Injury Report: Derek Stepan (11/6: Will return Saturday)
- Thread starter nyr2k2
- Start date
ReggieDunlop68
hey hanrahan!
If Miller didn't play OK for 40 of 60 minutes in a pre-season game, would the fans be a little bit more upset?
I've never seen a recency bias on these boards, so I think it's safe to pen in Miller at the 1 or 2 C.
I've never seen a recency bias on these boards, so I think it's safe to pen in Miller at the 1 or 2 C.
Its not 6 weeks.
And that "top player" has issues of his own. Including no guarantee he will be a member of this team one year from now.
You think the Rangers playing a large portion of their season with one NHL top 9 center isn't going to impact their performance?
Amazing.
Gardner McKay
RIP, Jimmy.
That is a legitimate concern. Stepan isn't know for consistently having blazing starts to his NHL seasons (aside from his first NHL game).
Haha, really? Everything you've said in the past 24 hours has been negative and about how tough this will be. Talk of Stepan missing months, nonexistent center depth, dealing a top defenseman to cover for the injury, missing the playoffs--it actually does sound like panic. I mean ****, if this is you being confident in the team, what do you look like when you're actually nervous about things?
I am allowed to point out a major flaw this roster has, and express how it will most likely impact other players' roles, and effect outcomes of games.
It seems as though wearing rose colored glasses is mandatory around here as of late...i'm just pointing to the reality of the situation.
There is theoretical depth at center. None of the rest of the guys behind Brassard have shown they can handle the increased responsibility at the NHL level. A month, two? Best case, before Stepan starts playing like himself. Its going to be an issue.
“@AGrossRecord: Derek Stepan (broken left fibula) said no timetable to have cast off and resume workouts, just the overall 4-6 week prognosis.â€
“@stevezipay: Derek Stepan, left leg in cast, discusses injury with reporters. "Fortunate" it didn't require surgeryâ€
“@stevezipay: Derek Stepan, left leg in cast, discusses injury with reporters. "Fortunate" it didn't require surgeryâ€
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
i was concerned with our center depth and size/speed last season. still am. our centers dont scare anyone.
as bad a beaver was at the end of the season, he carried this team the first month- he was really good yet as a team we sucked.
ive never been a huge derek stepan for 1c guy ever. hes our 1c by default and now hes got a broken leg. his last season was long stretches of bad.... then good late. hes up and down when healthy. his up is very good scoring numbers and his down is slow unproductive stretches.
brassard has hidden talent, he just doesnt show it enough. hes just not productive enough 5on5.
jt miller may well step up and surprise. maybe he'll breakout and claim that 3c spot. thats alot of maybes though.
i love dom moore but hes just not a 2 or 3 guy. hes game for sure, but hell get eaten alive and production wise he'll/we'll suffer.
the rest of the option are temporary fixes.
im cautiously optimistic well be ok for 1 month until step returns, but he didnt come back strong after missing time last fall and even if 100%, my original concerns about our size and speed at pivot remain.
as bad a beaver was at the end of the season, he carried this team the first month- he was really good yet as a team we sucked.
ive never been a huge derek stepan for 1c guy ever. hes our 1c by default and now hes got a broken leg. his last season was long stretches of bad.... then good late. hes up and down when healthy. his up is very good scoring numbers and his down is slow unproductive stretches.
brassard has hidden talent, he just doesnt show it enough. hes just not productive enough 5on5.
jt miller may well step up and surprise. maybe he'll breakout and claim that 3c spot. thats alot of maybes though.
i love dom moore but hes just not a 2 or 3 guy. hes game for sure, but hell get eaten alive and production wise he'll/we'll suffer.
the rest of the option are temporary fixes.
im cautiously optimistic well be ok for 1 month until step returns, but he didnt come back strong after missing time last fall and even if 100%, my original concerns about our size and speed at pivot remain.
a tribe cq
That’s just like…your opinion man.
- Jan 15, 2013
- 1,350
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That was my first concern in regards to this situation right when I heard the news.
He's been pretty brutal to start seasons and especially the last time he missed camp.
Some people can just motor out of the gates, unfortunately it seems he isn't one of them.
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
Rather have him be slow and produce 50+ points a year than be a phenomenal skater who produces less.
Raspewtin
Stay at home defenseman hater
- May 30, 2013
- 43,623
- 20,017
I think how "slow" Stepan is is overblown. His acceleration is blahhhhh, but it's not so bad it truly impacts his game.
However, if Stepan was a good skater, he'd be a consistent 70 point player easily.
This team isn't built to roll with a franchise center in the middle. 3 centers who chip in ~50 points and stronger depth on the wings and blueline than most teams can match. That's clearly the formula.
Ghost of jas
Unsatisfied
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
wow. thats lowering the bar.
like some how speed and size up the middle would make us easier to play against ?
i still say our long painful stretches of nonscoring begins in the middle with our lack of productive creativity which is byproduct of lack of speed and size.
i agree we have some big fast wingers and our small guys on the edge are high end talent, but the middle is still weak.
with or without healthy derek(s).
or shooting needs work too....
