Grading Coach Quinn

It's the halfway point in the 2019-20 season so lets chime in on Coach David Quinns second season. As was done last season, we'll go with the A+ thru F- . The Rangers have almost identical numbers from this point last season as far as the record goes 2020 19-18-4 , 42 points - 2019 17-17-7 , 41 points.

Honestly, D. Possibly C-. This roster should be performing better. It’s still a flawed roster but the additions they made should have resulted in a better position in my opinion.

A - for serious, determined look.

B - for ?Fucking Rabbit Ears!? He?s usually restrained.

C - for eternal optimism but not seeing forest for the trees.

D - for benching young guys over veterans when both cohorts are making errors.

F - for keeping Ruff around...for allowing the PP to ?slow down? and pass their balls off in place of shooting...for D-pairings earlier in the season...for not having the guys come out hard in the first 5-min of too many games.

D

 

Still dont see any kind of defensive structure. I like their effort tho

D- Like the effort most nights for 2 periods; dont know how they are allowing so many shots nights after night. The team has the talent to score. Employ a trap type system and the shots on goal go down due to the immense amount of neutral zone play. I dont pretend to know as much as some of you or a pro coach but as an arm chair coach; should that not work?

 

Still in the wildcard conversation if they can get hot and figure some D out.

I want Lefrenier

E.

It has nothing to do with results really. I’m just not seeing anything in terms of developing an identity and structure. It’s basically pond hockey. The team wins if Panarin and Zib are on it and/or they get hot goaltending.

It also seems to me there’s a lot of coach speak and very little effect on the team. They were supposed to be fast, physical, and tough to play against. They’re none of those things.

I’m sorry, but I’m not seeing it with this guy.

C- purely down to the team record, otherwise D-.

 

No defensive play after 18 months, no PK, we only have a PP due to Zib and Panarin, so many too many men calls, and regular early/late goals against speaks volumes for me. Team never seems ready to play.

 

Just awful on home ice to, I?m surprised they sell season tix at the moment.

 

Not impressed at all, albeit the team he has isn?t necessarily built for success.

 

 

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C-

 

They’ve ridden a couple of high-level offensive players and good goaltending.

The D is still not good. The guys still seem to be lost in his “system.”

The progression of the younger guys has been so-so, some have done well and taken steps, others have not.

 

They are 1 point better now then they were through 41 games last season

 

I won’t say there is no progress, but I would say that there’s been negligible progress thus far.

 

In perspective though, they are the youngest team in the league and there is still half a season to be played.

 

They are basically in that 50%ish point range that I think most of us thought they’d be in.

Right now they are pacing out to around 83-85 points.

Pretty much what we’d expected

C-

 

Hard not to agree with Gravesy's take.

 

For a guy who was touted as an effective communicator, it seems like he's constantly lamenting that his words are falling on deaf ears. Is the team already tuning him out or is he really not that good at effectively communicating what he wants? He just doesn't really have any clear strengths as a coach.

 

He's under contract until 2023 but I don't see him reaching the end. He's the type of coach that would get eaten alive in the NHL playoffs and that's not what the organization is going to want when it's supposed to be competing again.

I think we need to evaluate Quinn from two different angles:

 

1) player/core development of the young players, which was the primary reason he was brought here

2) overall team performance

 

PLAYER/CORE DEVELOPMENT

 

The Good

 

• Filip Chytil - looks like a core player. Excited to see what he brings and how much he grows in the next couple of years. DQ has done a great job with him IMO. He has given him opportunity and put him in a position to succeed, both last year and this year after he got called back up.
  
• Adam Fox - looks like a core player. I don't know how much credit to give DQ on this one. He looks like he was just one of those guys who was ready from the get go.
  
• Tony DeAngelo - in terms of development, this is the guy who DQ has helped the most IMO. He'd been traded multiple times, and seemed to have trouble finding a home. Call it maturity issues. DQ spent last year really getting a message through his head. He gave him an opportunity to succeed and ADA responded well in the 2nd half last year. He's been great again offensively this year and showing some improvement defensively. ADA is a popular guy to be traded in Rangers world, but I'm finding it harder to believe that one of the players DQ has significantly helped groom is all of a sudden axed.
  
