Blackburn

I remember hearing a couple of weeks ago that Blackburn was supposed to be going in for exploratory surgery on his shoulder. I even remember Brooks writing in an article that "Blackburn is going in for surgery today." Did anyone ever hear the results? Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember hearing anything after that. I would love to see Blackburn playing at some point early next season.

I remember hearing a couple of weeks ago that Blackburn was supposed to be going in for exploratory surgery on his shoulder. I even remember Brooks writing in an article that "Blackburn is going in for surgery today." Did anyone ever hear the results? Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember hearing anything after that. I would love to see Blackburn playing at some point early next season.

Just going on memory, the surgery was deemed highly succesful...They found scar tissue impinging on his nerve, which may have been the problem all along..I remember reading that only a handful of days aft3r surgery he was making rapid improvement...great news...and he will have to be at the top of his game down the line to beat out lundqvist...

As for next year, the best thing for Danny Boy would be to spend a heealthy and developing year in Hartford where he can finally get his mechanics and technique down...

they found scar tissue around the nerve in question. and after removed the nerve started healing better than expected. im sure someone else can elaborate better on it, but thats the gist of it. its looking good on the blackburn front :banana:

Sam and JD said in the game the next day that the surgery was a huge success.

Then it was mentioned in most of the major papers that the surgery removed scar tissue that was impinging on the nerve, preventing it from proper function and regeneration, and that Dan immediately felt the benefit. Blackburn feels that he could be ready by the beginning of next year.

It was mentioned a few times on these boards, when the articles were posted (thanks KING), but I forget exactly when it was.

Damn, everyone's quick to reply! Not that I expected anything different... ;)

Thanks guys.... This should make a very interesting training camp... I wonder who will be the starter down in Hartford, maybe both... too bad this injury had to happen it woulda been great giving Blackburn 40-50 starts this year.

Sam and JD said in the game the next day that the surgery was a huge success.

Then it was mentioned in most of the major papers that the surgery removed scar tissue that was impinging on the nerve, preventing it from proper function and regeneration, and that Dan immediately felt the benefit. Blackburn feels that he could be ready by the beginning of next year.

It was mentioned a few times on these boards, when the articles were posted (thanks KING), but I forget exactly when it was.


but damn it TOOT TOOT :joker:

I broke the good news that day.

In all seriousness, as someone mentioned above once they removed the scar tissue the article stated that they actually saw the nerve ending snap back into place. The impingement was that severe.

Anyway, the reports are that the inprovement that he has experienced already has been 100 times what he has gone through in the last 9 months.

Additionally, someone is getting fired for not suggesting this a whole lot sooner. Not that it changes the teams destiny by any stretch, but there's alot of games that he missed that he should have played in.

Thanks guys.... This should make a very interesting training camp... I wonder who will be the starter down in Hartford, maybe both... too bad this injury had to happen it woulda been great giving Blackburn 40-50 starts this year.

Thats a good question. I'm kinda torn on it. I want Blackburn to get as many starts as possible to work on the basics (with a goalie coach!), but at the same time, I dont want Lundqvist rotting on the bench. Maybe its best if they split time for the 1st half of the season and then Lundqvist gets the first call-up at around New Years.

Also, what happens to Labarbera? We cant have Blackie, Lundqvist and Labarbera all in Hartford. Maybe he gets traded at the draft. Maybe he's the backup in New York. Maybe we just have to wait till training camp, see how they all perform, and let the pieces fall where they fall.

Yea, someone should be called out on this one.... its a travesty that he lost all that time, when thats all it took to really correct the problem.

You know if its the Yankees they would have figured that out within a week.

but damn it TOOT TOOT :joker:

I broke the good news that day.

In all seriousness, as someone mentioned above once they removed the scar tissue the article stated that they actually saw the nerve ending snap back into place. The impingement was that severe.

Anyway, the reports are that the inprovement that he has experienced already has been 100 times what he has gone through in the last 9 months.

Additionally, someone is getting fired for not suggesting this a whole lot sooner. Not that it changes the teams destiny by any stretch, but there's alot of games that he missed that he should have played in.

Well, thanks to you then, too :) .

I think it's a little hard to call for someone's head to roll for not suggesting this sooner, though. Nerves are interesting cells, and it can be very difficult to say what is wrong.

I remember surgery being mentioned as a possibility much earlier in the season, which probably means it was discussed even earlier. Ultimately, it was Blackburn's decision as to whether to go in for the surgery. If they hadn't found anything, that the regeneration was just going slowly, there was a chance that he would have been out for even longer.

From what I read, I think everyone was astounded by the success of the surgery.

I would have Blackburn start in Hartford and get him a full time, sleep in his own bed goalie coach.

Then I would put Lundqvuist right in the NHL and have him split time with a goalie like Dunham. (Preferably not Dunham, but a guy who can start 30-40 games and be decent, maybe Markkanen?)

Lundqvuist faces better competition in the SEL than he will in the AHL, so hes probably ready. He would have to get used to the ice size, but it shouldn't be a huge deal.

