Easy being blue

The Rangers remind hockey fans that the rich get richer

On Monday the Rangers added another big name, that of Alexei Kovalev, to an already crowded stable of same, in an eight-player trade with the Penguins. Sports Illustrated senior writer Kostya Kennedy says the deal is a no-brainer for the moneyed Blueshirts and a shame for cash-poor Pittsburgh.

SI.com: Rangers general manager and interim head coach Glen Sather sees a product every day that suffers from moves just like this one. Why make another one?

Kennedy: I don't necessarily agree with the premise, that this fits into "moves like this." We've seen that you can’t take a few stars, throw them together and expect to win. But it’s also true that you can spend money on the right players, as the Red Wings did. It’s not a question of whether it falls into the category. If the bosses say we can afford to make the move, you do it.

Mikael Samuelsson is a solid player, but the Rangers basically gave up nothing for a whole lot. Even without Kovalev in the mix, the other players could probably help them. To me, if you have the money, you do it. And there's no second-guessing.

SI.com: Does this make sense philosophically?

Kennedy: It’s a difficult trade to comment on with broad strokes. I don’t know if there is a philosophy with the Rangers. This move is simply a response to someone saying that there's a great player available, all you have to do is give me some money and I’ll give him to you. You get the best diamond ring you can.

SI.com: Will Rangers fans welcome Kovalev back?

Kennedy: Absolutely. At least they should welcome him. He’s still going to drive you crazy; he’s still going to hold onto to the puck too long. But since he left, he’s gotten stronger and much more well-rounded. He’s a very underrated defensive player; they leaned on him in Pittsburgh, and he learned a lot from playing with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. Kovalev’s a strong all-around player, the only thing he hasn’t shaken is the propensity to hold onto the puck. But in every sense he’s made himself a better player. In Pittsburgh he really rounded out his game as an offensive player.

SI.com: Having traded Jagr and Kovalev, Pittsburgh isn't a whole lot better off for the future. Couldn’t the Penguins have returned at least one player from the Rangers with significant NHL experience, if not success?

Kennedy: Where they are is immeasurably worse. Could they have gotten more? Yes, they could have gotten better players from the Rangers when Jagr was dealt. But it’s not about hockey. It’s about money. It’s hard to say what they could have afforded to bring back. In any case, it really is heartbreaking to see what’s happened to that team, and it really underscores the problems in the league. Here's a team a few points out of a playoff spot and it’s trading a guy who’s not in the last year of his contract, who’s not old; they simply can’t afford him.

SI.com: Who will the Rangers most regret trading?

Kennedy: I guess Samuelsson, the player with the most upside. He’s still pretty young and skilled, but they're not going to regret anything. There's nothing to regret.

SI.com: Will the Rangers miss the playoffs this season?

Kennedy: Yes.

SI.com: Will the Penguins miss the playoffs for the foreseeable future?

Kennedy: Definitely.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Kostya Kennedy covers the NHL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.

 

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