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

[Mikos87]

I have been hearing that for years now. We do not appear to be that great.

Yeah for sure. Now it's Mac Truck, G and Staal with three mobile and reliable strech 4 defensemen. It makes this years team more balanced, and does something I think all contenders need to do, and that is line up the sticks on defense to help the transition game move faster.

That defense was healthy and not in a slump for stretches and it looked great under the old system. This one is a little different however, and I think the concern ended up being that DZ isn't a fast enough of a skater to take the pinches and risks he needed to take to generate offense and recover.

This is a trade that will look bad within 12 months as DZ is going to be playing with Weber or Jones and shoring up the Nashville defense. Josi is the real deal too.

None of that matters if the Klein is helping the Rangers win. KK is a western Canadian version of Anton Stralman. Just a reliable and unheralded defensive defenseman that can skate.

I think this is a deal that is great for the Rangers this year, and Nashville as well. Best of luck to DZ, this move is great for his career. He's always been a great guy and teammate during his time here, and now he gets a chance to earn what he's worth.

 

[Cassano]

1; define "efficient." I keep hearing this term from youngsters on this board, as though it was an all encompassing category.

Del Zotto was averaging 17 and a half minutes a game, only :17 seconds a game on the PK. Klein was getting 18+ minutes with 2+ per game on the PK, more than Seth Jones and almost as much as Weber and Josi. He was their #4 in minutes. Last year, he spent more time per game on the PK than Shea Weber 20+ minutes a game overall. He was at or above everyone else in PK toi the 3 seasons before that.

SO unless you are going to laud Del Zotto's offensive prowess...

2: Del Zotto is on a cheaper contract this year. Do you think Nashville is going to lock him up for 4 years at 2.9 million or less? I would doubt it. Since NYR are not at the cap because of this trade, it is a better cap hit in the long run.

The Rangers traded a young defender, has RFA rights and brings a better corsi rating for a player who is living strictly off of reputation, probably because of his mohawk.

For being such a 'great defensive player', Klein has a -4.4 RelCorsi rating. That's pretty awful for a defensive player who brings no offense whatsoever.

http://www.extraskater.com/players/dashboard?players=134,252

Furthermore, this just proves that Sather is an imbecile and can't manage a team in the NHL anymore. 5 more years committed to this guy? This moves away from the youth movement that he himself so heavily pressed upon a few seasons ago. He has no plan in place.

 

[johnnydollaz89*]

Just had a customer at the bank tell me that he liked Del Zotto because of ''his rocket shot from the point'' So I responded with, ''yeah the ones that constantly go hide and wide and out of the zone''

 

[NYR Viper]

The Rangers traded a young defender, has RFA rights and brings a better corsi rating for a player who is living strictly off of reputation, probably because of his mohawk.

For being such a 'great defensive player', Klein has a -4.4 RelCorsi rating. That's pretty awful for a defensive player who brings no offense whatsoever.

http://www.extraskater.com/players/dashboard?players=134,252

Furthermore, this just proves that Sather is an imbecile and can't manage a team in the NHL anymore. 5 more years committed to this guy? This moves away from the youth movement that he himself so heavily pressed upon a few seasons ago. He has no plan in place.

Serious question:

When did 29 become the new 40?

 

[aufheben]

I'm glad there is now a mohawk on the team.

 

[Nightshift]

So many miscellaneous stats and useless information. DZ's Hockey IQ leaves a lot to be desired. That's why he was moved. He can look very good at times and awful at others. That's what happens when you don't have it together upstairs. He may look nice next to Shea Weber for 5 minutes, but it wont take long for the flaws to shine through.

 

[Cassano]

Serious question:

When did 29 become the new 40?

Probably around the same time 23 became the new 40.......

 

[Raspewtin]

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.

Seidenberg makes just over 4 mill IIRC.

Girardi will probably make quite a bit more than that.

We still have the same problems. A more expensive Girardi might become a luxury we can't afford. Team still can't consistently score.

I absolutely agree I'm ecstatic that we didn't get Franson, terrible.

 

[Cassano]

This moves essentially guarantees the Rangers aren't going to be rebuilding anytime soon.

Which I'm sure 80% of the board wanted 1 month ago.

 

[Raspewtin]

The Rangers traded a young defender, has RFA rights and brings a better corsi rating for a player who is living strictly off of reputation, probably because of his mohawk.

For being such a 'great defensive player', Klein has a -4.4 RelCorsi rating. That's pretty awful for a defensive player who brings no offense whatsoever.

http://www.extraskater.com/players/dashboard?players=134,252

Furthermore, this just proves that Sather is an imbecile and can't manage a team in the NHL anymore. 5 more years committed to this guy? This moves away from the youth movement that he himself so heavily pressed upon a few seasons ago. He has no plan in place.

