Confirmed with Link: NYR Fire John Davidson and Jeff Gorton

[SnowblindNYR]

"According to sources, Gorton and Davidson were not involved with the issuing of that statement; it came from Dolan's office."

This is horse hockey! The biggest bunch of baloney I have ever experienced. It's unconscionable that management expects us Ranger Fans to believe that there is no connection between issuing that statement, and their immediate dismissal hours later. Their firing can be nothing but retribution for the President and GM sending that statement calling for the head of NHL player safety. And if anyone thinks otherwise, they are an Idiot with a capital I.

You would never do those two things, statement and firing so close together, if you weren't trying to send a strong message that they are connected. Dolan could have released them after the season. What was the rush? Our playoff hopes were dashed.

JD and Gorton have been perhaps the best management team this club ever had.

I am in shock, and fear where the future might lie with a Dolan puppet in charge. How Drury survived this is obvious.

The owner of the NY Rangers just crapped all over their devoted fan base to save face with the NHL brass.

My love for this team will never be the same. Just a horrible turn of events all due to an inexcusable non-action by the NHL.

My heart hurts.

It's not the be all end all, but as I posted I heard through grapevine that they didn't even know about the statement. The grapevine goes back to a prominent player's father. I know it's a rumor and not something I expect people to take as gospel but it's coming from a trusted friend.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

You have to admit, it is going to be hilarious when Drury ends up being a good GM and this is looked at in hindsight as a great move by Dolan to take the team to the next step of the “build” a la Carolina canning Francis or Chicago getting rid of Dale Tallon or Pittsburgh bringing in Rutherford.

Moves that were questionable at best at the time but turned out to be great moves.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Do you have any idea if the locker room even wanted him to stay? Bc unless you know that then you are saying things that dont make sense. It is POSSIBLE he FO objected to him on a moral level bc he behaves like a legitimate idiot so they got rid of him...which isnt necessarily a bad thing to do. That same 60 point defenseman couldnt get picked up on waivers. You need to think about that

Do you have any idea how many of your coworkers want you to stay or go? or you have them fill out a survey each month?

 

[Edge]

Yea but we beat the Islanders before. We are able to beat some good teams in convincing ways, but fall apart when the stakes are high. Zibanejad and Kreider especially. You just can’t ignore how awful we are in those games. I thought Carolina was a fluke. But it turns out that’s just what we are.

I think we really struggle against the Islanders. I just think their style is complete kryptonite for us.

I don't think we struggle nearly as much against anyone else in our division. I do think we're dead in the water right now with Trouba, Lindgren, Kreider and now Panarin out though.

In other words, we're a middle of the pack team in a season where we don't know how we stack up against the remaining 23 teams.

 

[jay from jersey]

Honestly, just firing Gorton and replacing him with Drury wouldn’t bother me much at all. I think Gortons done a pretty good job but I have faith in Drury and sometimes you need to promote a super promising young guy to keep them. It’s understandable imo.

But firing JD too, letting Drury be president, and doing it with 3 games left at the same time as this Wilson stuff is super alarming.

There’s a lot more to the story. I expect When JD found out Gorts was being let go some kind of words along the lines of if he goes I go was said. Dolan I guess said ok and here we are. Any one who thinks this is all just because of a letter is out to lunch. More will come out. That’s for sure. We need Drury to be a stud right now. Luckily, he does well in pressure situations.....

 

[SnowblindNYR]

It's more than just his production.

He has Ron Dayne Syndrome written all over his face.

For those of you who don't know, Ron Dayne was a very successful running back for the Giants way back in the day. He was 250 pounds and wasn't much for finesse. He just ran where he wanted to run and if you got in his way, God help you. Then he got hurt. After that, he just couldn't run into guys the way he always did.

It's not about being soft or unwilling. It's subconscious; instinctual. You reach a point where you start protecting yourself and a certain edge to your game is just gone. In certain types of matchups, Zibanejad can still produce. In other types of matchups, he's just not going to go that one extra inch because his body can't.

I think you're remembering Ron Dayne the wrong way, unless you're thinking of Wisconsin Ron Dayne. The Ron Dayne I remember was big fat softy that would dance around the whole and thought he was a scat back. I don't remember him ever being a bruiser, he's not Brandon Jacobs. Maybe in 2000, I'll admit that was before I watched the NFL (started in the playoffs that year).

 

[will1066]

I actually don't think he's wrong at all in the premise.

I also don't think anyone who got fired today thinks otherwise.

The question is whether we should or could've reasonably gotten to that point now, or whether that should still be considered a work in progress at this point.

I don't believe this year's team was even close to the final vision of what was being built. And increasingly I feel like we're seeing comments that would make you think it should've been. And I don't tend to see it that way.

