Fascinating is it not?

So the first day of summer school has come and yes we are very biased because we write for Dubi over at the Blueshirt Bulletin but Dubi never gets credit for what he started back in 2005. See Dubi was the only writer to give coverage to the Ranger prospect camps.

See the one thing that none of the beat guys ever seems to realize is what this camp does mean and just how very important it is maybe not today but for the future of the Rangers. Dubi does which is why we will drop a plug for you to subscribe to the Blueshirt Bulletin.

The reports we saw today were more about talking to Tom Renney about free agents and other things but the kids who showed up to try out. We hear not to read anything into the first day but no you should read one thing which kids showed up ready to play and which looked bad.

First impressions do make a difference because a Justin Soryal showed up looking good because he knows he has to fight his way to the NHL as an undrafted free agent. Sorry but a Sam Weinman who we respect for his efforts does not realize that he is mistaken that these kids have been off the ice for months.

These kids are fighting for a chance for a professional contract and look at those who according to Dubi did well; David Skokan (a 7th round pick), Joe Ryan (rejected by the Kings), Max Campbell (college player), and David Kveton (this might be his last chance with the Rangers).

None of these are the highly touted drafted picks for most few give them a chance to become Rangers but that they stood out also speaks volumes about how far the Rangers have come. Other than Soryal and Ryan, those who played well are attending their second camp, they have learned one thing from the Rangers and that is to come to a camp well prepared or face failure.

Can we remind you of one Pavel Brendl and how he showed up out of shape and basically totally unprepared he was when he showed up for his very first training camp? Since beginning this camp the Rangers have helped to speed up and to improve every aspect of their development.

Each Ranger prospect who will be brought back will be given a journal to help guide them during their off-season workouts, to help improve their diets and to work on getting the most out of their skills. Ask any of the 4 rookies from last season if it made a difference in their development.

When you marvel in a couple of years at how a Micheal Del Zotto has improved as a prospect then remember his efforts during this week. Want to wager that this week will be the starting point towards Del Zotto's improvement on defense?

You guys speak

OK you spoke so we respond:

Laurie: In an interview I read with Cherepanov at the end of his season, he said his plans for the summer included "sunbathing" in the South with friends. So you might want to start your search in one of Russia's southern resort cities...

Thanks Laurie as your understanding of the Russian Language is always helpful. My remarks though were not directed at Cherepanov but the Omsk GM Baldin who talked about how he would make Cherepanov available to attend Ranger camps.

If we understand the Russian Leagues correctly (and we expect you to correct us) then by the time the Rangers hold their training camp then the KHL will be ready for their regular season. So much for the "Era of Cooperation" between Omsk and the Rangers.

Marko82: Lafleur was traded by the PEI Rocket to Chicoutimi three weeks ago. I know this because I live in the city of Charlottetown, where the PEI Rocket play. So I'll be checking out Chris Doyle and see what kind of player he is up close.
Go Rangers
Mark O'Connor a hardcore Rangers fan in the smallest Province in Canada, and I love your blog, your know your stuff, which I read on a daily basis, keep on doing what you do.

We have heard rumors that Lafleur was on the market but your post is the first time someone gave us a direction to look at. We finally was able to get a confirmation about that trade and we got to shake our head about what the Rocket did here.

We can understand moving Lafleur as he was a disappointment but to put a promising goalie like Gelinas on the market too makes little sense. Thanks for the kind words but would you mind posting another comment with your email address as we could always use another set of eyes in Charlottetown to help bring us the words about Ranger prospects.

nhlpro24: Andrew Perugini is a great goalie and a very consistent one. Writing comments like these lead educated fans to believe that you have never taken the time to review his stats.

Great goalie eh? Hmm so how come this great goalie has never ever been selected by any NHL teams in any of the Entry Drafts for which he was eligible for? For an educated fan would you please explain how Perugini went 1-6 during December with a GAA of 5.17.

For the record we do not wish him bad but since our target audience are New York Ranger fans then sorry if you did not like what we wrote.

The kid has been ranked very high for two years now in Goalie World. As for struggling with Barrie....he had no team in front of him..lousy defense and no one player with any kind of scoring potential. Perhaps you didn't watch his games where he was averaging 60-70 shots on goal and those were the ones they counted. He carried that team and it was because of his stellar efforts that the team went as far as it did. Do not forget that the most competitive teams were played in the first half of the season. Do your homework before writing such rubbish. You write comments without the facts to back it up without realizing that your comments can actually mess us kid's lives. I'm disgusted.

Thanks for the laugh here because we do know the Barrie Colts a lot better than you realize. The kid had one good season and because the Colts were rebuilding Perugini was expendable. Sarina thought he was the answer but he despite a 16-8 record for them did not have great numbers.

The facts do not support your claims, for starters we watched the Colts shut down Bobby Sanguinetti and the Brampton Battalion in the first round of the OHL playoffs this season. The Battalion were no slouches on offense and yes the Colts have owned them in the past but it was that defense you said did not exist that helped Michael Hutchinson earned the draft pick that Perugini never earned.

Telling us to do our homework, telling us how we can ruin prospect lives is sad on your part. You most likely have never read us before as we spend a lot of time covering Ranger prospects. We do not ruin anyone's lives by reporting the facts that are supported by the evidence.

Apparently you have never read this site before so you did not do your homework. We would look forward to hear your explanation as to why Perugini's numbers went from 2.37 in the first month after the trade to 3.71 in March?

Please who's fault was it that in the 7 games during March, Perugini gave up close to 4 goals in each game except one? Goalies are expected to carry teams as you said like Hutchinson did stealing that huge upset win over the 2nd seeded Battalion.

Thanks for stopping by and we look forward to you visiting again.