OK so I did something I haven't done since starting the Prospect Park in 2004 and that was take a vacation. It was a selfish decision because this is to me the worst time of the year to follow the New York Rangers. Good old free agency where the Rangers spend money trying to fill holes in their roster hoping to find that "magic" combination that will lead the team to a Stanley Cup.
After watching the Ranger moves over the last couple of months I am reminded of why I was against the Rangers hiring Glen Sather in the first place. I said as far back as 1997 that the person needed to replace Neil Smith needed to be same unknown kind of general manager that Smith was back in 1989. I wanted somebody who like Smith was in 1989 looking to make his reputation not live off one.
It is way too easy to blame John Tortorella for the failures of the last season but as much as I disliked Tortorella; it was Glen Sather who screwed up last season not Tortorella. The dominos started falling when Sather let Brandon Prust walk away and eventually led to the trade for Ryan Clowe trade which cost the Rangers 3 draft picks.
If you are expecting a major turnaround by the Rangers next season, may I suggest you don't get your hopes up. The team won't have Ryan Callahan or Carl Hagelin to start the season and I think the failure to cut Brad Richards loose will in Ranger tradition come back to bite the team in the rear end.
The 6.67 million dollar cap hit could have been used to help insure that the Rangers are able to keep their RFAs or to be able to make a trade or two. With just 11.2 left in cap space, does anyone honestly expect Glen Sather to be able to spend it wisely? If you do then I think you are going to be in a very small minority.
Free Agent Stupidity
It is a good thing that Sather was handcuffed by the salary cap or else Sather might have joined the foolishness called free agency spending. I am so glad that the NHL lost half a season so the general managers would have learned from mistakes from year's past (this was sarcasm in case you were wondering).
Ryan Clowe, David Clarkson, Matt Cooke, Tyler Bozak, Nathan Horton, Mike Ribeiro, Vincent Lecavalier and others cashed in with contracts I am sorry to say just mean when this current CBA expires that if Gary Bettman is still NHL Commissioner in 2022 that he will once again lock out the players.
Maybe next time Bettman should consider locking out the general managers instead of players as since July 1 including buyouts that NHL teams have spent over 300 million dollars. Oh and guess who winds up paying for it in the long run? If you said you the fan then you would be right as higher prices on everything from tickets to merchandise will be used to pay for these salaries.
Maybe next time the fans should just lockout the NHL.
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