Stepan

[Leonardo87]

The thing is last season Stepan was constantly noticeable now even when he gets points he's quiet.

Well about a dozen of his points this season are secondary assists, so just touching the puck can seem unnoticeable. He also had 18 goals last season, on pace for over 30 in a full season. This year, he is not even on pace for 15 Goals for a full season.

Except he played very well with Nash last year. Cally isn't some sort of playmaking wizard either.

Cally can score goals, some sweet ones also, he has good hands in front of the net, and if you set him up he is going to finish. He is also very good on the SO.

Cally is a goal scorer and less of a set up man, Stepan is the opposite which is why these two clicked last season. Why Nash and Stepan are not clicking this season is beyond me.

 

[Callagraves]

Fair enough, but he was a puck hog even last year to some extent.

This is true, but he made such a difference when he had the puck that it created tons of room for whoever he played with. Stepan started going, and took advantage of all that time and space.

Here, Nash is still the "puck hog", but every time he touches the puck, the play ends.

I honestly think Nash is dragging Stepan's play down terribly. Guys like Callahan, Hagelin, and even Kreider aren't exactly play makers, but they all have that "take it to the net" instinct that Stepan can capitalize on. Nash...Nash is just like the other team's defensive trump card at the moment. For him to make a difference, it needs to be on a gold platter.

 

[cd211]

This is true, but he made such a difference when he had the puck that it created tons of room for whoever he played with. Stepan started going, and took advantage of all that time and space.

Here, Nash is still the "puck hog", but every time he touches the puck, the play ends.

I honestly think Nash is dragging Stepan's play down terribly. Guys like Callahan, Hagelin, and even Kreider aren't exactly play makers, but they all have that "take it to the net" instinct that Stepan can capitalize on. Nash...Nash is just like the other team's defensive trump card at the moment. For him to make a difference, it needs to be on a gold platter.

id try..

Kreider-Step-Cally
MZA-Brass-Nash
Hags-Miller/Richards-Poo/Richards

 

[Callagraves]

id try..

Kreider-Step-Cally
MZA-Brass-Nash
Hags-Miller/Richards-Poo/Richards

I'd be very, very happy with these lines.

That first line has offensive talent, physicality, defensive ability in Step and Cally (And frankly, CK has been stellar on the back end lately). CK has Hags speed, but better offensive talent. I've been begging for an American Express line, and I imagine at some point we'll have to see it. It's a line that will be something the Rangers forgot how to be: Tough to play against.

The second line is practically a talent overload. Those are 3 forward who can and will take advantage of and expose weaker D parings, put together some pretty plays, and frankly, playing Zucc with anyone seems to be beneficial to their livelihood .

Hags Richards Poo seems like a good 3rd line. I don't think Richards has the raw firepower to go toe to toe with other teams top lines anymore, and keeping him with Hags is of great benefit, as Hags is a one-man-puck-retrieval specialist. Pouliot, while admittedly my least favorite active Rangers, has a ton of talent that if put together, can be very, very useful. He's really an X factor on that line.

I'd love to give Miller a shot on the top 9, but with Dorsett out, he's fitting perfectly on that 4th line, giving Boyle and Moore a jump and bite that makes them scary effective, and at times an offensive threat.

But hey, I'm not an NHL coach, and if I were, I'd scratch Nash for a game or two, so that tells you exactly where I stand.

 

[Hockeyplayer99]

Yea as one person said Stepan plays with Nash and Kreider, but its not his fault that every time he makes a perfect pass to Nash, that Nash can't finish. Maybe if Nash wasn't so lazy and useless Stepan would have 40 points. I keep hearing everyone talk about getting Statsny also, if you look at his stats last few seasons compared to Stepan, looks very similiar, but Steps costs alot less then Statsny

Statsny
Year Team GP G A Pts +/- PIM
2010-11 Col 74 22 35 57 -7 56
2011-12 Col 79 21 32 53 -8 34
2012-13 Col 40 9 15 24 -7 14
2013-14 Col 39 11 16 27 6 14
Totals 232 63 98 161 -16
Stepan
Year Team GP G A Pts +/-
2010-11 NYR 82 21 24 45 8
2011-12 NYR 82 17 34 51 14
2012-13 NYR 48 18 26 44 25
2013-14 NYR 43 7 19 26 -4
Totals 255 63 103 166 +43

 

[SlingshotVv]

Get him away from Nash asap. Nash doesn't belong in the top 6 right now. I'd wager that Stepan and Kreider look better with a few of the current roster than they do the Nash black-hole on the far wing

 

[kvakklunch]

Get him away from Nash asap. Nash doesn't belong in the top 6 right now. I'd wager that Stepan and Kreider look better with a few of the current roster than they do the Nash black-hole on the far wing

I agree. Nash shouldnt be untouchable.
I would like to see the lines:
kreider - step - richards (A)
MZA - Miller - Callahan (C)
Trolliot - Brassard - Nash (A)
Boyle - Moore - Hagelin

Hagelin has played well, no demotion as of such. AV rolls all 4 lines. I think all theese lines has scooring potential. Richards on the wing because I think he plays best in that position. Miller has impressed me whenever he has played, creates so much. That 4 line has alot of energy + lockdown potential. Brassard under Miller is because I think Miller is just better.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Tools are nice, but Pouliot and Zherdev have more tools than a Ryan Callahan or Brandon Dubinsky.

