If I were the Rangers I would try to trade Martin. His injury hurts his value but see if you can make a condition of if he plays in X amount of games the pick is a round earlier.
I want the Rangers to play playoff hockey. Win those close and lower scoring games. Yes losing Martin would hurt but having arguably the best defence in the league would make up for it.
Brzustewicz - Andonovski
Motew -Reid
Schmidt - Hamara
X - Campbell
Having Campbell as a healthy scratch is not ideal but with those defencemen they would be really tough to play against. I can’t see Kitchener going up many goals with that D squad and with their goaltending.
I would then let all the chips fall at the deadline and try to sneak a trade in at the last minute. Just go for some depth player who will play a bottom six role on the cheap side. No one special or anything like that, just some depth that shows the team that they are still buyers and that they have faith in their team already.
I’m not a big fan of moving Martin for peanuts. I understand the market (Lockhart trade). But I’m all for hanging onto our high end OA’s, and today that’s Martin and Sop (both on 40 goal pace) and likely Schmidt, until closer to the deadline and see what happens. Especially if all we can expect is a return in the Lockhart neighbourhood.
But Martin’s injury throws a wrench into things. Until we get a read on the severity of the injury and time missed, it’ll be tough to move him at all. Maybe a Martin deal involves conditions on games played. If we get the Lockhart return, and Martin plays and the team goes deep, the 3rd, 5th changes to a 2nd, 4th or something like that.
If we don’t go into full sell mode, then I assume we’ll be keeping our best three OA’s. For me, that has to be a healthy Martin, Sop, and likely Schmidt. As much as I’d love a defence with both Schmidt and Motew, we’d have a hard time replacing the offensive output that a Martin or Sop brings, and the grit game that Martin displayed last post season.
Now if we are offered more than expected for one of the OA’s, it would be hard to turn down since we need the picks. The market today is what it is for OA’s, but if someone offered a Xhekaj type return for, say, Sop (40 goal, 110 point pace. Great 200 foot game. PK. Faceoffs, etc), I’d pulled the trigger. Truth be told, he’d be a major OA upgrade on just about every team in the league. It wouldn’t be a stretch that a team throws a good package our way for him.
Also, with both Motew and Schmidt on the backend, that means one of Reid or Campbell sits. I’m not a fan of that but it is what it is. I’d be good with Scott as the 7th D. I liked his game when he’s had a chance to play.
If Martin is your odd man out, what are your forward lines?
. Surprised they're burning the Remembrance Day game.
