GDT: Game 48: New York Rangers vs Vegas Golden Knights, 7pm ET (Game is on ESPN, and ESPN+)

[I Eat Crow]

Also, the 11-12 team got to the 13-14 team by biting the bullet and making a core-shaking trade that made the team both harder on the cycle AND more talented.

Something to think about as we keep sending the same roster out there.

The difference between then and now is that I don't see the potential core shaking trade out there. There's no Rick Nash available on the trade market. Elias Pettersson would be the closest in terms of talent but like Nash, I don't think he'd have as much of a transformative effect as everyone thinks he would.

 

[Brutananadilewski]

Yeah well, the thing is how are you going to do it with them clauses we have given to the core? We can trade Fox, that's about it.

Trouba and Krieder have modified NTC at the end of this season. Zibs the real anchor, but I bet he'd be willing to waive.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

Thank the good lord the Devils and Islanders suck now, too, or we'd be taking a lot more abuse sitewide.

 

[LOFIN]

The clauses are an excuse. You can get creative and get around it if you really want to.

It's not impossible, but let's not act like it's not an obstacle. Good luck asking Zibanejad or Trouba to waive.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Is Elias Peterrsson on the block or something? Vancouver is having a great season. Why would he be traded?

 

[will1066]

You have to savor the Kakko goals. It might be another month.

Still sooner than the next Laf goal amirite?

 

[I Eat Crow]

Kreider is the last player of the big money group I'm trading, by the way. Put him with Trochek and his 5 v 5 numbers will go right back to where they were 2 years ago when he was one of the best 5 v 5 players in the league.

 

[ReleasO The KakkO]

(And they wondered why I suggested a post-game thread…)

 

[DoTheBlue]

Hahahaha.

The deserve to win o'meter cup is ours

 

[ReddestRum]

Thank the good lord the Devils and Islanders suck now, too, or we'd be taking a lot more abuse sitewide.

The metro is an absolute shit show right now compared to other divisions but..

"RelAX, We aRe fiRst iN tHe meTrO"

 

[Machinehead]

The difference between then and now is that I don't see the potential core shaking trade out there. There's no Rick Nash available on the trade market. Elias Pettersson would be the closest in terms of talent but like Nash, I don't think he'd have as much of a transformative effect as everyone thinks he would.

I was referring to when we traded Gaborik for half the 2014 lineup.

Nobody saw that return coming or how good it would be.

We can't just say it's not out there. A monkey knows who's "out there." Executives get paid to find creative solutions.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Is Elias Peterrsson on the block or something? Vancouver is having a great season. Why would he be traded?

No, but there has been speculation since last year that he wasn't happy with losing in Vancouver. Obviously now I don't think he's in a hurry to leave, but if they fall on their face this year and next, and you're in summer 2025 and he has one year left on his deal before he can walk for nothing, Vancouver will have a huge decision to make.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Their play just shows how mentally weak, soft, and pathetic this core is. I met half the players rely on the refs to make penalty calls are the same ones that reply on the refs to help them score goals. How about taking accountability for your awful play. Id bench some of these vets to send a message. A real coach that wants to win would do this

 

[I Eat Crow]

I was referring to when we traded Gaborik for half the 2014 lineup.

Nobody saw that return coming or how good it would be.

We can't just say it's not out there. A monkey knows who's "out there." Executives get paid to find creative solutions.

Apologies, thought you were referring to trading for Nash.

I don't trust our current pro scouts to repeat a trade like that. I'd do that type of trade with Zibanejad tomorrow.

 

[Leonardo87]

(And they wondered why I suggested a post-game thread…)

@Machinehead made the right call. I was going to be locking it in less than 12 hours, since we play tomorrow.

 

[Brutananadilewski]

After we bowed out to the Devils, I said we aren't winning with these players and I said Igor was the key to getting us a king's ransom.

...Oh boy.

 

[CLW]

Granted, some of these absolute top talents will flourish even if you were to "mistreat them". But not everyone is Connor McDavid. It's up to the club to develop those players and put them into positions to succeed.

That said, there's plenty of looking in the mirror for Kakko himself. He has never really managed to improve his skating or shot during the summer, I'm not saying he's slacking but maybe not the right things? TBH, this is also where a club of New York Rangers statue should be able to step in and help.

