NHL.com Article: Brassard Making Difference Since Trade to Rangers

[Fuhgeddaboudit]

Read here:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=666548&navid=DL|NHL|home
 

NEW YORK -- The idea behind parting with Marian Gaborik at the NHL Trade Deadline was a simple one for the New York Rangers: Give up the premier goal scorer to become a deeper, more dangerous team overall.

Derick Brassard has made general manager Glen Sather look like a genius since arriving on a last-minute flight from Columbus right before pregame warm-ups on April 3, and the forward continued to excel Thursday against the Florida Panthers, scoring twice in a 6-1 victory at Madison Square Garden.

The 25-year-old has played well enough of late to not only give the Rangers supplemental offense that has been lacking all season, but he has supplanted Brad Richards as the team's No. 2 center. Brassard has had more ice time in each of the past four games than his 32-year-old counterpart and has become a valuable asset on the power play.

In eight games with the Rangers, Brassard has three goals and six assists.

"Honestly, I don't pay attention to points. I just want to play well," Brassard said. "If I can put up some numbers on the board, it's going to be a plus. I just try to bring some energy. It's a new start for me. I'm excited to be here. I know I have another gear in my game that I really didn't show in Columbus. Right now, it's going well, but it's only [eight] games. I need to keep going."

Brassard arrived in the NHL with a lot of hype as the sixth pick in the 2006 NHL Draft. The native of Hull, Quebec, never met expectations with the Columbus Blue Jackets after putting up 25 points in 31 games as a 21-year-old during his 2008-09 season that ended with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Over his next three seasons, Brassard never played fewer than 74 games but never registered more than 17 goals and 47 points, which he reached in 2010-11. He had seven goals and 18 points in 34 games before he was shipped to New York at the deadline, but he's seemingly morphed into the confident, gifted player many expected him to be on draft day in 2006.

 
He's getting notice around the league. We traded Gaborik for a few players, and Brassard has been remarkable here. 

 

[snipezo]

Liked what  I saw in his rookie year til he got injured. Good to see that he's thriving in a new environment.