Crib Notes - New York Rangers

New York Rangers
Last season - 4th in the Atlantic, Collapsed in round 1 vs. the Capitals
Lost tough guy Colton Orr to Toronto via free agency
Lost Freddy Sjostrom to Calgary via free agency
Lost rentals Derek Morris and Nik Antropov to Boston and Atlanta, respectively. Not sure the Rangers even wanted these guys back.
Lost Paul Mara to Montreal via free agency
Traded Scott Gomez and some cats and dogs for Chris Higgins and change
Signed Donald Brashear to replace Colton Orr
Signed Ales Kotalik to replace Nik Zherdev (who was let go and has yet to sign with a team)
Signed Vinny Prospal and re-signed Ryan Callahan
Signed Marian Gaborik with the money saved from trading Scott Gomez.
Let Markus Naslund and Lauri Korpikoski go.

Questions going into 2009-2010:
How many games will oft-injured Marian Gaborik play?
Can Henrik Lundquist's keep this team in playoff contention even with a weak defense?
How will the team respond to a full season under John Tortorella?
Does the rest of the league realize that they can torch Hank Lundquist's glove hand by now?
Will Hobey winner Matt Gilroy and former 1st rounder Bobby Sanguinetti help the thin defense? What will happen to Brandon Dubinsky? Is he singed for 2009-10?
Which high-priced player gets booed in MSG first - Kotalik, Rosival, Redden, Drury or Gaborik?

Poised for a breakout season:
Chris Higgins. He's a Long Island native and NYC will love his game. 30 goals this year.

I'm sure he's a great guy but:
Joe Micheletti is a dreadful color analyst. Keeping him around is the worst mistake MSG has made since they stopped serving Bud Ice.

If you had to buy one Ranger sweater:
Blue Drury. It tells people that you are pretty reliable and always in a position to win.
I think Scotty found a white, misspelled, Straka jersey in his apartment this summer. I may have dreamed this.
I know his gf's parents bought him an Avery jersey for Christmas because they knew that he was a big hockey fan. They're from Kentucky so it was a good try and a nice thought.

Is this former Ranger Ron Duguay or rocker Jon Bon Jovi?



Player whose game you sneaky like:
Donald Brashear has a pretty good shot when he gets it off and has more a better stick than your typical tough guy. Plus he's a top 3 heavyweight.

Something that only interests me and a few others:
Roster hopeful Dane Byers is cousins with former Bruin badass Lyndon Byers

Old guys:
Brashear is 37
Prospal is 34
Drury is 33
Redden is 32
The "Potvin Sucks" cheer should have died 15 years ago.

Young guys:
Dubi is 23
Marc Staal is 22

Tough guys:
Avery plays tough, Higgins and Callahan finish checks, Voros is scrappy and Brashear is a beast.

Interesting:
The Rangers practice facility keeps cups full of cough drops on the bench because Jagr used to like to eat them while skating.

Nostalgia:
Either chubby Chris Drury pitching Trumbell, CT to a LLWS title or the 2Man interviewing Patty Riss in a bathroom.

NHL 94 players:
Messier, Gartner and Tikkanen starting up front. Beezer in net.
Brian Leetch rated 76 was a crime.

YouTube:
Our Penguin Ulf tries to steal a broken Lundquist stick and gets in trouble with Aaron Voros.


- Nemmy