• Ryan Lindgren - has helped him along nicely. Pairing him with Fox was a good idea.
  
• Brendan Lemieux - Quinn lets him play his game. Doesn't tie his hands like a coach like AV probably would have. Lemieux has rewarded that and become a thorn in the side of the opposition.
  

 

The OK

 

• Pavel Buchnevich - was 23 when Quinn got here and still only 24. He he has gotten more engaged than he ever has been. Not afraid to fight for pucks or use his body anymore. Still feels like he has a lot of unlocked talent. I think that's more on Buch at this point than on Quinn. I think he's the kind of player that will put it all together and all of a sudden be a 25-30 goal 60-70 point guy, but it might not be here. We'll see.
  
• Kappo Kaako - flashes talent but not consistent. Quinn's given him a significant amount of opportunity to be what was billed by many as a potential immediate franchise player. While it hasn't turned out that way, I think that's more on unreasonable hype rather than Kakko failing or DQ doing a poor job with him. He's doing a fine job with him, other than that ill-conceived benching in Calgary.
  
• Libor Hajek - Looked a bit over his head before getting hurt, but had some good games earlier in the season. Unfortunately he got hurt, but I remember thinking he was having a rough stretch and needed to sit out for some games when Staal got back. I hope he comes back rejuvenated and ready to go.
  

 

The Bad

 

• Brett Howden - long time pet project for Quinn. I don't get it and I don't think I ever will unless he starts showing something that is only visible to Quinn in practice. This isn't as much of a reflection on Howden, who I think is a capable 4th line player at the moment. It's a reflection on Quinn for having kept him elevated in the lineup for entirely too long.
  
• Lias Andersson - while LA deserves his fair share of blame, DQ continuously failed to put him in a legitimate position to succeed. The argument can be made that he was a spoiled brat and DQ saw this behind the scenes and it just didn't sit well with him. It may even right. Regardless, it was a big time failure by everyone involved - LA, DQ, Gorton, scouts, etc. Nobody is absolved of blame on this one.
  

 

Player Development Grade: B+

 

I think there has been substantially more good than bad.

 

TEAM PERFORMANCE

 

My main concern is that I don't see a consistent structure or system in place, which is what many have already stated in this thread. I think guys don't generally know where they need to be without the puck, especially in their own zone. Yes, DQ's hands are a bit tied with defensive personnel and having to roll out Brady Skjei and Marc Staal for 40 minutes a night, which is a Gorton problem to solve more than a DQ problem to solve, but the lack of any kind of team defense is concerning. I think we should have begun to see some semblance of this by now and we haven't. The other concern I have is they are frequently starting games slow, often finding themselves down 1,2,3-0 within the first 5-10 minutes of the 1st period. I'm unsure if either of these problems is a "DQ hasn't put a good system in place" more than a "players are still learning" issue, but it needs to change and we need progress there.

 

I look at the top end talent on the team and how they are performing, and it seems like the Rangers should be a bit better than their record. But with all the blemishes they are on pace for 84 points which is 6 more than last season. I think most projected them to be anywhere between 80-90 points and possibly flirting with a WC spot. Well, that's exactly where they are so maybe we just need a bit more patience until some of the young guys take another step forward towards being part of the core.

 

Team Performance Grade: C+

 

Conclusion

 

I currently care more about player development than immediate team success. This season was never about winning a lot of games. It was about developing players and a core, while letting the young kids get experience at this level and allowing some team chemistry to set in. It's not easy building chemistry when the team was/is still undergoing major changes. They purged players last year in DQ's 1st year, and I think they are going to move at least 3-4 players again prior to next year. It's hard to say DQ is the right or wrong guy yet. The jury is still out. For now, I think he's done fairly well in the area that matters the most though.

 

OVERALL GRADE: B/B-

Dee.

It has nothing to do with results really. I’m just not seeing anything in terms of developing an identity and structure. It’s basically pond hockey. The team wins if Panarin and Zib are on it and/or they get hot goaltending.

