IT SURE is tough being right all the time.
While sprinkling a few heaping teaspoons of humility on the words I wrote for yesterday’s editions and now am chewing – you didn’t happen to miss my pronouncement that New York was the one and only place for Jaromir Jagr to end up, did you? – as I also attempt to wipe the egg off my face while typing at the same time, this much is clear, even to me:
This is no time for Glen Sather to panic.
In the final analysis, Jagr got away because the Rangers simply do not have the depth in their organization to trade three highly-regarded prospects for anyone, not even the league’s best offensive player. One can debate the value of the Washington package Craig Patrick accepted, but the fact is that the Pittsburgh GM, always a shrewd evaluator of talent, liked the Cap kids more than he liked Sather’s apparent offer of Mike York, Jan Hlavac and Kim Johnsson.
Oh, Patrick would have taken Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark, but the Rangers were – and are – in no position to yield their top two picks from 1999, kids the organization is banking on more than ever to live up to the expectations Neil Smith had when he traded a lot away to select them. Fact is, if Brendl and Lundmark do not emerge as major players within the next three or four years, the Rangers are cooked.
Jagr would have been a wonderful present for the Rangers, but he’s not coming. Joe Sakic would have been a great gift, but he didn’t come. Ditto and ditto regarding Rob Blake. Now they’re all elsewhere and the Rangers might need a ward in St. Elsewhere, so critical are the team’s immediate vital signs.
“Hey, there’s a long time between now and the start of the season,” Sather said last night. “There are any number of items I’m going to revisit, now.”
“Like Eric?”
“Eric is one of them.”
Eric, as in Lindros, and if Patrick’s price was too high for Jagr, one can only imagine what Bobby Clarke’s price will be for No. 88. When Sather knew Lindros wouldn’t come to New York, he offered the Flyers Brendl and Petr Nedved. Now that Lindros has announced his willingness to play Broadway, the Flyer GM will demand no less.
This is a demand, of course, that Sather must refuse.
How can the Rangers build a future around a man who may have none? It’s unfortunate, within context even a tragedy, as I’ve long believed Lindros to be the most compelling figure in the game. But there’s no future in it for the Rangers, they can’t get him unless the price is discounted, and does anyone believe Clarke is going to give a discount to: a) Eric; b) Carl and Bonnie; c) Sather; d) any of the above?
There’s no future in Lindros for the Rangers, and there’s no future now, either, in signing Brett Hull. Getting the Golden Brett to play on a line with Jagr made perfect sense, but now there’s no reason to bring him here. He can only steal time from kids who need it and who the Rangers must find out about.
There are going to be a few big-name, high-priced players available before the season starts, but don’t expect any to wind up here. The Bruins are looking to move Billy Guerin but the Rangers aren’t going to be able to construct a package to get the winger. Jason Allison might become available, but, again, if he does, Boston is going to want far more back than the Rangers have to give.
There’s a chance that Alex Kovalev will be available, but, here, too, bet that Patrick will want Brendl or Lundmark, maybe Radek Dvorak, maybe even Dan Blackburn. In other words, no deal.
This is a new time. Other teams with more to offer are willing to go dollar for dollar with the Rangers. So the Blueshirts are going to have to pull back. They are going to have to play safety-first hockey. They are going to have win on discipline, enthusiasm and on work ethic; attributes not apparent the last four seasons.
There are no short cuts here. There is still much pain ahead.
Just ask me.
I might be right today.