The Rangers wanted Dan Boyle six years ago, just as they wanted Marty St. Louis and Brad Richards, too, long before the latter two arrived.
But it didn’t work out. The Blueshirts just didn’t have enough tradable assets to get any of them from Tampa Bay while they were in their prime even as ownership dismantled the 2004 Stanley Cup championship team.
So the Lightning traded Boyle — and his no-trade clause that he eventually waived after being threatened with waivers and a likely claim by Atlanta — to the Sharks over the summer of 2008, and they traded Richards — and his no-move clause that he waived after bowing to reality — to Dallas at the 2007-08 deadline, and they didn’t trade St. Louis at all until the winger insisted at the deadline this past March.
But now, the third musketeer is finally a Ranger, late in his hockey life and late in his hockey career, following the path not so less traveled by Richards and St. Louis. The Blueshirts trust that it’s not too late for this right-handed defenseman who will celebrate his 38th birthday on Saturday just as they trust it was not too late to acquire St. Louis, who turned 39 five days after Game 5 of the final in Los Angeles.
“I’m not the oldest guy on the team; that’s why I wanted to come,” Boyle joked during a conference call with the media on Monday before turning serious. “I know there’s a lot of talk about [St. Louis’] age and my age moving forward but Marty and I will always thrive. It fires us up.”
Well, of course, Boyle is coming for reasons other than his buddy’s status as his elder, the defenseman having cited his long-time desire to play in New York, at the Garden, and for an Original Six team following a 15-year NHL career spent exclusively in Florida (with the Panthers and Lightning) and California (with the Sharks) as reasons why he signed with the Rangers despite receiving more lucrative offers from other suitors, including the Islanders, Red Wings and Maple Leafs.
Boyle became a Ranger last Tuesday by signing a two-year free agent deal worth $4.5 million per year. No one will ever be able to say he didn’t know what he was getting into, not after he spoke with both St. Louis and Richards about the pros and cons of playing on the Broadway stage.
“It’s New York. It’s a lot of pressure. We talked about all the pressure that gets put on,” Boyle said of his conversations with St. Louis. “I enjoy the pressure. You have to be prepared for that. I’ve already been forewarned.
“I’ve been in pressure situations before in the Stanley Cup final and the [2010] Olympic Gold Medal game. I thrive on it.”
Boyle is expected to slide into the spot on Marc Staal’s right side on the second pair vacated by Anton Stralman when No. 6 defected to the Lightning. The right-handed shot will also inherit the role of power-play quarterback that opened with the buyout of Richards, who since signed a free-agent deal with the Blackhawks.
“The power play is one of the spots where I hope to come in and help,” said Boyle, who will be relied upon to carry the puck and gain the zone as well as fire away from the point. “It’s something I’ve been doing for many years now and hopefully I can help out and maybe improve it.”
The Rangers will want Boyle, a dynamic game-changer with the puck on his stick throughout much of his career, to push the pace and contribute to the attack in the offensive zone. One of the benchmark games of his career came against the Blueshirts, when he recorded a third-period hat trick (plus an assist) in a 4-3 victory on Dec. 23, 2006 in Tampa Bay after the Rangers had led 3-0 after two periods.
Now, better late than never, he’s on the Blueshirts’ side.
“I’m going in to make a difference. I’m one of those guys that wants the puck, that wants to make plays, that wants to play, and that’s what I’m hoping for,” Boyle said. “Obviously helping younger guys goes with the territory and I’d be happy to help, but I’m there to win hockey games and obviously the ultimate goal is to win the Cup.
“That’s what I’m there for.”