Yardbarker: Martin Straka

In 13 Hours...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:12:00 -0500

In less than 13 hours, free agency will start. Last year, on June 30, 2008, this web site probably had 10-15 posts.

In fact, I remember one that I wrote about the 4 big free agents for the Rangers: Sean Avery, Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, and Martin Straka. I presumed Straka would leave if Jagr stayed, that Shanahan would not be back, and Avery wouldn't either. What I didn't predict was that Avery would sign elsewhere, get banished from the NHL, and return half-priced in February. But, really, I doubt many people guessed that. I remember I also put a good word in for Mark Streit in hopes he would be a Ranger. And I said that Wade Redden was awful and no team, especially the Rangers, should overpay for him. Well.

Anyway, this year, not as many posts. The Rangers, up until about 6 hours ago, were up near the Cap, and the Islanders appear to be growing from the inside, or at least attempting to. Besides some fillers and 4th line players, the big news would be which players wouldn't be returning.

Well, with Scott Gomez gone, $5M is freed up. The 3 players I would love to see don Rangers blue next season are, in order...

Mike Cammalleri, Mike Komisarek, Rob Scuderi

Cammalleri adds instant offense at a reasonable price. He scored 39 last year and had his 2nd 80+ point season (out of 4 career seasons). Plus, he's only 27, so a 5-year deal for $24-25M wouldn't be insane.

Remember how well Komisarek would shut down Jagr? He isn't going to give you many points, but he will crush opponents, clear the crease, kill penalties, and he would go a lot way to shutting down Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin 6 times a year. Ah, but would he and Avery get along?

Scuderi will probably come cheap, maybe $1.5-2M. I think he grew up an Islanders fan, but even so, he can be enticed to playing in Manhattan. He did great in the Stanley Cup Finals, and gives his best every single shift. He would make a great 4th defenseman.

The only problem with signing D is there are so many of them. Redden, Girardi, Staal, Gilroy (according to reports, he is looking good), and Rozsival will all be on the team next season. That leaves just one or two spots and not much money to spend, since most of the Cap space should be used for scoring help (with some saved for emergencies and the trade deadline).

Should be an interesting day. Even though nothing happens until about 1:30, I'll be tuning in at noon to see how awkward it gets when nothing happens. Can't wait to see Bob McKenzie text messaging people on-air to see what's going on.

(By the way, expect to see Dany Heatley in Edmonton. Reports are filtering in now and it should be official soon. In a related note, expect to see Ottawa in the Draft Lottery next year, because Dustin Penner won't be able to lead them anywhere.

Count me as being happy Heatley is elsewhere. The Rangers don't need a different $7+M deal for 5 years, especially one who requests trades from everywhere he has played. If they wanted a headcase with talent that he sometimes uses, hey, Alex Kovalev is a free agent tomorrow, too.)

Rare MSG Guests: Minnesota Wild...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:25:39 -0500

The last time the Rangers played the Minnesota Wild, it was a

A Successful Night in Nassau...

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:27:45 -0500

Mark down January 13, 2009 as a success for me.
Awkward moment involving a young child and myself during the game: CHECKAlmost get into a fight in the bathroom: CHECKA delicious pretzel twist: CHECK (although around the midway point of it, it magically turned from very hot to ice cold)Two points for the Rangers: CHECKAn All-Star performance from Henrik Lundqvist: CHECKIslanders coming hard at the Rangers: CHECKAn awful third period by the Islanders: CHECK (excluding the last 94 seconds)An Islander getting injured: CHECK (be sure to note that I don't wish them injuries - far from it - but it seems that every game or every two games, someone is getting hurt)Rangers shooting from the perimeter and making even 3rd-string goaltenders look like Jacques Plante: CHECKGuy next to me commenting if Scott Gomez was still a Ranger: CHECK (hey, Gomez had one good shot today, that's a start)A spirited effort by Petr Prucha: CHECKAn abundance of Nikolai Zherdev jerseys: CHECKMe and the lady in front of me decreeing that Martin Straka was a warrior: CHECKGuy behind me yelling "SUCKS" after we chanted "Hen-Rik!": CHECKMe saying that he did not indeed suck, and that he was a top 3 goalie in the league: CHECK
On a different note, does anybody want to assist me in a letter writing campaign to Newsday? Now, I know that the print media is nearly a dead form because of the Internet, and to be honest, I don't read the hockey articles much because I know what they'll say. However, today's Newsday featured about 4 pages on the Knicks, 4 on the Giants, 2 on the Jets, and articles on the Mets and a full page devoted to Ricky Henderson and Mark McGwire. Uh, is this 1998?
The only mention of the Islander-Ranger game was an advertisement put in by the Islanders. Not one beat writer had a story published about the game. Not one. Yet, the Knicks, the laughingstock of a stupid, corrupt, boring league, get back AND front page mentions and multiple pages.
You KNOW that the well-fought rivalry game that happened tonight will not be back-cover-worthy tomorrow and instead it will be Eddy Curry thinking about suing the driver who claimed he was sexually?harassed?by Curry.
Despicable. We have a good sport here that is infinitely more entertaining that baseball and basketball. Ah, if only fantasy hockey was as fun as fantasy football. Imagine that?
Back to the original topic. A good night at the Coliseum, and the only thing missing was a vocalist during the National Anthem. That silent version was sort of awkward.