Kevin Klein lives off reputation. Yeah, right. You probably didn't even know who he was when he joined the team, like the other half of this board.

Sather might be a ****ing moron, but trading a terrible defenseman for a rock solid defenseman isn't being stupid. He's 29 for christ's sake. Not 34. He's not 3 years away from retirement. Why is everyone jumping down Sather's throat for being against youth for trading for a guy who's 29?!

 

[Raspewtin]

This moves essentially guarantees the Rangers aren't going to be rebuilding anytime soon.

Which I'm sure 80% of the board wanted 1 month ago.

Wow holy overreaction.

Who did you expect in return for DZ? A high 1st? A young PMD? You're out of your mind if you had those expectations.

It's not like he packaged DZ and Kreider for Patrick Marleau.

You're treating all youth as sacred cows, what if we traded John Moore for a 1st? Would you overreact about that too? Are ALL youth just immune to criticism and trades?

Locking up Girardi and Callahan to outrageous contracts signifies there will be no rebuild. Not trading for Kevin Klein.

 

[Trxjw]

The Rangers traded a young defender, has RFA rights and brings a better corsi rating for a player who is living strictly off of reputation, probably because of his mohawk.

For being such a 'great defensive player', Klein has a -4.4 RelCorsi rating. That's pretty awful for a defensive player who brings no offense whatsoever.

http://www.extraskater.com/players/dashboard?players=134,252

Furthermore, this just proves that Sather is an imbecile and can't manage a team in the NHL anymore. 5 more years committed to this guy? This moves away from the youth movement that he himself so heavily pressed upon a few seasons ago. He has no plan in place.

Ah yes, RelCorsi. The stat that tells us Anton Stralman is a superior defender to Ryan McDonagh.

 

[JayMan82]

The Rangers traded a young defender, has RFA rights and brings a better corsi rating for a player who is living strictly off of reputation, probably because of his mohawk.

For being such a 'great defensive player', Klein has a -4.4 RelCorsi rating. That's pretty awful for a defensive player who brings no offense whatsoever.

http://www.extraskater.com/players/dashboard?players=134,252

Furthermore, this just proves that Sather is an imbecile and can't manage a team in the NHL anymore. 5 more years committed to this guy? This moves away from the youth movement that he himself so heavily pressed upon a few seasons ago. He has no plan in place.

I am getting myself familiarized with Corsi, but does your number factor in zone starts? For example, I know I read in multiple threads that Klein has historically started a very high percentage of shifts in the defensive zone (on defensive draws) and against tougher opposition in comparison to DZ, who is on the other side of the scale (copious Offensive zone starts and often matched up against less offensively threatening opposition).

Regardless of numbers, I have a hard time knocking this trade...

 

[Cassano]

Kevin Klein lives off reputation. Yeah, right. You probably didn't even know who he was when he joined the team, like the other half of this board.

Nice assumption there, chap.

Sather might be a ****ing moron, but trading a terrible defenseman for a rock solid defenseman isn't being stupid. He's 29 for christ's sake. Not 34. He's not 3 years away from retirement. Why is everyone jumping down Sather's throat for being against youth for trading for a guy who's 29?!

Rock solid based on reputation. His defensive metrics suck and he can't create any offense. He's also 6 years older to boot.

Oh boy, you don't even know. I've been at Sather's throat well before this trade. This trade just further illustrates that he has no plan in place. Klein isn't as good as Derek Morris, and Sather got him for a 2nd rounder a few years ago. Trading an established NHL defender, with multiple seasons of good play for a 1-dimensional dman(who isn't even good at that dimension, illustrated per his metrics) seems mindbogglingly stupid.

I just don't understand how you vehemently hate Sather, yet defend him for every trade he makes.

 

[Cassano]

Wow holy overreaction.

Who did you expect in return for DZ? A high 1st? A young PMD? You're out of your mind if you had those expectations.

Let's look at all the rumor threads earlier this season? MDZ for Yakupov? MDZ for O'Reilly?

I'm sure if you proposed Klein for MDZ a few weeks ago, you'd get called out for trolling.

You're treating all youth as sacred cows, what if we traded John Moore for a 1st? Would you overreact about that too? Are ALL youth just immune to criticism and trades?

I wouldn't overreact because I don't think John Moore has that much value to begin with. Youth players aren't immune to criticism, where can you have possibly come to that conclusion?

Just the general value of this deal is simply god-awful IMO.

Locking up Girardi and Callahan to outrageous contracts signifies there will be no rebuild. Not trading for Kevin Klein.

Klein is locked up for 5 more years, he's 29 years old and the Rangers traded a 23 yr old defender for him! I think it's just delusional at this point to think Sather will jumpstart a rebuild after this trade.

