Confirmed with Link: Rangers sign Dan Boyle - 2 yrs / $9M ($4.5AAV)

[Jersey Girl]

I mean he did say "if".

Stranger things have happened.

True. Would also be nice if Stepan would put up 80-90 points as a 1c, Nash would score 40 goals (Chris Kreider too), St Louis would lead the league in scoring, Hags would score 30 goals, JT Miller 20, Tanner Glass actually makes the fourth line even better, etc.

A girl can dream!

 

[Raspewtin]

True. Would also be nice if Stepan would put up 80-90 points as a 1c, Nash would score 40 goals (Chris Kreider too), St Louis would lead the league in scoring, Hags would score 30 goals, JT Miller 20, Tanner Glass actually makes the fourth line even better, etc.

A girl can dream!

Two of those things have actually happened, so...

 

[Jersey Girl]

Two of those things have actually happened, so...

...so you're saying there's a CHANCE!!!!

 

[Fletch]

Was hoping for an improvement, I guess is the best answer. Richards was not very good on the power play considering the amount of ice time he had on it.

5th in total power play time among forwards league wide tied for 36th in PP pts.

At least Boyle PP time and his ranking make a bit of sense, 10th in total PP time for defenders, 15th in pts.

My issue would be more along the lines of does the PP in the playoffs really matter all that much compared to 5 on 5 play.

5 on 5 goals for / goals against ratio in the playoffs

Last year LA led, (Rangers led in that stat until the King series)
2012-13 Chicago and Boston co led
11-12 LA and NJ were the leaders
10-11 Boston Led

I too would like an improvement, but at the same time recognize that it could get a lot worse, so it's an improvement from where it was on June 30, 2014. Maybe Richards wasn't that bad and simply ran out of gas.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Two of those things have actually happened, so...

Not to be a debbie downer but both of the things you're referring to were done in other team's sweaters

 

[jerseyjinx94]

Excellent read there, good find

Boutique statistics aside, I still think there's a place in today's NHL game for the big, savvy shot blocker who is strong on the walls and in clearing the porch around the net. Yes, it's important to have defensemen who can handle and skate with the puck. But there's a reason why the position is still called "defense": your team isn't always going to have the puck (for reasons that cannot easily be blamed or credited to a single player being on the ice) and you need players who can physically handle those battles in the trenches as well as your puck-moving types.

This is exactly what I was saying last week or whatever.

 

[Ail]

This is exactly what I was saying last week or whatever.

Except that there is no reason why you can't be good at both, not to mention being a guy who wins battles in the trenches would be conducive to making him a strong possession player. If you are winning puck battles, you are possessing the puck.

Blocking a shot means you didn't have the puck. Do you want players who will sacrifice the body? Yes. Do you want a player who has to do it every shift? No. That means whenever they are on the ice the other team is shooting. Not good.

 

[n8]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paul...d-Hockey-Sense/196/61180#.U7rNGf40_hI.twitter

i love Paul Stewart

 

[Raspewtin]

Not to be a debbie downer but both of the things you're referring to were done in other team's sweaters

I wasn't implying they'd happen again.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

If he can play anywhere near to the level he played just 2 seasons ago... this signing would be a steal and a half.

2 years is a long time, though.