2012 NHL Lockout Would Be Pure Insanity!!

With the Ilya Kovalchuk hearing and situation nearing an end, talk about what this whole mess could lead to is heating up.  A word that most NHL fans are used to and would not like to hear ever again is Lockout.  With that said, the likelyhood of another lockout is still there.  Would the NHL be that stupid? Could they possibly lock us out of another NHL season after all the success they are seeing? To be honest I would not be surprised if the NHL did but I can't see Gary Bettman shutting down another season after all of the Ratings, Attemdance and Merchandise gains the NHL has expirienced over the last five seasons.

We as hockey and NHL fans were all devestated to a certain degree when the NHL was locked out in 2004-2005 but looking back on it now, most of us can agree that it has worked out great for the overall quality of the game.  All the new rule changes and the salary cap have been great for the NHL.  I really can' think of one rule change that has hurt the game (I can think of some unnecessary ones). The salary cap has helped inject some youthfulness into the game as most teams need to have a certain amount of Entry Level Contract's to fit under the cap.

Join me after this for some of my reasons as to why the NHL will not lockout in 2012......

Free Agent Watch: Paul Mara!!

Paul Mara was a very reliable defensemen with the Rangers over the years.  He signed a one year deal with the Canadians which did not really work out very well as about halfway through the season he injured his shoulder and opted to have season ending surgery.  He would come at a relatively cheap price and would be a worth a shot to get the sixth D-Man spot.

Reasons I would go after Mara:

1.  He will have a cheap price tag probably around $1M-$1.5M and at that price I would have no problem bringing him back.

2.  The only problem I ever had with Mara's play is that he at times could take some dumb penalties but he always had great hustle to his game and always played with heart.

3.  While with the Rangers Mara always stuck up for his teammates which is something this current team may lack a bit of.

4.  He is still young at 30 years old and has shown some offensive ability in his 11 NHL seasons.

5.  He could be a leader on our team and definitely could wear the "A" with honor and help lead the new young core we have coming up.

Listen I am not asking this guy to come in and be a shut down D type guy but he is a reliable 5th or 6th D-Man who could be a leader on this team.  At around $1M I could not say no to this guy and if he does not play well then he could be benched for some of the kids we have coming up while still mentoring them to a degree.

Mixed Reaction Among Rangers Fans!!

Reaction about the Rangers direction as a franchise and the current offseason has been mixed amongst the fan base. A lot of fans seem to think negatively about everything the Rangers do but it seems as though for at least one offseason Glen has figured out what he needs to do to make the Rangers a better team. Granted it took him ten tries at it but that's for another discussion. While there is still plenty of time for Glen to mess up what he has done so far, it seems like the Rangers organization and team is heading in the right direction.

We got started early by signing Mats Zucarello Aasen to a two year contract, paying him $1.75M a year. This is a great signing as we scooped him up quick and this kid could be a dynamic player in the NHL someday. He has some speed and a goal scoring touch and played in the Swedish Elite League with some NHL veterans and they all held high praises for this kid. MZA put up some good numbers over there which should translate well to the NHL. MZA could make the opening night roster but playing a year or half a year in the AHL would not be bad for him as he will be able to get use to the NHL rink and how the game is played with out as much pressure.

Next was the re-signing of Erik Christensen who was a pleasant surprise last year after we claimed him off of waivers from the Ducks. He scored eight goals and added 18 assists in only 49 games. A big factor in the resigning was the fact that he had some pretty good chemistry with Gaborik which at times last year was hard to find. At only 925k for the next two seasons, this is a great deal for a player who has always had the potential to be a big time player in the NHL. One year in juniors he scored 54 goals and added 54 assists in only 69 games. He has also shown the ability to play at the NHL as when he was acquired by the Ducks in 08-09 he had nine points in only 17 games but they failed to find a spot for him the next season and he was placed on waivers. I can't really find any reason to be mad or upset about this trade as there really is not much the Rangers can lose in this signing.

Join me after this to read my take on the rest of our moves and my final analysis of Sather's offseason.

Sean Avery Believes He Will Return Next Season! Do You??

Sean Avery was on Knicks Night Live(save the jokes for later) with his new/old teammate Alexander Frolov and during the interview with Al Trautwig he said he would be back. He told Al the Old Sean Avery will be back but what exactly does this mean?

Will Sean have no regard for what his coaches tell him and go out and do what he feels is best? Has Torts told him that he will be allowed to play a little more on the edge?

I think I speak for most Rangers fans in stating that I would love to see the Old Sean come back and we all know he has it in him. Frankly it makes watching the Rangers even more exciting then they already are. So what if he might get suspended or take more penalties. The addition that Sean brings when playing like himself will out weigh that.

Here are some videos showcasing the "Old" Sean Avery:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfDddglx05g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba__J8FupQI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpJ-nxPkchE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q97PxJ8t_PQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMp5czghwcY&feature=related

NHL on Twitter!!

As we all know social networking has exploded over the last 3 or 4 years and continues to grow with sites like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. All of these sites help in the NHL growing but especially Twitter.

Join me after this to read more.....

Rangers Training Camp Should Be Exciting!!

As we all know the Rangers have a lot of young kids who Blueshirt fans are looking forward to seeing on the ice at The Garden. They will all have for the most part have chance at winning a spot on the opening night roster. We also have a mix of veterans and young players who are already on the roster so it will not be easy for these rookies to make it. They will have to work hard, show all their skills and talents, and show Coach Tortorella and his staff that they really want a spot on the Rangers. All signs point to that creating a great training camp and pre-season as we will see all of our youngsters fighting it out to make the team and maybe even some veterans fighting it out to keep their spot. So I compiled a list of some Rangers rookies who will be fighting it out for a spot on the team and some players who will need to show they deserve to stay: