All-Purpose Stu Bickel Thread

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Nobody is using him as an excuse for the ghost of Gab but we have all consistently seen him be the same bad player when ,(Here's the biggest key I think to why people are so frustrated with him) there are better alternatives

Ok, who?

 

[eco's bones]

Bickel has played like ****. Considering he may be the least talented player on the team--yeah, he is replaceable. His toughness would be a loss though unless you replaced him with at least an equally tough player--because this is not a team that seems as tough as it was last year and it needs to be.

The real problem though as I see it is the team hasn't been ready to go when the first puck is dropped. Maybe they actually believe all the hype so much that they're destined to win the cup this year that all they think they have to do is show up with their sticks and skates. They've been outplayed and hemmed in their zone way too much. Such conditions are going to make your least talented players--especially when one is a defenseman--look really, really bad. They get stuck out on long shifts running around too much and/or running out of gas running around too much. So far this team does not appear as ready as either the Bruins in game 1 or Penguins in game 2. They need to collectively get their heads out of their *****.

 

[Giglio NYR15]

Ok, who?

Eminger and Gilroy are both better alternatives.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Who exactly deserved minutes yesterday?

Eminger, a signed player, or some1 who isn't gilroy who has proven to play D and comes relatively cheap (1 mil).good point about not wasting minutes and tiring out our top guys but I am curious why you think he should be in the lineup when he should be easily replaced. I've seen many people mention this already so I am unsure why you are still saying "who" instead of discussing that.

Ok. Still-what's your point?

Nobody is blaming the poor start on Bickel. He's simply a piece of the puzzle. He's an obvious weakness that must be eliminated and that can be done fairly easily.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Eminger and Gilroy are both better alternatives.

Short term memory on Gilroy.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Who? The guys the coaches sat in the press box the last two games? If they were really better options, wouldn't they have been in the lineup after the Boston game where Bickel played less than 6 minutes?

People have selective memory. Some just choose to forget how badly Gilroy played during his stint here, and how many people were screaming for someone to replace Eminger.

How many people WERE screaming for Eminger to be replaced I recall him playing well before injury last season. The question is do you actually feel what we've gotten out of Bickle is the best we could get from any1 or could Eminger or a player we could have easily signed this summer or now for cheap have done better?

 

[Bardof425*]

It's typical behavior of this board. Single out the guy who is perceived to be the weak link, and start directing the frustration at him.

Hell, half of the people who are harping on him for the Kennedy goal can't even remember how the play developed. Vitale blew by Bickel because he misread his gap and thought he could close him out on the wall. Hank made the initial stop and it should have ended there. However, between Kreider being slow on the backcheck and Del Zotto standing around in front of the net not covering anyone, Kennedy had an easy look at the net. That play was a **** show all the way around.

Seems like few people around here can analyze a hockey play anymore. It's kind of alarming.

You are too kind. All night the Pens were giving him the puck (dumping to his corner) and then hemming us in for scoring opportunities. Now he is not the only one playing poorly, Staal has been bad and Girardi is fighting it too. But, he does not skate well enough, does not see the ice well enough and does not pass the puck well enough to play defense in the NHL. Seems like a great guy and a warrior but does not have the skill set for this league. And the mistake he made on Vitale came at an awful time and was the turning point in the game.

 

[highandwide]

I find myself getting a little too frustrated over Bickel. Usually I'm all for blame the team on a whole, but these last two games, he's been atrocious.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Short term memory on Gilroy.

Both were also signed this off season I think it's fair to say we could have gotten someone better than Bickle and if Eminger and Gilroy can't take his spot that's a bad job by us signing someone to round out the bottom of our D. I'm sure if any of us look through the list of Dmen signed this offseason we'd find several cheap better alternatives. We obviously could not have signed anyone to play better than Rich, Gaborik, Hank, etc which is why no one is talking about them and their struggles in a Stu thread lol

Seems like few people around here can analyze a hockey play anymore. It's kind of alarming.

More importantly and more alarmingly you expect everyone who signs up to talk hockey to understand every facet of the game and you criticize them if they are not up to your standard of intellect? I got into hockey about 10 years ago. no one in my family ever had anything to do with hockey but I've fallen in love with it and have been trying to learn and understand as much as possible. I only started playing about a year ago so you're going to have to get over it but I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I only wish to discuss what I see even if I am unsure I am correct.

