Confirmed with Link: Rangers Sign College UFA Mat Bodie (D - Union)

[NYR Viper]

Rangers love them small players. Pee Wee teams have more size then the Rangers

Who the hell cares if he's 5'0 if he can help score? The guy can move the puck and skate very well. He fits what this team needs and wants as far as someone to push the pace from the back end. Find size and toughness elsewhere.

 

[Emptyvoid]

Who the hell cares if he's 5'0 if he can help score? The guy can move the puck and skate very well. He fits what this team needs and wants as far as someone to push the pace from the back end. Find size and toughness elsewhere.

Not enuf tuffness, all our players are going to be cheap shotted! You got to be big, strong and thick like the Bruins to avoid those kind of plays! They're so big and tough, no one would EVER mess with them.

Mental tuffness? PFFFTTTT What is that? Size and muscle, that's all that matters!

 

[Kakko]

Rangers love them small players. Pee Wee teams have more size then the Rangers

Yeah. Small players suck.

Never should have signed Zucc...

 

[Ola]

I have watched a dozen or so Union games this season since I am a Flyers fan and I like to watch Gostisbehere play. Bodie is a very good player, at that level. He is undersized and doesn't have the same speed or elusiveness as Gostisbehere, nor does he have the same potential. However, he is a smart player and takes many chances in the offensive zone. His defensive game is decent for his size, but he is prone to mistakes. If he can develop his defensive game with one season in the AHL, and add 10-15 lbs at least, he could make a nice bottom pairing defenseman, who can stabilize a 2nd unit PP.

Yeah, I started to watch the final but the Ms talked me out of it way too early. But from the little I saw, Bodie's skating kind of put me a down a little bit. Exactly like you put it, his speed and elusiveness wasn't quite world class so to speak.

He is a good player and he will definitely be exciting to follow during the coming years. He isn't quite a virotous on the skates though, and that will make it tougher for him given his size.

 

[colman]

Yeah, I started to watch the final but the Ms talked me out of it way too early. But from the little I saw, Bodie's skating kind of put me a down a little bit. Exactly like you put it, his speed and elusiveness wasn't quite world class so to speak.

He is a good player and he will definitely be exciting to follow during the coming years. He isn't quite a virotous on the skates though, and that will make it tougher for him given his size.

Also 24 years old in NCAA is old playing against much younger players .So lets see how pans out ?

 

[True Blue]

Who the hell cares if he's 5'0 if he can help score? The guy can move the puck and skate very well. He fits what this team needs and wants as far as someone to push the pace from the back end. Find size and toughness elsewhere.

I do not disagree that if he helps, he should be here. However, I do not believe that an entire team of puck moving defensemen is a recipe for success. Nor is going back to the midgets. An all-skill team does not necessarily a championship make.

And again, if he can help, get him here. Just construct a team accordingly.

 

[DudMan28]

Bodie is what he is. All of these people want Bodie to start hitting the weights this summer. At 24,how much will his body change unless he uses PED's? Torey Krug is smaller than Bodie. In the press conference,Bodie was asked about getting bigger. He just wants to play his game. That's what got him a contract.

I dont think it would be hard for a 24 year old to put on 10 pounds working with professional trainers. If the Rangers want him to bump up his weight he could do it.

I like the signing. Gives us a prospect our system has lacked and costs us nothing but money/contract.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I do not disagree that if he helps, he should be here. However, I do not believe that an entire team of puck moving defensemen is a recipe for success. Nor is going back to the midgets. An all-skill team does not necessarily a championship make.

And again, if he can help, get him here. Just construct a team accordingly.

We've been missing that offensive threat from the blueline since Leetch left. Im talking about a pure offensive guy who can handle his duties on the back end. McDonagh is impressive, but hes more a jack of all trades - I dont know if he'll ever be a dynamic offensive D-man.

I dont mind Sather playing the lotto with Dolan's money with signings like this, especially if hes going to continue to cough up draft picks. Maybe one will work.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Resign Diaz and Falk gives them 7 d even if Stralman walks. Bodie, Allen, mcilrath fight for time . This move can't hurt

Ohhh new name!

Skjei, take a seat at the back of the bus.

 

[darko]

Nice to get a pure PMD in the system.

 

[Pizza]

Gorton's done a pretty good job. I still have a tremendous amount of trust in him. Bodie says he was not really considering any other teams once the Rangers made their interest plain....so let's see what happens.

Kid's gotta be on cloud nine right now.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Ohhh new name!

Skjei, take a seat at the back of the bus.

Everyone assumes that Skjei is going back for another season with Minnesota, based on recent comments. So of course nobody is going to throw his name in the mix for next season...

 

[True Blue]

I dont mind Sather playing the lotto with Dolan's money with signings like this, especially if hes going to continue to cough up draft picks. Maybe one will work.

Nor I. Taking chances on college free agents is just fine with me.

