"Fools rush in where fools have been before."
It is the height of comedy to watch a lovable character run
so eagerly to a tragic end that has happened countless times
before.
Wile E. Coyote. Jack Tripper in Three's Company. And now you
can add "Ranger fan" to that list.
Practically every fan references the six years out of the playoffs.
And most talk in broad terms of a youth movement and a need
for a system and consistency.
But when a star player like Federov becomes available, and
a current player like Lindros can be made the scapegoat, the grass on
the other side of the fence becomes a yard full of legalized marijuana.
In other words, like a near-sighted man at Scores, the fan is
too close to the action to realize that at the end of the night,
he's again going to leave penniless and unfulfilled.
So let's break the Lindros-Federov thing down scientifically ...
by putting all of the facts down for review before we jump
to conclusion.
Lindros Facts that Tell a Story:
- Lindros is 30 years old, is 6'4 and 240 pounds.
- Sandy McCarthy is 6'3, and 220 pounds.
- Lindros had 53 points in 81 games this past season.
- The only players who had a better points-per-game ratio as Rangers
were Bure and Nedved. (This includes both Kovalev and Carter)
- This was the first season in his career that Lindros did
not average at least a point-per-game.
- Last season, Lindros scored 73 points in 72 games as a Ranger.
- Petr Nedved has never averaged a point-per-game in his
entire Rangers career. Mark Messier hasn't done it since '96-97.
Kovalev hasn't done it in his Ranger career.
- The Rangers have not had a dominant line without Lindros in the
last two years. Said another way, he has been a main cog on the
team's three best lines of the last two seasons:
(York/Fleury, Bure/Rucinsky, Holik/Barnaby).
- When people say Lindros won't be the same dominant player he was
earlier in his career, remember that his best year was '95-96, where
in 73 games scored 47 goals, had 74 assists, 115 points, 163 PIM,
a +26 rating and 294 shots. Does anyone still do that?
- On a non-playoff team, Lindros was a +19 last season, and a +5 this
year, and has never finished a season as a minus in his career.
- In the past six seasons, Messier is a combined -65, without one
season on the plus side of the ledger.
- Despite concussion history, Lindros played 81 games, took significant
hits, and could now be termed less of a health risk than Bure and Leetch.
- Lindros' contract is up before the new cba is negotiated.
Some Relevant Federov Facts:
- Federov is 33 years old, 6'2 and 200 pounds.
- Federov had 83 points in 80 games this season playing with Shanahan.
- He had not averaged a point-per-game since 1995-96, not coincidentally
also right before his last contract year.
- Federov is a gifted two-way center, but his plus-minus totals should
be seen in context of reliable linemates, a well-coached system, and
other teammates with similarly impressive plus/minus numbers.
- Federov just turned down a five-year, $50 million contract offer from
the Wings.
Conclusion: Stop the Insanity!
Patience isn't just for prospects.
It also means letting players taste failure so they come back with a
vengeance the next year.
Bringing in new "saviors" each year doesn't allow the chip to develop
on the team's shoulder, because the newbies are too busy in the
NY honeymoon with their new bank account.
We are too quick to jettison players, or too eager to give certain
players mythological status that protects them from criticism ...
"CoughCough...Messier!...CoughCough."
Lindros remains an imposing player that other teams must focus on
stopping. He is a perfect 1-2 center combination with Bobby Holik
as the other pivot that can use size to overwhelm other teams.
His injury history is a risk, but it pales in comparison to having Federov
earning $10 million in NY when he's 37 years old.
Keep Lindros here. Now that he's learned to play with his
concussion history, expect him to return to his point-per-game
pace, especially with Anson Carter on his flank.
Let Federov sign in Carolina if he doesn't re-up in Detroit.
And if you really need a scapegoat, break with tradition and give it
to the bald head where it's deserved.
-Gabe
Posted by Gabe at May 11, 2003 11:30 PMeMail this entry!
brilliant,thank god i am not the only ranger fan who thinks that the big e is a valuable and needed player on this roster.
Posted by: pa.rangersfan on May 12, 2003 07:11 PM
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