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Stepan

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JCrusher*

Registered User
Apr 16, 2012
4,381
0
I really though after last year he was gonna turn into a consistent number 1 C. Then he held out and really hanst been the same since. I keep waiting for him to have a great stretch where he will be the top player we thought he was gonna be but he hanst even had a great complete game. Im not opposed to putting Brassard with nash and kreider because they need a center who has some skating ability and passing
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27 points in half a season isn't bad, particularly given his slow start.
 
First off, Stepan's regression has nothing to do with his hold out. This fanbase should stop attacking players for fighting for what they deserve.

Second, last year was a shortened season. Some players have good and bad streaks. I personally believe last year was a fluke. I would have traded him last offseason.

That being said, I still believe he has a permanent place on this team as a solid 2C.
 
SKjEi o2 said:
First off, Stepan's regression has nothing to do with his hold out. This fanbase should stop attacking players for fighting for what they deserve.

Second, last year was a shortened season. Some players have good and bad streaks. I personally believe last year was a fluke. I would have traded him last offseason.

That being said, I still believe he has a permanent place on this team as a solid 2C.
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First off i wasnt blaming the holdout. Secondly you may be right about being a 2nd line C
 
Rangers fans: We need good young talent to develop!
7 1/2 months later: Tradezzzz!!! He already peaked!! 23 and starting to depreciatezz!

:propeller
 
Boom Boom Geoffrion said:
Rangers fans: We need good young talent to develop!
7 1/2 months later: Tradezzzz!!! He already peaked!! 23 and starting to depreciatezz!

:propeller
Click to expand...

Beat me to it.

Three seasons of steady progression? Obviously plateaued. Trade him for Carcillo.
 
I said at the start of the season I thought out 3 centers would split the offensive load and end up with 50 points each.

That's not looking too far from the truth at the moment.
 
SKjEi o2 said:
First off, Stepan's regression has nothing to do with his hold out. This fanbase should stop attacking players for fighting for what they deserve.

Second, last year was a shortened season. Some players have good and bad streaks. I personally believe last year was a fluke. I would have traded him last offseason.

That being said, I still believe he has a permanent place on this team as a solid 2C.
Click to expand...

You would have traded our best player at the most important position which is organizationally our weakest spot? I think Sather's an idiot but not even if he's dumb enough to think trading Stepan was a good idea.
 
petejudge said:
You would have traded our best player at the most important position which is organizationally our weakest spot? I think Sather's an idiot but not even if he's dumb enough to think trading Stepan was a good idea.
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I thought last year was a fluke season for him. Therefore, I would've traded him while his stock was high. Who's to say we couldn't have gotten a younger center with higher potential for him last offseason?
 
Only Kreider is doing anything though. He won't put up points if half his linemates are playing like they're dead weight out there.
 
Stepan has 27 points, sure. Consider the following facts:

-he's played with our 2 best offensive weapons almost exclusively all year (Nash and Kreider)
-his 5 on 5 stats suck
-his faceoff % sucks

Not impressed at all. Outside of a very select few plays/games this season, he's been dead weight on the top line. He doesn't possess the physical tools to create space for Nash and Kreider. Hockey IQ and defensive ability only gets you so far. And as we all now are finding out, Nash needs a true offensive guy in the middle to put up huge numbers. Nash was on pace for 80 points/82 last season and Stepan was playing the best hockey of his career. Stepan is sucking, and Nash is sucking. Not really a coincidence. I am extremely confident (unfortunately) that the Stepan of last year will be the exception, not the rule with him going forward. The natural offensive ability just isn't there.