It also seems to me there’s a lot of coach speak and very little effect on the team. They were supposed to be fast, physical, and tough to play against. They’re none of those things.

I’m sorry, but I’m not seeing it with this guy.

 

Same. D+. Not impressed at all. We kid around about Quinn coin but it's true. Some rules apply to some and not others. Step up and send meaningful messages to guys like Skjei.

I think Quinn is fine for now but he won?t be the one to take them to the next level, they will bring in someone more experienced for that.

Same. D+. Not impressed at all. We kid around about Quinn coin but it's true. Some rules apply to some and not others. Step up and send meaningful messages to guys like Skjei.

No. The same rules apply to all you just don't agree with his barometer.

Smart enough to ride the talent of Zib and Panarin. Don't get how 4th liners get ice time over young guys. Do like there is nonetheless an element of earning your ice time. Not sure how night after night the team especially 1st team power play holds a prettiest pass competition. This was an issue under AV; had to have to have been one of the first things that came up when he was hired. Why has this not changed?

 

Goaltending isn't really his portfolio. Suspect as long as he's been here, Allaire is running that part of the team. So that's organizational, not his job either way.That will be the case until someone says otherwise.

 

Very concerned defense is in all areas awful in it's own zone. I understand the cap issue means Staal gets a sweater. Don't understand how night after night they're outshot and outhustled, how opposing players are happily unmolested in front of the net.

 

They're trying to serve 2 masters; player development and getting into the playoffs. As the youngest team in the NHL, think for this season the former should win out over the latter.

 

All that said; C+. Gorton circled back to Quinn after Quinn begged off. He is going to be for a while. Simply wish some of the above were addressed. And that can happen, even if they don't make the playoffs.

Just imagine this team without Panarin.

 

I’d be fine with the record if we were seeing a bunch of kids learning and progressing. We’re not. The kids here aren’t getting better. The ones that look better are simply getting more icetime in more favorable situations.

 

We want him to help the kids. He’s not.

He wants to win. They’re not.

 

I like a lot of what Quinn could be, but he’s Skjei.

Lots of good points from all posters, esp rmc51. What it comes down to for me is that the results are the same as last year with Zucc and Hayes subtracted, Panarin and Trouba added, and all of the young players one year further in their development. By that calculus, we should be better this year. Vodka's comment that he's fine for now but not likely to take us to the next level seems apt. He'll make it through this year and at least half of next year, but it is likely that there will come a time when it becomes apparent that we're not making to the next level. I give him a "C"

I think we need to evaluate Quinn from two different angles:

 

1) player/core development of the young players, which was the primary reason he was brought here

2) overall team performance

 

PLAYER/CORE DEVELOPMENT

 

The Good

 

• Filip Chytil - looks like a core player. Excited to see what he brings and how much he grows in the next couple of years. DQ has done a great job with him IMO. He has given him opportunity and put him in a position to succeed, both last year and this year after he got called back up.
  
• Adam Fox - looks like a core player. I don't know how much credit to give DQ on this one. He looks like he was just one of those guys who was ready from the get go.
  
• Tony DeAngelo - in terms of development, this is the guy who DQ has helped the most IMO. He'd been traded multiple times, and seemed to have trouble finding a home. Call it maturity issues. DQ spent last year really getting a message through his head. He gave him an opportunity to succeed and ADA responded well in the 2nd half last year. He's been great again offensively this year and showing some improvement defensively. ADA is a popular guy to be traded in Rangers world, but I'm finding it harder to believe that one of the players DQ has significantly helped groom is all of a sudden axed.
  
• Ryan Lindgren - has helped him along nicely. Pairing him with Fox was a good idea.
  
• Brendan Lemieux - Quinn lets him play his game. Doesn't tie his hands like a coach like AV probably would have. Lemieux has rewarded that and become a thorn in the side of the opposition.
  

 

The OK

 

• Pavel Buchnevich - was 23 when Quinn got here and still only 24. He he has gotten more engaged than he ever has been. Not afraid to fight for pucks or use his body anymore. Still feels like he has a lot of unlocked talent. I think that's more on Buch at this point than on Quinn. I think he's the kind of player that will put it all together and all of a sudden be a 25-30 goal 60-70 point guy, but it might not be here. We'll see.
  
