Value of: Moving Zibanajad to 2c

[bernmeister]

Try convincing Pitts that their window is closed or they need a major shakeup and pry Malkin from their cold dead hands.

Also what the Rongos need is not more offensive firepower but a good stay at home Dman or two and a 2way defensive center.

do not want b'c price/currency likely not to be a fit, and even more than that, too much wear and tear on EM.
He is starting to breakdown last coupla years and next few will not be pretty.
If he minimizes that w/restricted duty, he is not worth $$$ contract even if he is productive.

So, nine untouchables unless the player coming back is a borderline franchise player like Eichel?
Lemme know how that goes.

The deal suggested for Eichel is ridiculous. eichel is not going anywhere.
That said, NY is not dealing high end blue chips.

Zibanejad broke the shit out of games this season.

While not eloquent, it paradoxically speaks volumes.

I like Stamkos, but I'm not sure I have him as a better center than Zibby. Stamkos moving back and forth to wing doesn't just take place because Tampa is loaded with unreal talent, it happens because Tampa had centers playing better.

Kopitar hasn't been a top 20 center the last 2 seasons.

Toews is a hard working center where leadership and prior success has him in your top 20. You can argue he's a more important winning piece, but I don't think he's currently a better center.

I don't trust Scheifele on taking the faceoff. I think if you;'re comparing careers, Scheifele has had more success and has been more established, but Zibanejad has been the better play over the last 2 years. Forget this year, which might not be sustainable, what he was able to accomplish last year with a worse NYR team was incredible.

You also only listed 19 players.

Agree w/all this except I am a little more bullish on Scheifele.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

do not want b'c price/currency likely not to be a fit, and even more than that, too much wear and tear on EM.
He is starting to breakdown last coupla years and next few will not be pretty.
If he minimizes that w/restricted duty, he is not worth $$$ contract even if he is productive.



The deal suggested for Eichel is ridiculous. eichel is not going anywhere.
That said, NY is not dealing high end blue chips.



While not eloquent, it paradoxically speaks volumes.



Agree w/all this except I am a little more bullish on Scheifele.

Then, if I may channel my inner Southerner, y'all ain't gettin nothin' (that's an upgrade on Zibanejad)

 

[WreckingCrew]

I'm confused, Zibs was 12th in scoring and 5th in goals when the regular season ended (and he MISSED 13 games...), how is that NOT 1C? Maybe the Rangers need to acquire a better 2C, but saying they need a BETTER 1C seems kinda stupid, no?

 

[bernmeister]

Then, if I may channel my inner Southerner, y'all ain't gettin nothin' (that's an upgrade on Zibanejad)

No prob Beauregard, we'll live w/excellent Zib and blue chip depth.

 

[Kurrilino]

Just out of curiosity........

Isn't it easier to draft Byfield and have the 1C for the next 15 years than gutting a whole team creating more holes?

 

[Apocalypse Dude]

Just out of curiosity........

Isn't it easier to draft Byfield and have the 1C for the next 15 years than gutting a whole team creating more holes?

But Laf tho...

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

How does that list change that Zibanejad was a 1c, especially using teams that currently have more than 1 real 1c? Career stats mean what exactly? Currently, Zibanejad is a 1C, until he stops playing like a 1c. Arguing it's not sustainable is fair, but currently he's a 1c. Zibanejad had 40 points in his last 44 or so games last season, while playing a 200 foot game. He didn't just lace them up this season and take off.

I didn't argue he wasn't a 1C. I argued he wasn't a top 10 center

 

[Hire Sather]

He's not only a 1C, he might be an elite C.

We need a 2C, at some point.

Strome is not a bad fill in at that role, hes just not worth a long term deal when he's UFA

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

uh... wut?

yeah, no he's not

McDavid, Eichel, Bergeron, Draisaitl, Stamkos, Crosby, Malkin, Point, Matthews, Barkov, Mackinnon, Scheifele are all clearly ahead of Zibanejad at thats already 12 centers, with argument for more

and this is also arguing on behalf of Zibanejad after a career year, which I don't know how sustainable it is for him to continue on scoring at 40 or 50+ goal pace when his previous high was only 30, and he did it only once with previous highs of just 27 and 21 goals

In your opinion. I don't think it's clear all of those players are better.

 

[bert]

Eric Staal in his prime was Bergeron Esq and Ryan Johansson was thought to be trending upwards to a franchise level. While I agree that right now he was better then both I think Johansson HAD more value.

