Mike Chen's Hockey Blog
Entries with the tag: John+Tortorella
Zherdev: Tremendous Upside Or Waste Of Talent?
by Mike Chen on 08/04/09 at 02:43 PM ET
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At first glance, I have a hard time trying to figure out why an arbitrator awarded Nikolai Zherdev $3.9 million. That’s a pretty hefty price tag for such an enigmatic player, and it feels like it’s paying more for potential than anything else.
Here’s the thing. If I’m a GM, I’d have a difficult time taking Zherdev at even his qualifying number of $3.25 million. The guy can be Pavel Datsyuk-style brilliant with stickhandling on one shift, then be a useless pylon on the next. These days, the salary cap is too restrictive to give up significant space for an unknown quantity.
I think what is more telltale about Zherdev’s grit (or lack thereof) is his coaching history. I can understand if he went nowhere under Doug MacLean; as amusing as MacLean can be when he’s on sports radio, he’s always been a one-hit coaching wonder in my book. But when Ken Hitchcock took over the Blue Jackets, I figured it was make or break time with Zherdev. In Dallas, Hitchcock instilled defensive responsibility in Mike Modano and roped in Sergei Zubov’s freelancing tendencies, eventually transforming him into one the league’s best blueliners. In Columbus, part of his job would be to elevate Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev into complete players.
We can probably all agree that he was successful with Nash. Zherdev? Not so much; he had his spurts but ultimately it was an exercise in futility—despite his upside.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: John+Tortorella, Nikolai+Zherdev,
Wade Redden’s Shopping List
by Mike Chen on 02/24/09 at 11:21 AM ET
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Error prone? Soft? Apathetic?
Oh, Wade Redden, you’re about to get it now. When John Tortorella storms into the Ranger locker room, the fun and games are over. You’re worried about the New York fans booing you and your redonkulous contract? Torts will make you wish that you the booing went straight into your iPod’s ear buds because his voice will be loud, direct, and in your ear.
Now, Tortorella may have a relationship with Chris Drury and Scott Gomez thanks to Team USA but chances are they won’t be given much of a leash. Of course, the thing is that Drury and Gomez are actually character guys and they might actually respond to Tortorella’s “shut yer yap” style.
But for you Wade? Here’s a few things you might want to pick up after practice:
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: John+Tortorella, Wade+Redden,
Hey Slats: Safe Is Death
by Mike Chen on 02/23/09 at 01:44 PM ET
Comments (1)
If I’m picking a new coach for the New York Rangers, I’m thinking three words: shut yer yap.
That infamous phrase, of course, came from the mouth of former Tampa Bay Lightning coach—and Stanley Cup champion—John Tortorella. Tortorella, a former assistant coach with the Rangers as well, was always a great quote and his no-bull style of talk would give the New York media interesting fodder every day. If you’ve caught any of his analyst work of TSN, you’ll know that he just doesn’t have that filter between his brain and his head—and that’s a good thing. Entertainment value aside, though, Tortorella’s coaching outlook and gruff approach might be just what the Blueshirts need. Let’s look at the Rangers checklist of problems:
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
Random Thoughts
by Mike Chen on 02/03/09 at 12:10 PM ET
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A few random thoughts after playing catch-up with the past few days:
-Those marketing geniuses down in the Tuscon, Arizona market show they know how to get someone’s attention during a sporting event. Maybe the Coyotes should consider hiring the minds behind that for some of their promotion. Imagine the anticipation as viewers wonder when the Phoenix Coyotes broadcast just might turn into 30 seconds of uncensored adult material. “Wayne Gretzky just said what?”
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Alexei+Kovalev, Daniel+Briere, Jay+Bouwmeester, John+Tortorella, Pascal+Leclaire,
