Pre-Game Talk: Rangers @ Devils: G out, Kostgod in?

[YoSoyLalo]

And not for nothing, but the "it takes them a long time to develop" thing is actually another point in the cons column for a draft pick like that in my opinion. Way too much opportunity for something to go wrong in development, and/or for the organization to get impatient, move him, and to subsequently watch him have success elsewhere. Just a very hard pick to defend from day one, and it gets harder every passing day.

As far as Kostka is concerned, the upside is that he cannot possible play worse than he has so far. That said, it is crazy to me that he's the best available taxi squad vet. Really hope he doesn't have to suit up for the Rangers ever again.

Don't know if I'd agree with that

I can easily see him making turnovers which lead to goals three or four times instead of just two

 

[eco's bones]

Allen and McIlrath are down in Hartford getting playing time. Kostka is already up with the Rangers--at 29--he doesn't need ice time in Hartford to get any better because he is what he is at this point. If a player goes down for a short stretch you use the guy you already have--first--that's what he's ****ing there for while the younger guys get ice time in Hartford--or why have a 7th guy up at all? The Rangers need a vet body to throw in a game in case of emergency. If Kostka keeps playing like **** and Girardi's out for an extended period of time one of Allen or McIlrath will be recalled. Kostka gets to be Justin Falk this year.

 

[Thirty One]

I'd hazard a guess that he means his sample size is small because he doesn't get a lot of games because he sucks ass.

I literally said nothing about the length of his playing career. I said it was six games into the season, something I didn't even consider assigning blame for.

 

[Ragnarok14]

I imagine it has something to do with Vigneault and how he conducts his business. Players respect him because he exhausts all opportunities w/ the established guys.

Can any of us have imagined that he would have stuck w/ Pyatt and Pouloit as long as he did last year? Pouloit was about 1 more bad game away from being cut.

I don't think it is necessarily an indictment on McIlrath.

Although, and here is the final and probably most important hitch that will stand in his way... McIlrath's inability to play a transition game.

In any event - I imagine that they prioritized the fundamentals with McI - sound positioning and decision making. This year will probably be re-enforcing those keys, as well as hopefully improving his passing in transition.

Another thing that gets overlooked is that he was picked while we were playing Torts hockey. Collapsing zone is easier for a guy like McIlrath to play, as opposed to AV man to man, which every D has taken a while to adjust to, and when hiccups occur it leads to uncontested scoring chances. It's very possible that AV knows damn well that Mc I is not capable of playing his system, and may never be.

 

[eco's bones]

Don't know if I'd agree with that

I can easily see him making turnovers which lead to goals three or four times instead of just two

I expect he'll be on a really short leash. He starts ****ing up like the other night I'd expect he'll be benched.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I literally said nothing about the length of his playing career. I said it was six games into the season, something I didn't even consider assigning blame for.

You said 1 game doesn't define a career. How about 7 years?

 

[RGY]

I expect he'll be on a really short leash. He starts ****ing up like the other night I'd expect he'll be benched.

That is the problem though. You cannot play a guy who is going to have the shortest of leashes so that when he is awful like he will be you are down to 5 defensemen. And then if a defenseman gets hurt...

Just a disaster. They should've tried Allen or Mcilrath.

 

[Thirty One]

You said 1 game doesn't define a career. How about 7 years?

So you're saying you've followed him since he started in the AHL and you didn't just make up for mind he was bad after he had a shaky first preseason game?

Sure.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

So you're saying you've followed him since he started in the AHL and you didn't just make up for mind he was bad after he had a shaky first preseason game?

Sure.

And you're saying you have?

You're the stats man. What does 64 professional games by the age of 28/29 mean? Means the player stinks like stale feta cheese.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

Just to show that I myself am not basing it on strictly his Rangers tenure

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=87416327&postcount=17

 

[Thirty One]

And you're saying you have?

You're the stats man. What does 64 professional games by the age of 28/29 mean? Means the player stinks like stale feta cheese.

I'm assuming you mean NHL games. He's played considerably more NHL games.

Maybe that means he's a marginal NHL defenseman? One who gets in the lineup when there's two injuries on defense?

But if that's the standard, he's played in 59 more NHL games than Allen and McIlrath combined since McIlrath turned pro, so what does that say about the original question at this stage of their careers?

 

[bl02]

As someone who has defended the pick for the past three years, it IS a bit worrisome to me that they'd rather have Kostka up here than give McIlrath a chance.

I agree and if it does take 6,7, 8 years to develop a big defenseman
Like a mcilrath is it worth drafting the guy to begin with? I mean we're talking almost a decade lol

 

[Cassano]

Curbstomp them

 

[BroadwayStorm]

Yur telling me the Undertaker is that bad he can't come up a few games and destroy some Devils while he is at it? Common man.

 

[Raspewtin]

Another game I'll be missing. I've literally watched two full games this season. Starting to piss me off. Crush them.

