Battle Of Hudson

It’s never too early to take a look ahead. Especially with a new season around the corner for one of the game’s most competitive divisions. Whether you’re in a fantasy hockey league or just a passionate pucker, there are always bar debates about who the best players are. Today, we’ll be ranking the Atlantic’s elite by position.

GOALIES: Let’s start from the goal out. Goalie is still an important piece to any team. Even if proven otherwise by the Blackhawks and Flyers, will that trend continue? Or does the cream rise to the top? The Atlantic has three of the best netminders. Legendary Devil Martin Brodeur still is the man but Ranger Henrik Lundqvist is closing fast and Penguin backstop Marc-Andre Fleury has the hardware. It’s a shame about career Islander  Rick DiPietro, who seemed on the verge of cracking the top 10. Now, DP remains a huge question mark. Dwayne Roloson will again be counted off the Meadowbrook. It’s hard to predict if unlikely Flyer hero Michael Leighton can repeat his performance in the City Of Brotherly Love. If a loaded Philly team is to finally win its first Cup since 1975, they better hope so.

1.Martin Brodeur, Devils
2.Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers
3.Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins
4.Dwayne Roloson, Islanders
5.Michael Leighton, Flyers

DEFENSEMEN: In today’s game, defense is essential for a winner. Just look no further than the ’06-07 Ducks, ’07-08 Red Wings, ’08-09 Pens and rating champ Chicago. All boasted superb bluelines where key players logged big minutes. Would the Oilers or Flyers have gotten there without wrecking ball Chris Pronger? The NHL’s most loathed defenseman leads a pack that includes newest Pen Paul Martin, freight train Brooks Orpik and potential breakout player Kris Letang. The Devils hope blocking machine Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder add plenty of toughness in front of the net. Is Andy Greene legit? Can James Wisniewski aid Mark Streit on the Island? Marc Staal is probably the most important player to the Rangers. Three days to get that new contract done in time for camp. Unfortunately, there’s not a place for Wade Redden on our list unless you’re an AHL fan.

1.Chris Pronger, Flyers
2.Brooks Orpik, Penguins
3.Kimmo Timonen, Flyers
4.Marc Staal, Rangers
5.Mark Streit, Islanders
6.Anton Volchenkov, Devils
7.Paul Martin, Penguins
8.Kris Letang, Penguins
9.Andy Greene, Devils
10.Henrik Tallinder, Devils
11.Zbynek Michalek, Penguins
12.Dan Girardi, Rangers
13.James Wisniewski, Islanders
14.Braydon Coburn, Flyers
15.Michael Del Zotto, Rangers

CENTERS: Let’s face it. If you’re not good down the middle, you may as well throw in the towel. Guess nobody told Glen Sather. It starts in the Steel City where the Pens boast arguably the game’s best in Sidney Crosby followed by equally all world Evgeni Malkin. On another team, Jordan Staal could be a No.1. Instead, he’s in their shadow. One of the biggest reasons the Flyers stunned the East was due to captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Oh. And converted wing Daniel Briere did damage. The Devils are hoping ’00 Cup hero Jason Arnott can support do everything No.1 Travis Zajac. For the Islanders, it starts and ends with John Tavares, who should explode in Year Two. The Rangers’ best is probably sophomore Artem Anisimov. But is he ready for prime time? If Brandon Dubinsky sees more time on the left side, he better be.

1.Sidney Crosby, Penguins
2.Evgeni Malkin, Penguins
3.Mike Richards, Flyers
4.Jeff Carter, Flyers
5.Travis Zajac, Devils
6.John Tavares, Islanders
7.Jordan Staal, Penguins
8.Jason Arnott, Devils
9.Brandon Dubinsky, Rangers
10.Josh Bailey, Islanders
11.Artem Anisimov, Rangers
12.Frans Nielsen, Islanders
13.Darroll Powe, Flyers
14.Brian Rolston, Devils
15.Chris Drury, Rangers

