Grab Stepan before it's too late
It's only a short time into the Rangers training camp, but Stepan spent the day with Gaborik and Frolov and did not look out of place. On the contrary, he was out there showing confidence and the three of them piled up the points in the scrimmage. Grachev was out there with MZA with Christensen centering them both.
Anyhow, so far, if you look at rookie camp and now the real training camp, there is a damn good chance that Stepan forces Sather's hand, making him end up on Broadway right from the start of the season. And if not, he'll get called up later. Regardless, the minute they give him the shot to shine for real, he'll take off. Don't miss the chance to pick him up. You're looking at the Rangers #1 center for the next 15 years or so. He's already the best puck distributor out of everyone at camp.
GO WINGS!
That really isnt saying much if you look at the Rangers down the center. I would be shocked if he sticks as the top line center on opening night. I think the Rangers will try pretty much anyone between Gabby and Fro and see who has the best chemistry. There is still time for Darren Turcotte and Kelly Kisio to get some burn in camp.Originally Posted by sentium
6Team/Points Only H2H Keep: 37+3goalies Start: 13F/6D/2G
FWD = G(2), A(1), PP/SH(+1), GW(+2), SHOG(1)
DEF = G(3), A(2), PP/SH(+1), GW(+2), SHOG(1)
GOAL = W(3), OTL(1), SO(+2), SV(.10)
FOR: Malkin Ovechkin Kessel Stepan Gaborik Zetterberg Carter Vanek Pacioretty Duchene Skinner Lupul Hornqvist Perron Semin Okposo Byfuglien Granlund Bennett Strome Bjugstad Nichushkin Yakupov Galchenyuk Grigorenko Kuznetsov Kucherov Etem Burakovsky
D: Letang Goligoski Kronwall Voynov JustinSchultz Hedman RyanMurphy AdamLarsson Pulock Sproul
G: Lundqvist Lehtonen Schneider
On the contrary, it's the prime reason why he'd stick on the team, because that's an element they lack.
GO WINGS!
Sticking with the team and centering the top line of the New York Rangers on opening night are real far apart. Kid has a lot of talent but that is just a wee bit lofty I think. We will see but there is a PILE of veteran centers that he would have to outperform to get that job.
6Team/Points Only H2H Keep: 37+3goalies Start: 13F/6D/2G
FWD = G(2), A(1), PP/SH(+1), GW(+2), SHOG(1)
DEF = G(3), A(2), PP/SH(+1), GW(+2), SHOG(1)
GOAL = W(3), OTL(1), SO(+2), SV(.10)
FOR: Malkin Ovechkin Kessel Stepan Gaborik Zetterberg Carter Vanek Pacioretty Duchene Skinner Lupul Hornqvist Perron Semin Okposo Byfuglien Granlund Bennett Strome Bjugstad Nichushkin Yakupov Galchenyuk Grigorenko Kuznetsov Kucherov Etem Burakovsky
D: Letang Goligoski Kronwall Voynov JustinSchultz Hedman RyanMurphy AdamLarsson Pulock Sproul
G: Lundqvist Lehtonen Schneider
+1 to the original post. Everything Stepan's done this past week (Traverse City, training camp) and everything he's said oozes star quality. There's no doubt the organisation loves him and he's already shown the quality and mental capacity to win at every level he's competed. Part of me hopes he'll start in Hartford alongside Grachev, but a slightly bigger part of me wants him between Frolov and Gaborik on opening night.
12-team H2H keeper w/ 10 keeps each year
G A +/- PIM PPP SOG HIT BLK W GAA SV% SHO
C - Malkin, Matthews, MacKinnon, W. Karlsson
LW - Ovechkin, Gaudreau, Fiala, Marchessault
RW - Kucherov, Marner, Voracek, Rieder, Rust
D - Klingberg, Werenski, Provorov, Klefbom, Ekholm, Vatanen
G - Holtby, Rask, Hellebuyck
12-team H2H keeper
G A PPP SHP SOG GAA SV% SHO
C - Johansen, W. Nylander, Bergeron, E. Lindholm
W - Laine, Atkinson, Zuccarello, Tkachuk
D - Karlsson, Klingberg, Krug, Barrie, Theodore
G - Holtby, Andersen
Its a rare day indeed. I agree with everything Sentium stated. Think I will buy a lottery ticket tomorrow.
Haha, good luck
GO WINGS!
Hi Sentium. I was lucky enough to pick up Stepan with my 20th rnd pick in a 24 round inaugural keeper draft recently. I have the draft for my sig league coming up soon and was wondering where you would draft him in a draft that included this year's NHL draft class and a few others such as Ennis, Hudler, MPS, Subban, Bozak, etc ? We do 9 rounds of drafting.
