MONTREAL – It’s a no-harm, no-foul move by Glen Sather to check in on Peter Forsberg, but it’s a flight of fancy to believe that the Rangers are real players in the quest to sign the once-great, often-injured center to a free agent contract not only for the remainder of this season, but next season, as well.
Nor should they be.
The Rangers emerged from the lockout chanting a freshly adopted mantra of patience, and they have followed through on their philosophy, even through a disappointing opening four months. There’s been no panic in the front office. There’s been no panic behind the bench.
Under Tom Renney this season, 21-year-old rookie Brandon Dubinsky is emerging as a second-line center. Under Tom Renney, 20-year-old freshman Marc Staal is becoming a go-to defenseman. Under Tom Renney, building blocks are being laid, laborious as the process can be.
Chasing Forsberg – who by all accounts is not looking to break the bank – would run contrary to the Rangers’ message. It’s too big of a bite for the team to chew, even more so because of their current tenuous status. This isn’t the Forsberg of 1996, just as this isn’t the Jaromir Jagr of 1996 or the Brendan Shanahan of 1996.
If Sather’s done his due diligence, that’s appropriate. But nothing further is expected to develop. The best information available suggests that Forsberg is likely to sign with Philadelphia, Colorado, Anaheim or Vancouver, though Ottawa wants him as desperately as anyone.
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When Don Waddell attempts to sell impending free agent Marian Hossa on the merits of signing a long-term deal to remain in Atlanta, there’s credibility in the vision he’s peddling, for Slap Shots has learned that the general manager-interim coach has recently received a three-year contract extension of his own.
It remains to be seen whether Waddell, who has done a masterful job with an undermanned team since replacing Bob Hartley behind the bench on Oct. 18, can sell team ownership on spending to the degree necessary to construct a contender.
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Listen, until the next four-time Stanley Cup-winning, Norris Trophy- and Conn Smythe Trophy-winning player under contract sits out while contemplating retirement as did Scott Niedermayer, let’s save our concern that this somehow is going to become a trend, OK?
There is no need whatsoever to inflict a deadline on players to declare their intention to play in any given season beyond the current agreements regarding Group II free agents. There is no benefit whatsoever for the Players’ Association to agree on instituting new restrictive deadlines into the next collective bargaining agreement.
Actually, the league should be concerned if the Doug Weight–Mark Recchi–Keith Tkachuk trend in which impending free agents are dealt as rentals only to return as Group III’s or by re-trade to their original teams over the summer, continues.
This doesn’t pass the smell test. Though prohibiting a player from signing with, or being traded back to, his original team under those circumstances would place a restriction on what’s supposed to be unrestricted free agency, the integrity of the game suggests the NHL and PA discuss such an amendment to the CBA in order to end these lend-lease operations.
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Rather than engage in hand wringing over the fate of the All-Star Game, the NHL should recognize that the Atlanta experience proved the merits of adopting an additional three-on-three period to overtime to replace the already stale shootout.
The Young Guns’ three-on-three competition was without a doubt the most entertaining aspect of the weekend. Going to four minutes of four-of-four followed by four minutes of three-on-three would enhance the regular season’s entertainment value, as well as restore the concept of a hockey outcome to every game.
Might be there a dozen or so games that would remain tied following double-overtime? Doubtful, but perhaps. But that shouldn’t be an issue; the NFL allows for ties, but they rarely occur.
PS: No one would leave the building during three-on-three, either.
If All-Star weekend is for the fans, then what was the league doing snubbing Evegni Malkin in the original selection process in order to send him a message in response to his failure to attend last season’s awards ceremony during which he was named winner of the Calder Trophy?
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Steve Valiquette, you should know, is simply one of the most gracious gentlemen ever to pass through the Rangers’ locker room.
Fact is, the Rangers’ room is good people, and that starts with the captain, Jagr.
Then: Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny. Now: Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk.
So Brent Sutter, who’s all about accountability, misses the Devils’ first post- All-Star practice because of weather issues in Alberta after skipping Atlanta so he could spend time with his family, and somehow it’s all good?
Would it have been all good if, say, Kevin Weekes or John Madden or Patrik Elias had missed practice for a similar reason?
Just askin’.