Andrew Gross, at Ranger Rants, spoke with Jokinen’s New Jersey Agent, Todd Diamond, about Jokinen and the trade. Diamond said that Jokinen is excited to be back in the Eastern Conference but said that the rumors of Jokinen being a problem child in the locker-room are overblown:
“It’s B.S. that he’s bad in the locker room, nothing could be further from the truth,” Diamond said. “He’s a leader by example. You can ask Wayne Gretzky how he was with the younger players. It just didn’t work out in Phoenix.”
Original Post:12:01PMBorn: Dec 5, 1978 – Kuopio, Finland
Height: 6-3 Weight: 215
Drafted: Third overall in 1997 by LA
Trades: Was sent to the Islanders as part of a package for Ziggy Pallfy. The Isles traded him and Roberto Luongo to Florida for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. Florida sent him to Phoenix at the 2008 draft for a package surrounded by defensman Keith Ballard. Sent from Phoenix to Calgary at last year’s trade deadline for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a conditional first round pick.
Stats: Has eleven goals and twenty-four assists this season for Calgary. Has 248 career goals and 305 career assists. Had eleven goals and ten assists in one season as an Islander in 1999-2000. Four time 30 goal scorer.
Two goals and three assists in six playoff games last season. Career minus 82
Notes: Represented Finland in 2002 and 2006 Olympic Games. Will be on 2010 team. Eleven career Olympic points in eleven games.
…Well here he is. The enigma that is Jokinen. He played his best hockey under Mike Keenan, and Keenan is occasionally an analyst on MSG, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him around a little more or have either him or John Tortorella make an effort to help out with Olli. As a free agent coming at the end of this season, losing his cap hit will be great for the Rangers and give them room to make a move or do something in the off-season. He could be motivated to come to NY and try and get his game back under control, he is in a contract year after all and because of that, in NY, he could potentially be exactly what the Rangers need to help out scoring.
Or he will continue to be an enigma, but at least Ales Kotalik is gone.
To hear what Jokinen told Alex Ruiz after the game, click after the jump
Jokinen says that it comes with the salary: “It comes with the salary – you make 5 million, 11 goals not going to cut it. It’s definitely a slap in the face to get traded”
He said he was exciting to play with Gaborik and knows John Tortorella from playing against him when they both were involved with Florida teams.
Jokinen’s last interview with the Calgary media can be heard here.
We can only cross our fingers and hope that his play is great with the Rangers for the remainder of the season. That in regards to his play. Unfortunately I think Jokinen’s real value to the Rangers is the cap room he will provide when his contract expires at the end of the season. Here’s hoping Sather has turned a new leaf and is looking towards the Rangers bright future…that is, I hope he doesn’t ruin the goodwill he’s generated from his last two trades by completely screwing the pooch this off-season.
CAREER MINUS EIGHTY TWO?!?!?!
he’s a career minus 82 because he’s an offensive-minded centerman.
so playing on a line with Gabby and Vinny means… Vinny better keep his backchecking ways at a max for the rest of the year…
I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Torts mess around with the lines before handing over the keys to the Ferrari!
Good Luck Olli
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Lots of offensive minded centers have fine +/-. Guys who I could think of that have a better one than Olli (though not necessarily all of these guys are offensive-minded centers…but most are):
M. Richards (+33)
D. Briere (-28)
J. Carter (+26)
J. Spezza (+72)
N. Antropov (+70)
J. Franzen (+57)
J. Madden (+35)
A. Vermette (+8)
M. Ribiero (+4)
J. Arnott (+80)
H. Sedin (+124)
etc, etc.
All I’m saying is you can’t just chalk Jokinen’s VERY bad career +/- up to him being an offensive-minded centerman. There’s more to it than that.