(1) 15 Team Keeper G , A, OTG =1 / W=2 OTL=1 SO=4
Count Top 10 Fwds 4 Ds 2 Gs Protect 15
Fwds: Marleau, Kopitar,Scheifele, Carter, Plekanec, Stamkos,Backstrom, J Jokinen, E Kane, Pavelski, Granlund, Jenner, Killorn, Terevainen, Frattin
Ds:Enstrom, Markov, Green, Gardiner, Ry Murphy, Krug, Trouba
Gs: Bernier, Rask,Bishop, J Gibson
(2) 16 Team Keeper Pts only Count top 10 Fwds 4 ds 2Gs Protect 15
Fwds:Zetterberg, P Kane, Benn, Ryan, Henrique, Ennis,Tlusty,Neal, Sharp, Conacher, Grabovski, Whitney, Bickell, Hemsky,Cole
Ds: Letang, Brodie, Karlsson, Larsson, Trouba,Barberio
Gs:Fasth, Allen, Lehner, Fleury,Thomas
Given Drury's injury today - likely to miss 3 reg season games - Stepan's almost a shoe-in to be on the opening nights roster.
12-team H2H keeper w/ 10 keeps each year
G A +/- PIM PPP SOG HIT BLK W GAA SV% SHO
C - Malkin, Matthews, MacKinnon, W. Karlsson
LW - Ovechkin, Gaudreau, Fiala, Marchessault
RW - Kucherov, Marner, Voracek, Rieder, Rust
D - Klingberg, Werenski, Provorov, Klefbom, Ekholm, Vatanen
G - Holtby, Rask, Hellebuyck
12-team H2H keeper
G A PPP SHP SOG GAA SV% SHO
C - Johansen, W. Nylander, Bergeron, E. Lindholm
W - Laine, Atkinson, Zuccarello, Tkachuk
D - Karlsson, Klingberg, Krug, Barrie, Theodore
G - Holtby, Andersen
Now Sentium, I'm surprised. You are displaying some characteristically un-Wing like tendencies here LOL
Seriously, though, chemistry and production in training camp are great, but one has to look not only at his strengths and whether they are already NHL caliber, but also at his weaknesses and deficiencies and whether they won't hold him back if he were put into real NHL action right off the bat. For example, are his strength, defensive acumen and responsibility (especially for playing between noted Selke candidates Gaborik and Frolov), skating, face off skills, speed of thinking the game, and level of mental maturity (traditional weaknesses of many players who turn pro) at a level at least passable for the NHL game? If not, it may be better to give him some seasoning time in Hartford.
Mind you, I have no idea where he's at in his development on these things (and as an owner i'd be glad if Sentium or aj told me ;D ), but these should be as important in deciding whether he sticks or not as his strengths, chemistry, and offensive production.
Last edited by fzusher; September 20, 2010 at 1:41 PM.
Rebulding in two lifetime keepers, squads to follow ...
Stepan plays a two way game, and his strengths are his hockey sense/iq/vision. If he has a deficiency at this point I would probably point to his size (6'0 187lbs). He is not a elite level skill type player or a speed demon. But he makes players around him better with his elite hockey smarts. He played all special teams in college.
Making the top line out of camp would be quite the feat for someone his age. But his maturity level is pretty high. I could see him get bodied out of faceoffs somewhat easily given his size though.
It seems for the time being that the coaching staff have a lot of confidence in him and that they even have him playing between Frolov and Gabby in camp is a testament to that.
15 Team Keeper - 30 Player Roster, Full Keeper (Pts=1,W=2,SO=2,OTL=1)
Weekly LineUps (2C,2R,2L,4D,1G)
C-Backstrom,Borgstrom,Schmaltz,Domi,J. Boqvist,Steel,Stepan,Vilardi
RW-Atkinson,Fiala,Caufield,Terry,Radulov,Kailyev
LW-Zucker,Ehlers,Formenton,Jost,Lindblom,Buchnevich
D-Doughty,Hedman,Faulk,Barrie,Josi,K.Miller
G-Fleury,Price,Hart,
im not drinking the stepan koolaid on sept 20 2010
lets see how he does in his 9 game reg season tryout
sounds very tomas taterish
det knows
Nothing in that post made any sense. A 9 game tryout isn't relevant for Stepan, he's starting his pro career anyway. How does this have ANYTHING to do with Tatar? Tatar has never had the opportunity OR the expectations Stepan has on him. In a few years, sure, maybe, but not now.
GO WINGS!
sentium, stay away from the tequila, its alluring but leaves you with brutal headaches the next day.
my instinct is to be somewhat skeptical as well, but look at dubinsky. he took off like crazy his first year because of chemistry with a star winger. mind you, he was a little older... but the precedent is there.
then again, i still think it'd be better to see the kid in the CHL for a year. don't really understand why all these teams are in such a rush.
tatar outpoints stepan in 2015-16 - ( i actually have no idea)
heres my thing....its sept 20....how someone looks day 1-2 of camp means zero....nazim kadri looks good in leafs camp....
i care about how these guys perform against the REAL nhlers when it counts later on in the later exhibition games or early reg season games
stepan may very well turn out to be a huge surprise this year, however i cant help but think this is just a case of 'way to early' fantasy hype.....
we play fantasy....the rangers play 'real' hockey
stepan has taken 1 baby step
peace
Posting Permissions