This is why I keep asking you and this blues guy for clarification but you're being extremely aggressive for no discernible reason. Maybe you are not fond of this place and sick of people being reactive or something but I've seen a lot of level headedness here so far. A LOT of people saying roughly "This is bad but have patience it's just two games, no camp, etc." But people feel with good reason Bickle is just bad and that his being here is just a mistake that needs to be fixed. I agree and think there had to have been some1 we could hav signed this past off season

 

[Machinehead]

People are forgetting how bad Gilroy is. Not that much better.

Eminger would be an improvement.

 

[Kane One]

Eminger should definitely be playing over Bickel. Not Gilroy.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Im with giving Eminger a shot.

Bickel is further down the list when it comes problems with this team, but its always disconcerting when a questionable NHL talent is on the roster. Bickel makes some really, really bad decisions out there in limited minutes. I was joking with a buddy that the only reason Bickel got 14+ minutes was because Torts was doing one of his "Look at the #6 defenseman situation, Glen" games...its not so fun in a 48 game season.

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

Dale Purinton should definitely be playing over Bickel. Not Gilroy.

oh wait....wrong year

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Im with giving Eminger a shot..

He'll probably get one. I think Torts wanted Bickel's grit against Boston and Pittsburgh.

 

[Trxjw]

How many people WERE screaming for Eminger to be replaced I recall him playing well before injury last season. The question is do you actually feel what we've gotten out of Bickle is the best we could get from any1 or could Eminger or a player we could have easily signed this summer or now for cheap have done better?

That's really not the point. Hindsight is 20/20. Deal with what we have now not what we could have done differently. If Eminger was the best option and had earned himself a spot on the roster, he would have been playing. Tortorella doesn't play favorites. If the brass had found a viable replacement on the open market or via trade, he'd be with the team right now.

Could we have signed Nik Lidstrom and gotten better out of him than we are with Bickel? Yeah, of course, but you have to deal with what you have at your disposal. Given that fact, I'm not going to slam Bickel for making the mistakes your average #6 d-man tends to make.

 

[Machinehead]

Bickel has been with the team since December 20th 2011. Since that time he's played 53 games.

If he was coming out of the lineup, he'd be out already.

 

[RGY]

Bickel has been with the team since December 20th 2011. Since that time he's played 53 games.

If he was coming out of the lineup, he'd be out already.

Have to disagree with you here. Really reaching with that statement. Sauer was out for the season after the Phaneuf hit. Eminger went down with a long term injury. They didn't have any other choices last year. And the trade market was very thin and the prices were too high for average players.

It's Eminger's turn now.

 

[Trxjw]

More importantly and more alarmingly you expect everyone who signs up to talk hockey to understand every facet of the game and you criticize them if they are not up to your standard of intellect? I got into hockey about 10 years ago. no one in my family ever had anything to do with hockey but I've fallen in love with it and have been trying to learn and understand as much as possible. I only started playing about a year ago so you're going to have to get over it but I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I only wish to discuss what I see even if I am unsure I am correct.

This is why I keep asking you and this blues guy for clarification but you're being extremely aggressive for no discernible reason. Maybe you are not fond of this place and sick of people being reactive or something but I've seen a lot of level headedness here so far. A LOT of people saying roughly "This is bad but have patience it's just two games, no camp, etc." But people feel with good reason Bickle is just bad and that his being here is just a mistake that needs to be fixed. I agree and think there had to have been some1 we could hav signed this past off season

I expect someone who criticizes a player to have something to back it up. It has nothing to do with my level of intellect. You say he sucks, fine. Just don't get defensive when people ask you to explain why, or punch holes in your argument. I'm not here to dissuade people from discussing hockey, but I'm not going to pull any punches just because they are unsure of what they're talking about.

Bickel has never played a full season of NHL hockey. Hell, he only broke into the league last season. If you put him in a situation that will expose him, then that's what's going to happen. Pairing him with Del Zotto is just begging for mistakes. However, grit on our blueline has been an issue for a while now. Putting Eminger in doesn't help that, and neither does Gilroy. Eminger is more Hyde than he is Jekyll and has been for the majority of his career.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Short term memory on Gilroy.

