Your New York Rangers are looking to save a little cap space so that when Gaborik takes the ice, they can send a Center and a few other players out there with him.That means they are bottom feeding - ladelling through the vast gumbo of NHL unsigned (and largely unwanted) players, looking for some tasty bargains. And from this soup the Rangers are looking at Bouillon - at least according to rumor.
That is, Francis Bouillon, the UFA from the Montreal Canadians. In other words - we're thinking of raiding a marginal player from a team that actually finished worse than us last year.
All kidding aside, Bullion has a reputation as a tough and determined defenseman. And he's 5'8" and 200 pounds. Now, your pal Dave Pucks is also 5' 8", but I tip the Blueshirt Brothers Medical Plan scales at 156 pounds - and no one ever calls me skinny (certainly not Mrs. Pucks!).
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In hockey, unlike almost every other sport - shortness in a defenseman is not an automatic liability. That's because the puck generally stays down on the ice surface. There are no jump balls in the NHL.
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So if a 6' 3" 190 pound winger is on a collision course with a 5' 8" 200 pounder - guess what happens? The lower center of gravity wins.
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So if a 6' 3" 190 pound winger is on a collision course with a 5' 8" 200 pounder - guess what happens? The lower center of gravity wins.
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Francis (maybe we can call him "Soupy"?) Bullion is 33 years old and contributed 5 goals and 4 assist to last year's Montreal juggernaut. None of this is good news - but it's his defense the Blueshirts are interested in.
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Anyway - so far it's just a rumor about interest - not a signed contract - so hold off on ordering those Bouillon jerseys for now.
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Anyway - so far it's just a rumor about interest - not a signed contract - so hold off on ordering those Bouillon jerseys for now.
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The only questions remaining questions are:
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-Will the acquisition of the short aging "Soupy" put our defense in hot water?
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-Will the acquisition of the short aging "Soupy" put our defense in hot water?
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-Do the Rangers have one of those you-must-be-this-tall-to be-on-this-ride signs in their locker room?, and
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-How in the world will the Canadians replace those 5 lost goals?
-How in the world will the Canadians replace those 5 lost goals?
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Hard to imagine they could get Bouillon for much less than Betts. So why not stick with Betts? His numbers aren't much different than Bouillon, he's got a bigger reach, and he's one of the top PK's in the league. And so far, nobody seems to want him.
ReplyDeleteIf you're a Rangers fan (and if that rumor is true) you will love Bouillon! Although is 5'8'' he play much bigger than that ! He is a strong hitter, and does play tough along the boards!
ReplyDeleteTo give you a good idea of his attitude on the ice he had a pretty descent fight vs Colton Orr couple of years ago ... He's not going to win all of his fights ...but he will never back down. He fought guys like Tkachuk, May, Perry, Orr and many more... He alway make a good first pass and he is more than reliable on the PK.
Oh yeah...and the answer to your question: -How in the world will the Canadians replace those 5 lost goals? Don't worry we have that cover with the acquisition of Hal Gill !
Trust me people in MTL are disapointed to see him leave ...
Anonymous #1: I agree with you about Blair Betts - I think it is a shame how the Rangers have turned their back on this hard working special teams players. It's hard to imagine how the Rangers could have watched him all year and concluded "who needs this guy?" and "wow - let's sign that guy who injured him with that cheap shot".
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment - next time just type a name at the bottom of your post so we'll know how to refer to you.
And Anonymous #2: I think Torts wants tough players and Bouillon seems to fit that role. Skating into a 5' 8" 200 pound muscular guy is like running into a fire hydrant. He can get under you and send you flying.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment - and please type a name at the bottom of your post next time (even if you click the anonymous option) so we can tell the difference between you and other anonymous people.
Hi guys-
ReplyDeleteWhat's your take on the Blueshirts' latest acquisition Vinny Prospal?
-Kozy
Shameless plug alert:
www.wkozy.wordpress.com
for your daily humorous trivia of the day, quotation of the day, and weekly quiz every Monday.
Hey Kozy -
ReplyDeleteIf you check up north on the blog a little - the entry with the Insurance Duck - you'll see our initial thoughts on Prospal. But now I'm thinking I'll post tomorrow about the fact that his name ain't really Vinnie. Thanks for commenting - thanks for adding a name so I know who you are - and we'll certainly check out the triva site.
Dave Pucks