GDT: Rangers vs Flyers 5 PM

[Clark Kellogg]

Will Cuylle Post Game.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Nils Lundkvist Post Game.

 

[bernmeister]

Don’t want to be that guy but Lundkvist doesn’t look anywhere near as ready as advertised if I’m being honest..

can’t really draw conclusions based off of a few games but it wouldn’t surprise me if he spent a bit of time in the A.

space and pace are going to be an adjustment for him. Maybe he figures it out in a few weeks but if it takes longer than that it’s totally fine. There will be a massive shift in his worth in the eyes of some here but it would be their fault for throwing unfair expectations on him. Not every player is Adam Fox.

Zac Jones is making the roster out of camp.

Nils has arrived.

Excellent shift for him all around before that goal.

I always knew Lundkvist was a star

Lundkvist with a very good shift before the goal. Hopefully he’s settling in. Jones is probably better then Nemeth at this point. But they are going to be asked to do 2 different roles.
Cuylle keeps impressing. And I’ll stand by my assertion that Barron is NHL ready at the start of the year.
Whether Gallant lets him have a spot or not remains to be seen, but it looks as though he can play anywhere in the bottom 6. Smart player

Still much more impressed with Jones though. Keep in mind Jones was a 5th rounder in 2019 & Nils was a 1st in 2018. Jones also came from college and Nils from playing with men for 4 seasons

A lot of people were saying our defence was pretty much penciled in, but it’s looking like they may not be the case

I don’t like Lundkvist as much as some but he is clearly better than Zac Jones. I don’t think Zac Jones is anything special. 2nd PPQB and 3rd pair defenseman at peak. Lundkvist I think is a good 2nd pair defenseman that’s a 2PPQB at his peak but can also defend better, and more aggressively.

Still think that Schneider is the guy though. Leadership qualities; very strong, mistake free defense, and decent offensive upside. Think he can be a top pair defenseman that is a steady presence

Nils was much better overall in this game. Even before the third you could see he was trying to be more assertive and involved. The goal was just the icing on the cake. He's still getting more comfortable, but the one thing you saw today a bit more of, his skating is quite possibly the best of all our D today. In addition, he's got the best shot of any of the D. Had a few bombs that had they hit the net would have been trouble for the goalies.

Garand looked quite solid today. Made a few big saves that ended up being the difference. His stint today was by far the most goalie confident stretch the team had in the 2 games. And I think it made a difference. The team played with a pretty decent flow from the 2nd period on. They seemed way more in sync as a team. And I think the goaltending had a lot to do with them finding their structure. Kudos to Garand.

Cuylle looked pretty solid today. Both he and Barron are just fun to watch along the walls and in front.

Pujaniemi does well to absorb contact despite a fairly average build. He was maybe our most effective puck hound in the two games. Great at holding onto the puck and extending possession in the offensive zone. We'll see if he has the same qualities in the A or the NHL but he's not nearly as one dimensional as we've been led to believe.

Henriksson. He's pretty good with the puck. He's a very smart player whose almost always in the right position. He lacks explosiveness so it's unclear what to make of him going forward. But his ability to make an impact on the game in other ways than scoring was impressive. Def a smart player. But I think he's more of a bottom six forward if he makes it. He's like Justin Richards but with more vision and more IQ. But i see them as similar players at this point. I just don't know if Henriksson will play fast enough for the NHL or turn into a swedish Ken Gernander.

Schneider finally had a giveaway! But otherwise a solid game again and a really smart read on the PK that turned into a 2-1.

Glad Nils started to look better, made me look good.
Robertson Schneider and Nils all have futures here, Nils b'c he's the one with the real deal shot and his skating will be more readily visible. The other 2 are each solid overall play encased in a side of beef.

Got nothing vs Jones
put on the shelf Nemeth
If we go with size that's Lindy, KAM, and Robertson on the left
Jones not making it there unless we sell high on Lindy.

RD = Fox, Trouba Nils L
Schneider replaces Trouba as soon as possible.
Jones blocked at RD.

So we move him to W to showcase his ability and also spell 7th D
either that or we trade him.

That's the facts on the numbers

And
there may be a wrinkle to start b'c Jones and Nils, who both deserve to make it, may start in the A, to accommodate roster needs.
We have Hajek on a 2 way, but he has to clear waivers to be sent down. Obv Drury will try to and eventually get decent/+ return for him
but
may have to play to build up value first.