WINGS: Rather than separate left from right, we’re going to combine. So, who are the division’s elite wings? Ranger fans won’t have much to say but there should be plenty of fun debate with Devil fans over Marian Gaborik and Kool Aid chugger Ilya Kovalchuk. Both are two of the best finishers in the game and breathtaking to watch. Whether it’s Gaborik’s acceleration and quick release or Kovalchuk’s end to end rushes and twisted wristers, there should be plenty to cheer for between the Hudson line. Each could combine for 90 goals. Kovalchuk’s teammate Zach Parise isn’t far behind. Can the Zach Attack combine with his Russian comrade to hit the century mark? If he stays healthy, Briere should be in the mix. Does Patrik Elias reemerge now that he’s reunited with Arnott? The do everything Czech has always been streaky. Perhaps he’ll have a revival. The Devil offense looks scary. How much can LA import Alexander Frolov help Gaborik on Broadway? Will Chris Kunitz finish enough? The Pens aren’t exactly loaded there but when you possess Sid and Geno plus Staal, we guess they don’t have to. Is this the year Kyle Okposo breaks out? Can Matt Moulson prove last year wasn’t a fluke?

1.Ilya Kovalchuk, Devils
2.Marian Gaborik, Rangers
3.Zach Parise, Devils
4.Daniel Briere, Flyers
5.Patrik Elias, Devils
6.Matt Moulson, Islanders
7.Alexander Frolov, Rangers
8. Chris Kunitz, Penguins
9.Vinny Prospal, Rangers
10.Nikolai Zherdev, Flyers
11.Claude Giroux, Flyers
12.Jamie Langenbrunner, Devils
13.David Clarkson, Devils
14.Kyle Okposo, Islanders
15.Mike Comrie, Penguins
16.Ryan Callahan, Rangers
17.James Van Riemsdyk, Flyers
18.Matt Cooke, Penguins
19.Pascal Dupuis, Penguins
20.Nino Niederreiter, Islanders

Last year it was only Alexei Semenov who got a tryout with the Rangers. This year, Semenov will be joined by Ruslan Fedotenko and Garnet Exelby when camp officially opens this Friday, September 17. As of right now, the camp roster consists of 48 players due to Ranger prospects competing in the Traverse City Tournament.  Figure Chris Kreider and Ryan Bourque will join them at some point in Greenburgh next week. Correction: Kreider reports directly to Boston College following the tourney. Kudos to Jess Rubenstein of The Prospect Park.

As for the three-ring circus of inviting Semenov, Fedotenko and Exelby to compete for spots when the mantra has been about a “youth movement,” it’s so typical. This organization repeatedly does the same thing after preaching youth while superhyping our prospects. It’s long been a complaint up in Section 411 as well as with other wise Ranger bloggers such as Scotty Hockey and the aforementioned Rubenstein. Whenever they talk about giving the kids a chance, it can never be taken at face value.

Do we really need to add another inconsistent finisher in Fedotenko to the roster? Sure. He’s Cup proven as shown in the pic above where he delivered for John Tortorella’s ’03-04 Lightning and again with the ’08-09 Penguins. Despite those credentials, he’s only scored over 20 once carrying over his ’04 heroics with a career best 26 goals and 44 points in St. Pete. Since, here are the 31 year-old vet’s goal totals:

TEAM                 GP           GOALS
Lightning              80            12
Islanders              67            16
Penguins              65            16
Penguins              80            11

Hardly anything to write home about for the right wing from the Ukraine. Over 677 games, Fedotenko has registered 150 goals and 158 assists for 308 points while racking up 419 penalty minutes in nine seasons. Having already played for four teams (Phi, TB, NYI, Pit), the Rangers would be his fifth stop if he makes the club. Personally, I don’t have anything against the guy but remain skeptical because the production hasn’t been there. Wouldn’t they be better served seeing if a kid like Evgeny Grachev learned from last year’s experience with Hartford? That seems unlikely.

