Rangers News: Blair Betts to the Flyers? UPDATE
by Joe Fortunato on Sep 8, 2009 1:19 PM EDT
in Rangers News
34 comments
A potential "oh no" moment here for Ranger Nation. According to a tweet from Ran Bright (the head writer at http://philabright.com/) former Ranger Blair Betts was added to the Philadelphia Flyers training camp roster. Ryan Bright tweeted it about an hour ago.
I don't know about you but I would hate to see Blair Betts on the Flyers. Betts in my opinion is the best 4th line center in the NHL and he has the ability to make an average penalty kill core extraordinary. I know that Ranger fans really wanted him back--I was one of them--but after Sather signed Brashear it seemed that Betts was no longer in the Rangers plans.
There was word that he might find himself with Tom Renney out in Edmonton, to enter a system that plays more to his style of play. I would not have minded him going to the West but obviously that might not be the case any longer. If Betts does go to the Flyers then we will get to see him 6 times a year blocking shots, winning face-offs, playing great D and leaving his heart out on the ice after every shift. Not things I want to see from the Flyers.
Just a note I can't find anything on the Flyers website that goes along with this so I will keep you posted if I find out that this rumor is just that--and I hope it is. More when we know it.
Update by Joe Fortunato: Before we go anywhere I want to give a big stick salute to Calm Down for finding this.
Apparently the Flyers have officially announced that Betts was added to the roster, here is a highlight from the story:
Flyers add Betts to camp roster
Forward Blair Betts was added to the Flyers’ training camp roster on a pro try-out, the club announced this afternoon.
Betts, 29, is a seven-year NHL veteran with the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers. Last season with the Rangers, he had six goals and four assists for 10 points and 16 penalty minutes in 81 games.
He has been assigned uniform #11.
So there you have it, it is confirmed. I am very sorry to hear this I was a huge Betts fan and hate to see him go to the Flyers. But like Jim said time to move on ... Keep putting you're thoughts in the comments the debate has been fantastic today!
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Brashear, Pronger, Betts…..Rangers-Flyers games may revert back to 1978
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Sep 8, 2009 1:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This makes me sad
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 8, 2009 1:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If it happens, that’s life. We’ve known for months he probably wasn’t coming back to the Rangers, we had to be prepared for this possibility.
If he isn’t coming back to the Rangers, I kind of like the idea of him possibly in Philly, it will add a nice new edge to games with the Flyers.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Sep 8, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Disappointed
I am not very happy with the changes made this summer to the ranger’s rooster. Eliminating players that made the Rangers a top ranking penalty killer makes no sense.Blair Betts is one of the most under rated players in the league and I don’t see much coming into the system that makes it worth losing him. With a few exceptions the Rangers appear to be overwhelmingly average. i for one hope they come to their senses and hold on to Betts and sign Dubinsky.
by sis a fus on Sep 8, 2009 2:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
sis a fus, you have to look at the big picture. The roster from last year was incredibly flawed. They barely made the playoffs, and really only survived to a 7th game because of outstanding play from their goaltender. Changes had to be made, especially with a new head coach and a new system. The Rangers are bigger, faster, and I think you will see much more exciting hockey from them. I’m not saying they are a Cup contender, but I disagree that this is not a better team than last year.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Sep 8, 2009 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Betts and his rating
League wide, he’s among the most underrated players, agreed. Among Rangers fans, he’s quickly becoming the most overrated.
He’s a 4th line center who happens to have a specialty where he is quite excellent. It makes him an intriguing commodity, but not an irreplaceable one.
And anyway, Betts was lost because they needed to focus on improving an anemic at best offense, there were bound to be casualties. I think Betts would’ve fit fine in the Rangers new system, but obviously the organization does not feel the same way.
As for: “I don’t see much coming into the system that makes it worth losing him,” I’d like for you to elaborate if you could. I’m not really an expert on the prospects in the system so maybe I’m wrong, but given that PK is mostly about positioning and hustle, I fail to see how one could determine that there is no one in the organization that could possibly fill his role.
by RangerSmurf on Sep 8, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
See here is where I disagree
I think that Betts is one of the main reasons why we even made the playoffs yast year. He was the biggest part in the penalty kill and the penalty kill was the biggest reason why we won any games. Especially since we couldnt score any goals.
The reason why no one else can take Betts game is because he is one of the smartest players in the NHL. If he had better hands he would be a super star. But on the terms of the Rangers he won key faceoffs, he blocked tons of shots, he was a mainstay on the penalty kill.
Think about last year Smurf, when the game was 2-1 and the Rangers took a penalty who did you want on the ice? Betts was always a sure bet. I don’t see a player—yet—on the Rangers roster who can fill that role.
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 8, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Betts was excellent
I’m not saying he’s not good at what he does, I think he’s an outstanding penalty killer.
If there was a penalty last year, I wanted Betts on the ice. That’s also true. Because Betts was our best penatly killer. When you ask me the question this year, my gut is that I’ll say i want Dubinsky. Why? Because my gut says he’ll be our best penalty killer.
I mean, if you’re saying “who do you want on the ice for a penalty kill because your family is being held hostage by some weird hockey terrorists that will kill them if you don’t kill the penalty”, then I suppose Betts is up there on the list of people in the NHL, and I wouldn’t feel as confident that Dubi would save my family more than Betts. So there’s that.
But I mean Betts was here for 4 years. They were 12th, 6th, and 10th, 1st on the PK With him here, after being 29th before the lockout. So of course it was Betts. Except that Lundqvist got here 4 years ago too. I think maybe, just maybe, Henrik helps those numbers just a tad himself.
Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Betts sucks. I’m saying I don’t think he’s a unique one of a kind player that will never be replaced.
No, there isn’t another Betts on the current roster. But I don’t think they need one either. I don’t believe that is outlandish.
p.s. thanks for all the arguments today Joe, it’s helping work fly by.
by RangerSmurf on Sep 8, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lundqvist isn’t the penalty kill. The whole unit of players in front of the goaltender was the key. The leader of the said unit, was without a doubt Blair Betts. I mean the unit’s responsibility is to help the goaltender out, and without Blair Betts the penalty kill would’ve been worse. Technically, you can say every single goaltender helped out their teams’ numbers just a tad themselves. If you look at the league’s top 5 penalty killing teams last year, the Rangers, Wild, Blues, Flames, and Sharks, they all have outstanding goaltenders. It doesn’t mean the players in front of them didn’t make the kill as good as it was. Every team has that player, Betts was the Rangers’ for sure.
"Jaromir Jagr.... it's a POWER PLAY GOAL!"
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by rmc235 on Sep 8, 2009 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not so sure he is becoming the most overrated. It is really a long shot to say Betts was the Rangers’ best player besides Lundqvist?
I do agree with some of your arguements. Betts is as popular a Ranger as Moore or Ortmeyer was, really, and because of that, he is valued more in our hearts., than in our minds.
I find that the players that hustle and work hard and do the little things right every shift in and out are the players that you come to enjoy having on your team. Betts is definitely one of these players, but so were the aforementioned Moore and Ortmeyer, and last year players like Sjostrom. All, were and are expendable. The Rangers were fine without Moore and Ortmeyer because other players filled in their spot, and did it well. The players the Rangers have are more than ready to do the same.
As far as Betts going to the Flyers… I would prefer him to not, because I don’t want to see the Rangers play against him. It’s always hard to lose players you were accustomed to watching play, and play well for that matter. Wherever he goes I wish him the best.
"Jaromir Jagr.... it's a POWER PLAY GOAL!"
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by rmc235 on Sep 8, 2009 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wheeeeeee....more arguing.
Callahan was the Rangers best player not named Henrik last year. Betts was probably 4th. (I think Drury was better, though obv. not better value).
Could make arguments for Avery and Staal ahead of Betts also.
