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

[GoAwayPanarin]

If Buffalo is blowing it up, I'd take Oloffson.

You know... if LAK are in on Eichel and are willing to give up Byfield or Turcotte... Why not try? Eichel is possibly damaged goods at this point, with $50M still left to pay.

Strome and Lundkvist for Byfield. Too much if we add Buch?

I don't see them giving up Byfield. Turcotte is a Nils level prospect, maybe even a bit lower.

 

[duhmetreE]

I don't see them giving up Byfield. Turcotte is a Nils level prospect, maybe even a bit lower.

Turcotte for Lundkvist swap is interesting

 

[mas0764]

Admittedly I haven’t watched a ton of him, and I do like him a lot, but I don’t think he’s someone you overpay for. Unless I missed something in his development over the past few years, I don’t know if he’ll ever be a 1C. And Florida will probably demand assets that a 1C prospect gets. I would definitely pay market value for him though, and maybe even a bit above market value.

Even if he's not ever a 1C, he's literally perfect (as projected) for what we need - good passer, good defense, good hockey IQ, has some size (he's 6'1) and plays a north-south, 200 foot game.

The only thing he's missing is elite speed, otherwise he's basically a perfect center to compliment high scoring wingers, and he won't put up the raw goal scoring stats himself to make him super expensive in the future.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Turcotte for Lundkvist swap is interesting

wish Turcotte was more of a shoot first type like Mika. Rangers need more of the shoot first mentality. any of these type of center prospects available? value is close.

 

[mas0764]

wish Turcotte was more of a shoot first type like Mika. Rangers need more of the shoot first mentality. any of these type of center prospects available? value is close.

Keep in mind going forward the Rangers are going to (or should) get a lot of their scoring from their wings - Panarin is a near-30 goal scorer, Kakko should be as well, Lafreniere will be a 30-40 goal scorer. Kravtsov could probably be reasonably hoped to be at least a 20-30 goal scorer, maybe more.

If Turcotte can pot 20 consistently that's probably enough.

 

[LokiDog]

following the Gallant theme... is there any 'rejects' or reclamation centers out there? The next William Karlsson if you will.

Alex Wennberg will be a free agent. Has the draft pedigree, tons of talent, had a solid year in Florida, just hasn’t ever put it all together. Not old, and even if the offense doesn’t come, he’s a very good defensive center who I’d be thrilled with on the third line.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Alex Wennberg will be a free agent. Has the draft pedigree, tons of talent, had a solid year in Florida, just hasn’t ever put it all together. Not old, and even if the offense doesn’t come, he’s a very good defensive center who I’d be thrilled with on the third line.

i wanted Wennberg and would take a flyer on him. more center depth but is he good on faceoffs in faceoff %, or another center forced to be a winger due to being bad at faceoffs?

 

[Peltz]

I think we're going to see some change. How much and when is unknown.

Buch is candidate to be moved. Strome could be a candidate depending on what the Rangers do with Mika and Chytil, and potentially Buch as well.

If the Rangers feel like they want to change the balance up a bit, Buch could very well could for a guy designed to be more of a third line center, with Chytil sliding up to finally man the second line. In that case, Strome is potentially moved for a different roster piece.

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.

So there's many variables there. I think we could see two of the four guys you mentioned moved. I think more than probably becomes a bit more turnover and turmoil than they should pursue at present time.

Mika could generate an enormous return if traded, while also leaving an enormous gap at 1c. I'm not even sure what you trade someone like that for, unless it really is for Jack Eichel who I'm not at all convinced is worth pursuing. But Mika is also is a bit older than I think is ideal for this makeup of players, and extending him 6-7 years could be really detrimental.

Due to Covid-19, we've seen what Mika's game is like if he's slowed down a bit and it's really not pretty. I am worried what he's going to look like in 4 years from now if nature takes its course and he slows down a step.

 

[LokiDog]

If Jesperi Kotkaniemi starts to slide out of favor in Montreal after another weak season I’d look at him. Possibly a Chytil KK swap. Chytil had a better year but Kotkaniemi is more physical, better defensively and better on draws. Chytil, to me, is top six or bust and possibly not a center. KK may bust out of top six but will be an effective third liner no matter what and is definitely a center.

 

[mas0764]

I remember the Habs fan coming here saying that Kotkaniemi was a better prospect than Kakko, that was funny.

 

[LokiDog]

i wanted Wennberg and would take a flyer on him. more center depth but is he good on faceoffs in faceoff %, or another center forced to be a winger due to being bad at faceoffs?

49.2% on draws this year. About 47% career. Not great. Better than a lot of our options.

 

[Peltz]

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.

I wouldn't go that far. Strome sees the game in the offensive zone really well. He's just not a puck-possession guy. He gets open, then if given the puck, he passes it or shoots. He doesn't hang onto it for much time. He's very decisive and has good hands.

That's really it. His game is as simple as could be: Pass or shoot.

Is that a guy you want on your team in the playoffs? Probably not. He's easy to read and doesn't win enough puck battles. He gets "jammed up" and, like you said, loses too many face-offs.

