Speculation: Roster Building Thread II (2021 Offseason) - “You'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn”?

[Levitate]

Mika is a wildcard right now. I think there's a real possibility the Rangers look to commit to him. But if he goes, they could opt for more of a young center with top six potential rather than a ready to roll third line center.

It's such a tough spot with Zibanejad...he could easily have many more highly productive years left, he is so damn good when he's on, but also like every year it's something that comes up that keeps him from fully realizing an amazing season. On the other hand, maybe that drives down the price to keep him a bit. I wouldn't be surprised if around the league there was a bit of a "can't stay healthy" stigma attached to him now.

Mikka for another 5 years could be a highly productive player for the Rangers and better bargain than trying to get Eichel for another 5 years with his bigger hit, also having injury history, and then having to decide to keep him again as well etc etc

BUt it also really boils down to they can't let Zibanejad walk if they don't have a legitimate 1C replacement for him. Not a "this guy could be", just a straight up legit 1C replacement. Not if they want this team to compete soon.

I also wonder if this flat cap and cap crunch is ultimately going to result in a lot of guys taking shorter deals or lower deals because the money just isn't there. I feel like we're all still operating under the idea of "cap goes up, contracts go up" but maybe more guys end up taking a short contract and hope to cash in when the cap goes up again rather than hold out for the kind of contract that went out when the cap kept increasing.
Big money long term contracts weren't just about how they fit under the cap at that exact time and place but also about how they fit under a future cap that kept increase.

 

[brians1128]

Plan A has to be Eichel. Theres too much smoke for the Rangers to not make a realistic offer. I would be comfortable, as long as the medicals check out, with giving BUF 3/4 assets from the bucket that includes:
Buch
Strome
Chytil
Kravtsov
Lundkvist
Jones
2021 1st

If it turns into a bidding war where names like Kakko & Miller are being asked for, i think Drury bows out and pivots to the Lindholm/Larkin/PLD/Cirelli/Hertl tier.

Regardless of what they do at center, its a pretty safe bet they add a couple bottom 6, "grit" guys and another bonafide top 4 D to take the pressure off the young guys on the backend

To be honest I would feel more comfortable shopping from that plan B tier. Give me 2 of those guys even with losing Zibby if they let him walk and dont feel comfortable with a long term contract. Given the amount of skill on the wings, and knowing you don't have to empty out the cupboards but rather make hockey trades.

 

[Edge]

This is how I feel. All of the sudden I take a look at him and say "Holy shit, he's got a ton of points, and he got a lot of points when Panarin was even out" and I'm just completely baffled at how it happened. He also disappeared pretty hard down the stretch too, which is concerning. This feels like a player you hope to fleece another GM with at this point.

My wife is only as familiar with hockey as watching it with me and knowing how it intersects with my career. But because of that, sometimes you can get some honest assessments from someone who isn’t staring too long at the landscape.

Her assessment of Strome is often so astute - how can a player who looks so unimpressive, or stand out for a bunch of stupid plays, somehow have a a couple of points at the end of the night?

And to this day, I don’t know how to answer her.

 

[Levitate]

My wife is only as familiar with hockey as watching it with me and knowing how it intersects with my career. But because of that, sometimes you can get some honest assessments from someone who isn’t staring too long at the landscape.

Her assessment of Strome is often so astute - how can a player who looks so unimpressive, or stand out for a bunch of stupid plays, somehow have a a couple of points at the end of the night?

And to this day, I don’t know how to answer her.

I think he had stretches last season where he did stand out in a positive way for working hard, facilitating the play, etc etc

but that came on the heels of his abysmal start to the season where he stood around and watched Panarin the whole time

And the finish to the season wasn't great either really

The other part I think is that so often Panarin's line just kinda runs through Panarin and no one else so he's the only one standing out a lot on the ice

 

[itsPLkielbasa]

Kravtsov
Lundkvist
Jones
2021 1st

Just this should get it done. However, I don't want to give up Lundkvist or Kravtsov. Are we really going to trade great young assets for someone who has medical issues that might not even play next year due to Buffalo having him do PT instead of surgery? What happens if PT doesn't work and he needs surgery? That's another year off the books and who knows how he will be when he returns.

 

[Leetch3]

Gets permission? Is he still under contract with Vegas or something?

yes he is under contract with them until the end of this season

 

[Richard Banger]

The point is lay people on internet should not be giving out medical advice, let alone on such a complex matter. Because that can actually hurt or kill people, which I have seen first hand. THAT was my point. Otherwise couldn't care less if a random person on the internet knows what my degree is.

