Value of: Dylan McIlrath

[Machinehead]

Didn't he play pretty well last season?

Vigneault, Alain.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Not even. AV killed any value he had.

I thought I'd get more pushback on this valuation. Still, I wouldn't mind giving him a shot as #7 or regular bottom-pairing minutes. He can't be much worse than we've seen Sustr be in the past.

 

[JC704]

Last year the Rangers best defense pairing during the regular season was Keith Yandle and Dylan McIlrath. He isn't a star by any stretch, but he's absolutely ready for a bigger role and real NHL minutes. The organization is going to regret trading him within a year.

 

[KingsHockey24]

I'd love to have him on the Kings.

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

I'd love to have him on the Kings.

Luke Schenn always had way more potential as an NHL caliber dman than McIlrath.

If Schenn couldnt stick around in LA, I doubt McIlrath would be able to

 

[smoneil]

I am not sure he is too much more of a project now. Where he is at is closer to where he likely remains in his career as a player in terms of potential/contribution

NYR fans had a lot of hope for him last year in that he looked he made some strides but AV never showed much confidence in him and the longer of a leash McIlrath was given, the more he hung himself with it.

Puck looks like a grenade on his stick and his anticipation/coverage/abilty to read the play, especially in the neutral zone are pretty terrible

For future reference, when people call you out for being a poster who has an anti-Rangers bias, it is because of posts like this, where you clearly demonstrate that you have no idea what you are talking about. McIlrath is fine with the puck on his stick. He's actually one of the calmer players on the team and excels at controlled exits out of the zone.

As for this "longer leash" that you think he "hung himself" with, what exactly are you referring to? He only got ONE extended run of games last season. It was due to injury. During that run of games, he was part of what was statistically our best pairing of the season. Even though that pair was playing amazingly well, AV still benched McIlrath in favor of Girardi with his busted kneecap. After that, AV only put McIlrath in for a game here and a game there (including one particularly idiotic game where he tried to play McIlrath as a winger). AV only played McIlrath in one of our five playoff games. It's the one game the Rangers actually won.

He'll never be a top pairing guy, but the second he gets away from AV and onto a team with a coach who will actually reward play rather than "warrior" reputations, he will very likely show himself to be what he was last season when given a chance--a very capable 2nd pairing guy who can cover for a more offensive partner and fire bombs from the point.

For previous examples of AV totally ****ing up his judgement on defensemen, see Michael Del Zotto, Anton Stralman, and Keith Yandle.

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

For future reference, when people call you out for being a poster who has an anti-Rangers bias, it is because of posts like this, where you clearly demonstrate that you have no idea what you are talking about. McIlrath is fine with the puck on his stick. He's actually one of the calmer players on the team and excels at controlled exits out of the zone.

As for this "longer leash" that you think he "hung himself" with, what exactly are you referring to? He only got ONE extended run of games last season. It was due to injury. During that run of games, he was part of what was statistically our best pairing of the season. Even though that pair was playing amazingly well, AV still benched McIlrath in favor of Girardi with his busted kneecap. After that, AV only put McIlrath in for a game here and a game there (including one particularly idiotic game where he tried to play McIlrath as a winger). AV only played McIlrath in one of our five playoff games. It's the one game the Rangers actually won.

He'll never be a top pairing guy, but the second he gets away from AV and onto a team with a coach who will actually reward play rather than "warrior" reputations, he will very likely show himself to be what he was last season when given a chance--a very capable 2nd pairing guy who can cover for a more offensive partner and fire bombs from the point.

For previous examples of AV totally ****ing up his judgement on defensemen, see Michael Del Zotto, Anton Stralman, and Keith Yandle.

Youre right, other people are calling this guy a fringe 6/7 dman and I quote what I observe of his play and you tell me Im the one who is wrong mis-judging his play and you call him a capable 2nd pair dman.

Right...

Darryl Sutter was playing Rob Scuderi with Drew Doughty last season. Does that make Rob Scuderi a first pair dman now?

 

[Alluckks]

5th round pick or as an add-in to another deal with bigger names.

 

[smoneil]

Youre right, other people are calling this guy a fringe 6/7 dman and I quote what I observe of his play and you tell me Im the one who is wrong mis-judging his play and you call him a capable 2nd pair dman.

