As a Ranger fan I have been able to watch my team make the playoffs the last four years. This year is different as Brian Boucher stopped Olli Jokinen to solidify the Rangers ninth place position in the Eastern Conference. Now usually I glance at mock drafts very casually but now that the season is done on Broadway I have studied Mock drafts, and watched YouTube clips of tommorows potential stars. I'll make this short and sweet, here are my top 3 projected picks in this years draft.
1st Overall- Edmonton Oilers- Taylor Hall
I think Hall, who has been battling Tyler Seguin all year for the No. 1 spot will get what we have had projected for him all along. It's no secret that Edmonton needs a center and he will be the futue of the franchise
2nd Overall- Boston Bruins- Tyler Seguin
When Boston goes up to the podium to thank LA for hosting the draft, a special thank you should be given to Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs for not only giving up a high 1st rounder not only in this years draft but potentially next years. With no need to worry about contention or rebuilding they will also be very willing to let Seguin develop at his own pace.
3rd Overall- Florida Panthers- Cam Fowler
Perhaps the best defensive prospect in this years draft, Florida will be looking to replace the talent when they traded Jay Bouwmeester to Calgary last summer. In a marekt where people dont even know a hockey team exists Fowler will have no pressure to have to be the second coming of Bobby Orr.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Fire Sather!......Please?
The New York Rangers, one of the most prestigious teams in all of hockey have a bit of a problem. They missed the playoffs. Now Im not a greedy sports fan at all, in fact if my favorite teams feels the best remedy to cure losing is rebuilding then I am for it. However, when management fails to come through on promises year after year, then in the sports world you would be fired.
Not with the Rangers you won't. For the past 10 years Glen Sather has been the head of hockey operations for the New York Rangers, a position he had previous success with in Edmonton with star players such as Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Fuhr, etc. I could go on for days about the all star team he had with the Oilers in the mid to late 80's. Looking to duplicate success elsewhere he took the title from previous GM Neil Smith, who put together the 1994 team that captured their first cup in 54 years. Sather who once stated "If I had NY's budget, I'd win the cup every year" is not even close to living up to to this statement. During his ten year tenure up to this point the Rangers have made the playoffs only four times. Only advancing past the first round once against a very inexperienced and weak Atlanta team that made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth winning, at the time, a terrible Southeast division.
Sather's first four years were atrocious, we saw coaches Ron Low, Himself, Bryan Trottier, Himself, and a man who would have later success with the team Tom Renney. Draft wise the Rangers did alright until 2004, selecting future stars like Dan Blackburn, Hugh Jessiman, Al Montoya, and Lauri Korpikoski. How many combined games have these four played in a New York Rangers uniform? A whopping total of 131 games, accounting for 2o wins and 6 goals. Where are they now? Blackburn retired due to injuries, Jessiman never played an NHL game, Montoya splits starts in the AHL, and Korpikoski currently plays a 4th line role in Phoenix.
Now since the lockout Sather has slightly reedemed itself. He signed Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, and Michal Rozsival to long term lucrative deals. Gomez played two years in NY until he was traded to Montreal in a salary dump. Redden is regarded as one of the worst signings in the history of the Salary Cap Era (Holik at 9 Mil a year wins) and until late this season Rozsival was invisible on the ice.
With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft taking place later this June in Los Angeles the Rangers will have the 10th pick overall. At draft partys and events everywhere Sather will be booed proudly by the Blueshirt faithful.
So Jim Dolan, if you could find it in your heart to see this repeating trend of failure that hasnt been reedemed, please.....would you fire Glen Sather
Not with the Rangers you won't. For the past 10 years Glen Sather has been the head of hockey operations for the New York Rangers, a position he had previous success with in Edmonton with star players such as Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Fuhr, etc. I could go on for days about the all star team he had with the Oilers in the mid to late 80's. Looking to duplicate success elsewhere he took the title from previous GM Neil Smith, who put together the 1994 team that captured their first cup in 54 years. Sather who once stated "If I had NY's budget, I'd win the cup every year" is not even close to living up to to this statement. During his ten year tenure up to this point the Rangers have made the playoffs only four times. Only advancing past the first round once against a very inexperienced and weak Atlanta team that made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth winning, at the time, a terrible Southeast division.
Sather's first four years were atrocious, we saw coaches Ron Low, Himself, Bryan Trottier, Himself, and a man who would have later success with the team Tom Renney. Draft wise the Rangers did alright until 2004, selecting future stars like Dan Blackburn, Hugh Jessiman, Al Montoya, and Lauri Korpikoski. How many combined games have these four played in a New York Rangers uniform? A whopping total of 131 games, accounting for 2o wins and 6 goals. Where are they now? Blackburn retired due to injuries, Jessiman never played an NHL game, Montoya splits starts in the AHL, and Korpikoski currently plays a 4th line role in Phoenix.
Now since the lockout Sather has slightly reedemed itself. He signed Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, and Michal Rozsival to long term lucrative deals. Gomez played two years in NY until he was traded to Montreal in a salary dump. Redden is regarded as one of the worst signings in the history of the Salary Cap Era (Holik at 9 Mil a year wins) and until late this season Rozsival was invisible on the ice.
With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft taking place later this June in Los Angeles the Rangers will have the 10th pick overall. At draft partys and events everywhere Sather will be booed proudly by the Blueshirt faithful.
So Jim Dolan, if you could find it in your heart to see this repeating trend of failure that hasnt been reedemed, please.....would you fire Glen Sather
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