Game On!

Thanks again once again for all your fan-submitted questions this week to Hockey Night Live! 

Dave Maloney, Butch Goring, Ken Daneyko and I broke down all of the movement from the NHL's free agent frenzy and some potential moves that the locals could be eyeing. 

MORE:

• Gaborik a Fantastic Signing for Blueshirts
  
• Is Change Good for the Rangers?
• More Hockey Night Live!

During a conference call with Glen Sather the other day, he stressed one point which is evolving into a daily truism — "A general manager should not stand pat; change is important."

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While observing the Dany Heatley — "I Don't Want To Do This; I Don't Want To Do That" — Circus, I'm immediately reminded of Martin Brodeur.

Whether he's the greatest goalie of all time; or the best of the Expansion Era; or the best of whatever really isn't the point.

What Brodeur IS can be defined with one virtually obsolete term in contemporary sports — LOYAL.

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After trading Scott Gomez for Chris Higgins a day earlier, the Rangers signed Marian Gaborik and Donald Brashear on a busy first day of free agency.

I caught up with head coach John Tortorella to get his thoughts on the new players.



MORE:

• Sather Says Change Is Important
• Why Gaborik Is the Perfect Player
• HNL Answers Your Free Agent Questions

Hey Liberty fans. I wanted to check in before our game tonight to let you know what life as a rookie has been so far. The chemistry here is beyond what I thought it would be. When I spoke to other WNBA players about the league before being drafted, they told me I have to be careful and keep to myself and everything, because it’s a business.

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Glen Sather got the goal-scoring machine he wanted in Marian Gaborik but he's not through wheeling and dealing.

"I still have some balls in the air," he told me on a Wednesday night conference call when I asked him about future moves.

Asked whether he still needs a top-line center to accommodate Gaborik, Sather opined, "Brandon Dubinsky is capable."

Then, a pause: "I've been having conversations (with other general managers) and there are centers available."

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Any time a team can land a 27-year-old who in 502 career games has scored 219 goals and 218 assists for 437 points, you have to figure they're ahead of the game.

Any time a club can sign a chap who in one season notched 42 goals and 41 assists for 83 points in 77 games, that franchise's fans should be laughing.

My suggestion, therefore, is that Rangers fans should -- at the very least -- be wearing a grin.

Marian Gaborik is the big fish caught by angler Glen Sather. And Slats remembers that five-goal game Marian celebrated against his Blueshirts one night in St. Paul.

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Here's the official press release from the New York Rangers:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent forward Marian Gaborik.

Gaborik, a two-time NHL All-Star, has reached the 30-goal plateau in five of his eight NHL seasons, including a 42-goal season in 2007-08.  He owns Minnesota Wild franchise records in points (437), goals (219), assists (218), power play goals (59), game-winning goals (43), and shots on goal (1,694).  He has also posted 112 career multi-point performances.  Gaborik, 27, has skated in 502 career regular season contests with Minnesota, registering 219 goals and 218 assists for 437 points, along with 301 penalty minutes.

Read the Full Press Release

The zaniest day in our hockey year is here and already our three local clubs are involved.

RANGERS:

Colton Orr leaves our Hudson shores for Toronto. Leafs GM Brian Burke wants more toughness and is shelling out a million a year for four seasons. That's a bit nutty for a fourth-line bloke who hardly got any minutes from John Tortorella once Tom Renney got the gate.

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"I got my foot in the door."

That was Scott Clemmensen's standard answer to newsmen after each one of the goaltender's unexpected victories as a Devil last season.

The Clemmer wanted to focus attention on himself looking toward That GREAT, GREAT, COME AND GET IT DAY, July 1, 2009.

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