Jay Recher offers his opinion on why the Bolts decision to bring back to veteran defenseman was the right one
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Who says you can never go home again?
It just felt weird the last couple of seasons, didn't it? Looking at the Lightning blue line and NOT seeing #27 back there, something was missing.
Someone was missing.
That someone was Ryan McDonagh.
I've seen a lot of players come and go over my 10-plus years covering the Lightning, but I don't know if there has been a guy as instrumental to the balance of the team quite like McDonagh.
The guy is as steady as they come. Mac the Metronome, always keeping this Bolts squad in sync.
As great of a player as the two-time Stanley Cup champion is on the ice, he's an even better human being off it. Just being around him, you know he's the type of player you're happy to see do well on and off the ice.
And I've been following his NHL career from the beginning.
Growing up on Long Island, I was raised by an Islanders-loving father who spent his 20s reveling in the greatness that was Mike Bossy, Billy Smith and those Stanley Cup winning teams of the 80s. However, when Mark Messier lifted the curse of the Rangers in 1994, it was the great Sam Rosen's "and this will last a lifetime" that stoked the flame of my fandom – much to the chagrin of my dad – and it literally changed the way I viewed sports forever.
Fast forward to 15 years later and I was wondering if the Blueshirts would ever lift the Cup again. A lot of lofty promises and high-priced free agents that led to much more heartache than success. Too much glitz and glamour. Not enough meat and potatoes.
Enter McDonagh.
McDonagh was the centerpiece of a trade to the Rangers that sent Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto back to the Canadiens. The reason why this deal stood out to me was that one of the players traded alongside Mac was Chris Higgins, who grew up 10 minutes away from me on the Island.
"Let's see what this McDonagh guy is all about," I remember thinking.
Forget what I thought. This dude was the real deal. Top pair D-man, number one penalty killer, quarterback of the power play – this guy really could do it all. And it wasn't just that he could do it. He did it in a way that made you proud to be a fan. A throwback player who was substance over style and a guy who never took a shift off.
I started working in sports media in 2014 and one of the first conversations that I had in the Tampa Bay locker room was with Ryan Callahan, former captain of the Rangers, who was traded to the Lightning and quickly became a fan favorite. After introducing myself, we began to talk a little hockey and how McDonagh was ready for the "C.” It was his time.
Skip ahead four more years and now McDonagh is the Rangers captain named Ryan being traded to Tampa Bay. This was the most IMPORTANT trade in the history of the Tampa Bay Lightning. They do NOT win back-to-back Stanley Cups without him. I don't think that's a hot take.
Because of salary cup purposes, the Bolts traded Mac to Nashville on July 3rd, 2022. It never felt right. It was sad. I don't know if anger was the right word, because you knew that the cap forced moves like this. Some of the Cup winning favorites inevitably went to ply their trade elsewhere. But part of the identity of this team, and its defense, was lost.
He returned to AMALIE Arena later that December and got one of the loudest applauses and longest standing ovations that we've seen in that building. Remember, he couldn't play because he was banged up after putting his body on the line, as usual, for his new team.
He'll always be a Bolt.
Well, it's funny how things work out, because less than two years after trading him away, the Lightning brought him back. And it just felt right.
Mac joined us on-air just moments after speaking with the local media and you could hear the relief in his voice. He was a guy that was happy to be home.
The Lightning made it right. He's back where he belongs. That’s right here in Tampa Bay.
That's my two cents on McDonagh, but why don't we hear from some people that know him a little better? You may know some of these names. I asked seven different people some of the same questions. Here's what they had to say about Ryan McDonagh.
What is your first memory of meeting Ryan McDonagh?
Chicago Blackhawks forward and former Lightning teammate Pat Maroon:
"I was on the golf course playing with my agent at the time and his financial guy. We interacted right away and introduced ourselves. I think at the end of the month in August, I signed (with the Lightning). He's my best friend to this day and we talk every day. It’s just a friendship that'll last forever."
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak:
"I remember it was during training camp. When I played my first game, I saw my name on the board right next to him. It was exciting. There’s excitement, but there’s also respect. When I came to the league, he had already played so many games. He was captain of the Rangers. He had so much experience. I’ve just tried do my best every single time since day one. With him, it's been working very well.”
