Confirmed with Link: Buch traded to STL for Blais + 2nd (2022)

[bl02]

And I thought maybe we could get a Thomas and a Blais or a Sanford. Maybe the market was crap for Buch?

 

[Richard Banger]

Blais is 9 months younger than Buch and has a career high of 15 points.

But will only cost 1/3 of buch.

 

[Edge]

Drury is sure failing at that.

And that's the disconnect between theory and execution right now.

In theory, you can see the mindset behind Goodrow and Blais. It's a third with jam, the ability to win faceoffs, keep teams off balance, and change things up. Additionally, it brings playoff experience.

The problem is the cost and value. That's where we need to be better.

 

[Tob]

Now I understand why Drury said playoffs are not a mandate at the Gallant hiring presser.

 

[bl02]

I'm waiting for the other shoe filled with salt to fall into the wound, like Buch signing with STL for something like 4.5m x 7 years.

That extra kick to the nuts eh?!?!

 

[mas0764]

With this move and Goodrow, I am not feeling enamored with the Drury era. These are moves a contender makes to put them over the top. These are not moves for a young team trying to earn a playoff spot for the first time in years.

This moron owner actually thinks they should have been in the Cup hunt last year, that's the problem.

 

[Machinehead]

They are for sure NHL players. and for anyone who watched the last 2-3 playoff seasons they are playoffs type players too where the intensity goes up big time.
I think we should be good. No more trades should be influenced by the grit/tough guy need.

Right, I agree.

If they needed to get this out of their system and they did, whatever. It's gonna be what it's gonna be.

If Drury's long-term strategy is trading skill for grit, we're gonna have problems.

So I hope this is it and the Strome trade adds some skill/youth for us.

 

[RangerBoy]

Blais was the player the Blues inserted into the lineup in game 6 against the Stars. The Blues lost game 5 at home. Dallas went back home up 3-2. The Blues decided to dress Blais and his energy brought some life to the Blues. They went on to win the series in 7. Blais scored a goal in game 6. He had a great game.

Drury remembers that game because the Rangers were getting a 1st round pick in 2019 if the Dallas beat the Blues.

 

[Salvage21]

I’m just as upset as anyone with this deal- but in a world where tarasenko and voracek could be had for basically nothing, it was apparent there is an over saturation of wingers with salary out there. But damn, this hurts.

 

[Tob]

Could have just kept Fast for 4-year $2.4M and kept Buch for $6.65M instead of Goodrow and Blais. What a f***ing disaster. Bunch of suit wearing Neanderthals. Big daddy silverback dolan with geriatric gorilla slats and chimp boy drury fetching their bananas.

 

[Edge]

Not supremely convinced that building a team from the bottom six up is the most intuitive plan.

I would venture that the mindset is they already have a lot of the upper end talent in place or coming of age. They aren't necessarily wrong. But man we have to be able to extract more value than this. I don't care how targeted a player is. You maximize value.

 

[Crease]

Blais was the player the Blues inserted into the lineup in game 6 against the Stars. The Blues lost game 5 at home. Dallas went back home up 3-2. The Blues decided to dress Blais and his energy brought some life to the Blues. They went on to win the series in 7. Blais scored a goal in game 6. He had a great game.

Drury remembers that game because the Rangers were getting a 1st round pick in 2019 if the Dallas beat the Blues.

I read this and all I hear is “Blais was scratched in the playoffs.”

 

[Richard Banger]

I don’t disagree. Trade values in the league don’t make sense. I assume this was the best offer or he would have taken a better offer. Why do teams value guys like Ristolainen and not Buch? Who knows.

Because let’s be honest. Half these GMs don’t know what the f*** they are doing. I don’t think Drury is one of those. I think that dumbass in Philly and the dumbass in Van are.

 

[mas0764]

Dog shit trade. Weekend ruined. It makes no sense unless there is a deal in place for a larger piece coming in.

What deal could possibly be coming in that doesn't now also involve a massive overpay in our treasure chest of young talent?

Buch was THE piece that should have at least been a component of getting a god damn young center in here.

Instead, pissed away for shit.

 

[Ola]

I agree... Drury is overpaying though. Is it desperation? rookie mistakes? other GMs taking advantage either way.



top6 grind would be preferred though

It’s an auction, I am sure Drury didn’t turn down a significantly better offer. You either make a deal or you don’t.

