I've jumped off the Tom Renney bandwagon with a flying leap. Following in the footsteps of Mark Messier, Colin Campbell and others, he's become the local media darling ... and like any media whore, he's seized the opportunity to play it to his advantage.
"Roster Flexibility"
When the team traded for Sean Avery, Renney was quick to explain that such move finally gave him the flexibility to alter the roster. He wasn't able to do this beforehand because, Renney said, "it boils down to what we've been able to put on the ice up until now."
What a load of crap! What a total abandonment of responsibility!
The two main changes Renney put forward was breaking up the Jagr-Straka-Nylander line and splitting the power play into two units with different styles. And in Renney's world, these moves were impossible with Sean Avery. An easy analysis tells a different story.
The Jagr-Straka-Nylander line could have been broken up months ago to provide the team more balance:
- Shanahan has needed a passing centerman, and Nylander always fit the bill
- Jagr historically has done wonders with no-name wingers (Kip Miller, Stu Barnes), which is part of his appeal, so having two veterans was unnecessary
The power play could have been broken up into two units months ago:
- Cullen played the point in Carolina, yet never got a whiff here
- The contrasting styles of Jagr and Shanahan was debated for months
The roster depth was there to make these moves earlier:
- Hossa was already on the roster to play with Straka and Jagr
- There is roster depth to give test games to wingers to play with Nylander and Shanahan. Hall could have been tried there before his trade; Ward could have been tried; a youngster like Dawes could have been tried.
Media Loves Renney, Hates Sather
But Renney doesn't get called out on this solely because he's a "nice guy," he also gets the adulation because the local media guys hate Sather. They detest his arrogant style and 5 million dollar salary.
That's why noted Sather hatchet man (and Leetch's PR man) was quick to write that Renney had "tried several times [to break up the Jagr line, but it] only worked because of the Avery acquisition."
This line of thought pins the responsibility of this season's poor performance solely on Glen Sather, which suits both parties, Dellapina and Renney, quite well, thank you.
Glen Sather and Don Maloney certainly deserve their portion of blame, but Tom Renney's attempt to distance himself from responsibility is a sad chapter in an underwhelming decade on Garden ice.
Dolan's obsession with positive public relations, even if at the expense of sports decisions, has spawned the Garden's PR spin machine.
Hockey decisions must adhere first to PR goodness, and second to talent evaluations.
It's why Prucha won't be traded for a veteran like Rucinsky (goes against the rebuilding mantra), but could be for sub-30 players like Pittsburgh's Malone and Orpik.
Within that context, it has become easier to read the trade rumor tea leaves with a fair amount of certainty.
The Aaron Ward Set-Up
So here's what I read between the lines recently ...
Larry Brooks wrote a critical piece about the Rangers management not informing Kaspar directly about his waiver status.
The PR effort kicks into fifth gear, and the next day Brooks reports that Don Maloney called him to say that the team had made multiple efforts to contact Kaspar, that the Rangers treat their players with respect, and that any other reporting is inaccurate.
No story there, right? Well, it is worth noting earlier in the same column Brooks explains management's stance on the Dan Girardi call-up: he writes that if Girardi does well, the dominoes begin to fall, and that management will then be free to use one of its veteran defenseman for help up front.
Although not attributed to Maloney, the situation appears clear enough that he's the source. And it sheds light on the team's apparent conclusion that it needs to acquire a veteran second line center. For better or worse, they don't believe Immonen or Dubinsky are the answer, at least in the immediate future.
So Who's In Maloney's Cross Hairs?
Roszival and Malik are safe because they are part of Jagr's unit of five. Tyutin is part of the rebuild. Kaspar was waived. Pock is a young reporter in the press box. Rachunek is a possibility, but his erratic play makes it unlikely. Which leaves Aaron Ward.
It all makes PR sense now, doesn't it?
With half of the NHL looking for an experienced defenseman, Aaron Ward and his Stanley Cup resume will have some value around the league. And while he won't net a younger player, he can return a similar veteran up front.
It's perfect PR symmetry. Even though it may block a younger forward's path to the team, it can be spun to the fan base that the team remains committed to rebuilding by pointing to Girardi and the vet-for-vet deal.
I don't know what trade is being discussed. But I do think it's on the horizon if the team stays in the race and Girardi proves himself somewhat capable. So in the interim, have fun speculating ...
