Rangers Analysis: The Competition on Defense

Good article Joe.

My thoughts for the last 3 spots:

I do think Gilroy will make it for the reasons you mentioned above and this is the last year of his contract so I m sure the team wants to see what he can do this season.

I think McDonagh is pretty much a lock to make the team at this point. I m confused about his weight. So far I read that he weights 228, 222 and now 217. What is it?!?!

Valentenko- I love the way he plays and his attitude, but he has has only played a handful of games the last two years and I have a feeling he will be sent to Hartford to mature, develop his game, get back up to speed and WILL be on the Rangers next year.

Sauer-I think overall he is a decent 5th or 6th dman, but we have guys better then him and there is no room for him. I feel bad for Sauer, because he is definitely good enough to play on an NHL team and he battled really hard to come back from all his injuries, At this point the best thing would be to trade him so he can start his NHL career elsewhere and get something decent in return.

Eminger-I believe he will make it as the 7th dman. There is no point in Valentenko, McDonagh or Sauer playing that role because they need to play more to develop, grow as players and get experience. Eminger already has already done all of that and is just the right veteran presence we need as a 7th d. I also think Sather would prefer to play him considering he was acquired by trade.

Had to come in and make the roster decisions harder.
/sarcasm

I think this competition is great. I think the org is higher on McD than Tenk, but it’s hard to ignore the surface level qualities that Tenk brings like his shot and his physical game. McD seems like his effectiveness will be measured by how much you won’t notice he’s on the ice, meaning that he’ll quietly diffuse the opposition and mix in an occasional big hit.

Either way the “loser” of this decision needs to log heavy amounts of ice time in HFD rather than languish as a 7th D in the NHL.

I don’t think Valatenko has any shot to make the team. I just think the coaching staff is unfamiliar with him and want a longer look to evaluate him.

They’re showcasing either Sauer or Valentenko as part of a trade to clear some excess players?

Staal-Girardi
MDZ-Rozsival
McDonagh-Gilroy
7th: Eminger

Not saying that those will be the defensive partners, but each pair listed above has one right-handed and one left-handed defenseman.

I have loved what I have seen from Pavel Valentenko, but his game is still a little raw, I like the nasty in his game but if the 22 year old plays another year in the AHL (he played 8 games last year with Dynamo Moscow, and only 61 games the previous two years for the Hamilton Bulldogs) in a more featured role he might very well benefit from it.

Mike Sauer a tricky decision, someone brought up the point that he would make a great 7th defenseman because of his injury problems and he hasn’t looked too out of place in his preseason games. While this is true, it would leave Eminger without a seat and give us very few options with him. I think Mike Sauer may find that when the music stops on the defenseman race he and Valentenko are going to be without chairs and he might be a good candidate to be moved elsewhere.

Matt Gilroy is going to make this team, he was a great pick up (perhaps overpaid but the Rangers clearly wanted him badly) and has looked pretty damn good this preseason. I have never really understood the flack he catches here on BSB, perhaps if his numbers were more like Del Zotto’s, or if he was bigger and took the body more he wouldn’t be questioned quite as much. The Matt Gilroy from last year was promising but not great, and maybe a questionable choice for our top six (though we didn’t have much depth behind him did we?). But he has worked hard to get bigger, stronger, and faster this offseason and has taken steps to avoid hitting that wall in the third quarter of the season. I think Matt Gilroy is a keeper, as Nick says he has great talent… he had a few plays last year that only a few defensemen around the league can try. He is a great skater and wasn’t shy about shooting the puck, something the blueline needs desperately.

I want Gilroy on this team. I’m of the opinion that if they go with Staal, Girardi, Rozsival, Del Zotto, McDonagh, Gilroy and Valentenko, with Sauer first man up from the Whalepack, I will live with the young player mistakes.

As long as Valentenko is being rotated into the lineup enough so that he doesn’t stagnate. Mickey D, Gilroy, and Del Zotto will all at some point need games in the skybox, so I see no reason why the Rangers can’t play matchups with these guys and get everyone playing time.

I’m saying no to Eminger, let’s live and die with the whippersnappers.

Like DJ Wuss and a couple others, I’m not sold on Gilroy. But I’m also not sold on
Del Zotto from a defensive standpoint. I know he’s a lock, and I don’t want to divert this thread away from its focus, but is it possible that Ranger fans overrate him?

I like him, and I see a ton of potential, but I see some poor decision making in his own end and his +/- last year was atrocious.

Not worried either, just saying he has to start whittling away at that 20 +/ rating.
(I think he will.)

if i had to pick 7 from what is left i the obvious 4 (staal, girardi, mdz, rozi) with gilroy, mcD and sauer as the 7.

to me losing eminger is no loss, valentenko needs a year of just playing games not sitting in the press box and sauer has enough time down there, but with him the question was this system and injuries. Being a 7 will hopefully limit the injuries and he has shown to this point in camp he can be solid in the system. He gets a big chance tonight playing with Staal. Another reason for me is I dont see how Sauer gets through waivers, so either he is on the club or i think we have to move him rather than losing him for nothing.