News Article: Paul Ranger is the Maple Leafs Masterton Nominee

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
22,232
7,183
Toronto
I read somewhere that he'll only play for the Leafs and rather than go somewhere else, he would play for the Marlies if he wasn't good enough for the Leafs.
 

Daisy Jane

everything is gonna be okay!
Jul 2, 2009
70,213
9,192
It's as if he saw your post and wanted to prove you right. A great off-the-cuff interview just posted to tsn:

http://www.tsn.ca/VideoHub/?collection=72&show=318108

I really like him. if there's a question he doesn't want to answer, he'll just flat out say, you know - i'm not going to answer it, however [and will respectfully do something else]

Charon of Styx - that's true. last season he didn't even want to play for the Leafs until he thought he was ready, and this year he has a full NTC so it's just Marlies or Leafs.

again - for a few years [3] for 1.2ish or so - he can stay. he'll help shelter some minutes off some of the Leaflings coming up.
 

bunjay

Registered User
Nov 9, 2008
12,992
58
That's nice and everything but how are people going to vote him the comeback player of the year if they don't actually know what he's coming back from?

Harding's got this one in the bag.
 

mikebel111*

Guest
As expected. Have defended him all season and has played really well in the second half
 

grits207

Registered User
Jun 24, 2009
818
13
Saint John, N.B.
He was been pretty awful most of the season but to his credit he has been gradually getting better lately. I'd like to see him re-signed on a one year, league minimum deal to see if he can continue improving. Worst case scenario his game plateaus and he ends up being waived and sent back to the Marlies where he could be a great leader for our D prospects.

I very rarely listen to interviews with hockey players because 99.9% of them spew cliche after cliche, but I always listen when Ranger does an interview. Really interesting and honest guy.
 

Bardown warrior

Registered User
Oct 26, 2013
1,510
0
Mississauga
Hopefully he's not on the team next year.

uhhh have you been watching him play lately... He's starting to piece it together...

when he was terrible early on in the season it was kinda understandable... He hadn't played in 3 years; now starting to regain his form and i would love him back a bottom pairing dman
 

KuleminFan41

Registered User
Jan 5, 2009
5,845
614
Why not? He had a rough start, I'll give you that but post Olympic break, he has been one of our steadiest D-men even through our 8 game slide.
People will only ever remember the bad and refuse to acknowledge the good unfortunately
 

Warden of the North

Ned Stark's head
Apr 28, 2006
46,400
21,766
Muskoka
Why not? He had a rough start, I'll give you that but post Olympic break, he has been one of our steadiest D-men even through our 8 game slide.

I agree. That said, I hope to see a rookie on the back end next season too. Percy of Granberg could make the jump.
 

Swervin81

Leaf fan | YYZ -> SEA
Nov 10, 2011
36,460
1,553
Seattle, WA
Matt Stajan should win this IMO.

Josh Harding already has it in the bag IMO. Was lights out Vezina calibre until complications with MS (which he was diagnosed with last season) forced him out for the season.

Matt Stajan has been through a lot (something no one should ever have to go through) and his courageousness to come back as quick as he did is amazing, though.
 

Backwards67

Registered User
Oct 17, 2006
67
0
I don't know what you guys are talking about. Ranger was the worst Dman the Leafs had until the Olympic break, and he missed a lot of games cause of that hit on the boards since then.

He's played sheltered minutes, also being the 7th/extra man on the blue line.

Yeah, he's been ok recently, but a handful of games isn't much. He could still go back to being subpar, especially playing a full 5/6th man's minutes.

Also as for the Masterton, it's kinda odd IMO. He just left pro hockey for 3 years, he was coaching minor hockey in Whitby I believe.

Unless there are some really bad/scary things that happened, it's just a cool heart warming story.

Peverley, Letang, and Malhotra all come to mind being more deserving of winning this trophy.
Harding can't win it I believe cause he won it last year.
 

Yosho

Logic
Mar 30, 2010
2,617
0
Kitchener, ON
Ranger has improved so much since Day 1.

He went from "oh god, please don't let this poor guy have the puck" to "Oh, Ranger's defending this 2-on-1, should be okay".

"okay" being undervalued with this hilarious defensive unit.
 

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
22,232
7,183
Toronto
As well as he has been playing lately, we have to assume he will improve as time goes on for at least another 4 or 5 years. I'd offer him 2 more years at 1.5 per.
 

Warden of the North

Ned Stark's head
Apr 28, 2006
46,400
21,766
Muskoka
I don't know what you guys are talking about. Ranger was the worst Dman the Leafs had until the Olympic break, and he missed a lot of games cause of that hit on the boards since then.

He's played sheltered minutes, also being the 7th/extra man on the blue line.

Yeah, he's been ok recently, but a handful of games isn't much. He could still go back to being subpar, especially playing a full 5/6th man's minutes.

Also as for the Masterton, it's kinda odd IMO. He just left pro hockey for 3 years, he was coaching minor hockey in Whitby I believe.

Unless there are some really bad/scary things that happened, it's just a cool heart warming story.

Peverley, Letang, and Malhotra all come to mind being more deserving of winning this trophy.
Harding can't win it I believe cause he won it last year.

Franson has more bonehead mistakes per minutes played, I'd bet.
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
73,928
39,570
Franson has more bonehead mistakes per minutes played, I'd bet.

There isn't much about Ranger to complain about IMO.
Some I think just set their expectations too high for bottom pairing defensemen.
 

Daisy Jane

everything is gonna be okay!
Jul 2, 2009
70,213
9,192
I think where Ranger really won me over [and I was always team Ranger]. was when he was benched [for ages], and in an article, he said "I'm just working hard every day waiting for my chance to come in to help the team I have so much more to give."

And since then he came in and did that, he showed he has much more to give. Now - I'm wondering what he's going to do this summer to improve on some things (ie: skating), and now having a [NHL] season under his belt how he'll act with maybe a 2-3 year contract, if his play will seriously improve more.

[and you have got to love him. during his media scrum he was basically saying, like look. at the end of the day we want to make the playoffs, and then make the championships. that's what we all desperatly want. and deep down that's what you want too. So if we can all work together...." and then everyone cracked up. I like him, I really do.
 

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