1:36PM: Girardi said today (NYR):

His knee is getting better and he will take the time off to rest and recuperate.
He will use the offseason to come into training camp in the best shape he can be.
"It definitely was a long year and not 100% but not many guys are."
He had 4 1/2 months with a cracked knee cap and if he could go back in time he would probably take some more time to rest.
"Missing 6 games was a lot for me this year, but looking back if something is wrong I need to take the time to relax and recuperate."
He 100% believes that he can return to being the player that he was, "that is why they signed me to a long-term deal."
"This year wasn't the best for me or the whole team but I think I can be the player I was in the past. I am using this summer to be ready and I think this is a turning point for me."
He had a concussion, felt good going into game 1 but as the game went on he didn't feel great, talked to the docs after the game and the symptoms came back and they didn't let him play. He skated while he was still having headaches but he started feeling better around Game 4, played in Game 5 and he feels good now.
"I don't know what happened to us this year" but he doesn't want to use all of the games the team has played as an excuse.
"I think that with the group, it's a great group and a great team."
"We know we can be a lot better and a lot more consistent."
It's tough to swallow how the team lost in the playoffs with not much pushback
Asked if management is still behind him, Girardi said "I think so, not much has been discussed. They have to do their thing, they have their meetings, but I am going to be ready and be my best and be here next year. The guys that we have in here can win but that is not my decision to make, I am not the coach, GM or President. That is definitely not my division, I am a player and need to be ready to be myself."
"Our team has a lot more to give. We have the right guys in here to compete every game. Everyone in here will be ready to go next season. Whatever happens in the summer and along those lines, we are just going to deal with it Whoever is here is going to be playing."

I've lost track of when Buch should be off his SKA contract - June 1st?
- 21peter

No it's actually ends Saturday

twitter will probably be both yours and Cranny's grave...
- 21peter

Jimmy is right, I avoid the poop on Twitter cause I don't follow the bumholes and I don't search for things unless Kreider comes within 10 feet of a goalie then I expect whiny douches to go crazy, I get into it on the Facebook pages, that poops gotta stop

1:36PM: Girardi said today (NYR):

His knee is getting better and he will take the time off to rest and recuperate.
He will use the offseason to come into training camp in the best shape he can be.
"It definitely was a long year and not 100% but not many guys are."
He had 4 1/2 months with a cracked knee cap and if he could go back in time he would probably take some more time to rest.
"Missing 6 games was a lot for me this year, but looking back if something is wrong I need to take the time to relax and recuperate."
He 100% believes that he can return to being the player that he was, "that is why they signed me to a long-term deal."
"This year wasn't the best for me or the whole team but I think I can be the player I was in the past. I am using this summer to be ready and I think this is a turning point for me."
He had a concussion, felt good going into game 1 but as the game went on he didn't feel great, talked to the docs after the game and the symptoms came back and they didn't let him play. He skated while he was still having headaches but he started feeling better around Game 4, played in Game 5 and he feels good now.
"I don't know what happened to us this year" but he doesn't want to use all of the games the team has played as an excuse.
"I think that with the group, it's a great group and a great team."
"We know we can be a lot better and a lot more consistent."
It's tough to swallow how the team lost in the playoffs with not much pushback
Asked if management is still behind him, Girardi said "I think so, not much has been discussed. They have to do their thing, they have their meetings, but I am going to be ready and be my best and be here next year. The guys that we have in here can win but that is not my decision to make, I am not the coach, GM or President. That is definitely not my division, I am a player and need to be ready to be myself."
"Our team has a lot more to give. We have the right guys in here to compete every game. Everyone in here will be ready to go next season. Whatever happens in the summer and along those lines, we are just going to deal with it Whoever is here is going to be playing."
- jimbro83

If anything, I think the team was seriously humbled by this year. Who knows, maybe it will be the best thing that could've happen to them. An embarrassed motivated team can be quite dangerous

If anything, I think the team was seriously humbled by this year. Who knows, maybe it will be the best thing that could've happen to them. An embarrassed motivated team can be quite dangerous
- Slimtj100

Yep, guys like Boyle can shrug it off cause it's the end but these guys are too young and have too much hockey left to not use it as motivation

oh great, I didn't know what that was so I searched for it and now people at work are gonna think I am bicentennial
- jimbro83

It's ok these days #200YearLivesMatter

And btw - no tanking 2nd rounders allowed in here
- 21peter

Hey man:



I enjoy the sense of humor over here

G the warrior

Always loved this guy. A true warrior. With a sane coach, he would've rested 20+ games in the reg season and possibly played decent 2nd pair D in the playoffs.

