Rangers Walk Away from Zherdev Award
Winger becomes an unrestricted free agent
Aug 4, 2009, 11:52 AM EDT
New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has exercised its right to walk away from the arbitrator’s award to Nikolai Zherdev, thereby allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
“With the additions we've been able to make this summer, we feel we've been able to add scoring and offense from the wing position,” stated Sather. “Following the arbitration process and subsequent award given, we feel it is in our best interest to walk away and continue to explore all available options to improve our roster.”
Zherdev, 24, appeared in 82 games with the Rangers last season, registering 23 goals and 35 assists for 58 points, along with 39 penalty minutes. He was held scoreless in seven playoff contests.
The 6-2, 203-pounder has skated in 365 regular season contests with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets, recording 99 goals and 140 assists for 239 points, along with 203 penalty minutes. The Kiev, Ukraine native was originally Columbus’ first round choice, fourth overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Rangers Walk Away from Zherdev Award
Winger becomes an unrestricted free agent
Aug 4, 2009, 11:52 AM EDT
New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has exercised its right to walk away from the arbitrator’s award to Nikolai Zherdev, thereby allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
“With the additions we've been able to make this summer, we feel we've been able to add scoring and offense from the wing position,” stated Sather. “Following the arbitration process and subsequent award given, we feel it is in our best interest to walk away and continue to explore all available options to improve our roster.”
Zherdev, 24, appeared in 82 games with the Rangers last season, registering 23 goals and 35 assists for 58 points, along with 39 penalty minutes. He was held scoreless in seven playoff contests.
The 6-2, 203-pounder has skated in 365 regular season contests with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets, recording 99 goals and 140 assists for 239 points, along with 203 penalty minutes. The Kiev, Ukraine native was originally Columbus’ first round choice, fourth overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
You could pretty much predict this as soon as it went to arbitration. The arbitrators know as much about nhl salaries and talents, as I do about grading plutonium. Obviously, he was going to come down in the middle of the 2 sides, which was going to be too much for the Rags (3.9M).
I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I think Rags offered 3.2 and Zherdev wanted 4.5.
Wow. The Rags were offering a substantial amount. More than I would have.
They should have just come in with an offer $1 million less than their offer (if the arbitrator is just going to basically cut the middle like that). That way they could have had him at the amount they wanted.
Unless they didn't really give a ****, which is also a distinct possibility.
Wow. The Rags were offering a substantial amount. More than I would have.
They should have just come in with an offer $1 million less than their offer (if the arbitrator is just going to basically cut the middle like that). That way they could have had him at the amount they wanted.
Unless they didn't really give a ****, which is also a distinct possibility.
I was always of the impression that they weren't at all happy with him down the stretch and in the playoffs, and they were going to let him go this offseason. Not saying that's smart asset management necessarily, but I think he played his way off the team. Maybe they couldn't get much for trading his rights.
I was always of the impression that they weren't at all happy with him down the stretch and in the playoffs, and they were going to let him go this offseason. Not saying that's smart asset management necessarily, but I think he played his way off the team. Maybe they couldn't get much for trading his rights.
Too much talent there to not be intrigued... But yeah, that Zherdev's a bum.
I don't see any team really taking too much of a chance on him in the NHL. The Islanders, maybe. But he won't get that kind of cash here if a GM knows what's good for his team.
I'm kind of mixed on that one. I followed Zherdev since pre-defection as I thought he was an interesting kid.
He is ultra talented, to the nth degree. The kid has just never been able to put it together, and that's saying something because right now he's a 25G 60 point man which is not at all bad for a 24 year old... but you just get the feeling there's so much more just below the surface.
You get the feeling watching him though that things have always come easy for him, and he's never really had to work hard to achieve his goals. That obviously changed in the NHL and I don't think he fully adapted.
That said, he's 24, and the sky is the limit. He's a good gamble for a rebuilder at 4mill if they have the cap space. Put him with say Tavares or Bailey on the Island and it could be pretty scary.
Imagine that coming back to haunt the Rags.... Zherdev on the Island.
I'm kind of mixed on that one. I followed Zherdev since pre-defection as I thought he was an interesting kid.
He is ultra talented, to the nth degree. The kid has just never been able to put it together, and that's saying something because right now he's a 25G 60 point man which is not at all bad for a 24 year old... but you just get the feeling there's so much more just below the surface.
You get the feeling watching him though that things have always come easy for him, and he's never really had to work hard to achieve his goals. That obviously changed in the NHL and I don't think he fully adapted.
That said, he's 24, and the sky is the limit. He's a good gamble for a rebuilder at 4mill if they have the cap space. Put him with say Tavares or Bailey on the Island and it could be pretty scary.
Imagine that coming back to haunt the Rags.... Zherdev on the Island.
I remmeber when everyone laughed when I said that trading Tyutin for Zherdev was a bad move on the Rangers part.
Not everyone.
And fwiw, I don't think this means Zherdev is garbage. Just that the Rags don't feel he's worth $4M. Sure, he's soft and he didn't step up in his one and only playoff series. But he's young and already a 60pt forward. Someone will take a chance on him, on a more realistic contract...
Let's bring Kessel into this thread. Why not, he's in every other thread for the past two weeks. Does the Rangers doing this have any effect whatever on Kessel's strategy, or Chiarelli's strategy. Or do things stay the same and Kessel winds up signing in December for reduced bucks when he finds a distinct lack of interest in every other club in the NHL.
Also, do the Bruins try to make a play towards getting Zherdev ?
Let's bring Kessel into this thread. Why not, he's in every other thread for the past two weeks. Does the Rangers doing this have any effect whatever on Kessel's strategy, or Chiarelli's strategy. Or do things stay the same and Kessel winds up signing in December for reduced bucks when he finds a distinct lack of interest in every other club in the NHL.
Also, do the Bruins try to make a play towards getting Zherdev ?
no. I like zherdev (despite his lack of passion), but he is not worth 3 mil. If he signs for 2.5-2.7...then yes. I think in the right system he may flourish, but he was mired in columbus' system and well...the rags are just that...the rags. They are like the habs to me...if you want your career to die a fiery death, you sign with either of those two.
Let's bring Kessel into this thread. Why not, he's in every other thread for the past two weeks. Does the Rangers doing this have any effect whatever on Kessel's strategy, or Chiarelli's strategy. Or do things stay the same and Kessel winds up signing in December for reduced bucks when he finds a distinct lack of interest in every other club in the NHL.
Also, do the Bruins try to make a play towards getting Zherdev ?
Let's bring Kessel into this thread. Why not, he's in every other thread for the past two weeks. Does the Rangers doing this have any effect whatever on Kessel's strategy, or Chiarelli's strategy. Or do things stay the same and Kessel winds up signing in December for reduced bucks when he finds a distinct lack of interest in every other club in the NHL.
Also, do the Bruins try to make a play towards getting Zherdev ?
If Kessel does not sign an NHL deal by Nov. 1 then he cannot play in the NHL in 2009-'10. Maybe Europe.
