Just before the start of the season, Jeff Gorton went ahead and made a move to acquire veteran defenseman Adam McQuaid from the Boston Bruins.
In a week with other jaw-dropping trades, the Rangers were one of the teams who looked to better themselves for the upcoming rebuild year. Going out and acquiring long time veteran defenseman Adam McQuaid.
The 31 year old right handed defenseman has played nine seasons in the league as a Boston Bruin. The defenseman was a member of the 2011 team that won the Stanley Cup against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Rangers traded Steven Kampfer, a fourth round pick, and a conditional seventh round pick both from 2019. The conditional pick’s stipulation is whether or not McQuaid plays more than 25 games as a Ranger this season.
The defenseman missed most of last season after he fractured his right fibula. The defenseman is known for his hard nosed style of play and his ability to clear the crease.
The Pros:
To be fair, Adam McQuaid likely has received a bit of a disappointing reception regarding his potential role with the team. The reality is that McQuaid brings a few pretty important things to the locker room.
- McQuaid fills a role that the Rangers have been in desperate need of for the last four seasons, the role of a reliable stay at home defenseman. McQuaid can be thought of somewhat like a discount Dan Girardi. McQuaid has a career corsi sitting right at basically 50. A corsi at 50 means that when McQuaid is on the ice, his team gives up as many shots as they allow.
- On top of the relatively average(however not poor,) corsi, McQuaid has a career +/- of 60. Every year the stat of +/- seems to become more and more antiquated, despite this, he typically provided a passable result.
- McQuaid has played nearly 70 playoff games in his career, while winning a Stanley Cup in 2011 with Boston. Despite played a much more minor role for the Bruins then, McQuaid has played with great locker room players and can absolutely help a young defense, like the Rangers.
The Cons:
On the flip-side of the argument, Adam McQuaid may end up deserving some disappointment.
- McQuaid takes a potential position away from a younger player with more upside. A veteran on the roster is just a bit more “qualified” to play over an unproven rookie. However, this mindset is not always the best way to go about deployment and personnel decisions.
- Adam McQuaid is a discount Dan Girardi. While being a somewhat reliable stay at home defenseman, we have yet to see what the new coaching scheme runs with certain roles. Not to mention that McQuaid is not getting younger, and his viability will only decrease as the season goes on.
- He has never played a full season in the NHL. In his 462 game career over nine seasons, McQuaid has averaged 51.3 games a year since his joining the league. This is due to a combination of injuries and healthy scratches
The Verdict:
Adam McQuaid can bring a good deal of leadership to the New York Rangers, and provide a great defensive tool for the long stretch down the road this season.
Having an extra depth tool is never a bad thing, particularly with the situation surrounding players like Brendan Smith, who is still looking to return to form. Hopefully, McQuaid will exceed expectations and demonstrate great leadership for the young defensive corps.