Do we buy-out Richards and make a play for Stastny?

[Beer League Sniper]

Management is not going to roll Stepan-Brassard-Miller at C with Lundqvist and Nash in their primes, and St. Louis on a ticking clock. Either they make a huge play for Stastny or another UFA, or they try and pry someone like ROR or Berglund from their respective teams via trade.

Brassard isn't a 2C, and to expect Miller to be able to handle 3C duties in his rookie season is unrealistic. Organizations don't take risks like that unless they're very strong on the wings. We have decent wing depth, but nothing that leads me to believe we could trot out that center lineup and still win. Nobody in your Top-9 can win a draw FFS. Use common sense.

 

[Ardi44]

If we keep Richards, we aren't letting him retire. He'll be in his mid-late thirties when his contract starts paying him peanuts. I'm sure the Rangers doctors can find something to legitimately put Richards on LTIR. I don't see it being an issue.

Edit: He's had concussion issues, I'm sure that's one possible avenue to pursue for LTIR.

Until they redo the CBA....again to prohibit this, I have no doubt that this is how Richards' career will come to an end. They'll find something.

 

[pld459666]

We have 4 players (MSL, Brad, Step and MZA) among the top-60 scorers. There are 90 first liners, so being in the top 60 is a definite first line production.

Then we have 3 more guys (Brass, Kreider, Nash) who are putting up second line scoring numbers.

That's 7 players in the top 6 plus Hagelin.

This team has enough scoring to go deep. This wasn't something we could say for any team we had since 1996-97.

In theory, I don't disagree.

I would like to see those guys be impactful every night.

Now, I understand that there are going to be nights where it's just not clicking. But we have 17 games remaining.

I don't think it's asking to much for consistent offensive production from our four first liners.

standings aside, we have a tough 17 games remaining. We need our top line guys to carry the offensive load.

And I think that's where I get concerned. The only guy that has shown capable of carrying an offensive load is MSL.

Yes, Richards, Stepan and Zuccs have top line numbers, but when i watch them play until this year I don't have the concern for these guys when they are on the ice that I do when I see MSL out there.

Richards doesn't scare me offensively. Stepan doesn't scare me offensively and Zuccs just started scaring me in December.

I see and acknowledge the numbers, but I still don't see top line players when i look at these guys.

 

[Gardner McKay]

We have 4 players (MSL, Brad, Step and MZA) among the top-60 scorers. There are 90 first liners, so being in the top 60 is a definite first line production.

Then we have 3 more guys (Brass, Kreider, Nash) who are putting up second line scoring numbers.

That's 7 players in the top 6 plus Hagelin.

This team has enough scoring to go deep. This wasn't something we could say for any team we had since 1996-97.

Good point. We also have the goaltending and defense to go deep.

 

[Vitto79]

Management is not going to roll Stepan-Brassard-Miller at C with Lundqvist and Nash in their primes, and St. Louis on a ticking clock. Either they make a huge play for Stastny or another UFA, or they try and pry someone like ROR or Berglund from their respective teams via trade.

Brassard isn't a 2C, and to expect Miller to be able to handle 3C duties in his rookie season is unrealistic. Organizations don't take risks like that unless they're very strong on the wings. We have decent wing depth, but nothing that leads me to believe we could trot out that center lineup and still win. Nobody in your Top-9 can win a draw FFS. Use common sense.

I would think otherwise. Brassard clicks well with Zucc and helps the PP. He's also young and not cheap to resign as a RFA.

Why is it unrealistic to expect Miller to handle 3rd line C duties? heck I think he could do it now. He's going to get better at the offensive game in the NHL

Bottom line is if they don't get Stastny and but out Richards the UFA options stink so this is the only road they can take

 

[Ail]

Management is not going to roll Stepan-Brassard-Miller at C with Lundqvist and Nash in their primes, and St. Louis on a ticking clock. Either they make a huge play for Stastny or another UFA, or they try and pry someone like ROR or Berglund from their respective teams via trade.

Brassard isn't a 2C, and to expect Miller to be able to handle 3C duties in his rookie season is unrealistic. Organizations don't take risks like that unless they're very strong on the wings. We have decent wing depth, but nothing that leads me to believe we could trot out that center lineup and still win. Nobody in your Top-9 can win a draw FFS. Use common sense.

No one in the top-9 can win a draw now. Richards is barely above 50, Stepan and Brassard are below. Stepan absolutely needs to be better in the dot.

I don't disagree management will want to improve the C position, but I fail to see how Miller handling 3C isn't using common sense. I understand the skepticism, but it is not that unrealistic. Especially if they keep two guys on the fourth line who are at 55%, again.