It would be great for him if he could get 30-40 starts next season in the NHL. Then once Blackburn gets through a season in Hartford, they can fight it out for the #1 job.

talk about lots of goalies.

dunham, mclennan, valiquette, labarbera, blackburn, osaer, and to a lesser extent lundqvist (is he ever coming over?).

wonder whos gonna be out of a job :dunno:

talk about lots of goalies.

dunham, mclennan, valiquette, labarbera, blackburn, osaer, and to a lesser extent lundqvist (is he ever coming over?).

wonder whos gonna be out of a job :dunno:

blackburn and lundqvist take priority over all the others and get the 2 spots in hartford...everyone else either fights for a spot in ny, goes down to charlotte or finds a new organization

talk about lots of goalies.

dunham, mclennan, valiquette, labarbera, blackburn, osaer, and to a lesser extent lundqvist (is he ever coming over?).

wonder whos gonna be out of a job :dunno:

To a lesser extent Lundqvist? He and Blackburn are the two bright spots of that list. It really is quantity over quality...

Dunham looks to be on his way out, McLennan is a decent backup who probably won't stay, Valiquette looks to be a backup as well, Osaer probably isn't NHL material, and Jason Labarbera really makes me think of J-F Labbe (hope I'm wrong, I'd like to see him make it in the NHL).

The goalie situation will be interesting, but I think most of it will be taken care by a yet to be signed UFA...I can't see Sather not signing one to take the lion's share of the goalie duties for next year...The $64,000 question is who will be the back-up....Will Dunham be bought out after his horror season or used kept on as a back-up goalie, whihc he is? McLennan? Valliquette? And then you have the three important guys in Blacky, the AHL MVP in LaBarbera, and Lundqvist.....All three need to play ALOT and all three still need to develop....It would be optimum if Labarberra could adjust his game to the speed of the NHL and win the back-up and we could dump Dunhum...More likely, he gets moved to open up space for the other two more highly regarded prospects..Maybe Henrik and Danny Boy can share goalie duties in the AHL and drive each other because lord knows it would be a waste for Lundqvist to cross the pond and sit (or play in the ECHL) and the same thing for Blackburn after two lost development years..

Goalie Status for Next Year?

Dunham-Likely bought out.
McLennan-Contract Status? Didn't look especially good playing for the Rangers, but he was playing with a bruised sternum, so he's got heart. Might be a decent guy to split time with one of the kids, assuming Sather doesn't sign someone else.
Valiquette-Career AHL-er. The only reason we got him is because the Pack lost Osaer to injury and the organization needed another goalie cuz there was no one decent to call up from Charlotte. This is where we miss the IHL and its unaffiliated franchises since an AHL veteran like Valiquette (or even Labarbera) could be lent out there and face high-caliber competition.
Osaer-Hello, Charlotte! Technically, Phil is not even Ranger property, since he was signed to a PTO by the Pack. He's bounced between ECHL-starter/AHL-backup in his career. It is in the Rangers' interest to have someone reliable manning the pipes in Charlotte in case of a trade or injury in NY or HFD. Look what happened this year.
LaBarbera-A healthy Backburn and a U.S.-bound Lundqvist could spell the end for his Ranger dreams. At least one of them will end up in Hartford and it wouldn't be good for their development to be Jason's caddy. Jason himself is too good to be an AHL backup and Pack fans wouldn't like to see him in that role either. As good as he's been this year, he has holes in his game (mainly his piss-poor lateral skating) that can be readily exploited by NHL-quality snipers, especially when they will get a lot more shots against him as a Ranger (last I checked, Pack only allowed 21 SOG against per game).
Blackburn/Lundqvist-When was the last time we had 2 young potential #1 goalies at the same time?

To a lesser extent Lundqvist? He and Blackburn are the two bright spots of that list. It really is quantity over quality...

Dunham looks to be on his way out, McLennan is a decent backup who probably won't stay, Valiquette looks to be a backup as well, Osaer probably isn't NHL material, and Jason Labarbera really makes me think of J-F Labbe (hope I'm wrong, I'd like to see him make it in the NHL).

sorry if i wasnt too clear. "to a lesser extent" as in im not sure when he will be here. will he be over here battling for a spot next season?

Thinking it over, it seems like a good idea to draft a goalie ths year. We've only drafted one keeper (Chris Holt: 2003 6th Rd) since we took Blackburn and the cupboard is bare once you get past Blackburn/Lundquist/LaBarbera.

We've got....

Holt-Finished his freshman year at U. of Nebraska-Omaha. Will be a 4-year collegian, so won't go pro for another 3 years.

Asplund-Seems to have regressed. Probably never coming over.

Snee-Couldn't hold steady ECHL job, not offered contract by Rangers (so he's no longer a prospect).

So it looks like we need to get a netminder (or two) in the pipeline, one who could play in the AHL 2-3 years from now. Obviously, I wouldn't use one of our 1sts on a goalie, (unless Scwarz or Montoya falls all the way to #26) but the Rangers can afford to spend one of their umpty-zillion 2nd rounders on a goalie.

Other than Dubnik, who is likely gone by the end of the first round I don't know who would be a good choice in the mid/late 2nd round. Any suggestions?

Thinking it over,

snip

Any suggestions?

Yes, tell us what you've done with "mdoak", and we'll petition the judge for leniency..

Osaer-Hello, Charlotte! Technically, Phil is not even Ranger property, since he was signed to a PTO by the Pack.

Hmmm.. I think he is Ranger property. I vaguely remember him being signed when he was called up.

Thinking it over, it seems like a good idea to draft a goalie ths year. We've only drafted one keeper (Chris Holt: 2003 6th Rd) since we took Blackburn and the cupboard is bare once you get past Blackburn/Lundquist/LaBarbera.

We've got....

Holt-Finished his freshman year at U. of Nebraska-Omaha. Will be a 4-year collegian, so won't go pro for another 3 years.

Asplund-Seems to have regressed. Probably never coming over.

Snee-Couldn't hold steady ECHL job, not offered contract by Rangers (so he's no longer a prospect).

So it looks like we need to get a netminder (or two) in the pipeline, one who could play in the AHL 2-3 years from now. Obviously, I wouldn't use one of our 1sts on a goalie, (unless Scwarz or Montoya falls all the way to #26) but the Rangers can afford to spend one of their umpty-zillion 2nd rounders on a goalie.

Other than Dubnik, who is likely gone by the end of the first round I don't know who would be a good choice in the mid/late 2nd round. Any suggestions?
Why would we need to draft another goaltender? Blackie is just entering his 20s and is already NHL material. Lundquist is supposedly good enough to be an NHLer soon. And then we have the AHL MVP. So we have 3 damn good young goaltenders, that is two more than most other organizations. Where is the need for another goaltender? And even if we wanted another one, why the hell would we waste a 2nd rounder on one? Goaltending is the strength of our prospect pipeline right now, those 2nds could and should be used to shore up our forwards and defenseman. I'm sorry, the notion of drafting a goaltender in the second round is just proposterous.

Hmmm.. I think he is Ranger property. I vaguely remember him being signed when he was called up.

Could be right. His Wolfpack player page describes him as a Pack PTO and he's not listed as "In the System" on the NYR site, but this could just be the lack of an update.

In any event, I don't see him playing the same role for the Wolfpack next season.

Most goalies take a longtime to develop, I wouldn't draft a goalie in this years draft. There may be some decent 2nd rounders(Schneider, Ellis, Brown) and others in the later rounds(Valant, Greiss, Fallon), but if we keep all the pics i'd hope we'd draft forwards and D-men. Goalie is not a pressing need, and the goalie depth league wide is pretty solid, i think we'll have more choices once the other GM's start to make cutbacks.

I think Dunham and Lundqvist should split next year and Blackburn should start in Hartford. Trade Labarbera to move up or down(to get more picks) in the draft.

Why would we need to draft another goaltender? Blackie is just entering his 20s and is already NHL material. Lundquist is supposedly good enough to be an NHLer soon. And then we have the AHL MVP. So we have 3 damn good young goaltenders, that is two more than most other organizations. Where is the need for another goaltender? And even if we wanted another one, why the hell would we waste a 2nd rounder on one? Goaltending is the strength of our prospect pipeline right now, those 2nds could and should be used to shore up our forwards and defenseman. I'm sorry, the notion of drafting a goaltender in the second round is just proposterous.

Some rebuttal points.
-I'm well aware of the strengths of our goaltending prospects and agree that we don't have an immediate need for a young keeper. However, outside of prodigies who are NHL-ready in their teens, goalies take time to develop. For example...

LaBarbera-6 seasons since his draft year (98: 3rd Round)
Lundqvist-4 seasons since his draft year (00:7th Round)
Blackburn-3 seasons since his draft year (01: 1st Round)

A goalie that we take will take a few years to develop. By the time they are NHL or even AHL ready, the Three Amigos will be in their mid-to-late 20s and will no longer be considered prospects. (And all 3 of them will certainly not be Rangers property by then.) Someone has to be up-and-coming in the minors.

-In a normal year, I wouldn't suggest taking a goalie with a 2nd rounder. 3rd-4th-5th rounds are normally good enough spots to find decent goalie prospects. However, since we have 4-5 2nd round picks this year (and I'm not sure how the Rangers stand with mid/late round picks. Are we missing our 3rd?), I thought we could spare a 2nd for a goalie IF the right choice presents itself.

-Draft BPA not need. If Marek Schwarz is somehow still on the board at #26, the Rangers are going to take him regardless of how many young goalies we have.

-Like I said, we took a goalie with a 6th rounder in 2003, none in 2002. From 1997 to 2001, the Rangers took at least 1 goalie every year in the 1st through 5th rounds (and a few in the later rounds as well), which is we we have 3 good young goalies now.

If the only goalies we draft in the next year or two are late round afterthoughts, the well will eventually run dry.

I wouldn't draft a goalie in the top 2 rounds, but if you feel there is a dark horse later in the draft then by all means make the pick. In 3-4 years it would be nice to have another young goalie knocking on the door, why not use a 4th or 5th if you feel he could be the real deal?