So we all know that Mark Messier is a New York legend. He's a great guy too.

The funny thing about Messier and his connection with the Rangers is that many seasons before his arrival in the Rangers front office, it seemed that Glen Sather was just phoning it in. It really didn't seem like Slats was all that interested in "working" to improve the Rangers. 

The new Glen Sather seems to be making good deal after good deal, and even his mis-steps seem to be paying off. The trade with Montreal, the tough negotiations with Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky. It seems clear that SOMETHING has shaken Slats up. Doesn't it?

Is Mark Messier having this affect? Is he in the office at 8AM looking at salary caps and rosters, and AHL scoring leaders and all that jazz? Is he directly involved with scouting? Glen Sather has handled the current Rangers squad with flawless acumen. It's quite impressive, isn't it? Yeah, this post is asking more questions than it answers, I know. I am just impressed by how far the Rangers have come, and how quickly they have improved on the ice and throughout the organization. 

How wonderful for Rangers fans if Messier is directly involved, even in some small way with this roundabout approach to acquiring players and evaluating prospects.