Rangers Analysis: Del Zotto Will Decide His Own Fate
by Nick Montemagno on Jul 30, 2011 6:00 AM EDT
in New York Rangers Analysis
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21-year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto was a victim of the good ‘ol sophomore curse in 2010-11, seeing a 19-point drop from his rookie year. Everything that went right for Michael in his freshman season with the Rangers suddenly became a problem in his sophomore season. Why? I don't think you can put a finger on one major cause, but it was clear that after a while of frustration and then being sent down to the AHL really got to the kid's head. He lost confidence, he lost motivation, and now he finds himself in a do-or-die situation this September in training camp.
Del Zotto was highly touted from the day he was selected 20th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Blueshirts. He exceled in the OHL as a member of the Oshawa Generals and later the London Knights, and then really opened eyes when he had an outstanding performance in the 2009 Traverse City Prospects Tournament. After that tourney, the Rangers knew Del Zotto was going to be joining the pro squad later that month.
If you recall, Del Zotto had a shaky start at the NHL level. Nerves got the best of him, but at the time he was just 19 so that was sort of expected. After scoring his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators in the home opener that season, things began started to come along nicely for DZ and we saw the skill the Rangers did when they drafted him back in '08.
Del Zotto's ability to move the puck was what stood out most, as his outlet passes were 99-percent effective and always right on the tape. Del Zotto finished his rookie campaign with 28 assists, and a big part of that was the odd-man rushes he would spring by making those stellar passes out of the defensive zone. His main target was always Marian Gaborik, and that was also the season where every shot Gabby took seemed to go in. Those two connected often and became a lethal combination for the Rangers as the season went on.
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Del Zotto got high marks after his first season and really had the fans' hopes set high for 2010-11. Unfortunately, the crisp outlet passing and puck-moving just wasn't there last season. More often than not, an outlet pass would result in a turnover that had Del Zotto caught out of position. And as we know, if you're a defenseman and your lack of positioning costs the team a goal, head coach John Tortorella will not restrain from pointing it out in the media.
Finally, at the end of February, the Rangers did to Michael exactly what they did to Matt Gilroy when he struggled the prior year, and assigned him to the AHL to play with the Connecticut Whale. That didn't last very long, though, as Del Zotto ended up breaking his hand on March 3 and was out long-term.
Fast-forwarding to the present, there are four locks on defense for the Rangers going into camp; Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Mike Sauer. The 5th, 6th and 7th spots are all up for grabs and will most likely be contended for by Del Zotto, Tim Erixon, Steve Eminger, Pavel Valentenko and Dylan McIlrath.
Aside from Eminger, all of the players listed are young and hungry, ready to do all they possibly can to be on the Rangers roster on opening night. Del Zotto certainly has his competition lined up for him this training camp, but something tells me that this kid will come determined and ready to play.
See, when Del Zotto was first assigned to the AHL, he wouldn't necessarily accept the blame. He took some responsibility, but it was evident he felt the coaching staff and the organization had made a mistake by sending him down.
Now, in the offseason, he's realized he has no choice but to improve if he wants to make the team this upcoming year, and he knows his mentality may have gotten in the way of his game last season. His thought process has changed, and you can see it in the quotes and even his tweets.
When Del Zotto has his confidence, he is something to behold. He is an above average hockey player with breathtaking vision. He is the real deal at the top of his game and I think a lot of fans have lost confidence in him after last season. I know I am one fan that hasn't, and who still believes MDZ will be back and better than ever this September.
He controls his own fate from this point forward, and he knows that. It bothered Del Zotto that he disappointed last season and I don't think he will allow that to happen again.
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MDZ, V-tank, Erixon & McIllrath competing for the 5-6 spots? Yes please!
I may actually attend a preseason game this year. you guys should plan an early BSB outing down to MSG south for that Friday preseason game vs NJ. Check out the fellas before they go overseas & watch the D-man battle royale up close/personal
Were they saying "Boo" or "Boo-urns?"
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The answer is...
