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

[NYR Viper]

If Kreider is moved, my bet is Boston. They have a ton of cap space next off-season and if they bring back Kreijci and Bergeron, they will be going for it. Perhaps something like Debrusk + 1st or something like that. Debrusk would have 1 year left @ $4m then UFA

 

[leetch99]

I don't know. It seemed pretty unanimous that the room sees Trouba as the leader. They just went to the ECF. People act like that wasn't the same team with the same personalities.

I would have thrown Draisaitl into the East River, but that's just me.

It is obvious no Ranger witnessed this and that Trouba is hurt ....it's a move like that that can wake a club up . I'm not sure when they meet again....but it will be ugly . That act by the German is one that should net him at least a fine by the league ......it is not finished .

 

[McRanger92]

But in terms of passing and the emergent weakness at RW- Minnesota would be wild to trade Zuccarello, but he's exactly the kind of player the team needs in the top 6.

Zuccarello, Voracek... if NYR wanted to blow their cupboard on a high paid playmaking winger at 50% retention this deadline, they could do it. Then in the offseason you look to move Goodrow or Trouba.

For me Trouba is the obvious candidate to be a cap casualty. 10 bucks says he actually has really good trade value around the league. Schneider has been better (Than he was last year) so far this season, I don't think there's anything in Trouba's game beyond sheer size that a fully developed Schneider couldn't emulate, and the lack of a mirage of offensive production that came from Trouba's days as the Michael Rozsival of the WPJ PP will keep his second contract looking more like Lindgren's.

Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko
Panarin-Chytil-Zuccarello
Lafreniere-Trocheck-???
???-Goodrow-Gauthier

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Schneider
Robertson-Jones

Isn't the worst template to build on. If you assume you can get a good energy winger for Trouba in a trade you've effectively balanced the lineup.

I actually have no issue with changing up the look of the team by moving a core piece (kreider, Trouba, Panarin) if the poor efforts continue, but its not happening mid-season.

In fact, if they disappoint in the playoffs, or God forbid dont make it at all, I think we see an NMC vet AND one of the kids moved this offseason.

 

[Fitzy]

I actually have no issue with changing up the look of the team by moving a core piece (kreider, Trouba, Panarin) if the poor efforts continue, but its not happening mid-season.

In fact, if they disappoint in the playoffs, or God forbid dont make it at all, I think we see an NMC vet AND one of the kids moved this offseason.

And a coaching change.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Am i reading these posts correctly, people want more passers on this team??? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Give me more shooters

 

[RangersFan1994]

A swap of Kreider for Nylander could benefit both us and TOR but I figure Drury would be too stubborn to move Kreids.
A top-6 of:

Lafreniere-Zibanejad-Nylander
Panarin-Trocheck-Kakko

would be interesting to see, I think Toronto still craves a power forward like Kreider

So the Rangers get another finesse soft forward. Just what the Rangers doesn't need more of

 

[Boris Zubov]

Kreider is a top 5 net front presence in the league with screens/tips/deflections.

Unfortunately it looks like he's regressed to just above average speed.

Zibanejad's got his shot, but he also has extremely underrated defensive awareness and his stick-checking ability is one of the best I've ever seen. For how much he reaches, he gets a lot of contact and rarely takes a tripping penalty. When he's on it's fun to watch.

Rating passing is tough because you've got multiple factors to consider- vision, accuracy, but also judgement. The ability to recognize when to make a risky pass and when to take the safer, more low percentage play is something that's hard to quantify.

Still I agree that our forward group is lacking in that capacity. Kreider and Chytil in particular as skill players are not very good distributors of the puck.

The first half of the season last year, both at ES & on the power play, the team was feeding Kreider for deflections. Once they swapped Zib & Panarin on the PP, Fox stopped looking for Kreider down low & began telegraphing Zibs one timer. Somehow that's carried over to 5v5 play & it's like they forgot how successful the formula of Kreider cleaning up the mess in front of the net was. Does anybody watch film?

 

[McRanger92]

And a coaching change.

Yeah of course that goes without saying. Gallant probably has a month to right the ship before he catches a taxi. At least that's all he should get.

This is one of those situations where I hope Drury is similar to Grandpa Lou. Lamoriello never hesitated to make a quick coaching change if what he saw wasn't working. It's pretty obvious to me that the team needs a veteran coach and/or one with some standing around the league to take hold of the locker room. I'm over the "hands off" management style of AV/Gallant, and none of the players respected Quinn enough to actually listen to him. I'd love Trotz or Q and call me crazy, but finally hiring Messier on an interim basis for the rest of the year is not something I would be upset about

 

[leetch99]

And a coaching change.

If they make a trade like that one mentioned involving a core guy and a kid.....one has to wonder why the coach is blamed when it sounds like a GM problem . Making a deal like that sings of poor roster construction....and no coach can fix that....that is a GM move .

