In agreement. My least favorite players on the Wolf Pack/Whale have been the heavyweights who can't skate and only fight. They're just a bore and detract from the team. Find a guy who can protect his team and skate a bit.
how about a kid like Andrew Yogan who just got called up???? what i also never understood is why NHL teams give NHL contracts to certain players that have no future in the NHL....guys like Newbury, Chappell etc. heck Chappell was in the ECHL most of his time with the NYR.... im a little scared though because Yogan and Chappell had the same type of stats in their last year of Juniors..
how about a kid like Andrew Yogan who just got called up???? what i also never understood is why NHL teams give NHL contracts to certain players that have no future in the NHL....guys like Newbury, Chappell etc. heck Chappell was in the ECHL most of his time with the NYR.... im a little scared though because Yogan and Chappell had the same type of stats in their last year of Juniors..
Well, each team can have up to 50 contracts. Pretty much everyone has a few openings each year, so they take a gamble on some of the UDFAs out there. You may end up with Dan Girardi or Matt Read, or you may end up with Chris Chappell.
So reading this thread 2 things become pretty clear
1) A lot of Rangers fans should take up watching boxing or MMA. Like 75% of the posts are about McIlrath and his fighting. Seems like that's bigger concern to many people than his defense.
2) Seems like a few people are rooting for Kreider to fail, judging by the venom at anyone that tries to explain his poor stats in a positive light.
how about a kid like Andrew Yogan who just got called up???? what i also never understood is why NHL teams give NHL contracts to certain players that have no future in the NHL....guys like Newbury, Chappell etc. heck Chappell was in the ECHL most of his time with the NYR.... im a little scared though because Yogan and Chappell had the same type of stats in their last year of Juniors..
Don't think Yogan is that kind of heavyweight, exactly. Would rather see him develop his skills.
McIlrath IMO can handle most guys--Brett Gallant for instance is a legit tough guy. It's just the bigger guys who have been doing it for years have built up their strength, punching power and fighting know how. McIntyre, Rechlicz, Trevor Gillies, Mirasty, Yablonski etc. suck as players but they can hurt someone real bad. I wouldn't want to see Dylan go through what Michael Sauer is going through now. He's too valuable a prospect to get wasted over a career minor league goon. These guys usually search out each other but on any given night if no comparable player is available very often they'll look for the next best thing. Dylan is going to get stronger and smarter as a fighter himself (barring getting seriously hurt) given time. Right now he's not on that kind of level. The other night when we were playing Wilkes Barre--there's Steve McIntyre in the lineup. It's something to think about.
Interesting point about Sauer. He dropped the gloves often early in his AHL career. A lot of guys did, to be honest. Brandon Dubinsky was once a "fighter" at this level. It helps some guys stick. I think they're eager as kids to rough it up in this league as well.
So reading this thread 2 things become pretty clear
1) A lot of Rangers fans should take up watching boxing or MMA. Like 75% of the posts are about McIlrath and his fighting. Seems like that's bigger concern to many people than his defense.
2) Seems like a few people are rooting for Kreider to fail, judging by the venom at anyone that tries to explain his poor stats in a positive light.
If you'd been reading some of the reports about his play though--posters have been saying he's been playing very good defense especially backing up Gilroy who is getting caught up the ice a lot and keeping in mind that Dylan is a first year pro and just back from a serious knee injury. The Rangers have plenty of skill on their back line--they don't have a real mean edge though apart from Stu Bickel--a player a lot of posters here don't like. McIlrath seems to have enough skill but even so skill isn't everything.
So reading this thread 2 things become pretty clear
1) A lot of Rangers fans should take up watching boxing or MMA. Like 75% of the posts are about McIlrath and his fighting. Seems like that's bigger concern to many people than his defense.
2) Seems like a few people are rooting for Kreider to fail, judging by the venom at anyone that tries to explain his poor stats in a positive light.
I don't know, with the concussion epedemic in hockey and McI dropping the gloves at a one time per game pace, it is kind of an issue.
1. LOL at Rissmiller... just LOL
2. Someone wake up Jim Shoenfeld... Teams left and right are signing players (Paul Mara with the Houston Aeros etc.) and he is doing nothing (so far)... Have another donut Jim!
The NHL is still on lockout so there's no official transactions to be made at this point.
The Whale don't play until Saturday so there's certainly no reason why Kreider and Gilroy can't go up and practice with the rest of the Rangers if they have the blessing of the Hartford management (who take their orders from Rangers management so basically the Rangers are just saying "sure they can go practice with the Rangers players, we're ok with that)
I'm sure Kreider will be "called up" as soon as the CBA is ratified by the players and camp starts. I expect Gilroy to get a tryout rather than a straight up contract but we'll see
So reading this thread 2 things become pretty clear
1) A lot of Rangers fans should take up watching boxing or MMA. Like 75% of the posts are about McIlrath and his fighting. Seems like that's bigger concern to many people than his defense.
Who told you that his defense was bad? Seems like the anti-McIlrath posts are all setting up strawmen: "You just like him because he fights, but I don't like him because he's bad." This is false. Nobody goes around pimping Noreau, who's almost as good a fighter, but he doesn't skate as well and isn't as good, so nobody is saying he's the next Beukeboom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnowblindNYR
2) Seems like a few people are rooting for Kreider to fail, judging by the venom at anyone that tries to explain his poor stats in a positive light.
