Leeds said it best when explaining Sather's attitude
towards Ranger fans: He doesn't care what you think.
He has been granted a "do what you want" pass
by Dolan, which is not that surprising when you
consider the owner's hockey acumen.
If any of the following players sent him a letter,
he'd sent it to customer service thinking they were
simply disgrunted Cablevision subscribers:
Maxim Kondratiev, Jarkko Immonen, Blair Betts,
Jason Ward, Marcel Hossa, Jamie Lundmark, Josef Balej,
Dom Moore, Thomas Pock, Garth Murray, Adam Hall,
Richard Scott, Chad Wiseman, Ville Nieminen,
Fedor Federov, and Jeff Taffe.
That they are simply young players who did not reach
expected performance levels in a Ranger blueshirt
escapes recognition.
Why Prucha Is Different
Although the Rangers have enjoyed a resurgence,
there are few individuals who have broken through
the morass to enjoy fan adulation.
Most players could leave tomorrow and the high-
paying Ranger nation would barely flinch. Indeed,
only five players have emerged into the "corporate"
Ranger fans radar screen:
Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Henrik Lundqvist,
Jed Ortmeyer and Petr Prucha.
And since there is simply too much smoke around
Prucha's name, it is a reasonable to suggest that
sather is playing with fire here.
The Risks of a Prucha trade
Trading a Ranger nation favorite during a time of
fan interest is like waking a sleeping giant by
poking him in the eye with a hot poker.
It is a violent reaction, surprising in its
immediate fury, and its a situation Glen Sather
has yet to encounter.
Prucha has a face that sponsor's kids put on their
wall. His name ("Pruu") is cheered when he hits
the ice. He battles every game to fans' delight.
Trade Options
The Veterans: Martin Rucinsky, Keith Tkachuk
Risk Level: High
A veteran trade means nothing less than a Cup will
satisfy fan angst. That's like playing the lottery.
Bonus and extreme fan agita for acuiring a retread
like Martin Rucinsky.
The Prospect: Brent Seabrook
Risk Level: High
While trading for a top prospect can make hockey
sense, the pressure on that player to achieve
stardom is often too much to bear.
Young Player: Ryan Malone, Eric Brewer
Risk Level: Moderate
The only option that may bring a reasonable chance
for success: a player of similar age who can pay
immediate dividends to this year's team and into
the future. Positive bonus points if player brings
physical element to team that is needed.
Sather once compared himself to a lion upon
trading for Eric Lindros, but if he makes a mistake with
Petr Prucha, he'll be surprised how loud the Garden
can roar in anger ... and that it can actually reach
the ears of the owner.
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