What about others in the system who have shown enough in the ‘A’ to warrant a look. Is Dale Weise ready? Will Dane Byers ever see the light of day? Unfortunately, we already know the answer. Where does proven pro Mats Zuccarello fit in? How close is Derek Stepan to being ready? All valid questions as another camp approaches.

As for Semenov, what’s going to be different from last Fall when it seemed he made the club as an extra before his wife overruled, sending their family back home? It doesn’t hurt to bring him in along with the rugged Exelby, whose in your face style can always be used on a club that’s been notoriously soft. That’s what Glen Sather brought Derek Boogaard in for. So teams don’t take liberties with Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist. You have to wonder what Exelby has left if he couldn’t impress Brian Burke.

Making the issue tougher is that how is this beneficial for Mike Sauer, who has gotten the Corey Potter treatment? So much for that disrespectful trade of Brian Leetch. To think that they could’ve had Paul Stastny with that pick, who instead fell into Colorado’s lap at No.44. What would you expect from a club who loved Zach Parise so much that they went for Hugh Jessiman. There also was the trading up to take Lauri Korpikoski over Travis Zajac. Though to be fair, Korpedo only got one year before they mysteriously dumped him to Don Maloney and the Desert for Enver Lisin. Simply amazing.

While we fret over why these retreads are here along with Wade Redden, can anyone explain in good conscience why top blueliner Marc Staal hasn’t been re-signed yet? Excuse me while I go bang my head against the wall.

Summer’s ending. You can feel it in the air as evidenced by the windy conditions at yesterday’s U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows. Cooler temps are finally here and leaves are changing. Even Ilya Kovalchuk is finally signed. So, what’s taking Glen Sather so long to re-sign his most important piece on a thin blueline? It’s time for Mr. Cuban to get Marc Staal signed.

Staal is far too vital for the Rangers to consider screwing around. We get Slats’ hardball tactics. He always treats his own with kid gloves while overpaying for free agents. Even if Alexander Frolov might not be overpaid, assuming the enigmatic yet gifted former King pans out under the bright lights. While it’s nice to be optimistic about a new season which is a month away, not even the biggest Dolan Kool Aid drinker would think this team is going anywhere without it’s top defender.

In three seasons, the future alternate captain has improved. Already a strong defender who’s reliable, Staal made strides under John Tortorella offensively- posting career highs across the board in goals (8), assists (19), points (27) and plus/minus (11) where he fared well despite Ranger deficiencies. Quite frankly, the 23 year-old younger brother of Eric Staal deserves a nice raise. It doesn’t have to be astronomical. Considering that Sather gave a ton of respect to shutdown partner Dan Girardi ($3.325 M), why shouldn’t the mature kid from Thunder Bay be due something in that ballpark? To reiterate, the former ’05 No.1 pick is the team’s most valuable.

It’s time for the games to end. They must get him locked up. If they don’t, there won’t be a season.

Who’s ready for hockey? With training camps on the verge of opening, it’s finally time to get excited for a new season. No question Ryan Callahan’s ready. The popular Rangers’ right wing appeared on NBC’s Mike’d Up the other night with Bruce Beck to discuss the upcoming Fall as well as last year’s bitter disappointment.

On how the Flyers ended the Ranger season in a shootout and then made a run all the way to the Cup Finals, Callahan noted how wide open last year’s East was. Absolutely but still, Philly was not your normal low seed. Relatively speaking, they were loaded up front and on the back end compared to our team. Unless Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik got hot, it’s difficult to figure that roster going that deep. Of course, we’ll never know.

Ranger Tribune’s Nick Montemagmo had more on Cally’s interview, which was better than expected. Speaking of King Henrik, the future captain heaped plenty of praise on the franchise’s most valuable player:

“I am amazed at how good he is sometimes. Sometimes it’s frustrating in practice. You can’t score on him so you want to go shoot on the other goalie.”

