In the Daily News, Pat Leonard writes that the Rangers brought in defenseman Michael Sauer to evaluate his condition and see how he is doing after being concussed on 12/5/11 by Dion Phaneuf.
He writes that if the Rangers believe there is a chance Sauer will recover and be able to play again the team will send him a qualifying offer and retain his rights.
Leonard notes that Sauer spent the season at home in Minnesota and was away from the team. His condition and dealing with concussion symptoms is not believed to have improved that much which is why the team wants to look at him.
THIS SECTION is all about Michael Sauer and his injury issues.
According to Hockey Sverige, the Swedish Ice Hockey Council has announced their roster for their Olympic orientation camp in August.
Three Rangers were invited:
- Henrik Lundqvist
- Oscar Lindberg
- Carl Hagelin
Lundqvist has been the starting goalie for Sweden in the past two Olympics. He won gold with Sweden in 2006.
6.14.13/9:40AM: At Rangers Report, Carp writes that he spoke with Brian Leetch last week and that he isn’t sure he wants to leave his family to be a full-time assistant coach at this point.
Carp said that the did get a sense that Leetch would like to be involved in some way with the Rangers coaching staff, especially if Mark Messier becomes coach.
6.13.13/7:03AM: According to Larry Brooks in the NY Post, Brian Leetch is likely to become an assistant coach with the Rangers if Mark Messier becomes the head coach.
Brooks adds that in addition to Leetch the Rangers would need to add a veteran coach to Mark Messier’s staff, one with previous head coaching experience and a focus on the technical aspects of the game.
Leetch has spoken before about his desire to one-day return to hockey, whether it be in coaching or management.
At the Rangers website, Ryan McDonagh said that this coming season will be a little strange since it will be his first without John Tortorella behind the bench.
McDonagh said that Tortorella taught him a lot, “especially the mental side of the game,” and that he will take what he learned from Torts and combine it with what he learns from the new coach and bring that mold to this game every night.
John Tortorella consistently praised McDonagh and the intangible he had to rebound after a tough shift.
Larry Brooks writes in the NY Post that the Rangers organizational meetings conclude today in La Quinta, California.
The only confirmed interview that the team conducted was with Alain Vigneault.
Brooks adds that as of yesterday Mark Messier was heading to Chicago to present the Mark Messier leadership award as part of the NHLs two day event of announcing award winners.
In the NY Post, Larry Brooks writes that if the Rangers were to hire Mark Messier to be their head coach there would be an immediate level of respect from the players.
Brooks writes that the challenge will be keeping that respect while doing the job.
Adam Rotter: The players just need to have their eyes open as they walk around MSG or the Training Center to see what kind of impact Mark Messier has had with this team and in this city. He has won in NY and that appeals to this group which thinks it’s in a position to do the same. That being said, that respect could go out the window quickly in training camp if Messier doesn’t have an understanding of what to do. I still think Messier’s best role is as a consultant. Someone who does a few different things with the players but has a presence with the team and is in 100% agreement with the coaching staff.
According to Elliotte Friedman at CBC, sign and trade deals like the ones in the NBA are allowed under the new NHL CBA as long as they fall within a certain restriction.
A team can sign a player to an eight-year deal and then trade him to another team as long as the team trading the player had that player on their reserve list prior to the most recent trade deadline.
A player acquired at the trade deadline is not allowed to be part of a sign and trade.
NHL teams are allowed to re-sign their own players to eight-year contracts while free agents are only allowed seven year contracts.
2:05PM the Rangers have announced that Del Zotto underwent surgery for a sports hernia.
Recovery time is expected to be four weeks.
Announcement below
12:10PMMichael Del Zotto just sent out this tweet:
In May 2011, Del Zotto announced he was going in for surgery without the team announcing for what. The next day the Rangers announced he had undergone surgery for a sports-hernia.
To read more of this story, click here
Ryan McDonagh, at the Rangers website, said that he is getting married this summer.
McDonagh, 24, is an RFA this summer and the Rangers media guide during the playoffs noted that he was engaged.
In their press conference yesterday, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly said that it’s possible the Phoenix Coyotes will not play in Phoenix next season and would relocate.
Daly noted that the ball is in the City of Glendale’s hands in terms of moving forward with a group that the league has negotiated a deal with.
The city of Glendale is meeting on June 25 and the NHL is having a Board of Governors meeting on June 27th and the future of the team could be decided that week.
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett is waiting to see what decision is made before deciding to stay with the Coyotes.
He has said that he wants to stay in Phoenix but if the team isn’t there he may look at other options.
Don Maloney, Coyotes GM, has not been granting permission to teams who ask to speak with Tippett.
In the Daily News, Pat Leonard notes that Glen Sather should call his old assistant GM and ask again for permission since the situation of where the team will be playing is not any clearer.
Tippett’s contract expires on June 30.
THIS SECTION is all about Tippett.
