News from Around the AHL/NHL/KHL 2023-24

[The Real JT]

Lol, they are a mess. Just shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.

I have said it before, they got relatively lucky in their rebuild with "free" talent in players like Panarin, Fox, Trouba, etc. and also got two gifts in the lottery wins.

If not for those relatively fluke occurrences, primarily due to their market advantage, they would still be in the early stages of the rebuild and a bad team.

The problem?

Gorton and Gordie Clark (both are bad, but Gordie is downright terrible) wasted so much draft capital, player value already in the system (McDonaugh, Buchnevich, Hayes, JT Miller, etc.), making mostly the wrong choices and failing to improve the team even more.

They could have had either Miller or Hayes at 2C for years, instead of Strome and now paying for Trotchek. Heck, they probably should have had Miller at 2C and Hayes at 3C, if they could have developed Miller better and extended Hayes on a fair deal vs trading him.

Signing Panarin and opting to extend Kreider scewed their cap and blocked or stunted the organic development of high picks invested in players like Lias, Laf, Kraptsov, Buchnevich, etc. causing their development to sputter and stall.

Buch was then traded for pennies on the dollar. Same with Lias.

They added Fox (no brainer) and Trouba (decent trade, but bad value on the contract extension), which has made prospects like Lundqvist and Zac Jones redundant.

And these young players have been utter failures, in terms of actual development with the Rags. Kakko is one of their more noticeable failures. They have done almost zero to support him, by bringing in a vet like Uncle Leo, in order to help ease his transition to a foreign country at 18-years of age.

Now so many of these picks just keep getting shopped at a discount and presumably another desperate trade to try and reallocate assets after the fact.

A drunk chimp could have thrown darts at a board and probably gotten more right and been better and deeper than what the prior regime accomplished.

And so far Drury's little bump has arguably been just because of better coaching, combined with a fluke run by a top-heavy team that got career years from players like Kreider, while being bailed out by She's Twerkin's first season of actually staying healthy and being a true No. 1 goalie.

But can a player who has never been The Guy and has had fluke injuries, continue at that level or, more likely, vary in terms of performance year to year?

Because remove say 30 goals by Kreider, normalize the numbers in goal, and you have a team ripe for regression.

That my good man, was the perfect post for me to read before turning in for the night.

Well done.

 

[19 in a row]

They can be 8 million over the cap going into camp so long as their roster is under the cap going in to the regular season. Should this be a surprise to anyone? Pretty sure there was a whole offseason when NYI were above the cap prior to Boychuk's retirement. TB has Seabrook, who is LTIR'd in that number. That puts them basically at the cap. I think that + Cirelli + probably a plan of Point and Kucherov each taking some LTIR time off gets them through.

I think there's very little incentive for the owners to do anything about it given that they've got their cost certainty, and a good half of them are quite willing to make use of similar manipulations. I think if it were the Rangers or Maple Leafs *only* doing this sort of thing, maybe something would happen, but it's not the case.

yes they can be 10% over the cap, but I don't see any obvious players that are going on LTIR throughout the year so how do they shed that $8M?

 

[MJF]

Vesey is fulfilling a childhood dream. Again. This time for free.

Hartford is nice in the winter.

 

[mm11]

Vesey is fulfilling a childhood dream. Again. This time for free.

Hartford is nice in the winter.

Was another ragy can't miss young guy

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Was another ragy can't miss young guy

They all are.

Rangers kiddies:
On the one hand, it's very interesting at how much this kind of thing with Lundkvist is becoming commonplace. Kravtsov is still a problem and Andersson was obviously moved to the LAK for a 2nd rounder after similar problems.

On the other hand, the writing is sometimes on the wall when they see where they are in the pecking order. And in Andersson and Kravtsov's case, they were likely picked to high to begin with.

