Rumor: Rangers "Are In Big-Time" to Acquire Jonathan Drouin

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
28,820
10,397
Charlotte, NC
What could Megna have possibly done at the AHL level that showed the coaching staff he should be put on a line with Rick Nash?

Nothing.

Megna lucked into it, played one good game, and faltered back to his career AHL self. And now he's back in Hartford, where he should've been the whole time.

Meanwhile, the Rangers wasted an asset on the fourth-line next to Jarrett Stoll and Tanner Glass all season. And you expect that kid to prove, coming into a new system, that he deserves shots up the lineup? I don't.

EDIT -

This is getting OT, and I'm not trying to rehash the Etem argument. But I'd say that you could certainly argue AV's consistency in dealing with younger players is suspect. We heard it from Vancouver fans the day we hired him. We've seen it from him here now with Etem and McIlrath.

That right there is a huge problem. I think he's been very consistent in how he's handled young players.

In Etem's case, he admittedly had work ethic issues. Some of that is part of the growing pains of young players, but there's no reason this team with the expectations they have of themselves should be tolerant of it.

Megna did luck into a certain situation. Why didn't they put Etem there? Well, more than likely, he earned his way OUT of that opportunity. Youth earning their ice time works both ways. Work as hard as you can and do the right things, you get more chances. Don't work as hard as you can and don't do the right things, and you miss out in opportunities when they arise.

We are in OT territory, but this does all apply to Drouin in a sort of oblique manner.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
under the bridge
That right there is a huge problem. I think he's been very consistent in how he's handled young players.

In Etem's case, he admittedly had work ethic issues. Some of that is part of the growing pains of young players, but there's no reason this team with the expectations they have of themselves should be tolerant of it.

Megna did luck into a certain situation. Why didn't they put Etem there? Well, more than likely, he earned his way OUT of that opportunity. Youth earning their ice time works both ways. Work as hard as you can and do the right things, you get more chances. Don't work as hard as you can and don't do the right things, and you miss out in opportunities when they arise.

We are in OT territory, but this does all apply to Drouin in a sort of oblique manner.

And McIlrath?

My issue with Etem "earning" it is as follows.

1. When he got into the lineup, he played with Glass, Moore, and Stoll more than anyone.
2. He was learning a new system.
3. Considering the cap hell the Rangers put themselves in, when Etem wasn't playing in a game (ie. not taking line rushes), he was practicing as an 8th d-man!

I don't know how you expect a kid to develop that way.

So, for me, Etem is a "victim" of the CBA. He needed waivers. He'd never clear waivers. The Rangers would never lose him for nothing.

However, that same CBA is now benefitting Etem in Vancouver. Because they can't send him down to the AHL either. He's getting much more consistent playing time, which is huge for a young player - no fear in coming out of the lineup. I mean, look no further than how McIlrath played when Klein got hurt and he knew he'd be in the lineup every night. He was great.

So yes, OT. And I don't know why I feel so strongly about defending Etem here. I think it ties to my original thesis about the Rangers and their currently poor asset management. I think Etem was poorly managed.
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
28,820
10,397
Charlotte, NC
McIlrath is also a discussion for another thread, but at this point I still think he hasn't done enough to warrant a spot over Girardi (as diminished as his game is), Klein or Boyle. It isn't that he's been bad. He just hasn't been better. Combined with AV showing some patience in allowing veterans to work kinks out of their game (again, they earned that leeway).

Fast and Miller both faced the same challenges as Etem.
 

Jaromir Jagr

Registered User
Apr 4, 2015
5,226
4,453
Long Island, NY
McIlrath is also a discussion for another thread, but at this point I still think he hasn't done enough to warrant a spot over Girardi (as diminished as his game is), Klein or Boyle. It isn't that he's been bad. He just hasn't been better. Combined with AV showing some patience in allowing veterans to work kinks out of their game (again, they earned that leeway).

Fast and Miller both faced the same challenges as Etem.

