Bye Captain Clutch

It seemed like a good idea when it happened. Signing Chris Drury to a five year deal, along with Scotty Gomez to a five year deal and add that duo to Jagr and it seemed like the Rangers were heading to bigger things. It never happened.

Drury never became the clutch player we wanted, that we needed. Perhaps he never was that kind of player. We always saw him beating the Rangers with late goals in playoff games. We forgot that he was always a great role player and not a super star. And we payed him a lot of money for a long time. And we wondered why it didn't work.

We fiddled with him: center first line, wing first line, center second line, wing second line. Jagr didn't like playing with him, too slow. Passes from the wrong side. When you play with a prima donna you never have all the tools, you never get it right. Under coach disagreeable he went to the fourth line and sometimes to the bench. In this past year it was the injuries, too many injuries.

So it's over as the Rangers have cut the cord. Maybe he wasn't the Captain Clutch we wanted, we needed but he was a class guy who always gave a 100% on and off the ice. He played it straight and honest both on and off the ice. No shortcuts. No Captain Clutch, but Captain Class.

So now we are ready to make the same mistake with another can't miss free agent in Brad Richards. Here is another Stanley Cup winner who played for the existing disagreeable Ranger coach. He will bring us to the promised land. He will be the leader of our young band of gritters and grinders. Yet he has never scored thirty goals in a season and his career plus/minus is a -72.

Richards will be everything that Drury wasn't. Everything that Gomez wasn't. Everything that Jagr wasn't. Everything that Lindros wasn't. Everything that Bure wasn't. Need I go on? Richards will be what The Stealth and coach disagreeable want him to be, whatever that is. And Ranger fans will continue to pay exorbitant prices to see an inferior product. And the Absentee Owner will make a lot of money.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

ICINGS: The charity I mentioned in my previous article, St. Mary's Children Hospital raised over $100,000 at their event and Sean Avery's table sold for $5,000, well over the minimum bid of $1,000. So thanks to all who participated for the kids. God Bless you all..

Continue to pray for little Jake Feldman.

Related Articles by Categories