Ryan Malone
Larry Brooks reported over the weekend that Ryan Malone would be joining the Rangers informal skate and possibly receive a two-way contract worth $675-750k. Malone is getting a second chance from GM Glen Sather after his June release by Tampa Bay following his arrest for DUI and possession of cocaine. This good will gesture by Sather likely results from Malone having played in Tampa Bay with Dominic Moore and Martin St. Louis as well as skating with Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan at the Octagon Camp this summer.
I have to admit I questioned the rationale when I first heard the news. Some of the questions I asked were: what will it do to the cap space? Will Malone take a spot that could go to a young player? How much does he have left in the tank after scoring just 15 points in 57 games and sitting as a healthy scratch in the playoffs? When I evaluated the answer to those questions, my view changed slightly.
Cap space is not an issue because at that salary, if he replaced Chris Mueller or one of several others, the cap hit would be same. In addition, because he is 34, and not 35, if Malone does get sent down, that salary won't stay on the cap. In terms of taking a spot from a younger player, competition is not a bad thing. The Rangers and specifically coach Alain Vigneault don’t owe Malone anything and they are doing him a favor. If he deserves to be on the team, he will make it. If he is beaten out, then he won't. His role if he does make the team is another question, as he seem to lack the foot speed for AV's system, but he is strong on the puck and in front of the net, similar to Benoit Pouliot, but if Brassard and Zucc are the second line, Malone doesn't profile to be better than the other three wingers in the top-six. They will find out in camp what Malone has left, so it's a worthwhile risk to take with minimal downside.
Informal Skates
While some of the newbies are in town for team pictures, it's nice to see several players already skating. To me, the most important attendee was JT Miller. The coaching staff and team management called Miller out last year for not taking ownership of his career and failing to come to camp in shape and early last year. This season, with a third line center role there for the taking, Miller has looked quicker and sharper on the ice, which bodes well for his chances.
The big name absent initially was Nash. While I understand that the off-season was short, Nash enters this year with a lot to prove. We can talk all we want how he did just about everything but score in last year's playoffs, but he is paid to score. In addition, he needs to go into the dirty areas more frequently to create those scoring chances. Sending the right message by showing up to the "informal skates" early would be a good step in the right direction. I was happy to see him arrive today and hopefully he remains in those skates, but I would have been happier if he was there from Day 1.
Last, hopefully Derek Stepan wasn't hurt badly by the slapper off his left foot and ankle today. It's good to see him in camp early and even better he worked out during the summer. Now, can we get him some faceoff lessons?
Anton Stralman
Stralman gave an interview where he expressed dissatisfaction with the Rangers' failure to negotiate and notify him that they planned on going in a different direction. The two sides exchanged numbers initially and Stralman expected the negotiations to continue, yet that was not the case. New York signed Dan Boyle and Stralman ended up in Tampa.
Stralman said:
“I think you could have the respect to tell me earlier that you wanted to go a different route."
I think we all know what happened. The Rangers made their offer and when Stralman countered, they viewed that as more than they wanted to pay. More important, once Boyle indicated he wanted to come to NY at a lesser price and years than he could have commanded elsewhere, the Rangers went in that direction, especially since he filled a need as the PP QB. If that wasn’t going to be the case, the Rangers likely would have come back to Stralman, but I do agree that it would have been the right thing to do to let him know they were moving on. However, until Boyle was signed, sealed and delivered, the Rangers had to keep their options open and this is a business.
Derek Boogaard
Two individuals were charged today in connection with the May 13, 2011 overdose death of Boogaard. Jordan Hart, a Long Island native who last played for the American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers and son of former Islander Gerry Hart, and Oscar Johnson, a physician assistant who treated Hart in the ECHL, were charged with the distribution of oxycodone. While this may give the family some closure, assuming one or both are convicted, what Katie Strang wrote in her column is the possible shocking part.
The indictment also details that an unidentified Rangers player on the 2010-11 team helped facilitate the illegal prescription drug purchase between Boogaard and Hart.
There are I believe 19 players from that team still active in the NHL. Rumor, innuendo and supposition will follow those players and the Rangers organization until someone is charged or all are absolved. If a player was involved, drop the hammer on him, regardless of who he is, to send a clear message.
RIP Bob Suter -the Miracle on Ice is one of the defining moments of my youth and my hockey fandom and he played a big part of it.