New York Rangers: Picking the Steven McDonald Award Winner
In this round of Blue Line Station’s New York Rangers Round-Table, we discuss which Ranger should win the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award means a little extra this season. The namesake of the award tragically passed away earlier this year. There have been plenty of discussions of which New York Rangers player is most deserving of the award.
McDonald’s award is given to the player who “goes above and beyond the call of duty both on and off the ice.” The most recent winners include Mats Zuccarello and Cam Talbot.
Who deserves to win it this year? Let’s discuss.
Brandon Cohen- Ryan McDonagh
Ryan McDonagh embodies everything the Steven McDonald Award is about. McDonagh must work the hardest on the Rangers to succeed considering his role.
McDonagh was one of only two talented defensemen on the Rangers’ roster before New York acquired Brendan Smith. With that in mind, he dealt with covering for his defensive partner in nearly every game this season. That means for over 70 games, McDonagh has essentially played two positions effectively.
In addition to playing on the power-play. And the penalty kill. And the most minutes of any Ranger overall. Oh, and he’s also the captain.
McDonagh’s hustle this season has been noticeable and outstanding. Without his leadership on the ice, the Rangers’ defense would have buried their postseason chances by now. Instead, the McDonagh-led Rangers are playoff bound.
The reward for McDonagh’s hustle and leadership must be the Steven McDonald Award. No one deals with a more difficult position, and no one is more effective in their respective role.
John Williams- J.T. Miller
In a season riddled by inconsistent play from up and down the Rangers’ lineup, J.T. Miller is the one player who has consistently played well, game after game.
Miller is able to impact a game even if he cannot find the scoreboard. He always finishes his checks, he is not afraid to lay out to block a shot at a key point in the game and as the season has gone on, he routinely comes to the aid of a teammate who is being pushed around by an opposing player.
On top of this, Miller has grown a tremendous amount in both the defensive zone and the offensive end. He has become a wizard with the puck on his stick almost overnight. He has contributed 32 assists through 74 games this year, which blows his previous career high of 21 in a season out of the water.
A lot of people thought Miller’s 15-16 season could have been a fluke, but he has proved that last year was only the beginning. The 24-year-old has notched his second consecutive 20 goal season, passed the 50 point mark for the first time ever, and has a +/- rating of 21 this season. There is no doubt that Miller should be awarded the Steven McDonald award for his efforts.
Daniel Carrozzi- Michael Grabner
The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award should go to Michael Grabner.
Grabner was brought on during the offseason to fill the speedy and defensibly responsible winger the Rangers have lacked since Carl Hagelin’s departure. The two year contract he was given was most likely designed so that he would be enticing to be picked up in the upcoming expansion draft.
With Grabner playing primarily bottom six minutes, as well spending significant time on the penalty kill, most would have expected or been content with Grabner chipping in 10-15 goals.
Instead, Grabner has been on a tear for much of the season. Although Grabner has been streaky this season as many players are, when he’s been on, he’s really been on.
Grabner leads the team with 27 goals, with none coming on the powerplay and only one shorthanded. The Austrian native also leads all forwards in shorthanded ice time.
Grabner’s play has made it more likely than Jeff Gorton ever imagined that he will get picked by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Garrett Gartino- Jesper Fast
Every season a member of the New York Rangers is awarded the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. This award has a long standing purpose with the organization, and is considered an honor among players.
One player that sticks out in my mind when thinking about extra efforts is Jesper Fast. The underrated Swede is a prime example of a player that uses his hustle and determination to make a difference on every shift.
This season, Fast has excelled in the Rangers four-line skilled lineup. Through 61 games he has 5 goals and 15 assists, and he has continued his exceptional play on the penalty kill.
Winning his first Steven McDonald Extra Effort award would prove his value and meaning to the Rangers lineup and organization. Jesper Fast deserves the honor of this distinguished award.
Tim Haggerty- Antti Raanta
This year’s winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort award should go to Antti Raanta.
Cam Talbot won the award in 2015 when Henrik Lundqvist went down with an awful neck injury. Talbot stepped up and started 34 games for the Rangers, winning 21 of them.
If you look at Antti Raanta, his resume isn’t all that different. He has started 24 games for the Rangers this year; winning 15 of them. He has also stepped up in the past couple of weeks while Lundqvist has nursed a hip injury.
At the end of the day, the Rangers may not be where they are in the standings without the strong play of Raanta. He was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks after the Rangers lost Talbot, and it’s clear why. Money can’t buy a great backup goalie.
Raanta has shown the extra effort required for this award throughout the season. He should be rewarded this year with the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
Drew McCaffrey- Kevin Hayes
The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award is a true feel-good story every year for the Rangers, regardless of their place in the standings.
Usually awarded to heart-and-soul, blue-collar players like Ryan Callahan, Brandon Prust, and Adam Graves, the award this season seems like it could be up for grabs. No one player on the Rangers has that kind of identity.
While two of the last three seasons have seen the award go to Mats Zuccarello, there is one player on the Rangers who has undergone something of a renaissance in the 2016-17 season.
Last year, Kevin Hayes was often given the label of “lazy.” He spent time demoted to the fourth line with Tanner Glass, and was even scratched during the Rangers’ five-game loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.
This season, the narrative has changed. Hayes came to camp in better shape, having lost 20 pounds, and has set career marks in goals, assists, and points. He’s killing penalties. He’s playing a two-way game, earning trust from Alain Vigneault.
He should win the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in 2017.
George Ruggiero- Mats Zuccarello
The winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award should go to Mats Zuccarello. This season he has played in every game for the Rangers, producing at a pace just under his total from last season. However, the numbers don’t do Zuccarello’s game justice.
Zuccarello plays his heart out every single game. He plays with speed every shift, he has chemistry with every player on the roster, and, even with his diminutive frame, plays with an edge to his game. He embodies the core of this Rangers team: hard working play mixed with speed and skill.
The Steven McDonald Award goes to the Ranger who gives his all every time he steps on the ice. Only two years removed from a potentially career-ending brain injury, Zuccarello continues to give his all to the Rangers, therefore I think he should win a consecutive Steven McDonald Award.
Alexandra Russo- Brady Skjei
This season, Brady Skjei deserves the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award for his spectacular play in his first full season with the New York Rangers. He is a better replacement for Keith Yandle because he plays an offensive-minded game while maintaining excellent defense.
Skjei is one of the main reasons the Rangers’ defense has been able to look decent and sometimes even good. He continuously blocks numerous two on one chances without taking penalties. When he’s in the offensive zone, his speed allows him to get back fast enough to make a defensive play.
Most recently, Skjei scored his fourth goal of the season against one of the league’s best, the Minnesota Wild, tying the game at one. However, his strength is in assists, which he has 29 of as of March 18th. He is consistently good night in and night out, and his determination should make him winner of this special award.