This, are we seriously going to judge a 21 year old for using words? Let's not pretend we all didn't do some dumbass **** at that age. As long as he's not raping people and can play good hockey he's good in my book.
Confirmed with Link: Stepan and Raanta for Arizona 2017 7th Overall and DeAngelo Mod Post #286
- Thread starter Pavel Buchnevich
- Start date
This, are we seriously going to judge a 21 year old for using words? Let's not pretend we all didn't do some dumbass **** at that age. As long as he's not raping people and can play good hockey he's good in my book.
Maximus
Registered User
I said this alot last season and I'll say it again now...I have enormous faith and trust in GMJG. His evaluations skills along with our scouts combined with his decision making have been en fuego since he took over from Cigar.
If you recall before last season, we weren't supposed to be as good as we ended up being. Certainly not a close to 50 win and over 100 point club that had a playoff spot locked up by January. It was Gorton's off season moves getting Grabner, Vesey, Holden, Zibs for example along with the progressions of the Millers,Hayes,Raanta,Skjei,Kreiders of the world the helped us have a much better season than most of us thought we'd have.
Our Achilles heel tho was our backend. It's the reason we didn't get past Ottawa and it's the area that I felt and still do feel Gorton will address before camp starts in September as along with filling the center void, getting our backend up to snuff is GMJG's top priority and it should be.
With the buyout of Girardi and trading of Steps and gaining valuable cap room, we have a ton of salary cap space to address pretty much all of our needs as we retool on the fly here.
I've thought this since he was on the block last year but the Caps gave up a ton for him to be a rental but I think Shatty is wearing a Ranger uni come September. I anticipate us re signing Brendan Smith. With a d corps of Shatty,Mac,Skjei,Smith,Staal and DeAngelo(I anticipate Holden will be gonzo), outr back end is bigtime upgraded over last year's version.
As far as our center void, I could easily see Gorton signing on July 1 either Hanzel and Bonino and signing a Brian Boyle to anchor our 4th line. So the addition of either of those two and Boyle added to Zibs and Hayes with JT to fill in a pinch and possibly our new shiny new toy Andersson possibly, I think our center position void is handled.
We have a ton of flexibility now and that can't be underestimated and as I said and say it again, I trust Gorton bigtime and feel very confident we will have a team to be proud of heading into the 17-18 season, a team that will also once again be one of the top teams in the East and a much more legit Cup contender than we were last year which was really a facade let's be honest, considering how poor our back end was.
Oh yeah, we still have some dude named Hank between the pipes and I don't think it's a stretch to say that he'll be better next year with a much better defense in front of him as hopefully he'll escape the injury bug as well.
Bottom line...by time September rolls around, Gorton will have our team in prime position to have another stellar year and be a team that once again our opponents will not be thrilled to have to deal with.
GregSirico
KakkoSZN
Maximus
Registered User
Well unless there is some blockbuster deal out there, which I guess is possible, than I don't see any MASSIVE upgrades out there at 1C. I mean unless I'm missing something, I don't see any tremendous #1 centers out there or available on FA. So unless there is a trade that GMJG has in the works, I think my solution is probably the most viable.
What we really need to hope for is that Mika takes that next step up the progression ladder and becomes a 60-70 point guy which wouldn't be a huge leap considering his age, talent and surrounding talent and that he becomes and plays like a #1 C.
So if we assume that Mika takes the step up like a JT for example did this past season and add a Hanzel or Bonino either/or and let's say a Brian Boyle all of which we are not giving up assets for and instead just cash which we have plenty available now, I don't see why that wouldn't be a satisfactory solution to our center void.
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GregSirico
KakkoSZN
I'm just in the 'you don't win a cup with a group of decent players' ... at some point you need STARS. Specifically ones at C who can make plays / take over a game / make the line around them better. It along with our lack of a PMD has been our 2 weaknesses for a decade. We got by because the sum of our parts was good enough to get us in the playoffs and have some deep runs, but to climb the mountain top, we need that guy.
Maximus
Registered User
I hear ya Greg but as you know, we have never been ****** enough to ever have had the opportunity to draft generational players like a Stamkos, Toewes, Tavares, McDavid...etc. Our teams have for most part been simply too good. We have been playoff caliber at worst and we typically have traded assets like our #1 picks to acquire established players that mngt has thought would put us over the top. Unfortunately it hasn't worked tho we have had some long, fun and exciting playoff runs over the past decade.
