Waived: Jeff Halpern (Claimed by Montreal)

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Lion Hound

@JoeTucc26
Mar 12, 2007
8,239
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Montauk NY
37 year old 4th liner waived. Doesnt seem like too much a big deal to me. I thought Halpern was just OK for the Rangers. Sure there is a plan in the works to better the position.
 

Machinehead

GoAwayKakko
Jan 21, 2011
141,176
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37 year old 4th liner waived. Doesnt seem like too much a big deal to me. I thought Halpern was just OK for the Rangers. Sure there is a plan in the works to better the position.

Yes, knowing that the Rangers are a model of success and managerial efficiency, I'm sure a plan is in the works.
 

Green Blob*

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WOW! I can't believe someone took him!

It obviously opens the door for Zuke IMO, I have a strong feeling he is signed within 24 hours.
 

Natey

GOATS
Aug 2, 2005
62,295
8,429
Terrific. That's exactly what the Rangers should be looking to do: shore up weaknesses for potential playoff opponents, and allow those teams do so for free. :sarcasm:
Definitely helped us in that regard.

Our top-3 C's have been below 50% all year until last game when Plekanec got to 50.1%. Desharnais is at 48.2% and Eller's at 48.8%.

Getting a 56% (58% last year in 300 draws) is a huge a strength.

Our PK is terrible also (18th in the NHL I think), so he should help there too.
 
Jan 8, 2012
30,674
2,151
NY
Definitely helped us in that regard.

Our top-3 C's have been below 50% all year until last game when Plekanec got to 50.1%. Desharnais is at 48.2% and Eller's at 48.8%.

Getting a 56% (58% last year in 300 draws) is a huge a strength.

Our PK is terrible also (18th in the NHL I think), so he should help there too.

Glad we could help. :shakehead
 

NYR Sting

Heart and Soul
Jul 4, 2006
9,529
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Brooklyn, NY
And remember, folks: if they actually get into the playoffs, the Rangers may very well be playing the Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. If I recall, the entire reason the Rangers got Halpern over the summer was because of how bad they were on faceoffs a year ago. And that was before they traded Dubinsky.
 

Beacon

Embrace the tank
May 28, 2007
13,676
1,454
I never said this about any other move, but you just have to assume this.is a prelude to another move. They could've waived another player, but nobody would pick up Bickel, Eminger or Asham. The whole reason for waiving a useful player is that another team would pick him up.
 

Zamboner

Juice in his slacks
Feb 7, 2013
2,530
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Halpern outplayed Boyle the entire year. Never got scratched for three games in a row. Actually had chemistry within his line (With Powe), faceoff beast, and great PKer. Don't get it.

I never understood how Boyle could be deemed so useless he'd be a healthy scratch for three straight games, but once he was allowed back in the lineup, he'd jump ahead of all the 4th liners who were actually competently doing their jobs the entire time. Fake accountability on this team.

Clearing space for something else? I hope so. Because this makes no sense as is.
 

HatTrick Swayze

Just Be Nice
Jun 16, 2006
16,834
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Slats needs cap space for Dan Boyle in case Gaborik stays put.

I never said this about any other move, but you just have to assume this.is a prelude to another move. They could've waived another player, but nobody would pick up Bickel, Eminger or Asham. The whole reason for waiving a useful player is that another team would pick him up.

Solid points both.
 

Natey

GOATS
Aug 2, 2005
62,295
8,429
Not trying to burst your bubble but I just was never impressed with Halpern on faceoffs when he was a Ranger.
He's almost 57% on the Rangers.. if you're not impressed with that, think how we will feel in MTL when our top-3 guys right now average about 49%. :laugh:
 

Thirty One

Safe is safe.
Dec 28, 2003
28,981
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And remember, folks: if they actually get into the playoffs, the Rangers may very well be playing the Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. If I recall, the entire reason the Rangers got Halpern over the summer was because of how bad they were on faceoffs a year ago. And that was before they traded Dubinsky.
The thought of squaring off against a team with Jeff Halpern centering the 4th line will haunt my nightmares every night until the playoffs.

We narrowly escaped the playoff matchup against Halpern's Caps last season. If I recall correctly, all the talk during the series was about Halpern (When is Halpern getting into the lineup? When did the Caps get Halpern again?).
 

NYR94

Registered User
Mar 31, 2005
14,402
13,775
Long Island, NY
The problem is personnel. Nash was a great addition but the replacements for Anisimov, Dubinsky, Fedetenko, Prust have not been up to the job.

3rd-4th line scoring:

Pyatt 30gp 4g 2a 6pts 4pm
Miller 22gp 2g 2a 4pts 8pm
Boyle 26gp 1g 1a 2pts 19pm
Asham 12gp 1g 0a 1pt 17pm
Halpern 30gp 0g 1a 1pt 8pm
Powe 19gp 0g 0a 0pts 8pm
Kreider 12gp 1g 1a 2pts 6pm
Haley 9gp 0g 0a 0pts 12pm

That's 160 games played between all the above--9 goals 7 assists 16 points and 82 penalty minutes. That's the production of our bottom two lines.

Two of the above--Kreider, Miller are raw rookies and might be better off playing in the AHL right now.

5 of the above provide almost no penalty killing (keeping in mind that Anisimov, Dubinsky, Fedetenko and Prust all were regulars at that)--Pyatt, Miller, Asham, Kreider, Haley-no.

And then Pyatt is soft, Halpern is old and Powe has 0 pts.

Of the whole bunch only Asham and Haley provide any toughness at all and due to injury Asham has only played 12 out of 30 games and Haley was a call up for 9.

To summarize--bottom two lines--no offensive production, not a lot of penalty killing, very little grit = Rangers are running on fumes.

And Tortorella voiced his concern over the lineup during an interview before one of the first few games of the season. He was talking about shuffling lines and said that the Rangers lost players over the summer who he would move around to give other players a boost. Players like Dubinsky and Anisimov gave Tortorella flexibility because he could put these players on scoring lines or checking lines depending on how the team was playing and the type of game it was and they wouldn't look lost. The team's more top heavy now and the bottom forwards are worse. I'm sure Sather was banking on Kreider being a point producer to help offset the loss of some of those players but as of now Nash has had little help at all from the new additions.
 

nyrpassion

Vetted.
Mar 10, 2008
4,998
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Ottawa
I never said this about any other move, but you just have to assume this.is a prelude to another move. They could've waived another player, but nobody would pick up Bickel, Eminger or Asham. The whole reason for waiving a useful player is that another team would pick him up.

I see you on this. but dont tell me a team wouldn't trade a 7th round pick. hell, even future considerations.
 

3rdlineglory

Korsi Kevin
Dec 1, 2012
450
0
Mahopac, NY
In regards to possibly getting something for Halpern, sometimes GMs don't want a player unless they hit the waiver wire. Bergevin is aware of Sather's trading prowess so he probably didn't show any interest when Sather shopped him around. When a player has such minimal value that the most a GM could get is a low round draft pick, other GMs would prefer to just wait for that player to get waived. Hell, many Blues fans were speculating that D'Agostini would get waived before Lou caved. And D'Agostini is a better player than Halpern also the Devils needed D'Agostini a lot more than the Habs needed Halpern.
 

Green Blob*

Guest
Don't really know how anyone could really be upset over this. Team is dying in the standing do to lack of offense, we lost a player who hasnt scored a single goal all season and will likely add someone who can (Fast? Zuke?)

He was good on the draws thats about it, what good is that if we never have a lead to protect? He's certainly not going to be taking draws in the offensive zone with 5 minute left since he cant score.
 
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