| | Associated Press
NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers signed defenseman Vladimir
Malakhov from the Stanley Cup-champion New Jersey Devils on Monday
to begin what is expected to be a key week for the club.
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| Malakhov |
The Rangers are getting ready to sign a new coach, presumably
Ron Low, and return Mark Messier to a team that has not been the
same since the club's last trip to the playoffs in 1997.
Malakhov, who was acquired by the Devils from Montreal on March
1, signed a four-year, $14 million deal with a one-year option with
New York. Dallas and Florida also tried to lure the free agent.
"Finally, I got an offer from the Rangers and decided to stay
in the Big Apple," said Malakhov, who began his career with the
New York Islanders. "I really like it here."
General manager Glen Sather decided not to re-sign defensemen
Kevin Hatcher and Mathieu Schneider and use that money on Malakhov.
He set his sights on the 31-year-old veteran of eight NHL seasons
during New Jersey's Stanley Cup run.
"If you look through the NHL, there aren't many players who can
play with this kind of ability," Sather said. "He was a player
that was available and we didn't have to give up any youth to get
him. I think he makes us a stronger hockey team."
The deal is worth $3.5 million a year for four years, with a
club option of $4.25 million or a player option of $2.5 million for
a fifth year.
Sather will return to New York on Tuesday after being out of
town for his son's wedding.
Once he gets back, the new GM is expected to close some big
deals. Sather disputed reports Monday that Messier, who had his
contract bought out by the Vancouver Canucks, had already signed a
two-year deal with the Rangers.
"That's totally untrue," Sather said. "Mark has not agreed to
a contract."
Messier captained the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup, ending 54
years of frustration.
Low emerged last month as the top candidate to replace John
Muckler, who was fired along with GM Neil Smith with only four
games remaining in the regular season.
Malakhov, who still owns a New York home, missed the Canadiens'
first 53 games with a knee injury. He was placed on the trading
block when the club found out that he took his family skiing during
the All-Star break even though he had not returned to the Montreal
lineup from a torn ligament in his right knee.
He played his first game with the Devils four days after the
trade and had a goal and four assists in 24 games. Malakhov, who
also had a goal and four assists in the playoffs, spent a little
over two years with the Islanders before being sent to Montreal in
a deal involving Schneider in 1995.
"He should be in his prime," said Sather, who expects Malakhov
to get plenty of power-play time and take a lot of pressure off
captain and fellow defenseman Brian Leetch. "He spent his years
learning in the NHL and now we should be able to watch him
flourish."
The Rangers, who had the NHL's largest payroll last season at
$61 million, have missed the playoffs in each of the last three
seasons.
"I just think it was necessary to make some personnel changes
on the team, especially with what's gone on the past three years,"
Sather said.
The Rangers have also expressed interest in another member of
the Devils, forward Claude Lemieux. There is talk New York is set
to offer a contract to the four-time Stanley Cup winner, but none
has been made yet.
"We have to make some changes so we get into the playoffs,"
Sather said. "We've got to make some attitude changes and that
might mean making some personnel changes as well and that's what
we're doing." | |
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