Zherdev a Flyer
by suddendeath on Jul 7, 2010 2:28 PM EDT
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PrintReports out of Russia indicate that Nik Zherdev has signed a contract with the Flyers. Not many sources out on this, but a couple of Russian bloggers are saying it's a done deal.
Anyone have any info on this?
I loved him when he was with the Rangers...well, right up till the point when he decided he did not want to try anymore. He has a lot of skill though and could be very dangerous if he stays focused.
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i wouldnt say good because when he wants to be, he is one of the most skilled player on the ice. teamed up with one the centers they have in philly he could be a pain in our ass for years. that being said i dont want him here as he is to frustrating to watch.
i also have no clue how this report can be true as philly was literally up to the cap and would have to make serious move to accomodate the money he was asking us for last offseason.
by BronxBeliever on Jul 7, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
They’re planning to move Gagne, so they’re wiling to be over the cap at this point. The guys over at Puck Daddy confirmed the signing earlier this afternoon (Although their source was Russian media):
The Flyers just love our sloppy seconds don’t they…
eh...
I still say good.
You think Torts had a problem with Zherdev..wait till Laviolette gets him.
KEEP LEE!!!
though unrelated to to zherdev…a similar thing has got me pissed.
PA Parenteau going to the Islanders….
idk if im the only one that thinks this is unfortunate…but maybe so seeing that this happened almost a week ago already now.
any thoughts?
by Master Ov Brutality on Jul 7, 2010 3:41 PM EDT reply actions
PA’s a fringe NHL’er…he made a splash early but he was still way over his head at the NHL level. It’s not a big loss. He’ll likely get time on a young team, so it’s a good move for him, but nobody should really bemoan his loss.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Jul 7, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw PA play in Hartford more then a few times. He was real good for the AHL. I think, given the chance, he definitely could be a 3rd liner on a lot of teams today. I also understand he was great to the fans that met him. I hope he does well even on the Island.
I’m not against loosing PA at all… I did wonder why we didn’t try bringing him up earlier last year. Similar to the question as to why we did not use Lisen or AA as much as I thought we should. Which ties back to Zherdef… I liked him allot, but he just seemed like he could easily turn on his talent but often wouldn’t. If he came back I’m guessing he’d be in Tort’s dog house and would likely be ineffective.
There is a reason PA made his NHL debut at age 27 and only as an injury call up. He just isn’t good enough to hold an NHL roster spot. I am actually happy he’s gone so people can stop calling for him to be moved to the big club. It gets annoying after a while.(not pointed at anybody specific) PA is not NHL material.
by CrazyRangerFan on Jul 8, 2010 3:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Zherdev is garbage, enjoy his gutless pusillanimity. They’ll run him out of Philly by the trading deadline.
Prole art threat.
Aportzline
Zherdev to Flyers is almost a done deal; could be final as soon as tonight. Gotta say, the former #CBJ LW seems an odd fit in Philly.
u guys can trash zherdev all you want, but even with “not playing the last 3rd of the season and giving up” he still put up 60 points an a subpar team..
just waitt ill hes paired with richards and briere or something.. hell be very dangerous
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
not to mention playing with a tough group of players and him not having to worry about being picked on… could be a big yr for him. im very intrigued what the figures will be
by BronxBeliever on Jul 7, 2010 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
+100000000 everyone forgets that he led our team in points when basically shoved into the spot to replace Jagr when he clearly is not a number scorer for any NHL team. Yet he lived up to the task and achieved realistic goals if not surpassed them with the team that we had. He would thrive with other players with skill around him.
by CrazyRangerFan on Jul 8, 2010 3:12 AM EDT up reply actions
i
i dont think many people realize how bad this signing can be for the rangers…he probably signed for cheap cuz the flyers have no cap room…and zherdev will playing with some talented centermen (richards, girioux, carter)…i think him and giroux would be a nasty combo just cuz both are amazingly slick and creative…and with their defense so amazingly good zherdev does not have to focus on defense as much….look i completely despise the flyers…but they are making some great decisions (besides not getting a goalie but thats another story)…the rangers are gonna be tied with the islanders as the worst team in the atlantic
zherdev a 2nd/3rd line player?