Buch is an arbitration contract away from UFA. Value will be accordingly. The better the plays the more his cap hit goes up. He has played well, hence he having him or dealing him is a wash.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I agree... Drury is overpaying though. Is it desperation? rookie mistakes? other GMs taking advantage either way.



top6 grind would be preferred though

Imagine placing so much value on 3 games against a much better team after Fast was hurt.

 

[brakeyawself]

Kovalev 27 --- from the previous, now closed thread
"so exactly what I said cool

I didn’t mention aho in any shape or form at any point"

NO, not "exactly what you said". Again, Barzal has been a different player this year. Improved a great deal defensively. While Eichel played just 21 games, improving, nothing. As I stated, the incidents you are referencing are mostly in previous years.

And I mentioned Aho. And Aho was one of the players that supposedly is "a tier below Eichel.:" Even though I would much rather have Aho than Eichel. But then, based off this possibly chronic injury, I would also rather have Barzal than Eichel right now. Who again, has gotten better across the board, including on defense.

 

[Fitzy]

We're not though... We have a absurd wealth of top6 talent. Our top6 on offense and defense is essentially set long term.

the much needed balancing is taking place.. It's much more expensive than we have anticipated

I’d prefer depth in the form of three scoring lines, not a full bottom six if grinders, but clearly that isn’t Drurys plan

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

If you dont get the deal you like now you just hold him until the TDL , its not freaking hard. Rangers dont need cap space this year, they never did

 

[GoAwayGiannone]

I dont think Steve comes around these boards much anymore but this point makes it sting more

Ill never forget @nyr2k2 calling him Steve Corn and onions. One of the top laughs I've had on here in a while.

 

[NYR94]

Sad to see him go but we knew it was coming. The return is meh. Not thrilled with how much this toughness makeover is costing but I'm willing to wait until the offseason is over to grade the final product.

 

[Thordic]

Yeah - I wasn't gonna hitch our wagon to him over Kakko and Kravtsov. Always laughed when certain posters told me Buch was indispensable because "he's done it before and Kravtsov hasn't." Like, he's not THAT hard to replace.

But he's a 26 year old top 6 winger, and a positive player.

And this garbage is all we got?

This is some moron in our front office (Drury, Sather) is WAAAAAAAAY overvaluing "toughness," "grit," and "getting harder to play against."

That's what this is.

This is the Rangers stupidly overpaying for Blais, not that Buch couldn't have brought back more.

This is insanity.

F-.

This would be fireable if we had an owner who wasn't the one demanding these trades be made.

This. Kakko can likely fill Buch's shoes this year to a degree. It's not that we "needed" Buch. But you have to get value for your assets. This is a terrible return for a top six winger who is big and solid defensively. Not to mention while Buch isn't "tough" he's developed a lot of sandpaper in his game, it's not like he's the marshmallow he was when he came into the league.

 

[smoneil]

I would venture that the mindset is they already have a lot of the upper end talent in place or coming of age. They aren't necessarily wrong. But man we have to be able to extract more value than this. I don't care how targeted a player is. You maximize value.

This is exactly what bothers me. This should have been a trade about STL acquiring Buch. Instead, it feels like a trade about us acquiring Blais.

 

[CLW]

The honest answer is yes that's a possibility.

Right now I see the Rangers trying to construct a bottom six with guys who have specific roles and attribiutes. So you're looking at Goodrow, Blais, {insert name}.

The idea itself isn't wrong or flawed. It's finding the right players and getting them at reasonable prices.

We have Gallant now as well and we know what Vegas plays like. The very first thing Drury talked after becoming GM was about each player understanding their "role" on the team. GMs and coaches like to talk about playing a "heavy" game. St. Louis said after their loss to the Avs they want to retool and get back to being heavy to play against. Losing Blais is not helping them with that, but no matter which way you spin it this was not a good trade value wise.

It's clear the Rangers want to become "heavy" and "harder" to play against. But with Sather and Drury the worry really has to be will they, imprudently, pay too high a price to become that team? What's the point in becoming a perennial also ran (like the Isles) if you are always the runner up and never the winner?

But I guess Dolan wants the spectacle of the playoffs now rather than suffer through the patient buildup to become a Tampa. Hold on to your butts, folks. Buffalo fans may get the last laugh.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

Now I understand why Drury said playoffs are not a mandate at the Gallant hiring presser.

Hahahahaha