Sport-scan daily brief

"Some people may say we’ll get by the first day and have the evening left over to see who’s left and make some deals," Clark said. "But we sort of know ahead of time whether we can move up or back."

With the depth of this year’s draft, which has drawn comparisons to the gold-standard 2003 draft (16 All-Stars in the first round), the Devils likely will get a very good player with their second-round pick, No. 39 overall, as well.

Barring a trade, Clark and the Rangers’ draft contingent will have a wait in excess of four hours at their draft table before they make their first pick. That’s because the Rangers traded away their first- (Rick Nash) and second-round (Ryane Clowe) picks.

Their first selection will come in the third round at No. 65 overall. That pick, acquired from Nashville at last year’s draft, is one of three third-round picks the Rangers have. They also will pick at No. 75 (acquired from Columbus) and No. 80.

ZUBRUS AGREES: A source told The Record that potential unrestricted free agent forward Dainius Zubrus has agreed to terms to remain with the Devils on a three-year contract for roughly $3 million per season. The deal has not been signed yet and it could take a few more days before it’s announced. Zubrus denied the deal is completed, saying "Nothing is finalized yet. It’s not a done deal. [The Devils and his agent] have talked and I take it as a very positive that everything is going to go through."

Bergen Record LOADED: 06.28.2013

682726 New York Islanders

Islanders hit snag in Nabokov talks, not interested in Luongo

By BRETT CYRGALIS

Last Updated: 1:16 PM, June 27, 2013

Posted: 12:20 AM, June 27, 2013

With the NHL draft looming Sunday, there is even less certainty concerning the Islanders’ goaltending situation now than there was when their season ended after a six-game, first-round series loss to the Penguins.

First is the fact talks between unrestricted free agent Evgeni Nabokov and the team have come to a complete standstill, The Post has learned. The veteran netminder for the past two seasons is going to test the free agent market on July 5, despite the fact the team and Nabokov’s agent had agreed to the terms of a one-year deal. Yet the money for the goalie who will be 38 years old when the season starts, was so far off they could not close the gap.

Next is that a league source said the Islanders are not one of the many teams pining for Canucks goalie Robert Luongo, who has been at the center of trade and amnesty buyout rumors the entire offseason. Luongo, 34, started his career with the Islanders, who drafted him fourth overall in 1997, and carries with him a $5.33 million salary-cap hit through the 2021-22 season.

Then, as always, lies the albatross of Rick DiPietro. The oft-injured netminder finished last season in the AHL and was not with the team as it made its first appearance in the postseason in five years. With eight years left on his contract, each carrying a cap hit of $4.5 million, DiPietro is a prime candidate for the team’s first amnesty buyout. That time period started yesterday at 11 p.m., and will conclude on July 4, the day before free agency opens.

As of yesterday afternoon, a team source said there had been no decision made about DiPietro’s future, or the future of any other possible buyouts.

Other possible trade options include the Sabres’ Ryan Miller and the Blues’ Jaroslav Halak. What it would take to get either of them in a swap would likely include prospects, of which the Islanders have few they are willing to part with. Unrestricted free agent targets include the Coyotes’ Mike Smith and Bruins backup Anton Khudobin.

New York Post LOADED: 06.28.2013

682727 New York Rangers

Messier, Passed Over for Rangers Job, Leaves the Team

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

Published: June 27, 2013

Mark Messier on Thursday announced that he was leaving the Rangers organization and denied that being passed over for the head coaching job played a role in the decision.

Messier, a special assistant to General Manager Glen Sather since 2009, hoped to replace John Tortorella. Instead, Sather hired the former Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.

Sather said the only interviews he conducted were with Vigneault and Messier. He said Messier was “very disappointed” to have not gotten the job.

“I would like to thank the New York Rangers and particularly Glen Sather for giving me the opportunity over the last four years to work with the Rangers,” Messier said in a statement released by the Rangers.

