The Rangers are in the midst of their bye-week. Most of the discussions this week has centered on what the team should do leading up to the trade deadline, especially following the loss for at least six weeks of Chris Kreider after his rib resection surgery. This is a topic we have discussed before. I know I was asked in the period blog comments what I would do with this team. To be honest, I am very betwixt and between as to what the right course of action is.
Arguments can be made on both sides of the house. Firing AV seems to be the default position of many. This viewpoint is not difficult to understand. If you look at some of the stats, a few of which were listed in the NY post, it’s hard to defend the coach. “The Rangers have allowed the third most shot attempts in the NHL (while recording the eighth fewest attempts), have surrendered the second-most shots on goal, have the fourth-worst shots for/against percentage and are trending downward, yielding a fraction less than 37 shots per over the last 16 contests in which they have allowed 35 or more 11 times (40 or more five times).… All if those are damning numbers.
Then add in the number of giveaways, as Rangers are in bottom portion of the league, along with the lack of offense, especially lately on the PP, and defending him gets more difficult. Throw in a dollop of the lineup and line combination decisions, both up front and in the blueline, and the anti-AV crowd has easy arguments for their position. All that said, I still like AV. The talent may not match the system he wants to use, which should require a modification by him, but I am not yet ready to move on and that’s not impacted by who might be available. Determining whether or not to keep a coach shouldn’t be based on the perception of who is out there to be brought in, because when conducting that type of search, you never know who will pop up unexpectedly. For now, staying the course there is the likely way it will go, but a decline in fortunes, which lately has been somewhat positive mainly due to Henrik Lundqvist and Ondrej Pavelec standing on their heads, and all bets are off.
As posted yesterday in the commmets, affter the Hawks-Wild game, Bob McKenzie said he doesn't expect the NYR to do anything for the next few weeks. If the deadline approaches if they're out of it he thinks guys like Nash and Grabner will be dealt which is what we all expected. He believes they know they're not legit cup contenders this year.
Nash, the current poster boy for the ills of long-term deals, is pointless in his last 10 games while recording just two goals and six points in 23 games going back to Nov. 17. You all know my view on Nash( his value isn’t solely in scoring - for which as not above, he isn’t doing much of - but in everything else he does on the ice. That additional aspects of his game don’t warrant the big contract he has, as that was driven by his scoring ability. Moving him or Grabner, who I want back, even if it’s for a term or four years and $14 mil, will depend on what happens the next six weeks. In that stretch, record should be a component but more important will be if the style of play and manner in which the team wins or losses is aligned to indicating that a run is possible, or if as we have discussed and others weighed in, its fools gold and solely driven off the back of the play of the goalies.
If going to make a move, Evander Kane, based on the ask of a first, a prospect and conditional pick in case he signs, is a no-go. That was my view even before Justin Falk called him selfish. I am sure this happens on teams way more than we know and it’s onky come out because of the open practice. His inconsistency and expectation of a big deal are two non-starters for me. Toss in the cost to acquire and I would pass. Cody Ceci as a rental at $2.8 mil to provide maybe a ballast for Ryan McDonagh to me is a better option. But Ceci is an RFA, meaning he is not a true rental so like Kane, the cost to acquire might be prohibitive. But as Mac Truck has struggled - not all of which was due last year to the presence alongside of him of Dan Girardi, as we first thought - because of the failure to find him the partner, maybe Ceci is the answer. I would try Kevin Shattenkirk again, or if really gambling, see if moving Brendan Smith there, due to that Wisconsin connection, resurrects Smith’s season and reputation while also spurring McD back to prior heights.
One nugget of what Brooks posted on Kevin Hayes, who was injured Sunday and hopefully be back for Saturday’s game against the Islanders, really struck me and likely was ignored. “The Blueshirts’ checking center, who had originally planned to remain in the Western desert during this hiatus, canceled his plans and returned home immediately following the match to begin treatment.… In the past, many have commented on the perceived lack of maturity or growth in Hayes. Canceling his vacation in the bye week to come home and start treatment so he could be back right after the break is a pretty good sign that he gets it.