you go find me a 3rd line player who puts up 60 points.
a 60 point player in unquestionably a 1st line player
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
Zherdev is garbage, I’ll say it again….he has no heart at all. The bigger the situation, the smaller he gets. Can’t anyone remember how crappy he was when he played here? He scored ONE big goal all year, and it was in the first month of the season against Pittsburgh. Go watch tape of him in the playoffs that year….he was the worst player on the ice for the Rangers in every playoff game that year, he was too nervous to even handle the puck without immediately turning it over.
How can people be fooled so easily? Zherdev doesn’t care about winning. This guy doesn’t play hard, and he disappears against top-level competition. I can’t wait to see Avery or Prust crush him next season.
Prole art threat.
All that means is you don’t build around Z (like we were and would be trying to do). He’s a bit piece in PHI, he’ll get to play against 3rd liners (maybe 2nds) and he’ll probably have a pretty good year because he’s much better than that competition. They won’t need him in big spots, because they have other players much better equipped to handle those spots.
I agree completely that he is not a fit for the 2010 Rangers. He played much better under Renney than Tortorella (because Renney better understands line matching), and he would not be the same player here that he likely will be in PHI.
However, he is still a 50-60 point guy on a team missing scoring, so it’s understandable that fans are lamenting not getting him back.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Jul 8, 2010 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Here’s Zherdev’s playoff stats with the NY Rangers:
7 games
0 goals
0 assists
3 +/ in 12:33 of ice time/game
12 shots
The Rangers were outscored 19-11 by the Caps in the 7-game series; Zherdev’s 3 rating for the series pretty much says it all about how well he played during that series. Zherdev also didn’t make the Russian olympic team either, probably because they know his secret-Nik Zherdev doesn’t care about winning or losing, and shrinks under the hot lights of big-time hockey.
Stats can only tell the partial measure of a player….you can’t quantify heart and soul, but it’s easy to see who’s got heart and who doesn’t when you watch a team for 82 games. He was a no-impact embarrassment to the franchise in the 08-09 playoffs. Philly deserves him.
Prole art threat.
by greifi griffie on Jul 8, 2010 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Pretty sure I said I agree we don’t need him.
What I did say, stats or not (and other than his pt total, i didn’t use stats…don’t assume I’m always arguing numbers just because 95% I am)…. there’s a big difference between playing as the “go-to-guy” (like he failed for us, as you’ve shown) and being the 4th or 5th option on a team fairly loaded up front, behind Briere, Richards, Carter, and probably one of Giroux/JVR, most of whom can handle the big moments. If you don’t use Z in a big moment, it doesn’t matter how good he is in those spots, you can focus on his offensive gifts instead.
It’s similar to Drury in a way, with Col and Buf he was a 3rd/4th option. He was signed and paid here to be the 1st (or 1a/1b with Gomez). That’s not his role on a team. His 50 pts (before last year) as a 3rd fiddle to say, Gaborik and another 60+ guy, would be invaluable given the rest of his game.
Drury obv. has 100x heart than Z, but that’s not the focus of my point, while it was of yours.
Summarizing again…Zherdev for us = bad (despite the need for scoring). Zherdev for PHI = quite likely very good. And if he is pretty good, fans are going to bemoan losing him, it’s inevitable. Hell, Dawes is coming off a 14 goal season and some act like we traded Jari Kurri in his prime.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Jul 8, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Zherdev was 23 yrs old playing in his first playoffs ever and essentially being a go to guy on a team with zero talent level really. All of that creates an enormous amount of pressure and he failed under it. It means nothing now because he still has the skill and I feel if he came back to us for a cheap deal and played second line minutes with Prospal and whoever he would put up 60+ points again. But whatever we basically signed MZA to fill Zherdev’s would be spot essentially. He is going to shine in Philly and we are all going to regret not having him still but either way Im over it and ready to see what the MZA and the prospects have to offer. My point is Zherdev is going help that Philly team even more and make them just that more dangerous.
by CrazyRangerFan on Jul 8, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
damn strike lines. I’m sure you get my point, though, I keep saying it over and over.
