Player Discussion Dylan McIlrath - Part VII

[Blueblood2]

I don't get why everyone thinks McIlrath deserves to be in the lineup. His understanding, awareness, and pace in making decisions on the ice are not great. He will never be better than a third pair D. No one is knocking our door down to trade for him. I know everyone wants to believe he is going to develop into something that will justify his draft pick but AV has got it right on this one.

 

[jay from jersey]

because

I don't get why everyone thinks McIlrath deserves to be in the lineup. His understanding, awareness, and pace in making decisions on the ice are not great. He will never be better than a third pair D. No one is knocking our door down to trade for him. I know everyone wants to believe he is going to develop into something that will justify his draft pick but AV has got it right on this one.

because he does. he has payed his dues. done what everyone has asked and progressed. It is never going to happen though. He is done here. i just hope he is moved out west because this is the type of player that could hurt us. paired with the right partner he could play very well, EX Yandle. and god forbid he catches one of our young guys in the neutral zone with their head down......

 

[Open Mind]

I don't get why everyone thinks McIlrath deserves to be in the lineup. His understanding, awareness, and pace in making decisions on the ice are not great. He will never be better than a third pair D. No one is knocking our door down to trade for him. I know everyone wants to believe he is going to develop into something that will justify his draft pick but AV has got it right on this one.

Because to many he played well enough last season to warrant play over other choices and should have been given the chance to continue playing and evolving. Of course no one is knocking down doors for him: his trade value has been driven into the ground. I don't think justifying his pick has any relevance to anyone. It's a matter of naturally letting a player play and develop, last season, when he earned it. The kid's done now. The coach saw to that last season. We should move him and let him get a shot elsewhere.

 

[haveandare]

Because to many he played well enough last season to warrant play over other choices and should have been given the chance to continue playing and evolving. Of course no one is knocking down doors for him: his trade value has been driven into the ground. I don't think justifying his pick has any relevance to anyone. It's a matter of naturally letting a player play and develop, last season, when he earned it. The kid's done now. The coach saw to that last season. We should move him and let him get a shot elsewhere.

This exactly. He got absolutely screwed last year and it's not going to end as long as he's here. Waive him if necessary and let him have a career somewhere

 

[FLYLine27*]

I don't get why everyone thinks McIlrath deserves to be in the lineup. His understanding, awareness, and pace in making decisions on the ice are not great. He will never be better than a third pair D. No one is knocking our door down to trade for him. I know everyone wants to believe he is going to develop into something that will justify his draft pick but AV has got it right on this one.

I love how you just assume he is done developing and won't get better despite the fact he has improved every season since turning pro. Bravo.

 

[silverfish]

I think McIlrath is the first player I can remember in a long time where in a specific instance I'm rooting for the player more than I am the team.

It would make me endlessly happy if AV let McIlrath turn loose and play 20 games in a row without fear of riding the bench. Then we'd all see what we saw last season. A big-bodied d-man who doesn't allow shots in the crease, wins pucks in the corners, and is smart enough to move the puck to his partner and take the play up ice.

Knowing that this will never happen, I'm eternally hopeful that the Rangers send this kid out west somewhere to get a true shot at being an every day NHL d-man. He has earned that.

 

[Blueblood2]

because he does. he has payed his dues. done what everyone has asked and progressed. It is never going to happen though. He is done here. i just hope he is moved out west because this is the type of player that could hurt us. paired with the right partner he could play very well, EX Yandle. and god forbid he catches one of our young guys in the neutral zone with their head down......

You don't get a position just because you paid your dues. You earn it each and every year and he is not definitely better at this point in his career than anyone that is in the lineup. Can he progress more.....possibly but he has had plenty of time in AHL and the last two years in NY to prove he can be a top 4 D and I have not heard any coach say he will be that type of talent. I think he has some offensive upside but with the speed and quickness of the game now I think his defensive ability will always be below average. You may not agree with me which is fine but it seems like the people who do this for a living, and not just AV, are not believers either.

 

[Blueblood2]

I love how you just assume he is done developing and won't get better despite the fact he has improved every season since turning pro. Bravo.

I didn't say he cant develop but just said that I don't think he will ever amount to a top 4 D and obviously he hasn't developed enough to get a regular spot in the lineup, even with a weakening D group.

 

[RempireStateBuilding]

You don't get a position just because you paid your dues. You earn it each and every year and he is not definitely better at this point in his career than anyone that is in the lineup. Can he progress more.....possibly but he has had plenty of time in AHL and the last two years in NY to prove he can be a top 4 D and I have not heard any coach say he will be that type of talent. I think he has some offensive upside but with the speed and quickness of the game now I think his defensive ability will always be below average. You may not agree with me which is fine but it seems like the people who do this for a living, and not just AV, are not believers either.

Yea because people that work closely with professional hockey are never wrong. Just look at the list of undrafted players who went on to be integral to Cup winning teams or ended up as HoFers. Did every GM make the right choice not to go after those players just because they weren't perceived as being worth it in the early stages of their careers?

 

[wolfgaze]

I feel like we don't fully know what we've got with McIlrath because he just hasn't remained in the line-up long enough for us to get a good enough look and see what he's capable of over an extended period of time.... If it turned out he developed into a steady, reliable, low-cost 3rd pairing defenseman who was responsible in his own end and added a physical element (also sticking up for his teammates) - I'd be pleased...

 

[Vitto79]

Can't they send skjei down and not waive mcilrath and jooris ?

 

[Irishguy42]

Can't they send skjei down and not waive mcilrath and jooris ?

They can, but they want Skjei to be a regular. So...no reason to send him down, unless they want to do a paper transaction.

