Speculation: Offseason Thread Part IV - Let's Make A Deal

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Andrew Gross spoke to Portzline about the players the Rangers traded to Columbus. Torts would take velled shots at management for losing depth from the trade. He was board with the trade and later called the trade a "lateral" move. From: @Aportzline
Sent: Jul 23, 2013 9:15a

Dispatch: One year later, #CBJ would make "Rick Nash trade" with #NYR all over again http://t.co/ePWY7cwA7X

sent via TweetDeck
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/Aportzline/status/359663182886879232

torts whines about more scoring, Rangers trade for Nash. Torts whines about loss depth, good riddance

 

[RGY]

I think the combination of the shortened season and Torts stubborness did not help at all. The Rangers imo had the talent to be a threat. I'm still displeased with what happened with Gaborik. And though I think a full season would've helped Torts maybe pull it all together, the PP has been bad for years and he still couldnt get it right over 60 games this year and he refused to change the offensive system in any fashion. This team would've ran into the same dead ends it did during the shortened season if it had a full 82 game season.

I am still ok with the Nash trade though we gave up a lot. We recouped a lot of what we lost in the Gaborik trade.

The key is Richards. We need him to be as good as he says he will. If he can be then we might be able to add offense at the deadline.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

torts whines about more scoring, Rangers trade for Nash. Torts whines about loss depth, good riddance

I dont recall Tortorella ever whining about too much about more scoring. He was perfectly content with winning games 2-1, as was I.

I think your melding in our ultra-whiny fanbase.

 

[Vitto79]

Andrew Gross spoke to Portzline about the players the Rangers traded to Columbus. Torts would take velled shots at management for losing depth from the trade. He was board with the trade and later called the trade a "lateral" move. From: @Aportzline
Sent: Jul 23, 2013 9:15a

Dispatch: One year later, #CBJ would make "Rick Nash trade" with #NYR all over again http://t.co/ePWY7cwA7X

sent via TweetDeck
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/Aportzline/status/359663182886879232

a yr from now we could look back on both deals and say Gaborik is gone from CLB and NYR still has Brassard, Dorsett, Moore

NYR got Nash who is locked up longterm.

Dubi is overpaid, loved the guy but he hasnt done diddily on offense for several yrs
AA is missed big time
Erixon will be good but I think Moore will be just as good or better
1st rounder- could hurt losing but again it could be another Jessiman

 

[NYR Viper]

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger 3m
Trevor Lewis and Kings avoid salary arb and settle on 1 year deal @ $1.325 mil.

This pretty much settles the fact that the Kings need to move someone in order to sign Clifford OR move Cliford, no?

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

AA is no longer missed because Brassard imo. hes got the higher ceiling. dubi? please.. erixon? rangers D is top notch. no brainer of a trade..

 

[Crease]

Can we temper expectations on Brassard until he plays more than 13 regular season games with the team. He was an underachiever until the Rangers picked him up. He's not out of the woods just yet.

 

[Trxjw]

This pretty much settles the fact that the Kings need to move someone in order to sign Clifford OR move Cliford, no?

Pretty much, yeah. Has to make ya wonder what Clifford is asking for. I like his upside and I think he would be a nice fit in our bottom-six, but if he's asking for anything over $1M he's nuts.

Clifford - Moore - Dorsett would be an incredibly hard line to play against.

 

[Trxjw]

AA is no longer missed because Brassard imo. hes got the higher ceiling. dubi? please.. erixon? rangers D is top notch. no brainer of a trade..

Rangers D is so top notch that all year long we were throwing garbage at the bottom pairing trying to find someone capable of playing more than 4 minutes a night. All while Erixon was playing NHL minutes with the Jackets.

You can't say the trade was a "no brainer" simply because we made the trade in reverse a few months later.

 

[Thirty One]

Can we temper expectations on Brassard until he plays more than 13 regular season games with the team. He was an underachiever until the Rangers picked him up. He's not out of the woods just yet.

No. Rangers fans don't know reserved. Brassard will always either be great or terrible.

 

[McRanger]

Rangers D is so top notch that all year long we were throwing garbage at the bottom pairing trying to find someone capable of playing more than 4 minutes a night. All while Erixon was playing NHL minutes with the Jackets.

You can't say the trade was a "no brainer" simply because we made the trade in reverse a few months later.

Which trade is he referring to? He mentions elements from both trades.

I would say the Rangers D is top notch. With Moore and a healthy Staal, that is.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

I'm still very bitter about Torts not being able to make the roster he was given work out, forcing the jettison of one of my all-time favorite Rangers, Marian Gaborik. Gaborik rejected an 8yr-$80million contract from the Wild, and the first moment he was able to actually choose where he wanted to play, he chose the Rangers. To me, he was a Blueshirt through and through, and now his legacy will probably be clumped in with the endless string of hired guns that have come through MSG.

A shame... but in the end this is a set of trades that the Rangers won. They ended up with, what I predict, will be the two most valuable pieces in the deals, Nash and Brassard. Plus, if Gabby continues to decline and Moore finds a permanent home on the Rangers' blueline... perhaps the THREE best pieces in the trades.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

No. Rangers fans don't know reserved. Brassard will always either be great or terrible.

I think he's going to be just great for the Rangers and I can't wait to see him work with AV. Brassard is not terribly unlike the Sedins. They don't burn other players with their speed, and they don't feature the greatest shot in the world. Their strength comes from their vision, patience, creativity, and playmaking ability, something Brassard has in spades.

I'm not saying he's anywhere near the Sedin twins, but he's certainly a similar player.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Rangers D is so top notch that all year long we were throwing garbage at the bottom pairing trying to find someone capable of playing more than 4 minutes a night. All while Erixon was playing NHL minutes with the Jackets.