In addition, as Brooks noted, Hayes has recorded 17 points (9-8) while consistently matched against the opposition’s top lines. The output is down from his first two years and what we expected, but you also must factor in the why. “Hayes had offensive-zone start rates of 60.5 and 60.9 percent his first two seasons. He was at 41.2 last year — when Derek Stepan was the matchup center — and is at 40.7 this season while consistently drawing the opposition’s top centers. The dramatic improvement at the dots also reflects the work Hayes has put it into this, going from 36.6 and 36.0 percent his first two seasons to 45.7 last year and an even 50 percent this year.…
You have a 25-year old center that has become the team’s shut down pivot man, a role none of us expected he could fill. The perfect storm would have Hayes filling that spot while also maintaining his early production. This could happen as Hayes further matures and learns how to balance his defensive responsibilities while also chipping in offensively. What is good news, maybe not for this season but for hopefully next year and beyond, is that in Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, especially the latter, New York has a pair of centers that may could fill the second line pivot spot, pushing Hayes back to the third line he may be best suited.
And though everyone wants Hayes to shoot more, No. 13 has launched the fourth-most attempts among Ranger forwards, tied with Kreider behind Nash, Grabner and Pavel Buchnevich, per naturalstattick.com.
In other news:
First, prayers to Pierre McGuire as he fights prostrate cancer. Say what you want about Pierre, including how he will talk about a player’s elementary school play and connections or hisbthied cousin on his grandmother’s brother side, he clearly knows and loves hockey and wants to grow the game. Hopefully they caught it early and he is on his way to a speedy and full recovery.
We're thinking of you, Pierre! #HockeyFightsCancer 💜 pic.twitter.com/2EvE9GoMKr
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) January 11, 2018
The Duke:
Yesterday, the Blackhawks acquired Anthony Duclair and Adam Clendening from the Coyotes for Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin. Arizona GM John Chayka’s comments about Duclair make it fairly clear - and something that has been brought up before - that the reason for the trade was non-ice related. Maybe it’s maturity or issues in the locker room but the deal was certainly not solely or even largely based on his production.
Chicago wanted to move on from Panik, who they felt at $2.8 mil per for the rest of this season and next, was overpaid based on production. Chayka reportedly has been looking to move Duclair, who wanted out, for a while and this supposedly the best offer he got. If that’s the case, Chayka shouldn’t have dealt him unless the situation has hit so much of a head that a trade was required.
Would any of us be shocked if the Duke excels in Chicago? With the veteran leadership in the Windy City in Toews and Sharp and Keith and Seabrook, if maturity is an issue, then he steps into the perfect fix. Maybe Duclair has that in Derek Stepan but now he has more voices and options to guide him. Clendening could be a fit on the Blackhawks’ blue line. He became the poster boy for analytics with references back to Anton Stralman in NY. Now, other coaches have moved on from Clendening and he was one of the main sources of argument on the blog last year. But I did feel AV didn’t give him enough of a chance or use him appropriately last year, which is a flaw in AV and what was discussed when Stralman left.
Henrik Lundqvist was voted to his fourth All-Star Game. He was also selected in 2009, 2011 and 2012 - three straight years as there was no game in 2010. It’s a well-deserved honor for Hank, who rebounded after his slow start, bolstered by a more aggressive approach between the pipes. Selfishly, I hope he doesn’t play and gets the rest he needs, knowing he may be ridden hard down the stretch. But I also realize this could be the last time he is selected and warrants the attention that comes with this honor.
HEN-RIK!!!
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 10, 2018
RangersTown, join us in congratulating #NYR @HLundqvist30 on being named a #NHLAllStar! pic.twitter.com/GQudTCL6bC
Ty Ronning registered his third hat trick of the season Wednesday. He ranks second in the WHL in goals this season (39). When he was drafted, I said if he could have half the career his dad Cliff did the pick would be a steal. It’s very early, but taking him in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, 201st overall, sure looks like a wise move.
Lias Andersson:
NYR 1st round pick Lias Andersson, coming off WJC silver-medal (toss) performance for SWE, is in NYC rehabbing an injured shoulder. The SWE captain suffered a separated shoulder midway thru the WJC but played SF and gold medal game with it. Likely out to 2 to 4 weeks.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 10, 2018
A 19-year old kid played through a separated shoulder because he felt a responsibility to his country and team, setting an example as the captain. He also participated in the post-game handshakes and answered all questions after the loss. But let’s focus on the medal toss.
It was mildly immature act but also one that we all can understand why he did. As I said on my blog the other day, give me 20 Andersson’s and we would have a team that hates to lose and will do anything to try and win. To me, that’s more than enough so that I don’t overrate the tossing of the medal.