 

[gravey9]

Just re-watched the GWG. Two things stand out. 1 - Pujaniemi makes a very nifty play where he draws multiple flyers to him and then goes cross ice to Nils. 2 - When Nils gets the puck he could have gone back door to the Reunanen on the other side who also jumped all the way down. What I like about what Nils did on that play? He didn't bother trying to make the perfect pass. Instead he took the shot and it was a laser. He was in a prime scoring lane and buried it the way Panarin does. Tony DeAngelo was one of the few D we've had in recent memory whose shot was a real weapon. It's nice to see Nils use it. It's going to open up bigger passing lanes in the future

 

[E-Train]

Cuylle’s gonna kill the OHL this year. So much size and skill here and on the horizon.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Just re-watched the GWG. Two things stand out. 1 - Pujaniemi makes a very nifty play where he draws multiple flyers to him and then goes cross ice to Nils. 2 - When Nils gets the puck he could have gone back door to the Reunanen on the other side who also jumped all the way down. What I like about what Nils did on that play? He didn't bother trying to make the perfect pass. Instead he took the shot and it was a laser. He was in a prime scoring lane and buried it the way Panarin does. Tony DeAngelo was one of the few D we've had in recent memory whose shot was a real weapon. It's nice to see Nils use it. It's going to open up bigger passing lanes in the future

His shot wasn't really that good. He was great at getting himself into scoring positions where he doesn't need a great shot in order to score. DeAngelo is a really gifted offensive D. Crazy maybe, but his ability in the OZ is top notch.

Nils has an excellent shot. It's his best asset. It's hard and accurate and he's also got the ability to comically contort his body to shoot pucks that aren't in his wheel house and still put the mustard and placement on it as if they were off of a perfect pass. He legit has perennial 15-20 goal potential IMO. Not sure that will ever happen here because the PP1 time just won't be there for him, maybe if Zibanejad were to get moved/not extended.

Im glad he shot it and hope he continues to shoot when given the opportunity because most of the time he's probably going to have a better chance to score than anyone else he could pass to.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

The amount of promise and potential taken in that 2020 draft cannot be understated.

It’s not just Lafreniere. It’s not just Lafreniere and Schneider either.

You have a lot of picks in that draft with incredibly interesting upside.

IMO it is the draft with the most potential in at least 23 years, maybe closer to 30 or 30+.

I’ve mentioned in the past I’d love to have that one draft with the potential to be an absolute grand slam.

2020 has that type of potential.

2019 and 2020 both have that potential IMO.

Kakko + Robertson + Henriksson + Jones + Skinner + Edström + Ciccolini are all picks with upside or who have exceeded expectations. Aaltonen is the only bad one in that draft.

Lafrenière + Schneider + Cuylle + Garand + Vierling + Berard is a draft class that really could set this organization up for years.

Not sold on Rempe or Ollas, but Tärnström might have some life in him yet, although his recent resurgence is to be expected at the level where he plays.

Those 2 drafts will always be known for the lotteries we won, but it's so much more than that.

 

[Edge]

2019 and 2020 both have that potential IMO.

Kakko + Robertson + Henriksson + Jones + Skinner + Edström + Ciccolini are all picks with upside or who have exceeded expectations. Aaltonen is the only bad one in that draft.

Lafrenière + Schneider + Cuylle + Garand + Vierling + Berard is a draft class that really could set this organization up for years.

Not sold on Rempe or Ollas, but Tärnström might have some life in him yet, although his recent resurgence is to be expected at the level where he plays.

Those 2 drafts will always be known for the lotteries we won, but it's so much more than that.

2019 is definitely right up there.

Between two drafts you’re looking at a double digit amount of prospects with legitimate potential to evolve into NHL regulars, including at least a pair of keystone players.

You could take the 2018 and 2021 drafts off the board and still have a damn nice looking top ten list of age 20 and under talents.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

2019 and 2020 both have that potential IMO.

Kakko + Robertson + Henriksson + Jones + Skinner + Edström + Ciccolini are all picks with upside or who have exceeded expectations. Aaltonen is the only bad one in that draft.

Lafrenière + Schneider + Cuylle + Garand + Vierling + Berard is a draft class that really could set this organization up for years.

Not sold on Rempe or Ollas, but Tärnström might have some life in him yet, although his recent resurgence is to be expected at the level where he plays.

