Comments on: Sather has done it again.

By: Habfan17

Habfan17 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:08:27 +0000

Maybe getting Drury and Gomez was a good move, maybe not. Since he signed them, he has lost the guys who made the team competative and wanted to play in N.Y. Starka and Jagr are gone and probably due to the changes in the dressing room. Some may say this is a good thing, I don't thinbk it is. Signing one of either Gomez or Drury would have been good, not both. Sometimes too much is not good. Look at the Past history with the Rangers when they would go out and sign all the big name players they could. It didn't work!!!!!

Now Sather has overpaid Redden by $2.5 million a year based on what the majority of GM's said he is worth based on his play the last 2 years. he played well as Charra's partner and since then, his play has slipped. Charra had the same problem when he arrived in Beantown. Redden should have signed for $4 million in Boston and teamed up with Charra again. They shared a chemistry!

You can't build a winning team when 6 players are eating up 2/3rds of your budget. That doesn't leave enough to put quality players in the support roles. It also created animosity in the dressing room when players who play well and have decent ststas, or sometimes comparable stats to the big money guy, yet make 1/4 what the big guy makes.

A prime example is Anaheim. Mr Brian Burke who likes to point fingers, but should look in the mirror, signs Bertuzzi, Mr. bad back. Mr. hasn't played a full season or played well in 2 years. Gives him $4 million a year when he shouldn't have gotten more than $1 million plus incentives. Fast forward one season, Burke buys him out! How many guys on Anaheim had better stats than Bertuzzi last year for a fraction of the cost. What player suffered in not getting the chance to prove himself because Bertuzzi filled a spot. For that money, maybe 2 players lost the chance last year to break out!

It goes to show you, throwing big money around for a " NAME " doesn't always work. I would be warry of a so called impact player if he only signed for the bucks. With the level of money these guys make, they'll never have to worry about money again. So what if when you pass away thee is only $4 million in the bank instead of $6 million, his family may have to stop eating the best caviar. I thought it was about winning the cup!!

By: Habfan17

Habfan17 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:55:22 +0000

Way over paid! Now it is reported that he will move salaries to make room for Sundin if he will sign. Where is the gameplan Sather? When the majority of GM's say that Ottawa offered Redden a fair salary based on his play the last 2 years, which coincidentally coincides with the loss of Chara, why did Sather pay $2.5 million more than the opther GM's were willing to pay?

By: Habfan17

Habfan17 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:52:18 +0000

Sorry, Redden is not worth the money. He was a solid #2 d-man when he played beside Charra. His play has not matched that level since the Charra trade. He is a #3 or #2 d-man at best and is making more money than a lot of better d-men right now. True, some may have taken less money to stay in a situation they are haapy with, but I would tend to side with the Gm's, the majority of which said he should get around $4 million, tops. Only one went as high as $4.5 million, the only exception was Sather. Either he is a genius, or a fool. Since he hasn't done much for the Rangers since he arrived, especially since he always complained in Edmonton that he couldn't ice a competative team with the budget he had, and he has all the money to build a winner. Now the reports are that he would clear salaries to make room for Sundin if he will sign. How will that affect the team chemisrty?

By: Habfan17

Habfan17 — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:46:19 +0000

great posting. I usually only read the Canadiens postings, being a Habs fan, but I love hockey period and love to discuss it!

I scratched my head when the reports were that the marority of the Gm's figured what Ottawa offered Redden to stay was in line with his play the past 2 years. I think I read that the highest a GM said he would offer was $4.5 million. So, how does Sather come up with a value of $6.5, utterly ridiculous. I was waiting for Brian Burke to chastise Sather for drving up salaries! It would be nice for Redden to have a bounce back year, but even if he does, the salary he received, to me, is for impact players, and I don't think Redden is in that class. He is s uper humanitarian and seems to be a great person, but this is business.

I sometimes think that Sather received too much credit for the success of the Oilers. he hasn't been able to replicate that success since and he wasn't the guy who drafted, Coffey, Kurri, Messier, Lowe, Anderson and all.... I'll bet half the coaches could have won with that lineup!

By: nyrhockey094

nyrhockey094 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:20:21 +0000

If we were going to pay REdden 6.5, might as well gave the extra 500k instead and gotten a much better offensive defenseman in Campbell.

Campbell = Redden defensively but Campbell>Redden Offensively

By: cementhead

cementhead — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:26:12 +0000

I really liked what they were doing post lockout and previous to Gomez/Drury. There were so many people astonished at the success of the team commenting that it seemed to be built upon looking for young players with upside potential who would buy into the Ranger system. Players that would be cohesive. (I remember a few comments of people mentioning htat it looked like they were putting together a Chech Nat'l team - but maybe they were just players good together).

I also remember people being astonished at how well they were doing for a team that was no longer chasing a stack of last names. The comments (and mine as well) were all about where this young team had come from, and how/why were they experiencing the most success the team had had in years. I was among them. I had never been a fan of the Rangers, but I was becoming impressed by them.

So... in response to your question, I would go back to that formula. I would look for players under 30, that have upside potential, that will by into the team's system, who will be a part of a cohesive unit and not look to stand out, and who will be healthy in the locker room. Which by the way, Maloney has stated himself, is his strategy in building a team. He said he believed it while in NY and said it is his formula for his new team - the Coyotes. I guess time will tell, but I really like what he has done to the Coyotes so far and think he is going to build this team into its most successful ever really soon (which, by the way, would only have to be the second round of the playoffs as the franchise (Jets included) have never done better that that).

So, that is what I would have done differently. And to name "names" would defy the entire point I am making. I WOULD NOT go after names, I would go after characteristics, attributes, personality, and potential.

By: Sands

Sands — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:30:39 +0000

I disagree the Cap will go up next year by about 5 million. Prucha will not be resigned unless he has a big year. lst year we didn;t even have a roster spot for him.. so this is his make or break year.

Roz got too much money. i rather have not signed him then give him 5 million a year. 4 was enough

Redden... I agree with what he gt. we needed a big number 1 D man he is that a Number 1 D.

Rangers dumbed backman.. great move.

All I really wanted was them to be able to save some money some place to have a shot at Sundin. but whatever. the young stars are goig to be great. and witht he Cap raising every year we have enough to sign dub and staal. so taaaakkkee it eeeeeaaaassse

By: paulieplatypus

paulieplatypus — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:20:17 +0000

It turns out that the goalie coach for Anaheim Mr. Allaire is the brother of Rangers goalie coach Mr. Allaire.

By: paulieplatypus

paulieplatypus — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:38:50 +0000

What do you feel Sather should have done differently? What "names" would you have signed?

By: cementhead

cementhead — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:02:21 +0000

Has anyone noticed that preCBA Sather seemed to love to sign guys to big contracts because of their last names. Then it seemed his (Sather's) assistant was getting more and more responsibility and the trend changed (for the good in my opinion). THen once Sather lost Maloney (his Asst GM) the Rangers seem to be paying big $ for last names again???

As soon as Maloney leaves Drury and Gomez are signed and it still continues. Coincidence? I think not.

(I could draw a lot more coincidences to further this arguement, but I won't... for now anyway - probably too boring for most.)