My Letter to Jim Schmiedberg of Blueshirt Banter

Last week when I was vacationing in Pennsylvania, Jim Schmiedberg of Blueshirt Banter informed me that the New York Rangers were trying to get the NHL to ban him from attending and covering future NHL drafts. This shocked me along with everyone else, and is just the latest in a string of insults thrown at us bloggers trying to cover the team.

He wanted me to call into the radio show that night, but I was unable. Instead, I typed out the statement below and sent it to Jim so he could read it on the air in my stead. Because of car trouble, it was delayed and Jim was not able to read it until tonight.

Dear Jim,

I’m actually glad I could not call in tonight, because what I would have said would not have been as calm and relaxed as this tightly knit statement. To tell you the truth, I don’t know why we even root for this team anymore, when all they do, year after year, is give us reasons to hate them. Whether it was making me remove my interview with Chad Johnson, or trying to get you banned from NHL drafts, they never cease to amaze me.

This team has caused me so much stress and anger over the last few years, that when I die, the Rangers can walk past my grave, look at my headstone, and say, “I put you in there.”

You and I are the same, as are Nick, Joe, and Eddie. All we are are fans trying to give a different perspective on the game as the professionals are. We do a damn good job at it, if I may say so myself. That is the reason why they give us so much trouble, because they know we have a voice that people will listen to, one that they will even listen to before the actual reporters. I know for a fact they have been on my site and they have been on yours.

Although they hate us, I feel honored in a way that a simple fan can cause them so much unneccesary trouble. It’s actually kind of funny to sit back and look at their reactions.

This team, this franchise, is a Mickey Mouse team. I do not know why they want to ban you from future NHL drafts, but there is not a reason they could possibly give that would make any sense. But they are the Rangers; they haven’t made sense since 1994.

You and I are free publicity to them, publicity that could have been positive had they not treated us like absolute garbage. They will never learn. To Nick and Joe, I do not know if you guys want this for a career, but if you do, you should both get your heads checked. You two have been witnesses and participants of this nonsense time and time again, and you guys should not honor them with your presence.

All I want in life is to finish college and become a high school history teacher. Any aspirations I had for working for this team that I have loved since childhood are long gone. It wold be rather sad if it was not a much needed wake-up call.

So is the way of the world, unfair and ripe with idiocy.

I thank you for letting me submit this statement to you. I wish I could elaborate more, but I am hogging the complimentary computer in the hotel lobby. I think I will wear a glove with four fingers on it from now on, that way when people ask what happened to the other one, I can say I gave it to the Rangers.

Aur revoir and don’t have a stroke,
Greg

Rangers Deal Sanguinetti; Sather Plays Hardball with Staal

These last two days have been a whirlwind of confusion and anger for New York Rangers fans. First, it saw the team draft Dylan McIlrath in the first round when Cam Fowler and Vladimir Tarasenko were still on the board, then it saw the team, yesterday, deal 2006 first round pick Bobby Sanguinetti to the Hurricanes.

In regards to their draft choice, let’s just be real here– fans were ready to bitch and moan if the Rangers drafted Christ incarnate. Why? Because we can never been happy with anything. Here is poor Dylan McIlrath, torn to shreds by everybody. What do we know about him?

We had not even heard of him prior to Friday (I guess that’s the reason for the anger), but here is this eighteen year old, who all he did was get drafted, and here he is, getting his career, called a failure.

Fans are making it seem like the Rangers took someone who was not even going to go in the draft at all, not a player who was ranked at 15th by TSN, who the Rangers chose at 10th. The myth that the Rangers could have traded down is false, because it has since been speculated that two others teams were interested in him.

The Rangers got their man Friday night, made known by the fact that they already had his name stitched on the jersey.

For years we have been begging for a tough, bruising, S.O.B defenseman that we have not had since Jeff Beukeboom. Although McIlrath is years away from being NHL ready, it is a step in the right direction. So let’s just wait until he plays a game and screws up before we rip the hell out of him.

Now to Bobby Sanguinetti, the shining prospect of the team’s farm system for the last four years. Yes, four years. Maybe that’s why he was traded.

When the Rangers drafted this offensive defenseman in 2005, he was promised to be the next Brian Leetch. Who made that promise? Who knows, but unfortunately it stuck, and fans still have in their heads that Sanguinetti can be of use to the Rangers.

Just because Sanguinetti only played five games for the team in four years, it does not mean he is a bust as a draft pick. He is sure to have a solid NHL career in front of him, but due to the Rangers logjam of defensemen, there is absolutely no room for him at all.

So rather than let him rot, the Rangers got a 6th round pick in this year’s draft, and a 2nd for next year. A pretty nice return considering the fact that Sather had no leverage, because it was brutally clear he had no future.

Finally, what everybody is talking about are the recent comments made by Glen Sather concerning cornerstone defenseman Marc Staal. Sather told Michael Obernauer of the Daily News that there is a “chasm” separating the two parties from reaching an agreement. This immediately threw everyone into panic mode.

Let’s take a step off the ledge for a second and think this one out. Do you honestly believe that Sather is going to let Staal get away? Not a chance in hell.

Staal, whose agent is Bobby Orr, is reportedly seeking a deal of $3.5-4 million, according to Larry Brooks of the NY Post. Depending on the angle you look at this from, it could be worth it. Staal has been great defensively, but really does not contribute any offensive punch, at least not as much as the Rangers would like.

Should Staal be seeking a small deal, than $4 million would be an overpayment. However, if the Rangers could lock him up long-term, as in five or more years, than you have to seriously consider giving it to him. Staal will be entering his fourth season, so I suggest they give him a one year contract and see how he does this season. Should he outburst, then he gets the money he is looking for. Should he fail, then he takes Sather’s offer.