It’s very clear to me that simply based on MDZ’s 1st season, he has what it takes to be an NHL-caliber defenseman. No question. You hit the nail on the head, Nick, w.r.t his clicking with Gabby that year, but magically, when Gabby’s production went down last year, through no fault of Michael’s, so did DZ’s confidence. That being said, a player’s performance should never be contingent solely on the basis of one single other teammate or facet (i.e. his long, outlet passes) b/c if that factor disappears or s**** to bed, so does the player, as we saw with MDZ’s AHL banishment.
But like you, I’m confident DZ will bounce back b/c a) he has never played with a BR/MG caliber type of tandem before, especially on the power play and b) the reasons you cited about his change in approach. However, what I do think Michael would still benefit from is a solid, pure veteran defensive defense partner like a Beukeboom/Langway type. Now, Michael is certainly not of Brian Leetch caliber, at least not yet. But, like Leetch, he needs to have someone who can reliably back him up when he goes on the offense or makes those stretch passes. He already has a Richter-like goalie in Hank to cover up many of his miscues, just like Brian readily admits he’s fortunate he had. But someone other than McCabe, who clearly is much too slow, needs to either step up or be acquired for this role. It could possibly be Eminger if Steve can stay in the lineup consistently esp in the 2nd half. So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens there.
As for
“head coach John Tortorella who will not restrain from pointing it out in the media.”,JT does more than just point it out to the media, Nick. He has, on several occasions, outright humiliated Michael by publicly ranting in his ear on the bench for the whole world to see including right there next to Michael’s own teammates. For someone who supposedly claims to “enjoy working with the young players on this team”, Torts has shown a very hypocritical side to his so-called “patience”. A large chunk of, but not all obviously, of the responsibility has to fall on JT’s shoulders for unacceptably singling out an impressionable, 21 year old like this. Yes, this is the “big time” and MDZ need to “suck it up” to some extent. but why the heck did I never see Torts go off on Gabby or Avery or any other veteran, who could likely take that sort of BS heat better than Michael could, when THEY weren’t performing up to snuff? True, those 2 got benched or sat out at times, but that pales in comparison to being subjected to such visible, public humiliation like DZ was. That’s just flat out wrong, inexcusable and not the way you slowly bring along or groom a budding, home-grown draft pick.
Anyway, the bottom line is, unlike what was posted, I do not think we have come close to a do-or-die situation for MDZ. At least as far as this season or even next season is concerned. If it turns out Michael needs more time to gain consistency in the NHL via additional AHL work or low-minute NHL work, then so be it. But we should certainly not cash him out so quickly at this point in his very young, still-blossoming career. If he turns 25 and is still not “getting it”, that’s a different story. But for now, stay tuned….. :)
There is absolutely no way that you can blame a coach for player’s stalled development because of 1 or 2 instances of televised yelling, and some comments to the media. Revisionists here like to act like Torts was seen screaming and shitting on MDZ every game on TV…. just didn’t happen that way.
Let’s keep this about MDZ, what he needs to improve upon, and what we think he can accomplish in the future…. and keep the blame game out of it.
ABSOLUTELY!
It is the coaches job to get on players, at the moment of their misrtakes, not in private somewhere after the game.
Can people stop blaming the coach when their favorite prospect doesn’t perforn as advertised? Yeah torts is a horrible coach for young players, that’s why dubi, cally, staal, girardi, AA, prust, boyle, stepan, sauer, and .c5 have all failed to improve.
by GAThingy on Jul 30, 2011 1:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Really?
If that’s so, then why does Tortorella HIMSELF admit that he deliberately does NOT go into the locker-room and address the team after a game for fear of overreacting “in the moment” by either over-praising a win or bashing the players after a loss? I’d like to know how that logic holds in this case, but not on the bench during play. Please help me to understand this hypocrisy, will you?
Your damn right he should wait until it’s in private. How would YOU like it if your boss or manager called you out like that in front of your colleagues at work? Yeah, I know this is sports not prim-and-proper corporate America, etc. but the point is, when you are dealing with PEOPLE, you treat them with respect and dignity and, lo and behold, they will return the favor. Amazing how that works. :)
Sorry Disagree
Sorry Bud but on this one I strongly disagree.
