As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches, one name that's on the market as a potential reunion with the New York Rangers is Anaheim Ducks' winger Frank Vatrano. The former Rangers' late-season acquisition from the Florida Panthers came to Broadway on St Patrick's Day and made an immediate impact. After his first three games were scoreless, Vatrano would score 8 goals and 5 assists in his 22 games with the Blueshirts to close the 21-22 season. However, Vatrano left for Anaheim when he signed a 3-year / $3.65m AAV deal when the Rangers couldn't fit him under the cap. If the Rangers bring back Vatrano (Pavel Buchnevich or Anthony Duclair could also return), he'll join a long list of players with two stints calling MSG "home," but will his results be different than the handful of players in this article?
Ron Duguay (First stint 1977-1983, Second Stint 1986-1988): Rangers fans remember this speedy winger with his model-like looks, even now at 66 years old, but the former MSG analyst put up fantastic numbers in his first go-around in NY. Despite selecting Duguay over Mike Bossy, the Rangers still had a quality winger who put up 151 goals and 161 assists for 312 points in 417 games with the First Stint. In 1981-82, Duguay put up a career-high 40 goals and 36 assists for 76 points and made the All-Star team, but the up-and-down career of the Ontario native saw another lackluster season. in 1983, Duguay was dealt to the Red Wings, who flipped him to the Penguins in 1986 before the Penguins sent him back home in 1987 for disappointing prospect Chris Kontos. In his Second Stint at MSG, Duguay was not close to the player the Rangers traded away four years earlier. Duguay would score 13 goals and 16 assists in his final 82 games as a Ranger. Despite the ending, Duguay is still a fan favorite.
Brian Noonan (First Stint 1994-1995, Second Stint 1996-1997): In one of the most shocking moments in NHL History, the New York Rangers were sitting at the top of the league at the NHL Trade Deadline, when they dealt for Craig MacTavish, Stephane Matteau, Brian Noonan and Glen Anderson. The most productive player they brought in is not the household name, Stephane Matteau. It was Brian Noonan, who'd score 4 goals and 7 assists for the Rangers in the playoffs en route to the 94 Stanley Cup. The man traded to the Rangers for Tony Amonte would stay for the shortened 1995 season, where he notched 14 goals and 13 assists in 45 games. In 1995, Noonan signed up to play for his Cup-winning coach, Mike Keenan, in St Louis, but in November of 1996, Noonan returned to the Blueshirts. Once again, the player that left isn't the one that returned. Noonan would score 6 goals and 9 assists before GM Neil Smith sent him to Vancouver at the 1997 Trade Deadline.
Martin Rucinsky (First Stint 2002, Second Stint 2003-04, Third Stint 2005-06): 1998's 5th overall pick Manny Malhotra was a flower the Rangers were waiting to bloom, but at the 2002 NHL Trade Deadline, they sent him as part of a 4-player deal. Martin Ruckinsky was one of the players the Rangers acquired. The Czech winger played only 15 games before leaving for St Louis, but he collected 13 points in his first stint. In 2003, Rucinsky signed as a free agent and posted a respectable 43 points before Glen Sather sent him to Vancouver. Rucinsky would return once more as a free agent in 2005. He would be limited to 52 games but notch 55 points as the Rangers made the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. However, Rucinsky would leave once more for St Louis, where he'd finish his career.
Sean Avery (First Stint 2007-2008, Second Stint 2009-2011): In the books about the New York Rangers, Sean Avery deserves his own chapter for better and worse. Coming to the Rangers in February of 2007, Avery made his presence known from the first game as he antagonized Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, calling him a "whiner." In this era, Avery was just what the doctor ordered for the Blueshirts: a finesse team that got more physical and crazier. Avery would become beloved on Broadway as the Rangers would rack up an outstanding winning percentage with Avery in the lineup. Avery put up 33 points in only 57 games as a Ranger and was the face of the Rangers even when his antics rubbed some fans the wrong way. THEN TV announcer John Tortorella criticized Avery for his behavior...keep that in mind. In Avery's second season, he collected 33 points in only 57 games, but his signature moment came in the playoffs. With the Rangers trailing in Game 3 vs New Jersey and going to a 5-on-3, Avery would face Martin Brodeur to distract him. Though the "Avery tactic" wasn't successful immediately, almost a minute later, Avery would cash in on the rush. After this game, the NHL didn't like this and installed the "Avery Rule" IMMEDIATELY.
