Confirmed with Link: [NYR/NSH] Michael Del Zotto for Kevin Klein

[JanErixon20]

I'm glad Del Zotto is gone for a bunch of reasons. First, it is good for him to get out of New York. The fans had turned on him pretty loudly even at times, during home games and a 23 year old kid does not really deserve that! I'm sure he will improve in Nashville but playing in the Western Confernece against more skilled forwards is going to be painful for Nashville to go through. Second, I'm glad he's gone because his game has sharply declined recently and that is not a sign of a player who will make steady progresses. He is far too inconsistent and, while we all once saw his potential, I don't see anything game after game anymore that leads me to believe he is capable of such play right now. NHL coaches want consistency from players and they want to be able to put players out there that they can count on. Tort's and now AV clearly could not trust Del Zotto enough, that's a pretty big strike against him!

People chanting about his "skill set" need to wake up. Del Zotto's skill set is basically to be a poor mans offensive defenseman. Even at his best he was a 40 point player. That's not really dominating.

I admit I know nothing more about Kevin Klein than what I've read on here. No possible way I can( or most
People who tried already to evaluate his return-) evaluate his relative worth compared to Del Zotto. I do however find it comical the people who are claiming that Klein makes us an "older" team. Klein is 29, when did that become old?

I'm waiting and seeing on this one!

Nothing to add to this other then I agree 100% with everything you wrote.

 

[preds1]

This may be the most impressive Klein video and I haven't seen it posted yet. Perfectly played 2-on-1.

Solid D is what he's know for, not really offense like MDZ.
But he's been the strongest skater on the Preds for awhile.

Playoff series against Detroit...

 

[eco's bones]

To comment on Klein--since the 09-10 season he's pretty much been a 20 minute a night player. 19:55 in 09-10, 20:47 in 10-11, 19:56 in 11-12, 20:25 in 12-13. 18:48 this year. He's had the odd injury but nothing that's kept him out of the lineup for more than a couple weeks.

525 hits and 725 blocked shots in 403 games. Torts would like that. 110 penalty minutes in 403 games including 8 five minute majors for fighting. So 70 minutes of minor penalties (or 35 minors altogether) in 403 games or about one minor penalty per 11 and a half games he plays. He seems to be involved physically--hits, blocked shots and infrequent fights (which he's pretty good at) but stays out of the penalty box. Conclusion--he's a disciplined physical player.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Personally, I think this deal will be panned by the fanbase going forward.

I think Del Zotto will put up some points playing with Weber and Klein will play a solid, yet vanilla, game for the Rangers. And has been shown time and time again, theres a large portion of the fanbase that don't recognize or don't care about solid defensive play -- despite that being what this team needs right about now.

 

[eco's bones]

Personally, I think this deal will be panned by the fanbase going forward.

I think Del Zotto will put up some points playing with Weber and Klein will play a solid, yet vanilla, game for the Rangers. And has been shown time and time again, theres a large portion of the fanbase that don't recognize or don't care about solid defensive play -- despite that being what this team needs right about now.

So far Del Zotto when he's at the top of his game is about a 40 point a season producer--average defensively. Don't think he has the strength to ever be more than average defensively. His reach and his skating aren't great either. He's been vulnerable to confidence issues--vulnerable to the odd coma on the ice as in the last game we played against Tampa. To me his value comes down to his ability to produce offense and if he can't get past this 40 point plateau he's not going to be anything special. I can see him setting up Weber for some bombs if the Preds use him on the pwp a lot--I'm not sure the Preds have the offensive players up front to finish though. Our team isn't great at finishing either but they're even worse IMO. At best I see him getting back to his 40 point plateau and his average defensive game.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

So far Del Zotto when he's at the top of his game is about a 40 point a season producer--average defensively. Don't think he has the strength to ever be more than average defensively. His reach and his skating aren't great either. He's been vulnerable to confidence issues--vulnerable to the odd coma on the ice as in the last game we played against Tampa. To me his value comes down to his ability to produce offense and if he can't get past this 40 point plateau he's not going to be anything special. I can see him setting up Weber for some bombs if the Preds use him on the pwp a lot--I'm not sure the Preds have the offensive players up front to finish though. Our team isn't great at finishing either but they're even worse IMO. At best I see him getting back to his 40 point plateau and his average defensive game.

I agree.

And I think people are going to see Del Zotto getting 35-40 points and Klein getting 15 points and proclaiming Nashville won the deal, even though that stupid.

Points and offense. Such a limited view, but it drives an awful lot of discussion here. Its why people think Brian Boyle is worthless.

 

[offdacrossbar]

look, not for nothin, but we need a guy with this look on this team.

hail to the mohawk

welcome to ny kk.

 

[Ail]

I agree.

And I think people are going to see Del Zotto getting 35-40 points and Klein getting 15 points and proclaiming Nashville won the deal, even though that stupid.

Points and offense. Such a limited view, but it drives an awful lot of discussion here. Its why people think Brian Boyle is worthless.