McIlrath has been better than Girardi in nearly every facet of the game. I don't really know how anyone can debate that.

Girardi did earn that leeway, but I'd say 2 years is enough of a leash. It's time to shorten it.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
under the bridge
McIlrath is also a discussion for another thread, but at this point I still think he hasn't done enough to warrant a spot over Girardi (as diminished as his game is), Klein or Boyle. It isn't that he's been bad. He just hasn't been better. Combined with AV showing some patience in allowing veterans to work kinks out of their game (again, they earned that leeway).

Fast and Miller both faced the same challenges as Etem.

Fast yes, and he still shouldn't be anywhere in the top-6 of this lineup.

Miller facing that uphill battle is a complete lie that I debunked. He also had three years to do it here. Not 19 games. As is fine, with a homegrown product who was also younger than Etem when going through those battles. But they were not similar.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=111988491&postcount=471

Summary of the link above:

The most 'adversity' Miller had to go through was playing 14 games last season on a line with Dominic Moore and Lee Stempniak [who btw, has as many points as Rick Nash this season]. Dom Moore and Stempniak are not Glass and Stoll.
 
Last edited:

Miamipuck

Al Swearengen
Dec 29, 2009
7,411
2,693
Take a Wild Guess
McIlrath has been better than Girardi in nearly every facet of the game. I don't really know how anyone can debate that.

Girardi did earn that leeway, but I'd say 2 years is enough of a leash. It's time to shorten it.

Yeah saying McIrath didn't earn a regular spot is pure and utter horse****.
 

Mac n Gs

Gorton plz
Jan 17, 2014
22,580
12,822
I think what Tawnos is trying to get at is that albeit Dylan played very, very well in his 13 game stint, it wasn't enough justification for AV to bench his top-pairing defenseman, a guy that he's been coaching for three years now and has played just about 700 NHL games. Tawnos said himself that he sees Girardi's game as diminished, but as an NHL veteran, and one that has been with the Rangers organization his entire career, Girardi has earned himself the right (at least in our coaching staff's eyes) to work out his game and try to get back on track.

Trust me, I want McIlrath playing as much as the next guy, but I do understand and respect the rationale behind Tawnos's statement, whether we want to agree with it or not.

The Etem thing is another story. Megna played 56:39 with us this year, and he spent 46:37 with Stepan and 29:52 with Nash. Etem got 289:45 with us, and he played 11:36 with Stepan and 5:40 with Nash. I know he wasn't lighting the world on fire here, but c'mon, there's absolutely no way Megna deserved to just be handed that top-6 RW spot before Etem at least got a decent look there. Anaheim fans always said that he played better on the RW than the LW.

Edit: Forgot to add regarding McIlrath, there's absolutely no way he shouldn't be rotating with Boyle or G, simply for rest reasons for both of them.
 

alkurtz

Registered User
Nov 26, 2006
1,436
993
Charlotte, NC
The thing about Megna, and players like him, is that he always a good short term option for an injury plagued team.

While he doesn't have NHL scoring ability, he is fast, experienced, defensively responsible, and smart. He will not hurt a team by making the mistakes that a younger player, particularly one whose hockey IQ has been questioned, will make.

You can't count on Megna to fill a long term opening on a line where scoring is essential, but as a short term fix, he is a good choice.

I really have a soft spot for players like him who just are missing the extra bit that could make them NHL regulars even on the 4th line. The bounce back and forth, get a taste of NHL life, but just can never stick and end up back in the AHL or in AAA in baseball. They are not in the AHL because of a lack of effort or questions about their work ethic, they are there because, talent wise, they are a bit short.

But you can always count on them to give their all and play responsible and within their limits in the short term.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
under the bridge
The thing about Megna, and players like him, is that he always a good short term option for an injury plagued team.

While he doesn't have NHL scoring ability, he is fast, experienced, defensively responsible, and smart. He will not hurt a team by making the mistakes that a younger player, particularly one whose hockey IQ has been questioned, will make.

