However, as a New York Giants fan watching a game between Boston and Philadelphia, easily two of the biggest rival sports cities of the world’s greatest city (NYC), I thought there was a clear MVP that emerged that was NOT Nick Foles.
That MVP was Cure Auto Insurance.
Cure Auto Insurance ran simple, back-to-back 15 second ads to viewers in the New York media market. The first add lent credence to the dilemma the many New York fans while also taking a shot at their competitors, by relating having to choose between New England and Philadelphia in the Super Bowl to choosing between Flo (Progressive) and a gecko (GEICO). The second, hilarious ad took a blatant shot at the golden boy Tom Brady with this line, “You know what’s weird, if you cheat on your car insurance you can get arrested, but if you cheat at football you can sleep with a supermodel. Just saying.”[/text_output][image type=”thumbnail” float=”none” src=”2064″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][image type=”thumbnail” float=”none” src=”2065″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]Addressing the Tampa Bay Rumors[/custom_headline][text_output]By now, you’ve likely all heard of the McDonagh to the Lightning rumors, as well as the Tyler Johnson as a potential return comment, both of which stemmed out of a Sportsnet broadcast that had Elliotte Friedman on the panel. My interpretation of the way the conversation went was that Elliotte Friedman and his colleagues were reporting that Tampa Bay is in fact interested in McDonagh, but the Tyler Johnson part seemed to just be a name one of the panelists threw out there as pure speculation on his end as to a piece that could be involved in the deal. I’m just going to quickly say that I don’t think Tyler Johnson makes any sense at all for the Rangers, and using the team’s recent moves as precedent here, I don’t think Gorton would be interested either.
If the Rangers were to deal McDonagh to the Bolts, the trade return would likely involve a collection of picks and prospects. I’m assuming that Yzerman would not deal Brayden Point or Mikhail Sergachev; but for the record, I would trade McDonagh for either of them, especially Point. I personally believe Point has the potential to be a true star in this league, and Yzerman would be crazy to trade him for a defenseman not named Erik Karlsson.
Personally, I don’t view Tampa Bay as a good trade partner for the Rangers in a potential McDonagh deal. I think they have a number of intriguing prospects if we are talking a Nash or Grabner trade, but they lack the high-impact, near NHL-ready type of prospect I would be looking for in return for McDonagh. I am not a fan of Slater Koekkoek; he hasn’t developed the way the Lightning had hoped to this point according to people I trust that follow the Lightning much more closely than myself, and a handful of smart Lightning-based writers that I’ve read/listened to have all suggested that the team try to move on from him if they can get any value in return.
The four names that do intrigue me in the Lightning pipeline—Cal Foote, Brett Howden, Anthony Cirelli and Taylor Raddysh—are all good players, but also are likely at least a full season away from even being in consideration of making an NHL roster, let along contributing to one. Each of those four players also possess a lot of ability, but lack the true top-end upside you would look for if you are going the route of non-NHL-ready prospects in a McDonagh deal. Sure, the Rangers could swing a quantity over quality type deal where they nab two of those prospects and a pick and hope that something truly pops at the NHL level, but considering that the Rangers do not have to trade McDonagh, and considering McDonagh’s top-flight ability, that sort of deal does not intrigue me enough to part ways with the team’s best defenseman and captain.
Personally, unless the Lightning want to include one of Point or Sergachev, or unless they just completely overpay in a quantity over quality type deal, I’d rather the Rangers look elsewhere if they are indeed determined to move McDonagh.[/text_output][image type=”circle” float=”none” src=”2025″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””]
Author: Drew Way
Diehard New York Rangers fan since 1988! Always has been fascinated by sports statistics, and is a big proponent of supplementing analytics with the eye test. Also a big Yankees, Giants and Knicks fan.