If Stralman stays in the NHL, he should be brought back here. He's a perfect 5/6 for this team. He adds some punch to the backline offensively and is solid in his own end. He's a type of player Torts will trust on the bottom pairing as he was in the top 4 before Staal returned. I like the idea of him sticking with this team.
Bickel needs to be the 7/8th D on this team. Good guy, decent player, but not for this team as a regular. Too many holes in his game to be a NHL regular.
Would not mind standing pat on defense with Erixon making the jump to the 3rd pairing. Bring someone in to compete with Stralman and Erixon for icetime. Not Eminger or Woywitka. Someone that could actually give those players a run for their money for a spot.
He certainly did not. This is a list of the bottom 17 skaters in ice time per game during the playoffs. No coach in the league played a player for so little minutes yet so many games.
The Kings' #6 defenseman averaged 14:28 in the playoffs, even with Doughty playing 26 minutes a game, around the same amount Girardi played. Harrold on NJ averaged 15:31.
The Sauer injury woes this season coupled with the fact that Sather didn't acquire a veteran defenseman at the deadline was one of the factors that hurt the Rangers at the end. Girardi and McDonagh were gassed.
Yea we need to continue improving the defense. That's for sure.
Put me in the camp of liking Stralman. I thought he was very very solid for us. Bickel can be shown the door, but I keep Stralman on the bottom pair for sure, unless we sign Schultz.
You know, the Gaborik injury would be the perfect opportunity to give Zuccarello an extended look on RW for the 1st half of the season. If he plays well, he could build up value, and either become an important offensive asset, or at least build up trade value that could be used at the deadline. If he doesn't play well, he could be allowed to leave.
Put me down in the "Keep Stralman" column. I thought he played well for us and he is a right handed shot. He is a good fit on our 3rd pairing who if need be can play in the top 4. He gave our PP a little bit of a jolt, he's got a good shot. I like what he brought in... plus he'll probably be a lot cheaper than some of the alternatives out there. Obviously, if we can get Suter/Weber that's a way better option but I don't see that happen. We could do a lot worse than a d-corps of Girardi, McDonagh, Staal, DelZotto, Stralman, Erixon, Eminger/Vet/Surprise
Most would probably say no, but thats actually not a bad idea... He'd provide a steady vet influence on a 3rd pair if he'd take a reasonable 1 year deal. I thought he played very well for Pho during the playoffs...
I thought I was going to come off as crazy when I came on here to make that proposal.
Rozy wouldn't be such a bad idea actually; he's a veteran righty, he knows the system and has played with pretty much everyone on the team before (in fact, I seem to recall Staal - Roszival being a common D pairing, during the Renney years I think). He wouldn't be all that expensive either.
so i guess there is no way that bickel can get better? i think hes fine as the 6th or 7th dman.
I agree. Bickel was a good find this year as a #6. He can still improve and I would keep him. Why is the grasser always greener elsewhere. Somebody else's #6 is alwys so much better than ours. Let's go overpay.....
Any chance they could get Rozsival back on the cheap for next year? Couldn't be too bad right?
You must be kidding. How soon we forget the nightly boos. So we boo the **** out of Rozival to the point he is useless and we have to trade him and now you want him back to replace Bickel. Why wasn't Bickel booed nightly during the season when he got some minutes?
I thought I was going to come off as crazy when I came on here to make that proposal.
Rozy wouldn't be such a bad idea actually; he's a veteran righty, he knows the system and has played with pretty much everyone on the team before (in fact, I seem to recall Staal - Roszival being a common D pairing, during the Renney years I think). He wouldn't be all that expensive either.
Does everyone forget how most wanted to trade him for a bag of pucks? Geeeez. He can't handle NY, period.
Its very simple why bickel wasn't booed...he's physical. Rangers fans love that. He hits, he fights, he's "younger" than Rosie. I never booed Rosie when he was here.
Its very simple why bickel wasn't booed...he's physical. Rangers fans love that. He hits, he fights, he's "younger" than Rosie. I never booed Rosie when he was here.
Maybe you didn't but most did. And there was some justification for the boos.
Why can't we develop from within? Keep getting improvement from young guys and plug them in as serviceable. WQith Girardi, Staal, McDonough alwyas getting major minutes, we need another for the second pair. The third pair will get 10 minutes a night. We shouldn't get crazy and overspend for a 10 minute defensemen. Save your money for someone who can skate and score.