Tampa Bay Lightning head athletic trainer Tom Mulligan:
"The first time I met him was ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. I worked with the US team and he was on the team, so we met the summer before the Olympics. We did the pre-camp and everything that I'd heard about him was dead on. The Rangers medical staff told me what a warrior he is, what a leader he is. They told me how he was such a calming presence in the locker room. It was dead on accurate. You go through the years in this role and you learn that there are some guys you have to give a little urge to play. Then there are some guys you've got to pull the reins back a little bit and make sure that they don't do too much. Mac is one of those guys in the latter half, for sure."
What did the Lightning lose when Ryan McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators?
Tampa Bay Lightning founder and Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito:
"Well, they lost a very, very steady, solid defenseman and penalty killer. He made a difference back there. And the truth is, he liked it here. He wanted to be here. When a player likes a place like Ryan likes it here, it's hard to go someplace else. I know. I've been there! I think McDonagh is that type of guy, a loyal guy."
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois:
"I would say it's two things. It's the quality 20 minutes a night he gives us. Those minutes matter, and they matter in terms of helping you win hockey games. There are 60 minutes to a hockey game. To win the game, you need to play those 60 minutes as best as possible. If you have good players that can give you a lot of minutes, they help you win more. Defensemen that can give you 20 minutes of the quality that he does, especially with the responsibility and the heavy load that he carries for us in terms of going up against the best players night in, night out and shutting them down and his role on the penalty kill – that's one thing that we definitely lost when he left.
“The other one was leadership. And it's in all situations. He makes other players better. He played with Max Crozier the last few games here. He helps Max be the best Max he can be. He helps Andrei Vasilevskiy be the best Andrei Vasilevskiy he can be. He helps Erik Cernak be the best Erik Cernak. And he helps every guy on the team be the best version of themselves in how he conducts himself on the ice. Not just his play, but his demeanor and his personality, how he helps guys on the bench, how he helps guys in the locker room. He has a lot of positive influence on our group in all situations."
Victor Hedman:
"The identity that he brings to every single game and every practice. The way he prepares himself. The way he plays the game. He plays super hard, blocks a lot of shots. He's super tough to play against. We lost a piece of that identity a little bit. We can always count on Mac being out there for important minutes. Whether it’s playing against top lines, killing off penalties or late in the game when you're trying to protect the lead. We lost that and a good voice in the locker room as well. On and off the ice, he was very missed."
What did the Lightning get back when they re-acquired him?
Phil Esposito:
"We don't know what goes on in the locker room. We just see what he does on the ice. And on the ice, he's a leader. Killing penalties and all that. He doesn't probably say much. He doesn't have to. I played with one of the greatest players of all time that didn't say much and didn't have to. That was Bobby Orr. He didn't have to say much. He just had to give you the look. Maybe that's what he does."
Erik Cernak:
"Obviously, that was exciting news when I heard Mac was coming back. I played my first game with him and we never separated after the first one, so it was really exciting. He brings so much leadership and quality on the ice. The experience that he has, it's unbelievable. He's always making our life easier on the ice. He's a big mentor for me."
Tom Mulligan:
"Just that locker room presence. He doesn't say a lot, but it’s his actions, the way he plays, the stability on the ice and then just the leadership in the room. In the training room, for instance, he’s somebody that guys can lean on and just ask questions about maybe injuries he's had throughout his career or just general hockey knowledge. It’s that presence that he brings, for sure.”
What is your favorite part of his game?
Tampa Bay Lightning TV analyst and fellow three-time Stanley Cup winning defenseman Brian Engblom:
"Control of his own end of the ice. Control of the game, especially when the game starts getting away from you. I told him years ago that he reminds me of Serge Savard, whom I played with. He's a Hall of Famer and when everything starts to go sideways, he just grabs the game back and pushes it back out of the zone. That's one of the best attributes that he can bring to the team."
Pat Maroon:
"I just think how he's a true competitor. I don't think people give him enough credit. He's so valuable for a team when he's out there. Really smart player that plays the game the right way. And I think where he's so good is he blocks every shot. He's a warrior. He does everything the right way. He's team first all the way and you admire the way he plays the game and dedicates himself to the team and takes care of himself. I think my favorite part of his game is the way he can just block a shot and recover so fast. It's like nothing even happened, right? He takes one off the face. He's back out there. He takes one off the ankle. He's back out there. He always finds a way to sacrifice himself for the team first. I think that's why he's so valuable. And I don’t think people give enough credit on the offensive side either. He's really skilled and a smart hockey player. He sees the game very well, and that's why he's won. That's why he's been in this league for a long time. That's a guy I see playing until he's like 45 years old. His engine is always moving."