To me it feels as if Kakko has had too much input of what he should be, and the end result is like a soup with too many cooks involved. This is a kid that needed/needs strong direction but he ended up with Quinn/Gallant/Lavi... none of whom has ever had an idea outside the box of stereotypes.

He tries (tried) to play like Rantanen when it comes to moving the puck and positioning, but his team doesn't play Colorado hockey. The NHL coaches and management wanted him to become a big and strong power forward, but that was never his game. He's never been on a set power play with a defined role, maybe the first season apart. Should he be big and strong, or fast and agile? Playmaker or finisher? Go to player or support player? Then the coaches would just put him on the ice to see what happens rather than to fix issues because NHL coaches just do the same thing over and over mechanically like energizer bunnies. I do think his skating is a bit better and his shot is definitely harder but the main issues are tactics and chemistry related, and obvoiusly confidence related.

It's kind of the same story with Laf.

 

[I Eat Crow]

After we bowed out to the Devils, I said we aren't winning with these players and I said Igor was the key to getting us a king's ransom.

...Oh boy.

There is still an idiot GM that will pay handsomely for Shesterkin thinking their team is a Vezina winning goalie away from winning. Teams like Buffalo, Arizona, Ottawa, Minnesota, Carolina, and Edmonton come to mind.

The Rangers can get a very nice piece or two from the first three teams on that list, the last 3, not so much.

Would Carolina move Necas? That may be one of the few value for value trades that I can see both teams making, even within the division.

 

[Machinehead]

I love what Cuylle brings but he's always on lines that won't score.

Vesey is f***ing Wayne Gretzky at even strength and he plays 30 seconds a game.

The stars play with the stars and the grinders play with the grinders.

It creates lack of offense, wanky bullshit, and unbalance in the lineup.

You can't blame Laviolette because that's the culture since Gorton took over.

As others have mentioned, I like some of the stiff players we have in the pipeline but I fear they'll be on the 3rd and 4th lines forever.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Wtf happened to these guys? They should be embarrassed for the money they are stealing from this team. Ugly, easily winnable game, just embarrassing.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Vesey not being moved up the lineup is very odd to me. Considering he was that top 6 guy in the past you’d think they would do it

But maybe Lavi is trying to make that bottom line effective. But at this point forget that line and just play them less lol

 

[ReddestRum]

If we were scoring and losing I’d blame Igor but when almost every game this month you’ve scored 2 or less, you have bigger issues than your goaltending.

This is my thinking. This is my thinking right here when it comes to our goalies. If our goalies were losing us games while we were scoring then I'd be 100% blaming the goalies. However, when you take a look at how we were scoring earlier in the season vs now, you see we have a real issue with putting the puck in the net.

Someone mentioned earlier that Shesty was turning into Geo and I'm sure Shesty and Quick would LOVE to have a team in front of them capable of putting more than 2+ goals in the net when it really counts.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Brady has been like a moody child this year. Throwing a few temper tantrums, yet doing f*** all to dig Ottawa out of their ditch. He's nothing to be scared about.

Can Brady play goalie too? Hockey is a team game, one player can’t make all the difference in the world. How many cups has McDavid won? And that’s with another top 5 forward on his team.

The deserve to win o'meter cup is ours

Does Adam Pee Wee Herman hand out that cup?

 

[Shesterkybomb]

There is still an idiot GM that will pay handsomely for Shesterkin thinking their team is a Vezina winning goalie away from winning. Teams like Buffalo, Arizona, Ottawa, Minnesota, Carolina, and Edmonton come to mind.

The Rangers can get a very nice piece or two from the first three teams on that list, the last 3, not so much.

Would Carolina move Necas? That may be one of the few value for value trades that I can see both teams making, even within the division.

Shesterkin isn't the problem right now, sure he's not himself but this team is a poor mans gents league team. No fight, no pride, just a bunch of guys collecting a paycheck they shouldn't be getting. Any other team would rally around their struggling goalie, this team wouldn't stick up for their sister in a meat market.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

The 2011-12 team is nothing the strive towards either. The 8 seed Senators would have skated them off the ice if not for Lundqvist.

The 2013-14 team is what we need to build towards. That team could cycle you to death one shift and score a crazy rush goal the next shift.

Good teams have talent and can grind. It's not one or the other. Since most goals in NHL are scored from hard areas that teams prioritize defending, they really go hand-in-hand if you build your team right.

Yes, and thats why I don't want them trading guys like Edstrom, Othmann, Berard, Sykora, Perrault because they can play that game.