News Article: 5 Potential X-Factors for 2013-2014

[RangerBoy]

Chris Kreider is the ****. I was watching the Rangers-Caps game 7 on the NHL Network on Sunday. The speed pushing back the Caps. Setting up the goal by Asham. Pierre McGuire lost his mind on that sequence. Torts finally played Kreider in a more prominent role but it was too late. In game 5 against Boston,Kreider was laying out the Bruins. The Rangers need more of that. He can skate. He has size. He can shoot the puck.

Kreider knocked Seidenberg off his skates, causing him to slide into the boards, his back absorbing the impact.

“It’s the playoffs, so you expect to get hit,’’ Seidenberg said. “I didn’t expect to get laid out like I did. But he’s a big guy, a thick kid, and I just lost balance and I paid for it, I guess. But I felt fine. That’s what it’s all about at this time — playing hard and fighting through stuff.’’

The Garden crowd of 17,565 held its collective breath as Seidenberg was slow to get back on his skates.

“Well it was everything, falling on my back, hitting the boards, losing my breath,’’ Seidenberg said about why he was slow to get up. “It sort of takes a couple of seconds to get back, but you shake it off and keep going.’’

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...ver-rangers/003D0F1NwYMbaOD8UoUswO/story.html

 

[RangerBoy]

JT Miller. He can play the left side and center. Miller played the wing until he went to the US program in Ann Arbor. They put him in the middle. He seems more involved in the middle. There were a few games where Boyle(scratch) or Richards were out and Miller played well. There was one game against the Islanders on LI where Torts had Miller with Callahan and Gaborik. They played really well in that game. Torts didn't trust him in the middle because it was a 48 game season. I read something by Bill Walsh in Sports Illustrated on young players. If you see a young player make a great play,its the coaching staff responsibility to get that level of play out of the player on a consistent basis. He scored those two nice goals against the Islanders. The kid has the ability to do that. Miller hurt his wrist. He would have been a factor in the playoffs if he was healthy.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

But, they are passive personalities and Gorton doesn't know how to spot talent

 

[KreidertheGlider]

Chris Kreider is the ****. I was watching the Rangers-Caps game 7 on the NHL Network on Sunday. The speed pushing back the Caps. Setting up the goal by Asham. Pierre McGuire lost his mind on that sequence. Torts finally played Kreider in a more prominent role but it was too late. In game 5 against Boston,Kreider was laying out the Bruins. The Rangers need more of that. He can skate. He has size. He can shoot the puck.



http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...ver-rangers/003D0F1NwYMbaOD8UoUswO/story.html

That was a great shift by Kreider. Dump, hit, cover, hit, carry, pass, hit.

That's what we need more of from Kreider. He was playing active in the playoffs this year something he needs to bring to the regular season.

 

[NYR Viper]

Chris Kreider is the ****. I was watching the Rangers-Caps game 7 on the NHL Network on Sunday. The speed pushing back the Caps. Setting up the goal by Asham. Pierre McGuire lost his mind on that sequence. Torts finally played Kreider in a more prominent role but it was too late. In game 5 against Boston,Kreider was laying out the Bruins. The Rangers need more of that. He can skate. He has size. He can shoot the puck.



http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...ver-rangers/003D0F1NwYMbaOD8UoUswO/story.html

JT Miller. He can play the left side and center. Miller played the wing until he went to the US program in Ann Arbor. They put him in the middle. He seems more involved in the middle. There were a few games where Boyle(scratch) or Richards were out and Miller played well. There was one game against the Islanders on LI where Torts had Miller with Callahan and Gaborik. They played really well in that game. Torts didn't trust him in the middle because it was a 48 game season. I read something by Bill Walsh in Sports Illustrated on young players. If you see a young player make a great play,its the coaching staff responsibility to get that level of play out of the player on a consistent basis. He scored those two nice goals against the Islanders. The kid has the ability to do that. Miller hurt his wrist. He would have been a factor in the playoffs if he was healthy.

Both big bodies who, when playing well, like to throw their weight around. They will help, hopefully in the near future.

I think Miller is more suited to the RW or Center, although I could be mistaken. He is very good at handling the puck which is why I think they like him at center.

 

[Trxjw]

Miller spent a fair amount of time bouncing between RW and C in Plymouth. Played C for the USNT.

Kreider is a good player who needs to find his game. He absolutely has 30 goal potential. Unfortunately there are an awful lot of people who like to get out ahead of things and label kids busts or long shots far in advance just so they can say "I told you so" at the end of it.

Both are going to be important pieces of this team moving forward. I think Miller ultimately sees most of his time on the wing, but if Lindberg can't establish himself as a 3rd line C early on, Miller will get a long look there.

