http://www.nyrangerscast.com Two die-hard NY Rangers fans host a popular fan-based podcast and accompanying blog Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:56:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Habs have added another member of the 2008-2009 Rangers squad. Paul Mara has signed a one year deal to play with Montreal next season.  The terms of the deal have not been released. Personally, I'm disappointed to see him go, even though I knew it was coming.  He's a guy whose ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/En0I-5Tql6s" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/En0I-5Tql6s/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/10/mara-officially-gone/ With Nik Zherdev headed to arbitration, the Rangers today signed a player that will probably be taking his spot on next years roster. The Blueshirts have announced the signing of Ales Kotalik. Kotalik, 30, tallied 20 G and 23 A as a member of both the Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabers ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/JugeOSjZ1Ak" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/JugeOSjZ1Ak/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/09/rangers-sign-ales-kotalik/ Another day, another lack of agreement between Ranger management and either Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan or Lauri Korpikoski. But at least they've locked up restricted free agent Brian Boyle.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/EePeiVM57CQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/EePeiVM57CQ/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/08/rangers-sign-boylehold-off-on-core-players/ Don't be so quick to rule out a Derek Morris return to the Blueshirts for the '09-'10 campaign. According to thefourthperiod.com, Glen Sather and Brad Devine (Morris' agent) have had some talks regarding bringing the defenseman back to New York next year. I have nothing against signing or re-signing a veteran ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/XMwna39Jddk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/XMwna39Jddk/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/07/report-rangersmorris-agent-talk/ As speculated here yesterday, Nik Zherdev filing for arbitration likely means he's finished in a Rangers uniform. Now with Larry Brooks writing today that Zherdev wants a contract in the neighborhood of $4.5 million a season, it's not so much speculation anymore as it is fact. $4.5 million?? Sure Nik. Personally ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/gTvKPBOjCkI" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/gTvKPBOjCkI/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/07/hes-gone/ One RFA down, plenty to go. The Rangers announced today that they have agreed to terms with RFA Christopher Higgins.  Details of the deal have yet to be announced.  Here is the press release: New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/ydpIOL248PE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/ydpIOL248PE/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/06/rangers-sign-higgins/ As you've all probably heard by now, both Ryan Callahan and Nikolai Zherdev have filed for arbitration. Zherdev didn't like his $3.25 million qualifying offer and Cally didn't like his $660 K either. So what does it all mean? Well, technically it means that the two sides can continue to negotiate ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/siqOrxLTXIo" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/siqOrxLTXIo/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/06/zherdev-and-callahan-file-for-arbitration-what-does-it-mean/ That's right! We announced it on today's show.  But, seeing how the show is not up yet for some reason, we decided to let you know on the blog. Both Artem Anisimov and Matt Gilroy have agreed to be guests on the NYRangerscast podcast. We are trying to work out a time within ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/t9enhgEHPtg" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/t9enhgEHPtg/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/03/anisimov-and-gilroy-coming-to-the-nyrangerscast/ Sorry everyone. Steve and I have both been out all day.  But, we know the episodes not up yet.  We are working on it, we promise.  Hopefully it will be up shortly. We apologize for the delay, but we are doing everything we can to bring the episode to you.  Hold tight.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/nGAFikJKj1I" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/nGAFikJKj1I/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/03/technical-difficulties/ A new podcast will be up later today. While you wait, here is Marian Gaborik's conference call from earlier today...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/1O6-6MvoBg8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/1O6-6MvoBg8/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/02/gaborik-conference-call/ Does Glen Sather finally get it? After a decade of free agent signings that made Ranger fans want to pull out their hair, does the Cigar Aficionado finally understand what it takes to build a winning team? Don't get me wrong, he still had his "Sather Redux" moment yesterday when ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/nxFZNPS5VHw" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/nxFZNPS5VHw/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/02/thoughts-on-day-1/ Darren Dreger is reporting that the Rangers have signed Marion Gaborik for 5 years at $7.5 million.  This is all according to TSN. More in a few! Update (8:24): Heres the TSN article for you... Former Minnesota Wild winger Marian Gaborik has agreed to a five-year contract with the New York Rangers. The Slovakian ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/AvR4r1dIAM8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/AvR4r1dIAM8/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/gaborik-to-rangers/ Darren Dreger is reporting that the Rangers are one of three teams that have tabled an offer for Chris Neil. The other two teams are reportedly the Maple Leafs and Edmonton. One of the teams has made a four-year offer. Sounds pretty Sather-like, no? It's good to see the Rangers are ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/g_4opx-QR1I" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/g_4opx-QR1I/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/rangers-make-offer-to-neil/ Details coming, but this is quite simply a disastrous signing in my opinion. Brashear plays the game the absolute wrong way and took out Blair Betts last season with a disgraceful hit in the playoffs. You let Colton Orr go and replace him with a low life like Brashear? It ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/59mGuPCwDKA" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/59mGuPCwDKA/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/rangers-sign-brashear/ Sorry for the delay there. The server went down at the worst possible time. As you all probably already know, Colton Orr has signed with Toronto for 4 years at $1 million per season.  