* * *?
If you click?this link, you will see a picture of my friend Tom (in the blue Drury jersey) and me (in the white Girardi). For some reason, the Islander site wanted our picture, and some kid questioned it. We offered him to sit on my lap for a photo and smile, and he obliged. Quite happily, as well. (I'm pictures 19 and 20.)
I would've put the picture on this blog but I'm having trouble doing it.

Hot Stove Rangers Record Book Quiz

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:01:29 -0500

With only four more days until the New York Rangers start the season in Prague with returning heroes Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka?oops (will Petr Prucha do?), see how much you know about the Blueshirts record book. The answers will be posted tomorrow. 1. Who has played the most games for the Rangers? 2. Rod Gilbert is the all-time leader in goals for the Blueshirts, with 406. Who is second? 3. Brian Leetch is the all-time leader in assists, with 741. Who is second? 4. Who is the all-time Rangers penalty minutes leader? 5. Who is the all-time plus/minus leader for the Rangers? 6. Who is the all-time goal-scoring left-winger for the Rangers? 7. Which Ranger has scored the most power-play goals? 8. Which Ranger has scored the most short-handed goals? 9. Brian Leetch has the most points of any Ranger defenseman. Who is second? 10. Which center has played the most games for the Blueshirts?

Straka NOT On His Way Out?For Now

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:22:57 -0500

Martin Straka will not play for the Rangers or in the NHL next year. Definitely. Maybe. Who knows? Last night Straka's former club in the Czech Republic, HC Lasselsberger Plzen, announced that they had reached an agreement with the winger. "We struck a deal with Martin last night," club president Tomas Kral said. The agreement called for to not only play for the team but also serve as a sports director. But today the agent for the soon to be 36-year-old vet has said differently. "Marty has made it clear that he will wait until after July 1 to evaluate all his options and make an informed decision at that time," Ritch Winter, Straka's longtime agent said. "Plzen has made an aggressive offer but it's just one of the offers he will be considering," said Winter, who added there was also interest from teams in Russia and Sweden. July 1 is obviously the day when NHL teams other than the Rangers can make offers to the player with 257 career goals. Teams from other countries can make offers at any time. According to his agent there are teams in the NHL, the Czech Republic, Russia, and Sweden interested in him. It's understandable that Straka would have interest from teams in other countries, but after the season he's just had I don't see too many NHL teams lining up to sign him. Averaging nearly a point a game in the two years since the lockout Straka was a major player for the Rangers. But he had a disappointing 2008 season and is part of the reason the team struggled offensively for most of the year. A combination of injuries and being relegated to the third line for most of the year accounted for the reasons why he only managed 41 points last year. Had he been healthy and playing on Jaromir Jagr's line for the entire year perhaps his numbers would have done better, but with his age and the salary cap there isn't much reason to expect the Rangers to bring him back. He did go out on a high note, in 10 playoff games Straka put up decent numbers. He had three goals and seven assists. Most of that success came from playing along side Jagr who had a more impressive 15 points in the playoffs. Straka has a history with HC Lasselsberger Plzen. He played for them before coming over to the NHL and also during the 04/05 work stoppage.

