While the Rangers will have to wait until a week from Monday before they can officially begin negotiations with Kevin Lowe in order to bring him here as their head coach, there is now no question that if and when he takes the ice for the first day of training camp, both Theo Fleury and Valeri Kamensky will be there, too.
“We are not going to buy out either Theo or Val,” Glen Sather said yesterday by phone from his southern California home.
“I believe that Val is going to be a player, a contributor, next year, and if he isn’t, we’re going to find out why.
“If he’s having problems, we have to figure out the reasons. We have to find out what makes Val tick. I’ve seen him have some great games. I’m going to give him every chance to succeed.
“As for Theo, I’ll find a way to get through to him.”
The GM also will find a way to get through to Lowe, who on Monday informed the Oilers that he would be triggering a resignation clause in his contract, one that restricts him from talking to any other team regarding employment for 14 days. As such, careful to avoid any charges of tampering, Sather was mum on the subject.
“I can’t have a quote about Kevin Lowe in any shape, manner or form,” Sather said. “I don’t know if I can even have a quote saying that I can’t have a quote.”
But if Sather couldn’t discuss Lowe – who might become a candidate in Phoenix once Wayne Gretzky officially assumes control of the team later this summer – winger Billy Guerin, who played for him last season in Edmonton, could and did.
“Kevin? He’s awesome,” Guerin said yesterday by phone from Boston. “Last year might have been his first year as head coach, but he handled himself like he’d been doing it for years. He was that impressive.
“Everybody respected him and everybody worked hard for him. Kevin has a temper that’s second to none, but he controlled it at the right times and he snapped at the right times.
“I’ll tell you what: If he’s going to the Rangers, the Rangers are going to have a great, great coach.”