Thanks for the Memories!

by Ryan Lafex
When the NY Rangers skated off the ice for a final time after a crushing 2-0 loss to Tampa in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, some of those players knew It may be for the final time in a Ranger Sweater. Martin St Louis, demanded a trade out of Tampa just a little over a year and a half ago and landed in NY. He dazzled the crowd, quickly becoming a replacement for fan favorite (since current fan favorite Captain Ryan Callahan was traded to get MSL). This year Cam Talbot AKA Goal Buster, who stepped in this year while the king was out with a vascular injury forced the Back up net minder to come up huge when his team needed him the most. Players like these guys and a few others showed they either belong other places cause of lack of performance or cause they rose to the occasion and can be a star in another city, not just a “sometimer”.
(MSL out at MSG?)
In the 2013-14 campaign Martin St. Louis played only 19 games with NY but quickly made an impression on the garden faithful, not so much in the regular season, but In the 25 games during the post season. Marty earned 15 points in the post season, and also became a feel good story through those playoffs when his mother passed and the team rallied around him to make it all the way to the cup final to eventually loose to the LA Kings. This year Marty has been down, kind of hanging with the pack. He didn't dazzle, he didn't turn heads, he basically stayed status quo and sometimes under achieved his and our expectations for him. Scoring only 21 goals in 74 games in his first and maybe only full season with the broadway blue shirts. Although he did have 31 assists for NY, the Fans and coaches alike wanted more and expected more out of the 39 year old from Laval, Quebec, Canada. With the majority of his time spent in Tampa, where he won his only Stanley cup with the Bolts in 2004 over the team he got his start with in 1998 the Calgary Flames. Does he go full circle and go back to Calgary? Does he end up back in Tampa Bay. Does he go somewhere, where the Veteran Leadership is lacking and can use someone to guide the young players. Or does he stay in NY, it may be his best shot for another cup. But will the money speak and or will Rangers Management decide to say goodbye.
(Goal Buster 1:Rise of the Talbot)
Let's get real folks. If Cam Talbot doesn't do what he did this year in net for the Rangers, They barely would have made the Playoffs. He carried them some nights on his back, standing on his head. On February 3rd the 27 year old undrafted goalie from Caledonia, Ontario, Canada became the temporary starter for awhile when starter Henrik Lundqvist went down with injury after taking a puck from a shot to the throat. Talbot started 24 games in the Kings absence and went on to a remarkable 17-4-3 record in that time span including 2 shut outs and 3 over time wins. But as soon as Henrik came back from injury cam and him traded a few more games and then for the duration of the regular season and the playoffs it was all Lundqvist. But 17-4-3 record in 24 games teams took notice and want to make the Goal Buster a starter in Their system. Case in point Edmonton. The oilers who have had some, well a lot of depressing seasons for the orange and Blue faithful. Who have been the team in the rumor mill for Talbot seekers. Will the Rangers offer him more money to stay and maybe Try and work on a dual threat goalie system. Or will the Blueshirts put him up on a golden pedestal and give a way to the highest bidder. Maybe someone to replace the aging Rick Nash, or another vet to replace St. Louis who like I said before, is most likely on the way out.
The Rangers core players still feel like they can make the playoffs, and be back in the same spot they were this year consistently for the next few years. If Talbot or St Louis do leave it won't be cheap for the receiving team. So maybe they could be the key to open the chest to the missing piece. But if this was the last season for these two players, I would like to speak for all ranger nation and say; Thank you for the memories. Once a ranger, always a Ranger.