Tort: Brashear no issue for club

July 19, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

In today’s latest with NY Post’s Larry Brooks, Ranger coach John Tortorella makes it clear that whatever issues anyone has with Donald Brashear for his cheapshot on Blair Betts shouldn’t be a problem moving forward.

He goes on to say:

“Things happen in hockey. We have to block out what happened to Blair Betts. The organization has to block it out. If any of our guys have an issue with Donald, then settle it like men, because they are going to be teammates and they are going to have to respect each other.“

While this statement is accurate when it comes to the game along with team mantra, it does nothing for Ranger fans. I could care less about Brashear and refuse to support him. He’ll continue to be the same goon who throws dirty hits at opponents and high elbows. A specialty. Let’s see if he’ll have the respect of teammates when he gets nailed for a major costing the team along with a suspension.

In further explaining the mindless signing following the more sensible Marian Gaborik addition, he adds:

“He’s going to bring a certain demeanor to our team that we need a lot more of. We were too non-descript last year. I don’t want a team that’s non-descript. I want a team that has personality.

“Again, though, if there are players who have a problem with Donald because of Bettsy or anything else that’s happened in the past, I expect the issue to be dealt with and settled. I don’t care how, I don’t care where, but get it done so that when we come out of the locker room, we do it as a team.“

I’ll agree with the part about having a personality. The Rangers were too easy to play against last year. Part of it was Tom Renney’s conservative system which prevented the club from a hard forecheck. However, they didn’t have the right mix when Tortorella took over to employ his much more aggressive Safe Is Death philosophy. Though I will say at least we saw a pulse from Wade Redden afterwards.

Will the addition of Huggy Bear make the team tougher to play? It can’t hurt. But I don’t necessarily agree with the coach that he has speed and can make defensive plays. Bottom line: He’s 37 with a lot of wear and tear. How much ice-time will he really be receiving? Assuming the club re-signs Brandon Dubinsky and gets newly acquired Enver Lisin under contract, our top three lines are set and could look something like this:

Higgins-Dubinsky-Gaborik

Callahan-Drury-Kotalik

Avery-Anisimov-Lisin

The fourth line would likely have Brashear along with Brian Boyle and either Dane Byers or Brodie Dupont. That also assumes the club sends down Aaron Voros (1 M) to save on the cap. Tort liked what he saw from Voros in the couple of games he got into. So, he’ll have to make a similar impression to have any sorta shot.

One question which won’t get answered until the Fall is how close Evgeny Grachev is to being ready. He dominated his first junior season at Brampton after coming over from Russia but is only 19. Can he impress enough to make the team and play alongside Anisimov? If not, there’s no harm in sending him to Hartford for some pro experience. As much as I’d love to see the kid here, there’s no reason to rush. My guess is he’ll have to light it up in the preseason to make the roster. For more on Grachev, here’s an interview with HF below:

HF interviews Grachev

One player who likely won’t be wearing a Ranger jersey is Nikolai Zherdev, whose arbitration case is around the corner. In an interview with Beyond The Blueshirts yesterday, it’s clear how poorly advised he’s been. Here are a few head scratching gems:

- Now, at the threshold of the [arbitration] hearing, is your mind uneasy?

- Not especially.  My agent Alexander Tyzhnykh and I are sure we’re right. I believe that I deserve more [than the $3.25m qualifying offer].  Look at my statistics for the past season.  I don’t think that I’ll be left without a team.  My agent has assured me that several NHL clubs are waiting for the the situation with the arbitration case to be settled and will show substantial interest in me.

- And what kind of contract will suit you?  Would you agree on five million a year?

- First of all, I would like to sign a long-term agreement with the club, for 3-4 years.  To have some semblance of stability. As for the number — the bigger the number on the contract, the better.

- Since you’re already familiar with life there, have you thought about remaining overseas after your career ends?

- No, life in America doesn’t suit me.  The difference in mentality is too great between us. I dreamed of getting to the NHL for many years.  My dream came true.  But now, as soon as the season finishes, I’m immediately drawn to Kiev.  All my family is there. The NHL is just a job.

Is he dreaming? Apparently, Zherdev forgot about his uninspiring finish. Oh joy. How I wish we could get back anything for this Russian enigma. Who’s gonna bite when the Rangers will likely walk away from the reward making him a free agent? Honestly, had Glen Sather not locked into Kotalik for three years, I’d have considered bringing him back. He’s younger with more upside and probably wouldn’t have cost more than another 500-750 K. That’s what made the Kotalik move so puzzling. Does Tort hate him that much?

Anyway, it was nice knowing ya Z. Dac vee daniyah!