Mika Zibanejad’s Disastrous Decline Raises Jack Eichel Question for Rangers

[Phil in Absentia]

Now the question is, what in the world are the Rangers going to do about their first-line center spot? Now the question is, with Ryan Strome’s contract also up after 2021-22, are the Rangers actually going to be in the market for two top-six centers?

Is it physical? Is he diminished because of after-effects of having contracted COVID-19 in early January? Is there an utter lack of confidence that undermines essentially every shift?

Was he insulted by not being awarded the captaincy that seemed to be coming to him? Did Zibanejad put too much pressure on himself to match last season’s insane finish in which he scored 23 goals in the final 22 games with a 26.7 shooting percentage? Or, was he unable to handle the burden of being expected to perform at an elite level?

If there is a rational explanation for the total eclipse of Zibanejad’s game, the repeated whiffing on one-timers that would have been automatic-back-of-the-net 11 months ago, it would be comforting to know. But unless it relates to a medical condition — and the Rangers have run a battery of tests on No. 93 without finding a cause — then the effect of this performance has both left the hierarchy in an impossible situation leading up to the summer while compromising the entire program.

You probably know where this is going. That’s right, across I-80 West to I-90 North to 1-90 West right into Buffalo, where Jack Eichel could very well be ripe for the picking at the age of 24 and with five years remaining on his contract at an annual cap hit of $10 million.

If it gets to that with Eichel, who is going on his sixth year without a playoff appearance since his 2015 second-overall selection out of B.U., then the Rangers will need to be prepared for the conversation starting with Alexis Lafreniere.

Moving Eichel — and to the Rangers, no less — would create a public relations firestorm in Buffalo. Acquiring a player with both the special qualities and marquee appeal of Lafreniere might allow the franchise to minimize the damage. The Sabres aren’t moving their captain to New York for a handful of expendable parts.

But would the Blueshirts be willing to entertain that? Would they have the stomach for it? Maybe the better question is, would the hierarchy have much of a choice? If this is truly Zibanejad’s season, what in the world are the Rangers going to do?

https://nypost.com/2021/02/21/mika-z...chel-question/


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[Vodka Drunkenski]

Not trading Lafreniere but I would trade Panarin

[Karan]

Sounds like Brooks must be pretty bored this Sunday with nothing else to do.

[Keirik]

Larry, just use MIA....

[jsm7302]

Kakko and a 1st for Eichel?

[Pete]

Nope nope nope.

These trades almost never work out because you gut your team. You're looking at 1st, Kakko/Chytil, Miller/Fox to start.

They're not going to want crap.

We saw this before with Nash. We gutted the team and had to trade Gaborik to backfill.

[jsm7302]

Miller, Fox, Panarin and Laf are the 4 protected non starters in my mind. Kakko in the right package is about where I'd start the convo.

[Rangers]

No to Panarin, Kakko, Laff, Fox, Miller, Shesty.

[lefty9]

Miller, Fox, Panarin and Laf are the 4 protected non starters in my mind. Kakko in the right package is about where I'd start the convo.

You rather keep miller or fox over Kakko

[lefty9]

https://nypost.com/2021/02/21/mika-z...chel-question/


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Oh boy,fucking Larry

[Keirik]

Just stay the course. Don’t gut your team creating 4 holes to fill one.

[rmc51]

I wouldn't one for one Fox for Eichel, so non-starter there. I wouldn't go Lafreniere or Kakko either. I would consider a Chytil, Miller, Buchnevich, 1st kind of package. The one that hurts the most there is Miller, but let's be real...it's early and he can easily fall off. We have seen it a few times with Rangers defensemen who start fast only to regress. Fox bucked the trend, yes, but Miller is not close to Fox's level.

Next year, potentially:

Panarin - Eichel - Kakko
Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Kravtsov
Kreider - Strome - X

Yes.

[Blue Heaven]

And if Zib doesn't re-sign, then the Rangers are back at square 1 with no 2C....just stay the course, and look for a 2C through free agency that doesn't cost any players, or find a 2C through a trade that wouldn't deplete your young core.

[rmc51]

And if Zib doesn't re-sign, then the Rangers are back at square 1 with no 2C....just stay the course, and look for a 2C through free agency that doesn't cost any players, or find a 2C through a trade that wouldn't deplete your young core.

If Zib doesn't re-sign, and we don't get Eichel, we are much worse than square one. And as it looks right now, we have no 1C so getting Eichel and losing Zib wouldn't be back at square one.