You can't count on Megna to fill a long term opening on a line where scoring is essential, but as a short term fix, he is a good choice.

I really have a soft spot for players like him who just are missing the extra bit that could make them NHL regulars even on the 4th line. The bounce back and forth, get a taste of NHL life, but just can never stick and end up back in the AHL or in AAA in baseball. They are not in the AHL because of a lack of effort or questions about their work ethic, they are there because, talent wise, they are a bit short.

But you can always count on them to give their all and play responsible and within their limits in the short term.

Jed Ortmeyer fits this bill to a T

Miss him.
 

Jaromir Jagr

Registered User
Apr 4, 2015
5,226
4,453
Long Island, NY
I think what Tawnos is trying to get at is that albeit Dylan played very, very well in his 13 game stint, it wasn't enough justification for AV to bench his top-pairing defenseman, a guy that he's been coaching for three years now and has played just about 700 NHL games. Tawnos said himself that he sees Girardi's game as diminished, but as an NHL veteran, and one that has been with the Rangers organization his entire career, Girardi has earned himself the right (at least in our coaching staff's eyes) to work out his game and try to get back on track.

Trust me, I want McIlrath playing as much as the next guy, but I do understand and respect the rationale behind Tawnos's statement, whether we want to agree with it or not.

The Etem thing is another story. Megna played 56:39 with us this year, and he spent 46:37 with Stepan and 29:52 with Nash. Etem got 289:45 with us, and he played 11:36 with Stepan and 5:40 with Nash. I know he wasn't lighting the world on fire here, but c'mon, there's absolutely no way Megna deserved to just be handed that top-6 RW spot before Etem at least got a decent look there. Anaheim fans always said that he played better on the RW than the LW.

Edit: Forgot to add regarding McIlrath, there's absolutely no way he shouldn't be rotating with Boyle or G, simply for rest reasons for both of them.


Girardi is only a top pairing D-Man in the eyes of this coaching staff. I don't think anyone in their right mind thinks he's a top pairing D-Man and frankly I'm not convinced he ever was. Currently, he is probably a 3rd pairing D-Man on a good team.

The only reason I think it's better to get rid of Staal is

A) He's probably easier to trade
B) Boyle is probably retiring after this year, so that will be Mcilraths spot. Skjei can hopefully take Staals minutes either this or next year (preferably next with a rental picked up for this years playoff run).
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
28,820
10,397
Charlotte, NC
In the first 11 games of the season, Etem played three times.

Etem - Moore - Fast
Etem - Moore - Stoll (x2)

And in those 3 games he never showed any inkling of why he should get any better linemates.

It is possible to judge the individual's performance and it can still be evaluated independent of his linemates. Etem was a non-factor. Frankly, he was a non-factor in all but one of his shifts he played against us the other night.

So, for Drouin, if he's going to put in the work and find a way to impact the game no matter where he plays or with whom, he would have no problem here. He would have no problem with AV.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
under the bridge
And in those 3 games he never showed any inkling of why he should get any better linemates.

It is possible to judge the individual's performance and it can still be evaluated independent of his linemates. Etem was a non-factor. Frankly, he was a non-factor in all but one of his shifts he played against us the other night.

So, for Drouin, if he's going to put in the work and find a way to impact the game no matter where he plays or with whom, he would have no problem here. He would have no problem with AV.

I look forward to Drouin being traded to the Rangers and AV scratching him, playing him with Glass, or him being in the AHL while everyone wonders why he's not recording a point-per-game at the NHL level.

I also think it's completely unreasonable to say that Etem "didn't put in the work" or "find a way to impact the game". These are the kind of things that would never be said on HFNYR about a player we drafted.

But, this has been hashed out long enough now. And while it is a bit OT, I think it's a window into how AV uses young talent. As do you, clearly, it's just that we differ on whether or not we believe Etem was given a fair shake or not. And that's okay.
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
28,820
10,397
Charlotte, NC
I look forward to Drouin being traded to the Rangers and AV scratching him, playing him with Glass, or him being in the AHL while everyone wonders why he's not recording a point-per-game at the NHL level.