Those 2 drafts will always be known for the lotteries we won, but it's so much more than that.

Garand was a steal and he could be the answer to the question, why did we not get Shesterkin locked in long term? It wouldn't be the worst thing to take the prime years of a goalie and move on to a cheaper younger version, Garand has that amount of upside you might consider doing that when Shesterkin's deal is to be reupped.

 

[Kovalev27]

Othmann is literally a jittery little kid rn.. watch his interview from earlier this week. Not surprised he's playing like this. Hopefully, he'll mature but I'm not the least bit surprised he's not playing with much poise.

that draft was absolute garbage. If he even makes the nhl I’d consider it a win

 

[Kovalev27]

Cuylle again. 2-2

this kid TODAY is light years better than lias Andersson

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I think the 2019 draft is the only draft that was universally praised around here when it happened. I don't really remember anyone whining about ANY of the picks outside of Skinner and even that looks pretty dumb in hindsight since his stock has only gone up.

Even Aaltonen wasn't a bad pick. He flashed some ability and was well worth taking where he was taken. Rather swing and miss on a potential gem at that point than swing and miss on a player who has no chance of being anything.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I think the 2019 draft is the only draft that was universally praised around here when it happened. I don't really remember anyone whining about ANY of the picks outside of Skinner and even that looks pretty dumb in hindsight since his stock has only gone up.

Even Aaltonen wasn't a bad pick. He flashed some ability and was well worth taking where he was taken. Rather swing and miss on a potential gem at that point than swing and miss on a player who has no chance of being anything.

Yeah, the Aaltonen pick was a good one on the day. His pure speed was an asset and the hope was that he would round out the rest of his game and have a Hagelin-type impact. Missing on a 5th rounder isn't something I lose sleep over

 

[gravey9]

2019 and 2020 both have that potential IMO.

Kakko + Robertson + Henriksson + Jones + Skinner + Edström + Ciccolini are all picks with upside or who have exceeded expectations. Aaltonen is the only bad one in that draft.

Lafrenière + Schneider + Cuylle + Garand + Vierling + Berard is a draft class that really could set this organization up for years.

Not sold on Rempe or Ollas, but Tärnström might have some life in him yet, although his recent resurgence is to be expected at the level where he plays.

Those 2 drafts will always be known for the lotteries we won, but it's so much more than that.

Great post. I am really intrigued to see how Berard, Ciccolini and Edstrom develop. Add them to Cuylle, Barron, Richards and Henriksson and that's a nice pool of young talent that provides the team with depth to compete for the next 5-6+ years. Wouldn't it be fantastic if we suddenly have a few waves of Callys and Dubis to add to a team whose top 6 is mostly spoken for? It also allows us to have balanced line combos where the Barrons, Cuylles, Hunts, Berards can move up and down and become the third wheel for 2 scoring forwards when nec. Really, the only blemish on the rebuild is the lack of high end center depth.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Great post. I am really intrigued to see how Berard, Ciccolini and Edstrom develop. Add them to Cuylle, Barron, Richards and Henriksson and that's a nice pool of young talent that provides the team with depth to compete for the next 5-6+ years. Wouldn't it be fantastic if we suddenly have a few waves of Callys and Dubis to add to a team whose top 6 is most spoken for? It also allows to have balance line combos where the Barrons, Cuylles, Hunts, Berards can move up and down and become the third wheel for 2 scoring forwards when nec. Really, the only blemish on the rebuild is the lack of high end center depth.

If the Rangers don't win the 2019 lottery, they have Zegras instead of Kakko. If they don't win the 2020 lottery, they have Lundell instead of Lafrenière. It would round out the prospect pool a bit better, but I take game-breaking franchise-potential talent any day over a positional need.

I wouldn't trade Kakko for Zegras straight up and I really like Zegras. If at the end of the day, the only thing we need to do is acquire a young center, we have the assets to make it happen because of how good we have drafted between 2018 and 2020

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

Pajuniemi is a pretty good passer, can also hold onto the puck along the boards, and has good vision. Zuccarello was a player who excelled in those areas and he as we all know was not a big dude.

It's a good sign. Granted he's going to have to do much more against bigger competition as soon as this week, but it shows he has better overall game and could ultimately become more than just "Diet Finnish Michael Ryder".

