Sean Avery: Why His Departure Was Expected and Necessary for NY Rangers' Growth

Sean Avery is a player that captured the hearts of many fans during his tenure with the New York Rangers. He was flashy, exuberant, boisterous and full of energy. Avery was an agitator and a pest. The agitator thrived off antagonizing his opponents on the ice.

If you asked the most hardcore Rangers fans out there today, they would talk your ear off with reasons why Sean Avery shouldn't have been cut. They will proceed to explain the cut was pre-determined because bench boss John Tortorella simply didn't want Avery on his team; this statement would be 100 percent true.

It is no secret that there was never a mutual respect between the two and it didn't make sense to carry a player who would kill valuable cap space. 

Love him or hate him, Sean Avery did not do enough to earn a role on the roster. Everyone who truly understands this team knew that the day Mike Rupp and Brad Richards were added, Avery's days were numbered. John Tortorella addressed the media on te subject Tuesday night in Stockholm.

Tortorella simply stated,

"

To me, we have a better team now, and I think we have better players than Sean Avery. I don't want to throw dirt on the guy, and Sean had a very good camp, but our depth has put Sean in this spot. We are a better club now.

"

As soon as the news broke early Tuesday morning, fans took to Twitter in great multitudes to voice their discontent. Within mere minutes hashtags like #FreeAvery and #FireTorts gained steam with each new tweet submitted. 

Most of these tweets were rash, illogical and incomplete. The most common criticism of the Rangers' decision was that they cut Avery but held onto the ever inconsistent and disappointing Erik Christensen. Fans expressed their anger because of their love of Avery and hate of Christensen.

However, what fans don't realize is this: Christensen and Avery were fighting for the 13th forward spot. This wasn't a guaranteed playing role or main roster role. They were simply fighting for the chance to be the first one called off the bench in case of injury.

Hockey fans who know all about John Tortorella and his coaching philosophy were not surprised the very least. This is a coach who often plays three out of his four lines most nights. Tortorella has a knack of rolling with whoever is hot at the given time. 

These fans are in tears complaining that Avery was cut and Christensen wasn't, when the fact of the matter was that the current 13th forward will likely see no NHL ice time. It is only a matter of time until the Rangers call up one of the many capable AHL players in their farm system.

There were several players who had exceptional training camps but were sent down to Hartford so they can get premium ice time and experience until they are called up to the big league. Once one of these players get called up, Tortorella would be more apt to substitute one of them in the lineup instead of Avery or Christensen.

Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin, John Mitchell and Kris Newbury are players whose chances of seeing NHL ice time is significantly higher than Avery or Christensen.

When you look at the facts, this move was really a no-brainer and non-issue. Whoever was selected to be the temporary 13th forward was going to wear a suit, sit in a press box, and travel with the team.

With this being the case, it came down to a central truth the entire world revolves around: the situation had became a monetary decision. What move would have made the most sense for the Rangers? Should the Rangers have carried a player on their roster who is going to sit out and count $925,000 against the salary cap—or a player who is going to sit out and count almost $2 million against the salary cap?

The Rangers made the smart financial and obvious choice by cutting Sean Avery. They have freed up significant cap space, allowing them the opportunity to shore up their defense via trade or waiver wire.

It is no secret that Marc Staal will not be ready for opening night in Stockholm on Friday. He will not join the Rangers until they return to the US. It is also no secret that Brendan Bell and Stu Bickel were not a part of the Rangers future. This explains why the two defensemen were subsequently placed on waivers Tuesday afternoon.

If they clear waivers, they have 30 days to report to Hartford. During this time they can remain on the Rangers' active roster. If they are claimed for some obscure reason, the Rangers could be in a bind as they would open up the season with only five defensemen in Europe.

In the eyes of Tortorella, Bell and Bickell are mere stop-gaps until Staal and Michael Sauer return from injury and until Tim Erixon is NHL-ready.

With Tuesday's transactions the Rangers will have just over $3 million in cap space to work with. This does not count the space the Rangers could gain if they move Staal to IR.

When asked today by Rangers' beat writer Jim Cerny about the state of their defense,Tortorella stated, "We have had conversations today...we are trying to upgrade our D...with the uncertainty of Marc (Staal)."

This team is a lot different now than when they were knocked out in the postseason mere months ago. Everyone on this team has a role and spot to fill. They are all here for a reason. Sean Avery did not have a role.

Brandon Prust and Mike Rupp will share enforcer and agitator duties. These players also provide a strong forecheck and special teams presence. They have multiple roles and are very important to the Rangers.

The Sean Avery of 2010-11 was nothing like the Sean Avery the Rangers acquired in 2007. He was once a very effective player, but his game had significantly dropped off over the past two seasons. This can possibly be attributed to the lack of ice time, but Avery doesn't make the Rangers a better team.

Say what you want about Avery's ability and talent, but it is impossible to present an element of Avery that can not be replaced or duplicated at a reduced rate. Rupp and Prust can play physical and get under opponents' skin. Rupp can also create offense and is more intimidating at 6'5" than Sean Avery was at 5'10".

It was unlikely that anyone was going to claim Sean Avery before today's noon deadline. He will be placed in the AHL, he will play out the rest of his contract and will go his merry way come July, as he is an un-restricted free agent.

It is always tough for fans to lose a fan favorite, but the Rangers will be a better and stronger team as a result, especially if they can use the cap space to bolster their defense.

Look at the projected starting lines below. You can't honestly say that Avery in the lineup would have made a significant difference.

Wojtek Wolski – Brad Richards(A) – Marian Gaborik(A)
Brandon Dubinsky – Artem Anisimov – Ryan Callahan(C)
Ruslan Fedotenko – Derek Stepan – Mats Zuccarello
Mike Rupp – Brian Boyle – Brandon Prust

Marc Staal – Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh – Michael Sauer
Michael Del Zotto – Steve Eminger

Henrik Lundqvist
Martin Biron

It is a new day in New York Rangers hockey history. Fans should not be angry but should instead move on and be excited for an amazing NHL season full of Rangers hockey.

Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist and New York Rangers Featured Columnist.

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