 

[Vitto79]

Buy-out Richards - Yes
Sign Stastny - No

Assuming buyout and the RFA's get signed the depth is

Stepan, Brassard, Miller, Lindberg ( resign Moore ?)
Nash, MSL, Zuc, Dorsett ( can shift on RW to LW if they want )
Kreider, Hagelin, Fast, Kristo ( I'd let Boyle go but resign Carcillo and Pouliott )

 

[jskramer83]

This is very simple, what we do is sign Scott Gomez and then trade him to Montreal for Nathan Beaulieu, Alex Galchenyuk, Christian Thomas, 2014 1st, 2015 1st, 2014 5th.

Then we call up Garth Snow and he offers us John Tavarez, 1st, and a month of free Gray's Papya* for Christian Thomas and the 2014 5th

*Soda not included

 

[Beer League Sniper]

No one in the top-9 can win a draw now. Richards is barely above 50, Stepan and Brassard are below. Stepan absolutely needs to be better in the dot.

I don't disagree management will want to improve the C position, but I fail to see how Miller handling 3C isn't using common sense. I understand the skepticism, but it is not that unrealistic. Especially if they keep two guys on the fourth line who are at 55%, again.

Stop being disingenuous, 51.3% isn't "barely" over 50% when it comes to faceoffs. You need someone competent to take faceoffs in your Top-9. We can't expect our 4th line to be able to hold the fort on every single defensive zone draw, especially if it's consistently against the other team's Top-9. With Stepan at 45.8% and Brassard at 48.3%, throwing another young center in there is not smart, especially when you consider that Miller's defensive game is still developing. It's setting the kid up to fail. Let him get significant NHL time on the wing first to acclimate himself (like most young centers do), or at least have another center on the line who can take draws and then shift to wing.

 

[RangerBoy]

Only in Rangerland its unrealistic to go with a young player. Ridiculous. Miller can't handle a fulltime role in the NHL next season? Richards is a -10 for goodness sakes. 45 points in 65 games. Are you ****ing kidding me? The Rangers will need that Richards space to re-sign their own players and to improve the team. The Rangers will need Miller to develop into a top 6-9 forward next season and perferably at center. They don't need his size in the top 9? Liliputions. The Rangers need to find a middle ground. They went from size and brawn in the Torts years to fast and small under AV. They need to add size and strength. They don't need Richards on their cap until 2020 with them looking for ways to beat the system. Buy him out in June. Nice and clean. The NHL and PA negotiated transition rules for a reason. None of this we'll find something to put Richards on long term IR.

 

[charliemurphy]

Assuming buyout and the RFA's get signed the depth is

Stepan, Brassard, Miller, Lindberg ( resign Moore ?)
Nash, MSL, Zuc, Dorsett ( can shift on RW to LW if they want )
Kreider, Hagelin, Fast, Kristo ( I'd let Boyle go but resign Carcillo and Pouliott )

What if Sather goes after a FA like Moulson and uses Brassard and prospects like Kristo/Fast/Lindberg in a trade for a center?

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Only in Rangerland its unrealistic to go with a young player. Ridiculous. Miller can't handle a fulltime role in the NHL next season? Richards is a -10 for goodness sakes. 45 points in 65 games. Are you ****ing kidding me? The Rangers will need that Richards space to re-sign their own players and to improve the team. The Rangers will need Miller to develop into a top 6-9 forward next season and perferably at center. They don't need his size in the top 9? Liliputions. The Rangers need to find a middle ground. They went from size and brawn in the Torts years to fast and small under AV. They need to add size and strength. They don't need Richards on their cap until 2020 with them looking for ways to beat the system. Buy him out in June. Nice and clean. The NHL and PA negotiated transition rules for a reason. None of this we'll find something to put Richards on long term IR.

Almost nobody on this board wants to keep Richards. If he ends up getting bought out, management needs to backfill that position. Yes, it is unrealistic to expect Miller to jump right into the 2/3C job and succeed. Young Cs almost always spend time on wing in the NHL before transitioning to center. I don't want Richards around next year, but Miller is going to be a downgrade in every facet of the game except physicality. He's worse than Richards (next year) offensively, defensively, and on faceoffs. Not to mention that Brassard is not a 2C, not even close. So unless you want Miller playing 2C and hoping he's made superhuman progression in the offseason, I don't see a coherent plan.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Buy-out Richards - Yes
Sign Stastny - No

How about we:

Buy out Richards
Trade Staal + Brassard to Carolina for their 1st round pick
Use that pick to draft a highly talented center, i.e. Leon Draisaitl


We replace Staal by signing Matt Niskanen, a PMD with play off experience.