Curbstomp them

Yes pls.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

Allen and McIlrath are down in Hartford getting playing time. Kostka is already up with the Rangers--at 29--he doesn't need ice time in Hartford to get any better because he is what he is at this point. If a player goes down for a short stretch you use the guy you already have--first--that's what he's ****ing there for while the younger guys get ice time in Hartford--or why have a 7th guy up at all? The Rangers need a vet body to throw in a game in case of emergency. If Kostka keeps playing like **** and Girardi's out for an extended period of time one of Allen or McIlrath will be recalled. Kostka gets to be Justin Falk this year.

Except Justin Falk could play hockey well. A lot of people wrote him off but he made John Moore fight hard for his spot early in the season before AV decided to just stick with the more mobile option in Moore. I personally don't see the problem with playing Mcilrath at this point for a few games. At some point he is going to get his chance and now is a perfect time because the games aren't as important and him being a right handed shot gives us a better chance of evening out the d pairs. If we play Kostka were just going to end up playing with 5 d men and we can't have mcdonagh playing 30 mins a game. Theirs a reason why the wild always spurt out in the playoffs.(Ryan suter is tired af)

 

[aufheben]

Except Justin Falk could play hockey well. A lot of people wrote him off but he made John Moore fight hard for his spot early in the season before AV decided to just stick with the more mobile option in Moore. I personally don't see the problem with playing Mcilrath at this point for a few games. At some point he is going to get his chance and now is a perfect time because the games aren't as important and him being a right handed shot gives us a better chance of evening out the d pairs. If we play Kostka were just going to end up playing with 5 d men and we can't have mcdonagh playing 30 mins a game. Theirs a reason why the wild always spurt out in the playoffs.(Ryan suter is tired af)

I'm sure playing the Blackhawks every spring doesn't help either.

 

[Stepanstones*]

No clue how this hasn't been posted yet.

HahaHahaha I swear that was the same reaction I had when I 1st read this thread.

 

[SixGoalieSystem]

Please. Bring Stu Bickel back and give him 15 minutes of ice time per game rather than putting Kostka on for 5 minutes. I would take that all day. Kostka is that ****ing bad.

At least Bickel actually looked decent his first few games. Sure, he couldn't skate to save his life, but when he first came up from the Whale Pack he wasn't bad.

Kostka had a terrible preseason and looked even worse when he got to play an actual game.

 

[Nonvolition]

Derek Morris is an UFA. Can we trade Kostka for literally nothing and just sign him for the time being?

 

[RGY]

Derek Morris is an UFA. Can we trade Kostka for literally nothing and just sign him for the time being?

That would make much more sense...

 

[JHS]

As others have stated, it is a telling indictment of McIlraths full on bust status at this point , that he can't displace one of the very worst Dmen to ever step foot on an NHL ice surface. It says volumes about how he is viewed in the org.
Also, I still don't buy the story that if we hadn't picked him, there were other teams chomping at the bit. Sounds like PR spin if I've ever heard it!

Exactly what I was thinking....

Just in the spirit of Kostka wearing number 4, maybe Kevin Lowe can come back for a one game stint. I still think that's an improvement!

 

[nyr2k2]

Derek Morris is an UFA. Can we trade Kostka for literally nothing and just sign him for the time being?

I believe we're at 50 contracts currently, though Graves will slide--meaning we have the flexibility to add another contract if we needed to.

That said, I'm not sure NHL Player Derek Morris is the answer.

 

[Idlerlee]

Can we dress Al Trautwig instead of Kostka ?

 

[eco's bones]

Except Justin Falk could play hockey well. A lot of people wrote him off but he made John Moore fight hard for his spot early in the season before AV decided to just stick with the more mobile option in Moore. I personally don't see the problem with playing Mcilrath at this point for a few games. At some point he is going to get his chance and now is a perfect time because the games aren't as important and him being a right handed shot gives us a better chance of evening out the d pairs. If we play Kostka were just going to end up playing with 5 d men and we can't have mcdonagh playing 30 mins a game. Theirs a reason why the wild always spurt out in the playoffs.(Ryan suter is tired af)

From what I've seen I think Justin Falk is a significantly better hockey player than Michael Kostka. Yes--he plays hockey pretty well to have the kind of career he has but as far as being an NHL defenseman Falk is no great shakes and is pretty much a AHL/NHL tweener. What we saw out of Kostka the other night were shades of Matt Gilroy only he doesn't skate as well. The question is can he play better?

The Rangers could recall McIlrath for one (two at the most) games until Girardi gets back. What does that say to Kostka who is already with the team--one chance and you're done? with McIlrath heading straight back to Hartford probably after tonight's game. If the Rangers still think that Kostka might be able to help them this year they probably won't **** with him. There's more to this than Allen and/or McIlrath aren't good enough. A short injury would be one thing--an extended injury is another. Kostka gets a second chance but if he has problems like he did the other night I don't think he'll get a third chance for a long, long time.