 

[NYR Viper]

Miller spent a fair amount of time bouncing between RW and C in Plymouth. Played C for the USNT.

Kreider is a good player who needs to find his game. He absolutely has 30 goal potential. Unfortunately there are an awful lot of people who like to get out ahead of things and label kids busts or long shots far in advance just so they can say "I told you so" at the end of it.

Both are going to be important pieces of this team moving forward. I think Miller ultimately sees most of his time on the wing, but if Lindberg can't establish himself as a 3rd line C early on, Miller will get a long look there.

I 100% agree. His versatility is a huge plus.

I know the gripe of many has been the lack of players who like to impose their will, but Kreider, Miller and McIlrath are far from lacking in that department. Even Skjei likes to get physical (and he needs to do it more). All big bodies who can skate very well.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

I think its a matter of those players listed in Kreider and Miller and Lindberg finding their game with the big club. Learning their teammates, trusting one another on the ice too. It reduces idiot style moves. For Kreider more though, he has to utilize some skill and IQ instead of just trying to just be more athletic than others.

 

[RangerBoy]

McIlrath lost 3 months last season with the knee cap injury. He lost an entire summer with the knee. Have a good summer. Train hard. Get ready for Traverse City. Get ready for training camp. Put in good performances there. Go down to the AHL and go from there. 30-40 games into the season give him a look with the big team. The Rangers really need to get tougher on D. Ovechkin was right about the Rangers not being a physical D. It took Boychuk and McQuaid time to put it together. The Rangers really need a player like McIlrath.

 

[3rdlineglory]

McIlrath lost 3 months last season with the knee cap injury. He lost an entire summer with the knee. Have a good summer. Train hard. Get ready for Traverse City. Get ready for training camp. Put in good performances there. Go down to the AHL and go from there. 30-40 games into the season give him a look with the big team. The Rangers really need to get tougher on D. Ovechkin was right about the Rangers not being a physical D. It took Boychuk and McQuaid time to put it together. The Rangers really need a player like McIlrath.

He also might reduce Sather's urge to sign over the hill goons every offseason.

 

[RangerBoy]

Craig Custance of ESPN spoke to a scout about Fasth. Excellent skater. "Can skate like the wind". Righthanded shot. Lindberg. At the very least,he could what Kruger is doing in Chicago. Both of them will be in New York/Hartford next season. Is there room for both Fasth and Christian Thomas? Two smallish wingers.

 

[RangerBoy]

Skjei is like Bouwmeester and Hedican. Really good skater. Great skater. Isn't very physical and doesn't have great puck skills. He was an offensive guy in high school because he was so much better than the other players. Skjei patterns his game after Nick Leddy who is another Minnesota guy. Maybe he gets the chance to show more than he did last season. The opportunity will be there for Skjei in the fall. The Gophers lost 3 upperclassmen D. Don Lucia said Skjei and Mike Reilly will be relied on much more this coming season. Skjei's uncle owns a pro skating business in Minnesota.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Craig Custance of ESPN spoke to a scout about Fasth. Excellent skater. "Can skate like the wind". Righthanded shot. Lindberg. At the very least,he could what Kruger is doing in Chicago. Both of them will be in New York/Hartford next season. Is there room for both Fasth and Christian Thomas? Two smallish wingers.

With that, which do you think has a more stable forseeable future with the Rangers? I've watched Thomas since he came into the hands of the Rangers. Can score yeah, but smallish and light. Not sure about Fasth.

I don't personally think there's room for smallish wingers anymore, but one of the two can come in and be pretty effective on the big club.

 

[NYR Viper]

With that, which do you think has a more stable forseeable future with the Rangers? I've watched Thomas since he came into the hands of the Rangers. Can score yeah, but smallish and light. Not sure about Fasth.

I don't personally think there's room for smallish wingers anymore, but one of the two can come in and be pretty effective on the big club.

I think they both have a future in the NHL. Thomas is not afraid to get his nose dirty and his shot is sublime. I have compared him to Cammelerri since he was drafted. Not wavering on that one.

 

[Pizza]

Craig Custance of ESPN spoke to a scout about Fasth. Excellent skater. "Can skate like the wind". Righthanded shot. Lindberg. At the very least,he could what Kruger is doing in Chicago. Both of them will be in New York/Hartford next season. Is there room for both Fasth and Christian Thomas? Two smallish wingers.

I like both these guys as prospects, but they reveal a problem the Rangers have had for as long as I've been a fan:

Too many small players.

When you have a team with a potential line up of Hagelin, Fasth, Thomas, MZA, etc. I'm not sure how well you do against a team like Boston.

The Rangers need to be built for the playoffs in order to succeed in the playoffs. It's that simple. On the flip side finding bigger players that can skate and play is not so easy.

Teams like Boston, L.A. and Chicago have found a way to do it.