Our Rangers have always operated like this since I became a fan back in the Ratelle,Park, Gilbert days. Because we are in NYC and there is the expectation that our team every year be competitive and good, we have never ever truly went into "tank" mode like the Chicago's, Pittsburgh's, Los Angeles's of the world have which has proven successful as all those teams have won multiple Cups due to these tank jobs of theirs and getting all these studly top draft picks.
I just don't see any other way for us to win a Cup other than if we have tried to do it. We just need to get lucky and maybe a team will trade us a "Messier" that can help put us over the top. It's highly doubtful but only way I see something like that happening would be maybe a year from now, a Tavares for example would be so fed up with what's going on in Islander country that he didn't re-sign with them and he came here as an UFA.
Other than something like that, I just don't see how we are going to be going for a Cup any other way than how we've been doing it as we hope to catch lightning in a bottle one of these years like we almost did in 2014 and 2015.
I was a fan of this trade before finding out what the pick was. I'm not a big fan of the pick we made, but I'll say I'm ignorant on the subject. It really got to me that he was compared to two 4th liners on our team by Pierre.
That said DeAngelo sounds great and this thread is a tough read. People being upset about us trading for a guy that made homophobic slurs is understandable. But the nonsense that I read that a dirty player is preferable to a guy that said something stupid when he was 18 just blows my mind. Dirty players are always one play away from ending a guy's career. Extreme example, but ask Steve Moore if he'd rather have gotten a homophobic slur thrown his way. Same with someone asking if a homophobic slur being questioned as as bad as domestic violence. Ask Voynov's wife if she'd rather him use a homophobic slur against her. Just utter nonsense from people virtue signaling, which is all it is.
That said DeAngelo sounds great and this thread is a tough read. People being upset about us trading for a guy that made homophobic slurs is understandable. But the nonsense that I read that a dirty player is preferable to a guy that said something stupid when he was 18 just blows my mind. Dirty players are always one play away from ending a guy's career. Extreme example, but ask Steve Moore if he'd rather have gotten a homophobic slur thrown his way. Same with someone asking if a homophobic slur being questioned as as bad as domestic violence. Ask Voynov's wife if she'd rather him use a homophobic slur against her. Just utter nonsense from people virtue signaling, which is all it is.
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
As far as the Pierre comparison, keep in mind that that's right now.
He's an NHL 4th liner at 18.
He's an NHL 4th liner at 18.
I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but you guys should check out Tony D's prospect thread. A user who was, at the time, named Joique Bell was gushing unreservedly about him. IIRC, "He has no ceiling."
My thinking on the trade from Tampa is that Yzerman has just had too many headaches between the MSL fiasco and Drouin sitting out that one more guy making headlines for the wrong reasons was too much for him (possibly that Murray also really liked Hajek, but it remains to be seen what becomes of him).
My thinking on the trade from Tampa is that Yzerman has just had too many headaches between the MSL fiasco and Drouin sitting out that one more guy making headlines for the wrong reasons was too much for him (possibly that Murray also really liked Hajek, but it remains to be seen what becomes of him).
Seems like Stepan is a dump. Got value w 2 first round talents
Raanta hurts but they lost Talbot and found a guy . I think they sign Kuemper and almaire helps him
There's a good conduct clause of some kind written into every player's contract as well as rules relating to ethics. And the NHL has rules covering behavior as well--they are part of the CBA. Avery was suspended because of what he said and Dallas was (if I remember correctly) going to terminate his contract; there are limits.
Going too far can also get a player traded and ultimately shorten his career and his earning power. It's fun to spout off (and I have no idea what DeAngelo says on twitter), but people lose their jobs everyday for saying something stupid on social media--everyone needs to be aware of that.
Hopefully all of this will recede rapidly and this kid will become a regular on the blueline. I'm looking forward to seeing him play.
Have you ever watched the movie, "Slap Shot"? That was a realistic depiction of what goes on in hockey. You would be crushed.
Yep--saw it in a movie theater when it first came out...in 1977. Those days are long gone.
