If they were, fans might see a line up full of over-the-hill, aging stars still trying to relive their glory days. Players still trying to hang on and collecting a rather generous paycheck. Such was the case for what seemed an eternity for the Rangers. Take a look at the 02-03’ team for example, a lineup that included Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, Mark Messier, Vladimir Malakhov, Darius Kasparaitis and would end up acquiring Alexei Kovalev for a 2nd stint. A virtual all-star game line up, which still had Ranger greats Mike Richter and Brain Leetch on it. It was a team that went nowhere for 7 straight seasons. However, as the adage goes, you can’t live in the past.
After watching Souray play, the Rangers decided to pass. Maybe they feel his $5.4 million dollar cap hit (if acquired on re-entry waivers, Rangers would be on the hook for $2.7) wasn’t worth it for the next season and a half for the 34-year-old. Maybe Ranger brass feels Souray has Wade Redden syndrome and didn’t want to make the same mistake twice. Whatever the case, passing on Souray is the best move for the Rangers at this point.
If this were the Rangers of old, Souray would have been here in half a heartbeat. And maybe he would help the Rangers power play and help turn things around. But, that’s a short-term, shortsighted viewpoint. In the new cap world of the NHL, Souray’s cap hit would be too detrimental considering the Rangers are too close to the cap and have numerous contracts expiring at season’s end. The Rangers aren’t willing to sacrifice potential long-term growth for short-term success. Thankfully to Rangers’ fans, Souray doesn’t fit in to their plans.
Having a defender quarterback a team’s power play is essential to making your offensive a threat. The Rangers believe they have that type of player in 20-year-old Michael Del Zotto. He isn’t there yet and his struggles with confidence and overall play this season show that. Not investing more time in acquiring Souray is an indicator that the Rangers believe Del Zotto is the future of their blueline.
The trade deadline is on February 28th. The Rangers boast one of the youngest defensive corps in the NHL. Since they lack a veteran with experience on the back end, a defenseman could still be added for the playoff run. However, it won’t come at the expense of the youth of the Rangers. If it does, New York will simply just have to pass on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment