He has two goals in his last 25 games. That's downright awful and clearly not helping out this team at all. This is the problem the Rangers always fall into. We fall in love with these guys and think my god they better resign him instead of sometimes selling them when they can and getting needs filled. This is not a special player at all.
I disagree Messiah, the kid is a very good two way player but is playing out of position. he should be a second line centerman. he has been given too much too soon. Ala Dubi
He has been around long enough now and is playoff tested. There's no excuse for this severe lack of production.
He's still only 23 until the summer, so he's not a finished product. That said, i agree with your initial point that his production in the past 25gms is a joke and he HAS to do better for this team. Even as a 2nd line center you need much better production than that. Like Al says, he's a good 2-way player who should be centering the 2nd line, b/c as i've said all along he does not have the talent/skills of a 1st line center. Last year and over the offseason i spent many a posts arguing with some posters who were calling him a 1st line center and expecting 75+pts out of him this year. It is very clear last season is an outlier but he should be able to continue giving us 55pts every yr with some 60+ seasons during his prime. Would i be ok trading him? without looking at our thin depth at C, yes i would, but for the right player. That is, a <30yo who can be a top-3 player on this team. Obviously Stepan alone doesn't get you that, but he'd be a big part of a package.
He needs to understand what lifting his arms with weights mean instead of lifting his arms to play with himself.
If they were going to keep Richards around for a few more years plus Brassard, I'd say use Stepan in a package with DZ and a prospect to bring back something pretty solid. But since Richards is going that means they would need to sign a #1 and #2 C in FA which i don't think they could. As is they need one in FA or trade to play with Nash/Ck.
Stepan is just the same result each year when someone holds out or didn't work out(richards last season) during offseason. Out of shape, behind the 8 ball and not catching up till next season. At the flyer game he looked slow as shit and with the same definition as the pillsbury doughboy. Ridiculous at his age to not be in shape. Av needs to put richards between nash and kreider right now
I don't get why players just let themselves go when holding out instead of assuming the best and being ready to go. It's negligent.
I don't think this organization asks these guys to do anything with weights except maybe look at them.
It seems a shame that the only thing Stepan appears to lift is a pen to endorse his paycheck but he's still young and will hopefully figure out that if he wants to increase his $3 mil salary he needs to hit the weights and skate hard in the offseason. I don't think Glen moves him with all the free agency issues at the end of this year and next year is his contract year.
