BALDWIN ECHL BOUND 

Lee Baldwin has been reassigned by the Whale to the ECHL’s Greenville Road Warriors.

There is a lot of speculation out there that this move is a pre-cursor to Todd White, who cleared waivers , to be sent to the Whale.

Remember this…Lee Baldwin is a defenseman and Todd White is a forward.

Remember this too, Lee Baldwin has played in one game since November 26th. That’s one game in the last thirteen.

Remember this three, The Whale already have Stu Bickel sitting in the stands as a spare defenseman.

So the bottom line is that there’s no point in Baldwin being here regardless of whether or not White is headed north…or south as the case may be.

The one who you have to watch is Oren Eizenman. If he’s sent “packing” then they’re making room for White. After playing in seven straight games with the Whale, Eizenman has been scratched in three of the last five games. If he is sent to Greenville or given a release then I would agree with those out there that are saying it’s a move to accommodate Todd White.

Sources in the New York Rangers front office tell Howlings that the team is still high on White. We’re told that the team feels strongly about keeping him there despite Mats Zuccarello’s recall and performance. Word is that the team can afford to carry White on their payroll without hurting cap space and that first and foremost, that winning is the concern, not the cap.

Andrew Gross if reporting on his Twitter account that “No dressing room stall for Todd White at The Rock. Was not on ice at optional #NYRangers morning skate.”

So could White be headed to Hartford? Likely. But to be clear, the movement of Baldwin likely has nothing to do with it.

Here’s the official release:

LEE BALDWIN REASSIGNED TO ECHL GREENVILLE

HARTFORD, December 29, 2010: Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned defenseman Lee Baldwin from the Whale to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Baldwin, a rookie out of the University of Alaska-Anchorage, has skated in 11 games with the Whale this season and is scoreless, with 13 penalty minutes and a -1 rating.  Baldwin signed as a free agent with the Rangers March 22, 2010.

The Whale return to action tonight at the XL Center, hosting Head Coach Kevin Dineen and the Portland Pirates at the XL Center in a 7:00 game.  The first 3,000 fans into the game will receive a poster commemorating the 1986-87 Adams Division-champion Hartford Whalers squad, and former Whaler and New York Ranger fan favorite, and ex-Hartford Wolf Pack assistant coach, Nick Fotiu will be making a special appearance to sign autographs and meet and greet fans.  The Whale are also on home ice this Saturday, January 1, with the Providence Bruins coming to town.  That game faces off at a special time of 5:00 PM.  Then this Sunday, January 2 the division-leading Manchester Monarchs invade the XL Center for a 3:00 game.

Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center box office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com.  Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.

For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.

The AHL’s CT Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin.  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

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