Speculation: 2014 Offseason - Roster Building / Trade Speculation Thread

[Tawnos]

What about Mason Raymond as a replacement for Pouliot?

If we can't afford to keep Pouliot, how will we afford Raymond or Booth?

 

[True Blue]

Rev, your lineup is 100% what I expect to see. Maybe a UFA bargain if Pouliot wants too much or for the 4th line. MSL was the big move.

Lack of trade chips & cap space with key players to sign hasn't left the Rangers with a lot of room. I don't expect them to be better on paper this fall than they were a week ago. You have to hope Miller and Fast/Allen/Lindberg step up.

I agree, but that is where I think that moves CAN be made, but chips have to be given up. I keep bringing up trading Hagelin. This is not because I want to trade him. But because in a strategic trade, he can be used to bring in what the team needs more.

Only thing potentially I could see in play is a Staal trade. Don't think it will happen. I've seen a lot of posts about Sather needing to lock him up or trade him this summer. I AGREE but that is not Sather's MO. Don't be surprised if we see the same song and dance with Staal as we did Callahan and Girardi.

It is not his MO, but one he truly needs to reconsider.

 

[True Blue]

Thornton is another deal where, we don't have the futures that San Jose would want.

That is exactly the type of name and trade that has led to many NYR failures.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

That is exactly the type of name and trade that has led to many NYR failures.

I think it's fortunate the Rangers don't have anything to give up for Thornton. At least anything they would want to deal.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

If we can't afford to keep Pouliot, how will we afford Raymond or Booth?

We CAN afford to keep Pouliot. The question is whether we'd want to

 

[Gardner McKay]

I agree, but that is where I think that moves CAN be made, but chips have to be given up. I keep bringing up trading Hagelin. This is not because I want to trade him. But because in a strategic trade, he can be used to bring in what the team needs more.

It is not his MO, but one he truly needs to reconsider.

We don't win a single game against LA and may not win the series in MTL without Hagelin. You are right on the strategic part but it would be a strategic error.

That is exactly the type of name and trade that has led to many NYR failures.

Agreed. I would vomit. Not only because I don't like him but also because it is a ****ing terrible move.

 

[Tawnos]

We CAN afford to keep Pouliot. The question is whether we'd want to

If we don't want to keep him, it'd be because either A) we have an internal replacement or B) he will be too expensive for what he brings. If it's A, then we don't need to bring in someone from the outside. If it's B, then the same applies for outside replacements for him.

Either Pouliot is back, we open up a spot for a rookie or we bring in a significant upgrade.

 

[bobbop]

Ladd is a Callahan clone with the size to be a lot more effective.

He would be a perfect fit behind Kreider on the LW.

Stud that has missed just 5 games in the last 6 seasons.

Would be a great add

Unlikely. In many ways, Ladd is the Adam Graves of Winnipeg.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Unlikely. In many ways, Ladd is the Adam Graves of Winnipeg.

He really is. Ask any Winnipeg fan what they want for him. If you don't LOL at the first 3-4 requests then I have some stuff to sell you...

 

[Fitzy]

I'd come in here and toot the Dustin Byfuglien horn again but by this point in the offseason he's probably a few lbs overweight, so HF will declare him an ineffective player and a horrible human being.

 

[Trxjw]

I'd come in here and toot the Dustin Byfuglien horn again but by this point in the offseason he's probably a few lbs overweight, so HF will declare him an ineffective player and a horrible human being.

He's a very effective player offensively, and often physically when he chooses to use his body. Unfortunately he's a trainwreck in his own end. He also carries a heavy cap hit and would probably cost a pretty penny to acquire. I don't know how it would work.

Curious to know where you see him fitting, and how the team would fall around him.

 

[Tawnos]

I still don't really know why Byfuglien is a defenseman.

 

[Fitzy]

Dustin would be our new Right defenseman and power play guy.

You can shift Klein to the 2nd pairing whenever you need to hold a lead.

You can also play him at wing in games where we have injuries or need size up front, and slide in the 7th defenseman.

Having a do-it-all player like that is huge.

DB would pair with McDonagh on the power play. I could see those two hitting it off big time.

His cap hit is significant, but not too much more than what we expect Stralman to land. maybe 1.5 million more.

What to trade is a much more difficult question. Having DB is okay in the top 4 when we have Girardi, Staal, and McDonagh, but if we had to trade Staal to get him all of a sudden our defense is looking a lot weaker.