 

[NYR Viper]

Alex Wennberg will be a free agent. Has the draft pedigree, tons of talent, had a solid year in Florida, just hasn’t ever put it all together. Not old, and even if the offense doesn’t come, he’s a very good defensive center who I’d be thrilled with on the third line.

Wennberg
Bonino
Stepan
Martinook

Those are the 3C's I would be okay with at varying terms.

I'm more okay moving Chytil up to 2C, it's time for him to take a step or not, but he has been in the NHL for 3 seasons now. That's not tp say he is old, but the line of 'well he's young, we should shelter him' needs to go away.

Trade Strome or Zibanejad and if they can acquire Eichel, I'm honestly okay trading both.

Eichel
Chytil
Bonino/Martinook
Rooney

I would ASSUME that Drury (almost wrote Gorton) would key in on 1-2 center prospects when trading Buch/Strome/Zib

 

[East Coast Bias]

Alex Wennberg will be a free agent. Has the draft pedigree, tons of talent, had a solid year in Florida, just hasn’t ever put it all together. Not old, and even if the offense doesn’t come, he’s a very good defensive center who I’d be thrilled with on the third line.

I wonder what he's going to cost. Coming off a $4.9 cap hit.

He's 26 now. Probably going to look for something above that cap hit, 5/6 years, no?

 

[LokiDog]

I wonder what he's going to cost. Coming off a $4.9 cap hit.

He's 26 now. Probably going to look for something above that cap hit, 5/6 years, no?

He was bought out last summer and made only 2.25M on a 1 year deal with Florida. Put up 29 points in 56 games this year. Respectable, but definitely not getting near that kind of contract. Especially in the flat cap world. I think 2 or 3 years at 3.5ish

 

[Bruner4329]

Couldn't Buch (a 26 year old first line winger) and Howden (a young, cost controlled possibly future 3C/current 4C) constitute an overpayment?

Including Howden in any deal is not an overpayment in fact you could assume he have to add more for someone to take him. In all seriousness the guy is not a good player . I mean he has no scoring skills and is not a good passer or skater. He had one goal this year and it was what an empty netter? No way he is a 3 center in this league.

 

[mas0764]

Including Howden in any deal is not an overpayment in fact you could assume he have to add more for someone to take him. In all seriousness the guy is not a good player . I mean he has no scoring skills and is not a good passer or skater. He had one goal this year and it was what an empty netter? No way he is a 3 center in this league.

I agree that I'm not a fan but all indications are that he retains positive value around the league.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

So just jam then?

Spit maybe unless it’s an HMO

 

[LeetchisGod]

Including Howden in any deal is not an overpayment in fact you could assume he have to add more for someone to take him. In all seriousness the guy is not a good player . I mean he has no scoring skills and is not a good passer or skater. He had one goal this year and it was what an empty netter? No way he is a 3 center in this league.

It's almost as if some people don't watch him play. He had a decent rookie year and has regressed since. He'll be out of the NHL in short order at this rate.

 

[NYR Viper]

He was bought out last summer and made only 2.25M on a 1 year deal with Florida. Put up 29 points in 56 games this year. Respectable, but definitely not getting near that kind of contract. Especially in the flat cap world. I think 2 or 3 years at 3.5ish

I think we will see many of these guys get squeezed again

Another interesting name, Erik Haula played his best hockey of his career under Gerard Gallant. He's a center. 21 points in 51 games this year for Nashville. The Rangers could probably add him for a year or two to insulate a young center who is developing. I believe he has played both center and LW and I can NEVER find a site that gives me good details on how many games a player plays at each position if they play both. Can someone help a brother out?

 

[bl02]

If Jesperi Kotkaniemi starts to slide out of favor in Montreal after another weak season I’d look at him. Possibly a Chytil KK swap. Chytil had a better year but Kotkaniemi is more physical, better defensively and better on draws. Chytil, to me, is top six or bust and possibly not a center. KK may bust out of top six but will be an effective third liner no matter what and is definitely a center.

Very interesting. I am sure Montreal fans will relent at the idea of trading KK but its good possibility KK won't even start in the playoffs.
He's had the worst stretch of his young career the last 20 games or so.

 

[rangers1314]

I think we will see many of these guys get squeezed again

Another interesting name, Erik Haula played his best hockey of his career under Gerard Gallant. He's a center. 21 points in 51 games this year for Nashville. The Rangers could probably add him for a year or two to insulate a young center who is developing. I believe he has played both center and LW and I can NEVER find a site that gives me good details on how many games a player plays at each position if they play both. Can someone help a brother out?

Hes also got the best nickname, Haula-famer.

Apparently he has a very high opinion of himself and his talents.

 

[bl02]

Turcotte for Lundkvist swap is interesting

would hurt but there has to be a point where this team has to acquire a young cost controlled center and it's not gonna be easy. Would like to draft a center who could be ready in 2-3 years this draft but not gonna hold my breath.

 

[Kocur Dill]

Hes also got the best nickname, Haula-famer.

Apparently he has a very high opinion of himself and his talents.

He'll never be Danny Heatley tho.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Bonino on a short deal makes all kinds of sense.