Waived: Dylan McIlrath (UPDATE: Cleared)

[haveandare]

"In a poll of 30 expert hockey minds, there was unanimous agreement that Dylan McIlrath is not currently an NHL player."

It might not be proof, but its far from meaningless

Teams not claiming him doesn't mean they don't think he's an NHL player, it means they didn't think he'd add to their current lineup. As someone said a few posts up, most reasonable opinion in favor of him is that he could be a better depth option on the third pair for example. NHL caliber depth d men aren't exactly hard to come across and every team has a few guys on the bubble there already.

 

[Miamipuck]

Sure but i really hope "30 GMs passing on him" or "AV didn't play him" is not your reasoning for it.

They're right though not a single player in the history of the NHL has passed thru waivers and became a credible NHL player it simply never happens.

Even if a position like that was correct, it's not, it still doesn't explain the real arguments of poor usage, or asset management, or player development and the myriad of other reasons people don't like the move.

But Herr durr we know more than all the NHL Gm's and coaches

 

[haveandare]

No but i truly don't claim or believe to know more than actual coaches who around the game 24/7 and i watch every single game Ranger game including out of market games every night. Just feel like its more than two posters disagreeing (debating is fine and healthy) but rather some posters feeling they know more than the actual coaches and gm's around the league.

Coaches and GMs around the league are out to lunch on specific players fairly often. Stralman comes to mind first but every year a few guys who were left behind end up barely making it into an NHL roster only to be serviceable or more with some time and experience

 

[sbjnyc]

Coaches and GMs around the league are out to lunch on specific players fairly often. Stralman comes to mind first but every year a few guys who were left behind end up barely making it into an NHL roster only to be serviceable or more with some time and experience

It is not the case that every GM passed on Stralman. People seem to keep making the same fallacy that one GM making a bonehead decision is the same as all GMs making the same bonehead decision on the same player. Good players on cheap contracts clearing waivers is incredibly rare. A few examples were brought up in another thread but they were all forwards.

 

[WesMcCauley]

"In a poll of 30 expert hockey minds, there was unanimous agreement that Dylan McIlrath is not currently an NHL player."

It might not be proof, but its far from meaningless

Teams might think he is a NHL player but dont wanna take on another contract, have young players needing icetime right now etc etc. Toronto for example, would strengthen their defense but they probably wanna keep the young players they are playing right now in the lineup and also not only have young players on defense, cant take on another contract etc.

But i get the point, Mcilrath isnt anything special, but he is still better than Holden and Girardi.

 

[chosen]

Is it possible that this is an occurrence where the majority of us just disagree?

Do you agree with everything every GM and coach does?

No, of course you don't.

Your argument is that we may disagree with a coach and GM and be right, but when not a single organization wants him for nothing, it's difficult to say that the Rangers made a mistake in this case.

 

[chosen]

Please list the people doing this. We will wait

The list you are seeking can be found in almost every thread on this site..

 

[sbjnyc]

Your argument is that we may disagree with a coach and GM and be right, but when not a single organization wants him for nothing, it's difficult to say that the Rangers made a mistake in this case.

The transaction itself wasn't a mistake. Everything leading to it was. I get the impression that this argument really isn't even about DM anymore. What exactly is the difference between him being in the AHL vs the Rangers 8D anyway?

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

,

Lost in the sea of idiotic "you think you know better than an NHL coach ", strawman arguments that not a single person is making, is this fantastic post. Thank you.

My jaw dropped and I got a really good laugh when I came back just now and saw it happen AGAIN immediately on the same exact page.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

The transaction itself wasn't a mistake. Everything leading to it was. I get the impression that this argument really isn't even about DM anymore. What exactly is the difference between him being in the AHL vs the Rangers 8D anyway?

Well, all arguments as to his quality and other roster considerations aside (and I grant you, the latter play into this situation), the fact that 29 other GMs had a chance to get him for nothing, and let it pass.

Seriously, I don't understand why this is being blown off as some kind of straw man (love that Raggedy Andy image, though). If there was a team in the league that thought he was even a #5, arguably #6 defenseman available for free at an $800K cap hit, they would have snatched him up in a blink. And yet somehow the fact that they didn't is discounted as a "straw man". I honestly don't understand.

(And for the record, I'm glad the Rangers kept him, because I hate losing assets for free and want him to either be a player for us or to be used as a chip to acquire someone who will.)

 

[SA16]

It's not really for nothing. It's for cap space and a contract. Very well may not be worth it for a borderline player when teams likely have comparables in their system.

 

[kovazub94]

Coaches and GMs around the league are out to lunch on specific players fairly often. Stralman comes to mind first but every year a few guys who were left behind end up barely making it into an NHL roster only to be serviceable or more with some time and experience

These situations are outliers. An extreme comparable would be if someone showed you a list of past lottery winners and was trying to convince you that spending your money on lottery tickets is a sound investment strategy.

 

[Thucydides]

I think Chicago should have claimed this kid and used him on the bottom pairing. While he may not be a spectacular regular season player, I think he would be money on the hawks in the playoffs.

Is he done, or does he just need to put the work in?

 

[silverfish]

It's not really for nothing. It's for cap space and a contract. Very well may not be worth it for a borderline player when teams likely have comparables in their system.

