Smart Move by Zherdev
While every Ranger fan who has read this blog, as well as all local writer blogs, everyone pretty much knew Nik Zherdev was done after one season as a New York Ranger. Not only was his performance during the season mediocre more often than not but his playoff play was a disaster. Throw that on top of being a headache off the ice and not exactly being a favorite of coach John Tortorella and you have a team that walks away from an arbitration hearing and a talented player close to leaving the NHL for the KHL in Russia.
To that I say this: That is a smart move by Zherdev.
The fact that a player in his early 20′s who has scored 20+ goals three times in his career already — as well as 30+ assists twice — cannot get a contract from an NHL team shows that he needs a break from here.
The reality is Zherdev is not an NHL player — and may never have been. Could he be? Yes, without question. Just on talent alone he has basically slept through four seasons, scoring 99 career goals. But is he a player that is going to contribute to a winning team, and be a key attribute to that team? Not a chance in hell. You can’t do that without heart. That’s what Zherdev is missing. That’s what Ryan Callahan has — as well as Brandon Dubinsky, Dan Girardi and even Colton Orr — players that don’t have all the skill in the world, but they have the heart to make it in the NHL as a solid players.
So for Nik Zherdev, he needs to go to Russia and become a hockey player. If he does that after a year or two and can put it all together, perhaps a team will sign him and make him part of a winning franchise. Till that time, you will not see Zherdev in the NHL.
