Korpedo lands in Rangers West

July 17, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

It’s a couple of days later and I’m getting over the shock of the Rangers trading away Lauri Korpikoski. The latest first round pick not to pan out. Though, he was hardly given a chance. I don’t call one rookie season in which he scored six goals and eight assists for 14 points with 14 penalty minutes in 68 games enough time.

Unfortunately, that’s what you’re dealing with here where Glen Sather randomly tosses darts at a player’s hockey card and decides it’s time to move them. At least that’s the picture one gets in viewing all the changes to the roster this summer. So, Korpikoski became the latest player to exit Broadway stage left winding up where else but in Rangers West with Don Maloney’s Exchange Program for Enver Lisin.

Blueshirt Banter had a rather amusing view on what the convo was like between Sather and Maloney. On a more serious note, much of the talk centered around Korpikoski wanting too much money. As was proven a day later, that was a bunch of hogwash as the soon to be 23 year-old Finn signed a multi-year deal worth 700 K per. Maybe as Puck Central put it, it had more to do with him wanting a second year. Still seems like a silly reason to get rid of him even if Lisin has more talent. Something the Rangers could use to surround Marian Gaborik with.

It’s not a given that the 23 year-old Russian will sign. According to Maloney via 640 Toronto, he indicated that Lisin wanted a guaranteed two year one-way deal. Supposedly, he has an offer from the KHL. So, we’ll have to wait and see. Judging from some of the highlight reel on this kid, he has great wheels and tremendous finishing ability which is why a few compare him to Nikolai Zherdev. Let’s hope it’s not literally.

If you’re the Rangers, you have to get this guy signed. They can’t afford to lose another player in a trade for nothing. We’ve been bitten in the ass too many times under Slats. Couple of cases out in Maloney Land with Petr Prucha still in the Desert while Derek Morris likely won’t return to our crowded blueline which got even crazier with the addition of Nigel Williams in a minor deal with the Avs for Brian Fahey. And how did that Al Montoya trade workout? Freddy Sjostrom was solid but deemed replaceable. What if Montoya proves his hot recall was no fluke? How would that look?

Will Korpikoski find a home in Phoenix? He’ll bump into a few familiar faces in former roomate Prucha, Montoya and Jason LaBarbera. Nigel Dawes was claimed off waivers Thursday by Calgary where he’ll reunite with former WJC Canada coach Brent Sutter. That might be a good fit for another player the Blueshirts hardly showed much patience for. Perhaps he’ll get a better opportunity in Alberta.

Even more frightening is that Garth Murray and Francis Lessard are also in the ‘Yotes organization. Lessard’s an AHL goon while Murray is best remembered for being overhyped here as a hardworking third round pick who they eventually swapped for <gulp> Marcel “Marcy to Sec.411″ Hossa. Since getting fourth line duty up north, he’s bounced around and is on his fourth NHL team with a brief stint in Florida.

Hype is a word Ranger fans have gotten used to. No team hypes their prospects up more. Well, at least not in the NHL even though the Mets and Yankees could give them a run for their money. Was Korpedo overhyped? We know Maloney went ga ga over the club trading up to select him at 19th overall ahead of Travis Zajac, Wojtek Wolski, Andrej Meszaros and Mike Green.

Though his progression has been slow, part of it’s due to the Rangers’ penchant for filling spots with vets rather than giving a kid a chance. Ryan Callahan didn’t become a regular until there were injuries. Brandon Dubinsky and Marc Staal are exceptions to the rule. Using Maloney’s classic quote from that ’04 Draft, they hit a homerun with Henrik Lundqvist. Dan Girardi worked out.

When looking at our roster, one might ask where are the rest of the homegrown kids? Will Mike Sauer make the team or will he become another answer to the trivia question of what we got for Brian Leetch? If you’re hopeful, then it’s with a D that boasts plenty of prospects who should be competing for jobs including former No.1′s Bobby Sanguinetti and Michael Del Zotto. Matt Gilroy, Corey Potter, Ilkka Heikkinen and Ryan McDonagh (if he’s kept) are others worth keeping a close eye on this Fall.

As far as who might be ready up front, former second rounder Artem Anisimov should get a look as the club’s third center behind Chris Drury and hopefully Dubinsky, who remained unsigned. Evgeny Grachev’s the big name everyone’s talking about following an OHL rookie record 80 points (40-40-80). Nobody questions the former 2008 third round pick’s skill. But at age 19, can he really be counted on to make the jump from Juniors to the NHL? Or does he need more seasoning in Hartford? Dane Byers and Brodie Dupont should also get consideration for the fourth line while P.A. Parenteau remains buried for inexplicable reasons.

It would be easy to conclude that if Alexei Cherepanov was still around, the look of our team might be very different. I could care less what the latest investigation found taking team doctors off the hook for his death. They had to know. Just like Dr. Conrad Murray had to with Michael Jackson.

You can only deal in present and the organization has made a ton of moves already but will it result in an improvement in John Tortorella’s first full season? Korpikoski won’t be around. Instead, he’ll try to impress Wayne Gretzky and possibly earn more ice-time on a younger Phoenix club. I view him as a versatile speedy two-way forward who could develop into a solid third liner. He already proved he could kill penalties here. So, he should be a fixture. Hopefully, he’ll earn an increased role and start fulfilling his promise.

In an interview via the Coyotes’ site, he sounded alright about the change of scenery. The Coyotes will still have captain Shane Doan and Peter Mueller ahead of him along with Matt Lombardi, Scottie Upshall, Martin Hanzal, Mikkel Boedker and Kyle Turris. He’ll likely get a shot on the third line. Something I really wanted to see here alongside Anisimov. Instead, Lisin likely takes his place with either Sean Avery or Grachev.

Whether the trade works out depends on both players. Can Lisin uptap his potential or will the hardworking Korpikoski improve offensively enough to make Sather regret it? Regardless, we’re pulling for him.