Most would probably say no, but thats actually not a bad idea... He'd provide a steady vet influence on a 3rd pair if he'd take a reasonable 1 year deal. I thought he played very well for Pho during the playoffs...
Can't wait for the bring back Redden thread. He was suppose to be the powerplay quarterback.
Perhaps pair him with Rozival. Then when people boo, the coaches can always tell each guy they are booing his partner.
You must be kidding. How soon we forget the nightly boos. So we boo the **** out of Rozival to the point he is useless and we have to trade him and now you want him back to replace Bickel. Why wasn't Bickel booed nightly during the season when he got some minutes?
Bickel doesn't get booed because he goons it up once in a while...doesn't matter that he's a far worse/less efficient player than Rozsival.
We're going to let the fans dictate personnel moves now? Cause the ones that booed a good soldier like Rozsival are know-nothings. He'd be a solid addition on a cheap deal.
Maybe you didn't but most did. And there was some justification for the boos.
Why can't we develop from within? Keep getting improvement from young guys and plug them in as serviceable. WQith Girardi, Staal, McDonough alwyas getting major minutes, we need another for the second pair. The third pair will get 10 minutes a night. We shouldn't get crazy and overspend for a 10 minute defensemen. Save your money for someone who can skate and score.
That's what we should spend $$$ on, skating and scoring. I agree that really we don't need much D... maybe a replacement for Bickel and/or Stralman if he goes home. But thats 5/6/7 dman sorta stuff, not 1 or 2. Save our bulk payments for some scoring
How is Bickel fine? When the coach doesn't trust to put you on the ice for more than 5 minutes in a triple OT game, you're not fine.
I'll repeat, they can't enter next season with both Bickel and Stralman in the line up every game.
I disagree. They can enter the seaon with both of them in the line up, as long as they're confident that Erixon is ready to replace Bickel at some point, hopefully early on. Bickel had some stretches of really good play during the regular season, and for the most part was better than Eminger.
I think if they enter the playoffs with Bickel on the roster, that's trouble.
You know, the Gaborik injury would be the perfect opportunity to give Zuccarello an extended look on RW for the 1st half of the season. If he plays well, he could build up value, and either become an important offensive asset, or at least build up trade value that could be used at the deadline. If he doesn't play well, he could be allowed to leave.
Zuccarello got an extended look. Where was everyone when he played nearly half the season his first year here????
Ugh. Rozi? Are you serious? There's a reason all we could get for him was Wolski. He's freaking awful.
He wasn't awful in Phoenix, but I'm not sure why anyone would bring him up. He's old, has a high cap hit and got hurt in the final game of the Coyotes season.
yea bad idea with Rozy. I like Straman being back hopefully. I think they need just 1 Vet Dman via Free Agency
McD, Girarid, Staal, DZ are locks, then Stralman and have Erixon and McIlrath battle for a spot..........then the vet UFA and pray Sauer can come back
IMO We can't go into the season relying on Erixon/McIlrath to fill the 6 spot, because one injury happens and we're right back where we started with an Erixon-McIlrath pair as our bottom pair. You think that pair would play significant minutes in the playoffs? Additionally, you're not taking handedness into account. Stralman and Del Zotto looked like crap on the right side. Someone on the left side needs to be traded, whether it's for a RD or a top forward.
If it's an UFA vet plus Schultz on the right side, that sounds good. Then Erixon and McIlrath are in waiting in Hartford. THAT is the depth we need if we want to go far.
That's what we should spend $$$ on, skating and scoring. I agree that really we don't need much D... maybe a replacement for Bickel and/or Stralman if he goes home. But thats 5/6/7 dman sorta stuff, not 1 or 2. Save our bulk payments for some scoring
You can argue that our defense being gassed was what cost us a chance to get to the finals. Just look at the number of turnovers in the first series and as the playoffs wore on.
We are at our best when we're not making mistakes and forcing the other team to. The Turnover/Giveaway ratio in the Jersey series was awful from what I remember.
It'd be foolish to ignore it or throw a bandaid on it.
I think they can improve scoring by getting rid of some of the depth at LD (McDonagh, Staal, Del Zotto, Stralman, Erixon) and fix RD in free agency (Schultz, Dennis Wideman, Pavel Kubina, Kurtis Foster)
Last edited by RangerFan10: 06-17-2012 at 12:49 PM.
