All season long, the New York Rangers have struggled to win faceoffs. As a matter of fact, the Rangers have struggled so much at winning faceoffs that they are near the bottom of the league in that department.
Eyes On Isles
Now some say would say “Who cares!” and that winning faceoffs are overrated, but I disagree, especially in the playoffs. This is because you can’t look at faceoffs as just faceoffs… if that made any sense. For example, winning faceoffs result in more puck possession, which leads to more scoring chances for you and less for the opposition, which in turn means that if you win more faceoffs then you are not only going to score more goals but you are also going to give up less goals because the other team can’t score if they don’t have the puck.
So, in my opinion, and I’m sure the Rangers’ organization’s opinion as well, it would do good for the Rangers to go out and acquire a faceoff specialist before the Monday trade deadline, which is now only 2 days away from when this article was written.
One faceoff specialist I have in mind is Carolina Hurricanes‘ center, Jay McClement. McClement is a 31 year old veteran, with 4 goals and 12 assists this season, and most importantly, wins faceoffs at a staggering 58% and has a cap hit of just $1 million.
McClement is definitely someone the Rangers should eye over the next couple of days and seriously consider adding before the trade deadline. But, in the end, will Rangers’ management be completely sold on him and deem McClement as someone worth trading a draft pick for?
Yes, McClement wins faceoffs at 58%, which would be the best out of any player on the Rangers if they acquired him, however, his offensive production is something more suited for a 4th line role and the Rangers need a natural centerman for their 3rd line.
So, with all of that being said, should the Rangers trade for McClement? Or should the Rangers seek another option? Or do you think the Rangers should just stay quiet at the trade deadline?
In my opinion, I think it would be a mistake for the Rangers to do nothing at the trade deadline. I don’t think they should do anything crazy but, at the same time, I do think they need depth at forward and defense, and interestingly enough, I just wrote an article about the Rangers possibly trading for McClement’s teammate, defenseman Brett Bellemore.
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If both are available, which rumor would have it that they both are, would you pull the trigger on, let’s say, John Moore for both McClement and Bellemore?
I think it is definitely something the Rangers should consider if the deal presents itself. How about you?
Next: Brett Bellemore: A Depth Option At Defense For New York Rangers?
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