Speculation: Trade Rumors/Speculation Thread Part IV: Yak Yak Yak Yak

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Trxjw

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May 8, 2007
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Land of no calls..
He is playing on a 1B pairing right now and has averaged more 5v5 minutes than Girardi over the past 13 games.

He has been primarily matched up against top lines multiple times this season and come out way ahead (Datsyuk+Zetterberg, Giroux+Lecavalier). And Strålman definitely didn't get shelled when paired with McDonagh last season, in fact they were pretty much the most dominant pairing in the league in their time together.

I know Girardi has a good reputation and that Strålman doesn't, but their on ice results are completely different.

They played two games together, and even the coach said that Stralman looked out of his element when facing that kind of competition. He's bounced back and for the supposed "1B" pairing with Staal, and the bottom pairing with Moore all season long. He looks fine when paired with an elite defender like Staal, and decent when playing on the bottom pairing.

Girardi's reputation has nothing to do with it. He's proven and continues to play at a high level. He may have had problems adjusting to the new system, but it'd be a lie to say he was the only one.
 

Thirty One

Safe is safe.
Dec 28, 2003
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Doubt it's performance related, he's been playing well the last few games, if someone was going to be scratched to give Falk a game, probably should be Moore based on performance alone. Trade incoming?
I'm pretty sure it's performance related.
 

RangerBoy

Dolan sucks!!!
Mar 3, 2002
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Trxjw

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I feel like Girardi being good ole fashioned gritty Canadian boy and Stralman being the softer "Devils and Columbus reject" is why people will always have a soft spot for Girardi vs. Stralman. Plus he was indeed good for a while.

Or it could be, ya know, the fact that Girardi has been getting hard minutes against the league's best players for many years now, and certain people just refuse to give credit where it's due because of an unrelenting need for a whipping boy?

Stralman is fine for what he is, but to imply that he's on the same level as Girardi is flat out lunacy. To take it a step further and say it's because people have a Canadian bias is just asinine.
 

Bleed Ranger Blue

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Jul 18, 2006
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Eh, I actually thought he played well the last few games, but I'm not a coach...

These days, a good game for Del Zotto is when you dont notice him doing anything poorly.

Thats not what he was drafted for - he was supposed to be a dynamic playmaking defenseman and PP QB. Hes been neither of those things for quite a while now.

His days are numbered here.
 

Jabroni

The People's Champ
Jun 1, 2008
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These days, a good game for Del Zotto is when you dont notice him doing anything poorly.

Thats not what he was drafted for - he was supposed to be a dynamic playmaking defenseman and PP QB. Hes been neither of those things for quite a while now.

His days are numbered here.

Second time being a healthy scratch I believe.
 
Feb 27, 2002
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You could, but to me that screams nightmare in the defensive zone.

Both Stepan and Brassard have been horrible on faceoffs, so at least that would be a wash. Stepan hasn't been higher than 45% his whole career and was 38%his rookie year. Brassard has also hovered around 45% in recent years.

True. The best defense would be maintaining puck control in the offensive zone.
 

Ola

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Rundblad is going to be one of those soft defensemen that puts up points. I don't think winning teams would ice him outside of a depth role. Its a shame because his offensive prowess from the blueline and powerplay is fun to watch.

But he's about as tough as a Benoit Pouliot, and for a guy that plays a position where he needs to take a hit to make a play, David Rundblad will shy away. There's a reason why two teams moved him before giving him really long looks.

Always been guys like this in the game. Andy Delmore... Marc Andre Bergeron...

I am not saying that you are wrong, but you are mentioning examples of D's that definitely never has put up any real pts. Delmore is 36 y/o and have 101 pts in almost 300 NHL games. MAB has scored a little more, but still only 235 pts in just under 500 NHL games. And MAB is like 5'10 and can't skate, Rundblad is 6'2.5 and actually a really good hitter. He got a lethal hip-check.

Rundblad has -- potential -- to put up pts for real. Undoubtedly. He could turn out to be Andy Delmore II, making the move I suggested a bad one for sure, he could turn out to be Marek Zidlicky II (which I think is far more likely), which makes it a good deal for us for sure, MZ BTW has been a top D for a team that made the finals, he could turn out to be Poti II, due to the MSG crowd turning on him, but I think Rundblad is more clutch than that, or he could turn out to become like Lubomir Visnovsky/Kimmo Timmonen II. You know, its anyone's guess right now.

But it is definitely not hard to find examples of teams playing in the SCF's with one-way offensive minded D's. Its more likely that you will find a guy with Rundblad's defensive ability on one of the SCF teams than not. The thing is that you need whatever D you have that is sub-par defensively to be -- good -- offensively. Rundblad makes no sense if he in his prime scores 35-40 pts. He should score 60+. And that is definitely not impossible for him. I wouldn't at all be suprised to see him pot top 3-5 numbers in the NHL either. You know, or he could fall short.
 

Ola

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Apr 10, 2004
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Another thing, "spreading out the talent" doesn't work usually because you're hurting some lines in expense of other lines. In this case our top 2 lines have been clicking without Nash, what's it going to hurt to leave them be?

Just gusesing here, but I think its the opposite for sure.

I think trying to frontload a lineup usually fails. You often try it for a few weeks, then the natrual lines settle in.

It just don't make any sense to front load a lineup nowadays. You roll 3-4 lines 5 on 5 pretty even. Then you peak in special teams.
 

Punxrocknyc19*

Guest
That smells deal. Why would you put Justin Falk in against the smallish, quick Hab forwards? MDZ is being dealt.

makes no sense, unless a trade is most likely being worked out especially since Del Zotto has been one of the Rangers better dman the past 2 weeks... has not looked that bad, compared to Girardi defensively... trade him while his value is still good enough to get a good return that can help the Rangers now and in the future...
 

OverTheCap

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Jan 3, 2009
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Del Zotto was one of the players talking a big game over the summer about how his offense will improve under AV. It hasn't happened yet and he is playing less than he has in the past few seasons. He may not last the season here.
 

Fitzy

Very Stable Genius
Jan 29, 2009
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You hope we have a good deal, because scratching MDZ when he is on the block isn't good for his perceived value.
 

Trxjw

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No game until tomorrow night. Why would they announce he wasn't going to play if a deal was close to being done? Seems like they'd just keep the status quo until the trade call went through.
 

Ola

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Del Zotto was one of the players talking a big game over the summer about how his offense will improve under AV. It hasn't happened yet and he is playing less than he has in the past few seasons. He may not last the season here.

Yeah, but like I said at the time too, that was just more or less stupid.

If you play MDZ on the right side, you take away like 10 - 20 % of his game. You know. He isn't good enough to loose 10-20%. If he plays on a left side, he is a 3rd pairing D. He isn't a player that is a good fit on a 3rd pairing. Thats like playing Brassard on a 4th line and complaining on him for not putting up 60 pts. Its not going to happen.

We just got a log-jam at LD that results in a waste of assets and resources. A LD, or even 2 lol, should go. We need another RD.
 
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