[Blue Heaven]

If Zib doesn't re-sign, and we don't get Eichel, we are much worse than square one. And as it looks right now, we have no 1C so getting Eichel and losing Zib wouldn't be back at square one.

I would think if you trade for Eichel and his $10 million per, their wouldn't be as much $$$ for Zib for his contract, so may lose him based on that. Also, Panarin, Eichel, maybe Zib, Kreider, Trouba and in 2 years, that could be $45 million in contracts.....Thats more than half your cap on 5 players....Then factor in Fox, Chytil, Shesterkin, Kakko are due contracts after next season.

On a computer screen it looks amazing to get Eichel, but realistically, financially, and for the long term it wouldn't make sense. It'll be the same garbage the Rangers do, to get someone big, but create other holes. its a vicious circle.

[rmc51]

I would think if you trade for Eichel and his $10 million per, their wouldn't be as much $$$ for Zib for his contract, so may lose him based on that. Also, Panarin, Eichel, maybe Zib, Kreider, Trouba and in 2 years, that could be $45 million in contracts.....Thats more than half your cap on 5 players....Then factor in Fox, Chytil, Shesterkin, Kakko are due contracts after next season.

On a computer screen it looks amazing to get Eichel, but realistically, financially, and for the long term it wouldn't make sense. It'll be the same garbage the Rangers do, to get someone big, but create other holes. its a vicious circle.

I get you, but Eichel is better than Zibanejad. If I'm choosing, I'm trading Zibanejad and trading for Eichel.

[Pete]

I'm not ready to say Zib's done because of a dozen or so bad games. IMO, he was due for a dry spell after being on fire for 2 years and it's obviously COVID or health related (don't really care what Larry says).

Regarding the other contracts (and Zib's next) reality is it's a COVID world with a flat cap and reduced revenue. UFAs aren't going to get max deals for max term (as we saw this summer) and RFAs are likely to get mid range bridge deals and not break the bank for the next 3-4 seasons.

Shitty time to be a professional hockey player.

[G1000]

I'm not ready to say Zib's done because of a dozen or so bad games. IMO, he was due for a dry spell after being on fire for 2 years and it's obviously COVID or health related (don't really care what Larry says).

Regarding the other contracts (and Zib's next) reality is it's a COVID world with a flat cap and reduced revenue. UFAs aren't going to get max deals for max term (as we saw this summer) and RFAs are likely to get mid range bridge deals and not break the bank for the next 3-4 seasons.

Shitty time to be a professional hockey player.

It's this, 100%. Zib isn't playing well at all, but he's also just been horrendously unlucky. At his career averages, he'd be up around 6 goals now (if you remove his ENG from his shooting stats, he might have been closer to 8), which...we'd definitely consider it a step down from last year, but I doubt we'd be sitting here having this conversation. Doubly so since him scoring four more goals likely means this team is over .500. He'll regress to the mean.

As for his extension, Zib's contract was capped at around 9.5M the second they called the cap flat for the first half of this decade. Combined with his real rough start here, he's going to be lucky to get 8, let alone into the Eichel range. Not that it's nothing, but it's also not the kind of deal that completely hamstrings the team either.

Might be one of those odd blessing in disguise things. Brooks is just "old time hockeying" this take, and it's really not a good look for him.

[Capt]

If you are being fair this article is not that ridiculous. The points and goal totals are worrisome on its own but if you watch him shift after shift it's even worse. Somehow he looks like he's forgotten how to play the sport. He can't receive a pass, he can't one time a puck (in the past a strength of his) he can't make space for himself, he's creating next to zero chances, he's drawing literally zero penalties and last his defensive game is not what it was either. Face-offs were always awful so nothing changed there. I don't want to say it but it almost screams drugs or it's an injury. It just doesn't make sense the fall off. The numbers can be explained by luck, loss of confidence, etc. However he cannot receive a pass at all, he's whiffing on one timers, he's tripping over the puck. I feel sorry for him, it has to be scary as hell to be him right now wondering what the hell happened too his skill

[Keirik]

It’s. O thing like drugs. Let’s be realistic. There just are no signs at all to point to that, especially in a time where players are on lock down so much on the road. He’s not the first player to go through a major regression and slump. He’s always been about riding a wave of momentum. Last year was all momentum, but just in a positive way for him. This year has been all negative momentum. Covid didn’t help at all and now he’s playing catch-up.