Not really. Most of us remember how bad Gilroy was defensively but at the same time I also remember how much better of a skater he was than Bickel.

It is not Stu's hockey smarts that keep him from being a good player. (I think he has a good hockey IQ). Also it is not his positioning or puck handling skills either (they are not great but will improve over time IMO). What is holding Stu back is his god awful skating.

He reminds me of Boyle before BB took lessons from Barb Underhill. If Stu could improve to just have average skating then I would be fine with him as a viable long term option as a #6 dman. I think his grit and heart are everything you want to have in a hockey player but his skating leaves tons to be desired.

So yes, I would much rather have Gilroy in at the moment and let Stu go to the AHL and REALLY concentrate on his skating and positioning (although his positioning isn't nearly as bad as his skating) and then lets see how he is progressing in a month or so.

I think Stu can be an NHL calibre 6th defenseman, just not right now.

 

[Blueshirt Believer]

Not really. Most of us remember how bad Gilroy was defensively but at the same time I also remember how much better of a skater he was than Bickel.

It is not Stu's hockey smarts that keep him from being a good player. (I think he has a good hockey IQ). Also it is not his positioning or puck handling skills either (they are not great but will improve over time IMO). What is holding Stu back is his god awful skating.

He reminds me of Boyle before BB took lessons from Barb Underhill. If Stu could improve to just have average skating then I would be fine with him as a viable long term option as a #6 dman. I think his grit and heart are everything you want to have in a hockey player but his skating leaves tons to be desired.

So yes, I would much rather have Gilroy in at the moment and let Stu go to the AHL and REALLY concentrate on his skating and positioning (although his positioning isn't nearly as bad as his skating) and then lets see how he is progressing in a month or so.

I think Stu can be an NHL calibre 6th defenseman, just not right now.

Really? I don't see that at all with Stu. He is easily pulled out of position and panics when something is amiss.

Not to mention, for a guy with size/grit. He isn't that great on the wall. I rarely see him win one on one battles in the corner.

The only thing I can see he provides is his ability to fight.

 

[Doctyl]

Not really. Most of us remember how bad Gilroy was defensively but at the same time I also remember how much better of a skater he was than Bickel.

It is not Stu's hockey smarts that keep him from being a good player. (I think he has a good hockey IQ). Also it is not his positioning or puck handling skills either (they are not great but will improve over time IMO). What is holding Stu back is his god awful skating.

He reminds me of Boyle before BB took lessons from Barb Underhill. If Stu could improve to just have average skating then I would be fine with him as a viable long term option as a #6 dman. I think his grit and heart are everything you want to have in a hockey player but his skating leaves tons to be desired.

So yes, I would much rather have Gilroy in at the moment and let Stu go to the AHL and REALLY concentrate on his skating and positioning (although his positioning isn't nearly as bad as his skating) and then lets see how he is progressing in a month or so.

I think Stu can be an NHL calibre 6th defenseman, just not right now.

well if torts wont scratch him then we may need another underhill miracle

 

[Nich]

Why does Torts keep him in the lineup? He's cost the team so many goals in his short tenure here. I am not exaggerating, he is the worst defenseman I've seen play for the Rangers.

To young to see Dale Purinton play i guess

 

[The Gloaming]

I don't understand Torts' obsession with Stu Pickles. He is horrible. I can only remember one good play, ever by him. (Saving a goal in G3 vs. OTT) But he regularly makes boneheaded mistakes, and last night, every time the Rangers were stuck in their zone, I looked up, and there was Bickel.

At least give Eminger a chance. No way he's worse.

 

[Trident]

I think it is good to have him in the lineup for all division games and some other teams in the conference. On the other hand, I don't think he should be in the playoffs for this team where his type of toughness is not needed as much. Having him nailed to the bench in the playoffs does nothing and is a waste of space. I remember the camera panning in on him during the 3OT game against the Caps and thinking that having a 6th d-man that could play at that pace would be nice about now.
Did he have a role in a bad goal last night, yes, but he is far from the problem in the last two games.

 

[Uncle Sid]

This guy [bickel] has been miserable these past 2 games. Selling pretzels on 7th ave this Wednesday should be the closest to the garden that he comes for that game vs the bruins. If he is in the lineup I will become concerned, more than I already am.