HockeyBasedNYC
Feeling it
Still too young to say he's done, but questions about his maturity yes. I think thats one of the reasons aside from his upcoming contract negotiations why the Rangers traded him. I have nothing to substantiate this but I see him as a big time party dude.
But, he's got upside. When he first joined the Rangers I saw glimpses of Scott Niedermayer in his game. Specifically his vision up the ice, the way he skates and how he can move up the ice. LEts not get ahead of ourselves though. Glimpses. Few and far between but talent there if developed correctly. Somewhere along the line that was stunted. I don't know if it was Torts, a confidence thing or what I mentioned earlier but his game went a little south, wasnt as sharp or with enough purpose. When he was playing well he was playing a talented "Del Zotto" game, his own. But that kind of went away for a long stretch of time.
If he does find himself and regain his form from a few years ago, he could turn into a solid 2nd pairing guy. He's willing to mix it up physically which was a nice part of his game and it usually coincided with the rest of his game being up. His shot can improve. A lot. He was given ample time and chances on the PP to do what the Rangers drafted him for and he couldnt get it together. He was better at threading long passes up the middle and springing breakaways then keeping pucks in at the point and getting shots on net. Even wristers which I thought he could learn how to do well. When he gets it on its not bad, but he misses the net a ton and it seems like the goals he scored could've been stopped most of the time.
Havent really missed him to be honest. Which is saying something for a 24 defenseman whos already played over 330 NHL games, 32 of them in the playoffs.
But, he's got upside. When he first joined the Rangers I saw glimpses of Scott Niedermayer in his game. Specifically his vision up the ice, the way he skates and how he can move up the ice. LEts not get ahead of ourselves though. Glimpses. Few and far between but talent there if developed correctly. Somewhere along the line that was stunted. I don't know if it was Torts, a confidence thing or what I mentioned earlier but his game went a little south, wasnt as sharp or with enough purpose. When he was playing well he was playing a talented "Del Zotto" game, his own. But that kind of went away for a long stretch of time.
If he does find himself and regain his form from a few years ago, he could turn into a solid 2nd pairing guy. He's willing to mix it up physically which was a nice part of his game and it usually coincided with the rest of his game being up. His shot can improve. A lot. He was given ample time and chances on the PP to do what the Rangers drafted him for and he couldnt get it together. He was better at threading long passes up the middle and springing breakaways then keeping pucks in at the point and getting shots on net. Even wristers which I thought he could learn how to do well. When he gets it on its not bad, but he misses the net a ton and it seems like the goals he scored could've been stopped most of the time.
Havent really missed him to be honest. Which is saying something for a 24 defenseman whos already played over 330 NHL games, 32 of them in the playoffs.
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