 

[gravey9]

If the Rangers don't win the 2019 lottery, they have Zegras instead of Kakko. If they don't win the 2020 lottery, they have Lundell instead of Lafrenière. It would round out the prospect pool a bit better, but I take game-breaking franchise-potential talent any day over a positional need.

I wouldn't trade Kakko for Zegras straight up and I really like Zegras. If at the end of the day, the only thing we need to do is acquire a young center, we have the assets to make it happen because of how good we have drafted between 2018 and 2020

I agree. Where I am starting to differ is how to address the center position. I am not sure yet that we need to go out and trade assets for a young top 6 center or that we need to sign some veteran to a bloated contract. I think we have more than enough guys that are going to need to get paid. And I think they are the right guys to pay. I don't think we need blow anything up. I'd be happy if every 2-3 years we're looking for the next center version of Ruslan Fedotenko to round out the squad. A guy who comes in and is cheap, versatile, drives possession and takes big draws, can supplement the skill without dragging a line down by adding elements the skill guys don't have.

As a lifelong Dodgers fan , I would say the big difference between every other Dodgers team and the team that's been constructed over the last decade has been finding so many great utility guys that have been brought into supplement the stars. Guys who are so versatile and clutch that they make all the difference to the team being successful. I don't think we need Eichel or Petersson. Or even a Kotkaniemi type. We need to identify discount Blake Coleman types who can play C.

 

[Lays]

I think the 2019 draft is the only draft that was universally praised around here when it happened. I don't really remember anyone whining about ANY of the picks outside of Skinner and even that looks pretty dumb in hindsight since his stock has only gone up.

Even Aaltonen wasn't a bad pick. He flashed some ability and was well worth taking where he was taken. Rather swing and miss on a potential gem at that point than swing and miss on a player who has no chance of being anything.

Karl Henriksson was a terrible pick and we reportedly had him in the 1st round. 2020 was much better. LaF, Schneider, Cuylle, Berard all great picks

If the Rangers don't win the 2019 lottery, they have Zegras instead of Kakko. If they don't win the 2020 lottery, they have Lundell instead of Lafrenière. It would round out the prospect pool a bit better, but I take game-breaking franchise-potential talent any day over a positional need.

I wouldn't trade Kakko for Zegras straight up and I really like Zegras. If at the end of the day, the only thing we need to do is acquire a young center, we have the assets to make it happen because of how good we have drafted between 2018 and 2020

Pretty sure we had Cozens above Zegras. Lundell though we had pretty high and I agree he would’ve been the pick

 

[huerter]

If the Rangers don't win the 2019 lottery, they have Zegras instead of Kakko. If they don't win the 2020 lottery, they have Lundell instead of Lafrenière. It would round out the prospect pool a bit better, but I take game-breaking franchise-potential talent any day over a positional need.

I wouldn't trade Kakko for Zegras straight up and I really like Zegras. If at the end of the day, the only thing we need to do is acquire a young center, we have the assets to make it happen because of how good we have drafted between 2018 and 2020

At the time, Kakko was the best prospect we've ever drafted. It's never been said, but it's true.

 

[jay from jersey]

Glad Nils started to look better, made me look good.
Robertson Schneider and Nils all have futures here, Nils b'c he's the one with the real deal shot and his skating will be more readily visible. The other 2 are each solid overall play encased in a side of beef.

Got nothing vs Jones
put on the shelf Nemeth
If we go with size that's Lindy, KAM, and Robertson on the left
Jones not making it there unless we sell high on Lindy.

RD = Fox, Trouba Nils L
Schneider replaces Trouba as soon as possible.
Jones blocked at RD.

So we move him to W to showcase his ability and also spell 7th D
either that or we trade him.

That's the facts on the numbers

And
there may be a wrinkle to start b'c Jones and Nils, who both deserve to make it, may start in the A, to accommodate roster needs.
We have Hajek on a 2 way, but he has to clear waivers to be sent down. Obv Drury will try to and eventually get decent/+ return for him
but
may have to play to build up value first.

