This is where writing this column gets really fun. This is the time where a
logical view of the Ranger team roster seems to fly in the face of 'unconfirmed-rumors.' So let's break down the roster and see where things pan out.

Goaltending

§ Glen Sather does not pay astronomical salaries to goaltenders - see
Grant Fuhr, Curtis Joseph, and Tommy Salo.  He's been adept at finding solid 'tenders from unexpected sources.

§ Sather gives opportunities to 'his' players.  Blackburn has been his most successful draft pick.  Expect him to get 30 games minimum next season.

§ This is currently a buyer's market for goaltenders.  Expect Cujo to sign with Toronto before July 1, and Belfour to sign with Detroit.  That leaves Mike Richter, Byron Dafoe, Tom Barasso, as well as trade candidates Jeff Hackett and Sean Burke on the market for New York and Chicago, and other teams that already have a starting netminder.

§ Sather seems legitimately torn between keeping Richter, but after
multiple attempts to trade Mike each year, it seems logical that Sather is
interested in a change in net.

Prediction: Either Richter or Dafoe.   If Dafoe is willing to accept Blackburn's development and a salary of no more than $4 million, he's a likely candidate to foster change for change's sake. But Richter will likely end up in the same price range and, given his work ethic and friendships with teammates, he's just as likely to keep his job.

Defensemen

Current top-7: Leetch, Poti, Malakhov, Kloucek, Lefevbre, Purinton and Karpa.

Potential minor league call-ups: Mike Mottau, Fedor Tutin

§ The team currently lacks a physical defensive defenseman to clear the crease, as evidenced by the team's woeful penalty kill.

§ Kloucek and Purinton merit spots on the roster, but to have success,
they need a better leader than Dave Karpa or Sylvain Lefevbre.

§ Options to eliminate on the free agent market: all offensive
defensemen. We're covered.

§ Options to pursue: Darius Kasparaitis, Chris Chelios, Luke Richardson, Cory Cross.

Prediction: Likeliest candidate is Luke Richardson, given his former Edmonton status, his lower salary demands, and that all the other suitors are lining up by Chelios or Kasparaitis - Sather likes being a player's savior. A darkhorse is Kasper, where Sather may swoop in and take the gritty Russian away from the Islanders while Milbury is focused on Amonte. Chelios seems to be Larry Brooks' personal favorite, but his arrival at MSG seems unlikely as he's 40 and enjoys playing for Detroit.

Forwards Makeshift lineup:

Barnaby - Lindros - Bure
Dvorak - Nedved - Samuelsson
Murray - Johansson - McCarthy
Oliwa - Lyashenko - McKenna

Potential call-ups: Jamie Lundmark, Rico Fata, Garth Murray

§ Wow, this forward set is awful, isn't it? Any wonder why we miss the
playoffs?

§ Though we have fighting toughness, we don't have the combination of grit and talent that it takes to put wins on the board.

§ Most important need: big center to complement Lindros, and a physical two-way line that can be put on the ice in all situations, especially defensive ones.

§ Options to pursue: no boundaries. We need help.  Holik, Lang, Oates, Guerin, Selanne, Rucinsky, Gelinas, Young, Brashear, Domi.

Prediction: Bobby Holik is the only player that seems to merit an inflated sum to secure a signature.  Pencil this as Sather's first phone call at 12:00:01.

But after that, FOF is prepared to be surprised. It seems unlikely that Sather
can or will roll out the Dave Checketts red carpet for free agents to get their
signature.  Billy Guerin's potential $10 million price tag may blow Slats out of the water, and ditto with Amonte and his $8 million.

Teemu is off the media's radar, but Sather did try to pry him away from Anaheim a few years ago.  It's doubtful that Sather would match the $9.5 million he received this year, but considering that San Jose hasn't signed him yet, they likely aren't going to meet that number, either.  This bears watching.

Donald Brashear is an intriguing target.  As a left winger with speed and
toughness, he could be a perfect fit for the flank of the Lindros-Bure line.
Barnaby isn't a deterrent.

Martin Rucinsky was a Sather trade and an ex-Oiler.  If he stays within or below his current salary of $3 million, he's a good possibility for being on the team.

Predictions: Holik, Brashear and Rucinsky. Ones to keep an eye on include Teemu Selanne, Martin Gelinas (former Oiler), Robert Lang (unheralded), and Tie Domi.

Overall

Hope this helped bring some clarity.  The team's needs are fairly easy to see. Expect simple moves on the blueline and in the net.  But watch for fireworks on the forward lines, including trades.

Enjoy…

-Gabe

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