Speculation: Roster Building Thread DCLXXXIV: We have Cap space! Hoorraayy!!!

[ManUtdTobbe]

I'm a noted Hayes critic, but he had a great point scoring streak when Mika was hurt, but again the underlying numbers were awful. If he's going to have a consistent top-6 role, he's going to need to go back to driving possession again and playing better defense. He can't be carried by his wingers.

I'm wary about it, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. However, the biggest thing I'm worried about is his playoff no shows. People here are ******** all over Stepan's playoffs this year, but no one wants to mention that Hayes and Miller were both worse. Those are the two guys that will be relied on to be better next season, and they haven't shown up in the playoffs for 2 years now. Miller gets a little slack from me because he was pretty good in the 14-15 run, especially when he was with Brassard and Nash.

All of this posturing right now is moot though. Talking about Sam Gagner, Boyle, or any of those guys is missing the forest for the trees. I have a sneaking suspicion there's still much bigger moves to come because you don't rebuild on the fly with one move like that with Stepan. All we've done so far is move our top C and top RD (based on usage, don't take this as me saying G is our best RD because that's not my point). Lias Andersson and Anthony Deangelo are moves for 2-3 years down the road. So was getting Mika. I think we'll see a hockey type of trade with one of our younger guys. Gorton wants to make this his team, and it's slowly shaping up to be that way. I'm not opposed to signing Shattenkirk and Smith, but it's just immediately taking away the cap flexibility that Gorton just acquired. I don't think he's going to do that.

I'm with you, i'm in the corner where i want to trade Hayes. His value should be at it's peak right about now and i don't see him improving and he's getting paid soon.

Perfect timing to trade him, maybe we can trade him for a young two-way C? Someone with less offense but that would round out our C core better, just a thought.

 

[DudMan28]

'retooling on the fly' is NYR PR speak for '1 cup in 77 years' keep doing the same thing that has never worked in the past, what could possibly go wrong

I'm fine with the retool. Too many teams go full rebuild and never wind up with ****. How many teams are always stuck in that "wait till next year" or "well be good in 3 years" mode. The Rangers are finding ways to get young, NHL established talent with smart trades.

We have too good of a core to bottom out without trading 5-6 guys. That never happens in the NHL. We need to move Nash for a nice haul. 1st and a blue chip prospect and we're back to contending for the next 5 years.

 

[LeetchisGod]

I'm fine with the retool. Too many teams go full rebuild and never wind up with ****. How many teams are always stuck in that "wait till next year" or "well be good in 3 years" mode. The Rangers are finding ways to get young, NHL established talent with smart trades.

We have too good of a core to bottom out without trading 5-6 guys. That never happens in the NHL. We need to move Nash for a nice haul. 1st and a blue chip prospect and we're back to contending for the next 5 years.

Unfortunately I think that if Nash could get that he would have been dealt already. He's a shadow of the player that he once was and is always battling some injury.

 

[Avery16]

The Canes got Teravainen by taking Bickell. that's what the Rangers need to do - take Kruger to get a good young asset. They can do the same thing by taking Niemi.

Who do you hope to get from Chicago in taking Kruger? I don't see anyone that fits our needs

 

[NYR Viper]

Who do you hope to get from Chicago in taking Kruger? I don't see anyone that fits our needs

Get a draft pick or a couple of draft picks.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

I'd definitely want DeBrincat, that's who i'd ask for if i was Gorton. High end skill righty sniper.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Who do you hope to get from Chicago in taking Kruger? I don't see anyone that fits our needs

Immediate needs? I don't see it either.

Not to distant future needs? DeBrincat would be a great pickup.

 

[Hire Sather]

'retooling on the fly' is NYR PR speak for '1 cup in 77 years' keep doing the same thing that has never worked in the past, what could possibly go wrong

Compare our last decade with most teams in the league, we have been very successful. No cup to show for it but the truth is we are one of the better run franchises in the sport.

You can't just point to no cups and say we're a failure based on that.

I realize most people here would rather be Winnipeg or Arizona though. Absolute dumpster fire on the ice but their prospect cubbard looks pretty.

 

[Trxjw]

Should be a telling week ahead. We'll probably get some idea of what teams are talking to different free agents as we roll through to Saturday. Then we'll get a good idea of what exactly "rebuilding on the fly" means on Saturday afternoon.

I'd love to see the Rangers move Nash for Niemi, Hintz, and a pick, then take on Kruger to get DeBrincat or a couple picks. Those would be really shrewd cap moves and they still manage to add two players who fill immediate roster needs without having to go to free agency.

If Hintz and DeBrincat develop well over the next season, they could make guys like Miller or Zuccarello easier to move in order to address other positions, or they could become nice trade pieces themselves.

 

[nyrage]

What makes Gagner so great on the PP? He had horrible PP results the three seasons prior to this one.

Oh and in this current season he had a lower points/60 and less total PP points than "awful" pp player Derek Stepan.

The players around Gagner helped.

Our pp philosophy is not to shoot I think. Get it into the zone one out of four attempts, pass it around, and not shoot. ha. What a mess

 

[Griffinbw]

What makes Gagner so great on the PP? He had horrible PP results the three seasons prior to this one.

Oh and in this current season he had a lower points/60 and less total PP points than "awful" pp player Derek Stepan.

Can't compare a guy you can get long term for 3-4 million for a 2/3 role to a #1 center. Why don't you go ahead and compare Nick Bonino to Crosby at that point. They're not supposed to be the same.

