Pavel Bure for Mike York, Igor Ulanov and Filip Novak.
Supposedly, Sather has gone to Bure's agent to discuss restructuring Pavel's contract so that his salary and bonuses are commiserate with playoff success.
The Source
This all started with Larry Brooks, who has a reputation for fabricating stories to sell newspapers. On this rumor, FOF believes he's telling the truth. Why?
Mike Gillis is Pavel Bure's agent. But also in Gillis' stable is Bobby Holik, who any NY hockey fan knows has been propped up by Larry Brooks for years.
In an important year before Holik's ufa status, Brooks has penned numerous supportive articles that not only try and set a salary of at least $8 million, but also have made almost as fact that the Rangers will come in this summer with a ridiculously high number.
So, no doubt, Brooks and Gillis are on good terms.
So why would Gillis bring Brooks into the mix with Bure? Easy, the supposed two suitors were Dallas and New York. Bure does not want to go to Dallas, his preference is Broadway, but Gillis doesn't want to restructure the contract. If the public knows that Bure is available, the logic goes, then Sather will have a harder time playing hardball.
So when Brooks asserts that he's in the know, FOF doesn't doubt it.
Florida's Angle
Financial flexibility. Bure's departure would not only net the Ranger return, but would also put them in the free agent hunt for Billy Guerin, a Keenan favorite. Plus, York is a Keenan-type of effort player, while Novak is a top prospect.
And before anyone gets in a tizzy about the less than star-studded return for Florida, let's recall that Florida didn't exactly break the farm system to get Pavel. Jovo, Weekes and a first round draft pick were the items of note. And since then, the market for overpriced star players has dropped further, as seen with the trade of Jaromir Jagr.
New York's Angle
Bure on Broadway. Cablevision needs content. Rangers need goals. 'Nuff said.
Will it happen?
A tough call. With the loss to the Devils and the likely loss to the Wings, the Rangers are falling quickly out of the playoff race. Though defense is a glaring problem, so is the ability to put the puck in the net. Bure would single-handedly remedy that problem.
But the delay in pulling the trigger, and the shenanigans over restructuring Bure's contract, indicates that Sather would rather go in another direction.
The Florida deal is now the benchmark. Sather is under the gun now, and even his arrogance must show cracks from the fan discontent, especially after the recent Malhotra/Heisten deal. If he misses out on Bure and goes forward with a lesser deal with one of "his" guys, then it'll be ugly. That is likely the reason for the delay in pulling the trigger on a deal.
-Gabe
Posted by Gabe at March 16, 2002 04:34 PMeMail this entry!
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