Hello Everyone,
I am going to be taking a little bit of a break from my blog over the next few months. I will be spending my fall semester in Los Angeles and will be very involved with an internship and classes. However, when some important news breaks, I will do my best to update here and give you my take on it.
Until then, please follow my new blog that I created specifically for my LA Journey. Here's the link.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rangers Walk Away from Nik Zherdev
The Rangers today have decided to part ways with forward Nikolai Zherdev after an arbitration hearing on Friday resulted in a figure the Rangers didn't want to pay. The Rangers presented an offer of about $3 million while Zherdev wanted about $4.5 million. The arbitrator went about right in the middle at $3.9 million and the Rangers decided it was best to walk away and let the Russian become an unrestricted free agent.
So what happens now? Zherdev can sign negotiate and sign with any other NHL team or with a team in the KHL in Russia. The Rangers have freed up some cap room, which they will likely use to sign Brandon Dubinsky to a deal and possibly add another winger. Some names involved could be Alex Tanguay, Mike Grier, or Petr Sykora.
This was an expected move, and in my mind, the right move for the Rangers. Zherdev is a talented player who can score and stick handle tremendously. However, he has shown a lack of energy and desire on a nightly basis. Some nights, he'll play well and give it his all. Other nights, he wishes he was elsewhere. This team cannot afford to pay big bucks for a player like that.
Dubinsky is a bigger piece to the Rangers' future and has plenty of talent as well. Lock him up and get a veteran that can provide some experience and scoring to give the roster some depth. However, the Rangers are all about bringing up their talented youth and letting them help the team. Zherdev appears like a guy who would rather play in Russia rather than in the NHL. Either way, you can't fault the Rangers for walking away at this point. It's sad that a guy with so much talent simply doesn't bring it every game.
So what happens now? Zherdev can sign negotiate and sign with any other NHL team or with a team in the KHL in Russia. The Rangers have freed up some cap room, which they will likely use to sign Brandon Dubinsky to a deal and possibly add another winger. Some names involved could be Alex Tanguay, Mike Grier, or Petr Sykora.
This was an expected move, and in my mind, the right move for the Rangers. Zherdev is a talented player who can score and stick handle tremendously. However, he has shown a lack of energy and desire on a nightly basis. Some nights, he'll play well and give it his all. Other nights, he wishes he was elsewhere. This team cannot afford to pay big bucks for a player like that.
Dubinsky is a bigger piece to the Rangers' future and has plenty of talent as well. Lock him up and get a veteran that can provide some experience and scoring to give the roster some depth. However, the Rangers are all about bringing up their talented youth and letting them help the team. Zherdev appears like a guy who would rather play in Russia rather than in the NHL. Either way, you can't fault the Rangers for walking away at this point. It's sad that a guy with so much talent simply doesn't bring it every game.
Lighthouse Project Hopefully Takes Another Step Forward
This morning, there was a rally outside Nassau Coliseum to support the Lighthouse Project. As I write this, a hearing is being held at Hofstra University to discuss the environmental impact of the project. Several people are in attendance from Islanders owner Charles Wang to current and former players (Mike Bossy, Josh Bailey) and County Executive Tom Suozzi. So, the big question is, is this good news for the project?
For those who are unaware, Charles Wang wants to completely renovate the Nassau Coliseum and the surrounding area. His development group has come up with a plan to revitalize the area, completely sprucing up the arena and making a residential and business community around it. There will also be a sports technology center, retail shopping, and other features.
However, the project has been held up for years now and Charles Wang has imposed a deadline of October 3rd to be told whether or not the project can happen and if construction can begin. Nothing has happened as of yet in terms of groundbreaking, and it likely won't happen for a while. However, getting the environmental kinks worked out is a big step in the process. Many people are believed to support the project and they will likely be in attendance at this meeting.
Anything that helps the project toward an eventual decision is a success at this point. The Islanders need this to get done if they want to have any chance at building a successful franchise and attracting talented players. However, there are definitely many environmental concerns. Traffic around that area of Long Island is already heavy, and this project would likely create more congestion. The size of the project is also a concern as is the sustainability factor.
There is no question that the majority of people support this project. The Islanders do have a dedicated fan base and want their team to remain on Long Island. With all the new arenas that have been constructed or are being built in the area now, the Islanders have to feel neglected. It will be interesting to see if this gets done and what comes out of today's meeting. For updates on what is going on, check out Newsday's live-blog with Katie Strang from the meeting today.
For those who are unaware, Charles Wang wants to completely renovate the Nassau Coliseum and the surrounding area. His development group has come up with a plan to revitalize the area, completely sprucing up the arena and making a residential and business community around it. There will also be a sports technology center, retail shopping, and other features.
However, the project has been held up for years now and Charles Wang has imposed a deadline of October 3rd to be told whether or not the project can happen and if construction can begin. Nothing has happened as of yet in terms of groundbreaking, and it likely won't happen for a while. However, getting the environmental kinks worked out is a big step in the process. Many people are believed to support the project and they will likely be in attendance at this meeting.
Anything that helps the project toward an eventual decision is a success at this point. The Islanders need this to get done if they want to have any chance at building a successful franchise and attracting talented players. However, there are definitely many environmental concerns. Traffic around that area of Long Island is already heavy, and this project would likely create more congestion. The size of the project is also a concern as is the sustainability factor.
There is no question that the majority of people support this project. The Islanders do have a dedicated fan base and want their team to remain on Long Island. With all the new arenas that have been constructed or are being built in the area now, the Islanders have to feel neglected. It will be interesting to see if this gets done and what comes out of today's meeting. For updates on what is going on, check out Newsday's live-blog with Katie Strang from the meeting today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
