By Jack D.
Editors Note: This was written before Avery’s arrest.
Sean Avery has been a polarizing figure ever since he came into the league. His agitation is his greatest weapon, but did he run out of ammo? His effectiveness has diminished drastically. It is a combination of refs tracking Avery and Tortorella’s presence on the bench.
With so many eyes watching, Avery usually isn’t at a loss for words. But Avery’s Antics have cost him a lot, and now possibly a job. His actions on the ice are being watched by the refs at all times. With so many restrictions, Sean may not be as effective as he wants to be, but now we still see him give an opposing player an ear-full yet there is no retaliation. Either his choice of words has no weight or the other teams are learning to tune him out.
Since Tortorella has taken over as head coach, he has put down the outstanding attitudes in order to build a team. Sean’s whole game is based on his attitude. In order to be as irritating as possible, Sean needs to be let off the leash. Tortorella isn’t the coach who will allow this to happen. In order to play, Sean tones down his attitude to avoid the sin bin. In order to make the roster, Avery either needs to learn how to be as agitating even with all these restrictions or he needs to develop a better scoring touch.
Now that the Rangers have Rupp, Avery will be fighting for a spot on the team. The Rangers have grit even without Sean in the line-up. People have been saying Avery would be a good fit on the 1st line with Richards and Gaborik, but if his mouth leads him to the box still that top line will not be potent. Tortorella will ultimately do what is best for the team when making the line-up, and taking bad penalties isn’t going to get anyone on the top line. Avery can open up space for our top line, but he still has to prove he can get on the scorecard for reasons other than penalty minutes.
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