I wish I could explain what went on with Rissmiller. I think Sather just forget how many forwards they could dress in any one game. Todd White was acquired in order to get rid of two other terrible assets (Rissmiller being one). Adam Hall's 49 games played is still seven times seven.
I would find it very concerning if the Rangers didn't know what they were getting when they signed Kostka.
Well, look, he's played in 7 games, but it's a quarter of the way through the season. I don't think it's completely unreasonable to evaluate your players at this point.
Maybe you signed a guy (again, to a minimum deal) because what you had seem from him previously indicated he'd be a serviceable #7 and good depth in the minors, but what you've seen from him since he signed has been disappointing. Teams make mistakes, it happens all the time. If what you're seeing at practice and during the games is cause for concern, it's better to start looking at other options now than waiting until later in the season when the picking might be more slim or the prices higher.
I mean, we're talking about a #7 defenseman here. Mike Kostka wouldn't be the first guy to look like a potential #7 one year and then AHL fodder the next. When you're at the absolute fringes of an NHL roster, even a tiny deterioration in your game can be the difference between keeping and losing your job.
I had no problem with the Kostka move in the summer. It sounded like he had been serviceable as a #7 in the past. It was a minimum deal for a guy with some experience that could compete with the other guys at the bottom of the roster. These moves are made every year. Then, Kostka looked like **** in the preseason and has looked like **** in the regular season. My limited viewing of him in the AHL this year confirm that, guess what, he looks pretty crappy there, too. It was a move that has not worked out thus far and I have no problem with the team kicking the tires on some alternatives.
