Just when Pack fans thought we had them under control, the Rangers go and start treating us like we are just a farm team! What’s that all about? Who do they think they are, controlling our roster, expecting us to work with youngsters instead of vets, even calling up our players just because someone in New York got hurt, without even a thought as to what that will do to our ability to compete? How do they expect us to win another Cup if they keep acting like they are…are…a REAL NHL team?
Attention Pack fans: life as you have known it in Hartford is over. Buckle yourselves in for this coming season, as you get to experience the excitement, the drama, and the fear that comes with not knowing who is going to be on the ice each night, let alone each season.
Whether or not we are willing to admit it, we are just getting what we asked for. We complained about the lazy vets who seemed content to play just slightly above the level that would get them banished to the ECHL or IHL. We reviled the prima donnas who whined about not being in New York or some other magical place where their true talent would be appreciated. We griped about the constantly injured (but not so injured as to actually prevent chasing puck bunnies) and those who didn’t improve their skills but never seemed to get their ice time reduced accordingly. We even felt sorry for the few good players, the guys who gave it their best every night, regardless of how poorly or indifferently their teammates played. We bitched and moaned, and when we saw Al Coates at several games in Hartford at the end of the season, carefully taking notes, we figured it was just a show, and that we would end up with more of the same this coming year.
But with the draft and recent trades it looks like we will get what we asked for: a real farm team. A team that exists not to chase the Calder Cup, but to develop young exciting players so that they can make the jump to Broadway gracefully, without falling on their faces or being sent back down to us in shame. They may pick up a championship or two along the way, and I won’t pretend that we don’t love to see the banner being raised in Hartford. But we can also enjoy the pride that comes with saying "I met him, and he is just the sweetest kid – and you should have been there the time when he put two guys up against the glass in Springfield…" when Tomas Kloucek turns up on national TV. Of course, it would be nice if more of those kids would stay in the Ranger organization, instead of being traded, waived, or allowed to walk away….
I’m not pretending there isn’t going to be a downside. Because guys like Derek Armstrong, Brad Smyth, Kenny Gernander, and Todd Hall have been together longer than most marriages, they make plays without even thinking: these guys know each other, their skills, their weaknesses, and their habits. There will likely be some rough times on the ice as guys begin the season with line mates they have never played with before, and we will get to see what Coach Paddock and Buzz can do with raw kids.
What we have to remember, though, is that the stated reason for all this upheaval is that New York wants Hartford to becomes a true farm team, one whose job is to develop up and coming talent. That means that our median age is likely to fall by at least 5 years, perhaps more. Several vets are likely on their way out, including RFAs and UFAs – I would expect only a few to be re-signed for next year (Ken Gernander and Terry Virtue, our leaders, both have time left on their contracts) to give the team a little structure and to provide mentoring for the incoming flocks of kids. It did hurt when Tomas Kloucek and Mike Mottau were called up this year, mostly because we didn’t have any real depth on the blue line – but that is because we hadn’t been developing any depth because there wasn’t room on the roster. And Charlotte, while a nice place to visit, doesn’t do the job of getting kids ready like time in Hartford does. All of those players scratched each game because of the veteran rule need to go, and in return hopefully NY will stock us with kids for us to develop. After all, that’s what we are supposed to be doing.
Up next: Heather plays GM
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