Danny Girardi vs Marc Staal

[Filthy Dangles]

Who's the better defenseman at this point? Don't make it an overreaction to the first 10 games of this season, where both guys have been pretty bad, but especially Girardi relative to his play in recent past.

Assume they get back to form we have seen over the last 2-3 seasons.

Girardi's durability and playoffs give him the edge for me. He's also more fundamentally sound IMO while Staal might be the higher risk/reward player at times.

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[JohnC]

Gun to my head who looks better out there? I hesitantly say Staal.

Who do I trade given the opportunity? Again, Staal. Younger and plays a position of 'strength', if you will, at LD. The thought of trading Girardi and rolling with

McD-Klein
Yandle-Boyle/McIlrath
Skjei-McIlrath/Boyle
Diaz

leaves me slightly uneasy

 

[BroadwayBlues]

I think Staal is better than Girardi. He will also get you back more in a trade.

Girardi is older with more mileage, though he is not injury prone.

 

[Fitzy]

The answer to RD is simple with a Girardi trade: Move McDonagh to the right side.

 

[DanielBrassard]

Staal.

 

[NYRFAN218]

Gun to my head who looks better out there? I hesitantly say Staal.

Who do I trade given the opportunity? Again, Staal. Younger and plays a position of 'strength', if you will, at LD. The thought of trading Girardi and rolling with

McD-Klein
Yandle-Boyle/McIlrath
Skjei-McIlrath/Boyle
Diaz

leaves me slightly uneasy

This is my answer as well though I think Staal's better than Girardi without question. Answer may change if it turns out one of our LD could adequately play the right side on an NHL rink. Right now there's no proof of that though I'd like to try McDonagh there as an experiment based on his Olympic performance.

 

[Raspewtin]

Staal but both make me cringe a fair amount.

 

[nyrleetch]

If they're both on their game, Staal.

 

[Hockey Gamer]

id say staal.

biggest difference for me is in their post season play. yea sure, they both have their games in the playoffs where they play poorly, however, Staal will also have games where he's lights out and uses smothering coverage as well as his great stick to ward off elite forwards. Girardi doesn't seem to have those redeeming games nearly as much anymore compared to Staal.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Im voting Girardi just because he gets so much hate around here.

I think they are pretty even but Staal has inched ahead of him due to age.

 

[cwede]

love Staal.
he never gives, handles pressure well, makes great decisions in the D zone often
shoulda gotten the C, so McD could just be a great and improving young defenseman, without the extra distraction
but his extension wasn't signed at the time

i do also appreciate Girardi.
I have the tire track scars down my back from being steam-rolled by the adamant anti-G crowd here...
but if Torts wants him for Savard and a prospect, gotta listen

 

[ZiGOODejad]

I as well think the captaincy for Mac was q little premature he should of been able to blossom to the defensemen he could have been. Giving his injury as an excuse he isn't the player he could of been if he didn't have that weight. I firmly believe staal is a better Dman then Girdari

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Its close who's the better player. Both are very underrated by HF. Staal's more streaky and dominant at times. Girardi's more consistent.

If we can only keep one, I don't think its a hard question. I think you keep Girardi. It's easier to find LHD, we have a lot more high quality LHD's, there are durability concerns with Staal, he makes more money, etc.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Over the last 2 years? Staal.

Girardi has taken a very sharp decline, while Staal has only regressed a bit.

Positionally its very easily Staal....Girardi gets out of position much more often, and more frequently in the last year.

 

[ZiGOODejad]

Over the last 2 years? Staal.

Girardi has taken a very sharp decline, while Staal has only regressed a bit.

Positionally its very easily Staal....Girardi gets out of position much more often, and more frequently in the last year.

Do you think these injuries have an significant effect to this still. Or is this just decline with age. I mean the other Staal brothers declines rapidly I hope we aren't in for that same situation with Marc. I think if they feel towards the end of the season that they have declined they might try to ship a guy or two out at the deadline to better position our Dcore for years to come

 

[Megustaelhockey]

We will be watching this thread carefully. If the discussion can more effectively take place elsewhere, we will close it down.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Do you think these injuries have an significant effect to this still. Or is this just decline with age. I mean the other Staal brothers declines rapidly I hope we aren't in for that same situation with Marc. I think if they feel towards the end of the season that they have declined they might try to ship a guy or two out at the deadline to better position our Dcore for years to come

Injuries I think have definitely taken a bit of a toll on him, but I don't think that should be used an an excuse either. I don't think Marc will decline as fast as Eric has. Jordan was just always grossly overrated.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Injuries I think have definitely taken a bit of a toll on him, but I don't think that should be used an an excuse either. I don't think Marc will decline as fast as Eric has. Jordan was just always grossly overrated.

He already has. He was once a #1D in this league and went to a #3/4 in the matter of a couple years.

2014 Anton Stralman cradled Marc Staal just like 2014 McDonagh towed Girardi around all year.

Staal's offense, hitting, and ability to use his stick to deny the zone are all gone. His peripheral vision and senses have been damaged forever too.