Despite how it may sound, I am disappointed that they didn’t resign Betts. But I think people are deifying him a little bit, and that’s where my argument stems from.
by RangerSmurf on Sep 8, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that Lundqvist is the
main reason why the Rangers PK was as good as it was. But keeping him aside the biggest reason was Betts. If you asked me who was our most important player last year that was no named Lundqvist I would say Betts is in the top 3.
And although Lundqvist is the biggest reason why the PK is so good this team is NOT anywhere near the top 3 in the penalty kill without Betts.
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 8, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
oh and Smurf you have been getting me through classes
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 8, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not so sure he is becoming the most overrated. It is really a long shot to say Betts was the Rangers’ best player besides Lundqvist?
Yes. That was Scott Gomez and it’s not close. Gomez did all of the heavy lifting at even strength and outscored. He did it two years in a row.
Contributor to The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Sep 8, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think the stats make him look alot better than he really was… so I disagree… naturally… lol.
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by rmc235 on Sep 8, 2009 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Joe, add this in if you’d like.
Flyers add Betts to camp roster
Forward Blair Betts was added to the Flyers’ training camp roster on a pro try-out, the club announced this afternoon.
Betts, 29, is a seven-year NHL veteran with the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers. Last season with the Rangers, he had six goals and four assists for 10 points and 16 penalty minutes in 81 games.
He has been assigned uniform #11.
Taken from the official source – Flyers link here – http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=497899&navid=phi-home-dl
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by Calm Down on Sep 8, 2009 4:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
thanks champ!
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 8, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dammit
Didn’t Ranger fans figure that he would have ended up in filly or nj ??? it always goes like this………
by froese99 on Sep 8, 2009 4:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
thats a good point bc they do kinda fit his style. the devils did just lose mad-dogs too. i couldve totally seen them go after betts
by Conway on Sep 8, 2009 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh well
He was a good ranger.
Gary Thorne=Simply the Best!
by The American Mr.Hockey on Sep 8, 2009 4:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Poor Move
Betts would have fit in perfectly as our #4 center again. Torts rarely rolls 4 lines and he would have been a defensive specialist on the PK and late in games. Instead, we have Brashear and a void at center on the 4th line (Boye?). Couldn’t we have found a different goon to fill Brashear’s role? I know Torts didn’t love Orr, but there certainly was another option over the guy who maimed the heart and soul of our team.
Good luck in Philly BB. You played your heart out every night for us and we’ll miss your effort.
by Blueshirts Rock on Sep 8, 2009 4:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Kudos to RangerSmurf
League wide, he’s among the most underrated players, agreed. Among Rangers fans, he’s quickly becoming the most overrated.
I’d like to have his presence on the penalty kill, but um…..10pts in 81 games……bye Blair. Watch Callahan and Dubi take over the PK this season.
by earthworm on Sep 8, 2009 7:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
it's not about the points though
it’s about what he does on the ice aside from score points. He is the single most responsable player on the ice day in and day out
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 8, 2009 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree with the poor move notion. since no one seems to desperately want him he wouldve came cheap and like blueshirts rock said, torts pretty much rolls 3 lines. so betts could just sit his ass on the bench, play btw 5 and 8 minutes with our 4th line and be our savior when avery/brashear takes a stupid penalty(and u know they’ll be taking plenty). so i see it as a no brainer, but obviously torts has some kind of grudge with betts because he makes so much sense in torts 3 line system as our 4th line center
also betts has showed a little(remember i said little) scoring touch in years past. hard to amass points with the goon with no hands and the rocket who can only finish in a shootout
by Conway on Sep 8, 2009 10:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i think betts couldve been that center/winger on the 4th line with boyle…but it doesnt matter now…i don’t want to knock what betts did last year but it does seem kinda sad when your 4th line center is probably one of your teams top players last year…this is why the rangers needed a complete overhaul…and I for one am pretty happy with the changes on this team…we have higgins, drury, dubi, callahan, gabby and others to play on the pk…this might be better because now we will have an offensive threat on the pk
by nutz_35 on Sep 8, 2009 10:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
betts to flyers ?
