MZA did Ok for a player learning the north american game. He had his ups and downs. Before he gets traded away why don't we see if he learned from his 1st year experience and what adjustments he made to his game? Common sense.
Only one of Zuccarello/Thomas will position themselves in that question mark slot. If Thomas outplays Zuccarello, there isn't really any room for the latter on this roster, unless you think he can hack it at LW with Anisimov/Callahan.
Only one of Zuccarello/Thomas will position themselves in that question mark slot. If Thomas outplays Zuccarello, there isn't really any room for the latter on this roster, unless you think he can hack it at LW with Anisimov/Callahan.
I don't want Thomas playing on the third line. If he's not playing top six minutes here, let him play top six minutes elsewhere.
And I'm not ready to say that MZA is a lock to make the team.
Only one of Zuccarello/Thomas will position themselves in that question mark slot. If Thomas outplays Zuccarello, there isn't really any room for the latter on this roster, unless you think he can hack it at LW with Anisimov/Callahan.
I've seen very little of Thomas, but I am not extremely impressed by what I've seen, and I absolutely wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even come close to contend for a spot in camp...
And I wanna see more of Zucc. Time flies by, but I remember Marc Savard being recklessly tradeded away from NY only to become a top 5 scorer elsewhere and would easily have been our best player during many of those years. We should definitely give Zucc another year or two at least.
I don't want Thomas playing on the third line. If he's not playing top six minutes here, let him play top six minutes elsewhere.
I agree with your viewpoint, but I think the team is banking on one of these two making the team in that spot. There really isn't anyone else to play there; unless they want to play Fedotenko on Stepan's RW, and put Hagelin on the left side.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SingnBluesOnBroadway
And I'm not ready to say that MZA is a lock to make the team.
Neither am I. It'll be a struggle between Avery/Christensen/Zuccarello/Thomas/Hagelin for those last forward spots.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ola
I've seen very little of Thomas, but I am not extremely impressed by what I've seen, and I absolutely wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even come close to contend for a spot in camp...
I'm not going to comment on Thomas, but I think the team will give him a chance to compete for a spot. If he plays well enough, and is more impressive than Zuccarello at camp, he'll either make the roster, or both will be sent to their respective minor systems (Thomas to Oshawa, Zuccarello to Connecticut), in favor of Hagelin. I think Zuccarello has more of a chance than either of Thomas/Hagelin, though, as he has already shown he can hack at it the NHL level.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ola
And I wanna see more of Zucc. Time flies by, but I remember Marc Savard being recklessly tradeded away from NY only to become a top 5 scorer elsewhere and would easily have been our best player during many of those years. We should definitely give Zucc another year or two at least.
I'm not an advocate of moving Zuccarello, either. Just keep him around to see what he can do.
If we dump Zuccarello, who plays RW? Avery? I don't think most people will be happy with Prust and Avery as our bottom two right wingers, in particular when injuries hit either Gabby or Cally and suddenly our bottom THREE right wingers are Avery, Prust and Weise. Really?
I think the Rangers need a third liner who is capable of getting more than 10 goals a season.
Rupp to center 4th line n boyle to wing. Feds can play either wing
I c the 3rd line as those two n one of steps or ani
I think the Rangers need a third liner who is capable of getting more than 10 goals a season.[/QUOTE]
Only one of Zuccarello/Thomas will position themselves in that question mark slot. If Thomas outplays Zuccarello, there isn't really any room for the latter on this roster, unless you think he can hack it at LW with Anisimov/Callahan.
Yup.
Of course Weise could be a long shot for that spot as well.
Only one of Zuccarello/Thomas will position themselves in that question mark slot. If Thomas outplays Zuccarello, there isn't really any room for the latter on this roster, unless you think he can hack it at LW with Anisimov/Callahan.
You forgot Feds. LW depth is Dubinsky, Wolski, Avery, Rupp. RW depth is Gaborik, Callahan, Feds, Prust. As I see it now MZA isn't making this team and quite frankly I see him back in Europe in a year. He's overrated around these parts imo.
I think we need Zucc this year. As stated before, he is our 3rd line RW. We are kinda weak on the RW. Unless the Thomas kid comes into the main camp and wows the coaching staff, I would think the 3rd line RW job is Zuccs.