• Kappo Kaako - flashes talent but not consistent. Quinn's given him a significant amount of opportunity to be what was billed by many as a potential immediate franchise player. While it hasn't turned out that way, I think that's more on unreasonable hype rather than Kakko failing or DQ doing a poor job with him. He's doing a fine job with him, other than that ill-conceived benching in Calgary.
  
• Libor Hajek - Looked a bit over his head before getting hurt, but had some good games earlier in the season. Unfortunately he got hurt, but I remember thinking he was having a rough stretch and needed to sit out for some games when Staal got back. I hope he comes back rejuvenated and ready to go.
  

 

The Bad

 

• Brett Howden - long time pet project for Quinn. I don't get it and I don't think I ever will unless he starts showing something that is only visible to Quinn in practice. This isn't as much of a reflection on Howden, who I think is a capable 4th line player at the moment. It's a reflection on Quinn for having kept him elevated in the lineup for entirely too long.
  
• Lias Andersson - while LA deserves his fair share of blame, DQ continuously failed to put him in a legitimate position to succeed. The argument can be made that he was a spoiled brat and DQ saw this behind the scenes and it just didn't sit well with him. It may even right. Regardless, it was a big time failure by everyone involved - LA, DQ, Gorton, scouts, etc. Nobody is absolved of blame on this one.
  

 

Player Development Grade: B+

 

I think there has been substantially more good than bad.

 

TEAM PERFORMANCE

 

My main concern is that I don't see a consistent structure or system in place, which is what many have already stated in this thread. I think guys don't generally know where they need to be without the puck, especially in their own zone. Yes, DQ's hands are a bit tied with defensive personnel and having to roll out Brady Skjei and Marc Staal for 40 minutes a night, which is a Gorton problem to solve more than a DQ problem to solve, but the lack of any kind of team defense is concerning. I think we should have begun to see some semblance of this by now and we haven't. The other concern I have is they are frequently starting games slow, often finding themselves down 1,2,3-0 within the first 5-10 minutes of the 1st period. I'm unsure if either of these problems is a "DQ hasn't put a good system in place" more than a "players are still learning" issue, but it needs to change and we need progress there.

 

I look at the top end talent on the team and how they are performing, and it seems like the Rangers should be a bit better than their record. But with all the blemishes they are on pace for 84 points which is 6 more than last season. I think most projected them to be anywhere between 80-90 points and possibly flirting with a WC spot. Well, that's exactly where they are so maybe we just need a bit more patience until some of the young guys take another step forward towards being part of the core.

 

Team Performance Grade: C+

 

Conclusion

 

I currently care more about player development than immediate team success. This season was never about winning a lot of games. It was about developing players and a core, while letting the young kids get experience at this level and allowing some team chemistry to set in. It's not easy building chemistry when the team was/is still undergoing major changes. They purged players last year in DQ's 1st year, and I think they are going to move at least 3-4 players again prior to next year. It's hard to say DQ is the right or wrong guy yet. The jury is still out. For now, I think he's done fairly well in the area that matters the most though.

 

OVERALL GRADE: B/B-

 

Exactly. Quinn’s top priority is developing players and he is doing better than expected on that front. Hoping when 2 or 3 vets get moved before the deadline that the wheels don’t fall off.

Just imagine this team without Panarin.

 

I’d be fine with the record if we were seeing a bunch of kids learning and progressing. We’re not. The kids here aren’t getting better. The ones that look better are simply getting more icetime in more favorable situations.

 

We want him to help the kids. He’s not.

He wants to win. They’re not.

 

I like a lot of what Quinn could be, but he’s Skjei.

 

They would be worse than last year's team without Panarin because they would have been mostly last year's team minus Hayes and Zuccarello for a full year. They properly allocated 12M dollars to the right player for a change. I view that as a major plus.