Hey man:



I enjoy the sense of humor over here
- eichiefs9

As long as you behave

Maybe if this is a wakeup call season and everyone plays better next year, all we do is trade Nash and Brassard and Sign Stamkos and get Buchnevich on lol. Resign Yandle, Kreider, Miller, Hayes and some supporting players, let the defense and Hank have another shot considering this is the first bad defensive year we've had.

G the warrior

Always loved this guy. A true warrior. With a sane coach, he would've rested 20+ games in the reg season and possibly played decent 2nd pair D in the playoffs.
- 21peter

That's why I've been saying instead of buying him out this year, wait a year. What real benefit is there to do it this year other then saving a few bucks on the cap? Unless I'm missing something I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense doing it this summer. Make him the 3rd pair guy or even the 7th dman. He will always be willing to block shots and that is something you actually need out there. Limit his minutes/games and reassess next summer. Exact same thing they did with Richards

That's why I've been saying instead of buying him out this year, wait a year. What real benefit is there to do it this year other then saving a few bucks on the cap? Unless I'm missing something I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense doing it this summer. Make him the 3rd pair guy or even the 7th dman. He will always be willing to block shots and that is something you actually need out there. Limit his minutes/games and reassess next summer. Exact same thing they did with Richards
- Slimtj100

Except frenchie played BR on pp1 until it was too late...

As long as you behave
- 21peter

- eichiefs9

Maybe if this is a wakeup call season and everyone plays better next year, all we do is trade Nash and Brassard and Sign Stamkos and get Buchnevich on lol. Resign Yandle, Kreider, Miller, Hayes and some supporting players, let the defense and Hank have another shot considering this is the first bad defensive year we've had.
- xcheckmajor

Does this include Boyle??

Except frenchie played BR on pp1 until it was too late...
- 21peter

I think at this point a blind man could see Girardi cannot be a top 4 guy. They need bodies back there anyway, I don't fully get the logic with buying him out

Kreider (4) Stamkos (11) Zuccarello (4.5)
Buchnevich (1) Stepan (6.5) Miller (2.5)
Fast (.95) Hayes (1) Hvrik (.75)
Glass (1.45) Lindberg (.65) Stalberg (1.5)
Tambellini (.8)

McDonagh (4.7) Girardi (5.5)
Yandle (6) McIlrath (1M)
Staal (5.7) Klein (2.9)
Skjei (.95)

Lundqvist (8.5)
Raanta (1M)

Total Cap: 72.85

Stamkos scores 65 goals with Zucc setting him up all year. Finally a player that shoots first asks questions later.

I think at this point a blind man could see Girardi cannot be a top 4 guy. They need bodies back there anyway, I don't fully get the logic with buying him out
- Slimtj100

Copy that TJ, although I was talking about playing Brad Richards waaay too long on pp1 in the playoffs/ SCF's in '14. Which IMHO could've been the reason we lost...

1:36PM: Girardi said today (NYR):

His knee is getting better and he will take the time off to rest and recuperate.
He will use the offseason to come into training camp in the best shape he can be.
"It definitely was a long year and not 100% but not many guys are."
He had 4 1/2 months with a cracked knee cap and if he could go back in time he would probably take some more time to rest.
"Missing 6 games was a lot for me this year, but looking back if something is wrong I need to take the time to relax and recuperate."
He 100% believes that he can return to being the player that he was, "that is why they signed me to a long-term deal."
"This year wasn't the best for me or the whole team but I think I can be the player I was in the past. I am using this summer to be ready and I think this is a turning point for me."
He had a concussion, felt good going into game 1 but as the game went on he didn't feel great, talked to the docs after the game and the symptoms came back and they didn't let him play. He skated while he was still having headaches but he started feeling better around Game 4, played in Game 5 and he feels good now.
"I don't know what happened to us this year" but he doesn't want to use all of the games the team has played as an excuse.
"I think that with the group, it's a great group and a great team."
"We know we can be a lot better and a lot more consistent."
It's tough to swallow how the team lost in the playoffs with not much pushback
Asked if management is still behind him, Girardi said "I think so, not much has been discussed. They have to do their thing, they have their meetings, but I am going to be ready and be my best and be here next year. The guys that we have in here can win but that is not my decision to make, I am not the coach, GM or President. That is definitely not my division, I am a player and need to be ready to be myself."
"Our team has a lot more to give. We have the right guys in here to compete every game. Everyone in here will be ready to go next season. Whatever happens in the summer and along those lines, we are just going to deal with it Whoever is here is going to be playing."
- jimbro83

