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

[McRanger92]

That seems to be the way to go. They added Copp, Motte, and Vatrano attorneys at law, who are not big time players, but it helped the depth a lot with the last playoff run.

The cost of requiring a big name will cost them a lot of their futures, and in this year’s draft want to hold onto those.

Acknowledging the unlikelihood of Meier or Chychrun, I am fine with this course of action. For a rental they should be open to trading one of the firsts (need to keep 1), dependent on the player, but I think it it will be a buyer's market and can hopefully be avoided.

They need 2 forwards and a defenseman. Top 6 RW, good bottom 6er (like Motte) and a lefty D who can defend and has size. They were able to get 4 effective players last year and the biggest asset they lost was the 30th overall pick. I think Drury will be able to pull off something similar again this year.

 

[irishlaxburger2]

Taylor Hall, 1OA, is playing on Boston’s 3rd line because it’s what the team needs Lafreniere should take a look at that.

Taylor Hall is already a finished product. Not a kid who is at a major inflection point in his development.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

I maintain that a middle six winger is not a “need.” The Rangers have 9-10 players who can play top 9. However, picking up a guy who can slot in the top 9 effectively and add a little speed and scoring touch a la Vatrano would definitely improve the depth by pushing Goodrow to 4th line. A 4th line of Goodrow Vesey and Gauthier can be really effective. Not sure they need another depth piece if they pick up a top 9 RW.

Kreider Zibanejad Kakko
Panarin Trocheck Kravtsov
Lafreniere Chytil X
Vesey Goodrow Gauthier
Blais
Brodzinski

That’s pretty good depth already. If any injuries occur any one of those 3 fourth liners can slot up the lineup in decent fashion. They moreso need a 3LD to push Harpur to 7D and Hajek off the roster.

 

[McRanger92]

I maintain that a middle six winger is not a “need.” The Rangers have 9-10 players who can play top 9. However, picking up a guy who can slot in the top 9 effectively and add a little speed and scoring touch a la Vatrano would definitely improve the depth by pushing Goodrow to 4th line. A 4th line of Goodrow Vesey and Gauthier can be really effective. Not sure they need another depth piece if they pick up a top 9 RW.

Kreider Zibanejad Kakko
Panarin Trocheck Kravtsov
Lafreniere Chytil X
Vesey Goodrow Gauthier
Blais
Brodzinski

That’s pretty good depth already. If any injuries occur any one of those 3 fourth liners can slot up the lineup in decent fashion. They moreso need a 3LD to push Harpur to 7D and Hajek off the roster.

You're an injury or 2 (which will happen) away from Blais or Brodzinski in the lineup. They need a veteran top 6 winger who can put the puck in the net. I really do not see Drury or Gallant being comfortable going into the playoffs with so much youth in the top 6

 

[bhamill]

If it's a "team game" then Lafreniere shouldn't be taking away their top 6 or PP ice time. Of course they're going to be upset - they are people. Someone who doesn't deserve their time shouldn't be taking their place(s) on PP1 and in the top 6.

The "long term benefit of the team" would be for Lafreniere to get his head out of his ass and put the team first and start doing the little things right and start forgetting about expectations.

Lafreniere isn’t taking away anything. He makes zero decisions on playing time. How is still unclear that I’m not saying he DESERVES PP1 time? If he gets it it’s because it’s the team actively trying to develop him. And yes “development” could hurt the team short term, you just hope the payoff was worth it. Just like trading a roster player for a future draft pick or prospect. It’s the long game.
And I agree with your second paragraph, these things aren’t mutually exclusive.

Taylor Hall, 1OA, is playing on Boston’s 3rd line because it’s what the team needs Lafreniere should take a look at that.

Wait, do you think Lafreniere is deciding where and how much he plays?

 

[NYR Viper]

The Hinostroza waiving is an interesting move to me. He has 8 points in 19 games this season playing ~12 minutes a game. He's the type of player who plays with speed and is tenacious on the puck and he makes a measly $1.7m. What this screams to me is that Buffalo, a team not at all close to the cap, has a deal in place to trade Hinostroza where the acquiring team is trying to send another player back (perhaps just a body) and Buffalo is trying to off-load the player without getting any money or contracts back.

