Monday, August 17, 2009

If Burkie Were In Charge Of The Rangers


The Dark Ranger and clan arrived back from Paris and London, ready for hockey and for training camp to begin 'Amen to that'. Much has happened in the last couple of days and I suspect more is to come in terms of the NYR roster shakedown that is consistently happening on Broadway this off-season; no one can say it has been a boring summer in the hockey world across the NHL. Just ask Patrick Kane!! (what is THAT about?). I know the economy is tanking, but from 'Dollar Bill' to "Twenty Cent Kane", I'd say that is a horrible return.

Anyhoo...One of our regular readers - BlueNationLeafs - is sharing his own version of what the Blueshirts lines will look like after Jedi Glen Sather finally makes some additional changes (for the good or bad) this off season, much like Brian Burke is re-shaping the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer and as we read this post. I titled this in the spirit of 'Burkie' because if you believe the Toronto hockey trades, you'll know that Burke is attempting every and any trade angle to rid the overburdening salary cap of the Leaf's Tomas Kaberle (sound familiar?) -- and my Toronto buddy BlueNationLeafs conveniently dumps Kaberle into our roster as a good thing for NYC (see below).

So hang in there with this post...it may get you thinking. What do you think?

tdr

Scenario #1: The Rangers lineup for 2009-2010

Prospal - Higgins - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Lisin - Betts - Callahan
Brashear - Anismov - Voros
* Bertuzzi (25 goals – 20 assists and strong on the PP)

Kaberle - Redden
Staal - Girardi
Rozsival - Gilroy

This lineup is conditional on the NYR being able to resign Betts (required for the PK) and trading Dubinsky and Bobby Sagnuinetti for Kaberle. This will open the door allowing the NYR to trade Rozsival for a 2nd line forward (Hecht?) who can score 20-25 goals and with the cap room now available sign *Bertuzzi (1.5 million on a one year term) who would provide additional secondary scoring. Buffalo could use a puck moving defenseman - this deal would benefit both teams. Hecht and Kotalik also know each other well from their playing days with the Sabres.

Lashoff unsigned in Tampa should also be acquired for a draft pick to offset the loss of Sagnuinetti. Lashoff is a former first rounder of the Bruins with a bright future and would be affordable. He was brought in for Mark Recchi at the deadline last season.

This following Scenario #2 lineup would be affordable and provides youth, skill, grit, veteran presence and scoring depth to challenge for the cup.

Scenario #2: The Rangers lineup for 2009-2010

Prospal - Higgins - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Callahan
Bertuzzi - Hecht - Kotalik
Brashear - Betts - Voros

Kaberle - Redden
Staal - Girardi
Lashoff - Gilroy

Slats wake up and make my vision and reality!

- BlueNationLeafs

9 comments:

  1. I think it's horseshit putting Kaberle on the roster as we are overburdened already with overprice contracts on the blueline. hello Redden anyone? hello roszival anyone? i am impressed that a leafs fan put gilroy in the lineup. that's hopeful.

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  2. Maybe. I like the Bertuzzi idea, though.

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  3. Kaberle has a 4.25 million dollar cap hit and is the number 5 in defensman points since the lockout.
    How can you compare this to Redden?
    Kaberle would play 25-28 minutes a night and help Gilroy, Stall and Girardi move to the next level.

    I agree with the Leafs fan (although I hate that team) and hope that Sather gets CC'd on his e-mail.

    Rangers4life

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  4. im not up for anything involving trading dubinsky at this point. they need to give him this season to grow and see how he does w/ gaborik. kaberle's a good defenseman, but he's soft and the defense doesn't need another guy like him. they need somebody of the mike komisarek variety.

    not only that, but the trade of kessel and 1st for kaberle is leaps and bounds above dubinsky and sangs imo.

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  5. Ryan..i agree. Hey anonymous...Kaberle is that guy that always make the wrong play at the wrong time -- as any Leafs fan. Plus... go here:

    http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/1790

    Take a look at post-lockout points and goals and +/-

    ...sure looks a lot like Redden, doesn't it....just needing a new environment to get back to his good season three seasons ago...there you go. You cannot just look at stats. Marek Malik plus a + player in stats. Nik Zherdev was our second highest goal scorer last season and we wouldn't move beyond 3.2 mill...they were all unreliable.

    Kaberle doesn't fit in the Rangers system because he is another version of what we already are paying too much money for to begin with. A soft D-man.

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  6. All of the Bertuzzi talk has been put to rest now w/ him signing in Detroit. I honestly think he might've been a good addition prior to Prospal, but once they signed Prospal I had a feeling the extra cap room was for signing Dubi & another veteran Dman

    P.S. We can only dream about Brian Burke running the NYR!

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  7. both of these lineups are crap. betts is not a third line center and higgins isnt a center at all! trading roszival for hecht is the only remotely decent idea brought up by this post.

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  8. This last post cracked me up...so much for a Leaf's fan on a Rangers site. Huzzah.

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  9. The leaf fan was correct-
    Bertuzzi signed for 1.5 million and will provide seconday scoring.
    This is why the Red Wings ice great teams and the Rnagers remind me of the movie - Dazed and Confused - or the television show -Lost.
    Well done BlueNaionLeafs.

    RangersSuck09/10

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