How About a Kick in the Rear?

Maybe it is in part because I went to bat for him last season while others called him out; maybe it is because I dislike greedy athletes in general but whatever the reason someone needs to give Nikolai Zherdev a kick in the rear for filing for arbitration.

Yes Nikolai Zherdev was the Ranger second leading scorer last season but the frustrating part about watching him play last season was that you knew he was not always playing up to his potential. The numbers he put up were nowhere near what he could have and should have put up for the offensively straved Rangers.

23-35-58 when you look at his previous career numbers were not progress as Zherdev put up fewer power play points, took fewer shots on goal and really the only area where he showed improvement was in plus/minus but even then you have to wonder about it. Tom Renney tried to get more production out of Zherdev as did John Tortorella but neither really could.

What Zherdev deserves is a swift kick in the rear for the effort he put in last season not a raise in pay. If he thinks that he is worth the rumored 4.5 that he reportedly is asking for then sorry Nikolai but take your game over to the KHL and stay there.

One has to wonder what the heck Zherdev is even thinking here as he is not exactly bargaining from a position of strength. Even more so is that if Zherdev's agent has any kind of clue then he may have cost his client some serious money.

The one thing I have learned over the years is that when you tick off Glen Sather he can get down right dirty as Sean Avery was not the first person Sather went off on in an arbitration hearing. Remember this as the scary thing is that Avery was actually coming off a very productive season where he did more for the Rangers than Zherdev did.

Imagine what Sather is going to do to Zherdev when they hold that hearing; it is going to be the mother of ugly as Sather is going to be able to point out all that Zherdev did not do; like his playoff performance where he did not score a point, his being benched by both Tom Renney and John Tortorella at one point or another in the season or the countless times when Zherdev simply did not put forth a solid effort.

Give Sather some credit as when it comes to contract disputes he is very good at being very harsh which is what these arbitration hearings are all about. Zherdev as it is we are told is a very sensitive person so boy is he going to be in for a really harsh experience.

What really is the headscratcher is what in the world does Zherdev and his camp expect to happen from this hearing. Zherdev was 73rd overall in points, 78th in goals as well as 75th in assists so if Zherdev is expecting a raise then he is in for a big surprise.

If he thinks the Rangers badly need him to play with Marian Gaborik then think again Nikolai. Gaborik from what we have seen actually plays better with North American players than he does with the Eastern Europeans.

Gaborik in my book would actually be better off with Dubinsky and Callahan as his linemates considering how the Wild used Gaborik with Andrew Brunette and James Sheppard. Callahan is coming off his own breakout season while Dubinsky is poised for one of his own (if he remains with the Rangers).

Zherdev we can think of many different ways that Tortorella could adjust without his services and still ice a decent team so Zherdev could find himself seriously looking from the outside. It is a dangerous gamble thinking that Sather would not walk away from a salary award that Sather deems unreasonable.

If Zherdev wants out of playing for the Rangers then he could have just made the request from the get go. Glen Sather is not going to keep a player who does not want to play for the Rangers and at 3.25 mil for a season would have found more takers than he will if the price tag is higher.

We are not talking about a player who has a sterling reputation as a hard worker in the NHL here and that is the point that Zherdev might be missing. He is not going to find many teams willing to gamble several million on someone who has driven every NHL coach he has played for to frustration with his effort.

The smarter move would have been to accept the one year deal at the same salary and then take advantage of getting to play with Marian Gaborik. Go out there and put up 35-40 goals that just about everyone who scouted you projected from you and then collect the fat paycheck.

One has to wonder if the real goal is to gain unrestricted free agency for Zherdev but even if it is then by the time that happens most of the teams will have spent most of their money. Zherdev might find himself accepting less money than what the Rangers were offering and playing in a place where the pressure level will be even higher on him.

Or Zherdev will simply wind up playing in the KHL where he can give the less than 100% efforts all he wants but he will wind up being known as an NHL underachiever for not living up to his potential.

Still no matter what we hope someone give him a swift kick in the rear for simply not thinking here.

