Prospect Info: Rangers Prospects Thread (Player Stats/Info in Post #1; Updated 6.27.19)

[eco's bones]

As long as Shattenkirk is here he will play but I expect the Rangers are going to try to move him. Skjei is our best all purpose D. He's a good top 4--as a top pairing he's a bit over his head. I don't think Staal is going anywhere. He's strictly a defensive guy and way overpaid but in his own way he's dependable. Tony needs to incorporate penalty killing into his game.

 

[tradenashnow]

Staal, despite his contract doesn't have a choice where he plays because if he refuses, I would send him to the minors. I'm quite sure he won't want that. I would make a strong effort to bring back McQuaid for 2 years and trade Pionk to try and move up in the draft in a package deal. D next year should look like this. I would love to have McQuaid work with Hajek like he did Skjei. I'm guessing the organization is going to put Lundkvist on the fast track as a righty defenseman. Only think that worries me is all these righty D guys while being talented are not physically big. I know many in the fan base are fascinated with Trouba. I'm not. He's greedy and his contract demands will be outrageous. In a few years down the line with the depth in this system I see Gorton pulling off a huge deal for a young stud on another team using multiple prospects.

Skjei-Fox
Rykov/Lindgren-DeAngelo
Hajek-McQuaid

 

[Ola]

As long as Shattenkirk is here he will play but I expect the Rangers are going to try to move him. Skjei is our best all purpose D. He's a good top 4--as a top pairing he's a bit over his head. I don't think Staal is going anywhere. He's strictly a defensive guy and way overpaid but in his own way he's dependable. Tony needs to incorporate penalty killing into his game.

Sometimes I wonder if we aren’t a bit too strict with our line-matching.

Skjei is a really good D 5 on 5, but it’s really tough to consistently go up and against the absolute top lines around us in the East. It’s a real wear, especially on a weak team like ours. You never get any breathing room.

I think Skjei can log minutes, but not if all of them are like against AO and the likes. And you can’t give someone big minutes if they don’t take at least a share of those tougher minutes. But does it have to be ‘all’?

 

[eco's bones]

Sometimes I wonder if we aren’t a bit too strict with our line-matching.

Skjei is a really good D 5 on 5, but it’s really tough to consistently go up and against the absolute top lines around us in the East. It’s a real wear, especially on a weak team like ours. You never get any breathing room.

I think Skjei can log minutes, but not if all of them are like against AO and the likes. And you can’t give someone big minutes if they don’t take at least a share of those tougher minutes. But does it have to be ‘all’?

Skjei gets a lot of those matchups because we have no one better and he's okay but really lacking legit top pairing D is going to hurt a team. When you have top end players then other players start falling into roles they're best suited for. When you don't--expect some chaos. I was kind of touching on this yesterday because the board loves to jump all over Neal Pionk but Neal is in no way top pairing material--that's not to say he can't be a good player but matching him against Ovechkin is like sending someone out in an open space with a bow and arrow to take care of a guy with a flamethrower. It's not ideal for Skjei either but he matches up much better with size, strength, skating and experience.

At least two or our RD are going to have to penalty kill--it's best if everyone can. Same with the LD but that's not nearly the issue as RD because Skjei and Staal are alright for the most part at that. I think we should move on from Smith--which should make room for either Rykov or Hajek--more than likely though there is Lindgren too and if he manages to outplay the other two in camp so be it.

 

[Vitto79]

As long as Shattenkirk is here he will play but I expect the Rangers are going to try to move him. Skjei is our best all purpose D. He's a good top 4--as a top pairing he's a bit over his head. I don't think Staal is going anywhere. He's strictly a defensive guy and way overpaid but in his own way he's dependable. Tony needs to incorporate penalty killing into his game.

I’m actually fine w Shatty this year but the issue is they need a defensive RD to go w Fox and DeAngelo

I can’t see Gorton not adding one for Quinn

Which is why I think they are going to make a trade we don’t see coming

 

[True Blue]

I wouldn't be surprised if they run 2 though.