In a vacuum, Staal probably is more valuable than Girardi by virtue of age. On the Rangers, whose RHD depth is already pretty sketchy, I'll take Girardi.

Girardi has also been the better playoff performer IMO, he's also more durable. His play won't noticeably decline even due to injury due to how he plays the game.

 

[Antoine Vermette]

Staal by a pretty wide margin IMO.

 

[FLYLine27*]

He already has. He was once a #1D in this league and went to a #3/4 in the matter of a couple years.

2014 Anton Stralman cradled Marc Staal just like 2014 McDonagh towed Girardi around all year.

Staal's offense, hitting, and ability to use his stick to deny the zone are all gone. His peripheral vision and senses have been damaged forever too.

In a vacuum, Staal probably is more valuable than Girardi by virtue of age. On the Rangers, whose RHD depth is already pretty sketchy, I'll take Girardi.

Girardi has also been the better playoff performer IMO, he's also more durable. His play won't noticeably decline even due to injury due to how he plays the game.

Eh, I never saw him as a #1.

In his "Prime" I saw him as a good 2/3 dman. Now he is a good 3/4 dman.

And I absolutely disagree with the second bolded part, well not really the injury part but age, once Girardi gets slower due to age, he going to be terrible. He is already getting a little slower which is why is postioning has been getting worse.

 

[ZiGOODejad]

I think that this debate ends with if Yandle can be resigned or not. Because if we think we can resign him then Staal has to be shipped for the cap space. But I would really like for McDonagh to get a RHD that can help him with mobility of the top pairing. I'd like to see a dman that can be as mobile and catch a guy when he gets stuck in the offensive zone. But most the time you see Mac catch the guy easy. Simply put try and make macs minutes a little easier to avoid wear and tear before the post season

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Eh, I never saw him as a #1.

In his "Prime" I saw him as a good 2/3 dman. Now he is a good 3/4 dman.

And I absolutely disagree with the second bolded part, well not really the injury part but age, once Girardi gets slower due to age, he going to be terrible. He is already getting a little slower which is why is postioning has been getting worse.

I question Staal and his positioning and some of the decisions he makes over Girardi. Girardi's mobility, well lackthereof, force him to be more sound positionally.

[NHL]2014030132-586-h[/NHL]
First, Staal vacates the net and goes near the top of the circle, leaving Nash to battle in front temporarily...no big deal, he recovers

But then, he chases Sutter behind the net big nono and loses body position and gets boxed out from Kunitz allowing him to score. Someone should have picked up Kunitz, but Staal cannot allow easy access like that to the front of the net...bad decision

[NHL]2014030131-326-h[/NHL]

Again, going to the top of the circle above Zuuc and Brass. WTF? He expects Brassard to establish position and win a phyiscal battle with Staal's big physical winger Comeau...

Some of his decisions are puzzling. Those are some off the top of my head. Trying to review all goals against these guys in these past PO.


EDIT: whoops posted same goal twice..fixed.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Singling out single plays doesn't mean anything.

Just by watching the games its very evident that Girardi makes more bonehead mistakes than Staal, again especially over the last year or so.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Singling out single plays doesn't mean anything.

Just by watching the games its very evident that Girardi makes more bonehead mistakes than Staal, again especially over the last year or so.

Goals against especially in the SC playoffs aren't trivial like you're making them out to be. They are potentially the difference in moving on or going golfing. Singling out such plays are what NHL clubs and video teams do to try and win games.

Again, those were just off the top of my head.

Girardi wouldn't make those plays Staal made above but he'll do other things based on his individual weaknesses.

Everyone loves their justin williams video to **** on G, here's an unforced turnover by Staal that also directly cost the Rangers a playoff game, albeit not a SCF game.



I mean, Girardi was falling and trying to just fight another day...Staal had all the time in the world and just had a terrible brain fart.

Again, I think Staal makes dumber decisions than Girardi, but he can also make the better play at times than Girardi who usually just plays it safe all the time.

And again comes back to Girardi being more trustworthy is a sense. When either of these guys can play with partners who really dictate the play, like Stralman and McDonagh, Girardi is safer option. But if you need one of them to actually dictate the terms on their pairing, Staal would probably be better in that regard.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Goals against especially in the SC playoffs aren't trivial like you're making them out to be. They are potentially the difference in moving on or going golfing. Singling out such plays are what NHL clubs and video teams do to try and win games.

Again, those were just off the top of my head.

Girardi wouldn't make those plays Staal made above but he'll do other things based on his individual weaknesses.

Everyone loves their justin williams video to **** on G, here's an unforced turnover by Staal that also directly cost the Rangers a playoff game, albeit not a SCF game.



I mean, Girardi was falling and trying to just fight another day...Staal had all the time in the world and just had a terrible brain fart.

Again, I think Staal makes dumber decisions than Girardi, but he can also make the better play at times than Girardi who usually just plays it safe all the time.

And again comes back to Girardi being more trustworthy is a sense. When either of these guys can play with partners who really dictate the play, like Stralman and McDonagh, Girardi is safer option. But if you need one of them to actually dictate the terms on their pairing, Staal would probably be better in that regard.

Like Girardi in the Finals?