I've been a hockey fan since the 1960s, I'm not a shocked by the things that get said. But, there are things that shouldn't be said--especially not publicly when you are a highly paid professional athlete. Time to grow up and concentrate on working hard every shift, every game.
Chiclets24
Registered User
- Apr 12, 2004
- 505
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Re: Stepan, became very fond of #21, but his best years are behind him. Physically, this is a guy that is 27 going on 34. I'm not sure he's an NHL player in 2 years, let alone 4. With a lack of foot speed and strength, his end may come quicker than Drury's.
Re: DeAngelo, he sounds like a complete tool bag. His racist/sexist background is a big league red flag. I'm not going to talk politics, but he constantly retweets Trump. Take that as you will. In terms of comp, he sounds a bit like Del Zotto quite frankly. (and MDZ was a tool bag too)
Re: Andersson, hoping there's big league upside here; don't need a Lauri Korpikoski at 7th overall...
Shattenkirk will be a Ranger, and he will bring a friend to the party too.
Re: DeAngelo, he sounds like a complete tool bag. His racist/sexist background is a big league red flag. I'm not going to talk politics, but he constantly retweets Trump. Take that as you will. In terms of comp, he sounds a bit like Del Zotto quite frankly. (and MDZ was a tool bag too)
Re: Andersson, hoping there's big league upside here; don't need a Lauri Korpikoski at 7th overall...
Shattenkirk will be a Ranger, and he will bring a friend to the party too.
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
I don't care if he literally is Donald Trump if he's a good defenseman.
I don't have to like you to win with you.
I appreciate the optimism you spread around. We could use more of that.
But I'm gonna go ahead and wait to see what else we do before I get excited for this season. We could easily miss the playoffs for a few years as things stand. I'm OK with that, I'm just saying. I have no cause for celebration atm. I'm neither thrilled, nor unhappy. Mixed. Sometimes people believe in things that simply never actually happen. Santa delivering gifts. Various presidents doing anything they said they would. Happens all the time.
You're an optimist. Good on you. I like it. I'm more of a realist/pessimist. In the latter two scenarios... heh. Yeah. In the former, well, maybe with a few moves we're a contender again this season! Right now? Not impressive.
I do like the "going young" movement. But we're rebuilding or we're not. Let's not half-ass it.
He was 100% trouble free in AZ. So he got upset when the team was ****, I'd mark that a plus in my column. No need to spread FUD about this guy. He even got demoted despite scoring at a great pace because the Coyotes wanted him to work on play in his own zone. Never complained.
He was a turd in the Tampa organization but he matured.
Yeah, hopefully DeAngelo turned a corner and can behave from now on, he's extremely talented if he can. 3rd pairing with heavy PP time and he could be a gem.
This season could be interesting though if he makes the top 6, he'd likely be paired with Marc Staal and well, let's just hope they get sheltered usage, gong show defensively
This season could be interesting though if he makes the top 6, he'd likely be paired with Marc Staal and well, let's just hope they get sheltered usage, gong show defensively
Yeah, hopefully DeAngelo turned a corner and can behave from now on, he's extremely talented if he can. 3rd pairing with heavy PP time and he could be a gem.
This season could be interesting though if he makes the top 6, he'd likely be paired with Marc Staal and well, let's just hope they get sheltered usage, gong show defensively
Supposedly he's prettty decent defensively?
Want more out of him than a third pair guy if he's that talented.
I don't think the Rangers sign both Smith and Shattenkirk to be honest
DeAngelo is awful defensively, atrocious even... But he's extremely talented offensively. He's a kid, i'm saying he's a 3rd pairing guy THIS season, might be Hartford bound too.
I think we've had AZ people saying he's not that bad defensively but it's not like I watched them play a lot
He's very competitive in his own zone. He's not 'atrocious' or anything of the sort. If he's on the 3rd pair and getting fed PP time, it's not like he's going to be exposed. He easily has the wheels to be a very good defender in his own zone if he works on body positioning and stick work.
Maybe i exaggerated, but i'd say a Staal-DeAngelo pairing would bleed shots against, i also think DeAngelo is great at moving the puck so they'd probably get CF too.
It would definitely not be a low event pairing
But shelter them with 3rd pairing minutes and maybe they're fine 
DeAngelo would definitely add a lot to our PP.