Agreed. I think they realize that Staal is not an 80 game player at this point. I think that some sort of a timeshare between Hajek/Lindgren/Rykov is going to be in-play. Along with Staal not being dressed in some games (just like Henke will be sitting a lot more), two of those 3 are going to get a fairly good look-see.

If Rykov can show that he can play RD, that would only boost his chances.

 

[True Blue]

I would be surprised if Namestnikov or Strome get moved this offseason. TDL is a possibility. I particularly like Strome. A lot depends on how these guys play, how their seasons progress, and how our younger players progress. Strome is a young guy - id be happy to see him carve out a long term spot here.

There is absolutely no need to move Strome. There is more possible value in the possibility of him being a late bloomer and finding an environment that he can thrive in, rather than moving him. Even if his contribution is just as a solid third line player, there is value in that. He can play center or wing. Seems to have found comfort in his third organization. Not every one needs to be a superstar.

Namestnikov is interesting. He can also bring value as a third line player who can play both wing and center. He is not worth $4m nor is he getting it on the open market. I think that the Rangers have a decent third line foundation already in Lemieux - Andersson - Strome. So players like him and Vesey could well be had. Namestnikov could also be showcased the entire year and then be moved for what could be a second rounder to a contender at the TDL. If he plays the way he did last year, there is no reason to think why he could not bring back the same value that Boyle did in a trade.

1. Realistically I think Smith is your 7th defenseman / 13th forward. He’s not taking a spot from anyone bc we don’t want a kid sitting anyway.

2. Staal is a good veteran whose been here a long time and I’d think I’d a good mentor for the kids. Would I trade him if I could? Absolutely, but I do think that he does bring value.

3. Shattenkirk is your one veteran on the right side. Again, I’d trade him if I could, but having 1 veteran RD isn’t the worst thing on earth. There is also the possibility that he’s stronger after his 2nd season back from injury and regains some value to be dealt.

Agreed on all but Shattenkirk, who I am really down on. I think that he is cooked. And I think that of all, he is the most untradeable. I have no solution for him, aside from just simply not dressing him. And that Gorton will not do as he will try to drum up trade value. He will start the season and play until it is painfully obvious that he cannot. Or he surprises and raises his value for a TDL move.

Smith, I think you are right and we can get comfortable with him being such. Let him play the 4th line wing and drop back on D. If he can take on the "protector" role for the kids, so much the better.

Staal, you are also right on. I think that his playing time will decrease, but do not see him getting moved as he is a voice in the lockeroom, the elder statesman and an excellent mentor.

 

[True Blue]

Staal, despite his contract doesn't have a choice where he plays because if he refuses, I would send him to the minors. I'm quite sure he won't want that.

You would. There is absolutely no chance that the Rangers management would. That's not how a player like Staal gets treated. This is not Wade Redden.

And again, do you understand the concept of what happens with dead cap space?

I would make a strong effort to bring back McQuaid for 2 years and trade Pionk to try and move up in the draft in a package deal. D next year should look like this. I would love to have McQuaid work with Hajek like he did Skjei.

So again, let me understand. You want to make room for kids to play and yet want to re-sign McQuaid to a two year deal?

Skjei-Fox
Rykov/Lindgren-DeAngelo
Hajek-McQuaid

On most nights in 2019-2020, that defense would result in the team being a lottery pick by itself.

 

[Leetch3]

On most nights in 2019-2020, that defense would result in the team being a lottery pick by itself.

and i'm perfectly ok with that

 

[True Blue]

and i'm perfectly ok with that

Because the amount of rookies you start or the lottery pick?

Look, I want for the kids to get acclimated to the NHL as much as anyone, but for Fox to be a top-pairing D-man is a recipe for disaster. Mostly for him. There needs to be some sort of balance between seeing what you have for prospects and throwing them into a fire that they may not emerge from.