I also think it's completely unreasonable to say that Etem "didn't put in the work" or "find a way to impact the game". These are the kind of things that would never be said on HFNYR about a player we drafted.

Thanks for the accusation, but I used to say that about Jamie Lundmark too.

Etem admitted his work ethic was a problem anyway.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
under the bridge
Thanks for the accusation, but I used to say that about Jamie Lundmark too.

Etem admitted his work ethic was a problem anyway.

I'm not accusing you, I'm accusing HFNYR as a whole ;) I try to avoid picking fights or accusing other posters of anything. It's a message board, I try not to get too heated about things, knowing fully well that I do sometimes, and maintain some level of decent discussion (since this is the only place I can actually talk hockey). So, if you felt like I was accusing you, that's my bad.
 

Amazing Kreiderman

Registered User
Apr 11, 2011
44,816
40,285
I think they need to do a better job of having space for the unseasoned talent.

The idea behind Lombardi, Stoll, Malone, Halpern, has some flaws.

Instead of wasting time seeing if those players have anything left, leave a spot open and just trust that the farm will provide and if it fails, waivers, unsigned players and guys available for only a very late round pick are still out there.

Like we did wit Fast last season and Lindberg this season?
 

GoAwayPanarin

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
May 27, 2008
41,085
50,611
In High Altitoad
Girardi is only a top pairing D-Man in the eyes of this coaching staff. I don't think anyone in their right mind thinks he's a top pairing D-Man and frankly I'm not convinced he ever was. Currently, he is probably a 3rd pairing D-Man on a good team.

The only reason I think it's better to get rid of Staal is

A) He's probably easier to trade
B) Boyle is probably retiring after this year, so that will be Mcilraths spot. Skjei can hopefully take Staals minutes either this or next year (preferably next with a rental picked up for this years playoff run).

Staals been worse than Girardi this year IMO.

G will at least give you a good game every now and then. I can only point to one game all season where Staal was legitimately good.

No one on our D gets caught out of position more than Staal and he has Tanner Glassian puck skills. Painful player to watch at this juncture of his career.
 

KingDeathMetal

Registered User
Jun 7, 2015
1,109
362
Long Island, NY
Girardi's got a good shot, if only he utilized it more. Staal also had offensive potential in terms of finishing ability, but neither guy ever seemed comfortable outside of the stay-at-home role.
 

aufheben

#Norris4Fox
Jan 31, 2013
53,444
27,140
New Jersey
Not really the place for this conversation, but if I'm choosing one to keep, it's Staal. McDonagh-Girardi, and to a greater extent, Staal-Girardi, are bad pairings, and putting him with Yandle just screws Yandle over more than he already has been.

But yeah we should move this to the Girardi thread.
 

Raspewtin

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
May 30, 2013
42,753
17,910
Staals been worse than Girardi this year IMO.

G will at least give you a good game every now and then. I can only point to one game all season where Staal was legitimately good.

No one on our D gets caught out of position more than Staal and he has Tanner Glassian puck skills. Painful player to watch at this juncture of his career.

Girardi has been worse than Staal and its not even in the same stratosphere imo. Girardi keeps getting the benefit of "well he didn't look bad" on a game by game basis when he's been easily one of the worst amen in the LEAGUE this year

At this point, Staal is underrated on this team. His puck skills give me a disease but he's a billion times better than Girardi
 
Jun 25, 2013
8,947
1
www.tannerglassisthebest.com
Girardi has been worse than Staal and its not even in the same stratosphere imo. Girardi keeps getting the benefit of "well he didn't look bad" on a game by game basis when he's been easily one of the worst amen in the LEAGUE this year

At this point, Staal is underrated on this team. His puck skills give me a disease but he's a billion times better than Girardi

I agree. Staal with a good puck mover is still a good Dman. Girardi is godawful no matter who he's with.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->