Coming into this season, everyone thought this roster was weak. The top level talent was widley felt to be not so "top". Everyone knew we needed another top talent. Only the f'n management felt the top guys were solid and paid them accordingly. So why should everyone be so surprised that the coach is grasping at straws now. The signings and terms of them over the last few years have been laughable. This team has only one legit elite player in Lundqvist. Unfortuantely, he has been shown to be barely one in this coach's system. Everyone suspected he would face more quality chances and would be challenged more than he ever has been. He has had more below average games than elite games. Not all his fault but he has not played to the level expected.
It's no secret that your top players need to be your best players ...period. Nash, Stepan, Mcd have all been crap. Nash cannot raise his game- that's no secret and has no excuses. The two guys I'm sick of hearing about being elite players are Stepan and Mcd. These guys are no leaders and are both floundering. Mcd is not an elite dman in this league (maybe was an elite US player but that's it). He is banged up no doubt but has shown a clear inability to play an uptempo game, making too many high risk plays with most winding up in his net. How he played ahead of Yandle on the PP early this season was a joke. Offensively he is a B- to C player. Again, dman dont develop offensive skill at the NHL level..you either have it or dont but this mgt group thinks he's a stud. Stepan is another of the charades being pushed by this management. The guy is not a good enough skater to play C and is pathetic on draws. He does not makes guys around him better and is a huge reason why this team struggles through the neutral zone- he just has no speed. He is a stationary player and should be moved to the wing.
Their best players have all been shit. Brassard had a consistent year and is a much better player than Stepan yet he has to hear that Stepan is their #1. All year, guys excelled playing with Brassard (Miller, Nash, Zuc) yet were moved to play with Stepan to try to get him going. Funny that Michelleti says they were moved to play with Stepan to get their game going. It was so obvious that Stepan was struggling and slow as shit. Talk about the rest of the roster and the fall of Girardi and Stall...those are all legit points. But the bottom line is your top players need to be your best players and just sucked.
It's no secret that your top players need to be your best players ...period. Nash, Stepan, Mcd have all been crap. Nash cannot raise his game- that's no secret and has no excuses. The two guys I'm sick of hearing about being elite players are Stepan and Mcd. These guys are no leaders and are both floundering. Mcd is not an elite dman in this league (maybe was an elite US player but that's it). He is banged up no doubt but has shown a clear inability to play an uptempo game, making too many high risk plays with most winding up in his net. How he played ahead of Yandle on the PP early this season was a joke. Offensively he is a B- to C player. Again, dman dont develop offensive skill at the NHL level..you either have it or dont but this mgt group thinks he's a stud. Stepan is another of the charades being pushed by this management. The guy is not a good enough skater to play C and is pathetic on draws. He does not makes guys around him better and is a huge reason why this team struggles through the neutral zone- he just has no speed. He is a stationary player and should be moved to the wing.
Their best players have all been shit. Brassard had a consistent year and is a much better player than Stepan yet he has to hear that Stepan is their #1. All year, guys excelled playing with Brassard (Miller, Nash, Zuc) yet were moved to play with Stepan to try to get him going. Funny that Michelleti says they were moved to play with Stepan to get their game going. It was so obvious that Stepan was struggling and slow as shit. Talk about the rest of the roster and the fall of Girardi and Stall...those are all legit points. But the bottom line is your top players need to be your best players and just sucked.
