And Now for Something Completely…

…the same.  No big news out of Rangers camp, so let’s keep the e-mails flowing.

From Teresa in Clifton Park, NY

After digesting everything that happened in that series, I still feel unfulfilled and I can’t decide if the season was a disappointment or not.

However, I must say that one thing is abundantly clear.  I know this is nothing new, but the officiating has got to be more consistent.  I know calls will be missed or blown.  It happens to every team and the great teams work through it, but when things are called one way in one game and then called completely different in the next, as a fan, it is frustrating.  I can’t imagine what it is like for the players.  I thought that maybe it was me and my Ranger tinted glasses that were seeing this, but watching the conference finals games, it is not just me.  They put Dallas down 2 men for a roughing call that happens almost after each play at the goal and to send only one guy from one team is just ridiculous.  Tytuin takes down Crosby and it is called; Gil takes down Jagr, looked almost identical and no call.  Make up your mind; is it a panalty or not?  Don’t tell me they missed it; I don’t buy it.

Jagr gets his fair share of time in the box, but the new stars need to be penalized for their actions too.  Malkin can slew foot Mara and elbow Briere and not get a call against him.  I can’t discuss Crosby because until he stands up and plays, who knows what he should get called for.  The NHL is setting themselves up for a league run by spoiled stars who will alienate the fans of the other 29 teams.

From Andy in Nottingham, England

For me we need to resign: Avery, my favourite Rangers player.
Roszival, but I agree with your sentiments $3million is a maximum for me.
Mara, he’ll come pretty cheap I think.

For me if you don’t resign Shanahan, Jagr and Straka, as well as people like Strudwick, Backman etc, we’ll be looking at about $10-15million to spend. That could be used to bring two top end players, a winger like Hossa and the Top line Dman that we lack. I felt it was so obvious that we were poor defensively because we haven’t got that “big name” dman. We need to get either someone like Campbell, if it is him I’ll be happy, who will be great going forward and setting up the transitional play and a quarterback for our PP, or someone in the Boynton mould, doesn’t take up massive amount of cap space and will hit the body hard and just be a stay at home Dman presence. Nick played in Nottingham during the lockout year and was the 2nd best defenceman I have ever seen, behind Jimmy Paek, who also played for Nottingham Panthers.

My personal opinion would be to try and entice the likes of a Malkin, Hossa, Kovalchuk to come to Rangers for a decent, but fair, salary, between $6-9million and use the other on one or two solid Dmen.

Cheers guys, look forward to hearing more from you in the off season.

From Greg in Ridgefield, CT

I know its just after a tough loss but i figure ill look to next season instead of looking back on this one.  I personally think Jags, Avery, Mara and I guess Valiquette should be resigned.  Maybe Straka.  And if Jags doesnt come back, Id like to see Shanny back, even if he is just used for all of 10 minutes a game.