The New York Whiners…er, Rangers…."Enough is Enough"

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:14:22 -0500

In the words of Michel Therrien, "Enough is enough, and that's enough". My sentiments exactly when it comes to the whining that is being heard from the New York Rangers players, staff, media and fans. The Rangers have tried to whip up controversy where there should be none. The common refrain has been that Sidney Crosby is a diver and that he gets a free pass from the referees. They also complain that Crosby is a "whiner", which I find qute ironic after listening to the swirl coming out of New York following the legitimate interference penalty called on Martin Straka that ultimately led to the Penguins' game-winning power play goal. Instead of blaming Sidney Crosby or the officiating, the Rangers should be looking inward for answers to how they blew a 3-0 lead.

Straka Out With Concussion

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:25:16 -0500

Via Sam Weinman of the Journal News: "

Penguins Blanked By Rangers

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:31:36 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins played an uninspired 40-minutes of hockey and were unable to recover in the final 20-minutes as they were shutout by Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, by a score of 4-0. The Penguins, who were missing Ryan Malone due to the flu, played as if most of the team was down with the flu

Week 5 IR Report

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:27:06 -0500

One of FIO's weekly fantasy hockey columns, staff writer Tim Hays discusses those players on the IR, those that are Day-to-Day, and other mentionable scares in the world of fantasy hockey. Check this article each and every week on Wednesdays.

VonBudel helps Rangers halt skids, beat Devils 2-0

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:49:42 -0500

Nigel Dawes, yes, Nigel Dawes broke the Rangers' scoreless losing streak. Dawes scored two goals last night against the Devils and Lundqvist stopped all 22 shots he faced. The Rangers hadn't won in 5 games, hadn't scored a goal in 126 minutes and hadn't tallied an even strength goal in 182 minutes. I'd like to attribute this change of fortune to myself, as the Dawes scored his first goal as soon as I stepped out of the escalator tower and onto the concourse. Rangers fans, ...

Staal vs Staal: Jordan & Marc square off for first time in Pittsburgh

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 03:43:08 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins (4-3-0) look to win their third game in a row on Tuesday as they host the struggling New York Rangers (2-4-1). The puck drops at 7PM, and will be aired on the Versus network. The Penguins have gained momentum in their last two outings with wins against the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. They will be looking to build on that momentum as they take on the Rangers, who are in last place in the Atlantic Division and 27th overall in the league. The game will mark the first NHL career meeting between Penguins' 19-year old Jordan Staal, and his 20-year old brother Marc Staal, a rookie defenseman for New York. Marc is the 3rd Staal to be actively playing in the NHL, with Jordan's other brother Eric playing for the Carolina Hurricanes. Jordan Staal will be looking to get his game going after finally ditching the monkey and netting his first goal in Saturday's game. The New York Rangers come to town having lost their last 3 games and having scored a league low 13 goals in 7 games. They are also looking for their first road win (0-3-1) in this, their 3rd consecutive road game. The Rangers' offense is struggling despite a couple of big name, big dollar summer acquisitions in centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. Gomez has struggled early with....(continued at the NHLPens blog)

Are You Ready for Some Hockey?!?!

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:35:26 -0500

Difficult to believe, but hockey season is right around the corner. The New York locals have already assembled for camp, and the preseason schedule begins at the end of next week. The Blueshirts are apparently toying with the notion of playing Ryan Callahan at center, a solution that nicely alleviate the team's glut of skilled wingers, allowing Martin Straka and Petr Prucha to slide in alongside Callahan on the third line. One thing is for sure, this roster has some pop. Also, fans of Darius Kasparaitis will be pleased to hear that the veteran defenseman has apparently gotten his life together. After a 2006-2007 season filled with injuries, demotions, a difficult divorce, and an emotional meltdown, Kaspar has dropped 20 pounds and has arrived to camp determined to return to the NHL. Unfortunately, any such return will most likely have to come with another squad, as there simply isn't any room on this current defense corp for the 34-year-old Lithuanian, especially not at a price tag of nearly $3 million.

NHL Preview: Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:06:13 -0500

Getting things underway, FIO staff writer Tim Hays previews this year's Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Included in this article are: team reviews with outlooks and transactions, fantasy studs, fantasy duds, and fantasy sleepers for each team. Start getting that hockey mind working with this preview!