Bart Simpson, Chris Drury, Sean Avery, and the New York Rangers

Do the New York Rangers breed underacheivers? Year after year, the Rangers get big name players and pay them lots of money and their fans watch the stars fizzle. Are the New York Rangers the Bart Simpson of the NHL?

And why is it that the Rangers are looking to Sean Avery to save them? Isn't Avery more like Bart Simpson than any other hockey player in the NHL? How was Avery able to turn the underacheiving Rangers into overacheivers last year? Could he do it again this year?

Avery's getting in game shape, playing for the Rangers affiliate in Hartford, working out with the Wolf Pack. The Rangers' midseason slump looks like it will never end. What are they waiting for?

Even the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, looked merely mortal playing for the Rangers at the end of his career. Gretzky's assists and points were in triple digits for most of his career, but he had 97, 90, and 62 points with the Rangers.

Bart Simpson is an underachiever "and proud of it," as a million t-shirts read back when The Simpsons began its run on Fox TV. Former Sabre Chris Drury is No. 1 of the underachievers for the Rangers this season, according to Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News.

A few days ago, New York Rangers captain Drury took the blame for the Rangers underachieving. Gleason also reported that the Rangers are longing for Sean Avery.

Avery has been called a lot of things over the years, but no one has accused him of being an overacheiver. However, last season, when Avery was in the lineup, the Rangers were 33-14-10, as opposed to the record of 9-13-3 when he was out.

He was called the spine of the team and pundits are still saying Avery is what the Rangers need to play with New York swagger. Avery has an attitude just like Bart Simpson, and the Rangers seem to need it.

The Rangers seem to be missing a spark in their game, Gleason says.

"We all know that Avery can handle the New York press and attention, and he has made the team better in the past."

New York’s recent slide was made up of one listless effort after another. A tank job at home against lowly Atlanta was followed three days later by a 10-2 loss in Dallas. The Blueshirts scored one measly goal in a loss to Florida, and their response was a dismal 5-2 loss against Philadelphia in a division game that left them fragile and unsure.

The Buffalo reporter claimed that, "Every year, it seems, the Rangers seduce the hockey world with their big-ticket players only to watch them come up small. Former Sabres captain Chris Drury is included in a crowded group that has underachieved."

“I’m not doing what I was brought here to do,” Drury told the Daily News after a 5-2 debacle Sunday against Philadelphia.

“I’m not leading the way I should lead; I’m not playing the way I should play. I stand in front of the guys; I’m the captain. If you want to point fingers, boo people, write your stories or whatever, it should start with me.”

Drury’s been absent for much of the season. He plays today against the Sabres without a goal in 13 games. He had only three assists to show for 17 contests before Wednesday. He was minus seven during a 1-6-2 stretch.

The Rangers are entertaining thoughts of bringing back Avery. He’s playing in AHL Hartford and could be picked up by the Rangers, assuming no team with rights before them is interested in him.

Drury hasn’t been a $7.1 million player on the ice. He had 15 goals and 37 points and was minus 10 through 59 games this season, putting him on pace for his worst season since the lockout.

Scott Gomez, pocketing $8 million, is on pace for 55 points and had no goals during a nine-game stretch before scoring his 11th on Wednesday.

Markus Naslund, $5 million, has three goals and eight points in a 20-game stretch.
Defenseman Wade Redden, $8 million, the supposed answer to their power play, hasn’t had a five-on-four point since Nov. 19.

The three, plus Drury, were a combined minus 43.

Lundquist is rated 17th in goals-against average (2.53) and save percentage (.913). He’s making $7.75 million this season.

All told, that’s five key players averaging $7.17 million, putting the team hard up against the salary cap.

It’s about $5 million more than the NHL average salary, a huge pile of money for an underacheiving team.