Prole art threat.
I agree that Zherdev was horrible the last 20 games of the season and absolutely pathetic in the playoffs. All you had to do was brush up against him and he’d go down to the ice. Very soft, gutless player.
I don’t want him on my team but he’d probably do well in Philly to go with all those skilled fowards.
Hate to say it but Philly is a VERY deep team.
Lundqvist-Staal-MDZ-McDonagh-Krieder-Stepan-MZA-Cally-Dubi-Gabby-AA-Grachev-Prust
The core of the 2014 Stanley Cup winners!
I agree, Smurf— Zherdev is bad for the Rangers. I can’t see how anyone can argue that he is a good hockey player, though. Life requires more effort than coasting and relying on natural talent.
CrazyRangerFan seems to forget that Zherdev was already a five-year veteran by the time he played in the playoffs. Though he was 23-24 years old that year he had played in 365 NHL games. So the youth thing with Zherdev is massively exaggerated. In five years in a pro league a player should realize not only what is expected of his performance, but how to maintain consistency and effort every night. Z failed across the board. He’s an immature individual.
Prole art threat.
I can’t see how anyone can argue that he is a good hockey player, though. Life requires more effort than coasting and relying on natural talent.
He’s a good hockey player, I don’t believe there’s questioning that, his natural talent is enough to make him good. You just can’t score 60 pts in today’s NHL without at least being good.
The fact that he coasts and only relies on that talent is what is keeping him only “good” though. He’d likely be great if he tried (or matured). That he hasn’t could be deemed whatever adjective you want, depending on how passionately you feel your pro athletes need to care.
Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay
by George E. Ays on Jul 8, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Ok maybe the youth thing is a little exaggerated but either way I thought it would be smart to sign him to a low money 1 or 2 year deal, low risk high reward kinda thing. But whatever its done now and he’s going to have the opportunity to light it up in Philly. It just bothers me that everyone blasts him so hard. without him we probably would have came last in the league or close to it. He got zero credit for anything but he deserves at least something for exceeding any kind of realistic expectations in his time with us.
by CrazyRangerFan on Jul 8, 2010 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Exceeding expectations? Zherdev had 61 points the year before in Columbus…I’d say he was on his way to exceeding expectations (he had scored 20 goals by Feb. 1 2009 if my memory serves) but then he gave up and stopped trying. And for a guy who was counted on for offensive production in the playoffs he provided none. That is not the mark of a good player in my book but rather the mark of an immature, mentally soft spoiled brat of a hockey player.
And that’s why he’s hated by the NYR fanbase. Zherdev probably learned motivation from Alexei Kovalev…but then again, Kovalev is a Cup-winner who time after time with team after team played well in the playoffs….not really at all like our boy Nik.
Prole art threat.
dont forget his struggles came with the arrival of john tortorella. in my mind if tom renney was still the coach he would have finished the season with 70+ points and most likely would have done well in the playoffs..
i didnt say he would be good for our team. but trashing him and saying he isnt a good player is just foolish. when there isnt pressure on him in a place like philly where he can play on the 2nd or 3rd line, he will asolutely thrive.
think what you will, but if you pair him with any of briere VR richards carter girouz etc and their playing against redden and gilroy, they will eat us alive
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
When he put up 61 points in Columbus he had Rick Nash to put the puck in the net off his feeds. Personally he was a better passer than shooter and had nobody to pass to or even to receive passes from except Gomez but he is blasted by Ranger fan base as well. So yes I would say he exceeded expectations with the team that was around him. Anyway lets just agree to disagree on this one. I liked Zherdev still do and you obviously don’t.
by CrazyRangerFan on Jul 8, 2010 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
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