Proposal: Mika Zibanejad for Trevor Zegras

[Savant]

They should be looking at moving players without full NMCs then.

I’m sure they are doing that too. But all the players that would actually make a difference are either expiring or on NMCs, or are Adam Fox. So it’s a limited pool.

 

[seabass45]

I’m sure they are doing that too. But all the players that would actually make a difference are either expiring or on NMCs, or are Adam Fox. So it’s a limited pool.

There really isn’t a “but” here though? He holds all the control until the last year of his contract and there’s no reason for him to waive that control. Any speculation that he could be traded to open up cap space is pure fantasy.

 

[Savant]

There really isn’t a “but” here though? He holds all the control until the last year of his contract and there’s no reason for him to waive that control. Any speculation that he could be traded to open up cap space is pure fantasy.

Yeah. That’s what the point of this website is, isn’t it?

 

[WhatTheDuck]

It’s that he’s not good anymore. The people who watch him play every game want him gone. Doesn’t that tell you something?

Did injuries get to him? Is there any particular part of his game that clearly looks weaker (ie skating)?

Genuinely curious what has happened to him.

 

[TGWL]

You are over reacting on epic levels. No one is buying him out and name any player that has been buried that scored 72 points? He hasn't played well but still has 7 pts in 9 games. He is also not the 3rd beat center again massive over reaction to Chytil playing well. Chytil has a 9.7 shooting percentage for his career and is shooting over 16% right now. I hope it continues but pretty sure it won't. Carrick has a higher career shooting percentage. Historically he doesn't finish well.

Pump the breaks

Production doesn't always corelate to playing well. Chytil is playing much better than Zibanejad right now and it has nothing to do with a higher shooting percentage. Chytil is being a puck hound. His neutral and offensive entry zones are creating offensive pressure for his line. He's holding onto the puck and creating plays. His speed through the sample games played this season has already done more for his line than anything Zibanejad's has done for his line. Yes, it's a small 9 games size, but it's not based on points. Perhaps injuries caught up to Zibanejad. Perhaps baby life has aged and tired him out. Perhaps he's not interested. Perhaps he needs some steak dinners. Whatever the issue, it's been more than the sample 9 games for him.

 

[TGWL]

Some Ranger fans are like high school girls in that they over react to everything. Player slumps he is the worst player ever.....

Mika hasn't been great so far this year and that is like he stole their boyfriend. He is wearing his varsity jacket too. Could you believe that guy.

"He hasn't been great, but fans are overreacting, even though he hasn't been great. It's like fans want to hate on him for not being great, even though, he hasn't been great. Stop overreacting to how he's currently playing, which is not great, but may become great again. One day. Hopefully."

Sure, maybe some fans overreact with top 5 worst contract, etc. But this slump is damn long.

 

[elmaco]

Don't get him confused for that badass Gen X look.

The reality is he's far more of a Hipster, likely to be seen in a no name coffee shop, drinking a vente decaf soy mocha latte, thinking of how he can bring his DJ act to Burning Man 2024.

You just described every liberal male in North America.

 

[redwings86]

Mika Zibanejad


Trevor Zegras

I like this. But Rangers lose turnover?

 

[Flan the incredible]

Production doesn't always corelate to playing well. Chytil is playing much better than Zibanejad right now and it has nothing to do with a higher shooting percentage. Chytil is being a puck hound. His neutral and offensive entry zones are creating offensive pressure for his line. He's holding onto the puck and creating plays. His speed through the sample games played this season has already done more for his line than anything Zibanejad's has done for his line. Yes, it's a small 9 games size, but it's not based on points. Perhaps injuries caught up to Zibanejad. Perhaps baby life has aged and tired him out. Perhaps he's not interested. Perhaps he needs some steak dinners. Whatever the issue, it's been more than the sample 9 games for him.

