Wanting to move this kid is a ridiculous thought...the only young dman that has been rumored to be moved possibly that I'd move him for is E.Johnson. I mean lets not forget that this kid is 20 years old who last year was a good offensive presence and put up 37 points. Disappointment may not be easy to deal with but he is 20. Look at half the top offensive defenseman in this league and how their careers took off. Enstrom who is having his second good year is 26 and wasn't in the league till like 23. Liles same thing 23 or so, or Giordano is 27 only the past couple years started putting up numbers. Even Letang who got to learn from Gonchar is yes only 23 but is having his first 40+ point season and he has it easy passing the puck to Crosby or Malkin. I mean down years will happen seemingly to everyone not named Crosby. Just look at Ovechkin and Green.
Bottom line show him some patience even if has to take the next 3 seasons to get his game together completely and he becomes a 40+ dman who can qb a pp..thats having a tremendously important position locked up with a player who is only 23 years old!? Its not like he is going to get serious ice team he's already fallen to that 5,6,7 spot for our defense with the emergence of McD and Sauer.
In a perfect world I'd love to see them get a "Right Side" defenseman that is in that Gonchar/Kaberle type of mold although the assets for Kaberle are tricky and Gonchar is too expensive. To help tutor the young guy since who does he have to teach him? Unless you get Leetch to help him out quite a bit at practices. If only Kaberle played the right side then i'd offer a nice package for him because then we'd be set for a few years with
Staal - Girardi
McD - Kaberle
DZ - Sauer
He should be learning to play in AHL instead of losing value, confidence and points in the standings in NHL.
Simple. Del Zotto offers more than Gilroy in the average game. Gilroy will disappear in any type of physical game, like last night. It's pathetic, he's like a frightened kitten, possibly worse. And don't blame Del Zotto for that first goal, that was ALL on Gilroy's clumsiness and awful read. And on that 2nd play, where he took the penalty, it was a young mistake. The puck bounced over his stick. It happens. If you want players like Del Zotto to make an impact, you have to take the bad with the good. Also, you don't put your two biggest liabilities as a defensive pair. What is Tortorella thinking? What is Gilroy going to teach Del Zotto? How to avoid ANY type of physical contact no matter where you are on the ice? DZ should be paired with Sauer, McDonagh with Eminger. Sauer can cover DZ while he thinks about offense.
Simple. Del Zotto offers more than Gilroy in the average game. Gilroy will disappear in any type of physical game, like last night. It's pathetic, he's like a frightened kitten, possibly worse. And don't blame Del Zotto for that first goal, that was ALL on Gilroy's clumsiness and awful read. And on that 2nd play, where he took the penalty, it was a young mistake. The puck bounced over his stick. It happens. If you want players like Del Zotto to make an impact, you have to take the bad with the good. Also, you don't put your two biggest liabilities as a defensive pair. What is Tortorella thinking? What is Gilroy going to teach Del Zotto? How to avoid ANY type of physical contact no matter where you are on the ice? DZ should be paired with Sauer, McDonagh with Eminger. Sauer can cover DZ while he thinks about offense.
This is what has disturbed about the recent approach to MDZ...that pairing scares me every time they're on the ice.
the NYR are also 0-4-1 with MDZ in the lineup since we have brought him up, hint hint we have not won a game with him in the lineup, we win with Eminger in, so hopefully MDZ is scratched tomorrow and Eminger is back in
I posted this in the MDZ vs Hedman thread but since this is the active MDZ thread I just wanted to get a broader opinion on this piece.
Quote:
MDZ has quite a few years to go before I personaly consider him a bust. The only problem I have with him at this point, and it's beyond his control, and it's something I noticed last night vs. ATL. is that he is small which leads me to my next point.
If NYR Mgmt. decided to chose MDZ over John Carlson in the draft, I'm assuming due to his higher offensive upside as Carlson was/is more balanced between offence & defence, then why do they insist on making MDZ into a complete defenceman instead of playing him to his strength and pairing him with a stay at home stud like Staal or Girardi? Left or right side positioning aside.
If they had no intentions of letting him run wild when they drafted him and coincidentally like he did in the stellar 1st half of his rookie season, then shouldn't we have drafted Carlson instead?
Comparing MDZ to Hedman is like comparing apples to oranges in style of play, draft year, size.
MDZ & Carlson are both staying true to the path their Jr. careers took.
So are we miss using MDZ? Or would Carlson have been the better pick for our team concept?
Is it fair for NYR fans to critisize a 20yo MDZ? When the team is forcing a square peg in a round hole with him, so to speak.
Now this makes absolutely zero sense to me. There are three possible paths to take here with MDZ right now.
1)Let him develop at the NHL level.
2)Let him develop in the AHL
3)Keep him in the NHL as a healthy scratch
Of the three above, #3 is the most illogical and pointless option in my opinion. I don't understand the thinking behind this.
Why exactly are #1 and #3 separate? You can develop in the NHL while being a healthy scratch from time to time. Hell, many people were of the opinion last year that he needed to sometimes sit out...and he was having a lot more success then.
Simple. Del Zotto offers more than Gilroy in the average game. Gilroy will disappear in any type of physical game, like last night. It's pathetic, he's like a frightened kitten, possibly worse. And don't blame Del Zotto for that first goal, that was ALL on Gilroy's clumsiness and awful read. And on that 2nd play, where he took the penalty, it was a young mistake. The puck bounced over his stick. It happens. If you want players like Del Zotto to make an impact, you have to take the bad with the good. Also, you don't put your two biggest liabilities as a defensive pair. What is Tortorella thinking? What is Gilroy going to teach Del Zotto? How to avoid ANY type of physical contact no matter where you are on the ice? DZ should be paired with Sauer, McDonagh with Eminger. Sauer can cover DZ while he thinks about offense.
gilroy doesnt hurt the club the way that del zotto does.
