Thursday, July 21, 2011

Isn't That Special?


So after all the posturing, all the rumor mongering, all the names and all the trashing that Brandon Dubinsky and the New York Rangers finally reached an agreement on a new deal.

The Church Lady came to the rescue and saved Dubinsky and the Rangers from themselves by brokering a last minute deal that avoided what would have been a nasty arbitration but aftermath as well.

A 4 year deal with just a 4.2 million dollar cap hit which is right where Dubinsky should be at his age as well as production. It is cap friendly and helps the Rangers keep their core foundation at reasonable cap numbers which might pay dividends down the road.

If you are going to find any fault with this deal then what it should be "Why did it have to take so long?"

Both sides can claim a victory as Dubinsky got a bit of security while the Rangers did not have to go that extra year. Even better is that it also set the benchmark price for Ryan Callahan and his contract.

Wonder where all the Dubinsky critics are now because it turned out that all the rumors of Dubinsky wanting 5 million were just that a rumor? And even better in the Media Credibilty scorecard; Jesse Spector's original report about the hang up over the new deal was right.

Spector as he has done in his 2 years on the Ranger beat has stuck to reporting news and given Ranger fans some of the most accurate reporting in the area. Score a big one for guy from the Daily News who is emerging as the beat guy with the best information.

Larry Brooks who wrote "It's the Money" as the reason why there was a breakdown in the contract talks actually proved his own story was wrong when he wrote first "Dubinsky requested a contract worth 4.6 million" for the arbitration and then "signed Dubinsky to a 4-year $16.8 Million contract"

But the real topic among bloggers and Ranger fan's alike was why does Dubinsky wind up on the bad side of the Ranger fans at times? To me the key is how many people zero in on what they believe to be Dubinsky's cocky attitude.

Dubinsky is as close as you are going to get to having an actual New Yorker in a Ranger's uniform. Dubinsky is going to speak his mind but the part that is going to tick people off is that he does "walk his talk".

Like him or not, Dubinsky is a New Yorker on skates and that is going to rub people the wrong way more often than not. Ask any New Yorker who has moved away, most New York males 20-25 are rather annoying with their attitude.

Still when you look at this deal, you really have to wonder why it had to get down to the extreme last seconds before reaching an agreement. This is a deal that could have and should have been signed sealed and delivered back in April and May.

There is no reason why Ryan Callahan is not signed to his own deal either and the excuse that "they did not know what the cap was going to look like" is bogus. The Rangers from the moment their season ended started planning for next season.

It was clear that Brad Richards was target number 1 and they knew how much they were willing to pay for him. Same on the Drury buyout so the closer you look the harder it is to believe that deals could not have been finished a while ago.

And really since Dubinsky's contract sets the stage for Callahan's contract there is not one valid reason why a deal is not done by Tuesday at the latest. Get it over with, get it signed sealed and delivered so the focus can return to looking ahead to the season.

The Rangers played a very dangerous game here that could have really backfired and ruined what has been a very productive off-season. Trying to picture how the Rangers could find and replace either Dubinsky or Callahan without it costing them a fortune is an nightmare to even think about.

Dubinsky along with Callahan and Artem Anisimov secure the 2nd line for the Rangers which allows for Coach John Tortorella to mix and match left wings to complete the Richards/Gaborik line.

Still going to say that Derek Stepan should be the first guy tried there as what better way to teach Stepan how to be a number one center than to have him playing with one. Do that and then the Rangers can say they have 3 full lines ready to go so the rest of preseason can be devoted to building chemistry and a working power play.

With the Rangers spending preseason and the first 7 games of the season on the road, the sooner they get things together the better of a chance they have getting out of the gate with a good start.

Aaron Boogaard Arrested

Not sure if this story could not be anymore painful for the Boogaard family but if their pain can help show others about the effects drug use has on not only the user but those around them.

Aaron Boogaard, the 24 year old younger brother of the late Ranger player was arrested for suspicion of prescription fraud/possession of prescription pills.

The first reports left the impression that the arrest and Boogaard's death were unrelated but sadly it is looking more and more like the 2 incidents are connected.

The Boogaard family issued this statement:

"This is a very unfortunate circumstance and we believe Aaron is involved because he may have potential information about a larger investigation. One thing is certain, the charges brought against Aaron have nothing to do with his brother, Derek Boogaard's death. The family continues to grieve the loss of Derek and is troubled by this turn of events, which makes the pain for the family even more difficult."

While we grieve for their loss and can't even begin to imagine the pain they are now having to relive; we can not fault the police for doing their job here. Sorry if the Boogaard family has to go through more pain in order for the police to prevent someone else from dying then so be it.

As for Aaron Boogaard, if it turns out he supplied the drugs which helped to cause his own brother's death then there is not going to be any conviction or jail time that will be worse than the guilt of knowing he played a part in his brother's death.

Jail serves nobody here in this situation but hopefully mandatory rehab will stop Aaron's own use of drugs and help him cope with the loss of his own brother.

(Church Lady AKA Dana Carvey courtesy Broadway Video, Derek Boogaard courtesy of the New York Rangers)

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