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

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Sure, but you can’t take a bath on value here side of that either. Need to find the right deal. You can’t be trading like Zac Jones for Ryan Reaves just because.

absolutely, trades still have to make sense, if nothing is there yet, you hold your chips until something comes up (it always does). I hope Drury/Sather/Dolan can do it and not just try to force something.

 

[Machinehead]

Obvious take is obvious but Tampa is the best model. They're the most un-binned team in the league.

Cooper let's Kucherov run around because I would too, but everyone else is buying into a system that does both at the same time. They use forechecking to set up scoring plays.

 

[Machinehead]

I like Ryan Reaves but he's another guy who would be sitting on our 4th line. That's avoiding the issue. If anything, the 4th line could use somebody who can shoot and pass a bit because you should never have a line taking a shift that *can't* score. Blackwell fits the bill.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Obvious take is obvious but Tampa is the best model. They're the most un-binned team in the league.

Cooper let's Kucherov run around because I would too, but everyone else is buying into a system that does both at the same time. They use forechecking to set up scoring plays.

They need SOME guys like they had in 2014 to go along with the top tier skill they have. They had guys like Prust and others who would do the dirty work/forecheck, etc , we just didn't have the top level skill that we do now. That would be the kind of team I'm looking for a mix of what we have now and what we had in 14

 

[huerter]

I like Ryan Reaves but he's another guy who would be sitting on our 4th line. That's avoiding the issue. If anything, the 4th line could use somebody who can shoot and pass a bit because you should never have a line taking a shift that *can't* score. Blackwell fits the bill.

Colin Blackwell on the 4th line can't score.

Give me a 4th line that brings momentum.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

man, what happened to Debrusk this year? might be off topic but watching the game, and I heard he's probably going to be available.

 

[Ola]

Also, everyone always looks for the Cup recipe and there isn't one. Cup winners only have one thing in common with each other -- they're really, really, really f***ing talented.

Hockey is all about balance. We have to improve the vertical aspect of our game, but let's not get into the dangerous rhetoric of "skill doesn't work in the playoffs." It does. Every year.

This should be sticked too! And possibly even at the Rangers FO and in the office of many reporters covering this team.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Also, everyone always looks for the Cup recipe and there isn't one. Cup winners only have one thing in common with each other -- they're really, really, really f***ing talented.

Hockey is all about balance. We have to improve the vertical aspect of our game, but let's not get into the dangerous rhetoric of "skill doesn't work in the playoffs." It does. Every year.

Face offs MUST improve however, hockey is still a game of possession its much easier to keep the puck today than it is to get it back. Zibanejad 47% and Strome 43% (Especially with his lack of two way play which at least Zibanejad has), isn't going to cut it. We have to do better and feels like we continue to say this every year.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

I pretty much only liked Blackwell as a shooter on the skill lines. I didn't like him on the PK or on the fourth line, but it's possible that you notice it more when an unheralded tiny guy who falls down all the time gets beat and his metrics or whatever are fine.

Some of the roster upheaval was going to happen anyway because of the Strome/Buchnevich/Zibanejad contracts, but I hope they don't go crazy with blowing shit up just to get more "playoff type players." We have Kreider on a giant contract. We have Kakko and Lafreniere who both project to play that way, but maybe can't make that much of an impact physically because they're kids playing against men. We fired the coach. Without knowing the average I feel like this group is already kinda big and kinda slow?

 

[NYR94]

man, what happened to Debrusk this year? might be off topic but watching the game, and I heard he's probably going to be available.

Yeah, he had a down year and I think he was healthy scratched at times. But Boston always seems to be looking for secondary scoring to go along with that excellent first line, and he's had good seasons before. Could be that if they can re-sign Hall he becomes more likely to be moved. He scored 27 in 68 only two years ago.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Yeah, he had a down year and I think he was healthy scratched at times. But Boston always seems to be looking for secondary scoring to go along with that excellent first line, and he's had good seasons before. Could be that if they can re-sign Hall he becomes more likely to be moved. He scored 27 in 68 only two years ago.

Yeah dependent on keeping Hall I heard for cap space purposes

 

[Machinehead]

They need SOME guys like they had in 2014 to go along with the top tier skill they have. They had guys like Prust and others who would do the dirty work/forecheck, etc , we just didn't have the top level skill that we do now. That would be the kind of team I'm looking for a mix of what we have now and what we had in 14

The '14 Rangers were also a great model.

Hagelin, Pouliot, and Kreider were all great along the boards, one on each line, and all of them could score.

Nash, Zuccarello, Stepan, and Richards were all skilled but all brought something else.

Boyle, Moore, Dorsett, and Carcillo were an extremely physical 4th line and still probably the best offensive 4th line in hockey.

The only pure skill player was St. Louis (and you should have those) but the overarching balance of the team allowed him to get open in prime areas.

The game 4 OT goal against Montreal is the perfect example of how it all works together. Hagelin and Richards work their asses off to hem the Habs in their own zone which leads to the sizzle -- the perfect cross-ice pass and the snipe. MSL makes the intelligent play -- instead of jumping into the fray and doing too much grit, he gets into a position where he's wide open if we get the puck, and the checking leads to a play. That's how it has to be. Together.

 

[Machinehead]

Colin Blackwell on the 4th line can't score.

