Of course he is getting claimed Grevy. Other teams not as dumb and biased as AV. He is better than girardi and holden both right now and in the long run. Big mistake by my rangers
The thing that's bothering people the most is that he was a top ten first round draft pick when he certainly shouldn't of been.
Ok, I am eating humble pie right now. Dylan cleared waivers and is back in ahl. Actually feel sorry for the kid but he'll be a free agent after the season and can try to make his own deal then.
It's definitely telling he wasnt claimed. I thought he would be, and I was wrong. There must be more going on with his game than we on our couches can see. It also tells me that the style he plays is not just being phased out in New York but in much of the league as well. It's all about speed and quick decisions, and those are probably his two weakest points. Either way it's likely the end of his career as a New York Ranger. Unless a big injury bug hits and he isnt claimed on re-entry, he'll walk as a UFA at the end of the year. Best of luck kid. Time to focus on the guys here. Did we trade for Trouba yet?
It's not telling. The Rangers did everything they could to make it seem like this kid sucks when he outplayed half our defense last year. I'm thrilled that he cleared because when Girardi starts to suck ass again which he will, Dylan will have to save our asses like he did last year for a period of time. AV is a thick head. I stated before the Penguins had two defenseman very similar in style to McIlrath last year who helped them win a cup. This speed and puck moving crap for defenseman is vastly overrated. The most important thing for defenseman has and always will be covering in front of the crease in high danger areas. Our puck moving defenseman last year sucked ass at it.
The NHL game has and continues to change. You either accept it and go with it or live in the past. Frankly, Gorton has done a very nice job bringing this roster up to speed. It's not perfect but nobody is. There's always some work that can be done.
This move is nothing more than moron AV thinking Girardi is back because he's delusional in some things. You want a stat. Rangers when 1 and 0 when McIlrath played in the playoffs. 0 and 4 when dumbass AV sat him. That's all you need to know about his style of play.
It's like what has been said. He's the product of being drafted way too high by a different regime. Plus, lets face it he was outplayed for his spot in the preseason. If people feel that he deserved Girardi's spot just because well they're entitled to their opinion but I just didn't see it with his level of defensive play.
Rangers didn't help McIlrath at all but when 30 GM's pass on you for basically free you have no value
Wait a second...NO ONE CLAIMED HIM? at what 400k (1/2 his salary right?) doesn't that say something that a very very very reasonable contract wasn't picked up...hell a team could pick him up and park him in the stands for that amount yet...not one team took a chance? No one...really? So AV blackballed him? Sather tell every single other GM he is so terrible that its not even worth 1/2 the salary.... That says a lot...
He's just not full-time NHL material, that simple. He's actually a decent guy to have at HFD since he can be called up in a pinch to play against Philly in Jan/Feb if needed. Hey at least he'll make a few mill over the life of his minors stint.
Im sorry...you were saying? And I just read your other post..... It is telling. No one can deny that. Al hit the nail on the head. Personally i am so glad he wasn't claimed but he would still have to clear again if the Rangers try to call him back up, right? I think he definitely has a role on this team and should at WORST be the the 7th d-man. They need a tough physical presence especially on D. He should be with them and i hope he gets another chance.
I just read that the new CBA abolished re entry waivers. I hadn't realized that. He can come back up at any time without being exposed again. Makes sense if you think about it...a guy lighting it up in the minors shouldn't be stuck there because a team is afraid to lose him.
Another factor into him being totally passed over could be him being a UFA at the end of the year since he won't play 41.
This thread is awesome. 90% of you guys whine about how AV f'd McIlrath. On and on about how good he is, how AV is an a** and is ruining McIlrath, how he'll be claimed of course. The whole league passes on McIlrath for nothing, and it doesn't prove anything to some of you. Funny stuff. Of course it proves something...wake up. McIlrath is not good. He is in the old mold of the NHL where big slower guys ruled. He cannot keep up with the game today. That's reality, and was clearly shown by the whole league passing on him for nothing. I hope he goes down and improves and maybe can make an impact at some point, but right now he is not good enough. And that is not on AV, or Gorton, or anyone...it is simply reality.
I'll be the first to admit I was wrong thinking he'd get claimed. I never said it was a sure thing but that was my opinion. And I was wrong. My frustration with AV and this whole situation wasn't that McIlrath was a can't miss prospect here to bring us salvation, and that AV was refusing to play the next coming of Scott Stevens. It wasnt even where we drafted him and who was still on the board at the time. If I recall correctly McIlrath has only had one stretch in his career when he played over 10 games in a row. That was last year, during which (at least for part of it) he was paired with Yandle. By almost all measures, that was our best pairing. Even Brooksie wrote about it and he hates everything. McIlrath handled himself very well and, most importantly, proved himself to be a far more reliable option than Girardi at that time. I think we can all agree on that: McIlrath was clearly playing better than 1 leg Girardi. He didnt look too slow or not good enough for the NHL game. He looked perfectly comfortable. He wasnt an all pro by any means, but he was very serviceable as a middle pairing guy. But then AV got Girardi back, banished McIlrath to the press box (or gave him 5 minutes of ice time), trotted out an inferior line up and watched teams skate circles around a hobbled Girardi. The net result was that McIlrath was out of the line up and in the press box during one of the most important seasons for his development, even though he deserved to be on the ice. Teams knew his situation going into this year: We had to play him or we'd lose him. The rumors are that we had been shopping him since the draft, so now he was on the scout's radar. They didnt see much of him last year, and all the reports are that he was watched closely this preseason. And what happened? He had a DREADFUL camp and looked like shit in preseason games, which was when teams were watching him. Is part of that because he was pressing and trying to do too much, confused as to what else he needed to show to get in the line up? Or maybe part of it is that he spent an important year in his development mostly watching and not playing . That is speculation on my part. What is not speculation is that he was a better option than Girardi last year in almost everybody's eyes except AV. Not getting him out there very well may have had negative effects on his game and mindset, affecting his play in camp and preseason and leading him to go unclaimed. Because those posters saying he was not good are correct, when it comes to this year. But a lot happened before that that I think led to this situation. Now, you add in his style of play and the overall change in the nature of the game, and teams aren't going to take a chance on a guy like that who hasn't shown much. Teams will take flyers on guys like Clendening or Justin Shultz with the pens before they'll take a flyer on an old school guy. That's my essay on McIlrath. He was never going to be an all star but I think he could have been a contributor in the mold of Sauer.
I thought he would get claimed also, and I didn't think it was smart to simply risk losing McIlrath for nothing, so I agree 223. I also give McIlrath credit for putting it on himself for not getting it done, that's reality IMO. My main point is we need to all acknowledge that McIlrath being passed over by the whole league for nothing tells you exactly how he is viewed right now. Not sure that point can be argued. I guess people can blame AV or Gorton, but I will listen to McIlrath himself and say he needs to be better and he knows it. The league has a very low opinion of McIlrath right now. We'll see if some time down in Hartford can change that. I hope he improves as I said.
It doesn't say anything Al except what I've always said. 95% of all GM's are morons. Amazing how so many fans think these mental midgets running teams know what they are doing or how to evaluate talent. Clark is the guy I trust. I don't think Clark had anything bad to say about McIlrath from the time he drafted him. All I know is that there are consistently 1 to 3 defenseman on this defense that play like crap. Even when McIlrath clearly outplayed them he was benched by our dumbass coach. When Girardi starts to suck again and Klein continues to fall apart, McIlrath will be asked to save their sorry asses just like last year.
Yes, every GM in the NHL is a moron and not one of them knows how to evaluate talent. That's some very sound reasoning.
