHO I SIT WITH BETWEEN SECTIONS 403-404 KNOWS FULL WELL SATHER HAS GOT TO GO. He’s got this team strapped with regard to the cap forcing his boss, the owner James Dolan to eat a lot of cash to redo this team, if he wants to please the fans which he damn well should. And his lousy drafting and free agent signings should be his ticket to retirement; CIGARS, SUITS SATHER YER OUT DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YER ASS ON THE WAY OUT! OK MESSIER HERE’S THE DEAL, WE NEED YOU DEAR CAPTAIN. PLEASE SAVE THE RANGER ORGANIZATION ONE MORE TIME. YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE DRIVE AND STRATOSPHERIC RESUME TO RELIEVE SATHER OF HIS DUTIES SMOOTHLY. PLEASE MARK ONLY YOU CAN POSSIBLY REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO US IN THE BLUE SEATS. Alright the last three guys I would hang onto so they can prove they are lifelong Rangers are Lauri Korpikoski who I think can be a 20 goal scorer, Brandon Dubinsky who although fell far short of the 30 goal season we imagined after the first couple of weeks of the season, still plays with Callahan like fire and you’ve got to keep that and hope he can consistently score 20 before he’s 30. And I would keep Dan Girardi. He’s young , he’s tough, he’s shown a bit of a scoring touch albeit quite inconsistent. I know he’s made some glaring defensive mistakes that have made me scream some nasty things at DG, but I would keep him cause as Somers would say, he’s got chutzpah and moxy. If he were to be included in a trade it would have to be of Zetterberg proportions. Long winded, ah maybe a bit but I had a lot stored up since we got ousted! LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!