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JT Kreider said:
There is just nothing we can do at this point. We've been a playoff contender every year since the lockout, so we've never been bad enough to draft at the top of the draft where the majority of the franchise centers are only available. And still as it stands right now, we're still going to be in the playoff mix, especially now with SK.

But at the same time, I truly believe we will not get over the hump until we find our guy. And the problem is, we don't have the pieces to get it done. Really only McDonagh, Skjei, Buch and Zibanejad. A combo of those guys, but the latter three are our only untouchable pieces, and we're not trading McDonagh now that we specifically got SK to play with him.

I'm not trading Skjei for anything less than any of the elite young centers like McDavid, Draisaitl, Matthews, Eichel, Scheifele, Barkov, but those guys are also off the table. The next tier would be Monahan, Galchenyuk, Reinhart, MacKinnon, but I wouldn't trade Skjei for them... It would have to be McDonagh.

So we're pretty much caught here. The goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Not to continually be one of the best teams in the league, but also continually fall short while the teams with the franchise centers parade around with the damn thing.
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I think Gally, MacKinnon, and Reinhart can be had for less than Skjei. I'm not saying for a bag of pucks, but not the top asset.
 
Bruner4329 said:
That is one way to look at it. The other way is you put him with players who help plug the holes in his game and they become less effective covering for his shortcomings.
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Sure, if you put him with one dimensional players, which is not what i'm talking about. I'm saying put him with "possession" drivers, since that's his big flaw right now.
 
jas said:
Nash will be at RW and Vesey will be in the top 9. The finished on the same line last year with Stepan in the middle.

Here's what the Rangers have right now -

Kreider/Zib/Zucc or Buch
Vesey/Hayes/Nash
???/Miller/Zucc or Buch
Grabner/????/Fast
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i think the 4C will be lias andersson.

ck/mika/zuc- thats your true 1st line.

jv/hayes/nash- i think vesey plays better with rick nash.

Grabner/miller/buch- impressive skill and speed on a 3rd line. matchup nightmare.

jensen or pumper/andersson/fast-jesper just doesnt have a top 9 spot anymore.

i still like nik jensen.
 
offdacrossbar said:
i think the 4C will be lias andersson.

ck/mika/zuc- thats your true 1st line.

jv/hayes/nash- i think vesey plays better with rick nash.

Grabner/miller/buch- impressive skill and speed on a 3rd line. matchup nightmare.

jensen or pumper/andersson/fast-jesper just doesnt have a top 9 spot anymore.

i still like nik jensen.
Click to expand...

I could see,

CK-Zib-Zooks
Nash-JT-Buch
Vesey-Hayes-Grabner
TBD-Anderson-Fast
 
Hopefully we won't have to count on Anderson making the team out of camp. And even if he does we're still lacking depth. Another move will be made at some point.
 
May not be wise to just pencil a freshly-drafted kid into a bottom-six role, If he has a good camp, ease him on. Like Duclair.
 
Don't forget if Tkachev does come to camp he can be a legit top 9 option. Grabs and fast on the bottom line?
 
I think, at this point, the team really needs to explore doing whatever they can to try and trade for a 1/2C type. That's really the only this team is missing. The D is massively upgraded, really strong, and for the first time in forever has an offensive force right handed defenseman. The wings are the same as last year and really strong. They have a couple of good centers but are missing one more guy in the middle.

I would be willing to trade some picks, prospects, or a roster player like Miller/Vesey (if still highly regarded) to try and make that happen. Wouldn't go for Duchene since Sakic's demands are absurd but I'd be looking for someone around that level. If the cap becomes an issue Staal can still be bought out, or, if lucky traded as a part of this deal with salary retained.

That said I'd also be fine with just signing someone like Jokinen.
 
Elite 1/2C or Bust. I don't think they can compete with the likes of Pittsburgh, Washington, and CBJ with the Zib and Hayes.
 
They might be looking for another player to play wing

Fast is going to be out until sometime in November, and Puempel sucks so I doubt he plays
 
I'm hoping they don't do anything drastic right now. Roll with Zib, Hayes, affordable 2way C Vet and Nieves(or someone like that from the system) down the middle to start. Maybe Andersson impresses enough to be the new Lindberg and can take the 3C, who knows?

Play the first 2 months and evaluate and then maybe make a move around TDL. NY is still going to need space next season to lock up Skjei, Miller, Vesey and Hayes so Nash's money is going to be needed for that. If they go nuts right now with some big salary guy (or someone who will need big salary raise in next 2 seasons)it can just end up being another hole to climb out of and force younger players to be sacrificed.

It's a transition season and I think they'll still be a solid playoff team. But, until Staal, Klein, Holden and Nash cap hits are all gone, evaluate now and be ready for next off season to fill in the needed gaps.
 
Many folks putting Kreider-Zibs-Buch together as our first line. That is possible but its also possible some folks put too much emphasis on our last preseason and forget how poorly they played (especially defensively) at other points. Hopefully they play great together but I would use a pencil when writing them in as a first line not a pen.
 
First line center? Second line center?

Am I the only one who thinks our biggest problem is the first line or second line center issue?

I don't think the problem is down at the bottom 6, I think the real problem is the guys we have plugged in at the top.
 
Why on Earth would Edm trade Draisaitl? If he's offer sheeted and they don't match it, the Oilers will be compensated with 4 1sts. No on would be able to offer that value in a trade package.

And unless someone goes absolutely insane offering close to McDavid $$, I think Edm would match it instantly. He's the real deal. You'd know if you watched them in the playoffs this year.
 
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