 

[Raspewtin]

I can't wait for this lie that the Rangers don't shoot on the PP to die one day. Because it's complete falsehood.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

I can't wait for this lie that the Rangers don't shoot on the PP to die one day. Because it's complete falsehood.

Rangers shoot, we just take bad shots with awful setup and not enough traffic. Stale PP system with very little movement, i blame the system 100%.

 

[Fitzy]

Should be a telling week ahead. We'll probably get some idea of what teams are talking to different free agents as we roll through to Saturday. Then we'll get a good idea of what exactly "rebuilding on the fly" means on Saturday afternoon.

I'd love to see the Rangers move Nash for Niemi, Hintz, and a pick, then take on Kruger to get DeBrincat or a couple picks. Those would be really shrewd cap moves and they still manage to add two players who fill immediate roster needs without having to go to free agency.

If Hintz and DeBrincat develop well over the next season, they could make guys like Miller or Zuccarello easier to move in order to address other positions, or they could become nice trade pieces themselves.

Even if 'Rebuild on the fly' just means 'retool and get younger', Nash needs to be dealt. They have to get something of value for him and we all know that if NYR are in playoff position he won't be dealt at the deadline.

It's starting to look more and more like we won't be able to move Staal this offseason, however.

 

[Hire Sather]

Nash does not need to be dealt unless we get something back that makes the team better.

This is the last year on his contract and we have tons of cap space. The only reason to ever trade him was to free up cap. He is still an effective player and always has been as a Ranger.

We've already made the team worse by dealing Stepan, unless there is a hockey trade to improve the team this season then I'm keeping Nash.

Amazes me how everyone on this board takes a **** all over players who help this team win and are still capable of doing so. A top 10 pick makes everyone forget what Stepan did for this team. Dropping 7.5 mill off the books when we don't even need the cap space gets everyone all jolly when it comes to Nash. Why do we need 7.5 mill space this year? Hell it just increases the chances to give long term to a UFA who won't be as effective as Nasher.

I mean someone proposed to swap Nash for an overpaid backup and someone I assume is a prospect in "Hintz"

No thanks, we'll sign a random backup for 700K and he'll be effective because our backups always are. Vali, Biron (for the most part) Talbot, Raanta. Why give up an effective player for an overpaid backup? Nash, while overpaid, still will give this team more value than Anti Neimi.

 

[Avery16]

How about something like Nash at 50% for Niemi and Honka

 

[GregSirico]

I can't wait for this lie that the Rangers don't shoot on the PP to die one day. Because it's complete falsehood.

You're confusing shoot the puck with quality shots. We pass on way too many grade A chances to try and "make a better play" ... it's indecisiveness.

 

[Tawnos]

Nash does not need to be dealt unless we get something back that makes the team better.

This is the last year on his contract and we have tons of cap space. The only reason to ever trade him was to free up cap. He is still an effective player and always has been as a Ranger.

We've already made the team worse by dealing Stepan, unless there is a hockey trade to improve the team this season then I'm keeping Nash.

The reason to trade Nash is not about cap space. It's about getting assets that could contribute to the next iteration of the team in exchange for a player who won't.

I really like the idea of Nash @ 50% for Lehtonen and Faksa (or something along those lines).

 

[GregSirico]

Any chance we go after (Brian) Boyle?

If he's willing to come here for cheap, I'd be all over it as a 4C to replace Lindberg.

 

[Hire Sather]

The reason to trade Nash is not about cap space. It's about getting assets that could contribute to the next iteration of the team in exchange for a player who won't.

I really like the idea of Nash @ 50% for Lehtonen and Faksa (or something along those lines).

I mean it obviously depends on the piece. I'd need someone who has already proven to be effective on the NHL level with room to grow.

Maybe Faksa fits that bill, I'd need to do more research on him to know if that would be worth it.

I certainly would not be looking to move Nash though. If teams are coming to me then so be it.

 

[GregSirico]

What's everyone's thoughts on Nick Bonino, someone last night in the previous thread thinks he can be Stepan's replacement. I like him, but I can't see him being a first line center. Crosby will smoke him!

 

[Hire Sather]

If he's willing to come here for cheap, I'd be all over it as a 4C to replace Lindberg.

But hes 33 years old, there's no chance he's an effective player anymore!!

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Nash at 50% retained certainly should get you something decent from a team like LA/DAL/CHI that needs to be in win-now mode due to the fact that their stars are getting older. He should still be good for 30 goals, provides effective play in all zones, and has gone from a playoff 0 to a guy who actually makes a difference in the postseason. At 1 year of $3.9MM AAV? That guy should at least garner at 1st rounder, if not more from a PO-bound team. (Even more if you also take back a bad contract in the process.)

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

What's everyone's thoughts on Nick Bonino, someone last night in the previous thread thinks he can be Stepan's replacement. I like him, but I can't see him being a first line center. Crosby will smoke him!

Hes going to be crazy overpaid, as has been the case with almost every free agent coming off of a stanley cup victory.

 

[RangerBoy]

Nash at 50% retained certainly should get you something decent from a team like LA/DAL/CHI that needs to be in win-now mode due to the fact that their stars are getting older. He should still be good for 30 goals, provides effective play in all zones, and has gone from a playoff 0 to a guy who actually makes a difference in the postseason. At 1 year of $3.9MM AAV? That guy should at least garner at 1st rounder, if not more from a PO-bound team. (Even more if you also take back a bad contract in the process.)

Nashville is looking for a winger to replace James Neal.