Not surprising. You wonder if that kind of goaltending even in practice can put players into slumps. The 25 year-old Rochester native followed up a career best 22 goals and 40 points with 19 markers and 37 points over 77 contests. The spark plug who plays an in your face style, ranked third in hits (285) trailing only Olympic teammate Dustin Brown (287) and St. Paul wrecking ball Cal Clutterbuck (318). When asked about his style by Beck, Callahan indicated that that’s how he has to play to be effective. He enjoys dishing it out and definitely looked jacked.

He’s also excited to add former King Alexander Frolov, who can aid a lowscoring club, taking pressure off Gaborik. It will still take a collective effort, which means guys like Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky must be more consistent. Cally’s final message to the Garden Faithful was positive:

“You’re going to be in for an exciting year. We’re going to start the year off with a bang and not only make the playoffs, but make a run at it.“

Let’s hope he’s a prophet.

In a move which was of little surprise, the Rangers added some grit up front in signing ex-Sabre Tim Kennedy Monday. Funny how sometimes, something in your gut comes true, meaning that after he was surprisingly bought out by Darcy Regier, I actually had a hunch Glen Sather would scoop up the Buffalo native who became a fan favorite in his one season spent back home.

After being drafted by the Capitals in the ’05 sixth round, the former Michigan State product spent a season with AHL affiliate Portland before departing for his hometown in a trade. Under Lindy Ruff, Kennedy became a fixture on the Sabres’ third line, providing energy while playing responsibly and chipping in offensively. In his first full season, he posted 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points while racking up 50 penalty minutes over 78 games, finishing minus-three with a power play goal and three game-winners. Previously, the 24 year-old who can play both center and wing got into one NHL game, debuting for the Sabres in ’08-09.

Kennedy acquitted himself well in the playoffs tallying a goal and two helpers while going plus-three in Buffalo’s six-game first round defeat to Boston. He’ll likely battle Sean Avery, Brandon Prust, Brian Boyle and Derek Boogard in camp. The newest Ranger should be popular as he brings a tireless work ethic to the rink.

Initially, I was not floored by the move because while I like the addition, it doesn’t really improve our roster a ton. Especially offensively where outside of Big Ticket Marian Gaborik and key July addition Alexander Frolov, there aren’t any proven finishers. In order for the 2010-11 Rangers to have success, they’ll need a team effort. Continued improvement from Brandon Dubinsky along with more consistency from spark plug Ryan Callahan are keys as is the continued development of Artem Anisimov, who must carry a strong finish into this Fall. The second-year Russian will need a bigger role. Is he up to the challenge?

The Blueshirts need better years from Avery and captain Chris Drury. Both are capable of bouncing back. A lot also depends on Erik Christensen and Todd White, who was brought in because he’s worked with Gabby before in St. Paul. The club lacks skill at center. Hoping Derek Stepan will be ready is just that. The Badger has to adjust to the pro game. Unless he overly impresses in camp, Hartford’s where he’ll start.

In an era error where we continue to be haunted by Wade Redden (until off roster, I’m not popping the bottle), now more than ever, Blueshirt Faithful’s patience will be challenged. Along with the uncertainty of top blueliner Marc Staal and whether Matt Gilroy improves and Ryan McDonagh proves ready, this team is flawed. No wonder recent new Gray Line Tour Bus face Henrik Lundqvist voiced his concern, stating that he didn’t expect this outfit to be a top contender.

When the face of the franchise basically calls out the organization, it speaks volumes. If that doesn’t send a message, what else will? When Henrik speaks, people listen. An elite goalie who has carried this team on its back since the lockout deserves better. The Rangers were picked by THN to finish 13th in the East. I’m not overly optimistic either, seeing them anywhere from 8-12. Realistically, they should compete with Tampa Bay for the final spot. However, other clubs have improved including Atlanta and the Islanders. Montreal may take a step back unless Carey Price ($2.75 million) can make Habs fans forget Jaroslav Halak. Even the Leafs should be marginally better if top ’09 pick Nazem Kadri is ready for primetime.