 

[Hockeyplayer99]

Not saying that we shouldn't take a chance on him or Zucc but this team is as soft as charmin and to tiny. Adding a guy who is 165lbs, imagine him getting hit by Chara. Rangers already have to many small players. Other teams sign college free agents who are 6'3 over 200lbs and Rangers sign the 3 smallest guys.

 

[Trxjw]

Not saying that we shouldn't take a chance on him or Zucc but this team is as soft as charmin and to tiny. Adding a guy who is 165lbs, imagine him getting hit by Chara. Rangers already have to many small players. Other teams sign college free agents who are 6'3 over 200lbs and Rangers sign the 3 smallest guys.

They got 3 of the most highly touted players in this UDFA class. Who cares if they're not 6'3? Haggerty and McCarthy are both over 6' and over 200lbs. Not exactly midgets.

You don't sign size for the sake of signing size.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Not saying that we shouldn't take a chance on him or Zucc but this team is as soft as charmin and to tiny. Adding a guy who is 165lbs, imagine him getting hit by Chara. Rangers already have to many small players. Other teams sign college free agents who are 6'3 over 200lbs and Rangers sign the 3 smallest guys.

They got 3 of the most highly touted players in this UDFA class. Who cares if they're not 6'3? Haggerty and McCarthy are both over 6' and over 200lbs. Not exactly midgets.

You don't sign size for the sake of signing size.

Exactly.

They managed to sign three of the most sought after College FAs for nothing but cash. These are literally no risk, no downside moves. How anyone could complain is beyond me. If Haggerty, McCarthy, or Bodie aren't good enough to make the NHL, who cares? And another thing, what exactly is the problem with the size of Haggerty (6' 180lbs) or McCarthy (6'1" 190lbs)? They're not undersized as it stands now, and they'll probably add another 10-15lbs each over the next 2 or 3 seasons with a pro training regimen.

If you don't take chances with these UDFA contracts, you don't yield players like Girardi, Read, Dekeyser, etc.

 

[nyr2k2]

Not saying that we shouldn't take a chance on him or Zucc but this team is as soft as charmin and to tiny. Adding a guy who is 165lbs, imagine him getting hit by Chara. Rangers already have to many small players. Other teams sign college free agents who are 6'3 over 200lbs and Rangers sign the 3 smallest guys.

Kyle Jean was 6'4" and 210. Tommy Grant was 6'2" and 200. If only we had more guys like them!

Look at the defensemen in the system: Ryan Graves. Troy Donnay. Dylan McIlrath. Conor Allen. Brady Skjei. Samuel Noreau. Tommy Hughes. Those guys are all over 6'2", and a few of them are outright huge. We lack a PMD in the system. What's the problem?

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

It's one contract of 50 and a lot of guys like Asham, Powe, Bickell, Jean, Beach, etc. will be off the books.

It's worth taking a chance. Maybe he's Krug, maybe he's Dan Boyle. Maybe he's a minor leaguer.

Who cares, only one contract.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

According to CapGeek, the deal is one year at the max, no bells or whistles.

 

[nyr2k2]

Giroux. Crosby. Kessel. Pavelski. Seguin. Hall. Those guys are all in the top ten in scoring. They're all the same general size as McCarthy and Haggerty. I agree we could use some additional size, but size isn't a prerequisite for success at forward.

Erik Karlsson is 6'0" and 175. Nik Kronwall is 6'0" and 190. Streit. Zidlicky. Goligoski. Those are all guys that score tons from the back end that are "small" for defensemen. If Dallas offered you Goligoski for nothing would you walk away because we're already too small? Come on.

 

[Miamipuck]

Smaller (ish) guys that are smart and can avoid hits last just fine in any league. Some guys take beatings and some guys do not. Watch how he plays, if he seems to get hit a lot then size will matter. If not then who cares. You don't want Chihuahua's that think they're German Shepherds, although they're fun to watch.

Leetch wasn't a stout guy and he lasted just fine. It depends how often and what circumstances they get hit.

 

[True Blue]

If you don't take chances with these UDFA contracts, you don't yield players like Girardi, Read, Dekeyser, etc.

I do not think anyone is debating whether or not signing UDFA contracts are a good idea.

 

[Bluenote13]

They managed to sign three of the most sought after College FAs for nothing but cash. These are literally no risk, no downside moves.

This is incorrect and every year I feel I have to say this:

When you sign a player its not just money its TIME invested in that player - organizational man hours. Coaching, management and player personnel spend many hours before during and after signing these players.

And I can go further than that, but simply put, its not just cash, time is valuable too.

 

[Thirty One]

According to CapGeek, the deal is one year at the max, no bells or whistles.

Important note:
CONTRACT NOTE: The above contract is classified as entry level and may contain performance bonuses that have not yet been confirmed. They are subject to change and will be confirmed as soon as possible.

Bells and whistles could come later.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

In an ideal world, you'd love to have both, but skill trumps size. Its been a slow move in the NHL since the 70's and the trend has only increased since the 2004 lockout.