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
Ghost of jas
Unsatisfied
ya had to go there didnt ya.....
ok, put your $1.00 in the swear jar and go to your room.
We all have our mistakes. I once believed Brodie Dupont was going to be a fixture on our 3rd line.
JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK
Twenty f*ckin years
- Oct 8, 2010
- 79,462
- 16,897
I do not back away from this one bit, except to clarify that I never said Stepan was worthless and we would be better off without him. This is not piece of deadwood we are hoping the Martians will kidnap and rid us of the headache.
Stepan remains a valuable commodity and I neither want to show him the bum's rush out the door, nor do I want to just give him away in trade; he is not the el-cheapo special!
Simply said, it's just I think he is worth more to us in trade return than at 1 or 2 C for us.
I thought that before when I've said we "needed more horses" (still do, but getting there slowly), and I still think it, but addition of Hayes is HUGE (not only is he a great fit with Kreider, they have a good track record --- just have to lose the rust).
That said, I respectfully maintain that
a) we can at minimum get by with the core we had which has been hugely strengthened by adding Hayes.
b) that minimum will be dramatically improved if we go with synergy, taking guys who are good across the board but then each have a premium skill which is enhanced when that strength is combined without a weak link in a chain (eg, Miller at C fast, and Hags-MSL on Ws = speed 'up the wazu').
c) as a result of the above, Stepan is dispensable, not indispensable
d) on top of that he is a bargain now, he is not a bargain at 6.5 m after next year's contract --- and there is no doubt after holding out a prior camp he will want top dollar.
e) ergo, as long as there is a top offer for Stepan, we should consider all such offers and take the best one
f) competition to acquire Stepan should generate such a worthy offer. We should be in the driver's seat. Might not be a crazy good offer, but certainly a sweet one.
g) thinking outside the box, we can likely do Girardi + Kristo for Kadri, then use that as a foundation for a top piece --- whether that is a gamble on a Drasatil, or some other return.
Conclusion: do nothing impetuously here. When you get an offer too good to refuse, pull the trigger.
PS - if they listen to me on line combos (Kreider with Hayes and Hags w/MSL) which very early it looks like AV is doing, they should be fine, barring further injury,
when it is proven the team was right to gamble on youth as I advocated, and I was RIGHT and ALL MY DETRACTORS WERE HORRIBLY WRONG, what do you suggest I do for vindication?
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silverfish
got perma'd
Brooklyn Rangers Fan
Change is good.
I thought Lauri Korpikoski had 1LW potential
This would be a fun thread to have
Evgeny Grachev.
But I blame Gernander for that, so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't go on my record.
Unless you're privy to information hidden from the rest of us, you don't know that it's not six weeks. Is it likely more? Maybe. Step could be ready to have the cast off in three weeks. Maybe he's a fast healer. It's unlikely, but we don't know. Maybe some people are being overly optimistic, but you can't state with any kind of certainty how long it will or will not be.
As for the last point--I haven't seen one person legitimately make the point that his loss won't hurt or make things more difficult. I think everyone acknowledges that to varying degrees.
I am generally pretty pessimistic. No rose colored glasses here.
I don't disagree with any of your points. It was just funny to see post after post of you painting such a bleak picture, only to state that you think we'll finish as the three seed. Just busting your balls.
wow. thats lowering the bar.
like some how speed and size up the middle would make us easier to play against ?
i still say our long painful stretches of nonscoring begins in the middle with our lack of productive creativity which is byproduct of lack of speed and size.
i agree we have some big fast wingers and our small guys on the edge are high end talent, but the middle is still weak.
with or without healthy derek(s).
or shooting needs work too....
It's not lowering the bar. Not even sure how you got to that.
Size in the middle is a nice to have. Speed down the middle is a nice to have. Clearly there are other ways to win than having a 6'3 200lb center who scores 100 points on your first line. People rip on Stepan for not being a blazing skater, but he's also the best center on the roster by a considerable margin, and is one of the better centers in the league.
The middle can be weak if you have strength in other areas to make up for it. Which this team does. Every team goes through stretches where they can't score. Lack of size and speed has almost nothing to do with it.
One thing I've always found amusing about hockey debates on any board, not just HF, is that pessimism is deemed reality while optimism is automatically labeled fantasy. You're always going to have those who think the team is no good and there is no way to survive any new obstacles that come the team's way. If you say otherwise, you aren't living in reality. Even going the cup finals was considered "pure luck" by some of these pessimistic "fans" of the team.
Stepan is a tough loss, but all we can do at this point is make projections and predictions that will be optimistic, pessimistic or right on the fence. Reality will be the results that we see after games are played.
Stepan is a tough loss, but all we can do at this point is make projections and predictions that will be optimistic, pessimistic or right on the fence. Reality will be the results that we see after games are played.