For Lundkvist, who would surely be an NHLer already for a good third of the league, his camp knows that there's no getting past Fox and Trouba on that right side. Schneider is looking like a keeper as well, and perfect for a bottom pairing role. Lundkvist is going to be a more offensive type defenseman. He's got value. His camp has seen though Andersson that a little pressure works with this organization when it comes to demanding a trade.

In addition, they've all seen what's gone on with Kaako and Lafreniere. Something is going on over there because these kids should be MUCH further along than they are. They have far more to offer than what they've shown in a Rangers uniform, even if Lafreniere began picking things up to conclude last season.

But yes, in light of the rivalry and the fact that their location alone gives them advantages few franchises have, it's reassuring to know that they've got a worm or two over there that's leading to these kinds of things.

 

[danteipp]

Vesey is fulfilling a childhood dream. Again. This time for free.

Hartford is nice in the winter.

I think the only question left now is if/when Buffalo trades their THIRD, third rounder for him.

 

[seafoam]

Lundqkvist for sandin wouldn’t surprise me.

 

[xECK29x]

Lundqkvist for sandin wouldn’t surprise me.

I don't think it would, both players want to play in the NHL, both those teams don't have spots which is why they are holding out.

 

[PWJunior]

Lundqkvist for sandin wouldn’t surprise me.

Both underwhelming players even if they hit their ceiling so meh if it did. Both tweeners, but I'd prefer Lundqvist only because he is a RHD. Sandin is Hickey 2.0 - small, slow, but smart and skilled.

 

[seafoam]

Vesey is fulfilling a childhood dream. Again. This time for free.

[bHartford is nice in the winter.[/b]

Nice for whom?

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Lundqkvist for sandin wouldn’t surprise me.

It would me.

 

[BelovedIsles]

The Rangers are doing pretty good for themselves; Trotchek is an upgrade over Strome. The kid line seems to be poised to take the next step after their playoff showing. They'll be a Metro threat for the foreseeable future. Generally speaking, the East got better. Rebuilding clubs added external help (compounded by internal growth), and the good teams are still good. Hence why even a WC spot is going to be a challenge for NYI.

 

[Mike C]

The Rangers are doing pretty good for themselves; Trotchek is an upgrade over Strome. The kid line seems to be poised to take the next step after their playoff showing. They'll be a Metro threat for the foreseeable future. Generally speaking, the East got better. Rebuilding clubs added external help (compounded by internal growth), and the good teams are still good. Hence why even a WC spot is going to be a challenge for NYI.

Sensibly objective post!

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

The Rangers are doing pretty good for themselves; Trotchek is an upgrade over Strome. The kid line seems to be poised to take the next step after their playoff showing. They'll be a Metro threat for the foreseeable future. Generally speaking, the East got better. Rebuilding clubs added external help (compounded by internal growth), and the good teams are still good. Hence why even a WC spot is going to be a challenge for NYI.

Don't see it. The fortunes of the Rangers live and die with Shestyorkin. And sure, they added Trotchek, but they lost a lot more players than they added. Strome, Copp, and Vatrano are out and Strome was the only one they replaced. Others will have to step up to the plate. All good and possible, but better they've not become. Just different.

Washington has added a few nice pieces, but jettisoned their entire goaltending tandem. They got Kuemper, but they're starting afresh there and it looks like Backstrom is out for a while. Lots of kids will be getting good looks this winter.

Philly only made minor additions and seem to be totally satisfied with battling for Bedard next winter.

Pittsburgh made some astute moves and managed to keep everyone they might have lost. Still, goaltending will decide a lot for them.

Carolina made some nice moves, as they always seem to do, but they have again seen a proven blueline producer move on elsewhere in the division while adding a much older Burns and a Pacioretty who is now out for 6-8 months. Stastny might help, or he could be little more than Stepan was in recent years.

Jersey is due for improvement from within, but haven't done a real thing about their goaltending, which already crumbled last season. Some of their top prospects are goalies though. Still, only see minimal improvement coming here because so much youth can only go so far.

