Glen Sather got a steal when he signed Vaclav (Vinnie) Prospel to a $1.15 million contract this season. Considering all the bad contracts Sather's given out, Bobby Holik and Scott Gomez, to name a few, Slats did manage to make one good signing this off season. But, if success as a GM is measured by how much production a team gets out of a player for every salary dollar paid, Slats fails the test miserably. Whether it's in actual numbers or intangibles like penalty killing and leadership, Glen gets a big fat F during his tenure as Rangers general manager. Rather then loiter at the scene of the train wreck that is this season's New York Rangers, let us move on to a few other teams in the Atlantic division.
Everyone laughed hysterically when Charles Wang announced his choice of Garth Snow as General Manager after the Islanders gave Mad Mike Milbury the heave ho. No one is laughing anymore. Notwithstanding the groundbreaking, bankbreaking, ridiculous contract Milbury handed out to Rick "never comin' back" DiPietro, the Fish can currently be found in a tight race with the Rangers and the Flyers for the bottom rungs of the Atlantic division ladder.
Granted, the Icelanders got the number one pick in the draft, John Tavares. But one player does not make a team. Being a goaltender, Snow had the foresight to go out this summer and sign two adequate goaltenders to replace Dee Pee. He picked up Marty Biron for $1.4 million. While Biron hasn't been as effective as Dwayne Roloson for the Islanders, at just double the cap hit, I'd take Biron over Stephen Valiquette to back up Henrik Lundqvist.
The other player who really delivers value for money at $750 is Richard Park. Parkie is the successor to that sneaky little pest Jason Blake who, by the way, signed for huge dollars in Toronto. He hasn't panned out, but what has for the Leafs? That's a whole 'nother story. I would take Richard Park in a heartbeat. He does it all, from dogging the puck in the corner to burying it at the opportune moment. He's a diamond.
In 2008 Snowy also signed puck moving defenseman Mark Streit for $4.1 million while Sather was signing Redden for $7.5 and Rozsival for $5 million respectively. Hmmm. A former goaltender with no experience trumps the Sly Sather. Based on his track record of poor free agent signings, it's time for Cigar Chomper Slats to retire.
Being old school, I still relish the Flyer/Ranger rivalry, even if the Rangers have been replaced by the Penguins as the object of Flyer Fan hate. At $1.5 million, I congratulate Paul Holmgrem for taking a flyer on Ray Emery (sue me for the bad pun). Biron wasn't getting it done for them and the change of scenery might turn Emery around. Emery is 11-7-1 on the season with a GAA of 2.65. and a save percentage of .907. Not too shabby. Biron is 2-8-2 for the Fishsticks. Good move Paul.
The Flyers also signed Blair Betts for $550 and the gritty Aaron Asham for $640. The Rangers are paying Brian Boyle $525 and he can't win a damn faceoff. But Sather couldn't re-sign one of the best penalty killing centers in the league because he signed over the hill enforcer Donald Brashear for $1.4 million.
Brashear broke Betts' orbital bone with a vicious, borderline dirty, hit during last years playoffs with the Caps. Glen made the wrong choice letting Betts go. In addition, Slats let Fast Freddy Sjostrom walk to the Flames for $750. He failed to sign two of his best defensive players for less money then he gave Brashear.
The Rangers lost 8-3 to the Penguins on Saturday under the stewardship of John "Safe is Death" Tortorella. I'll bet Torts would love to have gritty defensive players like Betts, Sjostrom and Paul Mara back. Hell, even perennial 7th D man Jason Strudwick is playing better defense (15 minutes per game and -2 for the Oil) then Redden and Rozsival.
As the Rangers plummet in the standings, I can hear all the fans who declared Renney's "defense first" hockey boring crying in their beer. Winning two boring points in the standings is better then none, eh? Glen signed players Torts wanted for his go-go style of puck possession hockey. Just like Renney, he got some players he wanted and some he didn't. The results are turning out to be the same this November as last. After a fast early season start, the Rangers are finding their level. All bucks, no bang.