Nobody wants him to fail. It's just that some people are so desperate for us to get a big, fast, scoring forward that they are willing to overlook everything.
The explanations you are giving in a positive light is simply not believable. The idea that he plays better with better players does not hold as much water as the idea that he's a slacker who never keeps up the energy for a long-term.
He can come into a tournament, bust his @$$ there and produce results over a half a dozen to a dozen games. But as soon as he's in it for the long-haul, he starts to fumble.
The concern with Kreider seems to be that he's a much better sprinter than marathon runner. The hope is that Torts can whip him into shape and force him to compete on a daily basis for 8 months at a time.
I don't know, with the concussion epedemic in hockey and McI dropping the gloves at a one time per game pace, it is kind of an issue.
It's not an epidemic of concussions, it's just that they are being diagnosed now. In prior years, a player would be told, "Don't be a pu$$y, take an advil for your headache and go play."
An injured brain was not viewed in the same sense as an injured leg was.
So Kreider is back in NY... interesting.. nothing on the transaction page yet or any other info...
Gilroy is up in NY too! (nice pic lol, looks lost already hahahahahaha)
nothing on the transaction page because the lockout isn't over and the rangers haven't officially recalled them. right now they are basically just skating with a group of friends in nyc
It's not an epidemic of concussions, it's just that they are being diagnosed now. In prior years, a player would be told, "Don't be a *****, take an advil for your headache and go play."
An injured brain was not viewed in the same sense as an injured leg was.
It's a combination of the two. They're being recognized, diagnosed and treated better than ever before, but due to the increased speed, strength and physicality of the players I think they're occurring with greater frequency.
I don't worry about McIlrath. It's somewhat of a concern, I guess, but that's the gamble you take when you draft a guy like him.
It's a combination of the two. They're being recognized, diagnosed and treated better than ever before, but due to the increased speed, strength and physicality of the players I think they're occurring with greater frequency.
I don't worry about McIlrath. It's somewhat of a concern, I guess, but that's the gamble you take when you draft a guy like him.
Totally agree. I guess in game (playing) concussions are bound to increase due to the basic physics equation of: greater speed x greater size x same brain mass = greater damage to head . Even if equipment is somewhat better.
Otoh the same might be applicable to fighting as the goon squad players are also stronger/bigger now than 20 years ago as well. No?
Don't think Yogan is that kind of heavyweight, exactly. Would rather see him develop his skills.
If Yoggi ever wants to play in the NHL, he'd be wise to re-fashion himself into a middleweight fighter.
He's in a way like Kreider, but not as good at anything: decent skater, good size, good shot, can't create opportunities to save a life.
If he learns to fight, he could have a career similar to Darren Langdon, who played 500+ games over 10.5 seasons. Langdon was not huge, but was a very skilled fighter, knowing how to do the little things in a fight to wear down the opponent and prevent him from throwing punches. When given the opportunity, he was able to shoot well enough to get some pucks in the net. Yoggi is a better skater than Langdon, so he could definitely become a middleweight 4th liner if he learns to fight well. Otherwise, there's no NHL future for him.
Need to give Yogan some time. Could be a 3rd liner that can put up some goals or could bust altogether. He knows how to fight but don't see him ever being on Langer's level fighting wise.
In the AHL or NHL? I just don't see 3rd line NHL potential from him. He has a half-decent shot and good size, but not much of anything else.
I'd like to see where he is at the end of next season in the A. If there's no progression, then there's not much of a shot at the 4th line in the NHL. Maybe that shot and size can turn into something, maybe not.
Yogan skates fine for his size and plays hard. He can play the boards and work in front. No reason he can't become a Brian Boyle type, if he continues to develop. If he stagnates he could still see time as a plug on the fourth line. He's a fourth round pick, so if he even sniffs the NHL that's a success.
Yogan skates fine for his size and plays hard. He can play the boards and work in front. No reason he can't become a Brian Boyle type, if he continues to develop. If he stagnates he could still see time as a plug on the fourth line. He's a fourth round pick, so if he even sniffs the NHL that's a success.
Yep. I think the most important thing right now is to be patient and let him develop at his own pace. He has the upside of being a Troy Brouwer type. A guy who can bounce between any of the lines and be effective. I think we'll see him in NY over the next couple of years.
Yogan skates fine for his size and plays hard. He can play the boards and work in front. No reason he can't become a Brian Boyle type, if he continues to develop. If he stagnates he could still see time as a plug on the fourth line. He's a fourth round pick, so if he even sniffs the NHL that's a success.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trxjw
Yep. I think the most important thing right now is to be patient and let him develop at his own pace. He has the upside of being a Troy Brouwer type. A guy who can bounce between any of the lines and be effective. I think we'll see him in NY over the next couple of years.
Completely agreed. By no means is he a lock to be a player, but I think we are all guilty (myself included) of drawing way too many conclusions (about way too many things) from 30-40% of an AHL season that is completely skewed due to the uneven infusion of NHL talent.
Let's let things normalize and give them some time and then revisit.
. Even if equipment is somewhat better. 
are also stronger/bigger now than 20 years ago as well. No?
