I just have one question - are people pissed about the McIlrath scratch because they think hes been good and deserves an NHL spot, or because his inclusion in the lineup is a departure from the status quo?
Recalled/Assigned: Rangers recall Dylan McIlrath (Reassigned 12/19)
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Crease
Chief Justice of the HFNYR Court
- Jul 12, 2004
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I don't have a problem with AV scratching him, but I assume that means AV has decided (a) we need every point we can get and (b) there are six better options on the roster than Dylan. So why not send him down. He needs minutes. Maybe a trade involving a defensemen is imminent.
NYR Viper
Registered User
This. I don't mind that he is scratched, but if he is going to be scratched, let him play in the AHL and get big minutes.
Thirty One
Safe is safe.
- Dec 28, 2003
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Meh. He can learn a lot being at the NHL level, even without game practice. Pack don't play again until Friday anyways.
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
packs off for a bit so hes not missing much.
i think the kid benefits more than we think by practicing with the team, hanging with the guys and being at msg.
i think hes gonna be around for the long haul and i think del zotto is history soon.
I doubt Del Zotto is going anywhere until they're comfortable with Staal's health
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
only if you believe we arent getting am upgrade dman back in a deal for mdz.
this team needs more talent, be it forward or dman.
eco's bones
Registered User
OTOH it's not like to me anyway that Falk, Del Zotto or John Moore are light years ahead of him. Moore obviously is in regards to his skating. Defensively though you really don't really want to see any of these guys on the ice against the league's best players.
I'm not pissed about his inclusion (or not) in the lineup. I think if it turns into a game that we lose where the Penguins beat us up physically then one might think it over again--afterwards when it's too late. If we win--well then there's nothing to argue about. Personally though beyond McDonagh, Girardi and Stralman our defense corps is pretty much a grab bag. My tendency would be to keep Moore in--being the youngest and the best skater. It's hard to say McIlrath has looked that bad though--it's not like he's played very much in either game and just because the coaching staff doesn't know him very well and very carefully picks his spots doesn't mean he's not ready--whatever 'ready' means to whoever. If two more of our defensemen get hurt we might just find out how ready he is.
Right now, I don't think his fighting ability or any sort of toughness he brings outweighs his inability to play NHL defense -- again, key words being right now.
People love to point out how he brings that toughness element to the back line that we lack. True, but the issue that he's looked shaky at best playing the NHL game should hold much more water.
I just wish the team would commit to something. Either play him and let him learn on the job, or send him to the AHL for bigger minutes. They seem stuck in between on yet another issue.
NYR Viper
Registered User
That is why it pisses me off. Not the action of doing one or the other. The obvious inability to choose a course and stick with it...
eco's bones
Registered User
I just think we haven't really seen what he can do yet. It's almost a given though that he needs to get better. A guy like Falk though is probably just a placeholder. Del Zotto looks to me like he's already peaked and is a decent NHL player but nothing particularly special. Rangers D is not something set in stone. At this point only McDonagh may have a long future with our team.
As far as tonight--yeah there are a lot of Pens players up from Wilkes-Barre but a guy like Crosby could eat McIlrath alive if the Pens could get him in a one on one situation so it's not like I don't understand why AV plays the other 6 instead. Crosby might eat Falk, Moore or Del Zotto alive too though.
To me toughness is an element the Rangers lack. We have a number of passengers on our team who when push comes to shove will take the easiest way out. Having a guy that can play a hard ass game surely wouldn't hurt us.
I think, again - at this point in time, McIlrath is far worse defensively than the other 6 options, even Falk. I dont even think its particularly close.
I mean, you say we haven't seen enough of McIlrath to make that sort of judgment, but I think his healthy scratch would speak volumes about how the coach feels on the subject.
Clown Fiesta
Registered User
Kind of expected this Pens are a lot to handle and they don't want him getting burned and damaging his confidence. He's not far off from Falk IMO, if he's allowed to stay up and learn a bit I can see him being able to replace Falk.
Falk can get burned, he's older and more of a filler than anything so who cares about his feels.
Falk can get burned, he's older and more of a filler than anything so who cares about his feels.
eco's bones
Registered User
What I say really is AV's judgement on McIlrath at this point seems similar in ways to Tortorella's judgement on Kreider last year. He wants to involve him as little as possible. Was Kreider ready? or Miller?--good question. In the meanwhile we got to see lots of Richards going through the motions of not being in shape and lots of Halpern, Powe and Pyatt as well. Were they still respectable NHL players? To me that's another good question. Torts seemed glued to some of them.
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
in this case, against this team and with this kid, i think sitting him is a solid move.
this healthy scratch leads me to believe that he will be sent down again once staal returns.
i would prefer we move del zotto now for a smooth skating dman or a forward who can shoot it and keep dylan up. let him platoon with falk if need be.
this healthy scratch leads me to believe that he will be sent down again once staal returns.
i would prefer we move del zotto now for a smooth skating dman or a forward who can shoot it and keep dylan up. let him platoon with falk if need be.
Well yeah I don't think a team is terribly interested in trading for Del Zotto and sending back a better defenseman. Even if we're talking the Rangers packaging Del Zotto, teams usually don't want to downgrade like that unless there's something else going on...a malcontent or a salary issue, and I think it might be a bit early in the season for those kind of moves to go through.
Wonder if the scratch is a last ditch effort to showcase del zotto or if AV just didn't want to play McIlrath.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Platoon? Why would we platoon a top 10 pick? Either he plays or he should be sent down.
haveandare
Registered User
The pack don't have a game until Friday night. Dylan is watching the game, trying to take in certain things that the coaches told him to pay attention to. This isn't that stupid or mysterious.
pld459666
Registered User
A healthy Pens team he gets the night off no question. Against THIS Pens team I would have played him. Playing well no question but they are very ordinary today.
offdacrossbar
misfit fanboy
theres value practicing here. theres value watching here and theres value being around the guys.
he needs to play everyday ill give you that, but for right now, with staal out and mdz/moore/falk all healthy scratches, hell get enough games and minutes.
i actually like him being with the big club as long as hes getting 3 out of every 4 or 5 games.
That is no way to develop a first round, top-10 pick. And since the Rangers history of developing players is so sterling, I would err on side of what most teams do and let the kid play major minutes in the AHL as opposed to either not playing at all or playing 5 minutes a night.
This is the Rangers however. So the chances are he may become another Tomas Kloucek or the defensive version of what happened to Malhotra.
Calad
Section 422
i wonder if he plays tomorrow vs the Islanders.. he knows some of those guys from the minors. AV should play him tomorrow and scratch Asham. its not like Asham has been doing anything.
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