It is the job of the coach to get the most out of a player’s strengths while doing the most to hide his liabilities. You do not just toss someone out on the ice and go “have at it”
And yes the Rangers know full well they bungled Del Zotto’s development from day 1 ignoring the reports that they were rushing Del Zotto to the NHL.
From day 1 the Rangers needed to put Del Zotto with a partner who was strong enough on defense to help cover up his mistakes.
The biggest mistake I see Tortorella making is that he will not let Del Zotto use the biggest weapon that the kid has; that is his puck carrying. Put Sauer or McDonagh out there with Del Zotto and tell him to go on the attack.
Del Zotto is the most dangerous when he is carrying the puck into the offensive zone as he opens up space. His best work comes when he is skating on the attack opening space for the players on the ice with him.
That you blame on the coach
by theprospectpark on Jul 30, 2011 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Fine… you can disagree all you want. And if want to argue that the Rangers rushed MDZ? Excellent. I won’t debate that point. But I’m really tired of the argument that the two or so public instances of Torts chewing him out, directly resulted in his decline. Or that we somehow know all the ins and outs of their relationship (practices/locker room/ect…) based on those televised interactions. It’s just asinine.
On top of that, when he came up two years ago, our organizational defensive depth was not where it is today… so they took a big chance on a young kid. And at some point, he had to be held responsible for his on ice play, which the coaching staff was clearly trying to change, as they alluded to him making the same mistakes over and over.
It’s also hard to argue putting Sauer or McD with him because by the time he started struggling, Sauer was a rookie going through his own process, and McD wasn’t even with the squad – there’s no guarantee that experiment would produce positive results. He clearly needed a veteran partner. And where’s the evidence that Torts “wouldn’t let him carry the puck”?
There are just too many factors that go into the development of these guys, that its just ridiculous to play the blame game at this point.
Agreed.
It isn’t that MDZ was discouraged from rushing the puck, it’s that when he did so he was a liability. This is where he’s no Leetch. Leetch was brilliant at knowing when, where and how to leap into the offensive zone.
There is time. He can learn to keep pace. Just don’t blame Torts for this one. He did a heck of a job getting this club to change their game and those who couldn’t do it paid the price…
From day 1 the Rangers needed to put Del Zotto with a partner who was strong enough on defense to help cover up his mistakes.
The biggest mistake I see Tortorella making is that he will not let Del Zotto use the biggest weapon that the kid has; that is his puck carrying. Put Sauer or McDonagh out there with Del Zotto and tell him to go on the attack.
I agree with this. The focus seems to be on having the strongest defensive defense pairing, but with Del Zotto playing he has to sacrifice one of those pairings (Staal-Girardi/ McDonagh-Sauer) .
Last year, Del Zotto played mostly with Girardi, so I can see that happening again next year if Del Zotto makes the team. I so, I don’t think it would be too bad to roll something like
Staal- Sauer
Del Zotto- Girardi
McDonagh- Eminger/ Erixon/ Valentenko
Girardi-Del Zotto was an absolute train wreck in 09-10, and wasn’t much better this year.
If MDZ makes the team, I want no part of him on anything above the 3rd pair.
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by George E. Ays on Jul 31, 2011 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Then who does he play with? If not Girardi, it’ll either be a rookie or Eminger. I think any combination thereof would be even worse.
On a 3rd pair, it doesn’t matter to me who he plays with, either he’s ready or he’s not.
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by George E. Ays on Jul 31, 2011 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions
1st ok, McD-Sauer, Erixon-Eminger and MDZ mid season call up.
by Richter1994 on Jul 31, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Didn’t DZ play with Rozy his first year?
Let me know how that works out for you . . .
by SimpleManiac on Jul 31, 2011 11:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Half and half.
I have the splits somewhere in the archives of the comments, but something like -16 or so was MDZ/Girardi together, I think he was actually plus with Rozsival. (and the rest of the minus was SHG against)
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by George E. Ays on Aug 1, 2011 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions
and where’s the evidence that he hasn’t done that? Especially with the positive results coming from Boyle, AA, Stepan, Sauer, McD… even Dubi and Cally have improved under him. Can we say their success is all because of Torts? No…. but we can’t say the opposite either.