After the 2007-08 season concluded, Avery bolted to Dallas, where his antics and behavior weren't well received on his new team. Dallas would waive the winger, and the Rangers would claim him less than a year after he left. Avery would provide the same boost as he did for the Rangers in the past, but with NEW coach John Tortorella behind the bench trying to wrangle in Avery's behavior. The team would suspend Avery after starting a brawl in Game 4 of the 2009 First Round series, which signaled a new method of dealing with the enigmatic forward. While Avery put up 31 points and 160 Penalty Minutes in 2009-10, Avery was being phased out. In 2012, he only played 15 games before leaving the team and telling Nicole Richie, of all people, that he "threw his skates into the East River."
Alexei Kovalev (First Stint: 1992-99, Second Stint: 2002-04): Word of mouth in the early 90s spread that the Rangers drafted the "Russian Gretzky". In 92, Alexei Kovalev debuted and showed the talent that drew the attention of GM Neil Smith, but Kovalev's transition didn't fully click. There's the epic story of Rangers' coach Mike Keenan leaving him on the ice for several minutes, but that incident flipped a switch. Kovalev would score 9 goals and 12 assists en route to the 94 Cup. Kovalev had all the talent of a Hall of Famer, but it didn't materialize in New York as he never topped 24 goals or 58 points in his first stint as a Ranger. In 1998, Smith dealt him to Pittsburgh to re-acquire Petr Nedved (who could have made this article too).
Big shock: Kovalev EXPLODED in Pittsburgh. After a 66-point season in 1999-2000, Kovalev would post 44 goals, 51 assists, and 95 points in 2000-01 when he skated with Robert Lang and Martin Straka. He'd post another 76-point season in 01-02 (34 goals, 42 assists) before continuing that production into the 02-03 season, much to the delight of the rebuilding Penguins. The cash-strapped organization would trade him back to the Rangers in 2003 when he scored 27 goals and 37 assists in 54 games, but Kovalev's production mirrored his original production in New York. Kovalev's 64 points in 54 games dropped to 13 in 24 games with the Rangers. He spent one more year with the Rangers (42 points in 66 games) before the Rangers moved him to Montreal. Even though his talent didn't shine through like it did elsewhere, Kovalev remains a Rangers fan favorite.
Mark Messier (First Stint: 1991-97, Second Stint 2000-04): Few athletes could ever write the career Mark Messier has. From 4-time Stanley Cup champion to stepping out of the shadow of the greatest player to play his sport, to MVP AND Cup Champ...and doing both again in a place that was an NHL punchline for 5 decades, Messier came to New York and Oilers' GM Glen Sather told Rangers' GM Neil Smith, "This is the guy that's going to win you a Cup." In his first season, Messier recorded 35 goals, 72 assists, and 107 points en route to leading the Rangers to the best record in the NHL and earning an MVP. After a horrible 92-93 season, Messier would lead the Rangers back to the top of the league in the 93-94 season, but could they break through in the playoffs? Of course, we know the lore of "The Guarantee" that every Rangers fan will tell their grandchildren, which led to the Stanley Cup coming back to New York for the first time since the outbreak of World War II. In Messier's first 412 games as a Rangers, he collected 518 points, placing him 10th in Rangers' history, but a contract dispute forced him to leave for Vancouver. After three agonizing years for BOTH Messier and the Rangers, the organization reunited with their former Captain. Still, they would never again play in another playoff game with the man who hoisted their last Cup. In reality, the Rangers signed a 40-year-old hockey player. Messier had one more season of greatness on Broadway, scoring 24 goals and 43 assists in 2000-01, but he would only score 106 points in his final season at MSG. Once again, the player who left is not the one who returned.
So, where does this leave the Rangers as they look to possibly bring back one of their former players? Will they have success, or will their returns be more diminishing? The NHL Trade Deadline is less than a month away. We will find out soon.
Comments