Rangers Add More Offense - They Get Kotalik

He's done it again! Glen Sather - suddenly a rejuvenated master wheeler dealer - has added more scoring - and more power play goals - to the Ranger line up by signing the free agent Ales Kotalik.

The more we learn about the 30 year old Czech right winger, the more we like this move. Ales had 20 goals and 23 assists last year (43 points). He has one of the hardest shots in the NHL and a tremendous backhand shot to go with it.

Kotalik, who played for Edmonton and Buffalo last year (a former linemate for Chris Drury), should add some real punch to the Rangers sagging powerplay - he scored 21 powerplay goals over the last two seasons.

But there's more. The man is a Shoot Out superstar. In his NHL career, Ales has taken 38 tries in Shoot Outs and has scored on an incredible 20 of them. That's more than half the time. He is third on the all time SO goal list. And SO goals translate into SO wins - so this one player may be able to generate several points in the standings all by himself.

So what we have is a great finisher with a great shot and a clutch reputation. I'm thinking if you line him up with Gaborik, Kotalik will get a lot of great chances - and will convert a lot of those chances into goals.

Ales will cost us about 3 million per year for 3 years. .

I am loving this move. Say what you will about Sather - and I have - he has very done well this off season, despite starting with the cap mess he created for himself.