A player playing well over a small sample size does not make him better than a player who has done it year in and year out. Chytil has been playing well no doubt but its 10 games. Lets see who is the better player after 60. If Zib goes on a hot streak lots of people are going to be eating crow just like all the fans who gave up on Laf before he broke out.

The law of averages is a nasty thing. Chytil is probably going to cool off and Zib will probably go on a scoring streak. That's hockey

 

[redwings86]

1C: Zegras
2C: Trocheck
3C: Chytil
4C: Brodzinski

This more interesting than Zibanejad as 1C.

 

[Fataldogg]

Why? Zibenejad is better than Zegras. I understand he has struggled a bit, but his struggling is putting up 70+ points and playing solid defense. Rangers fans are starting to act like he is a beer league player. Dumping him for the sake of dumping him doesn't make sense.

 

[TGWL]

A player playing well over a small sample size does not make him better than a player who has done it year in and year out. Chytil has been playing well no doubt but its 10 games. Lets see who is the better player after 60. If Zib goes on a hot streak lots of people are going to be eating crow just like all the fans who gave up on Laf before he broke out.

The law of averages is a nasty thing. Chytil is probably going to cool off and Zib will probably go on a scoring streak. That's hockey

No, but a player playing better does mean that he's playing better right now. I'm going to assume your hot streak includes points....which isn't what fans are talking about when it comes to Zibanejad. We're talking about his overall play on the ice. I don't think anybody is talking about Chytil having more points at the end of the season than Zibanejad.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Did injuries get to him? Is there any particular part of his game that clearly looks weaker (ie skating)?

Genuinely curious what has happened to him.

Skating. That’s the big one.

This was the game before COVID shut down the league.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848505550989824038

Can’t find a good clip of now, but it’s nothing like it was before. This is why he’s mainly bad at even strength. It’s a back and forth game. Special teams is more static, and he’s better in those situations (still declining on the PP). It’s as if he has no energy, he’s lazy, or he simply can’t move anymore. The main injuries he’s had over the years are concussions, but as far as I remember he hasn’t really missed many games the last few years.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Skating. That’s the big one.

This was the game before COVID shut down the league.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848505550989824038

Can’t find a good clip of now, but it’s nothing like it was before. This is why he’s mainly bad at even strength. It’s a back and forth game. Special teams is more static, and he’s better in those situations (still declining on the PP). It’s as if he has no energy, he’s lazy, or he simply can’t move anymore. The main injuries he’s had over the years are concussions, but as far as I remember he hasn’t really missed many games the last few years.

I know in Anaheim we've had multiple instances where guys (Kesler and Silf) played through a ton of pain dealing through injuries for quite some time before we ever heard about it. In both cases it was hip issues which will obviously take a lot of the jump out of a stride. I can't help but wonder if there's something similar going on with Zibanejad, some sort of nagging injury that doesn't take him out of the lineup but does take a lot of the wind out of his sails.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

A player playing well over a small sample size does not make him better than a player who has done it year in and year out. Chytil has been playing well no doubt but its 10 games. Lets see who is the better player after 60. If Zib goes on a hot streak lots of people are going to be eating crow just like all the fans who gave up on Laf before he broke out.

The law of averages is a nasty thing. Chytil is probably going to cool off and Zib will probably go on a scoring streak. That's hockey

The issue is not pure point totals. It’s that he’s our 1C, and all he might be good for is some empty points on the PP and good PK’ing. He doesn’t drive play. He gets caved in the playoffs when matched against top centers. We wonder why this team always gives up a lot of shots and scoring chances compared to other top teams? Our 1C is a special teams specialist and loses all matchups at even strength against the 1C’s on those teams. Hard to be more than a special teams and goaltending team that way. If we want to be better at even strength, it’s hard when our 1C is by far the biggest culprit.

People should honestly quit their whining so much about Trouba and Lindgren. The 3-5D don’t impact whether the team drives play positively anywhere near as much as the 1C.

