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

[NYRangers0723]

A 2022 second round pick is about equal to a 2021 first round pick (outside the top ten). I don't have a problem with the pick part as much as the timing and asset managment part. Blais may fit like a glove into the lineup under Gallant and play to his potential, but it will still be a poor trade.

it honestly depends where the blues end up. They are in a retooling stage I guess. This year they had the 17th pick so obviously I’m hoping they struggle so that second rounder could be in the 40’s at least

 

[NYblades]

Am I reading this right? Blais was 5'10 165lbs when drafted. He was known for his offense. Then he had a late growth spurt.

Correct.

https://thehockeywriters.com/st-louis-blues-berube-bet-on-blais/

 

[Harbour Dog]

He has better offensive tools than Fast and has better size/pace than Blackwell.

If Blais has better offensive tools than Fast that isn't what he needs to fit with Panarin anyway. Otherwise one of our more talented players would have been there all last season.

The reason Fast worked there is because he covered so well defensively, was a great puck retreiver, and then played a simple game in the o-zone that deferred to Panarin and Strome while not turning the puck over in doing so.

It's possible that Blais can step in like Blackwell did and just play with high energy and carve a role out with them, but my money would be on Goodrow; he is much closer to that Fast-type.

Ideally, Panarin and Strome click with somebody more talented though.

 

[Hockeyplayer99]

Sam reinhart got a 1st plus a 19 year old goalie prospect. Reinhart is same career ppg as buchnevich and RFA as well. Drury got bent over backwards

 

[Peltz]

I think there's a difference between moving a good player out because of the cap crunch as a last resort and making a trade that just looks like you're making an example of Pavel Buchnevich. Totally the wrong guy if you're whining about the grit and toughness stuff.

Definitely do not think he’s being “made an example of”. This is a trade Drury simply wanted to diversify the lineup… for better or worse.

 

[NYR Viper]

Sam reinhart got a 1st plus a 19 year old goalie prospect. Reinhart is same career ppg as buchnevich and RFA as well. Drury got bent over backwards

A goalie prospect at 19 has serious risk f busting. He’s also a former late pick. The Rangers chose a valuable gritty forward + 2nd over just a 1st. Based on their needs, that makes sense.

Those two deals, overall, are extremely similar in terms of overall value. I’d almost argue that the package the Rangers got is MORE valuable than the one the Sabres got based on this draft being such a crapshoot and next years projecting to be better I terms of depth.

 

[Crease]

Reinhart is a former 2OA. There is a clear bias among GMs towards former first round picks, with all their untapped potential. Reinhart was always going to return more than Buch.

 

[Peltz]

he said it again. Is he forgetting Kravtsov or is he as good as gone?

Pavel Buchnevich trade was move Rangers' plan demanded

I think Krav does get traded unfortunately. There’s no place for him if they’re sticking with Kakko (and they should).

 

[KingDeathMetal]

I think Krav does get traded unfortunately. There’s no place for him if they’re sticking with Kakko (and they should).

Why would Kravtsov need to be traded to make room for Kakko? They can both theoretically be Top 6 wingers now or at some point in the next couple years, as Kreider declines and moves down to third line.

 

[Filip Chytil]

Thank you, Pierre.

*Regis Pierre McGuire

 

[EdJovanovski]

I think Krav does get traded unfortunately. There’s no place for him if they’re sticking with Kakko (and they should).

Then who's our 2RW? Goodrow? Blais? Lmao
Buchnevich being moved indicates Kravtsov is most likely here to stay, more likely it's Chytil, or one of Schneider/Lundkvist who'd go in a major trade.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

I think Krav does get traded unfortunately. There’s no place for him if they’re sticking with Kakko (and they should).

There is two top 6 RW spots available. There was a logjam because we had 3 top-6 candidates. Buch is gone. Kaapo and Kravtsov are 100% staying.

 

[hockfan1991]

Goodrow signing now this, rangers on fire

 

[CLW]

Then who's our 2RW? Goodrow? Blais? Lmao
Buchnevich being moved indicates Kravtsov is most likely here to stay, more likely it's Chytil, or one of Schneider/Lundkvist who'd go in a major trade.

I don't think they move Chytil in a trade unless it's for a 1C. If they move Chytil there isn't much left at center for the future.

And Chytil and Zib in a Gallant system can be monsters blasting up the ice, I want to see that happen.

 

[NYSPORTS]

I think Krav does get traded unfortunately. There’s no place for him if they’re sticking with Kakko (and they should).

idk about that. With Buch gone i’d say Krav is pretty important.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Reinhart is a former 2OA. There is a clear bias among GMs towards former first round picks, with all their untapped potential. Reinhart was always going to return more than Buch.

so excited to see the return on Ryan Strome then

 

[n8]

So for 10 games he produced almost at a rate at only 20% lower than Buch sustained for the entire season... lol

what's your point? No one is trying to argue that Blais is a better player than Buchnevich.

