Close to 1,000 folks have already (and it ain't even training camp!)....

It's htttp://www.twitter.com/stevezipay

Brashear: "I think guys are thrilled... I honestly think that was kind of a trumped-up media thing that some guys had a problem with him. It’s just hockey. Guys are changing locker rooms all the time, and once you’re wearing that same sweater with the guy, you’re going to war with him, no ifs, ands or buts about it. He’s one of us and I can’t wait to see him in our jersey. I don’t think one guy in here had a problem with it, or is going to have a problem with it. And if anyone does, they can come see me. Because that’s not how it’s done in the game, that’s not how it’s done here. He’s one of us now, and he’s gonna play just as hard for us as he did against us.”

On Gomez: "Maybe 10 years ago I would have said yes,” he said when I asked if there was some shock when the trade was made. "But I’ve been on that end of it, I’ve been traded twice. It’s part of the game, and I certainly like where we’re at, where we’re headed going into this camp.”

In response to readers who asked, the RSS button is apparently working on the new site, on which I posted a Chris Drury interview yesterday. I'm told that Newsday.com also has more servers, which is helping the transition.

For more news, please visit there and follow me for headlines, comments, reaction on Twitter (stevezipay), where I generally hyperlink to the new site....

http://www.newsday.com/blogs/sports/blue-notes-1.811976

Courtesy: If you were on the real Blue Notes or following me on Twitter (stevezipay), you'd have known this long ago. As I've mentioned, we are told this site will be extinct very soon, so please join us over there....

Multi-platforming here.....Wrote this at noon yesterday, it was on the other site and in the paper....

For Nikolai Zherdev, tomorrow's arbitration hearing in Toronto will likely be another step toward the exit after his brief stop in New York.
The multi-talented, but sometimes aloof, restricted free agent, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last July, rejected the Rangers’ one-year qualifying offer of $3.25 million and is seeking upwards of $4 million for 2009-10 in arbitration. The Rangers will argue strongly against anything higher than their offer.
Zherdev, 24, was the fourth overall draft pick in 2003 by the Blue Jackets and although his production and intensity waned in the last third of the season---and he was pointless in seven playoff games against the Capitals---the right wing finished with 23 goals and 35 assists in 82 games. The 58 points were tied with Scott Gomez for the team lead. He has averaged 25 goals in three of the last four seasons.
According to translations from Russian interviews, the right wing said he believed he deserved more money although he admitted his play suffered under coach John Tortorella, who replaced Tom Renney in the last quarter of the regular season and benched Zherdev during games. The Kiev native also suggested that he wouldn’t mind playing for a divisional rival and then perhaps leave for the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.
The hearings, in which each side presents their case and have an opportunity
for rebuttal, often are contentious. In 2006, when Sean Avery, who earned $1.1 million, sought $2.6 million and the Rangers offered $1.3 million, the Rangers brass called him a "detriment" to the team. The arbitrator settled on $1.9 million for one season and the Rangers accepted. Unlike other pro sports, the arbitrator---who received briefs from the teams on Wednesday---is not required to choose from just those numbers submitted; the award often is between the two.
One of the elements that the arbitrator weighs are comparable salaries for similar performances. Tuomo Ruutu, who avoided arbitration this month by signing a three-year, $11.4-million deal with Carolina, will earn $3 million in 2009-10. Ruutu delivered 26 goals and 28 assists for 54 points. Before his hearing, Travis Zajac (20-42-62) agreed to a four-year deal with the Devils averaging $3.88 million, but will earn j ust $2.75 million next season.
On the other hand, Anaheim's Joffrey Lupul (25-25-50) will earn $4.25 million and Milan Mihalek (23-34-57 in 77 games) averages $4 million per season in his long-term deal with the Sharks.
Depending on the decision in this case, which is expected to be announced on Monday, the options are:
Within 48 hours, the Rangers reject the award and lose Zherdev, who can declare himself an unrestricted free agent and become one of the top commodities left on the market. It would be an acknowledgment that last July's deal for Zherdev---who arrived with Dan Fritsche in exchange for defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman---was a loss.
Or, the Rangers accept the one-year deal. That's unlikely unless the dollar figure is reasonable enough for the Rangers to trade Zherdev before October, when teams must meet the salary cap, and receive something, perhaps a draft pick, in return.