 

[redwings86]

Why? Zibenejad is better than Zegras. I understand he has struggled a bit, but his struggling is putting up 70+ points and playing solid defense. Rangers fans are starting to act like he is a beer league player. Dumping him for the sake of dumping him doesn't make sense.

Why? I dislike Zibanejad much. Zegras may play much better.

 

[Flan the incredible]

No, but a player playing better does mean that he's playing better right now. I'm going to assume your hot streak includes points....which isn't what fans are talking about when it comes to Zibanejad. We're talking about his overall play on the ice. I don't think anybody is talking about Chytil having more points at the end of the season than Zibanejad.

I understand what you are saying but points matter. I feel like you have gone completely the other way to minimize their importance.

Chytil to me has always had the issue of finishing. Makes a great play and clangs it off the post or shoots it into the chest of the goalie. That stuff means nothing. Shoot if Julian Gauthier could finish half of the breakaways he would still be a Ranger. This year Chytil has played well and I am not diminishing that but a player needs to keep it for more than a few games for me to expect it to be the norm.

If you asked most fans today who they would rather have on their team they are taking Zibs most of the time over Chytil.

Btw Zibs in that shorty today was great. Picked off the pass, played catch with Kreids until Kreider burried it. Chytil probably shoots that and doesn't give it back to Kreids for the goal. Thats the difference between the two.

 

[Flan the incredible]

The issue is not pure point totals. It’s that he’s our 1C, and all he might be good for is some empty points on the PP and good PK’ing. He doesn’t drive play. He gets caved in the playoffs when matched against top centers. We wonder why this team always gives up a lot of shots and scoring chances compared to other top teams? Our 1C is a special teams specialist and loses all matchups at even strength against the 1C’s on those teams. Hard to be more than a special teams and goaltending team that way. If we want to be better at even strength, it’s hard when our 1C is by far the biggest culprit.

People should honestly quit their whining so much about Trouba and Lindgren. The 3-5D don’t impact whether the team drives play positively anywhere near as much as the 1C.

So the guy who has 150 assists in the last 3 seasons isn't a play driver? Same guy who is a PPG player in the playoffs while not having a crazy negative against those number 1Cs is getting caved?

Now Chytil is somehow a play driver and he has never had more than 23 assists in a season is?

You can't be serious with your empty points point as that is ridiculous. Drai is one of the best players in the league and feasts on the PP and every Ranger fan would be giddy to have him on the team.

 

[redwings86]

Chytil is good value in the Rangers.

Czech should stay in many years.

 

[Gliff]

No thanks. Makes no sense for the Ducks to get that much older regardless of value.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

So the guy who has 150 assists in the last 3 seasons isn't a play driver? Same guy who is a PPG player in the playoffs while not having a crazy negative against those number 1Cs is getting caved?

Now Chytil is somehow a play driver and he has never had more than 23 assists in a season is?

You can't be serious with your empty points point as that is ridiculous. Drai is one of the best players in the league and feasts on the PP and every Ranger fan would be giddy to have him on the team.

You are so caught up with Chytil. He's a secondary part of this discussion. Chytil shouldn't be in the same conversation as Zibanejad. That tells us something is wrong with Zibanejad's play.

He has a lot of points the last couple of seasons, although his overall numbers are declining. Too many of those come on the PP. Producing on the PP isn't bad, but it's not as if you get less time on the ice just because you play the PP. He could be producing better at ES, and he doesn't. His PP numbers have also been declining, so I think it's more of an overall decline. When I say empty points, I mean that people like you will defend pretty obviously bad play because he happens to register some meaningless points when he's quite clearly not playing up to the level he should. A lot of those points are on the PP, and when you play on a PP with players like Panarin, Fox, and Kreider it's going to be hard to not register some points, no matter how bad you're playing. What is important with Zibanejad this year is whether he can drive play. We need him to be able to equal top centers when it comes playoff time. The past few years he has gotten caved against players like Hischier and Barkov, and to me that (along with Panarin's disappearing act) has been the biggest reason we've struggled to win the Cup.