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

I think the guy you look to move is Trouba, not Kreider. Obviously very dependent on how the rest of this season goes, but at some point you may look to jettison Trouba if it becomes even more clear that he is not a good captain. Would be very difficult to just strip him of the C. Kreider brings way too much value for his cap hit to move him.

 

[McRanger92]

If they make a trade like that one mentioned involving a core guy and a kid.....one has to wonder why the coach is blamed when it sounds like a GM problem . Making a deal like that sings of poor roster construction....and no coach can fix that....that is a GM move .

Changing the look of the team doesn't make the coach an innocent bystander. Gallant will be long gone by the time they know they need to make major personnel changes

 

[AirGut]

So the Rangers get another finesse soft forward. Just what the Rangers doesn't need more of

true but at a certain point if things get really bad I'd welcome any sort of shakeup. I'd rather move Trouba than Kreider but it'll be 10x harder to move out his contract and I doubt most teams would be itching to have him on their roster as opposed to Kreids. Kreider is still more marketable and he's most likely going to end up being the odd man out in these scenarios, which sucks because he's been one of my favorites to ever put on a Rangers jersey

 

[NYR Viper]

Panarin isn't going anywhere
Zibanejad isn't going anywhere
Trochek isn't going anywhere
Lafreniere and Kaako shouldn't go anywhere
Fox isn't going anywhere
Miller isn't going anywhere
Schneider shoudlnt' be going anywhere
Shesty isn't going anywhere

The guys who will be on the bubble are probably, in no particular order:
Lindgren
Kreider
Chytil

If the Rangers are high on Berard, Othmann and Cuylle, the natural choice is Kreider.
The team doesn't have any centers in the pipe-line that are even close to ready so moving Chytil would need to be followed by singing another center. Not impossible, but requires another external piece.
Lindgren is one I could see moving as well depending on the return.


The key, for me, is that Drury sees this team for what it is and DOESN'T trade either of the 1st's he has at his fingertips. Go find a couple of centers or a center and a defenseman with those picks.

 

[Leonardo87]

I bet my life he does. Reaves had had like four fights in the last three years. Star players ignore him.

Should have gotten a guy like Deslauriers. He would have picked up Leon after that and throw him into the Edmonton bench. Des is also good at killing penalties.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

I still believe that Gallant is being foolish with not utilizing Kravtsov in his top 6 even if it’s just to see if he can shine an justify Vitali’s draft position and that a scout like Corey Proman and another two scouts who I can’t recall their names watched Kravtsov in the KHL this past season and stated that he is an exceptional talent.
Maybe the poster who believes it could be because Drury has him lined up in a possible trade and they don’t want him injured but if not Chris Drury might need to force Gallant’s hand and explain that he needs a top 6 read on Kravtsov to gauge his value to the team or his trade value.
Because of our cap situation and Hartford’s injuries (Rydahl and Gettinger) there is no one coming to help this lineup. We are what we are for now.

 

[Taluss]

Yep. No reason not to play Krav and have him adjust to the NHL. If he can adjust, great. If not, trade bait

 

[kovazub94]

If you factor in expectations then, yes. One was drafted 21st and the other 75th. Chytil should have higher expectations.

By your logic because Buchnevich turn out to be ppg player drafted at 75 then Chytil is expected to be 2ppg or bust???

 

[bleedblue94]

Panarin isn't going anywhere
Zibanejad isn't going anywhere
Trochek isn't going anywhere
Lafreniere and Kaako shouldn't go anywhere
Fox isn't going anywhere
Miller isn't going anywhere
Schneider shoudlnt' be going anywhere
Shesty isn't going anywhere

The guys who will be on the bubble are probably, in no particular order:
Lindgren
Kreider
Chytil

If the Rangers are high on Berard, Othmann and Cuylle, the natural choice is Kreider.
The team doesn't have any centers in the pipe-line that are even close to ready so moving Chytil would need to be followed by singing another center. Not impossible, but requires another external piece.
Lindgren is one I could see moving as well depending on the return.


The key, for me, is that Drury sees this team for what it is and DOESN'T trade either of the 1st's he has at his fingertips. Go find a couple of centers or a center and a defenseman with those picks.

And moving Lindgren or chytil does nothing to address the issues with this team. Kreider for all his issues CAN play a way that we need more of

Gallant isn't really a "details" guy. He is a guy who gives his veterans/stars a lot of room to express themselves. It's typical he lobbied the grenade from the latest debacle back to the vets. Ironically most of the Ranger's top offensive players need a structure to base their game on, from there they can improvise which is their strength. Now they (Zib, Panarin, Laffy, Kakko) are kinda lost out there, none of them really in an environment that suits their game.

- Panarin played his best hockey in a stricter environment where his quick mind could shine by doing the unexpected and "break the the pattern" everybody else on the ice follow. Currently, when we are so 'awkward' tactically, he struggles with timing like most everybody else, and he is predictable. Imo it's no surprise he was playing best with Kravtsov early on. Panarin was "coaching" him and Kravy helped him use the entire o-zone and "stretch" the ice E/W which Panarin loves.