 

[Rangers ftw]

i don't understand the reaction to this. this was a good trade all things considered.

i'd have loved to have kept buch, but realistically, the kreider contract and his breakout effectively eliminated that possibility. not to mention we have tons of high skill young wingers...roster wise we needed to diversify. in hindsight i'm sure just about all of us would swap out kreider for buch but thats not an option now. although oddly enough i'm actually not sure mgmt would say the same.

everyone seems hung up on the statistical disparity which...yea, they're different players. but besides that, i think we need to be realistic about what the trade market for buch would have been. he's a very good all around player, not a star. in the right situation he might continue to emerge into one. but as of this offseason he's had one highly impressive season after several inconsistent ones, and going to command upwards of 6mm with term. theres only so many teams looking for a mid-tier top 6 rw with the cap space to make it work. the return was never going to be massive. we weren't getting a top 6 c, we weren't getting a higher end prime top 4 physical dman, we weren't pursuing futures only, and we certainly weren't looking to swap out one top 6 wing for another. be defaut the exchange was always going to be top 6 skill player for bottom 6 energy/physicality/attitude.

and this is where people are really missing out in assessing the trade...blais is awesome and plays a game we desperately need. i'm not sure how much people have seen of him but his numbers really don't reflect how solid / skilled a player he is. goodrow was a great add, but he's more a defensively responsible, effort forechecking, solid bottom 6 player. he finishes his hits, he'll mix it up when called for, but he's not typically a guy thats gonna raise the temperature. blais is that. he's much more active, very good skater, big kid, great pressuring the puck, levels people...he just brings energy, he'll cross the line. hes also got a cup ring. and i have a strong feeling he's going to thrive under gallant...he plays a game tailor made for a gallant team. this was a very good pickup for this team. and while he's not going to produce what buch does, i wouldn't be surprised at all to see him become a 35-45 pt guy bringing that energy and aggression. he's being criminally undervalued here because all people know about him are his stats. the garden will love him

True, the Kreider contract is what f***** it all up. I hated it, not only because it was obviously a bad contract in term and money but also because I’ve never liked Kreider that much. And I hope your assessment of Blais is accurate, it is true that we need to diversify. Still, the player that we drafted and develop, that finally turns into the player we thought and wished he would be, is traded for a 3/4-liner a 2nd. It is underwhelming.

 

[smoneil]

Message to any player “livid” about this trade: get over it. It’s a business and the main focus should be winning games, not playing with your friends. This Ranger team needed a kick in the ass

I'm not trying to pick on you particularly, but this is an attitude I see on these boards a LOT. And it's ridiculous. Yes, it is a business, but businesses that ignore the needs of its employees generally don't do very well. Whenever it comes time for a player to cash in, or when a player won't take a home-town discount, or won't play through an injury, these same "it's a business" posters rip the player to shreds. It can't be about "business" for management and "loyalty" for the players. It just doesn't work that way. There are ways to run a good business while also keeping the needs of the players in mind. Communication is right up there among those methods. This team is bad at that, and it will continue to suffer until it gets better. Look at TB. Every time a move happens, the players are all "well, the team sat us down and talked about the options etc etc." Ranger players find out about too many things after the fact.

 

[JT Kreider]

True, the Kreider contract is what f***** it all up. I hated it, not only because it was obviously a bad contract in term and money but also because I’ve never liked Kreider that much. And I hope your assessment of Blais is accurate, it is true that we need to diversify. Still, the player that we drafted and develop, that finally turns into the player we thought and wished he would be, is traded for a 3/4-liner a 2nd. It is underwhelming.

Kreider still has not hit 30 goals or 60 points in one season in his entire career. If you had told me that during the 2012 playoffs and this is nearly 10 years later there is zero chance I would have believed you.

 

[2014nyr]

True, the Kreider contract is what f***** it all up. I hated it, not only because it was obviously a bad contract in term and money but also because I’ve never liked Kreider that much. And I hope your assessment of Blais is accurate, it is true that we need to diversify. Still, the player that we drafted and develop, that finally turns into the player we thought and wished he would be, is traded for a 3/4-liner a 2nd. It is underwhelming.

yea i get it, buch was a sentimal favorite for myself. his effort to improve all around and his personality made him easy to root for, and he had an edge to his game. kreider...he's just so soft for his size / game he should be playing and he goes missing for long periods of time...def frustrating but he is what he is. i will say though one of the all time nicest guys in hockey, goes out of his way for a lot of people so as much as he pisses me off i can't hate him. and as for team value, he is a fantastic leader / role model for the younger group in terms of taking care of yourself and work habits, not to say i still wouldn't take buch, but he does bring value beyond his on ice that hopefully pays dividends for years after he's gone.