So, according to your logic, JT had done a great job with this kid MDZ?
I do not want the coach to hold his hand on the bench, but I expect the coach help the kid out….and with MDZ, JT has not help in any way in his development,
A coach yelled at a player on the bench? Oh wahhh wahhh! That’s what coaches do. We all heard it from our high school coaches, and all-time greats like Bob Knight and other college coaches did it while televised. Sorry but I don’t feel an ounce of sympathy for Del Zotto’s bruised ego. I recall wanted to strangle him in each of those 2 instances.
Interesting role model ya got there....
Bobby Knight, huh? He’s your benchmark for coaching? So if MDZ or anyone else pisses of Torts, he should throw some sticks or even the bench, too? Or maybe even outright strangle him like you said?
Nice…. :(
I agree to an extent with mgweissman
While I don’t believe the infamous tongue-lashing from Torts was solely responsible for MDZ’s unraveling, it certainly seemed to set the wheels in motion as the coach’s rants, to put it mildly, knocked this kid down several pegs. Personally, I felt it was a little over the top (to paraphrase Manny Ramirez, that was just “Tortorella being Tortorella”). Whether it was right or wrong of the coach to blow up like that I’m not the one to judge, but regardless it happened, and it was a long time coming after MDZ maybe got a little… I wont say cocky, perhaps just a little “ahead of himself.” You could see Torts’ blood pressure spike with every mistake the kid made.
MDZ’s confidence was pretty much shot after THE incident. But if he can’t bounce back from that, put it in the past and move forward, well then maybe he doesn’t have the fortitude to make it in this league, which would be a damn shame when you consider the talent this guy possesses. We’ve all seen what he’s capable of doing. We’re talking about a 21-year old. Skills like that don’t just vanish.
by AZRangerFan on Jul 30, 2011 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1
Best Rangers day: May 27, 1994
Worst Rangers day: April 10, 1984
by Stepan the Ice! on Jul 30, 2011 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Good points, AZ! :)
I guess one of my points was why JT seemed to single out MDZ those times when the bottom line is, it’s a TEAM game. Yes players, all players, make individual mistakes that lead to goals, but TBH, it usually takes at least 2 miscues by 2 or more players for a goal to be scored. Plus, think about goalies being pulled. That’s 99% of the time b/c of bad/soft goals let in, right? Mistakes, right? Yet, when was the last time a coach, not just JT with Hank or Marty but any coach, went over to the being-pulled goalie and went off on him? I’ve rarely if ever seen that?! The coach sees the team or goalie is flat, decides for the change, new goalie comes in, end of transaction. It’s interesting as to why that situation is so unique and calmly executed.
Any thoughts? :)
Tortorella has gone after Avery on the bench, he did it last year. (Avery went right back at him).
Brian Boyle also probably has severely diminished hearing in his left ear after one of Torts’ tirade on the bench this past season.
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let's just hope MDZ learns from his sophmore season
and gets over the mental frustrations of being in the AHL/and struggling. I really hope Torts stays with him this year and see if he blossoms.
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As “successful” as everyone likes to proclaim MDZ’s first season he was still a -20 that year. He has a long way to go and I do not believe that Torts is going to sacrifice 5 on 5 D to get MDZ to run the PP. Not with BR and MZA on the roster. I wanted Eminger signed so MDZ could start in Hartford and get his game together for a mid season call up.
while +/- is inherently a very flawed stat
Remember that Del Zotto played most of his time paired with the best first passer in the AHL and was also learning how to play NHL defense after making the big jump from the OHL. MDZ will be fine if we give him the room to grow
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by Kevin Power on Jul 30, 2011 3:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I may or may not be talking about the $6.5 million man
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I understand +/- is not an exact science but when it’s that bad there has to be something to it. There is no way that MDZ should start with the big club especially coming off an injury.
as a 5th/6th D man
I think MDZ will get the competition he needs to face in order to develop and should he be paired with Emminger that would help that pesky +/- problem
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by Kevin Power on Jul 30, 2011 11:27 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
He has to make the team over Eminger and Valentenko. I don’t think McIlwrath has a real shot, he goes back to juniors. I think Erixon makes the team. I think it was Gordie Clark who said he’s the type of player “who just doesn’t make mistakes”. That’s a big thing to say, considering he’s a 20 year old coming off of 3 seasons in the SEL.