Personally, I don't think this is a playoff team. Last year's success was a mirage that was revealed in the play-in round against Carolina. The fancy hockey needs to go, and more blue collar play needs to be integrated. There is enough skill here to have a blend of creative play yet hard nosed play when the situation calls for it. I think the Panarin contract, for the length, is a mistake to be brutally honest with myself. As great as he is, he has been the catalyst for the east-west hockey that nearly the whole team has embraced even as Quinn has tried to temper it and preached north-south. The defense corps is still a work in progress as well. We still have loads to difficulties moving up the ice as a team.

 

[DekeR]

Here we go again, the boss says he is ashamed of not making the PO's for the 4th season. So lets trade our talented and very young players and get some experienced veterans to get us into the PO's, only to go out in the first or second round AND only to hear that we are one or two players away from taking it all. Wash, rinse and repeat. I don't want to see a NYR's team being a mirror image of the NYK's.

 

[DanielBrassard]

This is where MH's takes sometimes rub me the wrong way. If a guy sucks at some advanced stat he's garbage, even if he's a PPG player since Covid.

Can you name a team that won or even made it to the cup while having their top center be a liability in terms of play-driving? That's the direction Zibanejad has been trending. Throw in the injury concerns and it's not as simple as looking at raw point totals.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Can somebody explain to me what was JD's daily tasks? What does a President do?

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Do you have any idea how many of your coworkers want you to stay or go? or you have them fill out a survey each month?

DOnt answer. Think.

Torts was fired bc they literally DO ask the players about how they feel when it comes to other guys in the organization. Leaders in the locker room can carry messages to the FO. ADA was not picked up on waivers by anyone.

Think

 

[LeetchisGod]

I actually don't think he's wrong at all in the premise.

I also don't think anyone who got fired today thinks otherwise.

The question is whether we should or could've reasonably gotten to that point now, or whether that should still be considered a work in progress at this point.

I don't believe this year's team was even close to the final vision of what was being built. And increasingly I feel like we're seeing comments that would make you think it should've been. And I don't tend to see it that way.

Overall I think Gorton did a decent job. But I don't see why he didn't make more of an effort to acquire some sandpaper after that embarassing loss to the Canes in the play-in round. Skjei knocked Fast silly and there was zero pushback. Instead he wasted roster spots on PDG and Jack Johnson.

 

[Machinehead]

I think you're remembering Ron Dayne the wrong way, unless you're thinking of Wisconsin Ron Dayne. The Ron Dayne I remember was big fat softy that would dance around the whole and thought he was a scat back. I don't remember him ever being a bruiser, he's not Brandon Jacobs. Maybe in 2000, I'll admit that was before I watched the NFL (started in the playoffs that year).

Yeah it was around 2000. He was a really great rookie and never progressed past that.

The scat back was the guy who was hurt and trying to compensate for it.

 

[Edge]

Personally, I don't think this is a playoff team. Last year's success was a mirage that was revealed in the play-in round against Carolina. The fancy hockey needs to go, and more blue collar play needs to be integrated. There is enough skill here to have a blend of creative play yet hard nosed play when the situation calls for it. I think the Panarin contract, for the length, is a mistake to be brutally honest with myself. As great as he is, he has been the catalyst for the east-west hockey that nearly the whole team has embraced even as Quinn has tried to temper it and preached north-south. The defense corps is still a work in progress as well. We still have loads to difficulties moving up the ice as a team.

It's funny because I felt like if last season was a full year, we actually slide out of the playoffs.

This year, if it was a full season, I felt like we actually slide into the playoffs (if we stay healthy).

And yet, because they weren't full seasons, there is a belief that we declined. I don't think we actually did, I think we're more or less the same team and one that could slip in or slip out of the playoffs depending on a few factors.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

You have to admit, it is going to be hilarious when Drury ends up being a good GM and this is looked at in hindsight as a great move by Dolan to take the team to the next step of the “build” a la Carolina canning Francis or Chicago getting rid of Dale Tallon or Pittsburgh bringing in Rutherford.

Moves that were questionable at best at the time but turned out to be great moves.

I really hope for this obviously.

So I'm of two minds. Provided Dolan just felt like the rebuild was taking too long and he'll butt.

1) I agree that they underachieved this year. The collapse against the Islanders was one of the most chicken shit stretches I've seen in my life. To me that was a lot more embarrassing than lacking toughness or whatever in the previous Caps game. Outscored 13-1 in 3 must win games. How can an owner look at this, knowing he has two superstars and 5 almost PPG players on his team and be happy (well maybe that's not the case after this stretch)?

2) I worry he'll take shortcuts. I'd still rather slow but successful rather than fast and unsuccessful. I don't want a bunch of young players to go traded unless it's for logical returns.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

DOnt answer. Think.