 

[pld459666]

Almost nobody on this board wants to keep Richards. If he ends up getting bought out, management needs to backfill that position. Yes, it is unrealistic to expect Miller to jump right into the 2/3C job and succeed. Young Cs almost always spend time on wing in the NHL before transitioning to center. I don't want Richards around next year, but Miller is going to be a downgrade in every facet of the game except physicality. He's worse than Richards (next year) offensively, defensively, and on faceoffs. Not to mention that Brassard is not a 2C, not even close. So unless you want Miller playing 2C and hoping he's made superhuman progression in the offseason, I don't see a coherent plan.

you keep saying that Brassard is not a 2nd line center.

At what point does a player that CONSISTENTLY POSTS 2nd line numbers become less than a 2nd line player?

in the last 4 seasons Brassard has posted 47-41-29(in 47 would have equated to 49 in 80 GP) this season he's on pace for 45 in 81

if the body of work shows a player to be a 2nd line player, then THAT'S what he is.

Please describe for us what you think a 1st liner should be producing, then a 2nd liner, then a 3rd.

I'd really like to know.

 

[pld459666]

For the record.

The teams biggest need after a Richards buy out is not center.

It's top 6 LW.

Kreider - Stepan - Nash
??????? - Brassard - MSL
Hagelin - Miller - Zuccarello

With Zuccs emerging as a legit offensive weapon making Pouliot look dangerous at times, I have no doubt that playing RW to Hags and Miller he could do the same.

I put CK with DS and RN for familiarity purposes.

 

[Nyrvana]

How about we:

Buy out Richards
Trade Staal + Brassard to Carolina for their 1st round pick
Use that pick to draft a highly talented center, i.e. Leon Draisaitl


We replace Staal by signing Matt Niskanen, a PMD with play off experience.

I'm on board for signing Niskanen.

We just need some Barbara Underhill for Step and he's a #1 center
Brassard is good enough to be the #2 and Miller would be a very good #3.

I say save the money and spend it at the trade deadline next year for a rental or someone else. Why must we make the same mistakes every year by overpaying for the "top" free agent

 

[silverfish]

I'm on board for signing Niskanen.

We just need some Barbara Underhill for Step and he's a #1 center
Brassard is good enough to be the #2 and Miller would be a very good #3.

I say save the money and spend it at the trade deadline next year for a rental or someone else. Why must we make the same mistakes every year by overpaying for the "top" free agent

It seems as if this is where the disconnect in the board lies. Some believe that Brass is ready to take on the 2C full-time, and Miller the same for 3C. Others, like myself, do not share this belief.

Miller's progression to full-time NHLer should be as such:

Play out this year in Hartford.
See if he can earn a spot in camp on the third line next year. I'd prefer to ease him in as a winger, to be honest. Though maybe he earns that shot at 3C?

But a lot of people have Miller on this pedestal for some reason. The kid has 6 ****ing NHL points this season. I don't know how you can pencil that in to full-time NHLer next year without hesitation. Especially on a team like the Rangers who is clearly in "compete now" mode.

Forgive my hesitation to plug a rookie into our third-line full-time.

Maybe we're all watching different JT Millers. I don't think he's ready

 

[Nyrvana]

It seems as if this is where the disconnect in the board lies. Some believe that Brass is ready to take on the 2C full-time, and Miller the same for 3C. Others, like myself, do not share this belief.

Miller's progression to full-time NHLer should be as such:

Play out this year in Hartford.
See if he can earn a spot in camp on the third line next year. I'd prefer to ease him in as a winger, to be honest. Though maybe he earns that shot at 3C?

But a lot of people have Miller on this pedestal for some reason. The kid has 6 ****ing NHL points this season. I don't know how you can pencil that in to full-time NHLer next year without hesitation. Especially on a team like the Rangers who is clearly in "compete now" mode.

Forgive my hesitation to plug a rookie into our third-line full-time.

Maybe we're all watching different JT Millers. I don't think he's ready

For me it's what will JT Miller be exactly a year from now. An offseason of getting stronger, and another half season of progressing. We will need him to be better for the playoffs than he is now certainly. But, if he can hold his own and play a two way game I have 0 problems letting him be the 3C next season. He's 20 this season and is of course going to have a learning curve but let him start the season at 3C see what happens and worst case scenario trade for a rental like Spezza.

 

[silverfish]

For me it's what will JT Miller be exactly a year from now. An offseason of getting stronger, and another half season of progressing. We will need him to be better for the playoffs than he is now certainly. But, if he can hold his own and play a two way game I have 0 problems letting him be the 3C next season. He's 20 this season and is of course going to have a learning curve but let him start the season at 3C see what happens and worst case scenario trade for a rental like Spezza.

Are the Rangers in a position to deal with that learning curve though? I don't know if I can justify that. I have no issues admitting that one day JT can be an every day 2C for this team. But how do we want to go about getting him there?

