Update (12:14pm): Bob McKenzie tweets that Brashear has in fact been waived. Oh happy day.
10:01am: Via Andrew Gross, Donald Brashear apparently requested a trade a few weeks ago, and thinks that’s why he’s hasn’t dressed for 11 of the team’s last 12 games. “It just shows me they don’t believe in me,” said Brashear. “I ask for a trade, that’s more likely why I’m not playing any games. Usually, when you ask for a trade, they don’t play you.”
Brashear, who is under contract next season with a $1.4M cap hit, has played in just 36 of the team’s 60 games this season. Even when he has played, he’s barely noticeable. The addition of Brandon Prust made Brashear even more expendable, so even if they aren’t able to finding a trading partner, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was waived. Talk about a dud free agent signing.
As per Steve Zipay, scratched again will be Donald Brashear, with Aaron Voros joining him in the Prucha Box. Coach John Tortorella is playing with the lines tonight against Washington, putting the newly acquired Olli Jokinen between Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky, who is shifting to wing. Erik Christensen will center Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborirk.
It’s good to see that Torts is, at least attempting to, spread the scoring out. A front loaded line of Prospal-Jokinen-Gaborik will always draw the top defensive pairing. By spreading it out, you make other coaches rethink that strategy. Yes, Gaborik will still draw top defensive pairings, but maybe the combination of Dubi-Jokinen-Cally can spark the Rangers offense.
Oh wait, there’s a game tonight. Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust will be making their Ranger debuts tonight, wearing numbers 12 and 8, respectively. To make room for them in the lineup, Donald Brashear will be scratched again, as will Enver Lisin. Lisin didn’t play poorly in his “return to the lineup” over the past few games. But, dare I say that Aaron Voros has earned his playing time? I do dare. He has, and deserves to be in the lineup.
Andrew Gross is reporting that Ales Kotalik and Donald Brashear will be scratched again tonight against Tampa Bay. This will be the third straight game that the Rangers have $4.4 million in cap hits sitting in the Prucha box. There has to be a better way to spend that money.
As per Andrew Gross, Ales Kotalik will be scratched tonight for the third time this season. Kotalik has been even less than I thought he would be, which is tough because I didn’t expect much. Donald Brashear will be a scratch tonight also, and Chad Johnson will make his second start of his career.
Enver Lisin and Aaron Voros, who have been the most common Prucha victims, are getting some playing time at the expense of Brashear and Kotalik. What a fantastic way to spend $4.4 million.
Never short on criticism of Rangers GM Glen Sather, Larry Brooks of the NY Post has called out Slats and says it’s time to admit some big mistakes.
If it is true that pride goes before the fall, then if Glen Sather is too proud to admit his mistakes in signing Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival the second time and Donald Brashear, he has no place running the Rangers any longer.
Brooks is dead on here, for the most part. It has become abundantly obvious that the Rangers are, at best, a mediocre team. It is time that Slats admits his mistakes and cuts ties with the albatross twins and Donald Brashear. Sending the albatross twins to Hartford will clear $11 million in cap room, but unfortunately sending Brashear down won’t clear his entire salary, just $100,000, as per the CBA and 35+ contracts. Clearing that $11 million will give the Rangers much needed cap room to improve the blue line in the short term during the off season, or at the trade deadline.
The Rangers will not be a better team if these three are banished, but they will not be a worse team either. Rozsival and Redden have proven time and time again that they are inconsistent and unreliable. It is truly unfortunate, as I expected Rozsival to be a rock this season. Redden was also showing signs of improvement, but his play has tapered off and he was benched for two games. Although I initially praised Brashear, he has proven me wrong, and shown that he is useless. Hey, I can’t get them all right.
Replacing Brashear is relatively easy, and can be accomplished by inserting Aaron Voros or by calling up Dane Byers for a more permanent stay. Replacing the albatross twins though, is actually harder than it seems. Ilkka Heikkinen appears to be ready to contribute at the NHL level, but it is clear that Bobby Sanguinetti needs another full season at the AHL level. Where would the Rangers get the sixth defenseman from? It’s an interesting debate, and there doesn’t appear to be an in-house solution. Maybe Mathieu Dandenault? He’s not really impressing in Hartford, he’s the best solution available thus far.
It is highly unlikely that Sather demotes any of the three, but clearing cap space is the first step to fixing the Rangers defense.
Lost in the excitement of yesterday’s game was the fact that Chris Drury is on his way back. That’s great news. But who do the Rangers bench? You can’t bench P.A. Parenteau. He’s been terrific. It comes down to Aaron Voros or Donald Brashear.
Dave and I kinda hashed it out yesterday, with Dave preferring Voros stay, and me wanting Voros but expecting him to go. I expect him to go because Brashear makes $1.4 million. It’s hard to bench that kind of money. But, if money were not an issue, Brashear would be first to go. He doesn’t do much, and his fighting ability seems to have dwindled. Voros hustles, digs in the corner, and can throw a mean right hook.
