Rumor: Sharks scouting Rangers; Rangers interested in Boyle?

[Pinkfloyd]

Oh, not this stuff again! Boyle is having a slightly sub-par year, especially in relation to the rest of the Sharks' defense, but his skill-set is still so unique that it makes him irreplaceable on this roster. He is vital to the puck possession system that the Sharks play, and those of you that remember what the Sharks' powerplay was before Boyle arrived would shudder at the thought of the return to the days of the Give-it-to-Jumbo-and-watch-him-get-triple teamed-powerplay. Since 2008, Boyle has been the best powerplay QB in the entire NHL, being on the ice for more 5v4 shots and goals than any other player in the league. Not to mention, he is the only Sharks' defenseman capable of jumping deep into the offensive zone with the skills to control the puck and sustain possession. Lastly, this is the Western Conference. You have four dominant puck possession teams. The Sharks are one of them. There is no way that the Sharks are going to be able to upgrade on Boyle's puck-moving skillset by trading him. They are not getting an elite puck-moving defenseman in a deal for Boyle. You cannot tell me with a straight face that you seriously believe that the Sharks stand a chance in hell at beating Chicago or LA in the playoffs with Jason Demers as their best puck-mover on the back end.

They don't stand a chance against Chicago or LA with Boyle playing the way he is now regardless of whether or not Demers has actually surpassed him in this regard.

 

[Led Zappa]

Oh, not this stuff again! Boyle is having a slightly sub-par year, especially in relation to the rest of the Sharks' defense, but his skill-set is still so unique that it makes him irreplaceable on this roster. He is vital to the puck possession system that the Sharks play, and those of you that remember what the Sharks' powerplay was before Boyle arrived would shudder at the thought of the return to the days of the Give-it-to-Jumbo-and-watch-him-get-triple teamed-powerplay. Since 2008, Boyle has been the best powerplay QB in the entire NHL, being on the ice for more 5v4 shots and goals than any other player in the league. Not to mention, he is the only Sharks' defenseman capable of jumping deep into the offensive zone with the skills to control the puck and sustain possession. Lastly, this is the Western Conference. You have four dominant puck possession teams. The Sharks are one of them. There is no way that the Sharks are going to be able to upgrade on Boyle's puck-moving skillset by trading him. They are not getting an elite puck-moving defenseman in a deal for Boyle. You cannot tell me with a straight face that you seriously believe that the Sharks stand a chance in hell at beating Chicago or LA in the playoffs with Jason Demers as their best puck-mover on the back end.

But, but, but... Demers is as good or a better option than Boyle now

 

[Led Zappa]

They don't stand a chance against Chicago or LA with Boyle playing the way he is now regardless of whether or not Demers has actually surpassed him in this regard.

Yes, they do.

 

[hohosaregood]

Oh, not this stuff again! Boyle is having a slightly sub-par year, especially in relation to the rest of the Sharks' defense, but his skill-set is still so unique that it makes him irreplaceable on this roster. He is vital to the puck possession system that the Sharks play, and those of you that remember what the Sharks' powerplay was before Boyle arrived would shudder at the thought of the return to the days of the Give-it-to-Jumbo-and-watch-him-get-triple teamed-powerplay. Since 2008, Boyle has been the best powerplay QB in the entire NHL, being on the ice for more 5v4 shots and goals than any other player in the league. Not to mention, he is the only Sharks' defenseman capable of jumping deep into the offensive zone with the skills to control the puck and sustain possession. Lastly, this is the Western Conference. You have four dominant puck possession teams. The Sharks are one of them. There is no way that the Sharks are going to be able to upgrade on Boyle's puck-moving skillset by trading him. They are not getting an elite puck-moving defenseman in a deal for Boyle. You cannot tell me with a straight face that you seriously believe that the Sharks stand a chance in hell at beating Chicago or LA in the playoffs with Jason Demers as their best puck-mover on the back end.