 

[eco's bones]

I’m actually fine w Shatty this year but the issue is they need a defensive RD to go w Fox and DeAngelo

I can’t see Gorton not adding one for Quinn

Which is why I think they are going to make a trade we don’t see coming

That could happen but I also wouldn't be shocked if the Rangers went after Adam McQuaid in free agency. They liked him last year and they liked him paired with Skjei. He wouldn't cost a lot and could be moved again at next year's deadline. That's more of a stopgap plan. I think the Rangers also might be in on Trouba but if that happens I think Shattenkirk will be on his way out to somewhere.

As is now is Shatty, Fox, DeAngelo and Pionk. They are all kind of similar players and however Fox turns out defensively the others all have issues with that part of the game. But there doesn't seem enough ice time for all four of those guys so I expect something is going to give and I wouldn't discount Pionk from being back again and somehow surviving at least for now. It could happen that they move on from DeAngelo--maybe DeAngelo gets more interest or fetches a better return. There are always variables. I think the Rangers do really like Pionk as well . But ideally there's only room for two of the 4 mentioned above and AFAIC and at least one of those two is going to have to be at least average defensively by NHL standards. The player who made the most progress from start to finish last year was DeAngelo though--he just needs to expand his game a bit more.

 

[Leetch3]

Because the amount of rookies you start or the lottery pick?

Look, I want for the kids to get acclimated to the NHL as much as anyone, but for Fox to be a top-pairing D-man is a recipe for disaster. Mostly for him. There needs to be some sort of balance between seeing what you have for prospects and throwing them into a fire that they may not emerge from.

a little bit of both...if the kids show that they are ready and spend the year developing and gaining experience and then we also end up with a top 5 pick to add another stud to the system sounds like a win-win to me.

there is zero chance that will be the lineup...staal and shattenkirk will be there unless they get hurt and we aren't bringing back mcquaid. but the end results still work for me

and I agree that i would not put fox on the top pair...but I think ADA played enough last year that you could give him a shot there to see how he handles it without damaging him

 

[True Blue]

there is zero chance that will be the lineup...staal and shattenkirk will be there unless they get hurt and we aren't bringing back mcquaid. but the end results still work for me

and I agree that i would not put fox on the top pair...but I think ADA played enough last year that you could give him a shot there to see how he handles it without damaging him

Probably right. Shattenkirk is the true "stick out like a sore thumb" for me. Am fine with Smith being a 4th line wing and the 7th defenseman, to be honest. I am sure that a frank conversation can be had with Staal regarding him dressing every night, but still continuing to be a terrific mentor. It's what you do with Shattenkirk that sticks out. Truth be told, I think that we all need to batten down the hatches as Shattenkirk will be played a lot in an effort to drum up trade value. Burying him in Hartford is nothing but a sheet flight of fancy. Unless he completely falls on his face, he will play a lot. At least until the TDL.

 

[Leetch3]

Probably right. Shattenkirk is the true "stick out like a sore thumb" for me. Am fine with Smith being a 4th line wing and the 7th defenseman, to be honest. I am sure that a frank conversation can be had with Staal regarding him dressing every night, but still continuing to be a terrific mentor. It's what you do with Shattenkirk that sticks out. Truth be told, I think that we all need to batten down the hatches as Shattenkirk will be played a lot in an effort to drum up trade value. Burying him in Hartford is nothing but a sheet flight of fancy. Unless he completely falls on his face, he will play a lot. At least until the TDL.

he has a NMC so can't be buried in hartford...right now we are just waiting for his contract to run out if we can't move him. but he's also the only vet we have on the right side. and they probably don't want to go with 3 kids down the right side. I think people are fooling themselves to think that ADA and pionk aren't the favorites to be in the lineup after last year to start the season. so ultimately shattenkirk's future and how hard the push to try to move him will come down to adam fox. it wouldn't shock me if he needs time in hartford cause so many others have. but when fox is ready and forces his way into the lineup, a move will be made

 

[Tawnos]

A lot of top pairing D in this league were top pairing D as rookies. Which isn’t to say that they weren’t better D as time progressed, but they came into the league capable of at least handling the role.

