[brooks] Rangers Should Pursue Islanders? Matt Martin Under One Condition

[Lord Al]

Rangers should pursue Islanders? Matt Martin under one condition. https://nypost.com/2020/09/19/rangers-should-pursue-islanders-matt-martin-under-one-condition/

 

Maybe it is simply recency bias. Maybe I should put more stock in the hockey that was played during the winter, when the Rangers looked for all the world to be a better team than the Islanders and went 2-for-2 against them at the Coliseum in a pair of thrilling games.

 

And maybe I am putting too much emphasis on the way the Blueshirts were taken to the woodshed without resistance by a Carolina team that seemed an imposing contender but was outed as an imposter the very next round by the Bruins. Maybe that, coupled with the dogged and inspirational show put on by the Islanders essentially every other night for six weeks in making it to Game 6 overtime of the conference finals, has unduly influenced my perception of the Ballad of New York.

 

Because though the Islanders probably need a little more Rangers in them in order to make it to the top, and that means a little more high-end offensive skill at the top of the depth chart, the Rangers definitely need a lot more Islanders in them in order to become a viable Stanley Cup contender, and that means a lot more grit and heaps more dedication to playing structured, unyielding hockey.

[Keirik]

Is the one condition that he never wears the jersey?

[CaptainMorganBarron]

Rangers should pursue Islanders’ Matt Martin under one condition. https://nypost.com/2020/09/19/rangers-should-pursue-islanders-matt-martin-under-one-condition/

 

excellent write up by Larry.

 

this is the highlight and this is why we will never get far with this coach:

 

Now you tell me whether the Rangers as currently constituted, and as they have been deployed the past two years by David Quinn, are ready to make that kind of transition to giving their bottom six, let alone the fourth line, that kind of responsibility and sway. It is difficult to separate the personnel from the philosophy, and I have been writing about this for two years, but the Blueshirts’ fourth line has essentially been a repository for leftover parts and players needing a check on their work habits.

 

You can succeed during the regular season by leaning on your horses, and especially so if one of them is named Artemi Panarin and another is called Mika Zibanejad. But it is reinforced year after year that isn’t enough to win in the postseason. It is reinforced year after year that teams that rely too heavily on talent wind up watching teams that are knee deep in sandpaper compete for the Cup.

 

But more than that, both Martin and the Rangers will have to evaluate whether this would be more than a marriage of convenience. The Rangers would have to commit to the player more than, it seems, than the player to the team. The Rangers would have to commit to a four-line, playoff mentality. The Rangers would have to embrace a change to their identity.

[Mr.wiskers]

Is Brooks doing Boomer a favor writing this article

 

 

 

I wouldn?t say no to it but I wouldn?t give him more the $1.5 mil. per??that?s my max not a penny more

 

 

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[Phil]

I'd be fine with it. Break the homogeneity. Just don't break the bank.

[Keirik]

He’s the least important person of their bottom six and or grit line. Pass unless the other two of our hopefully newly formed grit line are already in place and superior.

[Sod16]

He?s the least important person of their bottom six and or grit line. Pass unless the other two of our hopefully newly formed grit line are already in place and superior.

 

Apt point. What would Martin have done with us if he were playing with McKegg and whoever was in the dog house at the moment on a fourth line for us last year? Trying to fill this role by over paying for UFAs smacks of Skrudland-Keane syndrome. That said, we just don't have anyone internally to groom for this role.

[ThirtyONE]

It would be smart to actually build a 4th line instead of hoping the scrap heap players assembled, and eventually shuttled between Hartford, out kick their coverage.

 

I never want to see Greg McKegg or Vinny Lettieri again.

[Blue Heaven]

Matt Martin on one wing, Brenden Lemieux on the other wing, find a center to plug in there that can be comparable to Czazikas

[Lord Al]

The Rangers signed 23 year old 6?7 240 RW Austin Rueschhoff this summer and have 19 year old 6?6 220. LW Adam Edstr?m playing in the Swedish ice hockey. He just got a five game suspension or intent to injure on a check to the head of an opposing player

 

 

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[SaveByRichter35]

Come on man!! How do you quote a section of the article and not even include the condition?

[The Dude]

Is the condition that he takes out the garbage after he cleans the bathrooms?

[Lord Al]

That sounds like Mr. met

 

 

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[Gravesy]

It would be smart to actually build a 4th line instead of hoping the scrap heap players assembled, and eventually shuttled between Hartford, out kick their coverage.

 

I never want to see Greg McKegg or Vinny Lettieri again.

 

I’m not sure McKegg is the solution, but I’m pretty sure he isn’t the problem. At least not the main problem.

He played every game on Carolina’s 4th line when they went to the ECF a year ago. So played on a line with actual, functional bottom 6 NHL players he was certainly functional.