In the NHL mentality is 75% of the battle. That's why guys like Bourret never make it while guys like Hagelin have long careers.

Agreed. However Brassard has shown he can play at a high level for extended periods of time, so it's not far fetched to think he could continue to play at that level more consistently with more ice time. He was easily one of our best forwards last season and all throughout the playoffs

Yea as one person said Stepan plays with Nash and Kreider, but its not his fault that every time he makes a perfect pass to Nash, that Nash can't finish. Maybe if Nash wasn't so lazy and useless Stepan would have 40 points. I keep hearing everyone talk about getting Statsny also, if you look at his stats last few seasons compared to Stepan, looks very similiar, but Steps costs alot less then Statsny

Statsny
Year Team GP G A Pts +/- PIM
2010-11 Col 74 22 35 57 -7 56
2011-12 Col 79 21 32 53 -8 34
2012-13 Col 40 9 15 24 -7 14
2013-14 Col 39 11 16 27 6 14
Totals 232 63 98 161 -16
Stepan
Year Team GP G A Pts +/-
2010-11 NYR 82 21 24 45 8
2011-12 NYR 82 17 34 51 14
2012-13 NYR 48 18 26 44 25
2013-14 NYR 43 7 19 26 -4
Totals 255 63 103 166 +43

Those Avs teams were also basement teams whereas the Rangers have consistently been a playoff team. Stats don't always tell the whole story. Stastny is pretty easily more offensively capable than Stepan if you watch them both play

 

[Cake or Death]

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.

That would make him a 1C. Not picking at you specifically, but it seems people confuse elite centers with first line centers. But if you look at scoring among centers in full non lockout seasons, the 11-30 spots are guys at 55-70 points. There's usually only about 10 centers over 70 points. 66 points is what an average 1C scored the past few full seasons and the average scoring by a 2C is 44.1 points. Just saying.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

That would make him a 1C. Not picking at you specifically, but it seems people confuse elite centers with first line centers. But if you look at scoring among centers in full non lockout seasons, the 11-30 spots are guys at 55-70 points. There's usually only about 10 centers over 70 points. 66 points is what an average 1C scored the past few full seasons and the average scoring by a 2C is 44.1 points. Just saying.

I imagine you're using league wide averages though. Which isn't really a fair way of looking at it. Who cares if Buffalo's 2nd center puts up 35 points, for instance? That doesn't mean that Stepan putting up 45 points makes him a 1st line center. The point is that all contending teams are deep down the middle and most have elite point producers at BOTH 1 and 2

Take the same averages but from the top 15 teams in the league. You'll notice a huge difference I would wager

 

[Cake or Death]

I imagine you're using league wide averages though. Which isn't really a fair way of looking at it. Who cares if Buffalo's 2nd center puts up 35 points, for instance? That doesn't mean that Stepan putting up 45 points makes him a 1st line center. The point is that all contending teams are deep down the middle and most have elite point producers at BOTH 1 and 2

Take the same averages but from the top 15 teams in the league. You'll notice a huge difference I would wager

For sure. I almost stated those thoughts, that the key to winning is depth up the middle and, if possible, a 1-2 punch that can score above the average. I honestly thought that was really obvious and didn't need to be stated, so I omitted it.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

For sure. I almost stated those thoughts, that the key to winning is depth up the middle and, if possible, a 1-2 punch that can score above the average. I honestly thought that was really obvious and didn't need to be stated, so I omitted it.

Absolutely agreed. Unfortunately there are some on here that need the obvious to be stated, particularly the ones that think this team is going anywhere with Stepan as the top center. The real travesty here is that this more falls on Richards than Stepan. Richards was paid huge money to continue to be the player he was in Dallas, and at not a very old age at all his play has fallen off a cliff. Stepan is a solid #2 center (although I do wish he would improve on draws) on every team in the league save for maybe 5, and because of Richards' suckery he's playing out of position

 

[Raspewtin]

Stepan and Brassard are very similar players. Stepan is stronger defensively while Brassard has more offensive upside. 2014 is a decent UFA center class; if we can sign one of Thornton/Grabovski/Stastny one of Stepan/Brassard would have to get moved. Stepan obviously has more value and is extremely comparable to Brassard so it makes sense to move him over Brassard. Could really fill some holes on this team by moving him

Stastny
Brassard
Miller
Boyle/Moore

I'll take that C group

What in the world is the logic in dealing Stepan and keeping Brassard?

 

[Raspewtin]

I'm still not convinced Stepan's year last year was a fluke. He's better than how he's playing. As everyone else has said, get Nash the **** off that top line. Please. Put Callahan or Zucc there.

Still see him topping out as a 60-65 point two way center.