Prospal...

If Vinny Prospal actually does become 1st-line center and has a pretty decent year, it will be a huge bargain.

A "pretty decent year" for a 1st-line center in the Rangers' eyes is probably somewhere over 60 points, seeing as Scott Gomez had 58 last year (in 77 games). As in, "Oh, well, it was an improvement over Gomez."

A "pretty decent year" for someone making only $1.1M/year is somewhere around 30 points. As in, "Prospal played 3rd-line winger and scored 30 points. Not bad for 1.1 mill."

So imagine if he does score 65-70 points at only $1.1M? It will make a failure to trade for Brad Richards - a highly rumored, if possibly majorly incorrect school-of-thought - seem like the best thing that never happened.

No, before you attack and ask how many points Gomez would've had with Gaborik on his wing instead of the Ukranian Harry Houdini and an older, slower version of Markus Naslund, the answer is "a lot."

Gomez probably would've hit 80 points with Gaborik knocking the low-angle shots from the perimeter that he always took. But, with Gomez's money on the books, there is no way Gaborik in Manhattan ever would've happen. Thanks to the Great Fleece of '09, Gomez is wearing #91 next year in Quebec and Gaborik resumes the storied career of #10 on Broadway (as long as he triples Nigel Dawes' career-high of 29 points, I'll be happy).

Okay, I've said enough. All I meant today was that I do like the thought of Prospal playing for the Rangers, and if he happens to bounce back from a poor year last year (to be fair, everyone in Tampa Bay had a poor year - St. Louis, 80 points, Lecavalier, 67 points) than that would be fantastic.

And, yes, a great deal.