2016 Report Card: Sigh, Tanner Glass
What is there to say about Tanner Glass that hasn't already been screamed into the abyss? His contract is bad, his play is horrendous, and his place as Alain Vigneault's security blanket seems more secure than Fort Knox.
Statline: 3 goals (+2), 3 assists (-1), 6 points (+1) in 57(-9) games played. 42.3% CF at even strength.
(changes from 2014-15 in parentheses, all numbers courtesy of War-On-Ice and at even strength)
The Story: I could make this easier and just link to my Tanner Glass report card from last season and call it a day. I could also just post a .gif of a garbage fire and feel like I sufficiently summed up Tanner Glass's 2015-16 season. I could do both and then just sit back and let the internet do its thing and I really want to do that but that would be a disservice to my fellow writers, to Joe, and to you readers to half ass this. The truth is that I am very very tired of Tanner Glass.
There was a time earlier in the year when we all thought that we were done with Glass when he was put on waivers and cleared to the AHL. Before the season started, head coach Alain Vigneault said that Glass would have to earn his spot with the infamous "does speed and skill trump that" when referencing the "grit" and "toughness" that Tanner "brings" to the lineup.
The Rangers went 42 days before calling Glass back up to the roster and putting him back onto his comfy 4th line left wing spot. The 31 year old forward kept getting sent over the boards, missing his defensive assignments, getting his teeth kicked in by other team's top offensive lines, and generally being bad at hockey. Even as the Rangers strategy of just surviving every night began to wear thin, Glass was there, dragging down every teammate that had the misfortune of being put on his line, with no hope of rescue from the coaching staff.
As the season wore on it became apparent that Tanner Glass was a mainstay for the Rangers. Even though there were better options in the press box and that Vigneault's pet being the lineup had a ripple effect putting players in positions that they were unsuited for (Jesper Fast is a good player, he should not be playing with Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider).
Tanner Glass is a constant, kind of like gravity, or the inevitability of entropy. His contract is horrid, his play on ice is even worse, and until Rangers GM Jeff Gorton takes Glass away from Vigneault, you can almost guarantee that it will be more of the same next year.
Final Grade: F
Tanner Glass is the worst forward on the Rangers in every conceivable way and is the 2nd biggest hurdle the Rangers have to clear in order to become a good team.