Plugging him into the 3C spot and letting him go? Or easing him in. He's had plenty of opportunities to earn a full-time spot on the Rangers this year, and hasn't been able to.

I'm ready for him to, but if our solution for next season's center-depth after buying out Richards is Stepan-Brassard-Miller, I think we're in trouble unless we sign elite wingers like Vanek to balance it out. And if this board kills Nash on a daily basis, Vanek wouldn't last two games.

 

[pld459666]

I think that the team as a whole is going to greatly benefit for this up coming off-season.

We got a full season of what AV wants under the teams belt. Getting more comfortable with the system and all of it's intricacies can only benefit the team, especially the defence.

The problem is we need to get guys like Miller far away from Kenny G down on the Farm. They don't play the same type of styles so there's less continuity with the call ups which i think is having an effect on Miller.

However, regarding Miller. He's got 3 points in the last 5 games and 4 in the last 10 games played. He did not look out of place in the three games before his last demotion.

Personally, I think he can and will earn the 3rd line center role next season.

 

[JimmyG89]

Miller is not the guy from last year or early in the season. He has made a jump in play. His last two callups, looked like someone ready. How will we know if he keeps playing in the AHL? There are ways to help. Have a guy who can LW/C on the 3rd line. If Miller struggles at C, he can move to wing. He can play all 3 spots up front.

 

[Trxjw]

I think Brassard and Stepan can be your first and second line centers while still being a top-10 team in the league. However, they simply can't be the best players on their line for that to really work. You need to surround them with the right players to emphasize their strengths, and hide some of their weaknesses.

It'll be very hard to land a top-line center at the draft, let alone a young one, without surrendering our 1st round pick this year (assuming we still have it) and at least one top-prospect. Probably JT Miller.

 

[silverfish]

Miller is not the guy from last year or early in the season. He has made a jump in play. His last two callups, looked like someone ready. How will we know if he keeps playing in the AHL? There are ways to help. Have a guy who can LW/C on the 3rd line. If Miller struggles at C, he can move to wing. He can play all 3 spots up front.

He's looked better, sure, but he still makes some questionable plays with the puck. That is just the territory of having a young player on your squad.

I just don't see the need to rush him to the NHL full-time when a more creative solution could be found in terms of plugging the hole left by Richards. I have confidence in Glen to find it via trade whether it's looking at other teams RFA's like O'Reilly or Berglund, or finding something out of nowhere on the market. Maybe Kesler comes cheap at the draft if the Canucks decide to stick with Tortorella?

 

[Nyrvana]

Are the Rangers in a position to deal with that learning curve though? I don't know if I can justify that. I have no issues admitting that one day JT can be an every day 2C for this team. But how do we want to go about getting him there?

Plugging him into the 3C spot and letting him go? Or easing him in. He's had plenty of opportunities to earn a full-time spot on the Rangers this year, and hasn't been able to.

I'm ready for him to, but if our solution for next season's center-depth after buying out Richards is Stepan-Brassard-Miller, I think we're in trouble unless we sign elite wingers like Vanek to balance it out. And if this board kills Nash on a daily basis, Vanek wouldn't last two games.

Giving him that job is easing him into a bigger role. It's the next step in his development. We can have a prospect come up and develop without many expectations because we already have a top 6 in place.

It's hard to take advantage of your chances when you average 11 minutes of ice time and know if you don't produce consistently you'll be sent down. The point production you are looking for from a 3C is about .5 PPG. I think Miller is capable of that next season.

 

[bernmeister]

Buy-out Richards - Yes
Sign Stastny - No

This ^.

Unless....

if Richards says, ok, I've made enough $ and my bud MSL is here and I'm willing to go a year at a time with him as he extends.

So I will amend my current contract by means of a new contract which
a) will extend the current deal for 1 year at league minimum;
b) does so in a way that incorporates what is left of the present deal, reducing the $ and particularly the cap hits even further;
and c) allows team generous buy out clause in case I turn into Drury.

I doubt that can be done in that exact scenario, but that is what it would take to make financial sense for Rangers.

Need to amnesty Richards to have operating room.

Otherwise, go the other way. Buy out Richards, and enjoy MSL, but if he wants the Richards pivot, deal him in his last year to wherever Richards signs.

A more ideal scenario might be, if that option existed, to use the buy out AFTER the season, coinciding with end of MSL deal, depending on what happens with Marty. The cord would be cut for both simultaneously. But my understanding is existing amnesty, which is last chance before it expires, must be before next season during a very limited window.

So that is not in the cards as presently dealt.
I see the advantage of retaining Richards, but even if MSL extended to match, cost of Richards too much.