Whom are they kidding? This is a shakeup? This is samo samo. Erik Christensen is with his fourth team since being drafted by the Penguins in 2002. In nine games this year he has zero goals and is soft. Forget about working the boards, he is another perimeter player so he fits right in.
Ilka Heikkinen is another European defenseman. Good on offense, soft (there is that word again) on defense. So he fits in. Valiquette has been cleared on the way down, will he be cleared on the way up. Interesting.
Chad Johson, the new goalie from Hartford, probably won't see any action except maybe in a mopup. The book says he gives up too many rebounds. Interesting.
So, this is a shakeup?
Wild's John Hynes to coach U.S. team at worlds
0 seconds ago
Mike - it really does just get more dismal (dismaller isn't a word, is it?)
Sending Valli down is not such a bad idea. Myself, I would roll the dice on Johnson rather than keep Valliquette around, mabye that's just my bias.
So now, another lab experiment. The lines change up again, as if there will be a flash of light and the solution is staring up at us from the ice, revealed in all it's glory.
We all know that getting Christensen is nothing more than a diversion.
I'm looking forward to Dubinsky's return because he is actually one of a kind on NYR. He's big, he skates, he hits and he holds on to the puck. Forget about where he is developmentally in terms of where people projected him to be, NYR needs somebody who plays his style.
Valliquette's game has gone south so sending him north to work on it makes sense. I agree, give Johnson a shot. The Christensen and Heikkinen moves look like the proverbial rearranging of the deck chairs on the good ship Titanic. I've had hopes for Dubinsky for a long time, but his holdout and contract have left me wondering if he still has the motivation.
Does anyone think that since the mega Drury, Gomez, Redden contracts were signed that the Rangers have had this insidious dry rot going through the organization? Players, like Dubinsky, compare their game to the likes of Drury, Redden, Gomez and wonder why the hell should they work or bust their ass for a fraction of what these super-star-softies are getting. Add a washed-up Brashear to the team and you have the premier over the hill gang holed up at MSG. With Drury & Redden locked in this team will never go anywhere. Move on. Nothing to see here.
What do you think of Kotalik this year? As an Oilers fan, he seemed more like a one-dimensional power play specialist.
Jay - He looks that way to me too. Very talented but 5 on 5 he really has not come up with much.
I wish he would backcheck.
blow-me-down-These so called fixes are noithing more than bandaids. Until we dump the laggards like the R&R boys nothing will change.
Move on.......Why can't the mangement see what the fans see?
Jay-Kotalik seemed to be OK early in the year and fitted well on the point on the PP. Seems he got into Tortorella's doghouse and with Torts that's not hard to do unless your name is Redden.
blow-me-down-Backcheck? Most of these guys have trouble going forward.
I like your blog, it's pretty cool. I have a couple of sports blogs myself which I hope will make a good contribution to the sports blogging community. I'd like to exchange links with you to help spread some traffic around. Please let me know if this is possible.
Jason
SportsSoundOff.net