Easily the most criticized Glen Sather move of the off-season was letting Sean Avery walk. We've all seen the numbers of how good the Rangers were with Avery in the lineup as opposed to without him. We all saw the difference in the team's play when Avery was doing his thing. We all read and heard Avery talk about his love for New York. But, there is one thing we didn't see--as mere fans we never see: locker room/behind the scenes Avery. Sather could not be dumb enough to just let this guy walk unless there was more to his locker room antics than we heard. There's a reason that Avery has played for 3 teams in 4 years, despite obvious talent and on-ice value.
What's obvious going forward is that the Rangers' room is much less a collection of veterans mixed with young kids and much more of a collection of young kids mixed with veterans. The last thing the Rangers need seeping into their dressing room is a guy with a brash, in your face personality like Avery. These kids need to develop in a healthy, peaceful locker room environment in which Renney can work his player development magic (yes, he's one of the best at that). Avery's departure--and the months of speculation leading up to it--makes me believe Sather never intended to bring back any of his over-32 veterans. If he had, Avery would have been locked up with no fear of his personality becoming more distraction than value.