as for blais / buch...its one of those things where having high end bottom 6 players is every bit as important as having the high end skill when it comes to winning. tampa is the perfect example, they had the skill for years but couldn't get over the hump until they added some sandpaper to their bottom 6. we have more top 6 wings than top 6 spots, so i don't really look at it like we traded a better player for a worse one. we traded a skill player for a guy who hopefully becomes a staple in the bottom 6 as a physical presence and forechecking menace and adds some pop. in a vacuum yes higher line / producing player is technically the "better player", but in the context of building a roster, we had too many of one thing and not enough of the other, and both are ultimately just as important. blais to me is a guy that could really emerge as an important piece of the puzzle on a gallant team, he's a perfect fit in that sense.

just out of curiosity what would you wanted to return for buch? my own thoughts are above in thinking it was always going to be for a bottom 6 player. blais seems to have really stung fans because most don't know him and his stats are way less than buch's. obviously i think drury made a potentially very savvy exchange in terms of what we'll get from blais. but interested to hear what type of return he should have fetched and type of assets you / any others who have thoughts would have liked to target.

 

[smoneil]

just out of curiosity what would you wanted to return for buch? my own thoughts are above in thinking it was always going to be for a bottom 6 player. blais seems to have really stung fans because most don't know him and his stats are way less than buch's. obviously i think drury made a potentially very savvy exchange in terms of what we'll get from blais. but interested to hear what type of return he should have fetched and type of assets you / any others who have thoughts would have liked to target.

My issue with Blais is that you can find a guy like him for free. We have a younger, cheaper version on the way in Will Cuylle already in the system.

As for what I expected in return for Buch? I expected a 1st and a decent player/prospect or a 2nd and a considerably better prospect. My initial thought was that we would move Buch to LA for a 2nd and one of their center prospects (not Byfield, obvs).

My beef is that if that kind of return wasn't available, you shouldn't just waste the asset by trading it for whatever package IS available. Buch at the TDL at 50% would have brought back at LEAST a 1st and a player as good as or better than Blais.

I'm also concerned about the RW spot for the top two lines. Kakko and Kravtsov have loads of potential. They've proven nothing. Their production this far isn't even 3rd line level, and we're going into the season on the expectation that these two kids can hold the line. I think way too many fans are underestimating just how big of a gamble that is. If you end up with an extra first and a good center prospect? Sure, go ahead and make that gamble. But for spare parts? I'd have kept Buch on a 1 or 2 year deal, let Krav and Kakko fight over the other top 6 RW spot, and if the "loser" of that battle improves as the season progresses, move Buch to the third line and then sell him at the TDL for 50% where he would be a premier rental.

 

[hpNYR]

Yeah let's trade all the Russians on the team because they're soft euro? Are we back to that garbage mentality again? Sure looks like Drury is.

This fan base is hilarious. Trade Kravtsov to keep Kakko?

 

[mas0764]

Can I ask a fundamental question? If this was the best offer they got for Buch, what do you think they should have done?

Probably would have held and tried again at the deadline.

I’m not entirely convinced this is the offer that fans would have said is best. I guess we can wait to see if Edge has any more info.

I would not be surprised if a first round pick or a player we would have considered to be better was on the table but the front office had a hard on for moar tuffness with Blais.

 

[mas0764]

My issue with Blais is that you can find a guy like him for free. We have a younger, cheaper version on the way in Will Cuylle already in the system.

As for what I expected in return for Buch? I expected a 1st and a decent player/prospect or a 2nd and a considerably better prospect. My initial thought was that we would move Buch to LA for a 2nd and one of their center prospects (not Byfield, obvs).

My beef is that if that kind of return wasn't available, you shouldn't just waste the asset by trading it for whatever package IS available. Buch at the TDL at 50% would have brought back at LEAST a 1st and a player as good as or better than Blais.

I'm also concerned about the RW spot for the top two lines. Kakko and Kravtsov have loads of potential. They've proven nothing. Their production this far isn't even 3rd line level, and we're going into the season on the expectation that these two kids can hold the line. I think way too many fans are underestimating just how big of a gamble that is. If you end up with an extra first and a good center prospect? Sure, go ahead and make that gamble. But for spare parts? I'd have kept Buch on a 1 or 2 year deal, let Krav and Kakko fight over the other top 6 RW spot, and if the "loser" of that battle improves as the season progresses, move Buch to the third line and then sell him at the TDL for 50% where he would be a premier rental.

I’m not concerned about RW but I completely agree, a worst case scenario should have returned one of LA’s centers. Not Byfield, maybe not even Turcotte. But one of them.