 

[Cassano]

Ah yes, RelCorsi. The stat that tells us Anton Stralman is a superior defender to Ryan McDonagh.

Does it, actually?

I actually have no problem trading MDZ for a veteran player, but the veteran player should at least be good.

 

[LORDE]

There's nothing wrong with taking the best deal for a guy who is on his way out one way or the other, but you have to admit there is a big discrepancy between a 1st rounder and a 29 year old defensemen. One fills a need right now, the other may fill a need in the future. It's a conflicting ideology. You would think he would either shop DZ for the best deal that helps the team now, or the best deal that returns assets for the future, not both.

As BRB said, what's the plan? Is there a plan?

Just to play devils advocate here... Couldn't Sather be thinking along the lines of "This isn't the only move I'm going to make. So I'll take either a Top-4 dman or a 1st rd pick"?

 

[Barnaby]

Age is a non-factor to me in this deal. KK is locked up for 4.5 more seasons at a good number.

MDZ is likely to go through his RFA years, then when he hits UFA he'd be walking anyway. Sather would let him walk in a heart beat. He doesn't fit on this roster or with this system. MDZ's shelf life on this team would probably be even shorter than that of KK. Whether MDZ walks at 27 or KK walks at 33 is no difference to me.

Today KK makes this team better, and I believe he does the same over the next 3-4 years.

 

[Barnaby]

Does it, actually?

I actually have no problem trading MDZ for a veteran player, but the veteran player should at least be good.

KK is a good player.

Let's also be honest here… MDZ has played awful uninspired hockey this year. Some team wasn't about to call up offering a young top pairing defenseman for him.

 

[eco's bones]

Let's look at all the rumor threads earlier this season? MDZ for Yakupov? MDZ for O'Reilly?

I'm sure if you proposed Klein for MDZ a few weeks ago, you'd get called out for trolling.



I wouldn't overreact because I don't think John Moore has that much value to begin with. Youth players aren't immune to criticism, where can you have possibly come to that conclusion?

Just the general value of this deal is simply god-awful IMO.



Klein is locked up for 5 more years, he's 29 years old and the Rangers traded a 23 yr old defender for him! I think it's just delusional at this point to think Sather will jumpstart a rebuild after this trade.

Did you really think we were going to get either Yakupov or O'Reilly for Del Zotto? I don't remember any such conversation on these boards or anywhere else that would suggest the Rangers could obtain either of those two for Del Zotto. We would have had to add quite a bit.

 

[JayMan82]

Did you really think we were going to get either Yakupov or O'Reilly for Del Zotto? I don't remember any such conversation on these boards or anywhere else that would suggest the Rangers could obtain either of those two for Del Zotto. We would have had to add quite a bit.

Agreed... It looks like we got a loose cannon here in the thread (or just simply a devils advocate)....

 

[Trxjw]

Does it, actually?

I actually have no problem trading MDZ for a veteran player, but the veteran player should at least be good.

Well you just said Klein's RelCorsi says he's a lousy defensive player. I believe McDonagh's RelCorsi for this year is around -1.0, while Stralman's is something absurd like +4.5 or something. Ergo, RelCorsi says Stralman is a better defender.

It's a stat that needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt. Klein is a very solid defensive defender. Corsi gets thrown off significantly when a player is on a team that is typically outshot by the other team. Nashville has had that problem as a defense first team.

 

[johnnydollaz89*]

Age is a non-factor to me in this deal. KK is locked up for 4.5 more seasons at a good number.

MDZ is likely to go through his RFA years, then when he hits UFA he'd be walking anyway. Sather would let him walk in a heart beat. He doesn't fit on this roster or with this system. MDZ's shelf life on this team would probably be even shorter than that of KK. Whether MDZ walks at 27 or KK walks at 33 is no difference to me.

Today KK makes this team better, and I believe he does the same over the next 3-4 years.

And Klein will be a better defensemen that DZ for at least 2 or 3 years. This trade benefits us now.

 

[Cmox]

Let's look at all the rumor threads earlier this season? MDZ for Yakupov? MDZ for O'Reilly?

I'm sure if you proposed Klein for MDZ a few weeks ago, you'd get called out for trolling.

Someone actually did make a thread and a lot of people said no way they are trading KK for DZ. Some people were down with it then it went off topic.

 

[Garv23]

If Klein is a good, solid, defenseman like I've been hearing, this is a move I'm real happy with. He's a physical player and this is very welcomed! We just got a bit tougher to play against .Being paired with John Moore may work out real well freeing him up to add a little more offense. All this remains to be seen of course. DZ, as talented as he is, needs some serious work on his hockey smarts and while I wish him well, I'm glad he's gone.