Speculation: Roster Building Thread II (2022-23): The Puck is Prepared to be Mounted

[mike14]

Rangers need to get some of that grit skilled players on the Rangers roster. I miss the days of Dubinsky and Callahan. skilled players that played with emotion and fight when needed and always stuck up for teammates. its a shame we will never see Panarin or Mika stick up for their teammates.

The whole Panarin/Wilson 'incident' occurred because Panarin went in and stood-up for a teammate...

Overall I don't think the Rangers are any different to 95% of NHL teams in terms of grit or standing up for teammates when perceived wrongs occur. Kakko and Miller are the guys who seem most reluctant, but everybody seems to grab a body when the push and shove starts.
What the current lineup doesn't really (outside of Goodrow when he gets pissy) is an agitator' type who tries to start the post-whistle stuff.

 

[duhmetreE]

Strongest disagree ever. Environment isnt good but there is nothing that will change how players are in their heart of hearts if they don't want to.

Coaches just don't matter like that. They're not on the ice. Gaborik didn't change for Torts. Rangers have like 6 guys like that. They're also the best players on the team.

They already told the last coach too f***ing bad I'll play how I want and got him fired for the sin of *checks notes* wanting less E/W bullshit. Not even two years ago!

but Panarin did. Some people need to be pushed.

Are you saying Panarin didn't play that game in Columbus and his 1st season here?

 

[jerseyjinx94]

Rangers should be sellers if they’re being honest with themselves, try and get out of some horrible contracts and load up on this good draft, but Drury is 100% going for the win now route just so we can barely make the wildcard and then lose in round 1. Stay away from Chychrun, Kane, Domi, etc

Rangers should be sellers?

 

[Dijock94]

Rangers should be sellers?

I don’t think they should be sellers, but I also don’t think they should be buyers unless it’s a few trades like last years vatrano deal. We have a second core of young players we need to try and keep.

 

[mike14]

Rangers should be sellers?

I can't even really work who we'd be selling. Teams aren't going to take on long term contracts at deadline (because the teams looking to buy will need to reload again next season), so realistically, assuming you are keeping 'the kids' you'd be selling: Vesy, Goat, Lindgren, Harper and Halak.
None of that really opens up anything for more kids in a rebuild, and outside of Lindgren it probably doesn't net you much anyway...

 

[jerseyjinx94]

I don’t think they should be sellers, but I also don’t think they should be buyers unless it’s a few trades like last years vatrano deal. We have a second core of young players we need to try and keep.

Yeah, I agree with that, but the post I responded to said if the Rangers were honest with themselves, they’d be sellers. Which is preposterous.

You can make an argument they should stand pat, but to say they should be sellers is bordering on absurdity

 

[huerter]

Remember when Callahan and Dubinsky were called every derogatory name that you see about our current players. It's a vicious cycle.

 

[Savant]

Why is it a foregone conclusion that we are?

New here?

Rangers should be sellers if they’re being honest with themselves, try and get out of some horrible contracts and load up on this good draft, but Drury is 100% going for the win now route just so we can barely make the wildcard and then lose in round 1. Stay away from Chychrun, Kane, Domi, etc

Who do the have to sell without a NMC getting in the way?

 

[Dijock94]

Yeah, I agree with that, but the post I responded to said if the Rangers were honest with themselves, they’d be sellers. Which is preposterous.

You can make an argument they should stand pat, but to say they should be sellers is bordering on absurdity

I agree. I think if they keep all their young players and their high picks we can make 10 years of playoff appearances. Trade 4th round picks for depth and hope for the best.

 

[huerter]

Rangers should be sellers if they’re being honest with themselves, try and get out of some horrible contracts and load up on this good draft, but Drury is 100% going for the win now route just so we can barely make the wildcard and then lose in round 1. Stay away from Chychrun, Kane, Domi, etc

We are tied for 7th best Cup odds with NJ and Dallas. When those teams start selling I'll start a campaign for you to be GM.

 

[bbny]

Goodbye Othmann. I just have a gut feeling the way Drury has made bonehead trades. Too much grit in that player for this soft core. Hope I am wrong.

No way Drury is trading the first 1st round pick he made as GM, especially when Othmann has been doing well.

 

[Savant]

No way Drury is trading the first 1st round pick he made as GM, especially when Othmann has been doing well.