I’m not saying that Fox or Hajek will be, but it wouldn’t be that out of line with reality if it happened.

If he keeps progressing next season in college, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Miller is going to follow that path.

 

[kovazub94]

A lot of top pairing D in this league were top pairing D as rookies. Which isn’t to say that they weren’t better D as time progressed, but they came into the league capable of at least handling the role.

I’m not saying that Fox or Hajek will be, but it wouldn’t be that out of line with reality if it happened.

If he keeps progressing next season in college, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Miller is going to follow that path.

These defensemen that right away stepped into top pair roles had at least two things that differentiated them from Hajek and Fox, at least for now. First, these defensemen were projected as top pair as prospects even before they stepped into the roles. Second, they had top pair partners to play with. The Rangers don’t have this.

 

[gravey9]

This season and next, the Big Club D situation needs to be seen as an extension of development. The question isn't what will the D look like next season, but how will it look in 2 seasons?

CURRENT DEPTH CHART
RD Depth chart: D'Angelo, Fox, Pionk, Shattenkirk, Lundkvist
LD Depth chart: Skjei, Staal, Smith, Hajek, Rykov, Lindgren, Miller, Day, Gross, Ragnarsson.

DEPTH CHART 2021 (w/ no moves)
RD: D'Angelo, Fox, Pionk, Lundkvist
LD: Skjei, Hajek, Rykov, Lindgren, Miller (Day, Gross, Ragnarsson)

THINGS WE NEED TO SORT OUT:
Acquiring/Drafting 1 or more Big Shut Down RDs
Identifying or Acquiring a surefire #1D
System Depth at RD

If I were Gorts, Quinn, JD -- here's what I would do.
- Draft 3 RDs in next two drafts.
- Investigate what it would cost to acquire a pick that lands a potential #1D in the next two drafts. IF cost is prohibitive (aka Byram?), then consider trades or FA. Ideally, you want a #1D that's 25 or younger. Otherwise, it's just a stopgap and drafting/identifying own #1D remains a priority.
- Use this season to see what we have with Fox, D'Angelo, Hajek and Rykov.
- Remind agents for Shatty, Staal and Smith that we are focused on 2 years from now. You're here to shelter the youth. But be prepped for a reduced role if they prove they're ready for more responsibility. If that doesn't suit you, work with us to move you between now and next off-season or unfortunately, deal with the hand you're dealt. But I don't think there's some huge rush to move anyone even with Rykov, Hajek and Lindgren banging on the door.

What you want by 2022:
RD: 2 of Fox/D'Angelo/Lundkvist, BIG SHUTDOWN GUY (maybe a true #1)
LD: Miller, Skjei, Hajek, Rykov
Lindgren?

The good news is, we could have decent depth and size on left side. But on RD, we're not exactly built for the playoffs. I'd like to see more size over there and D awareness. I don't think you can win with 3 slightly undersized RD who are merely decent/good offensively. If 1 or more turns into an elite guy that's a diff story.

 

[Leetch3]

This season and next, the Big Club D situation needs to be seen as an extension of development. The question isn't what will the D look like next season, but how will it look in 2 seasons?

CURRENT DEPTH CHART
RD Depth chart: D'Angelo, Fox, Pionk, Shattenkirk, Lundkvist
LD Depth chart: Skjei, Staal, Smith, Hajek, Rykov, Lindgren, Miller, Day, Gross, Ragnarsson.

