As I sit here...

[TopShelf86]

The value of having JD on top now setting the tone for the entire organization cannot be overstated.

Very much so...I hope his voice in the Drafting meetings is more dominant than say a Gordie Clarke perhaps...just throwing names out there. Anyway

And as I've said, I hope JD changes the approach in terms of style of players drafted.

 

[egelband]

It was always going to take more than a season or 2 to un-AV this roster.

The people up top know that those areas need to get better. They'll make it so.

I have nothing against AV. I think he is a coach who definitely had a fair shot and proved he’s just but the guy for the Rangers. But I liked some things about him and I wish him well.

But that line made me laugh out loud.

 

[egelband]

I think the Rangers draft well (not great), but the real issue is that they keep committing to the wrong players. Contract management is probably a bigger reason why Tampa and Boston are so dominant

This is key. It’s all about cap management now. They don’t need magic but must avoid making mistakes. Cannot be signing already-broken-down players like Staal and Girardi to big money long-term deals. Smith and Skjei long-term deals were swings-and-misses. Hank’s deal was pretty much unavoidable. Shattenkirk was a weird situation. But whatever, those deals must be limited. Avoiding bad UFA deals is the absolute key going forward.
I’m looking at Strome and Buchnevich, I’m sorry to say. Let someone else pay them those deals.
ADA I think would be ok to go long-term. Same with Fast, assuming it’s like $2.5m per.
I’m pretty sure there’s no room for any new long-term pieces unless they’re replacing someone directly.