Warrior

Maybe if this is a wakeup call season and everyone plays better next year, all we do is trade Nash and Brassard and Sign Stamkos and get Buchnevich on lol. Resign Yandle, Kreider, Miller, Hayes and some supporting players, let the defense and Hank have another shot considering this is the first bad defensive year we've had.
- xcheckmajor

This is a team that was an elite defensive team and at times there was d men doing things we've never seen. D men chasing forwards up the wall vacating the net. This also led to guys being spread out all Over as well as leaving Hank screened to fight through deflections as there was no d within a mile of the guy screening the net.

I think at this point a blind man could see Girardi cannot be a top 4 guy. They need bodies back there anyway, I don't fully get the logic with buying him out
- Slimtj100

are you for letting yandle walk? boyle gone will help. skeij i think can be full time top 4. him and McD are 2 solid spots there. i think that mcilrath kid can be a monster on the third pair if he gets the right partner. i just think that people on this board would be able to outskate a girardi/mcilrath pairing. but i don't know if girardi can do top 4 full time either.

i know marc staal is still floating around. he can be a decent second pairing guy. a little overpaid, but not a total void. still some definite questions, and i dont know if there are a lot of external options.

Copy that TJ, although I was talking about playing Brad Richards waaay too long on pp1 in the playoffs/ SCF's in '14. Which IMHO could've been the reason we lost...
- 21peter

I know you were haha. In theory I kind of thought it was smart how they handled it with him, being a PP specialist kinda. He just wasn't getting it done. But seriously, since Leetch and Jagr, who has made this PP any good?

AV needs to let kids play more, or trust them more, Skjei should be top pair D next year. He could be ambidextrous for all I care. Let him play through mistakes. Torts did the same thing with kids. Maybe mgmt will make this a point to him and part of saving his job

Mcilrath and Skjei need to be fixtures back there, it's a must. Lindberg too needs to be in the top 12 forwards, no questions asked

Kreider (4) Stamkos (11) Zuccarello (4.5)
Buchnevich (1) Stepan (6.5) Miller (2.5)
Fast (.95) Hayes (1) Hvrik (.75)
Glass (1.45) Lindberg (.65) Stalberg (1.5)
Tambellini (.8)

McDonagh (4.7) Girardi (5.5)
Yandle (6) McIlrath (1M)
Staal (5.7) Klein (2.9)
Skjei (.95)

Lundqvist (8.5)
Raanta (1M)

Total Cap: 72.85

Stamkos scores 65 goals with Zucc setting him up all year. Finally a player that shoots first asks questions later.
- xcheckmajor

Agreed!
I've always said: Zuke is only elite with an elite player on his line.

Agreed!
I've always said: Zuke is only elite with an elite player on his line.
- 21peter

I'm dreaming that we get Stammer but that would potentially be a great line. Zucc weaving and trying to find Stammer for the one timer bomb with Kreider causing havoc crashing to the net and throwing his weight to retrieve pucks.

I know you were haha. In theory I kind of thought it was smart how they handled it with him, being a PP specialist kinda. He just wasn't getting it done. But seriously, since Leetch and Jagr, who has made this PP any good?

AV needs to let kids play more, or trust them more, Skjei should be top pair D next year. He could be ambidextrous for all I care. Let him play through mistakes. Torts did the same thing with kids. Maybe mgmt will make this a point to him and part of saving his job

Mcilrath and Skjei need to be fixtures back there, it's a must. Lindberg too needs to be in the top 12 forwards, no questions asked
- Slimtj100

That's what you need to do to make these guys excel...