FanHouse BobbyHolik

The New Jersey Devils lost home-ice advantage Friday, and they lost their captain in the process. Game Two of their series against the Hurricanes went to Carolina in overtime. That leveled the series at a game apiece, and Game Three is Sunday night in Raleigh.

The Devils also found out that they'll play the two road games without captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who suffered a lower-body injury Friday and did not make the trip. Veteran Bobby Holik will take Langenbrunner's spot in the lineup, but not necessarily on the top line with Zach Parise and Travis Zajac.

Devils 3, Rangers 0: Scott Clemmensen has been fantastic for the Devils this season in the absence of Martin Brodeur, and on Monday night he registered his first shutout in New Jersey's 3-0 win over the Rangers.

Zach Parise picked up a pair of goals for the Devils, while Bobby Holik scored what proved to be the game-winner midway through the second period.

Some teams like to use the free agency period to bring in new blood. The New Jersey Devils are not "some teams." With new faces popping up in new places all over the league today, the Devils turned the clock back to happier times by reaching deals with two UFAs, former Devils Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik.

Rolston is a nice pick-up (I guess I should say, "reacquisition") for the Devils. He's coming off of a 31-goal year in Minnesota and was on a lot of shopping lists today, with the Lightning even trading for his rights a few days ago in an attempt to lock him down before the deadline. The four-year/$20.5 million deal is probably a bit long, but with today's insanity it really doesn't seem that bad.

Holik is a different story. He's been downright brutal in three seasons with the Thrashers and isn't even worth the $2.5 million New Jersey is paying him. Apparently the chance to re-unite the late 1990s powerhouse Devils' team was just too much for Lou Lamoreillo to pass up.

Robert "Bobby" Holik is known for two things: (1) Being a hard-nosed defensive center in the mold of Joel Otto, and (2) being one of the most overpaid players in NHL history.

It speaks to the stupidity and desperation for SIZE that certain NHL GM's were convinced to part with mega millions for a 2nd-3rd line center just because he was 6'4" 230lbs. Never mind the fact that the guy had only three seasons where he put up more than 60 points, and never put up a 30-goal season, Holik somehow managed to earn more money than most small countries, as we can see in his salary history.

2001-02 $3,500,000
2002-03 $9,600,000
2003-04 $8,850,000
2004-05 Lockout :(
2005-06 $4,250,000
2006-07 $4,250,000
2007-08 $4,250,000


Oh, but it gets even better! Per TSN.ca, we learn that the Rangers will have to pay Holik another $3.5mil for not playing during the lockout. Hrm?

Sources tell TSN that the New York Rangers will have to pay former Ranger and current Atlanta Thrashers forward Bobby Holik $3.5 million over a contract dispute in 2004-2005.

Because of the lockout that wiped out the 2004-2005 season, the Rangers argued that Holik needed to play to earn his signing bonus.

An arbitrator disagreed and made the ruling in favor of Holik.

Let's not forget that the Rangers bought out the last two years of his contract, so he was getting even more money not to play for the Ranger$.

Nice work, if you can get it.

If you were to vote for the greatest New York Rangers player of all time, who would you choose? Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Ron "Donkey Schlong" DuGuay? Wayne Gretzky, even with his short tenure?

All good players, yes, but none of them could possibly compare to Brian Leetch, who easily gets my pick as THE #1 player in Gotham's history. Not only was Leetch one of the best defensemen of all-time, but he was the classy face of the league's prime-time franchise. While Messier, and his massive ego, got the press, it was Leetch's fine play the drove the Rangers' Stanley Cup machine.

So, it was pretty much a no-brainer for the Rangers to announce that they are going to be retiring Brian Leetch's #2.

When we talk about what it means to be a New York Ranger, Brian Leetch is the player who exemplifies that model," Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said. "There is no higher honor to grant Brian than to have his number raised to the rafters of Madison Square Garden."

Now, I really have to disagree with Sather about Leetch being the 'model' of the Rangers franchise. Given the Rangers' 50+ year Stanley Cup drought prior to their big win in 1994, and their long playoff drought not long afterward, Leetch is anything, in my opinion, like the 'typical' New York Rangers player. While Leetch worked his ass off and carried himself with class and dignity, the modern New York Rangers have been sullied by divas like Jaromir Jagr, or well-paid under-performing dudes like Chris Drury, Bobby Holik, and Eric Lindros.

No, Brian Leetch was the rare New York Ranger that wasn't blinded by the bright lights of Broadway, and the Rangers' players ought to look up at Leetch's #2 and try to emulate the former Rangers great.