It won’t be easy. But since when is it ever with an owner who sells mediocrity to diehards starved for a contender that can seriously challenge? Sure. Ticket prices for subscribers remain the same. But is making the playoffs really the goal in such a huge market?

Only time shall tell if this year’s roster can surprise many including this blogger. The puck’s in their zone.

Well the supposed decision yesterday turned out to be the five hundredth delay in this madness known as the Summer of Kovalchuk, as the NHL and NHLPA agreed to extend the deadline for a verdict on the second Ilya Kovalchuk contract till at least tomorrow at 5 PM. Why this occured wasn’t immediately clear, until Larry Brooks’ exclusive in the Post late last night about how the NHL had presented an ultimatium to the NHLPA which supposedly is as follows:

-If the NHLPA agrees to not count years of 40 and above on long-term contracts towards the cap and also acedes to allowing the cap hit on all contracts five years and above to be weighted towards the five highest paid years of the deal, the NHL will allow the Kovalchuk contract to be grandfathered in before the new rules take effect and end investigations of all the other so-called ‘contreversial’ deals that are cap circumvention according to suits Gary Bettman and Bill Daly (above).
-If the NHLPA will not agree to those terms, the NHL will immediately reject the Kovalchuk contract, void the contract of Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo (which goes into effect this season and takes the goaltender to 43 years of age) and open a ‘formal’ investigation into the Marian Hossa contract.

So basically the NHL is holding the Kovalchuk contract hostage and now holding a guillotine over one or two other big-name players and their team’s heads until they get what they want from a weakened and clueless NHLPA – a change to the current CBA that it took the sides over a year and a lost season to agree to – before the CBA’s term expires. Is it smart of Bettman and Daly to take advantage of the capital they gained from Richard Bloch‘s initial decision in favor of the league almost a month ago? Sure it is, but it doesn’t make it right or even legal.

If the NHLPA had even half the power of the MLBPA this might already been in court for any number of reasons but instead the NHL’s power trip of interpreting the CBA the way they want is going pretty much unchecked. To be fair, the terms aren’t exactly unreasonable…eliminating years above 40 from the cap hit pretty much ends the possibility of a 20-year deal to Drew Doughty or whatever other deal the next GM can dream up to take advantage of a loophole that is now holding up the entire NHL.

How is the NHLPA supposed to fight this really? Bloch’s decision on Kovy contract v1.0 gave the league the upper hand in all contract disputes and even if the NHLPA calls the league’s bluff and dares them to void a Luongo deal a year after it got signed and reject a Kovalchuk contract the Devils came up with after checking and double-checking with the league, the league has proven they are adamant about tying up every questionable contract in arbitration and threatening to put other teams through what the Devils and their fans have gone through these last two months.

Plus as of this point the NHLPA still doesn’t have a leader. Sure, former MLBPA head Donald Fehr has been advising the NHLPA over the last few months, but if his list of demands for taking the job full-time is any indication, it sounds like he’s only going to come on his terms. Can you really blame him though? With the unstability of the NHLPA leadership after multiple coups and general ineffectiveness after being beaten up by Bettman over and over, it’s not exactly a rebuilding job a man in his early 60’s really wants to tackle. Not with a CBA war looming in two years that will probably lead to yet another work stoppage.

Still, this NHL power play – while smart from a ruthless business point of view – is doing a tremendous disservice to NHL fans, players and even executives everywhere. For the players, it’s a sham that they’re basically forced at the point of a bayonet to accept a change to the CBA that wasn’t collectively bargained for (even if the change is mostly for the better). Of course Devils’ GM Lou Lamoriello can’t be happy that he’s being made to wait even longer to have a resolution of this mess, not with multiple moves that need to be made to get the Devils under the cap if the Kovy deal gets registered. Not to mention the Devil players who have been rumored to be on the move all summer long and still don’t know their fate.