“I am resigning my position with the team to pursue an opportunity to expand the game of hockey in the New York area by developing the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. Although some will perceive this as a reaction to the coaching decision, nothing could be further from the truth. I completely respect the decision that was made and for all the reasons it was made. I harbor no hard feelings toward Glen or the Rangers. This is a personal choice. I wish the Rangers nothing but the best in the future.”

Last April, Messier was part of a group that announced a $275 million project to convert the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx into a nine-rink complex.

Messier joined the Rangers in 1991, after winning five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, and captained the team to its first Cup since 1940 in 1994.

In 1997, he left for the Vancouver Canucks after an acrimonious contract dispute.

In 2000, Sather became the president and general manager of the Rangers and brought Messier back. Messier’s return to Madison Square Garden was heralded in an elaborate news conference, in which Messier and Dave Checketts, then the Garden president, buried a hatchet in a terrarium filled with dirt.

Messier played with the Rangers for four years with diminishing results and retired in 2004 at age 43.

In 2003, Messier said that Sather asked him a few months earlier if he was interested in coaching the Rangers. But Messier said he told Sather he wanted to continue playing.

After retiring, Messier expressed interest in becoming an N.H.L. general manager. Sather hired Messier as a special assistant in 2009 but did not promote him.

Messier gained little coaching experience. In 2010, he coached two low-level Canadian national teams to modest finishes in the Deutschland Cup and the Spengler Cup, two relatively minor midseason European tournaments.

“Mark Messier will always be a part of the New York Rangers family,” Sather said in the statement. “As a player and then as part of the management team, he brought incomparable passion and dedication to the organization. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

New York Times LOADED: 06.28.2013

682728 New York Rangers

Mark Messier resigns as special ass't to NY Rangers GM after Alain Vigneault hired as coach

By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Thursday, June 27, 2013, 4:47 PM

Mark Messier, who leads the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup, resigns from the organization.

There certainly was no guarantee Mark Messier would stick around after not being named Rangers head coach, and now, the Captain officially has left the organization.

Messier, who interviewed to succeed John Tortorella but didn't get the job, released a statement through the Rangers Thursday afternoon announcing his resignation as special assistant to general manager Glen Sather, a position he has occupied since Aug. 2009.

"I would like to thank the New York Rangers and particularly Glen Sather for giving me the opportunity over the last four years to work with the Rangers," Messier's statement read. "I am resigning my position with the team to pursue an opportunity to expand the game of hockey in the New York area by developing the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (in the Bronx).

"Although some will perceive this as a reaction to the coaching decision, nothing could be further from the truth," Messier continued. "I completely respect the decision that was made and for all the reasons it was made. I harbor no hard feelings toward Glen or the Rangers. This is a personal choice I am making to create a program in the New York area that will give our children more choices and opportunities in the future. I wish the Rangers nothing but the best in the future."

Although Messier insists he is not leaving because Sather hired Alain Vigneault over him, the Captain put himself in a precarious position when his desire to coach the Rangers leaked outside the organization, specifically in a Daily News report. The external pressure from an internal executive created the immediate question of how Messier possibly could proceed in the organization if Sather didn't hire him to coach.

Then Messier was slighted on June 14, stepping out into the spotlight and telling the Daily News that he'd interviewed with Sather for the position, only hours later finding out that Vigneault was on his way to New York for a second interview.

Once Vigneault was hired, if Messier had decided to stay, it would have created the unfavorable predicament of Vigneault coaching with his main challenger just over his shoulder in the team's front office.

Messier waited some time to make a decision on how to proceed once he was passed over, but his silence was deafening.

In a statement, Sather said: "Mark Messier will always be a part of the New York Rangers family. As a player and then as part of the management team, he brought incomparable passion and dedication to the organization. We wish him well in his future endeavors."

On June 14, Messier seemed level-headed about the possibility Sather could hire someone else.