Give me a 4th line that brings momentum.

A 4th line that is zero threat to score doesn't bring momentum.

 

[Ola]

Great stuff at the board today!

A few thoughts:

There are a few items at the top of the agenda that the new regime must deal with:
(a) Look, our transition game isn’t good at all. We are naive, we make many big blunders and we are just not well drilled as a team either. This costs us more goals against than anything else. We are easy to play against for teams like the Islanders, because once our guys starts hearing foot steps when they are retrieving pucks we will cough it up too often.

In fact, we have Fox who is amazing at moving the puck but besides him we have had little puck moving ability. On the blueline we don’t have many others that can move the puck. And — none — of our centers are particularly good here. We don’t have any center that is particularly quick and agile, that operates well skating the puck away from pressure.

(b) We must get a backbone as a team. An overreaction short term is needed. Hockey is about winning battles to a large extent. That doesn’t combine well with being the laughing stock of the league.

(c) We must become a lot more aggressive on the forecheck than under DQ.

 

[Machinehead]

Cizikas has hit 25 points three times including 20 goals. Clutterbuck has scored 20 points six times. Martin is an outstanding defender. The ballyhooed Islanders 4th line works because they're good hockey players.

Gorton was never interested in gritty *hockey players*. Grit means you suck. And sucking means you're gritty, even if you're the laziest f*** in the league (*glances towards Cody McLeod*). Again, that mentality was Gorton's weakness.

 

[Ola]

Face offs MUST improve however, hockey is still a game of possession its much easier to keep the puck today than it is to get it back. Zibanejad 47% and Strome 43% (Especially with his lack of two way play which at least Zibanejad has), isn't going to cut it. We have to do better and feels like we continue to say this every year.

I recon there is a balance, but Ziba’s mega curve on his blade, how many FOs does that cost him? Is it really worth it for him to play with that blade?

 

[Machinehead]

Even the Blackhawks, who were thought of as a skill team, had lines that could check and also play. Byfuglien, Shaw, Bolland, Stalberg, Frolik, Kruger, I could go on.

Only Kane loafed around just picking up points, and all the Cup teams seem to have that one guy who does that and probably should.

 

[NYRangers16]

My offer was 1st, jones and a secondary asset, do they need Georgiev?

Insanity.

 

[NYRangers16]

I like Ryan Reaves but he's another guy who would be sitting on our 4th line. That's avoiding the issue. If anything, the 4th line could use somebody who can shoot and pass a bit because you should never have a line taking a shift that *can't* score. Blackwell fits the bill.

So does Rooney. And I’m honestly becoming a fan of a Reaves move, pending cost.

 

[Sayba]

Colin Blackwell on the 4th line can't score.

Give me a 4th line that brings momentum.

Washington has a good 4th line, I wouldn't say they are a threat to score but they're pretty effective.

 

[Machinehead]

So does Rooney. And I’m honestly becoming a fan of a Reaves move, pending cost.

True, I was impressed with Rooney's finishing when his line gets a chance.

 

[CLW]

If Gallant is the guy, he plays a very up tempo pressure system. We're going to need forwards that can keep up with that. Kakko and Lafreniere are going to need to work on their skating this summer to play in that system. Same would go for someone like Jones if he expects to make the team.

The Rangers have the assets to get whoever they want. Even in an overpay scenario, if they've identified a player of need, the asset accumulation that has happened over the last 4 years allows them to do that. I expect Drury to be cognizant of that, but to not gut the system.

We're going to lose a player that we did not expect. It depends on who it is. If I had to put a bet down, it would be Chytil. I wouldn't be happy about it, but he is the one player that I can see being moved.

Kakko said he is going to work on "more strength and more speed", when asked about his off season plans in the post-season interviews. Laf also mentioned he is going to work on skating, in particular, over the off season.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

The '14 Rangers were also a great model.

Hagelin, Pouliot, and Kreider were all great along the boards, one on each line, and all of them could score.

Nash, Zuccarello, Stepan, and Richards were all skilled but all brought something else.

Boyle, Moore, Dorsett, and Carcillo were an extremely physical 4th line and still probably the best offensive 4th line in hockey.

The only pure skill player was St. Louis (and you should have those) but the overarching balance of the team allowed him to get open in prime areas.

The game 4 OT goal against Montreal is the perfect example of how it all works together. Hagelin and Richards work their asses off to hem the Habs in their own zone which leads to the sizzle -- the perfect cross-ice pass and the snipe. MSL makes the intelligent play -- instead of jumping into the fray and doing too much grit, he gets into a position where he's wide open if we get the puck, and the checking leads to a play. That's how it has to be. Together.

Was watching a 2014 playoff goal scoring comp today and it’s incredible how good Hagelin was that playoffs. Apropos of nothing sort of but still you need guys like that on your “third” line performing like he did that playoffs.

 

[Machinehead]

Was watching a 2014 playoff goal scoring comp today and it’s incredible how good Hagelin was that playoffs. Apropos of nothing sort of but still you need guys like that on your “third” line performing like he did that playoffs.

The best way to push talent down to your third line is to have guys who can take a checking role in the top six, rather than just getting physical fourth liners.

 

[huerter]

Washington has a good 4th line, I wouldn't say they are a threat to score but they're pretty effective.

Hagelin could play on any line in life and it would be a good line.