Confirmed with Link: NYR Fire John Davidson and Jeff Gorton

[Edge]

So what’s the move if you are Drury, and you want to appease your boss without selling the rebuild out by moving the Crown Jewels in Laf, Kakko, Fox, Nils, Kravtsov and Miller?

Who do you make a run at this offseason? Are players like Krebs off the table as too young? Is Toews a consideration despite his advanced age? Lindholm again? Or trying to get a guy you hope is about to blossom like Hayton?

I think I try to move Buch for a young center. I maximize the return as best I can.

I try to move Zibanejad for a combination of a pick and prospect or preferably a third line center as part of the package.

I ride into the season with Strome, Chytil, my center for Buch and hopefully a center for Zibanejad.

The goal is to have my newly acquired centers make strides or help hold down the fort.

I self rent on Strome and, if I've achieved some stability, I let him walk after the season.

I stick with Panarin, Laf and Kreider on the left, and go with Kakko, Kravtsov and a free agent on the right.

If I can't get a third line center for Zibanejad, I consider a wing and maybe someone like Getlaf to help transition things.

I look for a veteran presence on the left side as well. I give Jones and Robertson some time.

It's hard to say because it's hard to know who is out there.

I don't make any rash moves to acquire franchise center. I don't think we're designed for that right now, and I think we can use our assets differently.

 

[CLW]

Who?

Tocchet
Babcock
Julien
or any number of old known failures

 

[Savant]

THIS is what people should be at least partially concerned about.

And not just Eichel.

Kopitar. Toews. Etc.

All of those become possibilities, and not necessarily in the most strategic fashion.

For the record I’d rather have Toews than the other two. Would also take Kopitar over Eichel.

Would rather trade a big hitter to try and get some of LA’s young Centers, but I guess that’s off the menu.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

so much so that he was just throwing away 60 point Dman and dumping Lemieux for garbage return.

Do you have any idea if the locker room even wanted him to stay? Bc unless you know that then you are saying things that dont make sense. It is POSSIBLE he FO objected to him on a moral level bc he behaves like a legitimate idiot so they got rid of him...which isnt necessarily a bad thing to do. That same 60 point defenseman couldnt get picked up on waivers. You need to think about that

 

[Edge]

Is Mika really declining? He's 28 and just coming off a career season before this one. I guess compared to a 60 goal pace season every season will look like a declining season.

MH isn't wrong in the sense that you could make the argument that injuries and other things have you looking at a player whose best days are already behind him.

Kind of like the Rangers making a judgement call on Stepan back in 2017, or even Brassard in 2016, you could be looking at a similar decision about a player who, by most conventional thought processes, deceptively appears to still be in his prime.

It's a thought.

 

[Savant]

What did I do to deserve being born into the Rangers and Mets?

Well that’s the thing. No one chooses these teams (especially the Mets). You are born into it.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Is Mika really declining? He's 28 and just coming off a career season before this one. I guess compared to a 60 goal pace season every season will look like a declining season.

I don't understand this thinking either. The guy has 48 points in 53 games after scoring 3 in first 15. He has a great shot, can skate, plays decent defense and PK's also. If he can bring back some good pieces that are a better fit I'm all for it, especially with the upcoming contract questions, but some of you need to chill about him being ready for the old folks home.

 

[Rempe73]

Brendan Lemieux was an internet troll on ice skates.

Guy was the Tanner Glass of being Derek Dorsett.

I don’t think he was skilled at all, but we did play a bit different when he was in the lineup. I’m not crying that he’s gone though. The fact that he thought he deserved more ice time really pissed me off. Like no dude. You’re a 4th liner and you’re only in the lineup because you stand up for your teammates. Dude should have been thankful he got as much ice time as he did.

 

[jay from jersey]

I don't care what Ottawa's reasons were. Ottawa could have traded with any other team also. It was a steal of a trade for the Rangers.

No not really, they specifically targeted Brassard for over a year because of how he performed in the playoffs and the fact that most of his contract was already paid in real dollars. It was just basically cap hit left

 

[will1066]

Messier made a good point. To win, you gotta win in the streets and in the alleys. To paraphrase, he doesn't think this roster can.

Perimeter hockey from your supposed leaders
Regularly allowing the goalies to get run over
Incompetent 6 on 5, lack of will to get the game tying goal in numerous situations when it could've meant something to the season
Zero unpredictability or danger factor
Consistently getting embarrassed by 3rd string no-name goalies

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

But some of these losses were truly awful. This team showed no guts and no heart many times throughout the season. That isn’t good enough. That’s not winning hockey.