I want MDZ to pan out big time, but Erixon is supposed to have a pretty good two-way game. If V-tank and Eminger prove better in their own zone than Del Zotto, I don’t think he has much of a chance.
McIlrath is a long-shot to make the team for sure.
I think the Rangers are going to give Del Zotto a shot. This is the last year of his ELC and they want to know where he’s at.
Like I said the other day, he looked good in CT when I was credentialed to a few games last year. Obviously we’ll have to see what he does in camp, but I like his chances right now.
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by Joe Fortunato on Jul 30, 2011 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions
true – they’ll definitely give him a shot, and he deserves it. If he can hold his own defensively, then I see Erixon, DZ, and Eminger making it as 5, 6, 7 respectively… which I would be great with, though its a young D-core. The real question mark for me is V-tank. I have no idea what to expect, but I’ve heard people say he was at “NHL level” by the end of last season. He is 23, 6’2’’, 225, so his physical presence may play a role. But if he really shows up, the team might be more comfortable with him on the third pair with “no-mistake” Erixon. The other thing is, Erixon is said to have an offensive game – which was visible in the SEL which is not known for high scoring, and V-tank allegedly has a MONSTER shot. So the team might try to harness them as offensive d-men too. Who knows? But it’ll make for a great camp!
unfortunately
Given our youth on the blueline, vtank might be the odd man out. He is ready for the NHL, but needs to be paired with a veteran to learn the ropes. We don’t have the personel/room for that. Plus, I think he needs to clear waivers to be sent back down to the whale, so it might be time to see what we can get for him.
Am I the only one that remembers Torts ripping him in ATL and making him cry on the bench?
Priceless moment. I think MDZ was pressing too much last year. How many times did he turn the puck over on the break out by either trying to make a move on someone or force a pass. You don’t want to kill his creativity but he needs to improve his one ice decision making with the puck. That’s probably one of the hardest things to coach, he really just needs to play and learn for himself. Its a process and each player is unique.
I have no doubts that by January he’ll be a fixture in the line up and on the upswing of his development. It could be that 25 minutes a night in CT will benefit him more than 3rd pair minutes in NY. I like his offensive upside and last year he did show some physical play and scrap.
by Gabby the Gutless Sniper on Jul 30, 2011 8:39 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I feel like I’m beating a dead horse, but I’ll try again——if the Rangers give up on Del Zotto, perhaps the closest D-man to Leetch we’ve had since he retired, without giving him every chance to mature (He’s only 21, for God’s sake), he’s gonna come back to haunt the Rangers for the next 10- 15 years!!!
Why the Rangers tend to stick with their older, failing players for YEARS, hoping against hope they’ll miraculously re-generate to the way they played 5-10 years ago, yet appear to be willing to lose a player of Del Zotto’s potential after only 1 1/2 years (as a 19 and 20 year old, I point out again), is beyond me!
Del Zotto needs playing time, playing time, playing time. There’s plenty of time to trade him if he doesn’t mature in a couple of years, but he HAS to play to mature!!!!
the Leetch comparisons need to stop. At this point, its actually insulting to mention them in the same sentence.
I fully agree that we need patience with him, and he needs time to develop, though.
Question though: which older, failing players are they sticking with over MDZ? If anything, his biggest competition in camp will be Erixon (20) and V-tank (23). If one of those guys makes it over MDZ, its because they deserve it… not because he’s getting the shaft.