In saying that, Hinostroza would be an intriguing player to add to this current group. He plays a bit like a hybrid Vatrano/Motte. He's not going to put up a ton of points but he is going to give effort and be a bit of a PIA to play against.

 

[LORDE]

Rich you seem pretty impatient with Laffy- are you going to be patient with whomever they draft?

If whoever they draft shows any kind of talent and effort to improve his game... yes.

If however he shows zero ability in any zone, under any circumstance then I'll call him out for it and for this org drafting YET another bust (this isn't to say they shouldn't have drafted Laf) like the many names we all know so well.

 

[Leonardo87]

The Kreider-Mika-Kakko line has been dominant this year. There is zero reason why Lafreniere should replace Kreider in any situation. Laf should be able to do something with Chytil & Goodrow, because theyve looked excellent with a less experienced player in Kravtsov.

More icetime is clearly not the solution for 13 right now. He needs to play well in 3rd line ice time before he gets moved up to top line/top pp ice and he's not conditioned for it, because Mika & Kakko have been carrying him around like an anchor the last 3+ games.

Personally, if I were Gallant, I'd put the misfits (Panarin, Trocheck, Laf) together and tell them to figure it the f*** out, because they are too talented of players to not make a working second line. Enough excuse making already.

I feel people just want Laf on the Top line to prove he is not a bust and/or because he is a 1stOA. Rangers are not in a rebuild, they are competing for a playoff spot and hopefully another long run.

You can certainly develop young players while still competing but their development is secondary and winning games takes over as the focus.

 

[McRanger92]

I feel people just want Laf on the Top line to prove he is not a bust and/or because he is a 1stOA. Rangers are not in a rebuild, they are competing for a playoff spot and hopefully another long run.

You can certainly develop young players while still competing but their development is secondary and winning games takes over as the focus.

Yeah I never got that aspect of it. Who cares what the main boards or Twitter experts think about our players? Lafreniere is simply developing at a slower rate, like Kakko & Chytil before him. Im pretty confident all 3 will wind up being long term important players for us. The silver lining is that we would be SCREWED with the cap if Laf was playing well. Fun league lol

 

[UnSandvich]

I feel people just want Laf on the Top line to prove he is not a bust and/or because he is a 1stOA. Rangers are not in a rebuild, they are competing for a playoff spot and hopefully another long run.

You can certainly develop young players while still competing but their development is secondary and winning games takes over as the focus.

Counterpoint:
We're not winning this year, and refusing to put effort into developing the young players will ensure we don't win in the future either.

 

[Rangers in 7]

He has zero accuracy. Doesn't matter much anyways. PP2 won't get much time.

I mean at least half the shots zib takes miss the net from that same spot…..

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Counterpoint:
We're not winning this year, and refusing to put effort into developing the young players will ensure we don't win in the future either.

Counter counterpoint: gifting ice time to a kid who is clearly struggling and fighting the puck is also not development.

 

[McRanger92]

Counterpoint:
We're not winning this year, and refusing to put effort into developing the young players will ensure we don't win in the future either.

Why not?

 

[bhamill]

I feel people just want Laf on the Top line to prove he is not a bust and/or because he is a 1stOA. Rangers are not in a rebuild, they are competing for a playoff spot and hopefully another long run.

You can certainly develop young players while still competing but their development is secondary and winning games takes over as the focus.

Sure. That's completely fair. But then we also need to accept that the 1OA is going to be on a far different development arc than the average 1OA. Most of the people "busting" Lafreniere don't seem to accept this reality. They want him to develop like other 1OA's while not giving him the same development path as other 1OA's...

 

[bhamill]

Counter counterpoint: gifting ice time to a kid who is clearly struggling and fighting the puck is also not development.