I don’t think this is fixed until Quinn and mgmt start building an actual bottom 6, and stop treating as a vehicle for punishing poor performance or just a place to play the worst guys on the roster. Being a good bottom 6 player in the NHL is a skill.

[Phil]

No, McKegg is definitely a problem. He's not good at anything. To have a successful identity/fourth-line, you need players with discernible upside. No one the Rangers have been skating in that role the last few years fits the bill. It's why there's so much merit/smoke behind the idea of buying them on the open market.

[Gravesy]

Like I said, he probably isn’t the solution.

But he was able to adequately fill a 4th line role for a team that went to the ECF.

The point being, the “system” is at least as big, and quite likely bigger, a problem as the player.

[Phil]

Great coaching can mask bad players (see Isles). Anything less exposes them (see McKegg, Haley, etc. etc. etc.)

[ThirtyONE]

No, McKegg is definitely a problem. He's not good at anything. To have a successful identity/fourth-line, you need players with discernible upside. No one the Rangers have been skating in that role the last few years fits the bill. It's why there's so much merit/smoke behind the idea of buying them on the open market.

 

This. I love Jeff Gorton, but one thing he hasn't done well is ice a 4th line. It seems like every summer we bring in other team's garbage to fill that 4th line hole and it never works.

 

Carolina let McKegg walk and he was making pennies. The best thing about McKegg was that his name rhymed, but you're lying if you said you heard of him before we signed him.

 

I don't know if Matt Martin is the answer but having a somewhat established 4th line is important.

[Phil]

This. I love Jeff Gorton, but one thing he hasn't done well is ice a 4th line. It seems like every summer we bring in other team's garbage to fill that 4th line hole and it never works.

 

Carolina let McKegg walk and he was making pennies. The best thing about McKegg was that his name rhymed, but you're lying if you said you heard of him before we signed him.

 

I don't know if Matt Martin is the answer but having a somewhat established 4th line is important.

 

Yup. I suggested recently they look at Derek Grant and Kyle Clifford, too. The point being, sign whomever you like more than the others, but if you're trying to build an identity line that's going to embody your hard-to-play-against mentality, you're going to need to buy at least one piece, if not multiple. There don't appear to be a glut of internal options just yet. Morgan Barron, Justin Richards, Patrick Khodorenko, and Austin Rueschhoff — all rookies with no NHL experience — are interesting names, but would need to make significant progress in camp to be considered as viable options over guys we know can play and who we know can fill that role.

[Gravesy]

Ok, let me rephrase.

Signing Matt Martin to replace McKegg solves jack shit, unless you play him with other players with the skill set and nous to play that role. If the approach is “Brendan Lemieux is fucking busy and gets in guys faces, he can play there” or “Filip Chytil has been missing assignments all over the shop, let’s give him some time on the 4th line” it’s just not going to matter.

I don’t really care about McKegg, but he’s proved he can do the job ok in the right situation. I don’t think swapping him with Martin is really where it’s at.

[Phil]

Ok, let me rephrase.

Signing Matt Martin to replace McKegg solves jack shit, unless you play him with other players with the skill set and nous to play that role. If the approach is “Brendan Lemieux is fucking busy and gets in guys faces, he can play there” or “Filip Chytil has been missing assignments all over the shop, let’s give him some time on the 4th line” it’s just not going to matter.

I don’t really care about McKegg, but he’s proved he can do the job ok in the right situation. I don’t think swapping him with Martin is really where it’s at.

 

Correct. That's what we're talking about here — definining that identity line. Giving it a purpose and role that extends well beyond "so and so isn't playing well, so cut their minutes and put them with the scrubs."

[Lord Al]

Watching the Stanley Cup finals Patrick maroon played in important part of the grinding line. And in my opinion it comes down to signing either Matt Martin or Patrick maroon two or three-year deal

 

 

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[Slobberknocker]

it would be criminal if they don't fix the 4th line this year, and FORCE QUINN TO USE IT. I'm really looking forward to see if he grows into the coaching job. Jury's still out in my mind.

[Phil]

it would be criminal if they don't fix the 4th line this year, and FORCE QUINN TO USE IT. I'm really looking forward to see if he grows into the coaching job. Jury's still out in my mind.

 

Can't really blame him for not using it when he hasn't had the players before. Torts also routinely shortened his benches when he didn't have the guys he could rely on. When he did (Boyle, Moore, Fedotenko, etc), he used them.

 

The Rangers definitely need them, though. On that, we agree completely.

 

 

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[Keirik]

it would be criminal if they don't fix the 4th line this year, and FORCE QUINN TO USE IT. I'm really looking forward to see if he grows into the coaching job. Jury's still out in my mind.

 

Maroon is going to have a lot more offers this year than previously had. Two cups on two different teams will do that. I could see him here but I doubt we fit him under the cap if we want to address everything we want to do this offseason. Some team is going to offer him a bit more than he’s worth if they think he’s a missing piece of sorts