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It
is clear that New York Rangers GM Glen Sather has Brad Richards atop his
offseason wish list, but with every plan there must be a backup in case the
plan falls through. According to Larry
Brooks at the New York Post that fallback option could include 28-year-old
center Stephen Weiss of the Florida Panthers.
Speaking of which: after watching Nathan Horton's breakout playoffs, who doesn't wonder who Stephen Weiss might play for if freed from the shackles of Sunrise, where the sun always sets on the hockey team?
Slats, perhaps, if Brad Richards can't be signed?
The
idea of trading for Weiss is one that I
looked at back in February before the trade deadline and the point about
Horton’s breakout during the Stanley Cup playoffs this year is an interesting
addition to the case for Weiss. Weiss is
a slightly different case than Horton given him being older at the time of the
move, but there is something to be said for playing with better talent around
him and in more meaningful games.
Weiss
is a quality NHL player who scored 21 goals and added 28 assists in 76 games
this past season with the Panthers and their talent deficient lineup. Weiss has experience as a top line player and
facing the best competition of the opposition each night, along with having a
very reasonable contract set to pay him $3.1 million per for the next two
seasons. His best attributes on the ice
are his speed, vision and passing ability, but he is also able to score. It is
tough to full gauge whether that is a result of the lack of overall talent in
Florida or speaks to where Weiss actually is.
Beyond his offensive capabilities,
Weiss is excellent on faceoffs, wining 53.9% of his draws, which would be a
considerable upgrade for the Blueshirts.
There are questions about whether
Weiss is truly a number one type center on a contending team or better suited
for a supporting role. There is also his
no-movement clause that could allow him to block any move and he has said in
the past that he wants to be part of the solution there.
With
the lack of talent on the Florida roster and the cheap contract for what Weiss
brings them it means the price tag to acquire him could be high.