 

[Ola]

Just listening to H.Central at Noon on Toronto radio & Doug McLean (I know) was speaking generally about rumblings, player movement around the league & said something along the lines of: "I keep hearing Thornton & New York...". Real general comment he didn't elaborate on & it could be his dog talking.

Annnyywaaays.

Interesting.

I've thought about this previously. Most seem to assume that SJ will ask for a lot in a Thornton trade, and hence that we aren't an option because we can't reasonably move like Brass/Zucc/Kreider for a player his age.

But Thornton got a NMC and just signed a new contract. I don't know, sometimes in these situations a player and management got a special relationship. Not often. Like the Leetch trade, Bourque trade, MSL trade, the teams held out for more or less highest value. That is definitely the norm. But it could have been talked about when JT signed his contract. Like that SJ might "promised" him to let him go where he wanted to if things didn't work out.

I've just recently heard talk about Thornton not liking NY. I don't know if there is any truth to that. But like if SJ want to move him out of the West, from my point of view there aren't that many better fits than NY (like Boston isn't an option, Pitt is set at center, Philly's blueline suck too much and they already have Lecavalier and so forth). We have Nash. Thornton is only 34 y/o, it aint that old. I can't see us giving up Hags/Brass/Zucc and co to get him. But we might be able to put together a symbolical offer. Say J Moore/Klein, Kristo and a 2nd or some crap like that.

Had I not seen your post, I wouldn't have cared to post about this. It aint very likely. But I wouldn't rule it out.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I thought Dustin mostly played forward this season.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

I think we can all agree that the lack of a DB type presence on our back end kind of hurt us, especially the PP. That said he is pretty bad defensively.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

Has anyone posted what Richards agent said? Saying he talked to Sather and has a gut feeling he won't be bought out

 

[Ail]

Has anyone posted what Richards agent said? Saying he talked to Sather and has a gut feeling he won't be bought out

Wat? Link or ****.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

I think we can all agree that the lack of a DB type presence on our back end kind of hurt us, especially the PP. That said he is pretty bad defensively.

We could have that type of presence if the guy can make the team out of camp

 

[Fitzy]

The Richards situation just has Redden written all over it. No one was 100% certain it was going to happen but the numbers simply didn't add up any other way.

Sather isn't going to gut the roster to keep a declining player who contributed nothing in most of the playoffs. He already has one of those in Rick Nash.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

That would be the worst decision this team could make in recent history.

 

[Trxjw]

He's talking about all of the speculation from Pat Morris. The Rangers still haven't made their decision public. Hell, nobody knows if they've even made it at all yet.

The reality is the Rangers can't afford to re-sign pieces like Zucc, Stralman and Kreider if Richards is on the roster next season. Without throwing a ton of kids into the lineup anyway. I think it's a foregone conclusion that he'll be bought out or, at the very least, traded and the team will worry about cap recapture if/when it actually happens.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

Wat? Link or ****.

Brad Richards’ agent Pat Morris was a guest on Hockey Central at Noon today on Fan590.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

Morris was asked if he has spoken with Richards since the end of the season and said, “yes, quite often.”

Morris added, “He is a veteran and was through all of this last year when the world thought he would be bought out last year and everyone is expecting it to be automatic this year. His name isn’t on the waiver list today and effectively it doesn’t have to since he has a no-move. His head is that he can’t control anything. He had a strong season, would have finished first, second or third on I think 22 teams in the league. He accorded himself well in the playoffs as the semi-finals ended and they went to the Finals and people were exalting him as a great captain of the Rangers and one of the reason they are in the Final. After game two he is an automatic buyout because he had, to his own accountability, a poor game and ended up on the fourth line. That is in the Rangers hands and they haven’t disclosed what they will do. I know they are meeting on various issues and have a lot of decisions to make. A hockey decision I think they keep him, a business decision they may not.”

He adds, “I have spoken to Glen and Glen is very positive about Brad’s season and most of the playoffs, saying that his Final was not at the level of the previous three seasons but no one besides Lundqvist was perfect in that round. He was pleased with his season. From a hockey point of view he isn’t against moving forward with him but it’s a business decision that may be out of of Glen’s hand.”*

 

[Trxjw]

I still don't really know why Byfuglien is a defenseman.

He's great in the offensive end, and he's actually pretty decent defending against the rush, but he just can't handle the cycle very well and tends to chase players into the corners. I worry about him in the Rangers defensive scheme.