You say this like Sather isn’t still pulling the strings

 

[bbny]

Don't see the need for Chychrun at all. That seems like a move to make a move just because he's been rumored to be available. The Rangers need LD depth, but they don't need something that costs them an arm and a leg in a trade. Top 4 LD all set already. Not the right pick for the Rangers to blow their assets on.

 

[Good Intentions]

I think for Chychrun- and look his value in the salary cap world is artificially inflated by his contract- I am fine giving up anything OFF the roster EXCEPT a 2023 1st and Othmann. Literally any combination of 3-4 assets outside of those two and I’d do it.

The player himself isn’t worth the price he’ll be dealt for but the Rangers would have a big, young, mobile top 4 D for $2.3M x 3? That’s something you have to strongly consider.

Maybe Chychrun (50%) for 2023 2nd, 2024 1st, Jones, (one other prospect not named Othmann)

No, thank you. Way too many assets. No one else is making this deal for Arizona. Let them rot.

 

[Taluss]

No, thank you. Way too many assets. No one else is making this deal for Arizona. Let them rot.

Way too many assets as of now. As you said nobody else is making the deal for them. So let’s wait it out until we have to bid against other teams. See what they are offering

 

[effen]

but Panarin did. Some people need to be pushed.

Are you saying Panarin didn't play that game in Columbus and his 1st season here?

Quinn pushed him his first year? It looked a lot like he gave him free reign and it paid off.

 

[bleedblue94]

McDonagh never had sand paper here.

Miraculously, he became gritty on Tampa.

Mindset needs to change. It's hard to be angry if you're walking into a Country Club.

Thats ridiculous. Mac was a bull for us through a few playoff runs and then started to burn out. The first few years he was here he was a beast and would toss players around if they came down his side one on one. He lost his edge as the team did which happened steadily with AV running the ship.

 

[egelband]

In the hypothetical scenario we trade for Chychrun, we keep Lindgren too. The money works. I know everyone thinks its the end of the world but it's not.

In 2024 they can trade Trouba and re-sign Lindgren. Looking too far ahead is futile though imo. So much can change.

All I see is the best defensive group in the league for 3 playoff runs. Chychrun Fox even looks good in writing. If the forwards play up to their abilities and Shesty is Shesty, how do we not like our chances?

I think it's the best of all worlds. You still hold onto one 2023 1st rounder. Have all your kids still developing on cheaper bridge deals/ELCs. Vets still in their prime. and Igor on a 5.6M contract.

The time is now.

I am not in favor of acquiring Chychrun (maybe reflexive cuz I remember his papa) but this is the best argument. He probably becomes the Trouba replacement after a couple years. And taking everyone’s word for it, he’s probably better than Trouba.

Thats ridiculous. Mac was a bull for us through a few playoff runs and then started to burn out. The first few years he was here he was a beast and would toss players around if they came down his side one on one.

Yeah. McDonagh was basically Charlie McAvoy until his shoulder injury. Then he changed his game a bit. And in his latest incarnation I think he’s a hybrid. Not a fast. But fairly chippy.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Goodbye Othmann. I just have a gut feeling the way Drury has made bonehead trades. Too much grit in that player for this soft core. Hope I am wrong.

Drury is not trading Othmann, his first draft pick as the GM of the team and the current jewel of the prospect pool.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Drury is not trading Othmann, his first draft pick as the GM of the team and the current jewel of the prospect pool.

I honestly don't know how people come up with this stuff. Drury was pretty calculating on his deadline trades last year.

 

[Tob]

Lafreniere, Gauthier, and Blais to Montreal for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for the Frenchest deal in modern history

One of their non top 10 1st but still.

 

[AlaBlueShirt]

The gap between developing forwards vs defenceman is absurd. Schneider, Miller, Lundkvist and Jones are all going to be solid NHL players, first three have first pairing potential. The highest pick of those four is Schneider at 19.
Then you take a look at our forwards. You have Laf, Kakko, Kravtsov, Chytil and Andersson (lol). Four of those picks are in the top 10, two of the four are the numbers 1 and 2. At this point Kakko is the only one trending to be top-6 forward who can score. The defensive minded philosophy they have when developing forwards is just plain dumb. Just take a look at how the Devils are handling Hughes in his fourth season in the NHL. They went out and signed a player who can defend, Jack mainly plays wing in his own end and almost never is the first man to take a face-off. He is given the freedom to go out there and do his thing.