Gilroy's a little wimpy and a little inconsistent, but I'd rather see Torts try to spin the Wheel Of Gilroy for the rest of the season than ice MDZ. Gilroy has had long stretches of good play lately and I don't think he's much below league average as a third pairing guy.
I don't know why Eminger's off the ice. I get the idea of having a period of exploration into what Del Zotto can do this year, but we need every game to make the playoffs.
the NYR are also 0-4-1 with MDZ in the lineup since we have brought him up, hint hint we have not won a game with him in the lineup, we win with Eminger in, so hopefully MDZ is scratched tomorrow and Eminger is back in
So MDZ is now officially the new Whipping boy huh? It's a little bit sad that he has regressed from last year, let's hope he just have one off and come back strong next!
So MDZ is now officially the new Whipping boy huh? It's a little bit sad that he has regressed from last year, let's hope he just have one off and come back strong next!
I don't think he is the new redden, or rozy, or malik, but he needs to get his game together in the ahl. I mean with redden or malik, ranger fans would offer to drive them to another team for a bag of pucks, MDZ is young and is quite inconsistent, but most of us believe he can and will turn it around if he gets his confidence back and plays in Hartford, not here and not now.
We need to either play MDZ with Eminger, or get a good 6th pairing veteran to play with him.
My take:
Giroy and Eminger didn't do a great job today. However, since the team won I suspect the pair will be back out there against the Kings.
The only reason MDZ is still with the club is his offensive potential on the PP.
The only reason MDZ is sitting is that he is currently considered the 7th best defensive, defenseman on the roster. If the PP improves without DZ then I see him back in the AHL. If the rangers trade for a vet, offensive defenseman then DZ is gone for the season.
I see just as many guys make the same mistakes he makes.
Anisimov has had horrible, putrid performances. Callahan has had games where he disappears. Dubinsky still takes stupid penalties and tries to stickhandle through 5 guys. Sauer and Macdonagh have been inconsistent the last two weeks. Dont even get me started on Gilroy.
Boyle is so weak on his skates, he gets knocked on his rear by Letang and Elias.
The losing streak had nothing to do with just Del Zotto. It was a collective effort. or lack thereof. The kid is having a rough season, but there is no better learning experience than being in the NHL -- scratch or playing. Being demoted doesnt work for everyone. A lot of times, it kills their confidence 10 times more than being benched for a 3rd priod of an NHL game.
Some of you "fans" make me sick. For years, especially during the lean years, everybody was SCREAMING for a rebuild and to only play kids.
Well, when you play kids, you get lapses. It's a learning experience. Richter let in 150-foot goals. Leetch couldnt defend a 2-on-1 or time a hip check for his life. Zubov was a disaster in 1995.
Just watch. Stepan will start off slow in 2012, cause a few giveaways and take dumb penalties, and then everybody on here will want him demoted or traded.
For the record, I'm bookmarking every anti-Del Zotto thread and remembering all the Negative Nancies for when Del Zotto is a bonafide NHL offensive d-man -- whether it be for the Rangers or not.
Take a look at the Sabres,Sens or Panthers board. You dont see anybody advocating getting rid of Myers, Karlsson or Kulikov, who are all having terrible sophomore years.
I see just as many guys make the same mistakes he makes.
Anisimov has had horrible, putrid performances. Callahan has had games where he disappears. Dubinsky still takes stupid penalties and tries to stickhandle through 5 guys. Sauer and Macdonagh have been inconsistent the last two weeks. Dont even get me started on Gilroy.
Boyle is so weak on his skates, he gets knocked on his rear by Letang and Elias.
The losing streak had nothing to do with just Del Zotto. It was a collective effort. or lack thereof. The kid is having a rough season, but there is no better learning experience than being in the NHL -- scratch or playing. Being demoted doesnt work for everyone. A lot of times, it kills their confidence 10 times more than being benched for a 3rd priod of an NHL game.
Some of you "fans" make me sick. For years, especially during the lean years, everybody was SCREAMING for a rebuild and to only play kids.
Well, when you play kids, you get lapses. It's a learning experience. Richter let in 150-foot goals. Leetch couldnt defend a 2-on-1 or time a hip check for his life. Zubov was a disaster in 1995.
Just watch. Stepan will start off slow in 2012, cause a few giveaways and take dumb penalties, and then everybody on here will want him demoted or traded.
For the record, I'm bookmarking every anti-Del Zotto thread and remembering all the Negative Nancies for when Del Zotto is a bonafide NHL offensive d-man -- whether it be for the Rangers or not.
Take a look at the Sabres,Sens or Panthers board. You dont see anybody advocating getting rid of Myers, Karlsson or Kulikov, who are all having terrible sophomore years.
I don't want him traded, I just want him to get some time in the minors to work on the fundamentals and his in zone play and outlet passes. He has been awful on the PP at times, refusing to shoot. I don't want him to turn into a Malhotra type, that is a serious fear.
I feel like he is being rushed and has no confidence now, and playing him with gilroy or eminger doesn't help mask any of his deficiencies. He should be playing with a solid veteran if anyone, not thrown to the wolves with gilroy, that is a set-up to fail. I know we have been screaming for a rebuild, but that doesn't mean I want to see younger players directly here and getting a free pass to play poorly and not be accountable. MDZ is not the sole reason we lost some games recently, but his poor play has certainly not helped the team or himself.
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