Waived: Jeff Halpern (Claimed by Montreal)

[16 To Stanley*]

Because team toughness has been discussed on this board ad nauseam when there are clearly way bigger problems. If this team was healthy and Gaborik + Richards were playing like they should have, no one here would give a **** about how many fights we get into.

The team is soft as **** to play against. Last year no one wanted to play us. This year no one cares. If you think toughness isn't a factor in games, that's ludicrous.

This is the NHL, not the NBA.

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

The team is soft as **** to play against. Last year no one wanted to play us. This year no one cares. If you think toughness isn't a factor in games, that's ludicrous.

This is the NHL, not the NBA.

We got outplayed physically in the Ottawa series.

We won.

The Caps series wasn't physical at all.

We won.

New Jersey's bottom six SCORED GOALS, not beat us up, and that's what helped them win.

 

[16 To Stanley*]

We got outplayed physically in the Ottawa series.

We won.

The Caps series wasn't physical at all.

We won.

New Jersey's bottom six SCORED GOALS, not beat us up, and that's what helped them win.

I'm not saying we should fight our way to the top. I'm arguing that this team, is hardly a team, because of how soft they are. You need guys who lead your team physically and back you up out there on the ice. It's part of what builds a TEAM. Not the chickens with their heads cut off that we have been watching this season.

 

[*Bob Richards*]

The team is soft as **** to play against. Last year no one wanted to play us. This year no one cares. If you think toughness isn't a factor in games, that's ludicrous.

This is the NHL, not the NBA.

Last year also had a very healthy team, a 40 goal Gaborik, a not useless Richards and Henrik Lundqvist was in God-Mode.

I think this years woes run a little deeper than being tough....

 

[Thirty One]

Yes, but that team was #1 in the East.

Meh, I see way more issues than toughness. Even when Boston won the Cup as the ultimate tough team they have 4 fighting majors in the playoffs. One of them was Seidenberg.

 

[Dangleberry]

This is the shakeup we've all been waiting for.

 

[*Bob Richards*]

They would in the playoffs when this team gets steamrolled by a bigger, more physical team.

This is a team that plays like it is skilled, without the skill. No grit whatsoever.

Well, we seem to have neither so I don't think we can worry too much about the playoffs.

I'm all for a team that sticks up for each other. I mentioned this in a post in the PGT. But there are other issues that I think need to be addressed that cripple us.

 

[NYR Viper]

Meh, I see way more issues than toughness. Even when Boston won the Cup as the ultimate tough team they have 4 fighting majors in the playoffs. One of them was Seidenberg.

I don't necessarily see the correlation between fighting and being a tough team. This team isn't tough AND it can't fight.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

This is the shakeup we've all been waiting for.

Ha, yeah. Waiving Halpern is leaving me wondering if we are trying to suck more.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue...

 

[*Bob Richards*]

Picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue...

LOL. Picked the wrong week to stop taking amphetamines.

Alright, I think we are straying too far off topic with this. We have a thread dedicated to team toughness. This one is about Jeff Halpern.

 

[Riverdale]

Because team toughness has been discussed on this board ad nauseam when there are clearly way bigger problems. If this team was healthy and Gaborik + Richards were playing like they should have, no one here would give a **** about how many fights we get into.

This team needs to toughen up, but that doesn't necessarily mean more fighting. Just sticking up for other teammates, fighting back, and for the love of God stopping opposing players from hacking away at Hank.

I can do without fights if we are scoring goals.

 

[Trxjw]

Do you know how many guys can pk in the NHL and still put up points? Every year i hear the same thing with Rangers fans. We lost Betts, we lost Ortmeyer, we lost prust, our pk is going to suck. Every year we find other guys to fill those roles.

I'm not worried about the PK. We have a great defense (when healthy) and the best goalie in the NHL. We always have a good PK, no matter the revolving door that is those players.

We need more than just PK from our bottom six. That can be replaced. We need guys who can chip in on offense. Halpern CLEARLY can't do that. If he was, i wouldn't be complaining.

People want to know what i expect out of halpern and powe and pyatt, i expect offense and if i don't get that, i expect grit. I expect guys who are hard nosed and tough to play against.

They don't want to be that, good riddance. They're not that type of player, good riddance.

At the rate halpern is going, Boogaard could have provided more offense than him.

Complaining that you're not getting enough offense from a guy who is playing 9 minutes a night is asinine. It's *****ing for the sake of *****ing. There's a vast difference between losing a guy in the off-season and waiving your 3rd best PKing forward and 2nd best FO guy in the middle of a season.

Saying "we have a great defense and goalie" so our PK will be fine would make some sort of sense if the PK didn't have, you know, forwards. So now who replaces those PK minutes we just lost? Nash? Hagelin? Boy oh boy. I can't wait to have two of our best offensive players out there blocking shots!

 

[chosen]

Considering that Halpern's points were coming in buckets, this is a real head-scratcher.

 

[nyrpassion]

Ha, yeah. Waiving Halpern is leaving me wondering if we are trying to suck more.

TANK TANK!! .....to get CBJ a #1 pick.

 

[16 To Stanley*]

Complaining that you're not getting enough offense from a guy who is playing 9 minutes a night is asinine. It's *****ing for the sake of *****ing. There's a vast difference between losing a guy in the off-season and waiving your 3rd best PKing forward and 2nd best FO guy in the middle of a season.