The Blue Jackets have improved the most. They're really the only club that has made significant additions and retentions. It'll be very interesting to see if they put everything together there. Still not particularly deep if things don't work out with the Gaudreau-Laine connection. Jenner looks like the first line center there. Bears watching, even if that blueline continues to have some questions and the goaltending is not nominally one of the league's top 25 tandems.

Sure, I too see three teams here likely finishing ahead of the Isles in the standings in the regular season.

But what NONE of these teams that always plays a role, yet plenty of fans never really place into consideration, is what the NYI have more than anyone else, namely continuity.

It cannot be understated how meaningful that is for a team on a year to year basis.

And nary a team in our conference has it in the manner our Isles do.

 

[Throttle]

Don't see it. The fortunes of the Rangers live and die with Shestorkin. And sure, they added Trotchek, but they lost a lot more players than they added. Strome, Copp, and Vatrano are out and Strome was the only one they replaced. Others will have to step up to the plate. All good and possible, but better they've not become. Just different.

Washington has added a few nice pieces, but jettisoned their entire goaltending tandem. They got Kuemper, but they're starting afresh there and it looks like Backstrom is out for a while. Lots of kids will be getting good looks this winter.

Philly only made minor additions and seem to be totally satisfied with battling for Bedard next winter.

Pittsburgh made some astute moves and managed to keep everyone they might have lost. Still, goaltending will decide a lot for them.

Carolina made some nice moves, as they always seem to do, but they have again seen a proven blueline producer move on elsewhere in the division while addin a much older Burns and a Pacioretty who is now out for 6-8 months.

Jersey is due for improvement from within, but haven't down a real thing about their goaltending, which already crumbled last season. Some of their top prospects are goalies though. Still, only see minimal improvement coming here.

The Blue Jackets have improved the most. They're really the only club that has made significant additions and retentions. It'll be very interesting to see if they put everything together there. Still not particularly deep if things don't work out with the Gaudreau-Laine connection. Jenner looks like the first line center there. Bears watching.

Sure, I too see three teams here likely finishing ahead of the Isles in the standings in the regular season.

But what NONE of these teams that always plays a role, yet plenty of fans never really place into consideration, is what the NYI have more than anyone else, namely continuity.

It cannot be understated how meaningful that is for a team on a year to year basis.

And nary a team in our conference has it in the manner our Isles do.

And the Isles have top 3 goaltending in the league.

 

[The Real JT]

Vesey is fulfilling a childhood dream. Again. This time for free.

Hartford is nice in the winter.

Don’t forget he also gets to visit Wilkes-Barre, Bridgeport and Lehigh Valley, by bus no less.

 

[The Real JT]

The Rangers are doing pretty good for themselves; Trotchek is an upgrade over Strome. The kid line seems to be poised to take the next step after their playoff showing. They'll be a Metro threat for the foreseeable future. Generally speaking, the East got better. Rebuilding clubs added external help (compounded by internal growth), and the good teams are still good. Hence why even a WC spot is going to be a challenge for NYI.

Like @Chapin Landvogt I don’t see them repeating their improbable run.

I wasn’t impressed by their highly touted kids with one exception. K. Miller might be their best Dman before long. I doubt he’d ever get an undeserved Norris trophy though.

Don't see it. The fortunes of the Rangers live and die with Shestorkin. And sure, they added Trotchek, but they lost a lot more players than they added. Strome, Copp, and Vatrano are out and Strome was the only one they replaced. Others will have to step up to the plate. All good and possible, but better they've not become. Just different.

 

[Big L]

Don't see it. The fortunes of the Rangers live and die with Shestorkin. And sure, they added Trotchek, but they lost a lot more players than they added. Strome, Copp, and Vatrano are out and Strome was the only one they replaced. Others will have to step up to the plate. All good and possible, but better they've not become. Just different.

Washington has added a few nice pieces, but jettisoned their entire goaltending tandem. They got Kuemper, but they're starting afresh there and it looks like Backstrom is out for a while. Lots of kids will be getting good looks this winter.