The hivemind has spoken. Your opinion is invalid!

On another note, Boyle's having a downer of a year. Demers has been doing just as well, if not better than Boyle on the PP lately. If Boyle turns it around then that's great but right now, probably because of his concussion but maybe because he's hit a sharp age related decline. He's playing like a third pairing PP specialist right now and that's just not a good thing.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Yes, they do.

Boyle is a prominent part of their offense and he hasn't scored an even strength point in 17 games. If he's playing like this when this team goes against good teams in the playoffs, they're not going to come out on top. If Boyle was playing like he normally does, I would believe that they have a chance. Problem is, at this point, he is a detriment to puck possession play at even strength right now.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Oh, not this stuff again! Boyle is having a slightly sub-par year, especially in relation to the rest of the Sharks' defense, but his skill-set is still so unique that it makes him irreplaceable on this roster. He is vital to the puck possession system that the Sharks play, and those of you that remember what the Sharks' powerplay was before Boyle arrived would shudder at the thought of the return to the days of the Give-it-to-Jumbo-and-watch-him-get-triple teamed-powerplay. Since 2008, Boyle has been the best powerplay QB in the entire NHL, being on the ice for more 5v4 shots and goals than any other player in the league. Not to mention, he is the only Sharks' defenseman capable of jumping deep into the offensive zone with the skills to control the puck and sustain possession. Lastly, this is the Western Conference. You have four dominant puck possession teams. The Sharks are one of them. There is no way that the Sharks are going to be able to upgrade on Boyle's puck-moving skillset by trading him. They are not getting an elite puck-moving defenseman in a deal for Boyle. You cannot tell me with a straight face that you seriously believe that the Sharks stand a chance in hell at beating Chicago or LA in the playoffs with Jason Demers as their best puck-mover on the back end.

1. Boyle has been brutal puck possession-wise over the past dozen games or so.

2. Boyle has looked putrid on the PP.

3. Have you not seen Braun or Demers jumping deep into the o-zone and maintain possession? Because both have done it as much or more this season.

The only thing I agree with is the bold.

And yeah, unless we make a trade or Boyle rebounds in a huge way (and I'm not discounting the possibility that he could, although I doubt it), we're going to go into the playoffs with Jason Demers as our best PMD.

Boyle has looked bad for a while, and the numbers are finally starting to catch up. I get that we all love Boyle, I do too. But we can't pretend that he's anything close to what he was two years ago.

 

[sr228]

Yes, they do.

Yep. Boyle isn't even a top 3 concern on this team right now in my opinion.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

1. Boyle has been brutal puck possession-wise over the past dozen games or so.

2. Boyle has looked putrid on the PP.

3. Have you not seen Braun or Demers jumping deep into the o-zone and maintain possession? Because both have done it as much or more this season.

The only thing I agree with is the bold.

And yeah, unless we make a trade or Boyle rebounds in a huge way (and I'm not discounting the possibility that he could, although I doubt it), we're going to go into the playoffs with Jason Demers as our best PMD.

Boyle has looked bad for a while, and the numbers are finally starting to catch up. I get that we all love Boyle, I do too. But we can't pretend that he's anything close to what he was two years ago.

And Boyle has also been terrible in what is the most important part for his position. Defense. Sentimentality aside, Boyle is definitely very replaceable right now.

 

[Blades of Glory]

They don't stand a chance against Chicago or LA with Boyle playing the way he is now regardless of whether or not Demers has actually surpassed him in this regard.