(Zherdev courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Some Food for Thought

Nothing is more fun than to read the Ranger beat reporters falling all over themselves with words of praise for the New York Ranger prospects. Maybe if they took the time to come here and read what we have been saying about the kids then they would not be so surprised.

Start with Evgeny Grachev who everyone keeps harping on his 40 goal, 80 point season with Brampton last season but what is being overlooked is a couple of other numbers that beg to be shown. The first is Grachev's +48 which was the 4th best in the OHL but people are also forgeting that this was his first year playing the North American style.

We bring it up because people are forgetting that while offense wins games, it is defense that will win you a championship and Grachev is not a one way player. Grachev played on all special teams for the Brampton Battalion as Brampton coach Stan Butler did a great job in preparing Grachev for pros.

Still we have to wonder if Grachev's game is that close to being NHL ready given his just being 19 (Grachev will not turn 20 until next February). We really do like Grachev's future but Grachev's talent is one that badly needs to be fully developed at both ends of the ice.

Michael Del Zotto may not have been invited to the Canadian World Junior camp but after his own performance at the Ranger prospect camp does Larry Brooks still think his selection was a mistake?

Del Zotto also opened eyes at the camp but unless Del Zotto totally outplays every Ranger defender at the main training camp at both ends of the ice the safe bet will be Del Zotto returning to London of the OHL. It as we have been preaching the fastest way to ensure Del Zotto's NHL development.

Del Zotto still needs work on his defense and despite his being one very talented offensive weapon under the Tortorella system defenders need to be able to handle odd man rushes. Del Zotto's defense is not ready for the NHL level attack so let him return for one more year of the OHL.

Doing that same tactic with Marc Staal greatly sped up his development and if it works why change?

Brandon Dubinsky is a favorite of ours; it is something that we have never tried to hide and never will because we owe a lot to Brandon but also his family over the years. However friendship, personal bias or anything else aside we wonder if the Rangers are serious about keeping Dubinsky.

When we heard whispers that Dubinsky was only qualified at the required 10% then we realized that the Rangers were going fishing using Dubinsky as the bait. The prize is a first line center and even we would have to acknowledge that it would be a very smart move.

Dubinsky is sought after by other teams who do see a future for him; the "Dubinsky could be a number 1 center" remark by Sather was a nice touch to try to raise Dubinsky's trade value. Toss in the ability to play in a pressure cooker like New York as well as showing that he can play with any combination of players and you get a nice dealmaker.

Once the NHL teams see how much they have spent during free agency then the trade markets will heat up. Dangling a Dubinsky as the centerpiece of any trade offer will help the Ranger keep the total cost down.

The other reason why a Dubinsky is serious tradebait is because one has no idea which Nikolai Zherdev is going show up next season. Nobody is even sure that Zherdev is going to resign with the Rangers so that puts Dubinsky on the trading block.

Even if Zherdev does resign can anyone say that they feel confident that Zherdev will give the Rangers what he didn't give last season? The Rangers are going to want to start next season with a real first line not one that worries if Dubinsky can handle the role or if Zherdev will give 100% all the time.

That in our eyes is what puts Dubinsky on the trading block and boy do we hope we are wrong.

Nobody asked us but while people are trashing Blair Betts for not signing with the Edmonton Oilers can we stop with it already? It was Glen Sather who suggested that Betts might sign with the Oilers not anyone else.

Just because Betts has not been signed should not be viewed as nobody wants his services. Betts is a solid penalty killer who also brought a good work ethic and no Ranger fan can say that Betts did not give them his best every night.

Once the smoke clears we see Betts getting signed and here is an idea that might not fit well with Ranger fans. How about Blair Betts as a New Jersey Devil?

The Devils have been hit hard by free agents leaving but still play a solid system game. However like the Rangers of last season what they will lack in offense they will need to make up by a strong defense and better penalty kill.

That is where a Betts will come in and we can see him as a Devil filling that role. It might also be a role that comes back to haunt the Rangers.

(Grachev/Aaron Bell, Dubinsky, Del Zotto and Betts/New York Rangers)