The more time that passes, the less I understand what the Rangers are thinking with this guy.
There are obviously flaws to both his game and his personality. This was well known at the time they made him a key piece of a significant trade, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone. Yet, here we are.
You would think that this season, the first year of an official rebuild, would be the time to learn what they have in him. Yet he seems to have the shortest leash of anyone on the roster, and is continuously in street clothes whilst players that can only be described as placeholders are getting valuable ice time.
That would've been fine if he was a total disaster on the ice and clearly nowhere near the standard required to play in the NHL. But that's not really the case. Yes, he makes mistakes. Yes, he takes dumb ass penalties. Sometimes costly ones. But he also shows offensive upside that I'm not seeing from anyone else in the system. And that potential is worth something. Either to the Rangers or someone else. His ppg is roughly the same as Pionk's, yet Pionk has the longest leash of anyone bar possibly Brett Howden. And let's not pretend he doesn't have his own defensive warts to contend with. Also Pionk has been on the PP1 all year long. What if DeAngelo was given a similar opportunity? What would his production look like? What would his value to the Rangers be, either as a player or as a trading chip?
We just don't know. And that's the problem.
You'd be excused for thinking Quinn/the Rangers have more or less given up on him. And we don't know what he's like in the locker room, in practice etc. Obviously you have to earn your place in the roster both in terms of your play and how you carry yourself. Maybe it's the right call, maybe he's a complete prick and a cancer in the dressing room. But if that's the case, what the fuck is he still doing here?
I realize there's no new information in this post. I just don't understand what they're trying to do with him and it's annoying because it feels like a total waste of an asset. I'm venting, basically.
Maybe someone on here can help me understand it.