It’s been a little while since we’ve received questions for the mailbag, and we got two good ones for this week. As always, use the mailbag widget on the right to submit your questions for the mailbag!
Anthony asks: What are your thoughts on targeting Riley Sheahan from Detroit as a 3C?
Sheahan is an interesting target. The Wings are in cap hell, and Sheahan’s $2.075 million deal, which expires at the end of the season, is something that looks to be an easy target. Sheahan, a former first round pick, is just 25 years old, and will have a year left of team control for any acquiring team.
A few things before getting into player analysis. Detroit doesn’t need to trade Sheahan or free up cap space. They are $3 million over the cap, but that doesn’t account for Johan Franzen headed to LTIR or the nine defensemen currently on the roster. They have enough space via LTIR to dress a roster, even if they’d have minimal wiggle room.
As for Sheahan, I don’t know much about his play style or skill set beyond what I read. Sheahan is more a big body (6’3″, 222 lbs) with a defensive mind than someone who slots in as a potential offensive minded 3C. He’s not a point producer by any means. So right off the bat, I’m concerned.
Now let’s look at direct comparisons. The Rangers just signed Desharnais to a one year deal. Sheahan is close to the same player. Sheahan is better defensively, certainly at suppressing shot attempts. But nothing jumps off the page as, “wow, he’s under appreciated.” To me, Sheahan screams overpayment and underwhelming.
Steve asks (sort of): Don’t you think you’re forgetting about Sean Day as a candidate for defense? He seems to go unmentioned in every post.
Sean Day is interesting. He’s already signed to an ELC, so he can make the club outright from camp. That said, the 19 year old is likely not to get rushed by team. They have a ton of options already, and Day represents a high-end talent. It’s best the team not force him into a role in which he may not be ready. That’s the short answer as to why we aren’t necessarily including him into this year’s outlook.
That said, Day is very much on our radar for beyond this season. He’s a phenomenal talent that can’t be ignored. I’m intrigued to see where Day would slide into the roster. Even if the Rangers trade Nick Holden this year and Marc Staal next year, they still have eight options, including Day, to fill out the roster.
At just 19 years old, the Rangers are best served not rushing him. They don’t need him at the moment. If something else changes, then maybe he makes the roster sooner than expected. But just based on roster construction, I don’t think we see him until he’s 21 years old at the earliest.
Share:
More About:Musings