Expected, but not something I'm happy about. Update 1:46 p.m.: The Panthers have re-signed David Booth to ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/o3i5Dyy6HSo" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/o3i5Dyy6HSo/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/back-up-and-running-as-orr-is-off-and-running/ Free Agency has officially begun. Eric and I will be here all day with breaking news so keep it locked on nyrangerscast.com. Update 12:23 p.m.: Mattias Ohland to TB. Seven years at $3.75 million per season. Update 12:27 p.m.: On TSN right now the rumor is that Hossa is close to signing ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/ScTnOJAfpWo" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/ScTnOJAfpWo/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/and-were-off/ If multiple reports are correct, Dany Heatley wants to go to the Rangers. In fact, that is what's holding the deal to Edmonton up. Bruce Garrioch is reporting that as of last night, Heatley and his agents were trying to broker a deal to New York. Then just over a half ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/81k1R3c8egE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/81k1R3c8egE/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/the-latest-on-heatley/ They're staying put. TSN is reporting that the Sedins have signed a 5-year extension to stay in Vancouver. The pair of contracts average $6.1 million per season. The market is starting to form and it looks like it's going to be high. If the Sedins can get $6 million plus, what ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/nv1bH8NAnmQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/nv1bH8NAnmQ/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/cross-the-sedins-off-of-the-list/ The NYRangerscast is now officially up and running on Twitter and just in time for Free Agency no less! Follow us at http://twitter.com/NYRangerscast. (Just a quick heads up, we're new to the whole "tweeting" thing so we're going to try it out and see what happens. May be a couple bumps in ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/QtHSoCBfRWM" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/QtHSoCBfRWM/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/07/01/were-now-on-twitter/ Wow, this is shocking. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun is reporting on his blog that Dany Heatley has refused to waive his no-trade clause and has killed the deal to Edmonton. Garrioch says Heatley will play for the Senators next year. I have to say, if this is true then Heatley has ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/QDdUUnWJDeo" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/QDdUUnWJDeo/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/heatley-kills-deal/ TSN is reporting that Dany Heatley has been asked to waive his no-trade clause to go to Edmonton. The Sens will get back Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid should the deal go through. It would seem as though Rangers could have offered a sweeter package than the Oilers did, but who ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/wUfCR3QCLE8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/wUfCR3QCLE8/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/report-heatley-to-edmonton/ I know I just alluded to this in the post below, but I needed to expand upon it here. Heatley talk aside, this Gomez trade simply makes no sense from a Montreal perspective. Were they so desperate to land a first line center that they simply gave Glen Sather a ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/iTX6pE-brQ0" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/iTX6pE-brQ0/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/this-doesnt-make-any-sense/ You've got to hand it to Glen Sather (Steve says while gritting his teeth). The guy can't make a good free agent signing for his life, but he sure can make those trades. Say what you will about Nik Zherdev, but last summer he fleeced Columbus to get him. Now, ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/yGhoUs4tRgk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/yGhoUs4tRgk/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/gomez-gone-heatley-reportedly-to-rangers/ More on this in a second as well, but I'm just trying to get everything up quickly. That Gomez deal was clearly a precursor to something. According to Rangers Report, apparently that something was Dany Heatley in Rangers blue!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/XWNEPPNGntA" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/XWNEPPNGntA/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/report-heatley-to-rangers/ More on this in a second, but just wanted to get this post up. Obviously a huge, huge deal for the Rangers.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/twZ4iMZs9VY" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/twZ4iMZs9VY/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/gomez-to-montreal/ Keep ‘Em or Dump ‘Em” will be a daily post from now until the July 1st opening of Free Agency. Every day we will break down a Ranger and give reasons for and against him being on the team next season. We will wrap up the post with our take, ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/bEox6DDTTL4" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/bEox6DDTTL4/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/keep-em-or-dump-em-nikolai-zherdev/ As per Steve Zipay, the Rangers have qualified RFA's-to-be Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Lauri Korpikoski.  Brian Boyle and Corey Potter were also tendered. So basically the Rangers have qualified all of their restricted free agents not named Freddy Sjostrom.  Now the ball's in the court of each player. They can ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/XppVUdrNYuY" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/XppVUdrNYuY/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/dubinsky-callahan-and-korpedo-qualified/ Saw this yesterday, and because I enjoyed it I will pass it on to you.  Steve Zipay over at Newsday's Blue Notes, posted some of his impressions on the first day of Prospect Camp.  He also had some quotes from Rangers coach John Tortorella, here are some of my favorites... "As ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/ORCQqSouC8I" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/ORCQqSouC8I/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/30/can-torts-rule-with-an-iron-fist/ Keep ‘Em or Dump ‘Em” will be a daily post from now until the July 1st opening of Free Agency. Every day we will break down a Ranger and give reasons for and against him being on the team next season. We will wrap up the post with our take, ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/UnBsLh8YXMQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/UnBsLh8YXMQ/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/29/keep-em-or-dump-em-aaron-voros/ Keep ‘Em or Dump ‘Em” will be a daily post from now until the July 1st opening of Free Agency. Every day we will break down a Ranger and give reasons for and against him being on the team next season. We will wrap up the post with our take, ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~4/mliOUIBb9ow" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nyrangerscastblog/~3/mliOUIBb9ow/ http://www.nyrangerscast.com/blog/2009/06/27/keep-em-or-dump-em-stephen-valiquette/