MAYBE Glen Sather is under the impression that neither Craig Patrick nor Mario Lemieux actually watched the Rangers play last season. Or maybe the GM of the Blueshirts has the notion that a motion was passed at last week’s Board of Governors meeting requiring No. 66 to become Broadway’s leading benefactor. Yes, that must be it.
What other reason could there be for Sather to have submitted an offer to the Penguins for Jaromir Jagr on Friday that was, in the words yesterday of a well-connected source, “beyond comical?”
Slap Shots has learned the Rangers’ offer for the 29-year-old Art Ross Trophy winner included buy-out candidates Valeri Kamensky and Tim Taylor, as well as $10 million – a number four times as high as Gary Bettman’s previously established ceiling on a trade cash allowance – but not a single young asset of value, not even Michael York. The Penguins, we’re told, simply laughed off the proffer.
Jagr, who had remained in North America following Pittsburgh’s third-round loss to the Devils in anticipation of a Draft Day trade, has returned to the Czech Republic. According to one confidant, No. 68 has now been told by the Penguins to expect a trade later rather than sooner, this summer.
The problem for Patrick and Lemieux (and Jagr) is the dearth of suitors on the landscape for Jagr, coming off his fourth straight season leading the league in scoring. San Jose is out. Detroit, which is interested, appears more interested at the moment in pursuing a deal for Eric Lindros.
There was word on Friday that Montreal, whose new ownership is apparently committed to spending money, had made a bid, but those close to Jagr said they’d heard nothing from the Canadiens. Dallas and St. Louis, both of whom can afford the $20.7M remaining on Jagr’s contract, are looking to spend their respective war chests elsewhere, like on Joe Sakic and Rob Blake.
In the end, Patrick may have nowhere else to turn but Sather. Of course, should the Rangers acquire Lindros or sign Joe Sakic if the Colorado captain gets to July 1 unrestricted free agency, even that option for Pittsburgh might disappear. Which, in so many words, is exactly what Sather was telling Patrick by submitting his insulting Friday offer – that this was the best the Pittsburgh GM was going to be able to do.
Still, if Sather is waiting for Patrick and Lemieux to get down on their knees for the Rangers, he might as well be prepared to wait for 54 years.
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Another Draft Day, another young stud defenseman shipped off the Island.
Yes, Mike Milbury did succeed in drawing much of yesterday’s attention to himself by pulling off the deal that sent the second overall pick, Zdeno Chara and Bill Muckalt to Ottawa for Alexei Yashin, and in doing so did bring his team a first-line center of renown.
Even better, he got a player whose penchant for pulling post-season disappearing acts isn’t likely to be of much relevance around these parts, wouldn’t you say?
But still, the 6-9 Chara – absolutely impossible to play against and who is going to thrive in Ottawa – now joins Eric Brewer, Wade Redden and Bryan McCabe in the fraternity of drafted today-dealt tomorrow-tutored-elsewhere quality defensemen traded by the Islanders under Milbury’s watch.
Oh, well, there’s always Garry Galley on the blue line.
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Reports that the Rangers have decided against buying out Adam Graves because of PR concerns are laughably inaccurate. The fact is, the Garden is paying Sather a fairly substantial amount of money to make personnel decisions – not to have them made by fans, whatever the paying customers might or might not feel on an issue.
Sather, we’re told, has not yet reached a firm decision on a Graves buy-out, but remains unconvinced that bringing him back would be best for either the team or the player. Rather, the GM is attempting to trade the Masterton Award winner before the June 30 deadline for a two-thirds buy-out, and is believed chatting with at least two interested parties.
Slap Shots, in fact, has been told that Graves, who has been advised by a number of friends that a fresh start would be beneficial to his career, may well be traded today to San Jose.
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The Red Wings, we’re told, rejected a Lindros-for-Sergei Fedorov offer from Philadelphia, though we’re told that Detroit is shopping Fedorov all over the league . . . A well-placed source reports that Detroit is willing to pay Lindros a base guarantee of $2.5M per, with games played bonuses that could bring the deal to $9M per. Steve Yzerman, who lobbied the Red Wings on No. 88’s behalf in the 48 hours prior to the trade deadline, is again acting in that role . . . The Oilers are actively shopping Doug Weight, while the Bruins are inviting offers for Jason Allison and Kyle McLaren.
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Finally, if Rangers do ultimately get Lindros (and Sather does continue to lust in his heart after him), we’re told their next move will be to sign Mike Keane as a free agent.