Oh, I agree with you. The Sharks have absolutely no chance to make a deep playoff run with Boyle playing like he has for the last month or so. He is fighting the puck to an extent that is baffling for a defenseman who could always handle the puck like a top skill forward, which is an exceedingly rare capability. I think people are reading too much into his current struggles, however. He was playing at his typical elite level prior to the injury, and while he seemed to be doing fine after he returned, it's pretty clear that he was a dealing with a far more serious situation than even he realized. There was an article a few weeks ago in which he admitted that he came back far too early and detailed some of the side effects that hit him after the effects of the concussion itself had seemingly worn off (which prompted him to come back when he really wasn't ready). He couldn't eat or sleep (this is after he returned to the lineup), and sometimes got 1 hour of sleep the night before playing. All this stuff takes time to alleviate itself. We aren't talking about someone who is hanging on for dear life at the end of his career. Dan Boyle was one of the very few elite players at his position and showed no signs of losing that ability. He would very likely have made Team Canada if it were not for that hit, given his performance up to that point this season and in years' past. His track record speaks for itself. I refuse to believe that he suddenly lost his ability based on his poor play for what amounts to 1 month, give or take.

When someone as skilled as Boyle is so obviously having trouble with the very tasks he can do better than all but a small handful of defensemen in the NHL, it's pretty clear that he is still recovering. This side of Erik Karlsson, there probably isn't a better pure puck-handling defenseman in the league than Dan Boyle. That was a traumatic brain injury, and both the brain and naturally the body take time to get themselves back to full speed. His cognitive functions are still coming back to normal levels. That is probably why he has seemed so slow (not literally, but mentally) in the past month.

It doesn't help that Matt Irwin has gone into the dumpster at the same time. That pairing needs to be broken up. Until Boyle is back to his usual dynamic self, there is no way anything good can come from pairing him with Irwin. Right now, the Sharks have 3 regular defensemen that handle the puck like a hand grenade. Amazingly, Marc-Eduard Vlasic isn't one of them. Boyle will be fine. The Sharks will go nowhere in the playoffs with the last month's version of Dan Boyle. Luckily, the playoffs don't start in December. He will have time. However, they're not going anywhere without Dan Boyle, either.

 

[sr228]

Oh, I agree with you. The Sharks have absolutely no chance to make a deep playoff run with Boyle playing like he has for the last month or so. He is fighting the puck to an extent that is baffling for a defenseman who could always handle the puck like a top skill forward, which is an exceedingly rare capability. I think people are reading too much into his current struggles, however. He was playing at his typical elite level prior to the injury, and while he seemed to be doing fine after he returned, it's pretty clear that he was a dealing with a far more serious situation than even he realized. There was an article a few weeks ago in which he admitted that he came back far too early and detailed some of the side effects that hit him after the effects of the concussion itself had seemingly worn off (which prompted him to come back when he really wasn't ready). He couldn't eat or sleep (this is after he returned to the lineup), and sometimes got 1 hour of sleep the night before playing. All this stuff takes time to alleviate itself. We aren't talking about someone who is hanging on for dear life at the end of his career. Dan Boyle was one of the very few elite players at his position and showed no signs of losing that ability. He would very likely have made Team Canada if it were not for that hit, given his performance up to that point this season and in years' past. His track record speaks for itself. I refuse to believe that he suddenly lost his ability based on his poor play for what amounts to 1 month, give or take.

When someone as skilled as Boyle is so obviously having trouble with the very tasks he can do better than all but a small handful of defensemen in the NHL, it's pretty clear that he is still recovering. This side of Erik Karlsson, there probably isn't a better pure puck-handling defenseman in the league than Dan Boyle. That was a traumatic brain injury, and both the brain and naturally the body take time to get themselves back to full speed. His cognitive functions are still coming back to normal levels. That is probably why he has seemed so slow (not literally, but mentally) in the past month.

It doesn't help that Matt Irwin has gone into the dumpster at the same time. That pairing needs to be broken up. Until Boyle is back to his usual dynamic self, there is no way anything good can come from pairing him with Irwin. Right now, the Sharks have 3 regular defensemen that handle the puck like a hand grenade. Amazingly, Marc-Eduard Vlasic isn't one of them. Boyle will be fine. The Sharks will go nowhere in the playoffs with the last month's version of Dan Boyle. Luckily, the playoffs don't start in December. He will have time. However, they're not going anywhere without Dan Boyle, either.