On the other hand Klein represents toffnuss and we know how popular that can be around here.

 

[johnnydollaz89*]

To comment on Klein--since the 09-10 season he's pretty much been a 20 minute a night player. 19:55 in 09-10, 20:47 in 10-11, 19:56 in 11-12, 20:25 in 12-13. 18:48 this year. He's had the odd injury but nothing that's kept him out of the lineup for more than a couple weeks.

525 hits and 725 blocked shots in 403 games. Torts would like that. 110 penalty minutes in 403 games including 8 five minute majors for fighting. So 70 minutes of minor penalties (or 35 minors altogether) in 403 games or about one minor penalty per 11 and a half games he plays. He seems to be involved physically--hits, blocked shots and infrequent fights (which he's pretty good at) but stays out of the penalty box. Conclusion--he's a disciplined physical player.

Which is exactly what this team needs. And paying DZ 4-4.5M per on a long-term deal wouldn't make sense. The guy was never going to reach his true potential here. And quite frankly, think Johnny Moore has a higher ceilings than DZ. Klein is going to fit in just well here.

 

[Bardof425*]

So we add toffness in place of a puck mover. Move doesn't make sense unless there is a follow up.

DZ is a puck mover by reputation only. When he plays, he is not a puck mover. He has been a big disappointment. It's nice to get a steady player for him.

 

[94now]

I'm surprised AV got rid of only one player from his legacy group. Just look at VAN defense, that's what will have eventually in terms of size. Size is main MDZ problem and that could not be addressed like consistency, confidence and other BS that is being fed to fans by media.

 

[Fitzy]

I and other mentioned how much ice time he logs... we got a guy on what is, in a rising cap world, a really tremendous long term contract.

It makes sense with McDonagh finding his offense. Now they can allow Moore more of a free reign to get forward and be creative knowing he is partnered with a more reliable veteran.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Zucc losing his buddy. 0 points today

0 points last two games as well....

 

[KreiMeARiver*]

0 points last two games as well....

yeah I have Zucc and Kreids in the HFNYR fantasy league, and I keep starting the wrong ones. UGH

 

[Vitto79]

Dreger was saying Franson was the target in TO. I rather have Klein. Should be a steady Dman for several years

 

[johnnydollaz89*]

I and other mentioned how much ice time he logs... we got a guy on what is, in a rising cap world, a really tremendous long term contract.

It makes sense with McDonagh finding his offense. Now they can allow Moore more of a free reign to get forward and be creative knowing he is partnered with a more reliable veteran.

Moore playing with an actual defensemen this time should help him. Somebody to take his back when he reads a play wrong, or gets caught pinching in too deep. Think we will finally see what Moore is maded of playing with a shutdown dman and not DZ.

 

[Tawnos]

Silverfish brought up this potential trade back in December. It triggered a thought regarding the McDonagh-Girardi pairing that I want to bring up here again and see how people are thinking about it now. What I said was:

With McDonagh's emergence as a real #1 defenseman, do we really need a 1st pair caliber defenseman to play with him? I mean, for example Chara plays with Seidenberg. While I like Seidenberg a lot, he's not really a 1st pair guy. If you have a 2nd pair defenseman playing with McDonagh, are we really going to take THAT big of a hit?

 

[KreiMeARiver*]

Paging Mr. Loffen!!!

GDT PLEASE!!

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I will miss all the "Del Zottoooooo, SHOOTS WIDE!!!" comments from Sam & Joe

 

[McRanger]

I would be surprised if MDZ displaced Josi on the first D pair at even strength or on the PP. And when Weber is not with Josi he is with Jones.

So I am not sure where these points are going to come from.

The Preds don't score much when Weber isn't on the ice. Their forward group makes ours look like the Blackhawks.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

Paging Mr. Loffen!!!

GDT PLEASE!!

I agree

 

[Ola]

DZ is a puck mover by reputation only. When he plays, he is not a puck mover. He has been a big disappointment. It's nice to get a steady player for him.

A 20 y/o PMD who aren't allowed to move the puck for 3.5 years, will look like DZ.

He should sue Ponzi, eh Tortorella.

 

[PFL615]

Klein's looks are debatable. If a mohawk, beard and murderous look in your eyes is good looking, he ups our quotient. If it's just 'flow' and 'swag' that makes you good looking, maybe not. Although some might say the mohawk and beard are a kind of swagger of their own. I don't know. I'm out of the loop.

FWIW Klein was in a Nashville magazine just a few months ago in the "25 most beautiful people of Nashville" edition. It was minus the mohawk of course.

 

[RGY]

Silverfish brought up this potential trade back in December. It triggered a thought regarding the McDonagh-Girardi pairing that I want to bring up here again and see how people are thinking about it now. What I said was:

But why not keep Girardi too? Girardi is that Seidenberg. We need a strong defense if we want to play an uptempo speed game. Klein gives us so much balance.

Thank god we got Klein and not Franson.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Thank god we got Klein and not Franson.

Hopefully we can all agree on this!