Honestly, Stepan is one of the few Rangers that has value. People are going to bash, but we should trade him. Brassard is nearly identical to Stepan but with more offensive upside. Better shot, better with the puck on his stick/carrying it into the zone, slightly better speed. Defensive play Stepan definitely has the edge. This would be my plan for NYR down the middle:

Step 1: buy out Richards
Step 2: qualify Brassard
Step 3: Trade Stepan for a high end piece; legitimate scoring winger/offensive defenseman
Step 4: Use cap space from Richards to sign either Grabovski/Statsny/Thornton (in that order, preferably)

Gives us the following, NOT including what we would get for Stepan (which I don't know; I'd have to do a "value of" thread in the trade section):

Kreider-MG/PS/JT-Nash
Zuccarello-Brassard-Callahan
Hagelin-Miller-Pouliot
Moore/Carcillo-Boyle-Dorsett? It's the 4th line..whatever

Add to that lineup the fact that we could pretty easily get a legit top 6 winger or top 4 offensive defenseman for Step and we have a much more balanced team
 
EpicDing said:
Only Kreider is doing anything though. He won't put up points if half his linemates are playing like they're dead weight out there.
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Yeah, it wasn't a perfectly placed pass by Stepan that sprung Kreider for his goal. I personally believe that Stepan does so many subtle things on the ice that people miss half the plays he does make.
 
I never understand this logic.

Player A sucks

Player A is worth a ton on the trade market.

Arent those opposite views? If the player sucks, why would they get a high return?
 
DelZottoHitTheNetJK said:
Stepan has 27 points, sure. Consider the following facts:

-he's played with our 2 best offensive weapons almost exclusively all year (Nash and Kreider)
-his 5 on 5 stats suck
-his faceoff % sucks

Not impressed at all. Outside of a very select few plays/games this season, he's been dead weight on the top line. He doesn't possess the physical tools to create space for Nash and Kreider. Hockey IQ and defensive ability only gets you so far. And as we all now are finding out, Nash needs a true offensive guy in the middle to put up huge numbers. Nash was on pace for 80 points/82 last season and Stepan was playing the best hockey of his career. Stepan is sucking, and Nash is sucking. Not really a coincidence. I am extremely confident (unfortunately) that the Stepan of last year will be the exception, not the rule with him going forward. The natural offensive ability just isn't there.

Honestly, Stepan is one of the few Rangers that has value. People are going to bash, but we should trade him. Brassard is nearly identical to Stepan but with more offensive upside. Better shot, better with the puck on his stick/carrying it into the zone, slightly better speed. Defensive play Stepan definitely has the edge. This would be my plan for NYR down the middle:

Step 1: buy out Richards
Step 2: qualify Brassard
Step 3: Trade Stepan for a high end piece; legitimate scoring winger/offensive defenseman
Step 4: Use cap space from Richards to sign either Grabovski/Statsny/Thornton (in that order, preferably)

Gives us the following, NOT including what we would get for Stepan (which I don't know; I'd have to do a "value of" thread in the trade section):

Kreider-MG/PS/JT-Nash
Zuccarello-Brassard-Callahan
Hagelin-Miller-Pouliot
Moore/Carcillo-Boyle-Dorsett? It's the 4th line..whatever

Add to that lineup the fact that we could pretty easily get a legit top 6 winger or top 4 offensive defenseman for Step and we have a much more balanced team
Click to expand...


Just because you post this here and on the trade boards, the fact remains that it is absolutely ridiculous.
 
People set Stepan up to fail by placing expectations on him that are too high. He is a legit #2 center. He is not a #1 center. He can score and make plays inside the blue line but his speed and creativity may end up keeping him from being a true #1 center. There is nothing wrong with him being a good #2 center who scores 20-25 goals a year and ends up with 65 points a year.
 
Stepan fed off Nash last year. This year, Nash is struggling, and there ya go.

I think he'll be a very good 2C
 
Stepan has been really solid on the defensive side of the puck so far, I've thought. He hasn't shown much brilliance on offense so far, but he isn't a flashy player. The pass he made to spring Kreider last night was perfect
 
He didn't look overwhelming last year when he was producing a PPG either. He is what he is at this point, which appears to be a good 2-way 55-65 point center. I don't think that is such a horrible tragedy.

The team isn't scoring much. That's not exclusively stepan's fault. As you all know, if Nash picked up the scoring so would Stepan.
 
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