- Zib and Kreider are fine together, but Zib is a horse that needs a RW that can spring him. Kakko played well as his RW but you can see why puck movers like Buch and Zucc are better compliments to Zib's speed game, both in the neutral zone and o-zone, which is the key area to Zib's offense. He has to play with speed.

- Kakko thrives in a mobile possession game with 5 players participating.

- Laffy needs more strength and speed, but like Zib he also needs to play with speed under his skates. If he becomes "stagnant/static" he ends up behind the game and disappears. Both are "mercurial" players that need to be in motion. Much of the complaints about Laffy imo are because he is often a step behind play bc systemic/timing/puck movement issues.

The team overall played their best at the very start of the season. They still had the post-season tempo in them, they played with about as balanced lines as they can put out, and they had a clear template to work from. Along the way all of that has been diluted by tinkering. Also the team has to find a way to keep skating against trapping teams. The wonky results, which led to tinkering, started after opponents denied the Rangers speed up the ice with the trap.

A key to improve the overall game is for the D to be smoother (=faster) on starting the transition from the D zone, it has to be immediate, and the forwards need to be better prepared how to turn up the ice as a unit and as puck support/availability for the D. That will unlock the one or two steps the players need to keep their tempo/skating up.

The team needs fine tuning in all three zones, and both PPs, but I don't see it as a talent issue.

I made a post about gallant and how the complains at him are really more accurately aimed at kelly. kelly keeps getting lost in all of this.

agree 100% about panarin

disagree with the zib kreider thing. they are not some sort of dynamic duo and brings out the best in each other, yet people act like something horrible will happen if they are split up. meanwhile we continue to force this together and watch laffy (our future) flounder being played everywhere and out of position. Put laffy on zibs lw and leave him there.

we dont know what zib needs, but I am so tired of reading how we need to find or add X Y and Z to make our best players actually be good players 5v5. everytime i read this it makes me feel like we signed a bunch of pp specialists who cant play 5v5 and I know that isnt the case generally. there is just no accountability for 5v5 play bc these guys all know they will get their touches and their cookies on the pp regardless what they do 5v5.

kakko needs confidence and to stop missing empty nets

laffy needs his lower body strength, some stability (not even a line, but a position), and is suffocating from a lack of confidence

at the start of the year i said skill usually trumps skill and as teams settle into their d structure the teams that simply rely on skill without effort or structure will struggle. that is what is happening here.

every team wants their d to move the puck up faster, but why isnt this also on the forwards for actually moving and being open as an option while in motion? even so, when they get through the NZ they are a waste.

 

[Machinehead]

Am i reading these posts correctly, people want more passers on this team??? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Give me more shooters

Who are all these passers we have?

 

[haohmaru]

By your logic because Buchnevich turn out to be ppg player drafted at 75 then Chytil is expected to be 2ppg or bust???

Where did I say anything like this? Oh, I didn't.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Who are all these passers we have?

Kakko is a very good passer. It get's lost in the shuffle because everyone is fixated on the fact he can't finish.

 

[Machinehead]

Kakko is a very good passer. It get's lost in the shuffle because everyone is fixated on the fact he can't finish.

He has 36 assists in 179 games.

He has 9 primary assists in the NHL at even strength. Nine.

 

[Ruggs225]

He has 36 assists in 179 games.

I feel like kakko leads the world in the third assist category. Like he is the player who makes the initial play to get things going, but then doesnt get the point.

Panarin isn't going anywhere
Zibanejad isn't going anywhere
Trochek isn't going anywhere
Lafreniere and Kaako shouldn't go anywhere
Fox isn't going anywhere
Miller isn't going anywhere
Schneider shoudlnt' be going anywhere
Shesty isn't going anywhere

The guys who will be on the bubble are probably, in no particular order:
Lindgren
Kreider
Chytil

If the Rangers are high on Berard, Othmann and Cuylle, the natural choice is Kreider.
The team doesn't have any centers in the pipe-line that are even close to ready so moving Chytil would need to be followed by singing another center. Not impossible, but requires another external piece.
Lindgren is one I could see moving as well depending on the return.


The key, for me, is that Drury sees this team for what it is and DOESN'T trade either of the 1st's he has at his fingertips. Go find a couple of centers or a center and a defenseman with those picks.

Id rather get rid of miller than either of lindgren or chytil… and its not really close for me.

I would get rid of schneider before those two as well.

 

[kovazub94]

Where did I say anything like this? Oh, I didn't.

Did you miss "by the same logic"? I was pointing out a faulty logic in your argument where you somehow expected Chytil to develop faster because he was drafted higher than Buchnevich.

 

[Boris Zubov]

He has 36 assists in 179 games.

He has 9 primary assists in the NHL at even strength. Nine.

I'm not an advanced stat guy, but of all players in the NHL that you, the advanced stat guru, should be touting is Kakko.

Clearly traditional Goals, Assists & Points don't tell the full story about this kid's ability. With that said, he's an underrated passer, 36 assists be damned.