Not Leetch
But we haven’t had someone who could lug the puck up from behind the net and make a pinpoint pass across the slot since Leetch. All people are saying is that he has the potential to be an excellent offensive defensemen, of which we have not had since Leetch. No one, at least not that I’ve read here, is saying that MDZ is like Leetch or the same as Leetch. If I recall correctly, when Leetch first came up before he broke his ankle his best asset was his puck rushing ability, followed by his passing, defense, and shot. But it’s been awhile. In any event, I don’t think that MDZ will have a career like Leetch, but I’d sure like to see him get a crack af developing as a NY Ranger
by Blueshirts Rock on Jul 30, 2011 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions
But we haven’t had someone who could lug the puck up from behind the net and make a pinpoint pass across the slot since Leetch
right…. and we still don’t. So let’s not even bring him into the discussion with MDZ.
but I’d sure like to see him get a crack af developing as a NY Ranger
Absolutely… Me too!
Leetch is the gold standard
so comparing an offensively skilled D-man against Leetch makes perfect sense.
I would agree that DZ is the closest to #2 we’ve had in the system since Brian retired.
Let me know how that works out for you . . .
by SimpleManiac on Jul 31, 2011 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I would agree that DZ is the closest to #2 we’ve had in the system since Brian retired.
Fine… but he’s still pretty damn far off. So prepared to be disappointed. Keep raising those expectations and I guarantee he won’t meet them.
Not arguing that DZ is BL – NFW!
Just that using Leetch as a standard is not much to get worked up about.
Let me know how that works out for you . . .
by SimpleManiac on Aug 1, 2011 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Defensive Liability
During Del Zotto’s rookie year many of the Rangers’ fans acted as though he was the second coming of Brian Leetch. He definitely showed flashes of offensive brilliance, but he also played inconsistent defense in his own zone. His offensive play regressed during his second year and he continued his shaky defensive play. We all agree that he is very young and has all the potential in the world. I am not advocating that the Rangers give up on him. However, I am not at all sure that he is ready to be an NHL defenseman. I would give him every opportunity to win a job, but he may need more seasoning in Hartford.It is unfortunate that last season’s injury cut short his playing time. He definitely has to work on his attitude. I think he believed that he was already an established star and did not take kindly to criticism. He is not an established star and has to earn his place on the roster.
by snark38 on Jul 30, 2011 9:39 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
the thing is
Leetch was one of the absolute all-time greats. We’ll be lucky to have another like him on the team once in the next 30 years.
i think vtank takes his spot
vtank is ready for the nhl and would need to clear waivers to be sent back down to hartford. We see how he does at the NHL level then see what we can get for him in a trade. Once he’s gone, the spot should be nice and warm for dz. Unless of course, vtank forces us to keep him.
MDZ is not ready for the NHL yet. He might prove to be this coming year, but he isn’t yet. Torts did the absolutely right thing last year…a d-man crying on the bench? impossible. He’s toast. The only reason the Rangers have done as well as they have the past two years is that Torts was able to severely discipline this team into a grind and d-first club. Otherwise we would have been where the fish sticks were in the standings. Lashing Del Zotto was a message to him AND the rest of the club.
Again, he might prove himself this year but he needs to grow up and play with and against men. It is possible. He has the natural talent but I’m not sure he’s tough enough.
I think a huge part in MDZ’s decrease in play is Rozy’s departure.
Lets hope he brings his A game to camp.
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by The Blue Seats on Jul 30, 2011 11:20 AM EDT reply actions
Does Eminger need to clear waivers to come up and down? I don’t really know what qualifies players for waivers. If Valetenko plays well, the 7th spot may not even be set in stone and MDZ/Eminger could find themselves up and down from Hartford.
Does Eminger need to clear waivers to come up and down?
its a one way contract so yes, thats why we signed him as a 7th D man and he knows it. He knows from the get-go that there will be several nights where he is watching the game from the press box. We did sign our “vet” for 800k
The two names that I seemed to hear the most after this summer’s prospect camp were McIlrath and Valentenko, in that order (at least from the D-men).
The Rangers sort of fumbled MDZ’s development by 1) bringing him up to the big club too early and 2) sending him to Hartford, bringing him back and sending him down again without having a clear plan.
Assuming they realize this:
1. I highly doubt McIlrath makes the team;
2. I highly doubt they signed Eminger just to send him to Hartford;
3. I feel they will give Erixon every benefit of the doubt, as he has played well in a man’s league and has offensive upside.