Btw not going into surgical specialty, so I don't expect to ever know much more about spondylosurgery than I know now (which is very little). Which, again, is the point. But thanks for contributing with... what exactly?

How ironic that you are a person posting about medical things on the internet and you most definitely should not be giving out advice nor criticized one who want to give their opinion on the subject.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Kravtsov
Lundkvist
Jones
2021 1st

Just this should get it done. However, I don't want to give up Lundkvist or Kravtsov. Are we really going to trade great young assets for someone who has medical issues that might not even play next year due to Buffalo having him do PT instead of surgery? What happens if PT doesn't work and he needs surgery? That's another year off the books and who knows how he will be when he returns.

Replace Krav with Chytil and it's more realistic

 

[Kaapo Bustfreniere]

How ironic that you are a person posting about medical things on the internet and you most definitely should not be giving out advice nor criticized one who want to give their opinion on the subject.

I am not giving out medical advice other then see a f***ing doctor. But calling out people who do is very much the right thing to do. I have seen people die because they listened to quacks. Sure, people are stupid if they listen to random weirdos on the internet and they shouldn't, but they do. And it is no joke. So, respectfully, f*** off.

 

[B17 Apricots]

I'll throw my vote out there again, stay the course. Re-sign Zib, get something for Strome. Go out and get a two-way center you can plug up & down the lineup and kill penalties. A few names to throw out there, Copp, Tierney, Dvorak, Lowry, Wennberg. Aside from Lowry those guys I'd feel comfortable enough that if Chytil can't grab the 2 spot you can pop those guys in there for the time being. Thats the type of player I'd be looking for right now

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

I agree. My neighbor when I was young, and close friend despite being close to 70 (he didn't have any kids of his own and always let me ride in his tractor when he was cleaning the streets from snow during the winter) broke his leg when I was maybe 8-9, it wasn't pretty, they were moving an excavator from one truck to another and a chain broke and he was caught under it, but he just said 'I ain't going to a doctor, if you go into a hospital you will never get out, there will be no more discussions about it'. His wife of course got worried and some family members tried to talk sense to him, but it went as far as him brining the shot-gun next to him on the sofa to show that he meant business, and he was the type who would have used it no doubt, volunteer in Finland during the war who went on and fought with the SS and had a temper like nothing I've ever seen. 4-5 weeks later he died. He and his wife only ate potatoes, eggs, hard bread and fish (perch/whitefish/burbot). Today that is some diet, but did it help him from surgery? It is still a touchy subject for me, if you need to see a doctor, go and see a doctor.

This SS guy story is really heart warming, Did he ever tell you how many civilians he executed in the Ukraine?

 

[RGY]

Like Quinn, Strome has served his purpose. He did pickup his play after the first month and a half when it comes to the offense, BUT he is still severely lacking in the other categories that will not be worth paying for as he tries to cash in for his last big contract in his career. And I dont blame him for wanting to cash in either.

But the bottom line is, he really isn’t a true center. He is more of a winger with the way he plays and the problem is that he is more of the same of what this team has coupled with the fact we have a young up and coming wingers. In fact Strome and Chytil are very similar to me. Both are players that are better suited for the wing because they are not strong defensively, are terrible on faceoffs, and have a lot of mental lapses when the puck is on their stick that leads to possession changes which is no bueno when you are the center on the line and the puck is now going the other way. We cannot have two of those types of players that we are pigeonholing into the Center position because of circumstance. Chytil gets the advantage because he is younger and cheaper. Strome’s disadvantage is the offensive numbers that would allow the Rangers to sell high.

The Rangers need to get tougher to play against. They have to do some cosmetic work to the make up of the forward group. It could and very will likely mean sacrificing some of the offensive numbers to be able to increase the W column. An example of that tradeoff would be Strome for Foligno. Not what I am pushing but the point stands. That same approach can apply to Chytil and Buchnevich (although Buch has really added that edge to his game but Kravtsov and others can make him expendable).

Also I really have no interest in RNH.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

I am not giving out medical advice other then see a f***ing doctor. But calling out people who do is very much the right thing to do. I have seen people die because they listened to quacks. Sure, people are stupid if they listen to random weirdos on the internet and they shouldn't, but they do. And it is no joke. So, respectfully, f*** off.

