Can the Rangers rely on Dan Girardi? Photo: McIsaac/Getty
With a few exceptions the Rangers have been abysmal in their own end for almost the entire season. Whether it’s been the disruptions to the line up caused by the myriad of injuries or ‘a lack of desperation’ (says Rick Nash) or execution on any particular game night, it doesn’t matter. The Rangers have not been good enough.
The Rangers play a bad Flyers team Wednesday night. However they play a team that is loaded with offensive talent and given the Rangers’ struggles in their own end it is a game the Rangers could easily lose – particularly in their current state.
Consider the Rangers most senior blueliners for a moment. Dan Girardi is being paid like an elite defenseman. Marc Staal is expecting to be paid like an elite defenseman. Ryan McDonagh and Dan Boyle are being paid handsomely and even Kevin Klein is being paid better than most. Yet the Rangers defense has been appalling.
It’s unfair to expect miracles from a Matt Hunwick or Mike Kostka. Even less can be reasonably expected of Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath. However, a significant portion of the blame needs to lie at the feet of Girardi and Staal. Their play causes significant concern moving forward.
When the injuries mounted Staal and Girardi should have been the ones that rallied the unit. They should have set the examples, been calming influences, should have stood tall and made a difference on the blueline. Yet both players were part of the problem and not the solution. In fact, Staal has been as bad as any player so far this season. How Staal and Girardi have fared this season does not equate to what you expect from players earning or demanding upwards of 5m dollars per season.
Legitimate questions can be asked about both players. Are they actually elite defenseman? Are they worth long term investments? Have both players already peaked? If both have peaked, if both players have regressed and if neither are worth long term investments then the Rangers have a major issue on their hands. What recently looked like enviable depth on their blueline could soon be a huge mess.
Girardi’s long term future is justifiably a concern. A warrior, a player that plays through injuries the way Girardi does is surely likely to regress. How soon the regression starts is the concern in this instance. With Staal the question now becomes is it fair to question his long term ability? Is it sensible to commit long term to the homegrown Ranger?
With Dan Boyle at an advanced age and never being the best defensively to begin with, with Girardi’s long term effectiveness a real concern and with Staal an increasingly significant dilemma for the Rangers, this team has a huge question mark on the blueline. If one was drawing conclusions this early (we’re not – we’re merely raising a question here), then only Ryan McDonagh can be relied upon long term. As it currently stands.
Assume for a moment the Rangers do in fact commit upwards of 5m per year to Marc Staal at the end of the season. With some crude maths that would mean the Rangers would be committing well over $20m to their top four defensemen, only one of which at this point in time, inspires confidence in the fan base (McDonagh). With little in the way of ‘sure things’ coming through the system and with an apparently weak market for quality defensive talent there’s plenty of reasons to be nervous if you’re a Rangers fan monitoring the state of the defense. Let’s hope – starting tonight against the talented Flyers – they begin to change current perceptions.
Share:
More About:Defense