Rangers Sign Lundquist To 7 yr / $59.5 Million Deal

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

From NHL.com

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=694359

 

Well, all I can say is, good.

 

Good in the sense that signing Lundquist gives them a very good goaltender for years to come.

That said, the Rangers now have to manage their cap intelligently, as they have several other pending FA and RFA's in the fold, and they need to decide what kind of team they will be under Alain Vigneault, as it's pretty apparent that John Tortorella's style (for better or worse) will no longer be part of the Rangers' culture in the locker room.

 

Build around King Henrik? Sure, why not....and while the Rangers do need to step up and get the right players around Lundquist that can play "Vigneault hockey", it will also be up to Lundquist himself to deliver the goods and make this deal seem like a steal for the Rangers.

 

No throwing your coach under the bus because you disagree with coaching decisions, no coming up with excuses as to why shots weren't stopped, and no pouting if the coach decides he wants to run the backup goaltender a bit more.

 

I think everyone understands Lundquist is the number one and everyone expects him to play as such, but if the coach needs to bench a few players to send messages (his goalie included), then the players need to take the good with the bad.

 

I was pretty sure Henrik would try to seek greener pastures elsewhere, but it seems the Rangers brass did what they needed to in selling Lundquist on sticking around.

 

Different life under Vigneault, King Henrik...you benefitted GREATLY from Coach Tortorella's suffocating defensive style, now you need to prove you are a great goalie under ANY style...no excuses.

[jammer2]

@Hockey Junkie  Lunqvist's contract will have no bearing on Miller. Lundy is setting the bar for elite goalies, not the average ones.