Thank you.

Did anyone watch Hartford yesterday?

 

[TheBPA]

Thank you.

Did anyone watch Hartford yesterday?

The truth is actually in the middle of these two positions. Yes, 29 GMs passed on him. And yes, taking on a contract and a cap hit plays a role in that, as well as their evaluation as whether they have someone already in their pipeline / top 6 that would make him redundant.

But let's not kid ourselves here. The redundancy argument only applies to players who a GM might think are either similarly talented to DM or have a similar or higher potential than DM.

Take the kings, for example. 45 contracts and $1m in cap space. They aren't evaluating DM against their top 2 RD (doughty and Martinez). Their evaluation is essentially whether DM has enough talent or potential in both the short term and long term to be worth claiming and playing over Tommy Gilbert, their third pair RD. And they passed.

 

[Beacon]

These situations are outliers. An extreme comparable would be if someone showed you a list of past lottery winners and was trying to convince you that spending your money on lottery tickets is a sound investment strategy.

This.

Talking about a few lucky hits that worked out is literally something people committing fraud do. I remember 25 years ago Amway swept through town. My friend forced me to go listen to their presentation so he gets some bonus for me coming in. They went on and on about all the people who make thousands a months, some making millions a year. A bunch of people I knew signed up and wasted $200 a month on it for months, even years (I didn't). Not one made money.

Then a bunch bought those tapes on infomercials that taught you to make easy millions. Every infomercial talked about the people who made money. Nobody I know did.

For every guy who clears waivers who becomes a star, hundreds become AHLers. This is why people always cite Stralman. Notice how everyone says, "for instance, look at Stralman." If there were so many other examples, why is everyone citing the same guy?

 

[Raspewtin]

Coaches and GMs around the league are out to lunch on specific players fairly often. Stralman comes to mind first but every year a few guys who were left behind end up barely making it into an NHL roster only to be serviceable or more with some time and experience

Coaches and GMs have an extreme sense of groupthink in the NHL methinks.

The worst old boys club in all of sports.

I can't wait to see them gone.

 

[TheBPA]

Coaches and GMs have an extreme sense of groupthink in the NHL methinks.

The worst old boys club in all of sports.

I can't wait to see them gone.

You can't wait for all of the coaches and GMs with NHL experience to be gone?

Methinks you'll be waiting a long time.

 

[Raspewtin]

You can't wait for all of the coaches and GMs with NHL experience to be gone?

Methinks you'll be waiting a long time.

You know what I meant.

 

[TheBPA]

You know what I meant.

Gorton doesn't seem to be part of the old boys club. Vigneault sure, but I don't think the rangers are the type of organization to give a coach like Jon cooper his first shot. They are always going to bring in someone experienced.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

So now we're justifying McIlrath not being claimed by saying taking on one 1YR contract worth 200k above league minimum would be too risky/binding for teams? Lets all just eat the big plate of crow beside us.

Not appealing to authority and I guess '30 teams have been wrong' before but i won't be surprised if and when he never plays another NHL game after his contract expires. Hope I'm wrong tho.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Gorton doesn't seem to be part of the old boys club. Vigneault sure, but I don't think the rangers are the type of organization to give a coach like Jon cooper his first shot. They are always going to bring in someone experienced.

With what I'm seeing with the NY Giants, as much as I hate AV sometimes I'm glad that's the case. A young new coach is a huge risk. Hell, doesn't even have to be in football, remember Trottier?

 

[Mikos87]

The transaction itself wasn't a mistake. Everything leading to it was. I get the impression that this argument really isn't even about DM anymore. What exactly is the difference between him being in the AHL vs the Rangers 8D anyway?

Added Cap Space.

It allows the Rangers to add or retain in a trade. Dylan wasn't going to be an NHL defenseman for the Rangers under this new d-zone structure.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Coaches and GMs have an extreme sense of groupthink in the NHL methinks.

The worst old boys club in all of sports.

I can't wait to see them gone.

Classic. It seems like your last refuge is conjuring up the good ol' boys conspiracy. I suppose that's more convenient than admitting you're the one who is wrong.

What's most comical about that viewpoint is wouldn't the old timer good ol' boys be enamored with a throwback player like McIlrath? Despite all the attempted spin, I haven't seen a single good reason on why every single NHL team passed on him. That's because there isn't one.

 

[haohmaru]

So now we're justifying McIlrath not being claimed by saying taking on one 1YR contract worth 200k above league minimum would be too risky/binding for teams? Lets all just eat the big plate of crow beside us.

Not appealing to authority and I guess '30 teams have been wrong' before but i won't be surprised if and when he never plays another NHL game after his contract expires. Hope I'm wrong tho.

That's pretty simplistic

A.) It's a two-way - so you're paying him whether he's here or in the AHL
B.) And, more importantly, if the guy sticks and plays 40-something games then he becomes a UFA and you're probably not going to keep him. A guy with this much NHL experience (ie... little) is a guy you want some control over if you're going to invest time into by putting him into your lineup.
C.) Is he better than the #6RD you have already?

I though 50/50 that he gets claimed. I've seen enough of Holden to think that Mc would be a better option but I'm not under any illusion that's he's anything more than a 6/7D right now.