"I have a lot of respect for Glen, obviously with the amount of years we've been together," Messier said. "I know … he would never jeopardize making the right decision because of friendship or past experiences we've had together. He will do what he feels in his heart is his right decision, and for no other reason other than that he thinks it's the best fit for whoever he hires. So everybody can have complete confidence in that."

Then again, there is a good chance Messier simply didn't see himself not getting the job.

THE KING AND HIS MEN

The Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist's camp reportedly planned to begin negotiations on Thursday night in New York regarding a long-term contract extension for the franchise goalie … The Rangers made no announcement about whether they intend to use their second and final compliance buyout on the contract of veteran center Brad Richards. The buyout window opened on Wednesday at 11 p.m. and closes at the end of July 4.

New York Daily News LOADED: 06.28.2013

682729 New York Rangers

Richards: ‘No clue’ if he will stay a Ranger

By LARRY BROOKS

Last Updated: 2:50 AM, June 28, 2013

Posted: 2:38 AM, June 28, 2013

The window has opened on amnesty buyouts, but no light has been shed on whether Brad Richards will be invited back to New York for the third year of his nine-year contract or whether the 33-year-old center will join marquee names such as 2004 Cup-winning Tampa Bay teammate Vincent Lecavalier on the open market.

“I have no clue,” Richards said Thursday afternoon in an email to The Post. “I’m just waiting.”

Richards did chat with incoming coach Alain Vigneault early in the week but the subject of a buyout was not part of the getting-to-you-know chat. There has been no communication between the Blueshirts’ front office and either Richards or his representatives at Newport Sports.

“AV and I had a great talk,” Richards said. “But besides that, it’s been very silent.”

Richards, who staggered through the worst season of his career in the absence of training camp and a defined offseason during which he was involved in CBA negotiations, has seven years with an annual cap charge of $6.67 million remaining on his deal. A buyout would cost $27.342 million on top of the $22.341 million Richards already has received over the first two years of his front-loaded contract.

The Rangers are confident Richards will be a much stronger player next season and would thus prefer to postpone the decision on their lone remaining amnesty buyout until next summer’ final amnesty buyout opportunity.

But it is also believed that management wants to retain the buy-out option until as close to the deadline as possible in case they need his cap space to pursue a player who unexpectedly becomes available leading up to the July 5 opening of the free agent market.

There’s this consideration as well: A 2013-14 injury could take the matter out of the Rangers’ hands by rendering Richards ineligible for an amnesty buyout. In that case, the Blueshirts would be vulnerable to substantial cap-recapture penalties should Richards opt to retire at any point before the end of his contract.

The Rangers are not believed among the serious suitors for the 33-year-old Lecavalier, who has long been coveted by the Canadiens and likely will attract considerable interest from at least a half-dozen clubs, including the Red Wings and Maple Leafs.

* The Rangers were scheduled to open preliminary talks with Henrik Lundqvist’s representatives from Newport Sports last night regarding an extension for the goaltender’s contract that expires at the end of this season.

The Blueshirts are not committed to re-signing impending free agent winger Ryan Clowe, who is believed to have sustained concussions on April 25 and May 10 previously having suffered on with San Jose before being traded to New York on April 2.

If the Rangers do re-sign Clowe, the Sharks will get their second-round pick in 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

New York Post LOADED: 06.28.2013

682730 New York Rangers

Mark Messier leaves Rangers organization

Thursday June 27, 2013, 4:28 PM

BY ANDREW GROSS

Mark Messier has left the Rangers’ organization.

The team issued a statement this afternoon that Messier, one of two candidates interviewed in person for the coaching job that went to Alain Vigneault, has decided to resign his position as special assistant to GM Glen Sather in order to develop the Kingsbridge National Ice Center in the Bronx, which is being developed at the Kingsbridge Armory.

Messier, in a statement, insisted his career move was not related to Sather choosing Vigneault over him to replace John Tortorella.