I'll be posting headlines and news flashes via Twitter and more detailed dispatches (on Zherdev arbitration, for instance) on the redesigned Blue Notes as we finally bow out of this design and software.

I'm thinking the dust will settle in a few weeks (I've got some vacation time in there), we'll all get used to it, and we'll be rocking again well before training camp.

Here are some IT answers to frequently asked questions:

Q: Can I access Newsday.com on my Blackberry?

A: You can. But first, you need to download the BOLT browser for your mobile device. Go to Google on your Blackberry, then type BOLT in the search box. Click on the link, follow the instructions and you'll be able to install it and view the site as it was intended to be seen.

Q: Why can't I get to the blog from the sports page?

A: All the blogs are listed in a scrolling dropdown menu on the top-left of the sports page, which is being debugged. In the meantime, you can find your blog by mousing over Long Island in our navigation menu and then clicking Blogs (it's at the far right of the list). You can also bookmark the Blue Notes URL.

Q: Readers say they can't comment on my blog. Is that true?

A: Nope. Comments still exist on blogs, they're just a little harder to find. In order to comment on a blog post, the reader must CLICK ON the headline/title of the specific blog post they want to comment on. They can click on the Post comment link on the right-hand side of the page.

Important note: Anyone who has this URL on their bookmarks should update your list.

The link for the new Blue Notes, which has an item on Sean Avery that I posted earlier today, is http://www.newsday.com/rangersblog

Naturally, there are inevitable glitches with the changeover to a new newsday.com, so bear with us, especially me, who's off for a few days.

...don't have details, off today and on the road

Missing something?

Hundreds of folks have joined to get newsflashes and headlines starting with the draft, and we promise, daily tweets through training camp and the season, including all the updates from the road and more details following on Blue Notes, same as it ever was......Get over to www.twitter.com NOW and sign up to follow stevezipay...

Puttering around, lots of agents not returning my calls. Weekend starts early, I guess.
Some info:

Corey Potter's deal: one year, $550,000....

I see that someone on the board mentioned a talk radio report (grain o' salt there, I hardly ever chase those rumors) that said Rangers offered Ryan Callahan, Mike Del Zotto and Ryan McDonagh for Dany Heatley. I kinda doubt that, especially because I believe Murray was quoted as saying that the Rangers didn't even offer "a guy who scored more than 13 goals." Callahan had 22....

Will dispatch more if need be....Otherwise, have a pleasant Friday summer eve....

Dane Byers will receive $500,000 in his one-year pact, I've learned...

Some teams are filling holes. Former Ranger LW Nigel Dawes, a Winnipegger, was waived by the Coyotes and claimed by Calgary hours ago.

Speaking of Dawes, the next Ranger to wear No. 10 will be Marian Gaborik. Among those who wore 10: Earl Ingarfield, Edger Laprade, Sandy McCarthy, Steven Rice, Bill Fairbairn, Guy LaFleur (1988-89) and Ville Nieminen.

(Note that above it clearly says: "Among those". This wasn't meant to be encyclopedic, boys and girls.
I confess that I never really scoured the media guide in my rush to get to the gym to stretch my off-season bones, so I passed up fan faves Esa Tikkanen and Doogs and Lucky Pierre. Listen, there are probably another half dozen guys who wore 10 for a game or two.
(OK, let's check, hmmmm. Pages turning. Foot tapping. Ah, Paul Thompson in the Twenties, Marc Savard, Petr Nedved, Clint Smith---who died recently---Kelly Miller, Jean-Guy Gendron, Max Bentley and Ossie Aubuchon.)
But how'd you like the Lance Nethery reference below, huh? Ya ain't getting that on another blog in the universe tonight.)

Don't believe any Ranger has worn 87. That might be Donald Brashear's choice.

If Christopher Higgins keeps his Montreal 21, he'll be in this company: Sergei Zubov, Pete Stemkowski, Ray Ferraro, Bill Moe, George McPhee and Lance Nethery, to name a few.

Ales Kotalik wore 12 with the Sabres. That's available. I think.
Don Maloney, Andy Hebenton, Bryan Hextall Sr., Eddie Olczyk, Mike Keane, Dixon Ward, Ralph Taylor and Hartford Wolfpack coach Ken Gernander have no more use for it.

And away we go...