 

[pld459666]

Get me Jeannot and Trenin from Nashville

 

[RangerBoy]

Steve Valiquette said on the latest podcast with Staple the Rangers forward group is pretty set in stone. There are going to be a couple of adds at the trade deadline just like last season. The D pairings have been good with Harpur on the bottom pair. First PP unit is set. First unit PK with Zibanejad and Kreider is set. Goodrow and Vesey on the second unit on the PK. The goaltending is in good shape with Halak putting three good performances together. Steve also said Kakko shouldn’t be taken off the first line with Zibanejad and Kreider.

Some of these rentals. Do they really move the needle? You make a move but how much better is the team?
The Rangers need another experienced D who can play 12-14 minutes per game. I read the Rangers are among the teams which has expressed interest in Gavrikov but Columbus wants a 1st and 3rd for him. Columbus is trying to sign the player to an extension but the player is looking for a big deal. Gavrikov is too expensive. The Rangers shouldn't/aren't paying a 1st and 3rd to rent a bottom pair D who they can't afford to re-sign. The Rangers top 4 is set. Lindgren and Miller will be used on the PK. The Rangers need an upgrade over Harpur and Hajek. Keep Harpur at the 6/7. Send Hajek in the deal for the other D.

The Rangers don't need a high profile forward rental because that player isn’t playing on the first unit PP. The asking price is a first round pick at the minimum for a high profile rental. Whether or not a team will get it is another story. Kane has a bad knee. Double retention. Tarasenko has a broken hand. A goal scorer with a broken hand. He is out for four weeks. The Blues have played better since ROR and Tarasenko left the lineup. Scheen and Saad have woken up. The Blues are starting a seven game home stand this week. They are a streaky team. The Blues don't want to be sellers. They had a big win last night in Minnesota after losing a brutal game to Montreal. Greiss was excellent. Binnington stinks. Last season the Blues had Husso when Binningtom struggled. Husso is now in Detroit. They beat Toronto, Jersey and Minnesota and lost to Montreal. Zuccarello missed the Wild games in Buffalo and the Blues at home. He is scheduled to make the road trip to New York. Unknown whether or not Zuccarello plays tomorrow night.

The Rangers don't need a center rental because they don't need a center. ROR has a broken foot and he will miss six weeks. Gallant doesn't believe in checking lines. Horvat is a top 2 center. The Rangers have Zibanejad and Trocheck signed long term. Rangers can't afford Horvat's next contract. Toews isn't much of a player these days. He makes too money and a team will need double retention.

The Rangers had a better record last season. The Rangers are deeper this season with Kakko being healthy. He was injured this time last season. He had the wrist/hand injury/surgery. Kakko is also playing better. Hunt and Gauthier were seeing minutes in the top 9. Vesey is an upgrade over what the Rangers had on the team at this time last season. Chytil is better this season than he was last season at this time

On the podcast, Arthur and Steve were debating on whether or not to give Lafreniere another look in the top 6 on RW.

Which top 6/9 winger are the Rangers acquiring? Does that player make them better? What does it mean for Kravtsov? Some of these players are playing on lousy teams and they haven’t played a meaningful game in a couple of years.

Dadonov is having an awful season. He was a good player in Vegas. He should not cost much as a rental. $5M cap hit. Montreal retains money.

This is from last summer.



Put Dadonov on a wing with Panarin. He could be a good guy for Kravtsov too off the ice. His even strength numbers were good in Vegas last season.

 

[mas0764]

Chychrun would be nice but doesn't fix the structural problem on the team - they need to swap 2 or 3 of the the chill forwards with guys who are hard to play against, impose their will somehow whether physically or by speed.

Theres not enough forwards who make the other team uncomfortable and get them out of their preferred rhythms. If anything the Rangers kind of match those rhythms which is not a particularly good quality.

Till that changes it's punchers chance with Shesty and hope Fox or Mika shows up. Which will work some but not enough.

They really just need Kakko and Laf to be the elite players that they should be in their 3rd and 4th seasons from being drafted. Barkov was 0.85 ppg his fourth year. Svechnikov was at 0.88 ppg. Kakko has showed SOME signs of being able to approach that number, ie, with his 10 points in 13 games stretch he's on, but he's gotta keep that up and he can't go cold like he so often does.

Laf's most common quality-comp as a prospect, MacKinnon, was at .072 ppg in his third year. If they could each be doing that, we'd be in decent shape. Still wouldn't be calling us favorites, but we'd be in much better shape.