You forgot Feds. LW depth is Dubinsky, Wolski, Avery, Rupp. RW depth is Gaborik, Callahan, Feds, Prust. As I see it now MZA isn't making this team and quite frankly I see him back in Europe in a year. He's overrated around these parts imo.
Feds is a LWer, no?
And I can't see how he's overrated when he hasn't had a full season here, scored at a basically .5 PPG pace, and has done what he's done in the SEL. Meanwhile, it's at least split 50-50 if he should be on the team or not.
It doesn't make much financial sense to carry Zuccarello as a spare forward with his $1.75M cap hit. The Rangers are taking a $527,000 cap penalty because Todd White sucked up $1M of space last season. The Rangers will be paying the price for White this season. Zuccarello is waiver exempt. Let him start out the season in the AHL. Let the cap hit become smaller. If Zuccarello needs to play a game or two with the Rangers in case of an injury,bring him up and sent him back to the AHL.
The Rangers don't have much cap space to waste. $3,716,667 for Drury's buyout. $527,000 for bonuses from last season. $4,243,667.
Which one was the forwards is Zuccarello supplanting?
CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR
FORWARDS
Brandon Dubinsky ($4.200m) / Brad Richards ($6.666m) / Marian Gaborik ($7.500m)
Wojtek Wolski ($3.800m) / Derek Stepan ($0.875m) / Ryan Callahan ($4.400m)
Michael Rupp ($1.500m) / Artem Anisimov ($1.875m) / Ruslan Fedotenko ($1.400m)
Sean Avery ($1.937m) / Brian Boyle ($1.700m) / Brandon Prust ($0.800m)
DEFENSEMEN
Marc Staal ($3.975m) / Daniel Girardi ($3.325m)
Ryan McDonagh ($1.300m) / Mike Sauer ($1.250m)
Michael Del Zotto ($1.087m) / Tim Erixon ($1.750m)
/ Steve Eminger ($0.750m)
GOALTENDERS
Henrik Lundqvist ($6.875m) / Martin Biron ($0.875m)
BUYOUTS: Chris Drury ($3.716m)
CARRY-OVER BONUS PENALTY: $527,000
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $62,085,334; BONUSES: $1,487,500
CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $2,214,666
Fedotenko can both sides.
Would it really be a surprise if Zuccarello returned to Europe after his contract expires next summer? There were rumors last fall about Zuccarello returning to Sweden.
Trade Zuccarello for what? How much value does he have?
I thought those rumors were completely bunk, it was talking about how unhappy he was when a legitimate report a week before talked about how he had to work out his kinks to be an NHL player. I'd personally be surprised, seeing as how he's only 24.
It doesn't make much financial sense to carry Zuccarello as a spare forward with his $1.75M cap hit. The Rangers are taking a $527,000 cap penalty because Todd White sucked up $1M of space last season. The Rangers will be paying the price for White this season. Zuccarello is waiver exempt. Let him start out the season in the AHL. Let the cap hit become smaller. If Zuccarello needs to play a game or two with the Rangers in case of an injury,bring him up and sent him back to the AHL.
The Rangers don't have much cap space to waste. $3,716,667 for Drury's buyout. $527,000 for bonuses from last season. $4,243,667.
Which one was the forwards is Zuccarello supplanting?
CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR
FORWARDS
Brandon Dubinsky ($4.200m) / Brad Richards ($6.666m) / Marian Gaborik ($7.500m)
Wojtek Wolski ($3.800m) / Derek Stepan ($0.875m) / Ryan Callahan ($4.400m)
Michael Rupp ($1.500m) / Artem Anisimov ($1.875m) / Ruslan Fedotenko ($1.400m)
Sean Avery ($1.937m) / Brian Boyle ($1.700m) / Brandon Prust ($0.800m)
DEFENSEMEN
Marc Staal ($3.975m) / Daniel Girardi ($3.325m)
Ryan McDonagh ($1.300m) / Mike Sauer ($1.250m)
Michael Del Zotto ($1.087m) / Tim Erixon ($1.750m)
/ Steve Eminger ($0.750m)
GOALTENDERS
Henrik Lundqvist ($6.875m) / Martin Biron ($0.875m)
BUYOUTS: Chris Drury ($3.716m)
CARRY-OVER BONUS PENALTY: $527,000
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $62,085,334; BONUSES: $1,487,500
CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $2,214,666
Fedotenko can both sides.