You can't say the trade was a "no brainer" simply because we made the trade in reverse a few months later.

which was more or less for cap reasons and Torts imo

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Can we temper expectations on Brassard until he plays more than 13 regular season games with the team. He was an underachiever until the Rangers picked him up. He's not out of the woods just yet.

Hes been a 40 pt center at worst, which is exactly what AA has been his whole career. at worse they are equal, brass has the higher ceiling imo though

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Rangers D is so top notch that all year long we were throwing garbage at the bottom pairing trying to find someone capable of playing more than 4 minutes a night. All while Erixon was playing NHL minutes with the Jackets.

You can't say the trade was a "no brainer" simply because we made the trade in reverse a few months later.

that was before we traded for Moore, so Moore replaced Erixon essentially.

 

[OverTheCap]

Can't believe a year later people are trying to rationalize that we "won" the trade. Seems to me like it was an even trade, especially considering how we were forced to make another trade months later to compensate for the depth lost in the Nash deal.

Dubi and Anisimov provided depth and versatility - their faceoff and PK ability, strength along the boards, forechecking, buying into a team concept, etc., were elements that were missed this year. They are already helping Columbus change their identity and become harder to play against. Solid trade for both teams - but hopefully Nash starts to score in the playoffs.

 

[NYR Viper]

The Rangers were able to bring in a long-term replacement for Gaborik who is younger, bigger, healthier and stronger while only moving depth pieces. They were not going to be able to re-sign Gaborik so they returned some very solid assets who should be around a longer amount of time and helped fill some holes. Not seeing the negatives...

 

[Ian]

Hes been a 40 pt center at worst, which is exactly what AA has been his whole career. at worse they are equal, brass has the higher ceiling imo though

Anisimov is significantly better defensively though, which makes him a much more ideal #3 center (if you assume Richards or another FA/trade acquisition can take one of those top 2 spots).

Hopefully Lindberg or Miller can take up that role instead.

 

[Trxjw]

Which trade is he referring to? He mentions elements from both trades.

I would say the Rangers D is top notch. With Moore and a healthy Staal, that is.

The talk was about the Nash deal, so I assumed that's what was being referred to.

I think with a healthy Staal, the Rangers D is excellent. Moore is still a question mark, IMO. Still, until Moore showed up we were missing a reliable #6 defender for the better part of 1 1/2 seasons. Erixon could have filled that void this year much sooner than Moore.

 

[NYR Viper]

Anisimov is significantly better defensively though, which makes him a much more ideal #3 center (if you assume Richards or another FA/trade acquisition can take one of those top 2 spots).

Hopefully Lindberg or Miller can take up that role instead.

3.3 million for a #3 center? That is what Anisimov is making for the next 3 years until he is UFA. Brassard makes 3.2 this season and then is a RFA. They, potentially, could have Brassard locked up for a longer period of time than Anisimov if he goes to UFA.

 

[McRanger]

Can we temper expectations on Brassard until he plays more than 13 regular season games with the team. He was an underachiever until the Rangers picked him up. He's not out of the woods just yet.

Anisimov is the definition of an underachiever (offensively, anyway) so at worst it is likely to be a wash.

Brassards stretch of 25 games was better than any Anisimov had, including when he played on the top line with Steps and Gaborik.

 

[Off Sides]

Just as a comparison of the three scoring centers who are on the Rangers now and what they did over the past two seasons.

5 on 5 points per minute

Brassard
11-12 Columbus .026
12-13*Columbus .036
12-13*Rangers .050
12-13 Total .040
Past two seasons .0321 points per 5 on 5 minute

Richards
11-12 .032
12-13 .035
Past two seasons .0332 points per 5 on 5 minute

Stepan
11-12 .029
12-13 .031
Past two seasons .0301 points per 5 on 5 minute



Power play points per minute

Brassard
11-12 Columbus .066
12-13*Columbus .074
12-13*Rangers .108
12-13 Total .083
Past two seasons .0728 points per power play minute

Richards
11-12 .070
12-13 .060
Past two seasons .0672 points per power play minute

Stepan
11-12 .062
12-13 .074
Past two seasons .0668 points per power play minute



My opinion, I think Brassard was already playing better in Columbus before he was traded here. He has always been a good power play player.

I think if both he and Richards were given the same amount of minutes and the same line mates Brassard would out produce Richards. Will they get equal opportunities especially with Arniel? No way to tell yet.

Brassard definitely got a bounce from joining the Rangers, was it a honeymoon period? No way to tell yet but even if he went back to his 12-13 Columbus points per minute that still is better than Richards has done as a Ranger. Unless he literally regresses to his pre 12-13 season, I think Brassard is the best offensive center the team has.

 

[Trxjw]

that was before we traded for Moore, so Moore replaced Erixon essentially.

He did, however, that need existed long before we made the Gaborik trade. We needed a #6 guy for the majority of the year, in large part due to the fact that we dealt a possible candidate to Columbus for Nash. Having Erixon for the 30 or so games before the trade would have been beneficial to the team.

Ultimately we sacrificed depth for scoring, and then realized at the last minute that we had to remedy the situation and made the trade in reverse.

 

[Ian]

3.3 million for a #3 center? That is what Anisimov is making for the next 3 years until he is UFA. Brassard makes 3.2 this season and then is a RFA. They, potentially, could have Brassard locked up for a longer period of time than Anisimov if he goes to UFA.

I'd be fine with having AA on that contract.

Would you give Brassard the same contract Little just got (4.7 per, 5 yrs)? Essentially same age, similar stat lines and coming off basically the same deal. Not sure I'd be happy with that, unless he really takes a step forward this year.