Confirmed with Link: McIlrath and NYR settle on 1yr $800k contract

[Beer League Sniper]

mcilrath at the 2 RD is just not smart.

so take the guy- brady skjei, who's shown the ability, smarts, skating and defensive awareness to play 2nd pair minutes and shackle him to girardi on the 3rd pair ?? seriously.

this is a kid who played great end of last season, seems like he's getting better and better and has shown top 4 skills. kid average over 18 min of ice in the 5 playoffs games vs pitts and showed he's not only ready but able. his skating is top notch as is his defensive awareness and somehow he's on the 3rd pair ?

he played the right side in hartford and also in the worlds.

so then we take mcilrath and put him on the 2nd pair where hell be exposed against the speed of top line wingers. terrific.

and to make it worse, you are playing him with a guy who's another stay at home type who handles the pill like a live hand grenade. that pair will feature:

turnovers deep in the zone after forwards attack with speed.

bad passes for the same reason.

an inability to move the puck forward via the quick pass

and an alarming inability to skate it from the zone.

dont like that pair at all.

heres your defense going into camp

mcd/klein
staal/skjei
holden/girardi
mcilrath


still weak as hell but no where near as bad as mcilrath at the 2RD.

still need a big time upgrade.

If that is really our defensive line up going into the season, management really needs to sit down with AV and give him the "Come to Jesus" speech.

Management just signed McIlrath to a "prove it" deal.

McIlrath has done nothing but be a good soldier. He's done everything management has asked of him. He works out like a monster in the offseason. He deserves his shot.

If, after all his bluster about "doing the right thing," AV still insists on denying this kid a legitimate shot in favor of Nick ****ing Holden, I'd be appalled.

We owe Nick Holden exactly nothing. McIlrath has been in our organization for six years now. He's earned his shot.

All of this is moot, of course, if he doesn't earn it in camp. But if it's close, there shouldn't even be a conversation.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Honestly, McI better be playing in every game this season. He was a rookie last season and he looked VERY good for a rookie. Additionally he brought physicality, only defenseman who goes out and can really nail someone on a consistent basis.

He needs to keep playing in order to get better and reach his potential. Every year he has improved since turning pro.

I swear to god if Holden is in the lineup and McI is the healthy scratch there will be issues.

 

[KreiderHouseRules*]

Honestly, McI better be playing in every game this season. He was a rookie last season and he looked VERY good for a rookie. Additionally he brought physicality, only defenseman who goes out and can really nail someone on a consistent basis.

He needs to keep playing in order to get better and reach his potential. Every year he has improved since turning pro.

I swear to god if Holden is in the lineup and McI is the healthy scratch there will be issues.

This.

All of this.

And please give him a chance on the 2nd PP unit.


PP#1:
Zibanejad-Nash-Zuccarello
Stepan-McDonagh

(where they'd be on the ice after the faceoff).

PP#2:
Miller Kreider Buchnevich
McIlrath Hayes



Since Girardi is immovable, Klein should be traded while his value is high, IMO.

McIlrath needs to play.

You can't expect young players to play with confidence and consistency when you sit them down for weeks and months at a time and then blindly throw them into the fire.

McDonagh McIlrath
Staal Skjei
Holden Girardi

Balance.

(Obviously I'd rather keep Klein where Girardi is, and I'd even run with Girardi as the 7th for most of the season and then buy him out next offseason, but since I don't trust this front office to make the right assessments and decisions, I can only hope for a Klein trade to help McIlrath see ice-time.

 

[Matz03]

This.
PP#2:
Miller Kreider Buchnevich
McIlrath Hayes

Since Girardi is immovable, Klein should be traded while his value is high, IMO.

McIlrath needs to play.

You can't expect young players to play with confidence and consistency when you sit them down for weeks and months at a time and then blindly throw them into the fire.

McDonagh McIlrath
Staal Skjei
Holden Girardi

Balance.

(Obviously I'd rather keep Klein where Girardi is, and I'd even run with Girardi as the 7th for most of the season and then buy him out next offseason, but since I don't trust this front office to make the right assessments and decisions, I can only hope for a Klein trade to help McIlrath see ice-time.

I'm a big believer in McIlrath and hope to see him in a regular top 6 role, but even I wouldn't ask he be on the pp. Yes he's got a good shot but we have better players for the PP. They've added a bunch of righty shot's to push Stepan down to the second pp.

 

[KreiderHouseRules*]

I'm a big believer in McIlrath and hope to see him in a regular top 6 role, but even I wouldn't ask he be on the pp. Yes he's got a good shot but we have better players for the PP. They've added a bunch of righty shot's to push Stepan down to the second pp.

Which "bunch" of righty shots?

All I see is Zibanejad.

Stepan doesn't shoot nearly well enough to be a "shooter" in the Ovechkin spot.

And I think both will most likely be on the top PP unit, which leaves the only remaining right handed shots for the 2nd PP unit: McIlrath, Klein, and Fast.

So of those 3, I chose McIlrath. Klein probably gets the look over him (at least initially). Does Jesper Fast even know how to one-time the puck? ;D

 

[Matz03]

Which "bunch" of righty shots?

All I see is Zibanejad.

Stepan doesn't shoot nearly well enough to be a "shooter" in the Ovechkin spot.

And I think both will most likely be on the top PP unit, which leaves the only remaining right handed shots for the 2nd PP unit: McIlrath, Klein, and Fast.

So of those 3, I chose McIlrath. Klein probably gets the look over him (at least initially). Does Jesper Fast even know how to one-time the puck? ;D

You're right "bunch" isn't the right word here. only Jooris, Fast, Stepan, Zibanijad as forwards and Girardi, Klein, McIlrath and maybe Clendening as 7th D. Seems like many more than prior years, but could really use one more top 6 righty, still that above group is decent.

Since only Stepan and Zibanijad are pp options, I just can't see them used together, Jooris played a bit of pp but he's along the likes of Fast and just fills in. I agree Stepan isn't the ideal option but he won't lose that spot to McIlrath, also I think a forward on the point needs to skate better than Stapan so I don't see him used there.

PP1 McDonagh, Zibanijad, Zucc, Kreider and Miller/Nash
PP2 probably two D with Holden or Skjei and Klein, Stepan, Hayes, Miller/Nash
Buch will likely get his shot there, Jensen if he makes the team, Girardi alway seems to get some minutes there. So I just see too many bodies ahead of him to be used there, and as a huge McIlrath fan I'm fine with that.

I want to see McIlrath get the occasional offensive draw on his offside, but mostly play that stay at home role, defending well, killing penalties and throwing his body around. 15-18 min a night.