Philly only made minor additions and seem to be totally satisfied with battling for Bedard next winter.

Pittsburgh made some astute moves and managed to keep everyone they might have lost. Still, goaltending will decide a lot for them.

Carolina made some nice moves, as they always seem to do, but they have again seen a proven blueline producer move on elsewhere in the division while addin a much older Burns and a Pacioretty who is now out for 6-8 months.

Jersey is due for improvement from within, but haven't down a real thing about their goaltending, which already crumbled last season. Some of their top prospects are goalies though. Still, only see minimal improvement coming here.

The Blue Jackets have improved the most. They're really the only club that has made significant additions and retentions. It'll be very interesting to see if they put everything together there. Still not particularly deep if things don't work out with the Gaudreau-Laine connection. Jenner looks like the first line center there. Bears watching.

Sure, I too see three teams here likely finishing ahead of the Isles in the standings in the regular season.

But what NONE of these teams that always plays a role, yet plenty of fans never really place into consideration, is what the NYI have more than anyone else, namely continuity.

It cannot be understated how meaningful that is for a team on a year to year basis.

And nary a team in our conference has it in the manner our Isles do.

I don’t see the rags repeating their success last year, either. Kreider isn’t scoring 50, and Shestwerkin isn’t playing 82 games.

 

[The Real JT]

I don’t see the rags repeating their success last year, either. Kreider isn’t scoring 50, and Shestwerkin isn’t playing 82 games.

Too bad we can’t book bets on Kreider’s scoring for the upcoming year.

This site pays out 17-1 if he leads the league. 100-1 would be more realistic.

 

[sabremike]

Vesey is fulfilling a childhood dream. Again. This time for free.

Hartford is nice in the winter.

Why can't the RagPukes take the hint and assume room temperature. Almost everyone in Hartford despises them and their parent club (who they decided to shove down everyone's throats from day one. The Yard Goats and Hartford Athletic did the exact opposite in embracing blue and green which is why attendance wise they have been far far more successful) and AHL fans generally support Springfield because of their support after the HCC roof collapse and dropping their AHL affiliation the second that rat bastard Karmanos murdered the Whalers.

 

[doublechili]

Too bad we can’t book bets on Kreider’s scoring for the upcoming year.

This site pays out 17-1 if he leads the league. 100-1 would be more realistic.

View attachment 581618

I like those Pastrnak odds at 2500 as a pending UFA.

 

[Sparksrus3]

Too bad we can’t book bets on Kreider’s scoring for the upcoming year.

This site pays out 17-1 if he leads the league. 100-1 would be more realistic.

View attachment 581618

I like those Pastrnak odds at 2500 as a pending UFA.

Same odds as Bailey netting 15

 

[Mike C]

Too bad we can’t book bets on Kreider’s scoring for the upcoming year.

This site pays out 17-1 if he leads the league. 100-1 would be more realistic.

View attachment 581618

At these odds, I think McDavid, Ovechkin and Stamkos are good value bets

I don’t see the rags repeating their success last year, either. Kreider isn’t scoring 50, and Shestwerkin isn’t playing 82 games.

Ranger fans can rest easy when Igor takes a break. They have Louie the King Domingue!

 

[BelovedIsles]

Like @Chapin Landvogt I don’t see them repeating their improbable run.

I wasn’t impressed by their highly touted kids with one exception. K. Miller might be their best Dman before long. I doubt he’d ever get an undeserved Norris trophy though.

I wasn't suggesting they would reach the ECF, but they are going to be a contender in the East for at least a few years. They lost some depth, upgraded their 2C, and will have internal development. That blueline looks like it has a bright future, and I like Chytil.

 

[Mike C]

I wasn't suggesting they would reach the ECF, but they are going to be a contender in the East for at least a few years. They lost some depth, upgraded their 2C, and will have internal development. That blueline looks like it has a bright future, and I like Chytil.

Objectively speaking, I'd have to agree with your assessment. They have a good young team