A closer look at Derek Stepan at the World Championships
by Kevin Power on May 9, 2011 10:01 PM EDT
Email
PrintAfter putting up a hat trick in his first career game against the Sabres all the way back in October, and finishing a stellar rookie campaign with 21 goals 24 assists for 45 points as well as being one of only 4 Rangers to play in all 82 games (a modern miracle for sure) Derek took the opportunity to play for Team USA in this years World Championships after the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Capitals.
Put on team USA's top line with Craig Smith and Blake Wheeler, Derek has been Team USA's best player by far with 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points including having a point in every game the US has played.
Derek has really taken advantage of the larger ice surface that allows him to fully show off his vision and passing abilities and his work along the half boards (Memo to Torts: Stepan along the left wing half boards is where needs to be on the PP...if he's on the point, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur) has picked apart lesser teams and has given the Americans a chance in the offensive zone against the bigger, more talented teams.
Now does this mean that Step is our first line center next season? Absolutely not, this is a team USA featuring Blake Wheeler and Craig Smith (who is still in Wisconsin) as Step's first line wingers. But if Step could play like this next season then he is solidifying his spot as our number two center.
His faceoffs have seemed to improved as well, I can't find the numbers to back me up, but from what I've seen he's been a lot better on the dot than he has been.
Stepan has really taken this opportunity to shine during the WC and has developed a clutch gene, scoring the tying goal late in the third against Canada as well as setting up a couple of USA's other third period goals, always skating towards the offense and driving the game towards the opponents net. All the things you can ask for from your future #1 or #2 center (most likely number 2...depending on certain moves made in the offseason)
24 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
maybe people will stop with this ridiculous notion of moving him to wing
He’s been dynamic and his passing/vision within 10 feet of the net is uncanny. Will be interesting to see if they shuffle lines and he gets time with JVR in quarters.
Kreider has obviously not looked out of place, but that’s another story.
by Gabby the Gutless Sniper on May 10, 2011 4:58 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
IDEA.
I understand moving him to wing may seem a bit ridiculous, but under the assumption that we sign Richards and we let Prospal go, would anyone object to Stepan playing LW with Richards and Gaborik?
I think that would be fun to watch.
For me, the ideal would be a first would be Prospal-Richards-Gaborik. Keep the Pack line intact, keep Boyle and Prust with either Avery or Feds, and than stick Stepan on the 3rd line with two solid wingers, whether thats Wolski, Zucs, a prospect, or a signing IDK.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
I would object
Keep him in his natural center position with Dubi and Cally as his wingers and keep him on the second line…his vision and passing is wasted on the wings and put anisimov with boyle and prust adding more speed and offensive punch on that line
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
by Kevin Power on May 10, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I'd agree
As long as Dubi takes draws for that line
"In the '60s I slept with many women, often outside in the mud and rain. It's possible a man may have slipped in there, there's no way of knowing."
Fan of the Rangers for life, fan of the Lightning for the rest of the playoffs...
Fair enough. Hopefully Step can improve on faceoffs. If not, Dubi can take em.
WIth your scenario Torts is running almost 3 lines exclusively.
Prospal-Richards-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Step-Cally
Boyle-Anisimov-Prust
Is there even a fourth line? Christensen, Avery, Feds possibly, and any kids we bring up or someone we sign.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
a fourth line of whatever we have left will be good enough to round out the combinations…I also expect torts to change those up every three shifts or so, so who knows what the lines could look like
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Hopefully Step can improve on faceoffs
I mentioned this to 8k on twitter, but seems relevant here.
Stepan’s FO% was the 4th worst (min: 400 attempts) since the lockout. Only Malkin (2nd worst, 4 of the worst 15) and Cogliano (1st and 3rd, and another bottom 15 appearance this year) have had a worse output.
Those two obviously have not improved much (given the multiple appearances). They’ve gone from 37% at their worst to about 41%. It’s an improvement, but not fantastic. It’s extremely unlikely Stepan ever gets to better than ~45%, and that would even likely be years from now.
Blueshirt Banter - Where Rangers' Fans Matter
Tracking the Rangers - Numbers don't lie. They just don't agree with you.
Twitter: RangerSmurf
by George E. Ays on May 10, 2011 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Interesting.