“I would like to thank the New York Rangers and particularly Glen Sather for giving me the opportunity over the last four years to work with the Rangers,” Messier said.

“I am resigning my position with the team to pursue an opportunity to expand the game of hockey in the New York area by developing the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. Although some will perceive this as a reaction to the coaching decision, nothing could be further from the truth. I completely respect the decision that was made and for all the reasons it was made. I harbor no hard feelings toward Glen or the Rangers. This is a personal choice I am making to create a program in the New York area that will give our children more choices and opportunities in the future. I wish the Rangers nothing but the best in the future.“

Messier, without any prior NHL coaching experience, quickly expressed an interest in replacing Tortorella and Sather admitted he was “disappointed” when informed the Rangers had chosen Vigneault.

“Mark Messier will always be a part of the New York Rangers family,” Sather said in a statement. “As a player and then as part of the management team, he brought incomparable passion and dedication to the organization. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Messier was also believed to be interested in becoming an NHL general manager but the initial perception of him as Sather’s heir apparent has faded with assistant GMs Jim Schoenfeld and Jeff Gorton both having more prominence within the organization.

Bergen Record LOADED: 06.28.2013

682731 New York Rangers

Mark Messier might find his niche with new job in youth hockey

Friday, June 28, 2013

The Record

Perhaps Mark Messier will still coach one day in the NHL.

Perhaps he’ll even be a good bench boss, though expecting him to duplicate the Hall of Fame success he had as a player is a long shot.

But leaving the Rangers organization and his job as special assistant to GM Glen Sather to work full time on developing the to-be-built Kingsbridge National Ice Center is certainly not a fast track to an NHL coaching job.

And that might just be a good thing.

Not because Messier wouldn’t make a good NHL coach – we won’t know that until it happens, if it happens. But because Messier is now positioned to help grow the game in this region in a way he couldn’t with the Rangers.

The conversion of the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx to a nine-rink facility that can host numerous youth leagues will be a major boon to hockey in the New Jersey/New York/Connecticut region.

Messier, 52, already has lent his knowledge to youth hockey by helping his father, Doug, coach the Junior Rangers.

The Captain is the rare hockey personality outside of Canada who has become larger than the sport. Not everybody here is a hockey fan. But, in the same way Tiger Woods transcends golf, almost everybody can recognize Messier and is aware of how his brilliant on-ice leadership led the Rangers to their last Stanley Cup in 1994.

That revered hockey pedigree will go a long way in making sure this project is completed the right way and, once completed, run properly. No doubt, Messier’s presence will attract some youth players who otherwise might not have sought out a hockey league in the Bronx.

The question is, did Messier make this decision as a knee-jerk reaction to Alain Vigneault being hired to succeed John Tortorella or, after a week’s contemplation, did Messier truly decide this will be the more fulfilling path?

"If you want to coach in this league, you need a little bit of experience," Sather said. "I think Mark, if he decides to be a coach, is going to be great at it. He just needs to get a little bit of time behind the bench."

Perhaps he will someday. Or perhaps he’ll leave a bigger mark on hockey through the Kingsbridge National Ice Center.

Bergen Record LOADED: 06.28.2013

682732 New York Rangers

Devils, Rangers prepare for marathon draft day

Thursday, June 27, 2013

BY TOM GULITTI

A successful playoffs and highly rated Stanley Cup Finals have turned the NHL owners’ lockout that delayed and shortened the 2012-13 regular season into a distant memory.

There still are some repercussions of the work stoppage, however, that are being felt. One is that the NHL Draft, to be held Sunday at Prudential Center, will be conducted in one day for the first time since 2006.

The NHL had been holding the first round of the draft in prime time with the remaining six rounds following the next day, but with less time after a Stanley Cup Finals that didn’t end until June 24, all seven rounds will be on one day.