Phil Esposito:
"I like the way he plays. I think he makes guys like Cernak better and I think he makes all the guys around him better. What else can you ask for?"
How has Mac's game changed over the years?
Brian Engblom:
"His game's evolved over the years. When he was with the Rangers, he had power play time. Then different players come into organizations and your job changes. Maybe there's someone better than you on the power play. You could say that’s true on this team too. Obviously, Victor Hedman goes first. Could he be a second power play guy? Absolutely, but he's not. They choose not to. He's what, mid-30s now? He kills penalties. Automatically, he’s the first guy over the boards as a defense and matchup guy. That's a hugely important role. You play against the top guys every night, all the time, every shift. And how well you do in that role makes a difference in whether you win or lose. There's nobody in the league, and I mean nobody, who reads the game and what's coming at him better than Ryan McDonagh.
“He knows exactly what's going on. He knows exactly what's coming at him. Also, he can figure out what his partner's doing too, very quickly. And he knows when his partner is not doing the right thing. And when that’s the case, he's already moving into position to do something about that. That's what I mean about reading the game. There aren't many guys (like that) anymore.
“The game is so systemized and a lot of the young guys that come up are just told what to do. For them, it's plug and play. But Ryan’s old school. He knows exactly what he’s doing out there. They don't have to say too much to him because he's already got it figured out, maybe even better than some of the coaches."
Tell us about Ryan McDonagh the family man.
Julien BriseBois:
"He's a quality human being. He’s a family man, first and foremost. His family is a hockey family. His wife is very passionate about the Lightning. She's passionate about us winning. You see him interact with his kids. He's just a quality human being. And I think that's also one of the things that everyone within our organization, the players and the coaches on the team, respect. We know how good of a human being he is and how much he cares about other people."
Erik Cernak:
"Mac is even better off the ice than on the ice. Everybody can say that about him. He just brings the joy. He's great. Great husband. Great dad. He’s always doing everything for his family. He’s a great friend. It's always fun to be around him, and I’m just enjoying those moments as much as I can right now."
Victor Hedman:
"He's a great dad with three beautiful kids. It can be a lot taking care of three kids. He's a great family man and he loves his family more than anything. I'm super pumped for all of them to be to back here in the Bay Area. He’s just a great person, a great dad and a great husband. He’s just a perfect guy.”
Pat Maroon:
"He's the best family man ever. I'm really close with his wife and kids. He loves them. He’s just a family-first guy and takes a lot of pride in that. When you see a guy like that, you look up to him. It's been fun to watch him as a father and to watch him as a player continue to have success. We play this game for a long time, but when you go home, that's the most important thing. Family always comes first and he knows that."
What is your favorite memory with Ryan McDonagh?
Brian Engblom:
"We had a conversation. I don't remember the exact words, but I was paying him a compliment and telling him that he does so much for this team with all the matchups and stuff like that. I told him, ‘Don't let yourself get lost offensively. Enjoy the game. A lot of enjoyment is offense. You want to grab the puck. You want to make a play. You want to score a goal. All those things.’”
“He kind of said thanks and went on his way. But he thought about it. And when he made a play a few games later, he stayed inside the offensive blue line, whereas in a lot of other games, he might have pulled out. But his calculations are good enough and he understands what he can do and what was happening. He stood in at the blue line and made an offensive play. It was a cross-ice pass and ended up being a really key goal.
“He came to me afterwards and he said something to the effect of, ‘I don't know if I would have done that a few weeks or a few months ago.’ It was just based on that little conversation that we had that was just a bit of a refresher. That was fun for me to hear that from him."
What is one word or phrase to describe Ryan McDonagh?
Pat Maroon:
"Best leader, best teammate. I don't even know. There's so many out there. He's just a competitor. He brings it every single night. He handles himself and has a way that he can control the room. When he speaks, everyone listens. I think that holds true and that holds value to a team that wants to go for a long run. And he's always there."
Julien BriseBois:
"Winner."
Victor Hedman:
"Machine."
Brian Engblom:
"Stability."
Erik Cernak:
"Warrior."
Tom Mulligan:
"Warrior."
Phil Esposito:
"Special. Special guy on the ice. Special guy off the ice. You can't ask for a better quality than that."
