Especially about potential NHL trades in the last few days--and weeks.
With the proliferation of talk radio and web sites---not to mention that grand old tabloid tradition---rumors can be floated by anyone with a laptop.
Nowadays, they are whisked around, picking up debris like a midwest tornado and gaining visibility.
Until a vast majority of them peter out.
Fun to watch from a distance, I guess.
It brings to mind an old New Yorker cartoon with two canines---one a beagle, if I recall---with paws poised above a PC keyboard. The caption went something like this: "You know the great thing about the Internet? Nobody knows we're dogs."
Hearsay goes a long way these days. Gossip rules.
By no means should this entry single out any journalists, although I marvel at the way today's New York Post item on a purported shopping of Jaromir Jagr was worded: "believed to have been...said to have blah-blah".
Read closely, folks. No quotes. People are protected.
I used a similar tactic the other day, citing multiple unnamed---but trustworthy---sources on this blog when I first reported about the Ward-Jagr dust-up in Tampa and that Ward was scratched, possibly indicated a trade was coming. I desperately try to further confirm information before it's printed in Newsday.
Anyway, Rangers president Glen Sather---and any savvy GM in any sport---has said in the past that everybody has a price. What's the harm in that? There may be a guy---or gal---willing to offer something absurd amid all the yakking and schmoozing. If I were a GM, I'd float anything.
Listen, I'm treading carefully here, because certainly, experienced, veteran hockey writers have great sources in the game. They should be treated with far more respect than the cyberspace rabble.
Hey, anything's possible at this time of year, when it's fantasy hockey.
Given that premise, during the day, I'll try to pass along things I'm told that I believe have some semblance of possibility.
And of course, news.
I just seriously doubt that Jagr, the team captain, whose contract has great value and is the face of the franchise, is being "shopped" with any aggressiveness---or that he'll be traded today.
Stay tuned...more from practice later
We'll see what Jags has to say....
Comments (18)
Rangers need to go in a new direction. Send Jagr to Detroit or somewhere for good young hungry talent. There have just been too many bad seasons over the past 11 years. Enough is Enough
trade Jagr? no way!!!! what a insult to offer our captain.
Jagr's going nowhere. This is simply a reiteration of Sather and Maloney's frequent "nobody's untouchable" mantra, taken to an extreme by a writer who has been known to sensationalize on occassion.
Jagr does nothing positive anymore. He looks like when he was in Washington. Floating around on the ice, shooting every now and then. Taking lazy 2:30 shifts. It's almost embarassing having him as a capitano. Oh well Slats won't make any positive trades im sure. But wouldnt it be nice for Nylander, Weekes, MALIK, Rozsivol, Rachunek, A. Ward, and others to be traded? Not happening unfortunately.
I personally wouldn't mind seeing Jags moved. We know by now that the lockerroom looks at him differently since the fight. And we know he has Renney wrapped around his finger.
While I think Jagr is still one of the best (if not THE best with a healthy shoulder and an enforcer to retaliate on the love taps)... I would rather see him leave now than become a lockerroom cancer.
On another note... Any openings on the Rangers beat at Newsday? I'm already at a Trib property, but it's not very hockey-friendly here.... :)
Thanks for entering some sanity in the whole situation. Unfortunately (or fortunately for writers), there's a lot of people out there who choose to believe what they want to.
It is obvious that Jagr is not going anywhere but, Wishful thinking.
The real Jagr has showed up in New York it took a couple of seasons as usual. But, he is here.
Anybody wonder why he gets booed when visiting every former team? It's not because he's a great player!
Anybody remember when the season went real south? It was the night Shanny took the team on his back and fought Brashear!
Jagr is already Locker Room Cancer!
yeah Sather is gonna trade Jagr? Jagr made Sather look good for once and now this is the way he pays him back? ungrateful management and ungrateful fans!
U people who says hes a cancer hes this and that are the embarasment of this team.Dont ever forget hes the 1 that helped get in playoffs finally
Marty Biron traded to the Flyers, the Sabres replace him by swinging a deal for Ty Conklin and George LaRoque has waived his no trade and will be sent to the Pens where he'll join Gary Roberts.
Jagr is hardly the problem. Yes this season has been terrible but your all complaining about a guy who put up 22 goals and 52 assists in 62 games. Perhaps the team isnt play well around him. And i see no reason why we let other teams smack him around. IF his shoulder gets healthy then he will once again be a force on the ice. I think hes just as frustrated as we all are right now.
I Love Lundy & Ant,
Come on in, lay down on the couch and make yourself comfortable.
Lundy first,
Read between the lines here. Larry Brooks is an idiot. He is not going anywhere! Ungrateful fans? No, the no knowledge fans like you are the problem. I know the exact fan you are. You hang out at the Garden after every game and talk to Petr Prucha like he is your long lost cousin. Get over it. Jagr does not help this team! Management and any sensible fan knows that!
Ant,
You are an embarassment. (that little red line under the word is spell check) You have a point, Jagr took this team to the playoffs last year he was in top form. Where is he this year? Not doing that well...and if that is the reason we aren't making the playoffs then the problem here is bigger then it looks. So thanks for the playoffs Jagr! Now pack your bags and kill another team!
TSN reports the St. Louis Blues attempted to re-sign Bill Guerin this morning but couldn't reach a deal, and have trade him. There's talk of a potential three-way trade. The San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks are mentioned as destinations.
In exchange for Biron the Flyers sent Buffalo the first round pick they got from the Preds in the Forsberg deal.
It would not shock me at all if Michael Nylander was traded today. He's 34, a free agent at the end of the year and there are a lot of teams looking to sure up their pivot position heading into the playoffs.
Ex Islanders on the move.
Todd Bertuzzi to the Ducks, Raffi Torres to Ottowa
THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS HAVE TRADED FORWARD DOMINIC MOORE TO THE MINNESOTA WILD FOR A THIRD ROUND PICK.
Mr. Valuable worth a third round pick!
Are some of you people out of your minds??? I'm sorry but you can't be a true fan if you don't LOVE our Captain... hmmm , funny i dont remember people wanting Jagr traded last season when he was scoring 54 goals and pretty much got NYR in the playoffs almost single handedly! Not to mention for the first time in a LONG time... he is one of the best to EVER play...so give the man some respect...i think what he does for this team he deserves alot of it!