Robert Lang Signs With Phoenix

From the AP today...


GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Phoenix Coyotes signed veteran center Robert Lang to a one-year contract Tuesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said the 38-year-old Lang "provides another veteran presence for our team and is a proven scorer in the National Hockey League."

Lang has 252 goals and 422 assists in 925 games in his 15-year NHL career along with 18 goals and 27 assists in 87 playoff games. The Czech star was limited by injuries to 50 games last season with the Montreal Canadiens but had 18 goals and 21 assists.

He has also played for Los Angeles, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, Detroit and Chicago.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

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After all the gratuitous bashing the Coyotes have taken off the ice, maybe Phoenix will surprise some opponents...they started to look rather competitive at times last year.

Who knows, Lang might have a few things to prove.

If Phoenix makes the playoffs, I called this a long time ago

Is he actually fully healed?

marakh wrote:Is he actually fully healed?

I haven't heard, but an Achilles' injury is quite significant. At his age, combined with coming off this injury, this signing may not yield much in the way of results. If he can stay healthy though, he was productive last year in MTL, so maybe he can help guys like Boedker along, and help a guy like Mueller find his way again. Mueller has to get it going for Phoenix to have any shot at all at a playoff spot imo.

I'm with you Tuk Tuk, I think they'll surpise. Playoffs are a question mark in the deep West, but this team will be competitive most nights. Look for a breakout year from Keith Yandle.

hemlock wrote:

marakh wrote:Is he actually fully healed?

I haven't heard, but an Achilles' injury is quite significant. At his age, combined with coming off this injury, this signing may not yield much in the way of results. If he can stay healthy though, he was productive last year in MTL, so maybe he can help guys like Boedker along, and help a guy like Mueller find his way again. Mueller has to get it going for Phoenix to have any shot at all at a playoff spot imo.

I'm with you Tuk Tuk, I think they'll surpise. Playoffs are a question mark in the deep West, but this team will be competitive most nights. Look for a breakout year from Keith Yandle.

Just a little bit biased

I got 4 yotes

hemlock wrote:

marakh wrote:Is he actually fully healed?

I haven't heard, but an Achilles' injury is quite significant. At his age, combined with coming off this injury, this signing may not yield much in the way of results. If he can stay healthy though, he was productive last year in MTL, so maybe he can help guys like Boedker along, and help a guy like Mueller find his way again. Mueller has to get it going for Phoenix to have any shot at all at a playoff spot imo.

I'm with you Tuk Tuk, I think they'll surpise. Playoffs are a question mark in the deep West, but this team will be competitive most nights. Look for a breakout year from Keith Yandle.

Trying to convince yourself?

Great signing (depending on the $$). Liked his game a lot last year in Montreal.

Nothing reported on capgeek yet.

Robert Lang speaks:

With a nasty injury behind him, veteran center Robert Lang is eager join a Coyotes team that he says could be a surprise this season.

"I think people look at this team and say, 'Oh, yeah, it's a younger team and last year and this and that," Lang said, "but I think they have a real solid goalie (Ilya Bryzgalov), and if you look at this team now, they have a few veteran players and the younger guys are a year older, have a year behind them. If we do our job, we could do well."

Article from the Arizona Republic here:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2009/09/29/20090929spt-coyoteslang.html

With Dave Tippett, an excellent coach taking over in PHX, Lang's words may translate into results.

pretty smart move by the Yotes, Lang has always been a solid player, just depends on the extent of his injury and if he is completely healed, which has been mentioned by other posters.

Huh. The Citizen had him at 18 goals and 29 assists in 50 games. I was suprised that a near PPG player had to wait so long.

Still a decent signing for them. I still think they'll be terrible barring break-out years from a lot of their young players.

They should stock his locker with hockey tape to keep the nack of his skate up against his ankle. If only he had listened to Cherry...

wprager wrote:They should stock his locker with hockey tape to keep the nack of his skate up against his ankle. If only he had listened to Cherry...

What did The Don say?

davetherave wrote:

wprager wrote:They should stock his locker with hockey tape to keep the nack of his skate up against his ankle. If only he had listened to Cherry...

What did The Don say?

He played a clip showing Lang (in those horrible striped unis) and pointed out his skates. He ties the laces low and doesn't tape the upper part of the boot -- more flexibility, I guess. With the upper part taped it stays flush with the back of the ankle, protecting the Achilles heel. He wouldn't have gotten it sliced if he had done that.

The Lang signing allowed the Coyotes to get to the MINIMUM salary required by the league.