 

I'm not sure how you can say you've seen no learning or progress from the young players on the team, particularly Chytil, Fox, DeAngelo, Lemieux, and Lindgren. He also deserves some credit for the "older" players in Zibanejad and Strome. Zibanejad was good but not a #1C before Quinn got here. He stuck with Strome when I think many wouldn't have (myself included), and while a good part of his success is simply Panarin, not everyone produces at a 75 pt pace just because they are playing with Panarin. If that were the case, Jesper Fast and Pavel Buchnevich both would have done so as they had gotten plenty of opportunity on a line with Panarin. Quinn gets some credit for Strome's progression and success there. There's a whole lot right that Quinn has done here, not to be completely invalidated by the Howden/Andersson situation or not having Kravtsov immediately on the roster.

They would be worse than last year's team without Panarin because they would have been mostly last year's team minus Hayes and Zuccarello for a full year. They properly allocated 12M dollars to the right player for a change. I view that as a major plus.

 

I'm not sure how you can say you've seen no learning or progress from the young players on the team, particularly Chytil, Fox, DeAngelo, Lemieux, and Lindgren. He also deserves some credit for the "older" players in Zibanejad and Strome. Zibanejad was good but not a #1C before Quinn got here. He stuck with Strome when I think many wouldn't have (myself included), and while a good part of his success is simply Panarin, not everyone produces at a 75 pt pace just because they are playing with Panarin. If that were the case, Jesper Fast and Pavel Buchnevich both would have done so as they had gotten plenty of opportunity on a line with Panarin. Quinn gets some credit for Strome's progression and success there. There's a whole lot right that Quinn has done here, not to be completely invalidated by the Howden/Andersson situation or not having Kravtsov immediately on the roster.

 

Strome is playing with Panarin. Zibanejad was last season.

Again, all the other players were forced into lineup after he didn’t use them. Chytil sent down, Deangelo in the lineup bc Shattenkirk was bought out, Chytil was sent down - playing worse as he spends more time with Quinn

 

You list 3 defensemen butbthe defense looks like shit most nights.

 

I do like what he demands out of players. I like the accountability, to an extent. I like the passion and drive. And I like that he yells during practice. I think his player management is bad, and it’s severely affecting his grade and the teams overall performance, now, and potentially in the future. But, I don’t know how much of this is him, or higher up.

 

I still think the team can be successful under Quinn, we’ll see.

I give him an A.

 

There are no expectations to win or even make the playoffs for this team yet - only player growth. On that front he?s whiffed once and has put forth the most exciting young team since the young leafs broke out when mathews started. He?s let the kids play for the most part, few exceptions obviously.

 

Next year is a make or break year for me. Assuming we see the same thing for the rest of the season, this team will have it?s young, core group established and playing together for a year. That?s when I expect to see the beginnings of a strong coherent team organization in all areas of the ice, and expecting the team to fight for a playoff spot.

I think he's fine in the player development part. I don't really blame him for Lias because I just don't think he's very good and has a really bad attitude. I think the team plays hard and is fun to watch. That said, they get off to bad starts to almost every game. Whether it's giving up an early goal or an early penalty (team discipline in general is not great), that is something that needs to improve. On top of that, I do wonder if there's even a defensive system in place here. I know they have are one of the youngest teams in the league and a lot of their players are green, but they're just giving up too much night in and night out. Couple that with up and down goaltending and it's not a great combination.

I think the sample size is still a little small, but from what we have to go on, I agree with a lot of RMC's post. It's also noted that what Gravesy said has a lot of merit as well. The trip so far has certainly had it's ups and downs.

 

I'm giving him a C+

 

Can we shoot the puck a little more the rest of the way????? Please?

A+! This guy has come in - right from college hockey - and stepped into the cauldron of NYR fans. He has proven that the team wants to play for him, period. Yes there are glaring deficiencies that he has vocalized time after time in public. In private, probably more than we, as fans, will ever know. Judging by some of the comments that have been posted here and on other sites, fans think they know everything about how to coach an NHL team. Youngest team in the league and they play hard, for the most part in most games. He harps on not being soft and playing physically, shooting the puck, all the time. It's on the players to perform, not the coaching staff. The face-off problem is also on the players. The coach isn't on the ice!! Bye bye!