Right...

Darryl Sutter was playing Rob Scuderi with Drew Doughty last season. Does that make Rob Scuderi a first pair dman now?

What you "observed" bears no resemblance to the player in question, so yeah, I'd say you were mis-judging his play. You literally identified things that are his strengths as weaknesses, and made a comment about him being "given rope that he hung himself with" that, objectively speaking, never happened.

You'll generally find two camps of Rangers fans when it comes to McIlrath, incidentally: those who see him developing into a unique asset and those who will never forgive him for not being Tarasenko. That latter group likes to refer to him as a fringe defenseman. Incidentally, McIlrath outplayed every RHD in camp this preseason save maybe one (Clendenning put up great offensive play but was really shaky on the defensive end). He outplayed Girardi. He outplayed Holden. He outplayed Klein. He outplayed Skjei by a country mile. Yet AV has already told him he's not in the top six. It's a credit to this kid that he hasn't asked for his release yet, because there is literally nothing more he can do here. He will never get a real chance to prove himself under AV.

Bottom line is that you are incorrect about him not being able to handle the puck. You are incorrect about him ever being given any kind of rope.

If AV does succeed in getting the team to move McIlrath, then I truly believe that yet another team will be the beneficiary of AV's inability to tell good defensemen from bad. I think that would be a huge mistake, because I'd be shocked if AV still had a job by Christmas.

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

he might pass through waivers. #6/7 mouth breather

McIlrath goes on waivers as his hometown grabs him immediately. Jets can then piss off Postma for a 3rd straight season.

I'd much rather see him clear waivers & then trade him for value. McIlrath playing in the minors as a callup>than having him on the immediate roster.

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

What you "observed" bears no resemblance to the player in question, so yeah, I'd say you were mis-judging his play. You literally identified things that are his strengths as weaknesses, and made a comment about him being "given rope that he hung himself with" that, objectively speaking, never happened.

You'll generally find two camps of Rangers fans when it comes to McIlrath, incidentally: those who see him developing into a unique asset and those who will never forgive him for not being Tarasenko.

Bottom line is that you are incorrect about him not being able to handle the puck. You are incorrect about him ever being given any kind of rope.

If AV does succeed in getting the team to move McIlrath, then I truly believe that yet another team will be the beneficiary of AV's inability to tell good defensemen from bad. I think that would be a huge mistake, because I'd be shocked if AV still had a job by Christmas.

I said he was decent in his own zone. Where I see the puck as a grenade for him is he is poor at moving the puck through the NZ and not good at all generating offense up ice once they get out of their zone, which is a death wish in AVs systems. Its why guys like Yandle flourish in his ability to push the puck up through all three zones. Just because McIlrath showed good results being paired with arguably NYRs best dman last year, doesnt mean thats his true ability or where he should stay.

You could pair almost anyone with a guy like Drew Doughty or Duncan Keith and that pair should still be more successful than not on the ice, because one guys carries the water so much more than whoever else will be their partner, but that doesnt make the other players on that level of pairing

McIlrath has not been impressive at all away from Yandle

 

[smoneil]

I said he was decent in his own zone. Where I see the puck as a grenade for him is he is poor at moving the puck through the NZ and not good at all generating offense up ice once they get out of their zone, which is a death wish in AVs systems. Its why guys like Yandle flourish in his ability to push the puck up through all three zones. Just because McIlrath showed good results being paired with arguably NYRs best dman last year, doesnt mean thats his true ability or where he should stay.

You could pair almost anyone with a guy like Drew Doughty or Duncan Keith and that pair should still be more successful than not on the ice, because one guys carries the water so much more than whoever else will be their partner, but that doesnt make the other players on that level of pairing

McIlrath has not been impressive at all away from Yandle

He hasn't been a disaster either. He also hasn't had any real opportunity other than that brief run with Yandle. And none of Yandle's OTHER partners performed as well with him. As for issues in the neutral zone, he does have a bit of a problem in transition but that's the kind of thing that can be fixed with time. He actually does contribute offensively. He put up a couple of beauts in the preseason, including one where he walked the blue line and just fired a rocket into the net. He's never going to be mistaken for a PMD, but that shot of his is big enough and dangerous enough that it will force teams to respect it (drawing them out a bit and opening up space). The Rangers have been looking for a shot like that for literally more than a decade (since before Kalinin).