To me that's where this team underachieves. Not in the WL column but in the meaningful game column. In the period-period consistency column. The same issues we saw in year 1 under Quinn persist to this day. Issues we saw starting with AV continued to this day. Some of those issues legit culminated in what happened with Wilson. It culminated in what happened with Carolina. That;s what happens when you coach the hard to play against, physical part of hockey out of a team for 5 years and build a roster to match. Gorton needed to step in 3 or 4 years ago and didn't. Sometimes it felt like he just kept hoping 19 year olds would bail his ass out.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I don't understand this thinking either. The guy has 48 points in 53 games after scoring 3 in first 15. He has a great shot, can skate, plays decent defense and PK's also. If he can bring back some good pieces that are a better fit I'm all for it, especially with the upcoming contract questions, but some of you need to chill about him being ready for the old folks home.

This is where MH's takes sometimes rub me the wrong way. If a guy sucks at some advanced stat he's garbage, even if he's a PPG player since Covid.

 

[Rempe73]

Carolina has nothing but get better with Don Waddle and Rod Brind’Amour.

That’s a fantastic point. As someone who follows the Hurricanes as my 2nd team, I thought Francis was doing a GREAT job, albeit it was taking some time. I really didn’t think firing him would improve much. The Hurricanes were really heading in the right direction. In the Rangers case, yea maybe they fired Gorton and JD a bit prematurely, but we should get better sooner, as long as they don’t take any crazy shortcuts like the Hurricanes didn’t.

 

[Edge]

Messier made a good point. To win, you gotta win in the streets and in the alleys. To paraphrase, he doesn't think this roster can.

Perimeter hockey from your supposed leaders
Regularly allowing the goalies to get run over
Incompetent 6 on 5, lack of will to get the game tying goal in numerous situations when it could've meant something to the season
Zero unpredictability or danger factor
Consistently getting embarrassed by 3rd string no-name goalies

I actually don't think he's wrong at all in the premise.

I also don't think anyone who got fired today thinks otherwise.

The question is whether we should or could've reasonably gotten to that point now, or whether that should still be considered a work in progress at this point.

I don't believe this year's team was even close to the final vision of what was being built. And increasingly I feel like we're seeing comments that would make you think it should've been. And I don't tend to see it that way.

 

[MysticLeviathan]

To me that's where this team underachieves. Not in the WL column but in the meaningful game column. In the period-period consistency column. The same issues we saw in year 1 under Quinn persist to this day. Issues we saw starting with AV continued to this day. Some of those issues legit culminated in what happened with Wilson. It culminated in what happened with Caroline. That;s what happens when you coach the hard to play against, physical part of hockey out of a team for 5 years and build a roster to match. Gorton needed to step in 3 or 4 years ago and didn't. Sometimes it felt like he just kept hoping 19 year olds would bail his ass out.

exactly. in that way I agree with the firing. I just dread the possible moves we make moving forward.

 

[CLW]

I guess the senior advisor couldn't convince the dumb owner not to be dumb.

The senior advisor had a senior moment.

 

[Captain Monglobster]

Messier made a good point. To win, you gotta win in the streets and in the alleys. To paraphrase, he doesn't think this roster can.

Perimeter hockey from your supposed leaders
Regularly allowing the goalies to get run over
Incompetent 6 on 5, lack of will to get the game tying goal in numerous situations when it could've meant something to the season
Zero unpredictability or danger factor
Consistently getting embarrassed by 3rd string no-name goalies

To play devils advocate it seems like the org was in the process of figuring out the top six before it took the next step of fleshing out the bottom six with 'character' guys. My guess is that some of those guys will manifest themselves in a trade for guys who didnt fit into long term plans.

 

[will1066]

MH isn't wrong in the sense that you could make the argument that injuries and other things have you looking at a player whose best days are already behind him.

Kind of like the Rangers making a judgement call on Stepan back in 2017, or even Brassard in 2016, you could be looking at a similar decision about a player who, by most conventional thought processes, deceptively appears to still be in his prime.

It's a thought.

It's not about the numbers for me. It's his makeup, I don't know how exactly to pinpoint, but his fire comes and goes. Is it the concussions? Is it the Covid? Numbers can be recovered elsewhere. Attitude, intensity, an element of danger, a mean streak is something he lacks. Would you want to go into an alley fight with him at your side?