Would it really be a surprise if Zuccarello returned to Europe after his contract expires next summer? There were rumors last fall about Zuccarello returning to Sweden.
Trade Zuccarello for what? How much value does he have?
Get rid of Wolski and stick Zucc in there. That saves us $2,000,000 right then and there. Zucc was at a 0.5ppg pace his first season in the NHL. If he can just get a bit stronger on the puck and the play alongside the board I wouldn't be too suprised if he'd eventually become a ppg (or close to ppg) player in the league. He IS that talented and I definitely believe that if the Rangers have patience with him he'll be a much better player than Wolski. I know he's a RW, but afaik, he played a lot LW in Sweden as well and didn't have any problems with that.
Other than that, I absolutely love the look of that roster. Exciting times.
Fact is, if anyone desperately needed to drastically improve their skating, it is Zuccarello.
Guys that small need to get around the ice faster then anyone else, and they need to win races to pucks because they're not overpowering anyone to get it.
I don't believe Zuccarello will last long in the NHL. But id love to be wrong.
And Thomas has everything to do with Zuccarello. Why would the Rangers carry two child sized players on their roster?
Thomas can do something Zuccarello can't... shoot the puck.
Thomas-Stepan combo looks good in theory. Same principle as Richards-Gaborik. Same handed shooter and passer, quick shot off the rush.
Basicly it says that Zuc, EC and Wolski are on the block...
Anyone else heard about this ?
Sorry if I'm out of line starting a thread about this, so I hope it doesn't turn ugly..
Norway out...
If he goes for a good return cool..While I like the kid,im not sold on him to be honest....He in no means is going to be a building block to help this team get a cup.He is expendable.
In 42gp, adjusting to NA hockey, NHL sized rinks, bigger, and faster players. He still managed better than .5pp/g. He is a tenacious and he is willing to forecheck, what guys like St. Louis, Gionta, Fluery, and Recchi all have over him is that they've been playing NA hockey their whole lives, he hasn't, He's still figuring out the corner work. That doesn't mean he doesn't go in and that doesn't mean he can't learn.
As a 2nd year player, if he can build on that .5ppg pace he'd be a solid NHL player. He's a BIG unknown this year.
That said, I see him and and Wolski fighting for the same spot and there is only so many cap dollars. Next year they are both UFAs and I expect there needs to be a space for Kreider.
i dont think they will either, especially not till they give him a chance to show what he can do in camp.
Not to mention that once the the season starts, injuries and deficiencies might drive worth for the said players.
On the flipside, in wizard of oz terms: If Zucc improves his strength and skating,
if WW comes to camp with the drive of a calahan, if Christensen receives a new heart, then all of the sudden, we have players worth developing further.
I have nothing against the kid at all and deffinatly see the potential but thats just it, potential, plus his stature doesn't equate well in our system if he's not a 40g+ potential threat like Thomas is considered down the line.
And no, I don't see Thomas sticking around past his 9 games either unless he's a monster.
This leads me to believe Dale Weise gets the call like Sauer did last year.
Now, I know he didn't go crazy in his 10 games last year, but showed promis and when he went back down to the A he was a even more competative player then usual. His big frame and sandpaper game translate well to our team philosphy, & Gordie Clarke still speaks highly of him calling him an asset with great tools in every facet of the game comparing him in his own words to Callahan. I think he does well in camp, goes down for a month or so and gets called up permenantly when the club decides they are better off with him as 3RW then Zucc's. And with last years rumor of Zucc's not being happy with HFT after being sent down after last years camp, I could see him quitly asking for a trade if sent down a 2nd year in a row.
I know a good percent of you guys don't see any value in Weise but the kids good at what he does and accepts that he'll never be a 1st/2nd line guy and has already decided to be the best 3rd line guy he can be and is gunning for a make or break camp. His scoring stats in the AHL arn't to shabby either.
