Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesWho's your favorite Ranger – and don't be a wise guy or a smart aleck and tell me Breadman Panarin.
What The Maven means – if you haven't figured it out yet – is which current Blueshirt do you like for ANY REASON?
The following are my three faves right off the top of my head: It's called "The Maven's Cockamamee Favorite Rangers List" And if your fave is not listed, don't sit in the corner and sulk, he may be better off that way:
1. TYE KARTYE: I'm sure that "The Tye-ger" will inspire a few (thousand) double-takes; but I'm not kidding about lovin' the guy, and here are my reasons why: Start with the name; never in Rangers history has there ever been a Tye and I won't dare put the Kartye before the horse. Never a Kartye either.
Seriously, I got the heebie-jeebies watching his aggressive game in the short Tye-time he was in regular action. I tell you this guy is a genuine Yankee-Doodle Ipsy-Pipsy Chris Drury found.
The Maven predicts that Kartye will be the new "People's Choice" before October becomes November.
2. GABE PERREAULT: I was a big fan of Gabe's old man Yannick Perreault when he became the L.A. Kings lead center after Wayne Gretzky was traded from Tinseltown. Yannick's kid is the real goods, proved it in college and, most recently in the homestretch of last season.
The youngsters are the ones who'll spur this Blueshirt team to the playoffs. In this sense, I see Gabe The Babe as the chief protagonist.
3. BRADEN SCHNEIDER: How can you NOT like a Schneider named Braden? How can you not like any native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan even if Schneider – like The Maven – doesn't know who Prince Abert was or what land he ruled except on the cover of a chewing tobacco box.
Ye The Maven is rooting for Braden because he's been UNFAIRLY dumped upon as a first round draft pick failure for too long. I'm sure that had Prince Albert been around today, he would agree, whether he's chewing a cud or not!
