Kinda huge difference between the NHL and the grown men that play an 82 game schedule vs a 19 year old who played junior league. When you say he can hang with the big boys...your basing this over what 3 games?
Al, AV will make the call and if he thinks Duclair can hang with the big boys up here thats good enough for me. And if he doesn't I'll be disappointed but juniors it will be. I have a feeling the kid is staying up though.
Al, he has been a star of the game in every game he has played. What more do you want? If he goes back to Juniors and scores 70 goals in 50 games. What did he really learn. If the AHL was an option, I might have a different opinion. But going to Juniors makes no sense to me at all.
I was 50/50 but the more I think about it, he should stay. I agree with papadoc. He will learn more here than in juniors. If he was eligible for AHL, I would send him down there but he is not so let him stick with the big club. He can learn from MSL and other vets.
yes, i can not argue that point, the vets don't want to get hurt and the kids r tryin to impress... but this kid shows great poise, nothing is affecting him and nothing is impressing him... he belongs!
I believe he can stay up the first 9 games before AV has to make a decision but I think Tony D should stay up along with Miller & McIlrath. The Rangers would be better off paying for him to go to college to face stiffer competition than sending him back to juniors for another year of domination.
I think Duclair and Miller are locks to stay up. As for Big Mac as much as I want him here the Rangers will not keep him up as a 7th defenseman and instead will keep him developing with major minutes at hartford. I don't think he can come up here until the rangers open up a slot by trading klein.
Domination? he didn't lead the league in anything, or even finish top 5 in scoring. I agree he doesn't have anything to learn in juniors, but "dominate" is not something he really did. Look at what Mantha (120pts in 57gms) and Drouin (108pts in 46gms) did instead.
DuClair was 18 and scored 99 points, Mantha was 20 & Drouin was 21 last year but I guess age is irrelevant to some. I would call that dominating.
I believe he can stay as long a we want since he signed his ELC after the deadline we are already eating the first year so the 9 game thing doesnt apply here. I think though that if we want to send him anywhere it has to be back to juniors (not the AHL) and I think thats a one way move, cant recall him from juniors if he goes back...
Until McIlrath has more than 2 NHL games under his belt I don't think he can be labeled as a bust but this is his last year under contract so I guess the smart move would be to bury him in the AHL, let him walk at the end of the season, watch another team sign him and give him a shot to play while we lament the lack of a physical presence on defense on this board. I believe Sam said the same regarding DuClair Mel thus the reason for my thinking he'll be up for at least the first 9, I hope he stays up to give the offense a much needed boost. Hope Glen has another trade in the works involving Klein, the unsignable Staal or both.
Duclair will be the x-factor throughout his inaugural season. He sure looks special. He's older than his real age... Finesse and lethal hand work around the goal. This team is in great need of a pure goal getter. Glad he's getting a shot. BTW, NHL rules are really antiquated.
Panze, I don't see the rangers letting big mac walk at all. He is getting better and better and will be here as soon as slats deals klein probably later this season. Don't forget the kid had a bad knee injury that screwed up a year or so in his development. Beukaboom says he'll be here this year and I believe him. This kid gives the team that element of don't mess with us or else we've been lacking and I don't see the rangers letting that element go. Unless duclair falls flat on his face the next 9 games which I don't see happening I think the kid is here to stay.
I had seen McIlrath play at Hartford and I was not impressed. I was really down on this guy. Compared to last year, McI this pre season looked 1,000% better. I think he just needed more time to acclimate at NHL level. I would not be surprised that he will get a call up this year.