Johansson never had a season as good as Zibanejad did last yearor the previous season. He has never been close to as good as Zibanejad is right now. Zibanejad had 41 goals and 75 points in 57 games last season. Eric Staal was never Bergeron esque from a defensive stand point. He was a good first line center for sure but even his best season didnt touch Zibanejad's ppg this past year. His second season is the only one that rivals Zibanejads this past year. I am not a Zibanejad lover or fan boy or anything but his game has grown so much he is a true force and one of the best centermen in the NHL.

 

[TGWL]

I didn't argue he wasn't a 1C. I argued he wasn't a top 10 center

I guess I missed that? The post you quoted and sentence you bolded just called Zibanejad a 1c, where you said no he's not, which seemed in reference to the bolded part of the quote.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Lol @ some of these names being mentioned here. talk about not watching the players and living on reputation and the past.

Zibanejad has surpassed guys like Seguin, Tavares, Stamkos, Giroux, Toews..etc.

He's a borderline Top-10 center. "Legitimate" (hate that f***ing word) first line center, no dount.

He literally one of, if not the, least concerns of the Rangers team construction and slottings. They aint' gonna acquire a center who will push him down, nor do they need to, they need better centers behind him.

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

Lol @ some of these names being mentioned here. talk about not watching the players and living on reputation and the past.

Zibanejad has surpassed guys like Seguin, Tavares, Stamkos, Giroux, Toews..etc.

He's a borderline Top-10 center. "Legitimate" (hate that f***ing word) first line center, no dount.

He literally one of, if not the, least concerns of the Rangers team construction and slottings. They aint' gonna acquire a center who will push him down, nor do they need to, they need better centers behind him.

how is he better than stamkos who just came off a 98 pt year last year and scored 45 goals?

I would take stamkos and his long resume of production over zib's peak career year eight days a week

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Quite frankly, HFboards is good for team boards, history hockey board, MAYBE prospect board, and now Coronavirus board. Every other board is ridiculous. The main boards gets an opinion of a player (Zibby being a 2C) and a team (the Rangers have a bunch of middle 6 players) and will take it with them to their graves. Absolutely no flexibility, and people don't want to admit they're wrong. The guy had the highest goals per game in the league I believe last year, no he probably won't have that every year but the idea that you guys are so f***ing stubborn and will NEVER move away from your player and team opinions is unbecoming of what seems like mostly smart people.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Oh and Zibby has been improving every year he was with the Rangers. He's 27, not 37. This IS probably a career year but you people make it seem like this is some all time fluke. The guy has been improving EVERY year with the Rangers and would have had better numbers if not for injury setbacks.

 

[snu22fint]

Zib has 151p in 142 games since start of last season. He was also phenomenal in the WC for Sweden just before that with 11p in 10 games. That's 1c numbers. Last season he had 41 goals in 57 games. Thats insane. Even if he falls back to lets say 75p per 82 games per season he is definitely a 1c because of his superb 2 way game. I think he scores something like 85p next season. rangers need a top 4 defender and a couple of years of development for fox, kakko and leff. Rangers are fine I think. More than fine even.

They are up there with Col, Van, Car and maybe a couple of more teams in terms of brightest futures for the next 10 years.

 

[zar]

Zibanejad is definitely a 1C... a late blooming one, but a 1C... can’t see any logical argument that disputes that. However, I would not put him in that upper echelon of 1Cs... he’s probably in the 13-24 ranking range.

I wouldn’t have said or predicted that a couple years ago. I had him and Nuge on the same level... a low end 1C or high-end 2C. Zibanejad has definitely upped his game and surpassed RNH over the past couple years and should 100% be considered a solid 1C.

 

[TGWL]

how is he better than stamkos who just came off a 98 pt year last year and scored 45 goals?

I would take stamkos and his long resume of production over zib's peak career year eight days a week

But he isn't a better center, and if production is the most important priority for you, then your top 20 list needs to be reevaluated. A bit of inconsistency when players with less points are chosen as better centers, but Stamko is better because he came off a very productive season. I like Stamkos, but I don't think he's the best center on Tampa anymore. Maybe Zibanejad can't sustain this, but he played like a much better center than Stamkos (how many games at lw did he play?)

Ignore - you didn't post the list.

 

[82Ninety42011]

One why is someone gifting Rangers a 1C and two even if someone moved one Zibanajad would be included in the return. Nobody moves a 1C for no reason without having a replacement. Zibanajad is a great 1C by the way put Panarin with him and sky's limit. I'd imagine they are trying to spread the wealth over two lines though.