 

[NYR Viper]

I like both these guys as prospects, but they reveal a problem the Rangers have had for as long as I've been a fan:

Too many small players.

When you have a team with a potential line up of Hagelin, Fasth, Thomas, MZA, etc. I'm not sure how well you do against a team like Boston.

The Rangers need to be built for the playoffs in order to succeed in the playoffs. It's that simple. On the flip side finding bigger players that can skate and play is not so easy.

Teams like Boston, L.A. and Chicago have found a way to do it.

All of the teams you just mentioned have guys who are on the smaller side. The difference is they have the bigger players to compliment them.

Thomas and Fasth are not weak or soft and they both skate very well and have high hockey IQ's. They will be fine.

 

[Bardof425*]

All of the teams you just mentioned have guys who are on the smaller side. The difference is they have the bigger players to compliment them.

Thomas and Fasth are not weak or soft and they both skate very well and have high hockey IQ's. They will be fine.

Agree and if they can help our PP we will find room.

 

[NYR Viper]

Agree and if they can help our PP we will find room.

Also, one has to assume, the new coach will not employ a simple dump and chase constantly. Anything with a bit more skill involved will help both of them.

 

[Bardof425*]

I like both these guys as prospects, but they reveal a problem the Rangers have had for as long as I've been a fan:

Too many small players.

When you have a team with a potential line up of Hagelin, Fasth, Thomas, MZA, etc. I'm not sure how well you do against a team like Boston.

The Rangers need to be built for the playoffs in order to succeed in the playoffs. It's that simple. On the flip side finding bigger players that can skate and play is not so easy.

Teams like Boston, L.A. and Chicago have found a way to do it.

Boston's forward core is not nearly as big as San Jose, LA, Pittsburgh or a few others. And their D aside from Chara isn't overly big either. But they all play big. There is room for smallish players if they play big. I think (depending on what happens this summer; hopefully nothing big) camp will be wide open for the 13 forward spots. If Thomas, Fast and MZA earns spots over bigger players (Clowe, Pyatt, Boyle) they will get them. I hope Boyle is traded before then. But if he's there with Lindberg coming in he will have to earn a spot this year.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

I just don;t want to be loaded with smallish players, We do need some bigger guys and intimidation. McIlrath seems like he could be a first step to that.

 

[NYR Viper]

I just don;t want to be loaded with smallish players, We do need some bigger guys and intimidation. McIlrath seems like he could be a first step to that.

Kreider is 6'3
Stepan is 6'0
Miller is 6'1
Lindberg is 6'0
Nash is 6'4
Boyle is 6'7


Fast is 5'11
Thomas is 5'9
Hagelin is 5'9-5'10
Callahan is 5'10

I understand the premise of what you are saying, and I would like to add some more size to the bottom-6 but as long as they can skate, I don't care how big they are. None of the guys I listed are 'soft'

The Rangers defense is actually pretty huge.

Staal is 6'4
MDZ is 6'1
McDonagh is 6'1
Girardi is 6'0
McIlrath is 6'5
Stralman is 6'3
Moore is 6'2

That's a good sized defense.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Have no problems with the D. maybe I should be a little more direct. By smallish I meant like... "Meat on the bones". I don't care about height per se but build helps. I like Kreider and Nash builds especially. If we can get some useful bottom 6 I think then it lessens the "size" thing

 

[NYR Viper]

Have no problems with the D. maybe I should be a little more direct. By smallish I meant like... "Meat on the bones". I don't care about height per se but build helps. I like Kreider and Nash builds especially. If we can get some useful bottom 6 I think then it lessens the "size" thing

I think they need to add some size, but as we see with Callahan and Hagelin, if you have the speed, and Thomas and Fast do, then you can be just as effective.

 

[Dalagaze]

The Rangers defense is actually pretty huge.

Staal is 6'4
MDZ is 6'1
McDonagh is 6'1
Girardi is 6'0
McIlrath is 6'5
Stralman is 6'3
Moore is 6'2

That's a good sized defense.

Actually Del Zotto is 6'0", Girardi is 6'1", Stralsy is 6'0" or 6'1", and Moore is 6'3".

 

[kovazub94]

I wish all these players are the real deal to make the team by at least mid-season so when play-offs roll around - they all should have a spot. Also, I'm probably one of a few that think that Richards can restart his career here for one more season before he is bought out and there is a cap space that would work:

Kreider - Stepan - Nash
Fast (MZA) - Brassard - Callagan
Hagelin - Richards - Clowe
Dorsett (Miller) - Lindberg - Boyle

If Richards is out then hopefully Lindberg could take his 3C spot and Miller joins Boyle on the 4th line).

McD - Girardi
Staal - Stralman
MDZ (McI) - Moore