And how do you think Mike Gillis in Vancouver’s feeling right about now? He’s facing the prospect of having his Olympic-winning goaltender get his contract voided because of events that had absolutely nothing to do with him. Chicago’s had enough problems this summer with having to deal with cap issues already on the books, adding a ‘real’ Hossa investigation would only put a further cloud on the defending Stanley Cup champs – who today found out that former goaltender Antti Niemi took a one year, $2 million deal from the Sharks weeks after the Hawks were forced to part with their Cup-winning goalie over the difference of $1 million.

Of course agents are up in arms too, Marc Savard‘s agent is threatening to sue the league if they make a move towards his client’s contract. Fellow agent Allan Walsh mused a while back that the NHL was now writing the Kovalchuk contract and of course Kovy agent Jay Grossman has about a cool $3 million on the line with the outcome of this sham, since if Kovy’s contract does get voided the KHL becomes a more likely option. For his part, the vice president of the KHL got in a good dig when he said if Kovy came over, he could sign any contract and SKA will pay the luxury tax because ‘we’re democratic and free’. Who am I to argue at this point, since the NHL system is getting more Communist by the day?

As usual though, the biggest losers are us – the fans. We’re the ones that have been obsessively checking the internet, radio, TV, whatever for news over the last two months and we’re the ones that have been jerked around the most with all of this red tape, endless rumors, delays and now being used as pawns in a high-powered game of chess between billionaires and millionaires. We’re the ones that pay for tickets, buy jerseys and make up the TV ratings and we’ve been ignored and crapped on all summer long while the league selectively punishes some teams, rejects legal contracts and tries to illegally impose new restrictions on a good-faith CBA. And we’re the ones that are going to suffer the most if (when?) the league locks out or strikes yet again after next season.

Like my fellow blogger would say though, it’s never about the fans, is it? We’re always the last ones to get any respect from any of these clowns, if ever. And yet we keep coming back because we love our team, the sport or both. So the endless cycle continues, as does the waiting for the resolution of this insanity.

Could today finally be d-day for the resolution of the Ilya Kovalchuk fiasco? God, I hope so. If ever I needed an offseason from the Devils it was after last year and the shameful hockey I saw from early January on. Instead, we somehow wound up being involved in what’s probably been the most complex, convoluted free agent signing in the history of professional sports. So convoluted that the Devils have agreed to two deals with Kovalchuk in the span of two months, and we still don’t know if the second one is going to pass the league’s sniff test – but the deadline for a decision is 5 PM today.

So to put it succinctly, I need an offseason from my offseason.

In the end, it seems like only three outcomes are possible today. The least likely is that the NHL formally approves the Devils’ reported 15-year, $100 million deal with a structure rumored by Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos to pay Kovalchuk $90 million in the first ten years of the deal then follow three years of a $1 million salary with $7 million in the back two, to avoid the ‘retirement contract’ complaint from arbitrator Richard Bloch in the first deal. I say outright approval is the least likely only because the NHL never really gave approval to the Marian Hossa contract and a couple of other contreversial deals but let them register and slapped an investigation tag on them.

Which leads me to the far more likely scenario – especially since we’re now in the final hours of the NHL’s deadline – no formal approval or rejection at all, though a non-rejection will equal a tacit approval. Under this conclusion the Devils will be able to operate with Kovalchuk under contract and have one of the NHL’s ambiguous ‘under investigation’ tags slapped onto it…which in English means if the league stumbles onto a smoking gun that proves collusive behavior in the structure of the deal then we can take action at that point, otherwise we’re powerless to do anything but will not give a seal of approval to this contract in any case.

Then there’s the nightmare scenario for Devils fans – outright rejection in the last hours. That’s not only lifting your leg up and taking a **** on the Devils and their fans but we would truly be venturing into the unknown once again. Would Kovy follow through on his threat to go to Russia for a year or possibly more if this deal gets turned aside? Could Lou and Vanderbeek sue the NHL or commissioner Gary Bettman? Might there be another arbitration hearing, with Bloch or someone else? What kind of penalties – if any – would the league seek to impose on us in the event of a second rejected deal (as if a summer of turmoil and likely losing Kovalchuk to Russia wasn’t punishment enough)?