Your timeline is messed up for that scenario. Schneider isn’t waiting in the A for 2-3 seasons. Odds are he’s doing exactly what nils will do this season, which is break in on 3rd pair with a vet.
Skinner also has 3rd pair RD potential. Solid and cheap yet unremarkable but very steady. He is the one likely 2-3 years away.
Jones has looked the most polished so far. Which is crazy because he was drafted lower and a year later then nils and came in right from college from switching from fwd.
For nils to have a future here long term, he’s going to need top 4 minutes in the next 2 seasons. That only happens if he displaces lindgren or Miller on the left. Fox and trouba are your top 2 on the right for 3 more years at least.
There’s zero indication Trouba would even be open to waving his NMC before that, and the flat cap decreases his value at 8 mill at year. The first chance you’ll see a large increase in the cap coincides with his NMC expiring in 3-4 seasons.
And that’s without factoring in any leaps in Robertson’s/miller’s/Jones s development. The rangers will also be drafting Defensemen in the next 2 drafts.
Imo the most likely trade targets are Jones and Nils, with a possibility of miller being available if one of those 3 leapfrog him developmentally.
If Robertson and Schneider are lights out together this season in Hartford, you might even see that as a Rookie 3rd pairing next season. Schneider for sure, Robertson either with him or shortly there after.
Right now it’s a numbers game of guys similar in age. There is an emphasis on size/nasty while still being able to move the puck. That’s why Schneider isn’t likely going anywhere, and I’d give Miller/Robertson the edge over Jones/Nils on the left. That’s because we have fox who is young and will be locked up long term running the PP for the next 8 years hopefully.

 

[Synergy27]

I missed this game, but it’s nice to see some folks around here coming around on Pajuniemi. He’s still a long shot, but he brings some skill to the table that is lacking elsewhere on this team and in the system. I’ve been hyping him on the prospects board for awhile and would love it if he carved out a role here.

 

[tomobson]

Nils shot is a thing of beauty. He instantly gives us a dangerous 2nd pp unit or can fill in if there is Mika or Panarin injury on the first unit. His defense looks good as well but we'll have to see how he handles NHL players.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Cuylle’s gonna kill the OHL this year. So much size and skill here and on the horizon.

Yeah but what a dumb rule and waste of time for him

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Your timeline is messed up for that scenario. Schneider isn’t waiting in the A for 2-3 seasons. Odds are he’s doing exactly what nils will do this season, which is break in on 3rd pair with a vet.
Skinner also has 3rd pair RD potential. Solid and cheap yet unremarkable but very steady. He is the one likely 2-3 years away.
Jones has looked the most polished so far. Which is crazy because he was drafted lower and a year later then nils and came in right from college from switching from fwd.
For nils to have a future here long term, he’s going to need top 4 minutes in the next 2 seasons. That only happens if he displaces lindgren or Miller on the left. Fox and trouba are your top 2 on the right for 3 more years at least.
There’s zero indication Trouba would even be open to waving his NMC before that, and the flat cap decreases his value at 8 mill at year. The first chance you’ll see a large increase in the cap coincides with his NMC expiring in 3-4 seasons.
And that’s without factoring in any leaps in Robertson’s/miller’s/Jones s development. The rangers will also be drafting Defensemen in the next 2 drafts.
Imo the most likely trade targets are Jones and Nils, with a possibility of miller being available if one of those 3 leapfrog him developmentally.
If Robertson and Schneider are lights out together this season in Hartford, you might even see that as a Rookie 3rd pairing next season. Schneider for sure, Robertson either with him or shortly there after.
Right now it’s a numbers game of guys similar in age. There is an emphasis on size/nasty while still being able to move the puck. That’s why Schneider isn’t likely going anywhere, and I’d give Miller/Robertson the edge over Jones/Nils on the left. That’s because we have fox who is young and will be locked up long term running the PP for the next 8 years hopefully.

Our D in 2-3 years:
Miller Fox
Robertson Lundk
Jones Schneider
Lindgren at his middle class NHL salary will be a victim to fund other contracts

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Great post. I am really intrigued to see how Berard, Ciccolini and Edstrom develop. Add them to Cuylle, Barron, Richards and Henriksson and that's a nice pool of young talent that provides the team with depth to compete for the next 5-6+ years. Wouldn't it be fantastic if we suddenly have a few waves of Callys and Dubis to add to a team whose top 6 is mostly spoken for? It also allows us to have balanced line combos where the Barrons, Cuylles, Hunts, Berards can move up and down and become the third wheel for 2 scoring forwards when nec. Really, the only blemish on the rebuild is the lack of high end center depth.

Yeah it’s looking like we could end up with a Tampa like system where we just keep plugging kids in and not missing a beat when we have to move players bc of cap and other reasons.