Saying "we have a great defense and goalie" so our PK will be fine would make some sort of sense if the PK didn't have, you know, forwards. So now who replaces those PK minutes we just lost? Nash? Hagelin? Boy oh boy. I can't wait to have two of our best offensive players out there blocking shots!

I'm not only complaining about the production. I'm complaining about the fact that he brings NOTHING other than penalty killing and Faceoff ability. Nothing, Nada. He produces little to no chances. And he doesn't every throw his body around.

Again, it's not fighting that I'm talking about. I'm talking about team toughness. Guys that are hard to play against. That make the opposing team say "**** i gotta play against that guy today." we don't have one guy like that. Brian boyle is our toughest guy and that's pathetic.

Halpern brought nothing that can't be replaced. we're better off if haley is called up and he is in the lineup over him.

Edit: And for what it's worth, Hagelin killed penalties last season and some of this year and Nash has killed them for the past couple years in CBJ. I'm fine with them penalty killing. And I don't think they will be regardless.

Stepan-Callahan
Boyle-Powe

Cheers

 

[Gardner McKay]

I could definitely see the Canucks claiming him. No center depth there.

And then what, trade him back to us as a part of a trade for Gaborik?

Seriously though, I do agree.

 

[GAGLine]

What did we lose from last years team. Rupp, Prust, Dubi, Bickel (he still sucks), Feds, Anisimov

All those guys, sans anisimov, had more grit and brought toughness.

I'm sure it's no coincidence that they also brought some offense too. Even with Dubi's struggles last year, he would still be a better offensive option than anyone currently in our bottom 6. Same with Anisimov. Prust was a threat to score on the PK and maybe Boyle would produce more if he was still playing with Prust. Feds had 20 points last year and even Rupp scored a couple goals to help us win the winter classic.

It's a false assumption to look at those players and say that because they were collectively tougher than this year's group, THAT is why they were more successful. I have no doubt that toughness was part of it. But offensive ability and age have something to do with it at well.

Regardless, Halpern isn't tough and he doesn't bring any offense. He's good defensively and on faceoffs. Those are both valuable, but they are easily replaceable.

I don't understand why they chose to waive Halpern instead of one of the others. Maybe it's because we have a deal in the works that will make him unnecessary, and we need to free up a contract. What I do know is that losing Jeff Halpern isn't going to make a big difference. At this point in his career, he isn't an impact player.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Lost Mitchell too

 

[16 To Stanley*]

I'm sure it's no coincidence that they also brought some offense too. Even with Dubi's struggles last year, he would still be a better offensive option than anyone currently in our bottom 6. Same with Anisimov. Prust was a threat to score on the PK and maybe Boyle would produce more if he was still playing with Prust. Feds had 20 points last year and even Rupp scored a couple goals to help us win the winter classic.

It's a false assumption to look at those players and say that because they were collectively tougher than this year's group, THAT is why they were more successful. I have no doubt that toughness was part of it. But offensive ability and age have something to do with it at well.

Regardless, Halpern isn't tough and he doesn't bring any offense. He's good defensively and on faceoffs. Those are both valuable, but they are easily replaceable.

I don't understand why they chose to waive Halpern instead of one of the others. Maybe it's because we have a deal in the works that will make him unnecessary, and we need to free up a contract. What I do know is that losing Jeff Halpern isn't going to make a big difference. At this point in his career, he isn't an impact player.

Maybe i'm not expressing myself well enough because all i'm seeing is red after last nights loss. But this is how i feel. I agree with this post 3000%. It's not all about toughness. It's a mix of both. But if you're not bringing one, you have to bring the other. You can't bring neither like Halpern was.

Prust brought toughness. Anisimov brought offense. Dubi brought mostly toughness but potted points here and there. Rupp toughness. Feds offense. Right now Powe, Pyatt and Halpern don't bring either.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

Considering that Halpern's points were coming in buckets, this is a real head-scratcher.

It has nothing to do with points. There are other facets of the game that players need to excel in. Which he did. He was better than most of our bottom 6 guys.

 

[Tawnos]

So what kind of message does that send? Waive the guy thats playing as well as he can?

More like saying that just being okay isn't good enough.

 

[Orr Nightmare]

If you think Mark Fraser, Matt Kassian or Keaton Ellerby fix this teams issues you're in for a huge wakeup call.

This garbage about the team being "soft" has to stop. The team can't score any ****ing goals. You can't beat goals out of your opponent. Should we get more toughness? Sure, why not. Is it gonna make us a contender? Absolutely not.

Right on guy...whats the biggest difference with this team and last years team...last year everyone kept saying we need another scorer...well we got him...what is the excuse now, we need another scorer?

 

[16 To Stanley*]

More like saying that just being okay isn't good enough.

Seems like a fine message to me.

 

[NikC]

Considering that Halpern's points were coming in buckets, this is a real head-scratcher.

you know it’s a desperate fan base when you’re grieving the loss of Jeff Halpern.
All it takes is 9m a night of the most non-descript play possible to endear yourself to our fans..


Maybe we should have kept Mitchell, who has as many goals as Gaborik?