Rebuild/youth movement
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I just don't see stepan as a 1c on a cup winning team. 2c yes and I believe brassard is a 2/3 tweener who needs a guy who parks infront of the net with good hands. He knows how to get the puck to the net but no one is there
Thank you for taking an objective approach to the roster. The only thing I would disagree with here is that we have (2) 2nd line centers in Stepan and Brassard. (Not saying you did because you didn't,) but considering Stepan a good #1 center is an utter disrespect to everyone else on the list that you provided.
Crosby/Malkin/Stamkos/Couture/Kopitar etc etc are GOOD #1 centers. Stepan is not
That being said the key to this current team for me is Rick Nash. How serious is his concussion and how much will he play this year? If Rick Nash misses a lot of time, I think a full rebuild is needed. Him missing significant time is a precursor to him having a very shortened career due to concussions because both hits that concussed him were nothing to write home about. Kronwall got destroyed last week and played shortly after. If Nash is going to be in and out of the lineup/not very effective due to the injuries than we need to rebuild through the draft. We also NEED to buyout Richards this offseason but I figure that's a given (although with Sather who really knows)
St. Louis will lock him up probably but it's funny he's blowing up in a contract year
NYR Viper
Registered User
Pair him with Moulson then. The Rangers center ice depth is comparable to the Bruins if they can get an above average 3c. Handzus was Chicago's 2nd line center in the playoffs last year. Handzus...
NYR Viper
Registered User
Go look at last years stats, he is a good #1c considering defensively he is well above average.
That's why I can't put stepan at 1c because he's not on par with the guys I listed and there's centers better than them out there. I would love this team to sell spare parts that can be replaced by lindberg fast kreider miller kristo even mashinter and hrivik. Our bottom 6 is always bought which hurts us when it comes time to pay the point producers that's why it's always a revolving door for our top 6. Sell this year stock up on picks and maybe go after a young player like a yakupov while still drafting high, this team has a lot of young guys for a rebuild they're just missing a few HEALTHY pieces
Once a you mentioned moulson I thought of brassard right away because of his ability to put the puck infront. What side does moulson play? Could kreider - brassard - moulson work?
Hagelin - stepan - Nash
Kreider - brassard - moulson
Miller - bolland - Callahan
Hrivik - Boyle - dorsett/enforcer?
I really like that line up actually lol
Let's not act like Handzus was the 2C there out of necessity or a lack of depth. They found better line chemistry with Sharp on the wing. Sharp is a perfect #2 center (which is sad because he's better than any C currently on our team)
Firstly, this team doesn't need it's first line center playing perfect defense. We have Lundqvist and a solid D group for that. They need him putting the puck in the net and setting up his teammates on offense. I'm also not prepared to consider a half years worth of stats as the dictionary for what a player really is. I guarantee that Stepan does not stay at that level for the duration of his career, he just doesn't possess the physical tools to be a consistent PPG player. He overachieved tremendously last year and scored at least 4 tap in goals on the PP from the right side of the net that anyone off the street with a pair of skates could have popped in. I like Stepan but let's take the Ranger colored goggles off for a minute and admit that he's not an ideal 1C by any stretch of the imagination.
To say he is would be putting him in the same conversation as Thornton/Crosby/Malkin/Stamkos/Couture/Kopitar and that would be a complete abomination. I feel dirty just typing his name next to the aforementioned
well Malkin, Crosby, Stamkos are in a tier of their own and you cant acquire a player like that. Thornton come 2014/2015 will be 35 years old and hasnt been a point per game player since 2010. How are we getting a player like Couture or Kopitar in their prime? Instead of just *****ing about the situation, what is your idea of correcting the problem and getting an elite 1st line C? IMO stepan can be the 1st line center on a good team. He's still only 23 years old and is one of the best defensive C's that is capable of putting up points. This team as a whole lacks skill and finishing ability and Stepan being the 1st line C IMO is one of the last things that concerns me about the state of the Rangers. Would I rather have Stepan as the number 2 C? Absolutely, because that would mean we have an even better 1st line C and we would probably contend for the presidents trophy if that were the case, but it isnt.
