McCabe to MSG

In recent seasons it has become more and more difficult to question Glen Sather's smarts when it comes to trades but today's move does open debate. Sather pulled the trigger on the long rumoured addition of veteran defenseman Bryan McCabe from Florida, sending Tim Kennedy and a third round pick back the other way.

Losing Kennedy is tough because he is a versatile, tough little bugger who was battling well for the Wolf Pack Whale. Then again, the kid must have slept with Tortorella's daughter or something to have been banished there in the first place and he wasn't likely to ever see the lights of Broadway. Anytime you deal away a draft pick you lose a potential player (duh) but the Rangers' have had little success in the third round over the last 20 years. Dominic Moore is the best of the bunch to come out of the third during that span, seeing as Eric Cairns and Jason Labarbera found their "success" elsewhere. The jury still out on Evgeny Brendl Grachev, Tomas Kundratek and Ryan Bourque.

So the risk isn't high at all, but what kind of reward could we get?

After failing with Berard, Poti, Rachunek, Rozsival and Redden, Sather brings in another puck mover to man the point on the power play. Nice company, huh?

The last time McCabe ever won anything was the gold medal in the 1997 World Championships and the 35 year old was only part of one (failed) Cup run - with Toronto in 2002. The former Islander has played 24 career games in the Garden, collecting one goal and six assists while going +7 but since the lockout he has played nine games, had three points and went -6. He hasn't played in the NHL postseason since 2004.

McCabe had been the captain of the Panthers, so adding someone who is used to being the big voice could upset the chemistry and confidence of the young leadership already in the Ranger room. He has suffered injuries three of the last four seasons and has scored on his own goaltender multiple times over the course of his career. McCabe is prone to stupid penalties, having taken almost the full variety of minors this season - three interference calls, two hooks, two slashes, two cross checks, two trips, one hold and one unsportsmanlike. And a partridge in a pear tree ...

But, at the end of the day, McCabe is a warm body on the blueline that Tortorella should trust (mistakenly or not). He will get decent minutes while whittling away the end of an oversized contract that will not get renewed. His salary should put the Richards rumours to rest, as it will be all-but-impossible to add the concussed Star. Michael Del Zotto will finally end up where he belongs (off Broadway) and McCabe should finally give us someone to hate again in our sweater. Joy.

Interesting, dubious facts: McCabe was traded to Chicago by Vancouver with the Canucks' 2000 1st round draft choice for Chicago's 1999 1st round pick. That pick was later traded to Tampa and then summarily sent to the Rangers, and the Rangers selected none other than Pavel Brendl. McCabe ended his junior career in Brandon, playing alongside Wade Redden. And the overtime goal he scored on his own net against the Sabres was credited to our old friend Alice Kotalík.

Sather Signs A Sabre

It is not on the official Ranger website yet but all of the NHL writers on Twitter have announced that the Rangers have signed Tim Kennedy to what is expected to be a one-year, one-way, $550,000 deal.

Now that I got my initial outrage out, it looks like an actual solid signing. That is, when you consider where the franchise is and what its goals are. All of the Ranger actions run contrary to what they have said in public and show one thing: they are not going to give any of the kids a shot this season. The roster that has been methodically built this summer ensures that the Blueshirts will be competitive for the eighth spot this season - par for the course. However, they will give them a chance either in 2011 or 2012, quite likely 2012. Once he rids himself of Wade Redden, Glen Sather will have a team that can survive any possible labour stoppage when the CBA comes up. It will be young, it will be skilled and it will be pretty cheap. It will look good in the renovated Garden and justify the massive price increases that will come along with it.

But that is then and this is now. Now we have yet another capable third or fourth line player with something to prove. Kennedy skates hard, is defensively responsible and should be good for a dozen or so goals. He went through three seasons of college, one of the AHL and one in the NHL. He took Buffalo to arbitration, was justifiably awarded a $1 mill and the Sabres walked away. The Blueshirts are getting him for a little more than half that. Not bad.

The aforementioned outrage of mine stems from what the impact of the deal is. It all but assures Dale Weise will be back in Hartford and it puts even more pressure on Sean Avery. I think Weise worked hard enough last year that he should be rewarded with a shot and the added pressure will hurt Avery. Sean walks a fine line as is, now that he has to earn his job night after night, it will either knock him back to the ineffective form of last season or over the line to the craziness that led to his banishment. An in-form Sean Avery, as we have seen, is far more valuable to the franchise than a soldier like Kennedy.

A lot of the Sabre fans I know really liked Kennedy and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he builds a following here in New York. We love our hard-hat guys. We just don't enjoy the mediocrity that has become acceptable fare for the Garden brass.