Counter counter counterpoint: says who? Jack Hughes had a worse rookie rookie year than Laf but they continued "gifting" him four minutes more a game, top line minutes and powerplay time... for his development. The obvious here though is that Hughes was also not blocked down the lineup by star forwards, and the Devs CLEARLY weren't winning anything anyway.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Counter counter counterpoint: says who? Jack Hughes had a worse rookie rookie year than Laf but they continued "gifting" him four minutes more a game, top line minutes and powerplay time... for his development. The obvious here though is that Hughes was also not blocked down the lineup by star forwards, and the Devs CLEARLY weren't winning anything anyway.

Do you think Jack Hughes would currently be struggling if teams and roles were reversed with Laff? Zegras? Stutzle? Because I don't.

 

[haohmaru]

Taylor Hall is already a finished product. Not a kid who is at a major inflection point in his development.

The NHL is not a developmental league.

 

[duhmetreE]

 

[Circus86]

You are correct about needing a plan. It’s either move Panarin (which will be on the table if he has another shitty playoff) or trade Meier and recoup assets. You can do a lot of things in the off-season you cant do at the deadline.

Go big or go home.

Yes you can do a lot during off-season, but moving the second highest paid player in the league who has a full NMC is not one of them. No contender has the cap and Panarin is not waiving for tank hockey. It's not going to happen. I'd love Meier but I think it's a pipe dream.

 

[UnSandvich]

Do you think Jack Hughes would currently be struggling if teams and roles were reversed with Laff? Zegras? Stutzle? Because I don't.

Then you and I (and I’m sure others), are watching 2 different teams.

Why not?

Because as constructed, this team will not beat Boston, Tampa, Carolina, or a healthy Colorado in a 7 game series. I would include Toronto as well, but they need to prove they can make it out of round 1 first.

 

[Chytilmania]

Lazy to go back into the discussion....is there any way to keep Meier long term? Or does that require getting one of Trouba, Kreider or Goodrow off the books?

 

[DanielBrassard]

If we don't go for a big name, Labanc would be great. Probably won't cost a ton even if SJ retained.

Lazy to go back into the discussion....is there any way to keep Meier long term? Or does that require getting one of Trouba, Kreider or Goodrow off the books?

It would require more than just Goodrow coming off the books. It would have to be a bigger contract.

 

[Circus86]

Lazy to go back into the discussion....is there any way to keep Meier long term? Or does that require getting one of Trouba, Kreider or Goodrow off the books?

Even getting goodrow off the books isn't enough. Unless we are trading Miller and Chytil? It requires one of the big guys: Trouba, Panarin, Kreider. Meier is going to want to cash in. This is the year for him. Guess he want's around 8 x 8,5 and he will get that.

 

[Chytilmania]

It would require Goodrow plus one more big contract coming off the books.

Even getting goodrow off the books isn't enough. Unless we are trading Miller and Chytil? It requires one of the big guys: Trouba, Panarin, Kreider. Meier is going to want to cash in. This is the year for him. Guess he want's around 8 x 8,5 and he will get that.

Okay definitely a pipe dream. Thanks! I guess price of the trade will determine if we should pursue as a rental.

 

[McRanger92]

Then you and I (and I’m sure others), are watching 2 different teams.


Because as constructed, this team will not beat Boston, Tampa, Carolina, or a healthy Colorado in a 7 game series. I would include Toronto as well, but they need to prove they can make it out of round 1 first.

We beat a better Carolina team last year and would only need to play one of Boston or Tampa (who are not even close to the same team). Colorado is also not currently in a playoff spot, has major injury issues and Georgiev in goal.

I hate to keep harping on it but Panarin not being a Kucherov/Pastrnak/etc. type player despite being paid like one is the issue. You need depth, but when the chips are down, you go as far as your stars take you in the playoffs. Fox, Mika, Igor, even Kreider were all excellent last spring and came through when we needed them to. Panarin scored the Game 7OT goal, which was basically him doing none of the work in the group project, but writing his name the biggest when it was handed in. If we can get what we're paying for from him from April-June, we can absolutely beat any team and win 4 rounds. If we dont, changes are most likely coming.