That's why I can't put stepan in that conversation. Watching him is hard sometimes, he's very slow which will keep him from being a top line guy . Good option at 2c but look at some teams around the league and stepan might be a 3c on those teams.
Bruins - krecji Bergeron
Penguins - Crosby malkin
Kings - kopitar carter
Sharks - Thornton couture
Canucks - sedin kesler
Flyers - giroux lecavelier
Avalanche - duchene stasny
These are just some teams that stepan would be a 3c on. That's our number 1c, a guy who couldn't play 2c on atleast 7 teams lol
We are on our way to a top 10 pick most likely. We'll be able to package that pick for a top C or draft the best one available. We need to address our weakness and that's top line talent, only having Nash as a legit first liner won't get it done just ask blue jacket fans
Stepan for all of his apparent offensive deficiencies outscored Krecji, Bergeron, Malkin, Kopitar, Carter, Thornton, Couture, Kesler, Lecavalier, Duchene, and Stastny last season.
teams dont trade top 1st line Centers. unless we are picking top 2 or 3 we likely wont get a future top 1st line C.
I don't wanna hear about the shortened season stats. A lot of guys stats were inflated , as you can see this year a lot of guys are putting up numbers that over 82 games are record breaking. He will be a 50-60 point career guy with occasional 70-80 point seasons that get him paid. I'll take that as a second line guy but not as a first
Isn't that the goal? To contend for the P trophy and the cup? As the above post states, Stepan is a 3C on other teams in the league. This is the new NHL world we live in. The elite teams have elite talent AND depth. We have only MAYBE depth.
To answer your question, there's a couple ways to acquire a REAL 1C. The most obvious is to pull a tank job like the PITs and CHIs of the world and draft in the top 5, although with this team I'm sure we'd still take another defenseman. The other option is through UFA/trade.
SJ is completely stacked at C, I would love to poach one of those guys from them. I honestly have no idea what SJ needs (if anything..they're rolling) and I don't know who/when their players will be UFAs but something like Stepan and Girardi for Couture or Stepan/Boyle + for Pavelski would be VERY good for this team in the future
I have no idea how realistic those proposals are, all I know is that to get Couture it would take a kings ransom because he's only 24. Pavelski could probably come at a much better value and I'd be very interested in him as well
NYR Viper
Registered User
Stop using facts...
Sharp is MUCH better on the wing than he is at center. So let's not act like he is a good 2c.
I thought the point of the game was to stop the other team from scoring and score yourself, no? You don't care about half of the game?
Are you disqualifying tap in goals where he got himself in position? I hope you are doing the same thing for the players you listed above. I'll wait for those stats.
NYR Viper
Registered User
But they trade top line wingers? Ryan seguin erikkson Nash Gaborik iginla have all moved in the past year. When a team has a surplus at a position they move to address another need. And no 1c is usually not traded but it's not out of the question for the right team and deal
You don't want to hear about them because it doesn't help you prove your point?
Lol go read over the top point scorers from that year and see their consistency. Shortened season + hot stretch = no time for production to drop off. You see if every year during the first 30 games guys are hot then go 10 games with 1 goal this happens EVERY YEAR and that's why I don't view those stats as credible.
id love Ott but id also like Bolland due to he knows how to win in the playoffs.. Bolland will be overpaid which would scare me as a Rangers fan. i can see Bolland gettnig 5+ as an UFA...
stepan actually got off to a very slow start last season as well and was coming on throughout the course of the season. he had 5 points throughout the first 11 games.
Didn't we just consider them some of the better ones? Wasn't our defense one of the youngest and best?
NYR Viper
Registered User
i would run away from that too but i believe he will be overpaid.. if that is the case Rangers must resign Callahan asap before he becomes unrestricted....