 

[Riche16]

I feel like we don't fully know what we've got with McIlrath because he just hasn't remained in the line-up long enough for us to get a good enough look and see what he's capable of over an extended period of time.... If it turned out he developed into a steady, reliable, low-cost 3rd pairing defenseman who was responsible in his own end and added a physical element (also sticking up for his teammates) - I'd be pleased...

We won't ever know that with AV here. Don't read me wrong, I'm not saying AV is a bad coach, he just won't play him. He's 7 or 8 on depth here and will never get a chance to develop in any way.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I think McIlrath is the first player I can remember in a long time where in a specific instance I'm rooting for the player more than I am the team.

It would make me endlessly happy if AV let McIlrath turn loose and play 20 games in a row without fear of riding the bench. Then we'd all see what we saw last season. A big-bodied d-man who doesn't allow shots in the crease, wins pucks in the corners, and is smart enough to move the puck to his partner and take the play up ice.

Knowing that this will never happen, I'm eternally hopeful that the Rangers send this kid out west somewhere to get a true shot at being an every day NHL d-man. He has earned that.

No offense but the logic doesn't add up here. Regardless of his chances here or what AV thinks of him, you would think your(and others) description of his play last season would garner serious attention from around the league, no? The post has reported a couple times now that there is no trade intereste in McIlrath from around the league. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, would it be time to admit that all the talent evaluators around the league side with AV and not the armchair experts of hfboards who saw a regular RD in the making?

 

[Blueblood2]

Yea because people that work closely with professional hockey are never wrong. Just look at the list of undrafted players who went on to be integral to Cup winning teams or ended up as HoFers. Did every GM make the right choice not to go after those players just because they weren't perceived as being worth it in the early stages of their careers?

I did not say professional hockey people don't make mistakes but for the most part coaches that have had a player in their organization for years have a way better idea of what a player is then people on this board. Your example where the GM doesn't make the right choice but the undrafted player turns into an integral player obviously has more to do with the COACHES correct player evaluation than the GM's who passed him up, which is exactly what we are talking about

 

[silverfish]

No offense but the logic doesn't add up here. Regardless of his chances here or what AV thinks of him, you would think your(and others) description of his play last season would garner serious attention from around the league, no? The post has reported a couple times now that there is no trade intereste in McIlrath from around the league. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, would it be time to admit that all the talent evaluators around the league side with AV and not the armchair experts of hfboards who saw a regular RD in the making?

Then I guess the Rangers should waive him if they're so confident he won't be claimed.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Then I guess the Rangers should waive him if they're so confident he won't be claimed.

I honestly think its going to come to that by the end of the week.

Once again, if no team claims him, will you and others at least partially admit that your view on him as a player is not shared by 29 other teams around the league?

 

[silverfish]

I honestly think its going to come to that by the end of the week.

Once again, if no team claims him, will you and others at least partially admit that your view on him as a player is not shared by 29 other teams around the league?

Sure. Sounds like it'll mean a lot to you for some people to admit they are wrong.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Sure. Sounds like it'll mean a lot to you for some people to admit they are wrong.

Not really. I will chuckle at the hypocrisy surrounding the relentless cheap shots at our "dummy" coach for not playing McIlrath when 29 other teams won't take him for virtually no price at all.

 

[silverfish]

Not really. I will chuckle at the hypocrisy surrounding the relentless cheap shots at our "dummy" coach for not playing McIlrath when 29 other teams won't take him for virtually no price at all.

And if McIlrath doesn't get waived, or if he does get waived and is claimed, will you admit you are wrong? Does it really matter?

No, it doesn't.

AV is a "dummy" for a lot more reasons than not playing McIlrath.

Holden and G look great tonight.

 

[haveandare]

Sure. Sounds like it'll mean a lot to you for some people to admit they are wrong.

Yeah if you say you're wrong suddenly all that time he dominated with Yandle never happened and AV isn't a lunatic for pampering Girardi and now Holden over superior choices

 

[Inferno]

I want Mcilrath to be traded just so he can play. The kid has done everything right imho...i think the coaches irrational hate for him has completely crushed his game...i rarely want the rangers to trade a player who i really like and whose game i really like..but this is one instance where i do. the kid deserves better, and needs to go to a franchise that wont destroy his career.

 

[NYR425]

There is no way that you can tell me that with how bad all 3 right side defensemen looked last night that Dylan should not be given a look. I mean Girardi was God awful, Holden looked pathetic and Klein who was the best of the 3 looked really bad as well. Put him and Clendenon in the lineup, give them each 15 straight games. Tell Dylan this is it, you will have 15 straight games in the lineup. After the 15 games, if you don't like what you saw move him. I really don't care if its by trade or waivers but give the kid a chance to show his worth.

 

[Hockeyplayer99]

Holden looked bad, but but he is on his offside, Girardi looked bad but but he is a warrior. No reason for Clendening who is a terrible defensive player and McIrath who is nothing but a goon play over a guy on his offside and a guy who has been a warrior for the Rangers. Come on now. We can sign PK Subban and I bet AV would play Holden and Girardi over him.

 

[True Blue]

There is no way that you can tell me that with how bad all 3 right side defensemen looked last night that Dylan should not be given a look. I mean Girardi was God awful, Holden looked pathetic and Klein who was the best of the 3 looked really bad as well. Put him and Clendenon in the lineup, give them each 15 straight games. Tell Dylan this is it, you will have 15 straight games in the lineup. After the 15 games, if you don't like what you saw move him. I really don't care if its by trade or waivers but give the kid a chance to show his worth.

I agree. Though I think that Klein's game will round out. How McILrath can continue to be scratched as you watch the state of the defense is amazing.