New York Rangers: Appreciating Derek Stepan
Despite consistently being in New York Rangers trade rumors, Derek Stepan deserves plenty of praise. The long-time Ranger may be expendable due to his teammates, but that does not decrease his current value at all.
The second Derek Stepan’s rebound shot found its way past Braden Holtby on May 13, 2015, the Ranger became a part of team history. If Stepan never laced up the skates again after that goal, he still would have made a lasting impact on the organization. A series winning, overtime goal tends to garner the respect of a fanbase.
That being said, Derek Stepan has been the subject of various trade rumors this season. Here at Blue Line Station we have speculated that J.T. Miller’s surge has made Stepan expendable, as the Rangers continue to look for defensive help. From the article:
J.T. Miller fitting in at center leaves Stepan with zero niche’s unfilled by other members of the Rangers forward group. At $6.5 Million per year, Stepan must provide value others cannot to be worth his contract. Instead, the Power-Play is better off without him, and the Penalty-Kill has enough options without him.Derek Stepan is a tremendous hockey player that any team would be lucky to have. His ability to play in all situations makes him tremendously valuable to teams lacking forward dept. The Rangers do not lack forward depth, however, so his highest value to the Rangers is as trade bait.
The belief here remains that Stepan’s highest value to the Rangers is in a trade. However, the Alternate Captain deserves praise for what he brings to the organization.
Stepan entered the league on October 9, 2010, scoring a hat trick in his first NHL game.
From the moment he took the ice as a Ranger, Stepan was a difference maker. In his rookie season, the former Wisconsin Badger scored 45 points, including 21 goals. In the 2012-13 lockout shortened campaign, Stepan fell four points shy of tallying a point per game.
The 2013-14 season was when Stepan took off. Scoring 57 points including 40 assists, Stepan solidified his role as a top six forward. His penalty killing and power-play time each grew, making him an all situations player on a team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. During that postseason trip, Stepan notched 15 points in 24 games, including seven points in six Eastern Conference Finals games.
When the Rangers were tasked with returning to the Stanley Cup the following year, Stepan did his part. After a 55 point performance in only 68 games played, Stepan earned his marquee playoff moments.
After struggling to the tune of four points in nine playoff games, the Rangers’ sleeping giant woke in Game 5 of the 2nd round against the Washington Capitals.
Stepan owned the primary assists on both the game-tying and overtime winning goals, sending New York to Game 6. After tallying another assist in Game 6, Stepan and the Rangers advanced to the all-important Game 7. What happened from there is history.
As previously stated, that moment was historic enough on its own for Stepan. However, he has solidified himself as a fan-favorite in New York, making it difficult to deal him. In the past season and a half, Stepan has continued his all situations role, but the Rangers have increased the talent around him.
Next: Five Rangers Predictions for 2017
It remains to be seen if Stepan will be a Ranger past this coming season. What we can state with no uncertainty, however, is that the Alternate Captain has provided the Rangers with a skilled, two-way center since he entered the league. His numbers are All-Star caliber this year, and if he is traded it will not be due to lack of skill.