As others point out above, if they want to develop Erixon’s offense, it would probably pay to have a stay-at-home defender paired with him, so maybe V-Tank gets the gig. If you remember, he had a really good camp last year (better than Del Zotto’s). He also has a cannon of a shot. The waiver issue is the rub.
One thing’s for sure: it will be a competitive camp and pre-season, must-watch TV.
"To everybody else we're underdogs, but we go in thinking we can handle any team in the NHL."
Brandon Prust, #8, New York Rangers
Will people stop with this idea that somehow we “ruined” Del Zotto? He was given a chance because of the shallow depth of the club. All 19 – 24 year old hockey players in the NHL should expect to go up and down between the NHL and the AHL. And they do. If Del Zotto truly felt that he was going to escape doing time in Hartford, he was dangerously deluded which points to a weakness in his own mental make-up, not a professional hockey club with an entire farm system of talent.
I didn’t say he was “ruined”, just that the Rangers could have handled him better, specifically by leaving him in Hartford for a longer stretch the first time they sent him down, to grow his confidence and his game.
"To everybody else we're underdogs, but we go in thinking we can handle any team in the NHL."
Brandon Prust, #8, New York Rangers
competitive camp and pre-season, must-watch TV.
I cant wait to watch the Traverse City Tournament games on TV!
I hope to see DZ back on the team and a regular in the lineup by the All Star break. Its a long process but I think he will continue to develop into a star, do not give up on him.
Off-Topic: Anyone know a good site for cheap ranger tickets? I didnt get to go last year so Im trying to go a couple times this year. I see alot of seats in 400s but Id like to get into the 300s if I can. Had good seats vs Sharks but the site (ticketjew.com) tacked on that bogus $50 service fee and I decided it wasnt worth it right now. Hopefully as the season gets closer I can get my hands on some good ones
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ticket prices
i heard Rangers tickets are going up 23% and knicks tickets went up almost 50%. any truth behind this?
MDZ is not ruined, he’s not fragile, he played inconsistent… when he was 20 thats what young kids do. Im not saying he’s definitely making the team for october, but to say he’s not NHL ready after watching his first season is absurd. If he can get his head back to where it was he’s golden. Either way its definitely going to be an awesome must watch pre-season and I can’t wait to see a bunch of white and blue on my tv again.
by Ranger McJersey on Jul 30, 2011 5:37 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Everybody just calm down
We have Stu Bickel in the system, its going to OK.
Absolute Worst Ranger Fan!!!!!!....yet incredibly realistic and usually correct.
Correct
Ol’ Stu is the straw that stirs the drink.
"To everybody else we're underdogs, but we go in thinking we can handle any team in the NHL."
Brandon Prust, #8, New York Rangers
by Joe1969 on Jul 30, 2011 8:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah
There hasnt been a better Stu since the Hangover. Bickel definitely makes the team this year, for the sole purpose that his last name rhymes with pickle.
by louielounz1 on Jul 30, 2011 10:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
MDZ
Del Zotto played against weak competition and sheltered minutes. The moment Torts tried to increase his overall role, he just failed. Nothing wrong, he is still just so young and wasn’t ready. It’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back.
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so wait...
I was just on capgeek.com and it says that we have 7 d signed steal/girardi/erixon/dz/McD/sauer and eminger as our 7th. So wouldn’t that mean unless someone has a breakout performance or a off par performance in camp that’s the way its going to be so we don’t go messing up any cap space in case we need to make pre-deadline moves?
by Ranger McJersey on Jul 30, 2011 9:48 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Capgeek demoted MZA, so he’d be the wildcard in everything.
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by George E. Ays on Jul 30, 2011 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I think MDZ can definitely improve this year
I’d like to see MDZ and Erixon as the 5th/6th defensemen with Eminger as the 7th. I feel that’s the best possible 3rd pair we could have, I think those 2 would play well off of each other. MDZ is the offensive minded one while Erixon is the defensive minded one. From their total experience in the NHL/AHL and the SEL, I feel those 2 should definitely be our 3rd pair if they both make it out of training camp.
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