Hamonic vs McDonagh

[Levitate]

McDonaugh, I say has been underwhelming to me. Maybe it is because I thought he was a pure offensive d-man who didn't put up a lot of points. I also do not watch too many Rangers games, so I don't know if he was being used on the top PP unit or not.

I guess McDonagh was billed as an offensive defenseman when he was drafted by Montreal, but that's really not his game. I don't know where he played before the NCAA, but all I can guess is that people say his skating and assumed he was a puck moving offensive guy.

At this point he basically looks like another version of Marc Staal. He skates better than Staal, but isn't quite as good defensively or at making little plays in his own end that Staal excels at doing, but he reads the play extremely well and is great at stepping up in the neutral zone to short circuit a rush by the other team, intercept passes, etc.

So...if you have it in your head that he's an offensive defenseman, yeah he's going to be underwhelming, cuz everything from this point on shows that he's really not. He has some offense to his game, but it's not the main part of his game.

 

[donpaulo]

I like both players and think they are fine examples of young defenseman learning to play defense in the NHL

Hamonic and MacDonald became the mainstays on the blueline for an islander team in need of something resembling a top pairing. They can skate, have enough grit and can make the offensive play too. Lets hope the team keeps them together because I think they have a nice synergy. (I also have both in my sim league ) I wonder if its really best for Hamonic to be simply "given" the top pairing position instead of earning it. Then again the islanders aren't at the stage where that kind of talent and competition are occurring. I think Hamonic and MacDonald's clearly have the talent to play top 4 minutes in the NHL but my concern is them being thrown into the fire that has been NYI hockey this past decade. I suppose what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

McDonaugh was given an entirely different set of circumstances. Down the stretch NY had to play mistake free hockey on most nights just to sniff the 8 spot. Staal also missed a few games and McDonaugh carried the water without seeming out of place on a limited basis in his rookie year. He is a great position because he can see 2nd pairing minutes and continue to refine his game. His skating is enough for him to get back into the play if he is out of position which is something that Marc Staal and Dan Girardi do not have. Given time I think he can play on the top pairing once he develops his shot blocking and sense of when to join the rush and when to hold back. His team is built on defense first so he doesn't have to deliver the mail like Hamonic must.

So I think the pressure is on Hamonic to develop into a really special player on the Island which is something they have lacked for years. He has no safety net and its a long way down if he falls. Lets hope for islander fans he doesn't.

McDonaugh has the luck of the draw to just play his game, not be out of position and contribute when the right opportunity presents itself. He can play on the 2nd pairing in NY for the next decade and be a very solid player in the rangers current system. Perhaps he can be more ? I certainly think so because I think that Girardi is better suited as a #3 than a #2.

If I had to choose I would take Hamonic because I think he has more "upside" due to his teams needs, but McDonaugh will be a core player for seasons to come because of his teams situation.

I am looking forward to the next few seasons when we can see these guys really turn into something special.

 

[MTK]

I think most would choose Hamonic simply due to the fact that he played more games and was a bit more visible than McDonagh was. After next season we will know a lot more, and, IMO, it would be a really good time for such a poll. Let both kids get in full seasons.

I would say more than one season to compare them honestly. The OP loves putting up NYI vs NYR prospect threads.

the best one was the Anders Lee one .

 

[McDonagh]

I'm here to officially change The Legend of Hamonic to The Legemd of McDonagh.

The Legend of McDonagh.

 

[tarrin8]

Hamonic easy , Hamonic is younger so he has a advantage with that plus hes on a weaker team so meaning he will be getting more ice time and should develop into the better overall player

 

[Gardner McKay]

Hamonic is a little more proven at the NHL level but both are great young Dmen. Obviously I pick Hammer, but I'd like to see a poll added and Ranger/Islander fans agreeing to not vote at all.

I agree. I think both fanbases here realize the other has an outstanding young defenseman and due to various reasons (mostly both sides being homerish) see their own as the better pick.

I agree they are both outstanding young defenseman, Mcdonagh has a special place in the heart of Rangers fans for two reasons. 1. We dumped 7.5 million in salary and were able to get him back some how. 2. Many MTL fans wrote him off as never going to make it to the NHL.

I will say this. The Isles have an outstanding young team. If Montoya can provide any sort of consistent goaltending for them they will be a very solid contender for the playoffs and beyond.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Winners

Islanders for getting Hamonic in the 2nd round

Rangers for getting McDonaugh for Gomez

The only losers here are the Canadiens to be honest

Greatest. Post. Ever.

 

[Felix Unger]

I'm an Islanders fan, and I've seen little of McDonagh. So, I don't have anything to add to a comparison.

What I like most about Hamonic is he's the first (and still only) *regular* we have who is tough and stands up for teammates. I really hope Hamonic rubs off on Okposo, Bailey, Comeau, and MacDonald who all really need to add that element to their games. [We're shouldn't expect that from Moulson, Grabner, Nielsen, Streit, and Tavares - those are the guys we need to protect.] We need to rid ourselves of the marginal ice-time tough guys who just aren't out on the ice enough to stand up for our best players when they need it.

With tough-guy regulars like Callahan and Dubinsky, the Rangers don't need that element nearly as much as the Isles do.

Cheers,

Dan-o

 

[Levitate]

^^^ Don't forget Prust, and Sauer is showing himself to be a guy who will stand up for his teammates at any time (not a good fighter though)

2. Many MTL fans wrote him off as never going to make it to the NHL.

I don't think they wrote him off as not going to make the NHL, but they thought he was basically a bust for where he was picked and not progressing appropriately in college, and was falling down their depth chart and not going to be the defenseman they envisioned.

Which is probably partly true...again, he was apparently drafted with the idea he was an offensive defenseman. I looked it up and he did have pretty good stats in high school, but obviously it didn't translate to college.

But while he wasn't putting up tons of points, he was becoming a very good player overall. Put too much emphasis on one part of a players game and miss out on all the other things they do right...

 

[Barzilla]

Tough to say with such a small sample size. I've seen every islander game Hamonic has played in. The kid never really had any awful games, awful plays sure who doesn't. All his assets have been addressed already by other posters. He is a good skater,hits hard, shoots hard, isn't a liability in his own end. What more can you want from a defensmen?

 

[Jeffrey]

after Subban... Hamonic is my favourite young defenseman in the NHL so him !

 

[skroob**]

McD probabily gets marked down a bit because he's been traded, and with prospects, that has a bit of a stigma attached to it.