If thats the case than the two options are either moving him to wing or putting him on a line with a winger who can win faceoffs (prospal, dubinsky, even avery).
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
thus putting him with Dubi…i know that stepan isn’t the greatest face off guy in the world but his playmaking ablities would be lost on the wings, he needs to be up the middle to feed the wingers
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Well than Dubinsky can’t be on the first line with Gaborik and Richards, which many people are calling for.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
I'd argue moving down Boyle to center a 4th line
Since none of those 3 is really a pure ‘grinding’ line. So:
Prospal-Richards-Gaborik
Duby-Step-Cally
Grachev/prospect-Anisimov-Prust
Avery-Boyle-Feds
"In the '60s I slept with many women, often outside in the mud and rain. It's possible a man may have slipped in there, there's no way of knowing."
Fan of the Rangers for life, fan of the Lightning for the rest of the playoffs...
So buying out Drury and Wolski and letting MZA stay in the minors. If we do that we’d have a good amount of cap space.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
I wouldn’t count on getting another year out of Prospal. Without a miracle, Grachev won’t be up either.
by BuckarooClub on May 10, 2011 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Then you can put MZA in the Grachev slot
"In the '60s I slept with many women, often outside in the mud and rain. It's possible a man may have slipped in there, there's no way of knowing."
Fan of the Rangers for life, fan of the Lightning for the rest of the playoffs...
why take artie off the pack line?
I mean, line combos can be a strange thing, we all know that
but the pack line had so much success this year
The Stepan question is indeed a curious one, because he has great playmaking ability but poor faceoff skills. I foresee Step playing with Kreider/Thomas in years to come, and I feel like he should play primarily with the kids trying to make the team in camp next year and see if we can strike gold with a combination.
Granted, I’m sure Torts will flip flop Artie and Step on the pack line quite frequently, so the whole point may become moot.
I listen to Enter Sandman before taking exams. I wear the exact same jersey every Giants game. The Rangers goal song goes off in my head when I achieve small successes in life.
HEN-RIK
by BombersGmenBlueshirts25 on May 10, 2011 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
You can be a great playmaker from the wing. Kane and Havlat both play wing succesfully, I’m sure there are other examples, but I’m have the flemme to think some up.
"Mes que un club"
-Ahmad Bradshaw is undoubtedly a psychic genius.
by Scratch and Snif on May 10, 2011 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions
St. Louis?
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
our own hobbit ain’t a shabby playmaker either
I listen to Enter Sandman before taking exams. I wear the exact same jersey every Giants game. The Rangers goal song goes off in my head when I achieve small successes in life.
HEN-RIK
by BombersGmenBlueshirts25 on May 10, 2011 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
There you go. No reason why Stepan can’t do the same.
"Mes que un club"
-Ahmad Bradshaw is undoubtedly a psychic genius.
by Scratch and Snif on May 10, 2011 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with you :)
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
I never said i did
I just said
depending on certain moves made in the offseason
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
by Kevin Power on May 11, 2011 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Blueshirt Banter
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Rangers Schedule
Next 5 Games
New Jersey
|
Sun 05/27 | TBA |
Last 5 Games
|
@
New Jersey
|
Fri 05/25 | OT - L 2 - 3 |
|
New Jersey
|
Wed 05/23 | L 3 - 5 |
|
@
New Jersey
|
Mon 05/21 | L 1 - 4 |
|
@
New Jersey
|
Sat 05/19 | W 3 - 0 |
|
New Jersey
|
Wed 05/16 | L 2 - 3 |
SBNation.com Recent Stories
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Eulogy: Remembering the 2011-12 New York Rangers
- Stanley Cup Final: 5 keys for New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings
- Friday’s Three Stars: Devils head to Final; Brodeur, Kovalchuk the difference in Game 6
- Devils eliminate Rangers in Game 6, ending fear of the past, setting course for the future
- Adam Henrique sends New Jersey Devils to Stanley Cup Final with OT goal vs. Rangers (VIDEO)
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Former Oilers Stoll, Greene grateful for 2nd chance when well-rested LA Kings face New Jersey
- Shinnimin named CHL's Player of the Year
- Capitals send left-wing Bourque to Bruins for centre Hamill
- Rangers look to get past hurt of loss to Devils
- Top-seeded Rangers have reasons for optimism after disappointing loss to Devils in East finals