Torts was fired bc they literally DO ask the players about how they feel when it comes to other guys in the organization. Leaders in the locker room can carry messages to the FO. ADA was not picked up on waivers by anyone.

Think

Torts pissed a lot of players off it got to a point where they turned on him.

We have no leaders, our "A"s wouldn't get a sniff of a letter on most good teams.

 

[Edge]

Overall I think Gorton did a decent job. But I don't see why he didn't make more of an effort to acquire some sandpaper after that embarassing loss to the Canes in the play-in round. Skjei knocked Fast silly and there was zero pushback. Instead he wasted roster spots on PDG and Jack Johnson.

I don't know if he could with what was out there.

I think that's where we have to be careful.

There are going to be guy we "can" acquire, but I don't think people always take into account the cost or availability.

Sometimes the guys you want just aren't available or interested. Other times, you'd be shocked by the sticker price.

The Rangers are going to have to be careful. Because that's how you go out and make a move that costs more than it benefits you, even if it "fills a need" so to speak.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Can you name a team that won or even made it to the cup while having their top center be a liability in terms of play-driving? That's the direction Zibanejad has been trending. Throw in the injury concerns and it's not as simple as looking at raw point totals.

It's also not as simple as trading him for whom? And will that player be a top center that's a non-liability in terms of play driving? Easy to say "let's trade him" who would be his replacement?

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Torts pissed a lot of players off it got to a point where they turned on him.

We have no leaders, our "A"s wouldn't get a sniff of a letter on most good teams.

No shit. I clearly know that. That doesnt invalidate my point.

What you're saying is irrelevant. Think.

No one wanted the 60+ pt defenseman sitting on waivers for a super cheap salary. No one wanted to trade beans for him at 50% retained salary. Use your head

 

[SnowblindNYR]

It's funny because I felt like if last season was a full year, we actually slide out of the playoffs.

This year, if it was a full season, I felt like we actually slide into the playoffs (if we stay healthy).

And yet, because they weren't full seasons, there is a belief that we declined. I don't think we actually did, I think we're more or less the same team and one that could slip in or slip out of the playoffs depending on a few factors.

For what it's worth as much as I absolutely loathe Quinn I don't think we declined this year. But I think that has a lot to do with Fox, Shesterkin, and Martin. Not really Quinn.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

There’s a lot more to the story. I expect When JD found out Gorts was being let go some kind of words along the lines of if he goes I go was said. Dolan I guess said ok and here we are. Any one who thinks this is all just because of a letter is out to lunch. More will come out. That’s for sure. We need Drury to be a stud right now. Luckily, he does well in pressure situations.....

I have no problem with Drury in charge. I just hope that the jackass owner keeps his mouth shut on hockey decisions.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

I'd take a prime Zibanejad into battle with me.

I don't know if that's what I'm getting at this point though.

Whenever I watch Rangers play one player that always looks like he is a level or 2 above his teammates is Zibanejad. His skill and size combo is in the top 5 in NHL.

 

[jay from jersey]

Trouba and Kreider's contracts are absolutely going to force us to make sacrifices elsewhere, and I honestly don't see them parting with Zibanejad.

It's going to be ~22m tied up in underperforming players who, a few years down the line, aren't going to be in team's top 5 best players.

And even if they did part with Zibanejad. It's still over 14 million for a third pairing D and a third liner. Those contracts were definitely a cause for concern with Gorton.

Both players are moveable with 2 or so years left of their deals. Trouba more so because he’ll still be young ish even at the end of his deal and what he brings at RD will still be sought after by many teams. These 2 deals aren’t going to take this team. People are worrying for no reason.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

No shit. I clearly know that. That doesnt invalidate my point.

What you're saying is irrelevant. Think.

No one wanted the 60+ pt defenseman sitting on waivers for a super cheap salary. No one wanted to trade beans for him at 50% retained salary. Use your head

My problem with ADA is if GM/coaches/teammates hated him so much, why not trade him after his monster season before re-signing him? Think.

 

[Edge]

It's also not as simple as trading him for whom? And will that player be a top center that's a non-liability in terms of play driving? Easy to say "let's trade him" who would be his replacement?

And where things get tricky, and a little dicey, is if your owner is now expecting you to be better.

So now you have to not only move on from Zibanejad, you actually have to upgrade there....next year.

Not a year from now. Or a year after that. Because patience isn't what the owner wants to hear.

On the one hand we're saying we should be in the playoffs. On the other hand we're talking about trading away a guy who, flaws and all, is still roughly giving us 70 point production. Even if we don't want to hitch the wagon to him long-term, it's hard to just go out and replace that.

So now you start getting into scenarios where that Eichel trade resurfaces. Yada yada yada.

These are things that go beyond Dolan blowing his stack and doing what he does today. Because if he truly feels this way, the whole process just got a lot more difficult.