The New York Rangers acquired Petr Sykora and a fourth-round draft pick in 2007 from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for defenseman Maxim Kondratiev on Sunday, adding another skilled Czech forward to their offence.
The Ducks had been shopping Sykora (above), who has seven goals and 13 assists in 34 games this season, for a while. The 29-year-old is making $3.1 million US this season and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1.
He was scratched from the Anaheim lineup on Saturday night because of what coach Randy Carlyle called “a management mandate.”
Kondratiev, 22, played in 29 games for the Rangers this season, collecting a goal and three assists with 22 penalty minutes.
He averaged 16:16 of ice time before being reassigned to Hartford of the AHL on Dec. 28. He was recalled by the Rangers on Dec. 30 before being reassigned on Jan. 2.
The New York Post’s Larry Brooks weighs in on the waiving of high profile, under-performing/overpriced talent.
A hearty laugh for all of those who suggest that moves such as the Devils waiving Alexander Mogilny or the Lightning offering veteran Dave Andreychuk around the league on his way to a likely release, are somehow disrespectful.
You know what’s disrespectful? The entire CBA is disrespectful of the players, that’s what.
With no way out of the hard cap ” a prison for club management designed by Sixth Avenue more secure than the one on that Fox Monday night show ” other than dispatching players to the minors in the hope that the athletes will retire rather than accept the indignity of accepting their millions to play in places like Albany, what else did NHL cheerleaders expect?
When will the Islanders recognize that it ultimately will cost the franchise less to send Alexei Yashin ” as nice a man by all accounts as he is a lousy captain ” to Bridgeport than it will to keep No. 79 on the roster?
In this new NHL, the Rangers somehow managed to still be in position to add talent partway through the season, whereas the typically stingy Devils poorly navigated this new terrain and were forced to dump three offseason signings in order to get Elias back on the roster.
I’m sure they could get Theoren Fleury back from the Irish league for a pittance, however.
point taken, though the ’05/06 Rangers did enter the season with their lowest payroll in ages.
re : Theo. Was there ever a third Mighty Ducks movie, straight to video perhaps? ‘Cause I’m thinking Fleury and Kevin Stevens as coaches for the next installment.
There was a third Mighty Ducks movie and there’s a petition to make a fourth floating around, but Ed Belfour was not available for comment.
At least the opposing coach is set in stone: former Sheldon Kennedy mentor Graham James.
Wow. D3. From the guy who wrote “Joe Dirt”. I guess I missed it on “Bravo”.
re : Graham James. It is always comforting to know that CSTB’s readers aren’t above making light of indecent acts towards children. Why should adults have a monopoly on suffering?