Shanahan Signs with the Rangers; Leaves the Red Wings

[Mo Z. Dizzle]

Shanahan leaves Red Wings for one-year deal with Rangers
 
By IRA PODELL, AP Sports Writer
July 9, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brendan Shanahan became the second big-time forward to say goodbye to the Detroit Red Wings this offseason, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4 million with the New York Rangers on Sunday.

The 37-year-old forward followed longtime Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman as players who won't be returning to Hockeytown. Yzerman announced his retirement last week after 22 years in Detroit.
 
Now the Red Wings have more than just goaltending issues to deal with after posting the NHL's best record last season. In the span of seven days, they lost their biggest leader in Yzerman and their top goal scorer in Shanahan, who netted 40 last season in his ninth year with the Wings and 18th in the league.

The Rangers, notorious in the past for overspending on top-name players often past their prime, had been relatively quiet in the first week of free agency. They added forward Matt Cullen and defenseman Aaron Ward from the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes while other clubs quickly filled up space on the $44 million salary cap by handing out big-ticket deals.

With room to spend, the Rangers targeted Shanahan, who has 598 goals -- 15th on the NHL career list -- and 634 assists with New Jersey, St. Louis, Hartford, and Detroit. He reportedly turned down equal or higher-valued deals from the Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens.

The Rangers have shifted course in recent years in an attempt to rebuild the team with youth. New York snapped a seven-season playoff drought this year but were swept in the first round by New Jersey. Shanahan won three Stanley Cup titles with the Red Wings.

"He continues to perform at an elite level and also brings outstanding leadership qualities to our organization," Rangers general manager Glen Sather said. "Brendan will be a tremendous player and person for our young players to learn from."

Shanahan earned $2.28 million in Detroit last year when he recorded the sixth 40-goal season of his career and first since the 1999-2000 campaign.

One of the last true power forwards in the game, the seven-time All-Star will be a good complement to Jaromir Jagr -- who will not have to bear the full offensive burden on Broadway next season.

Shanahan, the strongest advocate for rules changes during the NHL lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season, took advantage once the game returned with less clutching, grabbing and mauling in front of the net. That is where the 6-foot-3, 220-pound left winger is most effective, especially with the man advantage.

He scored 14 goals on the power play, a unit in New York that should be even more potent than last season when Jagr netted 24 of his club-record 54.

 
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=ApQF3wnrIiqMN7k3CoYALCg5nYcB?slug=ap-rangers-shanahan&prov=ap&type=lgns

been a bad season for for the Red Wings...Yzerman retires; now Shanahan leaves

[WestCoasta]

damn, that's interesting