Hartnett: No Nash, But Rangers Acquire Blackhawks' Tough Guy John Scott
'Rangers Inside And Out'
By Sean Hartnett
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The NHL Trade Deadline came and passed without the biggest name on the market changing places. Any deal albeit for the Rangers or any of the other teams interested in Rick Nash didn't end up materializing. The Rangers were probably the closest team to acquiring Nash but even a significant late offer didn't tempt Blue Jackets' General Manager Scott Howson.
While the Rangers weren't able to add any significant offensive talents to their lineup, they did land a bruiser without having to give up an important piece of their roster. After the official 3PM deadline passed, it was announced that the Blueshirts traded their 2012 5th round draft pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for enforcer John Scott.
At 6'8" and 270 lbs., Scott is one of the biggest players in the NHL and one of the most feared fighters around the league. The Rangers will need his presence when going up against rivals like the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils. Having seen the Bruins acquire fellow tough guy Greg Zanon, Rangers' General Manager Glen Sather acted quickly to counter the Zanon move with one of his own in Scott.
Sather spoke to the media about Scott before Monday's game against the Devils:
"A lot of games are coming this month against some pretty rugged teams. He's a real good factor at stopping that kind of fooling around that happens at this time of year. He can play forward and he can play defense," Sather stated.
He's the kind of player who the Rangers can throw out there to tangle with the Bruins' Shawn Thornton or Milan Lucic, Zac Rinaldo of the Flyers or Cam Janssen and Eric Boulton of the Devils. Scott has been used primarily as a defenseman but can also play on the wing, so he gives John Tortorella a bit more flexibility and additional options for his lineup.
During his career, the 29-year old has played in 140 games and racked up 231 penalty minutes. He is not expected to play a big role in the remaining season but gives the Rangers more of an intimidation factor when Tortorella chooses to call upon him.
Fans around the NHL remember Scott from a highly-publicized fight earlier this season where he pummeled Derek Dorsett of the Blue Jackets.
Scott's cap hit is $512,000 and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. As opposed to shaking up their roster significantly, the Rangers instead added a player who gives them a different look.
Rangers fans, are you pleased to see the enforcing Scott added to the Blueshirts' roster? Share your opinions below and send your tweets to @HartnettWFAN.