I would agree that McIlrath would look even better in a system other than AV's, but I'm also of the opinion that AV's system is the biggest problem the Rangers have right now (because if pre-season showed anything, it was that AV learned nothing from last year's 87 game debacle).

AV has already been allowed to run three good defensemen out of town. It's time for a new coach and a real opportunity. The team needs the former, and McIlrath has earned the latter.

Bottom line is that this is a player who has improved every year. We always knew he was going to be a project player. The project is finally paying off, and AV wants to get rid of him because he idiotically thinks Girardi is a first pairing defenseman.

 

[Ducks Nation*]

Clayton Stoner, take it or leave it.

 

[BruinsBtn]

How about a Hayes reunion?

 

[ayrton2388]

Wasn't he better than Cam Fowler like 8-9 months ago, as per Rangers fans?

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Wasn't he better than Cam Fowler like 8-9 months ago, as per Rangers fans?

Wed have to add to Fowler to get him

 

[Vipers31]

Wasn't he better than Cam Fowler like 8-9 months ago, as per Rangers fans?

Definitely not all, but equally definitely a few really dumb things were said then, so I don't think anyone that has been part of those conversations isn't remembering that fondly right now.

 

[MattMartin]

Obvious answer is Fowler.

 

[gorangers0525]

Mcilrath being better than Fowler is equally as absurd as Fowler being a first pairing defenseman haha.

I'd rather just keep him, the only way he could be worse than Girardi is if he starts shoveling pucks into his own net.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Mcilrath being better than Fowler is equally as absurd as Fowler being a first pairing defenseman haha.

I'd rather just keep him, the only way he could be worse than Girardi is if he starts shoveling pucks into his own net.

Cept for 3 seasons he was playing first pairing, granted Anaheim rolls all 3 d pairings.

Not absurd, just the facts

 

[Vipers31]

Cept for 3 seasons he was playing first pairing, granted Anaheim rolls all 3 d pairings.

Not absurd, just the facts

I know, but let's not do this - we know how this goes.

"He's been top pairing IRL..."
"So has Girardi, LOL"
"Who was carried by McDonagh, whereas Fowler did the carrying to his collection of Girardis"
"But those have better stats when they go away"
"As it should be, because the tough assignments stayed with Fowler"
"[Something about quality of competition or something]"
etc pp

I think a few warranted drive-bys with Fowler's name suffice, no need to take the focus away from McIlrath's unforeseen demise.

 

[Shootertooter]

Considering the state of the Ranger D, after McD, Klein and maybe Staal, there really isn't much left. Skjei has not made the development stride we thought he would from last season to this one.

I thought Dylan would be a bottom pair guy easily. I have to think he is in the same realm as Clendening and Holden. He is the only guy on the team that will challenge other teams tough guys. They certainly don't need to make any move with him, unless he is part of a package for a RHD, however, I just think AV nullified any value he may have had.

As for his value.....at this point a 3rd or 4th rder He is a serviceable defensman.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

A 5th from EDM? Its usually just like a 4th. Trust us

 

[dashripdot]

Considering the state of the Ranger D, after McD, Klein and maybe Staal, there really isn't much left. Skjei has not made the development stride we thought he would from last season to this one.

I thought Dylan would be a bottom pair guy easily. I have to think he is in the same realm as Clendening and Holden. He is the only guy on the team that will challenge other teams tough guys. They certainly don't need to make any move with him, unless he is part of a package for a RHD, however, I just think AV nullified any value he may have had.

As for his value.....at this point a 3rd or 4th rder He is a serviceable defensman.

He had a bad pre-season. If he had a great pre-season, no one would pencil him in as the odds-on favorite for Norris winner. Skjei will be good this season for the Rangers.

 

[haveandare]

Youre right, other people are calling this guy a fringe 6/7 dman and I quote what I observe of his play and you tell me Im the one who is wrong mis-judging his play and you call him a capable 2nd pair dman.

Right...

Darryl Sutter was playing Rob Scuderi with Drew Doughty last season. Does that make Rob Scuderi a first pair dman now?

Your observations are objectively incorrec about the leash he had, which that poster accurately pointed out. Asserting the opposite of what happened in a big picture point calls the rest of the points into question