This is very well put. I said something similar about two weeks ago but you went into much more detail and minus your first two sentences, I pretty much feel the same way.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

With regards to Boyle, there's no guarantee that he does recover from that and that's a real issue that they're facing with him right now. It's going to make his contract negotiations extremely difficult.

 

[LadyStanley]

KatieStrangESPN 3:26pm via Web
#NYR Scouts from Detroit, Montreal, San Jose and Tampa Bay expected to be here tonight at MSG for Rangers-Isles game


Callahan is apparently being allowed via Rangers permission to be contacted (for potential extension) by at least one team.


Edit:

Real_ESPNLeBrun 3:07pm via Twitter for BlackBerry
Hearing that Columbus also among the teams that has shown some interest in Callahan...



DarrenDreger 2:59pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Developing story, NYR grant permission to at least 1 team who has already talked with Callahan's agent. More on Sportscentre. #TSN

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Assuming the Sharks get somewhat healthy, is Callahan a need now? Going forward?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Assuming the Sharks get somewhat healthy, is Callahan a need now? Going forward?

Not for what he'd command in the free agent market. He's too much of a risk like Clowe was for what he'll get.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Oh, I agree with you. The Sharks have absolutely no chance to make a deep playoff run with Boyle playing like he has for the last month or so. He is fighting the puck to an extent that is baffling for a defenseman who could always handle the puck like a top skill forward, which is an exceedingly rare capability. I think people are reading too much into his current struggles, however. He was playing at his typical elite level prior to the injury, and while he seemed to be doing fine after he returned, it's pretty clear that he was a dealing with a far more serious situation than even he realized. There was an article a few weeks ago in which he admitted that he came back far too early and detailed some of the side effects that hit him after the effects of the concussion itself had seemingly worn off (which prompted him to come back when he really wasn't ready). He couldn't eat or sleep (this is after he returned to the lineup), and sometimes got 1 hour of sleep the night before playing. All this stuff takes time to alleviate itself. We aren't talking about someone who is hanging on for dear life at the end of his career. Dan Boyle was one of the very few elite players at his position and showed no signs of losing that ability. He would very likely have made Team Canada if it were not for that hit, given his performance up to that point this season and in years' past. His track record speaks for itself. I refuse to believe that he suddenly lost his ability based on his poor play for what amounts to 1 month, give or take.

When someone as skilled as Boyle is so obviously having trouble with the very tasks he can do better than all but a small handful of defensemen in the NHL, it's pretty clear that he is still recovering. This side of Erik Karlsson, there probably isn't a better pure puck-handling defenseman in the league than Dan Boyle. That was a traumatic brain injury, and both the brain and naturally the body take time to get themselves back to full speed. His cognitive functions are still coming back to normal levels. That is probably why he has seemed so slow (not literally, but mentally) in the past month.

It doesn't help that Matt Irwin has gone into the dumpster at the same time. That pairing needs to be broken up. Until Boyle is back to his usual dynamic self, there is no way anything good can come from pairing him with Irwin. Right now, the Sharks have 3 regular defensemen that handle the puck like a hand grenade. Amazingly, Marc-Eduard Vlasic isn't one of them. Boyle will be fine. The Sharks will go nowhere in the playoffs with the last month's version of Dan Boyle. Luckily, the playoffs don't start in December. He will have time. However, they're not going anywhere without Dan Boyle, either.

Very well-said.

 

[Chaotic8]

Rangers have a few Winger prospects worth looking into.....Anthony Duclair.

 

[ecemleafs]

Rangers have a few Winger prospects worth looking into.....Anthony Duclair.

i doubt we'd be interested in moving him. weve already signed him less than 6 months after being a 3rd round draft pick. player of the month in the Q and 2nd best player of the month in december.