Not even. AV killed any value he had.
I'd love to have him on the Kings.
I am not sure he is too much more of a project now. Where he is at is closer to where he likely remains in his career as a player in terms of potential/contribution
NYR fans had a lot of hope for him last year in that he looked he made some strides but AV never showed much confidence in him and the longer of a leash McIlrath was given, the more he hung himself with it.
Puck looks like a grenade on his stick and his anticipation/coverage/abilty to read the play, especially in the neutral zone are pretty terrible
For future reference, when people call you out for being a poster who has an anti-Rangers bias, it is because of posts like this, where you clearly demonstrate that you have no idea what you are talking about. McIlrath is fine with the puck on his stick. He's actually one of the calmer players on the team and excels at controlled exits out of the zone.
As for this "longer leash" that you think he "hung himself" with, what exactly are you referring to? He only got ONE extended run of games last season. It was due to injury. During that run of games, he was part of what was statistically our best pairing of the season. Even though that pair was playing amazingly well, AV still benched McIlrath in favor of Girardi with his busted kneecap. After that, AV only put McIlrath in for a game here and a game there (including one particularly idiotic game where he tried to play McIlrath as a winger). AV only played McIlrath in one of our five playoff games. It's the one game the Rangers actually won.
He'll never be a top pairing guy, but the second he gets away from AV and onto a team with a coach who will actually reward play rather than "warrior" reputations, he will very likely show himself to be what he was last season when given a chance--a very capable 2nd pairing guy who can cover for a more offensive partner and fire bombs from the point.
For previous examples of AV totally ****ing up his judgement on defensemen, see Michael Del Zotto, Anton Stralman, and Keith Yandle.
Youre right, other people are calling this guy a fringe 6/7 dman and I quote what I observe of his play and you tell me Im the one who is wrong mis-judging his play and you call him a capable 2nd pair dman.
Right...
Darryl Sutter was playing Rob Scuderi with Drew Doughty last season. Does that make Rob Scuderi a first pair dman now?
he might pass through waivers. #6/7 mouth breather
What you "observed" bears no resemblance to the player in question, so yeah, I'd say you were mis-judging his play. You literally identified things that are his strengths as weaknesses, and made a comment about him being "given rope that he hung himself with" that, objectively speaking, never happened.
You'll generally find two camps of Rangers fans when it comes to McIlrath, incidentally: those who see him developing into a unique asset and those who will never forgive him for not being Tarasenko.
Bottom line is that you are incorrect about him not being able to handle the puck. You are incorrect about him ever being given any kind of rope.
If AV does succeed in getting the team to move McIlrath, then I truly believe that yet another team will be the beneficiary of AV's inability to tell good defensemen from bad. I think that would be a huge mistake, because I'd be shocked if AV still had a job by Christmas.
I said he was decent in his own zone. Where I see the puck as a grenade for him is he is poor at moving the puck through the NZ and not good at all generating offense up ice once they get out of their zone, which is a death wish in AVs systems. Its why guys like Yandle flourish in his ability to push the puck up through all three zones. Just because McIlrath showed good results being paired with arguably NYRs best dman last year, doesnt mean thats his true ability or where he should stay.
You could pair almost anyone with a guy like Drew Doughty or Duncan Keith and that pair should still be more successful than not on the ice, because one guys carries the water so much more than whoever else will be their partner, but that doesnt make the other players on that level of pairing
McIlrath has not been impressive at all away from Yandle
Wasn't he better than Cam Fowler like 8-9 months ago, as per Rangers fans?
Wasn't he better than Cam Fowler like 8-9 months ago, as per Rangers fans?
Cept for 3 seasons he was playing first pairing, granted Anaheim rolls all 3 d pairings.Mcilrath being better than Fowler is equally as absurd as Fowler being a first pairing defenseman haha.
I'd rather just keep him, the only way he could be worse than Girardi is if he starts shoveling pucks into his own net.
Cept for 3 seasons he was playing first pairing, granted Anaheim rolls all 3 d pairings.
Not absurd, just the facts
He had a bad pre-season. If he had a great pre-season, no one would pencil him in as the odds-on favorite for Norris winner. Skjei will be good this season for the Rangers.Considering the state of the Ranger D, after McD, Klein and maybe Staal, there really isn't much left. Skjei has not made the development stride we thought he would from last season to this one.
I thought Dylan would be a bottom pair guy easily. I have to think he is in the same realm as Clendening and Holden. He is the only guy on the team that will challenge other teams tough guys. They certainly don't need to make any move with him, unless he is part of a package for a RHD, however, I just think AV nullified any value he may have had.
As for his value.....at this point a 3rd or 4th rder He is a serviceable defensman.
Youre right, other people are calling this guy a fringe 6/7 dman and I quote what I observe of his play and you tell me Im the one who is wrong mis-judging his play and you call him a capable 2nd pair dman.
Right...
Darryl Sutter was playing Rob Scuderi with Drew Doughty last season. Does that make Rob Scuderi a first pair dman now?