lollllllllllllll you guys hoesd the rangers. thanks!
Haha hosed? You don't know much about hockey. Same with everyone that is saying the Rangers got robbed. Either you don't know a lot about hockey, or you hate the Rangers. Let me break it down for you.
1. McDonagh. First of all, McDonagh is kind of overrated. People are acting like he's a top 5 D-man in the league. As someone who routinely watches Rangers games, we all knew as fans that McDonagh is not the same player he once was. Still a great player, but not elite. Second, no one (except maybe Chiarelli or Bergevin) is going to trade a young, cost-controlled player like Sergachev, Point, or Liljegren for an aging D-man like McDonagh. McDonagh is not elite anymore. And even if he was, he's on the wrong side of 28. He has not been very good for the Rangers this year, so naturally, his stock dropped. Also, after hearing McDonagh's contract demands, the Rangers were not going to give him what he wanted, so they traded a guy who they weren't going to sign anyway. Besides, I believe Sergachev and Point are better than him. Not only that, but they have a ton of upside. And like I said, they are cost-controlled and much younger. Youth is valued a lot more in today's NHL. I doubt Yzerman would have even given away Sergachev for Karlsson.
2. Miller and Namestnikov. This I view as a 1 for 1. Miller is a very inconsistent player. Rangers fans appear to be split on him. Some love him. Some hate him. I really liked him, but he was going to ask for a massive pay raise, and the Rangers weren't going to give it to him. It's a similar situation with Namestnikov. I see some TBL fans like him. Some don't. And his stats were inflated by playing alongside Stamkos and Kucherov, so he was going to ask for a big pay raise. But the same thing is going to happen to Miller. Stamkos and Kucherov have inflated his stats. Miller and Vlad are similar players. Honestly, I want the Rangers to trade Vlad while his trade value is still high, unless they can get him for 3.5 mil or less per year. I like his skill, but he also seems inconsistent.
3. Hajek. Hajek immediately becomes the Rangers' best defensive prospect. Experts say he could challenge for a top 4 spot as soon as next season. Even if Hajek is the only player that pans out to his potential from this trade, I will be very happy. Anything more will be a bonus. He was also a last minute add by Yzerman to the trade, so you know Yzerman didn't want to give him up.
4. Howden. I'm not as high on him as some people are, but his value is increasing. He is a safe player. He is not likely to be a bust, but not likely to be anything more than a great 3rd line center. However, I do think it is possible for the Rangers to groom him to become a 2nd line power forward on the wing, kind of like a Kreider-lite. I don't see him as a 2C, but there is potential for him to become a 2nd line winger. More likely that he's a 3C, but only time will tell. Happy with what I see so far with him, although not as thrilled as some Rangers fans.
5. The picks. This draft is very deep, especially in the 1st round. So I'm confident the Rangers pick up a good prospect, even if the pick winds up being 31st overall. And the other pick has a good chance of becoming a 1st. If TBL doesn't win this year, they could still win the following year. They have a hell of a team, so I would not be surprised to see that 2nd rounder turn into a 1st.
All in all, great trade for both teams. Rangers weren't going to re-sign McDonagh, and they get a solid return for him. Could be better, of course, but I'm satisfied. They also rid themselves of a good, but very inconsistent player with concerns about his work ethic. They get a great defensive prospect, a good forward prospect, and the potential for 2 1st round picks. They also get Namestnikov, who could be a solid Miller replacement. He could be a very good pickup. Or he could just be a product of Stamkos and Kucherov. In that case, he is a valuable trading asset.
The Lightning get a proven player with plenty of playoff experience, who could still contribute nicely as a top 4 D-man, for their playoff run. And they take a gamble on Miller, like the gamble the Rangers took on Vlad. Downside is Miller is probably going to cost more than Vlad to the TBL, although he could be a better player than Vlad. And Vlad could be better than him. Point is, there are still a lot of unknowns, and we really won't know who the real winner is going to be until a few years down the road. For now, I believe the Lightning won the trade, but only slightly. The exaggerations are crazy. The way people talk about Yzerman and this trade makes you think he got Karlsson for Girardi and a 1st rounder. People, an aging McDonagh was never going to fetch a young, cost-controlled, superior player like a Sergachev or a Liljegren.