Does “take a pepto tequila shot and 2 aspirin” qualify as medical advice?

 

[Kaapo Bustfreniere]

Does “take a pepto tequila shot and 2 aspirin” qualify as medical advice?

More like a friendly reminder.

 

[NYR Viper]

For the price rumored for Eichel, I’d much prefer almost over paying for someone like Christian Dvorak out of Arizona.

 

[Chalfdiggity3]

My wife is only as familiar with hockey as watching it with me and knowing how it intersects with my career. But because of that, sometimes you can get some honest assessments from someone who isn’t staring too long at the landscape.

Her assessment of Strome is often so astute - how can a player who looks so unimpressive, or stand out for a bunch of stupid plays, somehow have a a couple of points at the end of the night?

And to this day, I don’t know how to answer her.

Which is why i have to believe the rangers will look to move him. We can not sign him long term at what will likely be over 6.5m cap hit. He does NOTHING else but somehow put up points. That cap space can be better used on players who do the dirty work all over the ice.

 

[Edge]

Which is why i have to believe the rangers will look to move him. We can not sign him long term at what will likely be over 6.5m cap hit. He does NOTHING else but somehow put up points. That cap space can be better used on players who do the dirty work all over the ice.

If it were up to me, I'd move Strome and Buch to bring in different pieces. I think at this point if you're not ready to give Chytil, Kakko and Kravtsov more significant chances, and deal with the growth process, than something is wrong.

If Zibanejad is willing to sign for a reasonable deal (5 years, maybe $40 million), I probably roll the dice there.

I'd go with Zibanejad, Chytil, acquired third line center as my top three. I'm fine with Kakko and Kravtsov in my top six, along with Panarin and Lafreniere.

Kreider, along with a third line center and maybe a third line RW we acquire as part of a Buch/Strome shuffle is fine with me.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Kravtsov
Lundkvist
Jones
2021 1st

Just this should get it done. However, I don't want to give up Lundkvist or Kravtsov. Are we really going to trade great young assets for someone who has medical issues that might not even play next year due to Buffalo having him do PT instead of surgery? What happens if PT doesn't work and he needs surgery? That's another year off the books and who knows how he will be when he returns.

No thank you.

 

[NYR Viper]

If it were up to me, I'd move Strome and Buch to bring in different pieces. I think at this point if you're not ready to give Chytil, Kakko and Kravtsov more significant chances, and deal with the growth process, than something is wrong.

If Zibanejad is willing to sign for a reasonable deal (5 years, maybe $40 million), I probably roll the dice there.

I'd go with Zibanejad, Chytil, acquired third line center as my top three. I'm fine with Kakko and Kravtsov in my top six, along with Panarin and Lafreniere.

Kreider, along with a third line center and maybe a third line RW we acquire as part of a Buch/Strome shuffle is fine with me.

Think Edmonton circles back for Buch? They’re the team that always seems to make the most sense for him based on needs. Holloway would be a real nice addition as a young center to the teams prospect pool and the Rangers liked him last year, correct? It would be similar value to what was on the table a couple of years ago

 

[Matt Rentfree]

This SS guy story is really heart warming, Did he ever tell you how many civilians he executed in the Ukraine?

I think "fought with" means "fought against". Or maybe I just hope that's what he means.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

What is Nolan Patrick's value at this point?

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Brooks wants us to trade for Tkachuk... I get he’s like the exact kind of player we need but we have like 42 wingers and 3 with crazy high ceilings already not even counting Kreider. You win cups with a good middle we haven’t learned this yet?

 

[RGY]

What is Nolan Patrick's value at this point?

I think that is just too much risk at this juncture. Patrick would be a better add for a team like Buffalo. Plus Philly would make us pay a pretty penny. And if it fails then it really could hurt our organizational progress moving forward.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Rangers (well Dolan) expects them to be better. If that’s the mandate Chytil has no shot being 2nd line center probably ever

 

[Bruner4329]

The thing with Strome is he scores like a core player, but does anyone really envision winning with him in a prominent role?

He’s not a face off guy, or a defensive guy, or a physical presence. He scores and yet it never really feels like he is driving play, or setting the speed or tone of the game, or a guy you necessarily perceive as clutch.

I don’t recall ever looking at a 20 goal/60-70 point player and coming away more baffled as to how he was actually pulling it off.

Playing with Panarin helps but you are spot on. In Strome's case his point production is fine but he lacks in so many other aspects.