IF JOE Lieberman can continue to sit in the Senate Democratic Caucus in the wake of the 2008 presidential campaign, then Donald Brashear can be welcomed in the Rangers locker room a few months after nearly beheading Blair Betts in Game 6 of the playoffs.
At least that’s the opinion of head coach John Tortorella, who didn’t use that analogy, but told The Post last week that Brashear’s attributes as an enforcer and teammate should trump issues from the past.
“I don’t agree at all with what happened with Blair Betts. We all know that was wrong,” Tortorella said of the blind-side hit to the head from the then-Washington winger that concussed the now former Rangers center and broke his orbital bone. “But … but … you also have to understand the situation that we’re in now where we’re looking to make changes on the hockey club and believe that Donald has a unique presence that will help us.
“I don’t condone anyone trying to hurt another player. I don’t know that’s what happened with Bettsy, but if I ever think that Donald is trying to injure someone while he plays for the Rangers, that will be addressed.
“Things happen in hockey. We have to block out what happened to Blair Betts. The organization has to block it out,” Tortorella said. “If any of our guys have an issue with Donald, then settle it like men, because they are going to be teammates and they are going to have to respect each other.”
Brashear received a five-game suspension for the blow that knocked the Blueshirts’ best penalty killer out of the series. He got one more game for an incident in Game 6 warmups in which he attempted to goad Colton Orr into a fight. Brashear never got back into the Caps’ lineup for the final two games of the Washington-Pittsburgh series.
Still, Tortorella envisions the 37-year-old Brashear playing an important role on Broadway for a team that was far too easy to play against last year.
“I think Donald is a good enough skater that we’ll be able to move him up and down our lineup depending on game situations,” the head coach said. “He’s an intimidating force with good enough hockey sense, who knows how to play on the defensive side of the puck.
“He’s going to bring a certain demeanor to our team that we need a lot more of. We were too non-descript last year. I don’t want a team that’s non-descript. I want a team that has personality.
“Again, though, if there are players who have a problem with Donald because of Bettsy or anything else that’s happened in the past, I expect the issue to be dealt with and settled. I don’t care how, I don’t care where, but get it done so that when we come out of the locker room, we do it as a team.”
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The story circulating through NHL front offices, and relayed to Slap Shots by four general managers, is that Dale Tallon essentially had been operating as the Blackhawks’ lame-duck GM since late November or early December, when he agreed to trade netminder Nikolai Khabibulin to Washington for center Michael Nylander.
That ill-advised deal was vetoed by club president John McDonough, who then bided his time until he could come up with a reason/excuse to dismiss Tallon. The opening came when the Blackhawks were tardy delivering qualifying offers to a handful of Group II free agents, a costly blunder.
Khabibulin, of course, took the Blackhawks to the Western finals before signing a free-agent deal with Edmonton this month. Nylander, who still has two years at $4.875 million per season remaining on his contract, was a marginal player for the Caps, often a healthy scratch in the playoffs.
No wonder Washington GM George McPhee was livid when Chicago backed out of the deal. No wonder McDonough began to have second thoughts about keeping Tallon in power.
As Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren might have wanted to point out, we made a mistake last week in writing that Marc Savard has two years remaining on his contract. Fact is, the Boston first-line pivot has one season at $5 million remaining on his deal.
That would make it foolish for the Rangers to yield anything of value in a trade for a player who almost certainly will be available on the open market a year from now. Indeed, it would make sense for GM Glen Sather to pencil in Savard as his primary target for next summer should the Blueshirts be seeking a setup man for Marian Gaborik.
There is, however, widespread belief that Dallas owner Tom Hicks‘ financial problems — his team canceled prospects camp in order to save money — will force the Stars to cut payroll . . . with the cutting to feature former Tampa Bay Conn Smythe winning first-line center Brad Richards, who has two years at $7.8 million remaining on his deal.
It would take a newer new math to figure out how the Rangers could accommodate Richards under the cap, but there is no doubt that Sather will try if Dallas has to move him.