"It stinks in a nutshell," said David Conte, the Devils executive vice president of hockey operations and director of scouting. "It takes a lot of the event status away. First of all, it’s starting at [3 p.m.], which is crazy. It’s going to be a long day."

The first round alone can take more than 3 1/2 hours as extra time is needed for all the pageantry — posing for photos, interviews, etc. — that goes along with each team’s selection. The remaining six rounds usually fly by, but still take about three more hours.

After missing the playoffs, the Devils won’t have to wait long to make their first pick at No. 9 in the first round. Teams usually utilize the night layover before the second round to reassess their draft boards, but won’t have the opportunity to do that this year.

"There’s no question it changes something," Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "You don’t have an extra day in between to prepare. But it shouldn’t really change much because the first-round players, they’re going to be going anyway."

Rangers director of player personnel Gordie Clark doesn’t believe squeezing all seven rounds into one marathon day will have a major impact on how the draft — or any draft-day trades to move up or back in the order — will be completed.

"Some people may say we’ll get by the first day and have the evening left over to see who’s left and make some deals," Clark said. "But we sort of know ahead of time whether we can move up or back."

With the depth of this year’s draft, which has drawn comparisons to the gold-standard 2003 draft (16 All-Stars in the first round), the Devils likely will get a very good player with their second-round pick, No. 39 overall, as well.

Barring a trade, Clark and the Rangers’ draft contingent will have a wait in excess of four hours at their draft table before they make their first pick. That’s because the Rangers traded away their first- (Rick Nash) and second-round (Ryane Clowe) picks.

Their first selection will come in the third round at No. 65 overall. That pick, acquired from Nashville at last year’s draft, is one of three third-round picks the Rangers have. They also will pick at No. 75 (acquired from Columbus) and No. 80.

ZUBRUS AGREES: A source told The Record that potential unrestricted free agent forward Dainius Zubrus has agreed to terms to remain with the Devils on a three-year contract for roughly $3 million per season. The deal has not been signed yet and it could take a few more days before it’s announced. Zubrus denied the deal is completed, saying "Nothing is finalized yet. It’s not a done deal. [The Devils and his agent] have talked and I take it as a very positive that everything is going to go through."

Bergen Record LOADED: 06.28.2013

682733 New York Rangers

Bypassed Mark Messier leaves Rangers

Originally published: June 27, 2013 4:29 PM

Updated: June 27, 2013 9:12 PM

By STEVE ZIPAY

Mark Messier's No. 11 hangs in the rafters at Madison Square Garden, but The Captain no longer is part of the Rangers' organization.

Two weeks after he was passed over for the head-coaching job, Messier resigned his post as special assistant to president and general manager Glen Sather after four years to help develop the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, a $275-million project in the Bronx.

Sather said Thursday that he thought his selection of the far more experienced Alain Vigneault rather than the Hall of Famer played a role in Messier's resignation.

"I think that's part of his decision," Sather said after a meeting of the NHL's Board of Governors. "But we all have to live our own lives the way we decide to do it."

Messier, 52, denied that the choice of Vigneault was the reason for his departure.

"Although some will perceive this as a reaction to the coaching decision, nothing could be further from the truth," Messier said in a statement. "I completely respect the decision that was made and for all the reasons it was made. I harbor no hard feelings toward Glen or the Rangers. This is a personal choice I am making to create a program in the New York area that will give our children more choices and opportunities in the future. I wish the Rangers nothing but the best in the future."

Sather, who interviewed four candidates on the phone and two -- Messier and Vigneault -- in person, has said that Messier was disappointed in the decision.

"He's decided to do something else in his life," said Sather, who played hockey with Messier's father and has known Mark since he was a youngster. "He'll be doing what he wants to do best, which is being involved in business. We parted on good terms. If Mark decides to be a coach, he'll be great at it. He just needs to get a little time behind the bench."

Messier has six Stanley Cup rings and led the Rangers to the Cup in 1993-94, but his coaching experience is limited to two international tournaments.