NY Rangers' History of Acquiring Washed-Up Stars

[The Panther]

Is it just me, or do the Rangers have a unique track-record of obtaining nearly-finished, nearly-retired, just-past-their-prime, or -- in some cases -- just washed-up superstars and star players, who finish (or nearly finish) their careers as Blueshirts?

Off the top of my head:

- Phil Esposito
- Marcel Dionne
- Jari Kurri / Esa Tikkanen / Glenn Anderson
- Wayne Gretzky
- Eric Lindros
- Pavel Bure
- Markus Naslund

It's like the Rangers are the team where star free-agents go to die.


Other examples? And why does this phenomenon occur?

 

[The Panther]

Could also add:

- Howie Morenz
- Pierre Larouche

 

[MikeyMike01]

Jagr (kinda)

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Guy Lafleur

Jagr? Is that a joke? He had a 123 point season and a 96 point season with the Rangers. He was far from washed up as a Ranger.

Eric Staal will soon join that list.

Could also add Kevin Stevens and Mark Messier's second stint in NY.

 

[Terry Yake]

Jagr (kinda)

lolwut

have we forgotten he put up the second most points in a single season since the '05 lockout?

what is it with NY teams and bringing in washed up players? the mets have been doing this for years too

 

[Machinehead]

You just noticed that?

 

[kaiser matias]

lolwut

have we forgotten he put up the second most points in a single season since the '05 lockout?

what is it with NY teams and bringing in washed up players? the mets have been doing this for years too

To be fair at the time of the trade in 2004 Jagr was seen as washed up and done. No one expected him to come back and do what he did in 2005-06, or frankly still be playing over a decade after Washington got rid of him.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

To be fair at the time of the trade in 2004 Jagr was seen as washed up and done. No one expected him to come back and do what he did in 2005-06, or frankly still be playing over a decade after Washington got rid of him.

Ron Wilson sure was a special coach in Washington. The man loved his grinders.

 

[kaiser matias]

Depending on how you want to define "washed-up", Jacques Plante would be another. As would Max Bentley, Theoren Fleury, Doug Harvey, Tim Horton, and so on. Certainly no lack of names.

 

[JackFr]

Theoren Fleury, Wade Redden, Eric Staal, Brad Richards, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez...

It's a long list. Too much money + constant win-now attitude =

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

brendan shanahan, terry shawchuk, boom boom geoffrion, pat lafontaine, dan boyle, tim kerr, kirk mclean...

 

[Sprague Cleghorn]

The Rangers have been collecting washed up stars since the O6. You can look at the list of HOFers that have played with the Rangers and if you didn't know better, you'd think that the Rangers are the greatest team ever.

 

[The Panther]

brendan shanahan, terry shawchuk, boom boom geoffrion, pat lafontaine, dan boyle, tim kerr, kirk mclean...

This is the first time I've been made aware that Geoffrion and Kirk McLean were Rangers.

Learn something new every day at the History of Hockey Forum....

 

[Killion]

It's like the Rangers are the team where star free-agents go to die.... why does this phenomenon occur?

... because... New York.

You just noticed that?

... been patently obvious for over what, 6... 7 decades?

 

[JA]

Adding to the list:

Bobby Holik
Rick Nash
Martin St. Louis


... almost Mats Sundin

 

[crobro]

Bobby Hull

 

[SealsFan]

I was thinking of posting this same topic myself! Add Ken Hodge and Dallas Smith to the list.

 

[Hasbro]

During the Avs Cup era it was like an annual rite of summer that the Ranger would overpay Colorado UFAs: Mike Keane, Kamensky, Lefevre, Fluery, De Vries, Kasparitus, and the Sakic offer sheet.

 

[DickSmehlik]

Theoren Fleury, Wade Redden, Eric Staal, Brad Richards, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez...

It's a long list. Too much money + constant win-now attitude =

in fairness those players were great when they initially played with the Rangers but eventually became washed up so I wouldn't consider them for this thread.

And if I recall Redden and Fleury, while not in their primes, were not considered washed-up when they became Rangers.

 

[Voight]

Theo Fleury & Eric Lindros (still had some decent years w/ them, but was a shade of his former self)

I remember Fleury said in his book when Slats took over, the 4 years pre-lockout were essentially mercenary teams. He'd just go out and sign all the UFA's he could to make the team.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

in fairness those players were great when they initially played with the Rangers but eventually became washed up so I wouldn't consider them for this thread.

And if I recall Redden and Fleury, while not in their primes, were not considered washed-up when they became Rangers.

neither do esposito or harvey belong in any thread about being "washed up."

to be precise, the OP says

nearly-finished, nearly-retired, just-past-their-prime, or -- in some cases -- just washed-up superstars and star players, who finish (or nearly finish) their careers as Blueshirts?

and the "finish/nearly finish their careers" part also disqualifies a lot of names mentioned in this thread.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

This is the first time I've been made aware that Geoffrion and Kirk McLean were Rangers.

Learn something new every day at the History of Hockey Forum....

yup, mclean and messier were teammates twice.

 

[BenchBrawl]

About Jagr, he was kind of washed up when NYR brought him in.Washed up is a severe expression, but he was seemingly past his prime and not coming back to it.

The fact that he did come back to his prime level (or close to it) was not really expected by many people.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Almost as bad as the Leafs in the 00's. Leetch, Roberts, Nieuwendyk, Mogilny, O'Neill, Lumme, Allison, ect...

 

[alko]

neither do esposito or harvey belong in any thread about being "washed up."

to be precise, the OP says



and the "finish/nearly finish their careers" part also disqualifies a lot of names mentioned in this thread.

Then make a filter and list players here mentioned, they are not disqualified.