I’m going to leave it up to you guys. When Drury comes back, who sits: Voros, or Brashear?
As per SNY Rangers blog, citing Steve Zipay, whom I can’t access anymore thanks to Newsday charging for online content (really?), winger Enver Lisin is doubtful for tonight’s game against Vancouver after taking a shot off the foot against Boston on Sunday. Replacing him on the top line alongside Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik is the struggling Chris Higgins.
This is probably a move that has two meanings: 1) although he didn’t score, Higgins played a solid game against Boston. This is could be some sort of recognition of that, in an attempt to 2) get him on the scoreboard. It is no surprise that fans’ patience has been a little thin with Higgins. We all penciled him in for 20 goals, and 15 games into the season, he is one of four goalless Rangers. When the other three are Aaron Voros, Donald Brashear, and Michal Rozsival, it’s a little bit disturbing to put Higgins in that company. But, there’s a solid chance that this will work, as he’s playing with the two Rangers that average more than a point per game.
Also making the trip out west was Dane Byers, who will likely be filling in for the injured Donald Brashear. The rumor is that he injured his hand fighting Colton Orr way back when. If he produces, both on offense and in overall toughness, something the Rangers have lacked, we may be seeing a lot more than initially anticipated.
On July 1, when the news broke that the Rangers signed Donald Brashear, I was outraged. How could they sign they guy who decapitated Blair Betts? It was the clearest sign that the Rangers organization was in the midst of another huge roster turnover, and most fans were furious that it started with the hated winger. But then I started to really think about Brashear’s place on the team, and moves other teams in the conference made prior to the signing.
The biggest (literally) problem in the Atlantic Division right now is Chris Pronger. The Rangers were fortunate that they only needed to face him once or twice a season when he was in the West, but now they have to face him six times a year. He solidifies that Flyer blue line, and will provide an intimidating presence, especially the first time he lays out Marian Gaborik on the rush. So what would prevent him from taking a run at Gaborik? The looming presence of probably the most feared fighter in the game, Donald Brashear.
What about the Toronto Maple Leafs, who committed to ex-Ranger Colton Orr for four years? GM Brian Burke is on the record stating he wants his team to start hitting and fighting more. You can bet your house that Orr’s PIMS will increase next year, definitely eclipsing the 200 minute mark. Who will step up for the Rangers when Orr fulfills Burke’s wishes, and starts with one of the Rangers? Donald Brashear.
The Islanders? Brendan Witt. Devils? David Clarkson. Penguins? Eric Godard.
The East, and specifically the Atlantic Division, is filled with tough enforcers, who will mess with the Rangers high priced talent if not kept in check. Of all these enforcers, the most feared in the league is Donald Brashear, and now he’s a Ranger. He is no longer our problem, he is now the rest of the division’s problem. Having the threat of Brashear on the bench is much more effective than Orr on the ice. Remember, Brashear will be on the 4th line, and maybe getting five minutes a game with John Tortorella at the helm.
You don’t have to love the guy, but you should be cheering for him, he is a Ranger for the next two years. The first time you see Brashear knock out Pronger, he will win everyone over.
In more bashing of the Rangers moves this offseason, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News mentions the Rangers twice thrice in his Worst UFA Signings of 2009. Sure, Sather shelled out a ton of money this summer on Marian Gaborik (#2 on this list), who’s injuries are well documented and really seem to be the only argument everyone has against him. He gave questionable terms to Ales Kotalik (#4 on the list), but with Zherdev essentially gone, they needed to fill the void. Though, I do agree with Proteau on this one, and I have made it well known. He also gave two years to the 37 year old Donald Brashear (gets a dishonorable mention), ensuring that his $1.4 million cap hit will be there next year as well.
Just some notes about the contracts of Gaborik and Kotalik: They both signed at market value. I cannot stress market value enough. If you look at the contracts for comparable players, they all make that kind of money. And I’m talking about annual salary, not cap hit (or average annual salary). So omit the financial terms from your arguments for these two deals please. If you look at these two signings, each filled a void in the Rangers lineup. Gaborik filled the go-to game changer, and Kotalik is an attempt to fill the 2nd/3rd line RW spot that was vacated in the Nikolai Zherdev show.
Personally, I would swap Brashear and Kotalik on this list. If you look at the Brashear deal, he is making well above market value, is 37, and is signed for two years. Is the “Brashear-fear” worth the guaranteed $1.4 million cap hit? Maybe. But as of right now, I think he could have signed for less annually, and for one year.
Sather has done a fairly good job this year in managing the cap (so far) this offseason. Assuming Dubinsky signs for $1.75 million annually (high estimate), the Rangers will still have $1.2 million in cap room available, and that’s with a 13th forward (Voros in my scenario, could be Arnason though, which saves more cap room), and a 7th D (Potter/Sauer). Remember last year when the Rangers had no cap room and just one spare player?
Some optimism please?
Rumors | Mike Axisa, 11 Feb 10 | 
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