Glen Sather will not let Staal get away. It’s painfully obvious that fans hate him so much that they are letting that blind them.

However, if you want to talk about a defenseman the Rangers might let walk away, try Dan Girardi, who is looking for $3 million. Girardi, who was brutal early on last season, was able to settle down and play solid down the stretch. His point totals hover around the mid-20′s, and that does not make him worth as much, considering he isn’t as sound positionally as Staal, and has no physical element to his game at all. And who could forget him playing spectator to this?

One more thing– how come when Sather drafts Lundqvist in a late round of the draft it’s considered luck, but when the Red Wings do it with Datsyuk and Zetterberg it’s considered brilliance?

Twitter is the Place to be for NHL Fans During the Next Week

From tonight on through July 1, the most exciting week in the off-season will be underway. Beginning with the 2010 NHL Entry Draft tonight on Versus, we will no doubt see some moves made, and more leading all the way up until free agent frenzy which begins on the first of July.

Twitter has now enabled fans to receive information faster, from beat writers and insiders, than they would get by even checking the official website of their favorite team.

Beginning tonight, I will be Tweeting updates throughout the draft on selections and various swaps made throughout the evening. Also, for the first time in what seems like four or five years, I will be home on July 1, and will be giving as many updates as I can.

This is the place to be for hockey fans! Don’t miss out!

Please follow me @gcaggiano.

Also make sure to follow these independent bloggers: @RangersTribune, @BlueshirtBanter, @BlueSeatBlogs, @ScottyHockey, @5holeblog, and @TheNYRBlog.

The real insiders: @TSNBobMcKenzie, @DarrenDreger, @tsnjamesduthie, and @TSN_Mcguire.

To get a good laugh, there is always @Eklund.

Other accounts of note include the immortal @wyshynski and the Eklund runner-up @SunGarrioch. There is also @NYRNation, @PuckCentral and the Rangers beat writers @AGrossrecord, and @stevezipay.

Russ Cohen Discusses the NHL Draft, Rangers, Free Agency, and More!

Hockey analyst and Sportsology creator Russ Cohen now becomes the person I have interviewed more than any other, with this being our fourth time. Russ has always been kind enough to answer all of my questions and we decided to do another interview exploring the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft that will be upon us June 25.

Russ is also allowing me to run a hockey trivia challenge, that starts tomorrow, using his book 100 Ranger Greats as the medium. For the next three weeks, every Tuesday I will post trivia questions that can all be answered by reading the book. Participants must email me their responses before the next round is posted and the leader after three weeks will win a brand new copy! It is sure to be a lot of fun.

Below is our conversation:

GC: Who do you think the Rangers will take in this year’s draft, and why?

RC: I think the New York Rangers will select goaltender Jack Campbell. Henrik Lundqvist continues to break his own career mark for games played with the Blueshirts and five year’s into his career he has some knee problems. If you consider that most of the Rangers great goaltenders lasted right around 10 years then this year’s draft has to yield a potential franchise goaltender for the team. Goalies take a long time to develop so the time is now. This is a piece I wrote on Campbell.

GC: There is so much talk about who will go first overall in this year’s draft. Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall seem to be the leading candidates, but who do you think the Oilers will take with the first overall pick?

RC: I think the Oilers will take Taylor Hall. He has exceptional speed, he’s a clutch scorer, he can play in every situation and he makes players around him better. He can play in the NHL next season.

GC: What Rangers prospects have a chance of making the team this season?

RC: Derek Stepan has that kind of talent. If he decides to turn pro and not return to the University of Wisconsin then he will certainly get a long look in camp. What’s important to note is the fact that if he could make the team without playing in the AHL then he will be learning on the job and you shouldn’t expect a huge offensive season out of him. I think Bobby Sanguinetti has the talent and he seems to be playing with more of an edge. He had a rocky road with the coach last season so he has to impress him in camp or he won’t make it even though he has the talent to do so. If Evgeny Grachev has a great start in Hartford he could get a late season promotion.

GC: Do you expect there to be many trades at this year’s draft, and do you see the Rangers making any?

RC: Toronto will be trying to move defenseman Tomas Kaberle for sure. I think one of the Montreal goaltenders; most likely Carey Price will be available as well. I think the Rangers might have interest in Kaberle. There will be some lesser talented players moved as well, there always are.

GC: The very private Glen Sather gave a very in-depth interview with Larry Brooks of the New York Post last week. What is your response to this and what do you think he has in store this off-season?

RC: I think he’s trying to add another scorer to play alongside Marian Gaborik. I think they will search for toughness on the blueline as well. They don’t have a lot of cap space so far, but that could change, so that’s why he was essentially saying don’t look for a big free-agent signing. With all of that said it’s nice to say that you want to keep going with the youth but the past few years the Rangers traded some of that youth, and it didn’t get the team anywhere, so it’s hard to put much stock in that statement as well.

GC: Rangers fans seem to be clamoring for Ilya Kovalchuk (obviously) and now more recently Anton Volchenkov. Tomas Plekanec has had his name thrown in the rumor mill as well, even though I do not want him. Which of these free agents do the Rangers have the best shot at signing? And would you personally make a move to acquire any of them?

RC: Tomas Plekanec was almost invisible in the series against Philadelphia so stay away from him; he’s just too soft, even though he has solid scoring ability. Anton Volchenkov could help this team at the right price. He’s the only one of the three that I would have interest in. If Kovalchuk was going to become a Ranger he would ask for $100 million that they don’t have. I’m not sure where he will sign but I’m sensing he might take less money to stay in New Jersey when it’s all said and done.

I would like to thank Russ for taking the time to conduct this interview!