Of course if the latter happens the league will prove it’s got a petty double-standard and is on an extreme power trip. If they reject a deal now, after already putting the Devils in check once and having the Devils use Bloch’s decision and another meeting with league officials just over a week ago to discuss concepts as a specific guide, then that proves the league keeps moving the goalposts on us. Especially considering the terms of the deal are now far more in line with the other contreversial contracts that are – ahem – under investigation but registered.

After all there’s already a 15-year deal on the books (hi, Rick DiPietro!). There are long-term deals that take players to and past 42 – Hossa and Roberto Luongo. Kovalchuk’s deal has more money in the final five years of the contract than any of the other investigated deals. Probably the only thing you could complain about that’s unlike any other deal is the alleged difference between the highest salary and the lowest salary. According to Kypreos’s structure the high year is $11.8 million and the lowest years are $1 million, which is a pretty significant range. Still I don’t think that should be enough to scuttle the deal.

As always however, you never know just how low the league will be willing to go. So we wait with bated breath for 5 PM.

UPDATE: Well apparently we didn’t have to wait till 5 PM to know we were going to get jerked around yet again, as the league and NHLPA have agreed to extend the deadline until Friday 5 PM. Just before a holiday weekend. What a sham this league is.

Something really could be said for how the Rangers are treating bloggers. I know BlueshirtBanter and they’re quite respectable and do a solid job covering the team from a fan perspective. So, why am I not shocked at the lack of respect given to them following their simple coverage of the Fire Slats protest?

This organization has sunk to new levels, doing whatever it can to infuriate a loyal fanbase that continues to support mediocrity. Cause there’s no other way to sum it up. That’s what we are getting. A team that can’t seriously challenge for a Cup and even was called out by franchise netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who doesn’t expect them to be at the top. What does that say about this ongoing circus? Since when is just making the playoffs acceptable?!?!?!?!?!

Sadly, this is what you get under the leadership of Dolan, who is Hell bent on bringing back Garden failure Isiah Thomas to run the Knicks- disrespecting Hall Of Fame current GM Donnie Walsh. How low can they go? Also hear service fees for individual tickets will run nearly 50 bucks to sit in the cheapseats. Anything to insult the intelligence of puckers. But hey. This from the same building that won’t ever acknowledge that there’s an All-Star game in our league. But you’ll find plenty of NBA ballots this winter.

Sure. Tickets didn’t decrease for season subscribers. But hell-o McFly! They missed the playoffs last year. By that logic, shouldn’t they throw fans a bone like they did pre-lockout? Oh wait. What was all that fuss again about “cost certainty” and being more fan friendly. Ha. Not if you’re a Ranger fan or a devoted blogger who has more passion than any of the nimrods that run The Garden. Of course, beer will go up again to like nine bucks. Simply amazing.

I could go on but what’s the point? Our top defenseman remains unsigned with camp a little over a week away. But they managed to add ex-Sabre energizer Tim Kennedy for the fourth line. I like what Kennedy brings but what’s more pressing? Forward depth or a position that isn’t exactly a strength? Shhhh. Better not tell lackeys Rautwig, Giannone or Micheletti who’ll be dishing the same MSG propaganda about this club. One which THN picked to finish 13th in the East. And while I do think they’ll compete with Tampa Bay, Montreal and Atlanta for the final spot, they could easily finish 12th.

That doesn’t seem to matter. As long as they got seats filled (even if not, bought-same difference), it’ll continue to be the SOS. I wish I could say I am excited for 2010-11. But I’m really not. Not unless the Wisconsin kids (Stepan/McDonagh) become regulars at some point and Mats Zuccarello-Aasen isn’t royally screwed. Oh. And there better not be a Tinman sighting. 😛

As I close, all I can think about is how there should be a new MSG sponsor. Barnum & Bailey. Why not? They already have the circus in town. Bring on the elephants and plenty of peanuts and cotton candy. I’m ready. Are you?