Recalled/Assigned: Rangers assign Libor Hajek to Wolfpack

[Kakko Schmakko]

Too bad, I was hoping Hajek might get traded, probably nobody wanted him too much.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

McDonagh is on pace for like 20 points this year. The hell happened to him? I know there are other talented D on that team, but that still seems crazy low to me.

I was never a big fan, Miller though was I really liked.

 

[Alluckks]

Wow! The Rangers really won that McDonagh trade by picking up Howden and Hajek!

Nils Lundkvist looks fantastic, but I understand ignoring points that don't help your sensationalism

 

[HFBS]

But Staal is NOT the answer.

Staal is most definitely the answer.

He's the answer to the question, "Who is the first Ranger who should be thrown off this team by any means possible."

 

[Machinehead]

I trust our AHL peeps more with the young guys.

But Staal is NOT the answer. Give Rykov a look.

This shouldn't be a thing.

 

[free0717]

I actually think he was pretty good before the injury

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

This shouldn't be a thing.

Don’t you wish you can build your reputation entirely off of 3 months?

Let’s forget the past 10 years that have been a disaster in HFD.

 

[Machinehead]

Don’t you wish you can build your reputation entirely off of 3 months?

Let’s forget the past 10 years that have been a disaster in HFD.

You can't build your reputation on 3 months, no, but you also can't pin 10 years on an entirely new staff.

It shouldn't even be a discussion that the AHL is a better environment than our actual team. Not when we're rebuilding. That's an indictment on everything we've heard about Quinn being a development coach.

 

[nyr2k2]

Hartford has a decent collection of forwards. What they lack in high-end ability they make up for in depth. They also have a great AHL defense. Guys like LoVerde, Raddysh, Ebert, etc., are all very good AHL-level players. The goaltending has been good.

Definitely credit the coaching staff in Hartford, but also keep in mind that this Hartford team on paper SHOULD be good. And honestly, while I've been very impressed with them all year, they have been the recipient of some fortunate outcomes where Shesterkin and even Huska a couple times really stole the show.

Again--credit Knoblauch and his staff. They've done great. However I think Hartford is playing a bit over its head right now, and may eventually regress some.

I guess what I'm getting at is, I don't think it's fair to compare Hartford and the Rangers, given the realistic expectations for both groups coming in.

 

[Captain Lindy]

I actually think he was pretty good before the injury

I agree. He was understandably rusty coming back from that knee injury.

 

[Kupo]

I actually think he was pretty good before the injury

He had some moments but I gotta agree with @Crease. Not sure as I see him as a long term fixture here.

 

[haveandare]

Wow! The Rangers really won that McDonagh trade by picking up Howden and Hajek!

21 year old d-man gets sent down at some point in his rookie year? Must be a bust.

 

[Alluckks]

You can't build your reputation on 3 months, no, but you also can't pin 10 years on an entirely new staff.

It shouldn't even be a discussion that the AHL is a better environment than our actual team. Not when we're rebuilding. That's an indictment on everything we've heard about Quinn being a development coach.

Sending a guy down to get more consistent minutes coming off of multiple injuries is an indictment of the coach?

When baseball players come back from injuries and do stints in the minors is that an indictment of them?

Maybe he needs easier minutes right now easing back from injury and would be placed in a less straining position in the AHL. Maybe he has some confidence issues and the AHL would remedy that. Maybe they just want him to have more consistency that he wouldn't get with a 4 man LD rotation that currently exists (Staal isn't being taken out permanently no matter how many pickets people have). Maybe he is going down just to work and focus on a specific part of his game, which is something you don't have the luxury to do at the NHL level.

 

[Machinehead]

Sending a guy down to get more consistent minutes coming off of multiple injuries is an indictment of the coach?

When baseball players come back from injuries and do stints in the minors is that an indictment of them?

Maybe he needs easier minutes right now easing back from injury and would be placed in a less straining position in the AHL. Maybe he has some confidence issues and the AHL would remedy that. Maybe they just want him to have more consistency that he wouldn't get with a 4 man LD rotation that currently exists (Staal isn't being taken out permanently no matter how many pickets people have). Maybe he is going down just to work and focus on a specific part of his game, which is something you don't have the luxury to do at the NHL level.

It's not really about minutes.

We're a rebuilding team and we have the leash to afford young players ice time, attention, and room to make boo-boos.

And the original comment was about trusting the AHL staff more, that that it would be better situationally.

 

[chosen]

Not much offense. Not much defense. Not much size. Not much quickness. Decent at everything. Great at nothing. Looks like a 7th defenseman.

Maybe that changes, but can't figure out which part of his game might improve.

 

[Kovalev27]

I’m less concerned about his talent and more concerned about the fact he keeps getting blown up every game. He got absolutely destroyed again last night in Hartford. If he doesn’t figure out a way to protect himself his career will be derailed before it ever really gets started. Big time shoulder and knee injuries in a very limited amount of nhl games.

 

[nyr2k2]

Realistically he could develop another 2 years in Hartford and be "ready" at 23, and that wouldn't be unusual in any way.

 

[Chytilmania]

I like Hajek, sometimes it seems like a confidence issue. But the big negative in his game is his decision making when it comes to pinching and stepping up in the neutral zone. There have been many odd man rushes because of him but he's young that's expected. If he turns into DeAngelo/Fox with their aggressiveness timed well then we wouldn't be complaining.

 

[Leetch3]

Realistically he could develop another 2 years in Hartford and be "ready" at 23, and that wouldn't be unusual in any way.

I think in a lot of cases we lose sight of just how young some of these guys are...patience isn't always easy but we need to remember it

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

I think Hajek will turn out to be a serviceable NHL defenseman. I just think that he has been overshadowed by the excellent performances of some of our other young D. Hajek is progressing at a normal rate where Fox jumped in and has looked like an NHL veteran from day 1.

He may end up being one of the guys traded seeing as we can't keep everybody, but he strikes me as a slow burn kind of guy. Stralman couldn't really stick as a regular until his mid to late 20s. I see a similar trajectory for Hajek.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

McDonagh is on pace for like 20 points this year. The hell happened to him? I know there are other talented D on that team, but that still seems crazy low to me.

A lot of miles on those tires.