 

[ohbaby]

"According to sources, Gorton and Davidson were not involved with the issuing of that statement; it came from Dolan's office."

This is horse hockey! The biggest bunch of baloney I have ever experienced. It's unconscionable that management expects us Ranger Fans to believe that there is no connection between issuing that statement, and their immediate dismissal hours later. Their firing can be nothing but retribution for the President and GM sending that statement calling for the head of NHL player safety. And if anyone thinks otherwise, they are an Idiot with a capital I.

You would never do those two things, statement and firing so close together, if you weren't trying to send a strong message that they are connected and won't be tolerated. Dolan could have released them after the season. What was the rush? Our playoff hopes were dashed.

JD and Gorton have been perhaps the best management team this club ever had. And they won't say a word against Dolan, or who really issued the statement, if they ever wanna work in the NHL again.

I am in shock, and fear where the future might lie with a Dolan puppet in charge. How Drury survived this is obvious.

The owner of the NY Rangers just crapped all over their devoted fan base to save face with the NHL brass.

My love for this team will never be the same. Just a horrible turn of events all due to an inexcusable non-action by the NHL.

My heart hurts.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

I think I try to move Buch for a young center. I maximize the return as best I can.

I try to move Zibanejad for a combination of a pick and prospect or preferably a third line center as part of the package.

I ride into the season with Strome, Chytil, my center for Buch and hopefully a center for Zibanejad.

The goal is to have my newly acquired centers make strides or help hold down the fort.

I self rent on Strome and, if I've achieved some stability, I let him walk after the season.

I stick with Panarin, Laf and Kreider on the left, and go with Kakko, Kravtsov and a free agent on the right.

If I can't get a third line center for Zibanejad, I consider a wing and maybe someone like Getlaf to help transition things.

I look for a veteran presence on the left side as well. I give Jones and Robertson some time.

It's hard to say because it's hard to know who is out there.

I don't make any rash moves to acquire franchise center. I don't think we're designed for that right now, and I think we can use our assets differently.

I would not trade Zibanejad unless it was something like 1st overall +

But 1st things 1st get a good coaching staff, figure out who the captain is and then re-evaluate the players. If there is a good trade available for Strome at the draft day, then do it. Hajek and Howden should not be back.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

lol one of the best UFA signings in the long long history of Rangers UFA signings and its meh hes okay lets see in 5 years. Literally nothing will make people like you happy

He was signed to be an elite player to guide us through the POS. He wasnt signed to put up all world numbers for two seasons and then start dropping off like everyone NYR FA signing does. So he's right. It's wrong to only look at these two years as amazing as they were. BTW I have hope he's going to keep being a god out there for at least 2 or 3 more seasons.

 

[Edge]

It's not about the numbers for me. It's his makeup, I don't know how exactly to pinpoint, but his fire comes and goes. Is it the concussions? Is it the Covid? Numbers can be recovered elsewhere. Attitude, intensity, an element of danger, a mean streak is something he lacks. Would you want to go into an alley fight with him at your side?

I'd take a prime Zibanejad into battle with me.

I don't know if that's what I'm getting at this point though.

 

[Rempe73]

that this was not a playoff team and the fact that they were even heading into the Islanders game with a chance is actually more noteworthy.

Yea but we beat the Islanders before. We are able to beat some good teams in convincing ways, but fall apart when the stakes are high. Zibanejad and Kreider especially. You just can’t ignore how awful we are in those games. I thought Carolina was a fluke. But it turns out that’s just what we are.

 

[Machinehead]

Is Mika really declining? He's 28 and just coming off a career season before this one. I guess compared to a 60 goal pace season every season will look like a declining season.

It's more than just his production.

He has Ron Dayne Syndrome written all over his face.

For those of you who don't know, Ron Dayne was a very successful running back for the Giants way back in the day. He was 250 pounds and wasn't much for finesse. He just ran where he wanted to run and if you got in his way, God help you. Then he got hurt. After that, he just couldn't run into guys the way he always did.

It's not about being soft or unwilling. It's subconscious; instinctual. You reach a point where you start protecting yourself and a certain edge to your game is just gone. In certain types of matchups, Zibanejad can still produce. In other types of matchups, he's just not going to go that one extra inch because his body can't.

 

[Machinehead]

I'd take a prime Zibanejad into battle with me.

I don't know if that's what I'm getting at this point though.

100%