if the rumor is true then so be it it just go,s to show you there is no loyality in sports the only team that showed interest in him was philly i don,t like sather but i am not going to bash him on this one he is getting player input from torts and torts did not want him back we had him for 2 years and did we win anything no . we did,nt we need a fresh outlook the past 3 years have left a putrid stench on this team and sather new it.i trust torts more then sather so betts good luck in cheesesteakville because you are not sticking it to us by signing with the enemy . cause now that,s what you are a stinkin cheesesteak flyer enemy good riddance and lets go new look rangers ….
by lohaus#54 on Sep 8, 2009 10:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The only positive I can think of is that at least in Philly Bettsy will have a legit chance at the Cup.
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by Scotty Hockey on Sep 9, 2009 12:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe if they trade him at the deadline
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Sep 9, 2009 8:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
to the Rangers
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 9, 2009 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No fit for us...
I know i’m going to catch a lot of flack for this, but to me it is what it is… Betts just didn’t fit our team… With Renney at the helm we were a defensive minded team, and yes that is his game, but now with torts on the helm he wants to play an in your face game, which is not betts game… Honestly the guy was a great pker but outside of that he really brought nothing else to the table… He wasn’t a good forechecker or scorer, and those are two major components of our new system regardless if the system works or not… He does not put up points, and he’s not a big physical presence, which our fourth line has become, we will not be sending our fourth line out for defense, they will be out to wreak havoc on the opposing team by physical domination, again it has yet to be seen whether it will work…
I am not taking anything away from betts, but i think he’s being over inflated in terms of his worth to our team… He’s no wayne gretzky, he’s a 4th line center and a straight defensive guy, and that is not what we are all about now… I don’t get all the fuss and am not here to criticize anybody… I just feel he is being over-inflated in terms of his worth to this team and system, which is not really anything… We will have Gaborik Drury Dubinsky Cally killing penalties, and all 4 are legit threats at short handed goals, where does betts fit? This isn’t football we don’t have strictly special teams where he could just sit the bench until a pk came about… I just see no fit… Nothing against the guy and i don’t hate him just he’s not the right player for this team…
He basically sat in our zone blocked shots and dumped the puck… and there are 2 pk lines so he’s not the sole reason, nor was the combination of betts and sjo the sole reason for a solid pk, Hank had a lot to do with it, as well as guys like staal and Girardi, Gomez Cally Drury Dubinsky…. Just my opinion
by Tophubufu on Sep 9, 2009 1:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
well we may be an offensivley minded team now but when you go on the penalty kill
that mind-set changes. Betts in my opinions is underrated from Ranger fans because for literally 1 million dollars you would have the best 4th line center in the league out there killing penalties and playing in tough situations. But whatever hes with Philadelphia now and there for nothing we can do.
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 9, 2009 8:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He may be THE best
he wouldnt hold back from a physical 4th line either as long as there are 2 other goons on his wings, which weve stated would only play btw 6-8 min a game anyway. and since he would seldom be out there during even strength i dont see how he would hurt torts system, especially if he is on a line with 2 other goons. in fact, he would give some defensive presence to an enforcer line so their +/- wouldnt be too terrible.
its true that we have players like gabby dubs among others that can handle the load if they had to, but if you have a 4th line who are only goin to be playing a few minutes a period, then why not have a guy on there to also kill penalties? not only would he be fresh for the PKs, but he would be keeping our other players fresh(probably dubs) for more ES and PP time. i dont know how anyone could have a problem with that
by Conway on Sep 9, 2009 11:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i think
we should have seen this coming from day one with torts, he scratched both sjo and betts after he took over for a game… which to me sent up a warning flag that he really didn’t care for the defensive 4th line players…
by Tophubufu on Sep 9, 2009 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
well we always knew that he wasn't a 4th line guy
but Betts is more than a 4th line guy
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by Joe Fortunato on Sep 9, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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