Monthly Archives: June 2009
USA Hockey has announced the roster that they will bring to training camp August 17-19th outside of Chicago to prepare for the 2010 game in Vancouver.
Three Rangers, Ryan Callahan, Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, were among the 34 invited to the camp.
Congrats Cally. Drury and Gomez were basically locks and will probably make the team but hats off to Cally for getting the invite. No invite for Brandon Dubinsky though.
The rest of the players invited can be found after the jump:
(more…)
ESPN.com is reporting that the agent for Nik Antropov has said that his client will become a free 
agent because the Rangers have no room to sign him.
ESPN is also reporting that Antro’s agent asked the Rangers for a contract in the neighberhood of five years and $5.25 million per season.
It was nice knowing you Antro. The deal Antro is looking for has such an NBA feel to it. A talented but enigmatic player who can put it together from time to time gets a big deal. Only problem is that by December you are looking at every which way to get rid of him. Also known as a Wade Redden contract.
Monzo: Fantastic. Another solid player the Rangers could use, looking for way to much money. Tough to see a big man that can score 25 goals go, but unfortunately it’s gonna happen here.
Kevin Allen of USA Today, on his twitter page, reports that the Devils have re-signed defenseman Johnny Oduya to a three year deal worth 3.5 million dollars per season.
Oduya made $600K last season.
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Yesterday the Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed 38 year old RW Bill Guerin to a one year $2 million 
dollar deal.
Guerin was acquired by Pittsburgh from the Islanders at last years trade deadline and had 15 points for Pitt en route to their Stanley Cup victory.
There is buzz going around, courtesy of Kevin Allen of USA Todays twitter page, that if the Sedin twins don’t resign with the Vancouver Canucks then they will end up in Montreal.
Rob Blake has signed a one year $3.5 million dollar deal to stay in San Jose.
Guerin and Blake re-signing is nothing that earth shattering but the Sedin twins to Montreal would be something big.
According to TSN, if the Senators are able to move Dany Heatley before July 1st, the Rangers and the Oilers will be likely 
destinations. They seem to be the only two teams interested in the goal-scoring, yet unhappy forward.
Click here to read.
Monzo: Maybe the Rangers can get lucky and get Heatley for Rozsival, Sanguinetti and two draft picks. Probably not.
Rotter: I don’t think Heatley is going anywhere. Ottawa doesn’t seem to be afraid of him being unhappy next season, so unless they get an overwhelming offer to deal him I don’t think they will. If they start slow next season watch for them to can their coach and bring in someone who Heatley likes.
Wednesday July, 1st at 12:00pm free agency starts and of course I will provide the same up to date coverage as I did on trade deadline day and for last Friday’s NHL draft.
To get started, TSN has a list of all of the upcoming free agents for Eastern and Western conference teams. Including RFA’s also.
Monzo: I will be producing the mayhem that will be NHL Live! that day. Should be insanity. Myself and Adam will keep everyone updates with all teams, and provide info on everything local.
Steve Zipay reports on the Rangers extending qualifying offers to restricted free agents Brandon Dubinsky,Ryan Callahan, Lauri 
Korpikoski, Corey Potter and newly acquired center Brian Boyle.
Rotter: Now just get them signed before some crazy team comes running with an offer sheet.
Andrew Gross of The Record has a full report up of todays first day of prospect development 
camp.
Very much worth the read.
Some things that caught my eye:
- Coach Tortorella watched from about with assistant GM’s Mike Barnett and Jim Schoenfeld.
- Adam Graves and the Hartford Wolfpack staff of Ken Gernander, J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller were the on-ice instructors.
- Michael Del Zotto said that his mid-season trade from Oshawa to London was the “best thing” that could have happened to him” and that his game improved in every area but most of all defensively.
- Matt Gilroy said he is only looking “one step at a time” and likes to bust on his friends who take the LIRR to work everyday. (As I do)
- Evgeny Grachev has a good command on English and said he wants to spend the summer in Russia skating to be in shape for training camp.
Rotter: All good stuff. The more and more I hear about him I feel like Michael Del Zotto could make the team next season. He has the right attitude and he could finally be an answer to the on-going powerplay problems that have plauged the team since Brian Leetch left. But we will see, he must impress John Tortorella the way that Marc Staal impressed Tom Renney two seasons ago.
Rangers coach John Tortorella is setting the tone for the upcoming Rangers season early on. 
On the first day of prospect development camp, the Rangers coach let loose a few feelings on the season:
“As far as the lines are concerned, as far as the makeup of our team, from Scott Gomez right on down, the only guy I know is gonna be there is Hank. He’s gonna be our starting goalie. But other than that, it’s wide open. And I’m not afraid of youth. It’s going to be done on merit.
Good thing Torts named Lundqvist the starter, I can now sleep at night. But seriously, it is great to hear what he is saying about playing young guys. It follows what he did last season, when someone is playing well they get more ice time, when they don’t play well they sit on the bench.
Torts also discussed the lifestyle’s of the players and the sense of entitlement some of the players have:
“We got two hot meals a day, we got a great practice facility, we got limos flying all over the place, we got New York City, the theaters, I need this, I need that,” he said. “It’s time to put your hand, instead of asking for more, take it away and start getting things done.”
I LOVE this. We have months until the season starts and Torts is already laying down the law. This is his team now, he will be there at the start and he will get to pick and choose who he wants to play on this team, not who he inherited from Renney.
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