DEPTH CHART 2021 (w/ no moves)
RD: D'Angelo, Fox, Pionk, Lundkvist
LD: Skjei, Hajek, Rykov, Lindgren, Miller (Day, Gross, Ragnarsson)

THINGS WE NEED TO SORT OUT:
Acquiring/Drafting 1 or more Big Shut Down RDs
Identifying or Acquiring a surefire #1D
System Depth at RD

If I were Gorts, Quinn, JD -- here's what I would do.
- Draft 3 RDs in next two drafts.
- Investigate what it would cost to acquire a pick that lands a potential #1D in the next two drafts. IF cost is prohibitive (aka Byram?), then consider trades or FA. Ideally, you want a #1D that's 25 or younger. Otherwise, it's just a stopgap and drafting/identifying own #1D remains a priority.
- Use this season to see what we have with Fox, D'Angelo, Hajek and Rykov.
- Remind agents for Shatty, Staal and Smith that we are focused on 2 years from now. You're here to shelter the youth. But be prepped for a reduced role if they prove they're ready for more responsibility. If that doesn't suit you, work with us to move you between now and next off-season or unfortunately, deal with the hand you're dealt. But I don't think there's some huge rush to move anyone even with Rykov, Hajek and Lindgren banging on the door.

What you want by 2022:
RD: 2 of Fox/D'Angelo/Lundkvist, BIG SHUTDOWN GUY (maybe a true #1)
LD: Miller, Skjei, Hajek, Rykov
Lindgren?

The good news is, we could have decent depth and size on left side. But on RD, we're not exactly built for the playoffs. I'd like to see more size over there and D awareness. I don't think you can win with 3 slightly undersized RD who are merely decent/good offensively. If 1 or more turns into an elite guy that's a diff story.

agree 100% on needing a big shutdown RD...at least 1 of the other guys will need to be able to play on the PK but we also need someone to play against the other teams top line...

i'm less concerned though with the overall system depth though considering we had 0 guys when stepan was traded...so they should continue building up the depth, we are in pretty good shape considering where we were just a few years ago.

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

@Amazing Kreiderman or anyone else, any updates on Virta? I talk about him a lot but I don't see why they wouldn't sign him and have him come over. If they don't sign him by June, he's a UFA I believe?

 

[Leetch3]

@Amazing Kreiderman or anyone else, any updates on Virta? I talk about him a lot but I don't see why they wouldn't sign him and have him come over. If they don't sign him by June, he's a UFA I believe?

according to capfriendly we hold his rights indefinitely so he won't be a free agent. but still wouldn't be against getting him signed and over for a look if he's willing to play in the AHL

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

@Amazing Kreiderman or anyone else, any updates on Virta? I talk about him a lot but I don't see why they wouldn't sign him and have him come over. If they don't sign him by June, he's a UFA I believe?

It's a grey area.

Do his rights:

A. expire this summer because he played the majority in the SHL? or
B. Are extended a year under the KHL rule since he played for Slovan?

Whatever it is, I do know he intends on joining development camp this summer. His team Orebro did not sign him to an extension and according to their coach Virta was flying to North America to play professional here. Whether that will be on an ELC or AHL deal, remains to be seen but I expect him to sign

 

[Michal]

Is Moritz Seider good penalty killer? Is he good defensively? Has he top-pairing potential?

 

[Ola]

Is Moritz Seider good penalty killer? Is he good defensively? Has he top-pairing potential?

He is a bit hard to read, it’s just such an unusual environment to ‘only’ see a kid in.

He is more or less great at everything. The one issue where he isn’t great is lateral movement going backward. Good shot, big strong, plays hard. But I think the X-factor is a bit bigger with him.

 

[czechmate]

What do you guys think; will Libor Hajek join the NHL next season or will he be sent down to the farmteam?

 

[tradenashnow]

McQuaid was a huge reason Skjei found his game again and the Rangers didn't get during the season. When he was dealt, they started getting cheapshots against them. Bringing McQuaid back and dumping or buying out Smith, Staal and Shattenkirk should be a priority. I am hoping Gorton trades Staal at half retained for a 3rd or 4th. Makes a huge effort to trade up to 4 with the Av's. Then need lots of role players. That cost them the series against San Jose. Also more D. I would think a package of Vesey, Fast, Chytil and the 20th would have them thinking. I have no problem moving Chytil to get Cozens or Dach.