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

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

Not to be a smart ass but to play where exactly? Are you trading chytil for horvat at 50 percent and then putting horvat with panarin and then slotting trocheck on the 3rd line?

This team doesn't need to add to the core that's here, they need to shake that core up.

I don’t think that’s being a smart ass. Valid question, when I wrote the comment I hadn’t really thought through a real offer, but let’s say it’s Krav + 1st + a prospect or something. Could Chytil play some wing in that scenario? I more wanted to spark some debate on what type of player the Rangers should look to acquire to really shake things up. I think a big personality and super competetive guy like Horvat would shake up this team. He far from the only guy out there who can do that though, and to your point maybe he’s not even the best fit regardless.

 

[bleedblue94]

Why didn't he do any of that here? He was an anchor to our fourth line.

Did you consider who was on the 4th line this year?

Or maybe reavo is just energized getting away from the shit show that is this NYR team

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

What you're talking about isn't something you just trade for mid season and bring in. Leadership isn't imported. It's like people here don't remember Brian skudland and Mike keane

Regardless if “leadership isn’t imported”, he’s a guy that would change the dynamic in the locker room, which I think is very obviously necessary at this point.

 

[McRanger92]

Athanasiou is an expert on making money he doesn’t deserve. Trouba sucks ass this year but the vast majority of the time he smokes some guy with his head down on a clean hit, beats the piss out of his teammate and the Rangers end up on a PP.

He’s got major warts as a player but he’s among the toughest and most intimidating Rangers of the past 20 years. And at least he gives a crap

 

[bleedblue94]

Gorton signed Panarin and Trouba and put us in this mess in the first place

That isn't fair regarding trouba. We didn't have any idea fox would be fox and for almost 5 years this board was calling for trouba or a top pairing rd.

I don’t think that’s being a smart ass. Valid question, when I wrote the comment I hadn’t really thought through a real offer, but let’s say it’s Krav + 1st + a prospect or something. Could Chytil play some wing in that scenario? I more wanted to spark some debate on what type of player the Rangers should look to acquire to really shake things up. I think a big personality and super competetive guy like Horvat would shake up this team. He far from the only guy out there who can do that though, and to your point maybe he’s not even the best fit regardless.

I personally think it's a ridiculous idea to entertain a rental costing a first or significant asset to jumpstart an entitled core that is still hungover thinking they made some massive career accomplishment last year. If the guys here need bo horvat to walk through the door to jump start them then the battery is already dead and it's time to go to AutoZone for a new one anyways.

 

[bleedblue94]

Regardless if “leadership isn’t imported”, he’s a guy that would change the dynamic in the locker room, which I think is very obviously necessary at this point.

Based on what exactly? A pending ufa who is a rental isn't walking into a struggling team that he's making a pitstop at for a few months and changing dynamics. No one in the room would care, he's gone in a few months and they are here for years. It's an entitlement issue

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

Based on what exactly? A pending ufa who is a rental isn't walking into a struggling team that he's making a pitstop at for a few months and changing dynamics. No one in the room would care, he's gone in a few months and they are here for years. It's an entitlement issue

I disagree completely. Anytime you add ANY new face to a locker room, the dynamic changes. That is a fact. A strong personality can really mix things up.

That said - I’m not saying that adding Bo Horvat is a prescription for success either lol…if it wasn’t obvious my original comment was to spark a debate around who is the right kind of person to add to the mix. Not in anyway advocating for Drury to go spend the assets. And I definitely don’t think it’s easy to fix this mess anyway. It’s surely a complicated issue.

 

[Bondra slapshot]

I think the posters that have suggested Trouba being injured are on to something. He clearly is having a down year but he was great last year and he was very impactful in the playoffs. I can't just forget that and write him off as a scrub. That would be recency bias at its finest.

I'd bet that him becoming captains is now making him put more pressure on himself to play through injuries that he may not have if he wasn't captain. He probably wants to lead by example and tough it out as much as possible since he now wears the C. To be honest, whether you agree with it or not, it's understandable and human nature for him to want to lead on as much as he can.

I think it's becoming more clear that a confluence of factors are simply not breaking in our favor this year and it may be better to let this distillation continue and separate the pieces you want from the pieces you no longer want. I'd prefer no rash decisions in the middle of the season. Let the distillation continue to run for the rest of the season and then make changes when more unknowns become knowns.

 

[Taluss]

I think the posters that have suggested Trouba being injured are on to something. He clearly is having a down year but he was great last year and he was very impactful in the playoffs. I can't just forget that and write him off as a scrub. That would be recency bias at its finest.

I'd bet that him becoming captains is now making him put more pressure on himself to play through injuries that he may not have if he wasn't captain. He probably wants to lead by example and tough it out as much as possible since he now wears the C. To be honest, whether you agree with it or not, it's understandable and human nature for him to want to lead on as much as he can.

I think it's becoming more clear that a confluence of factors are simply not breaking in our favor this year and it may be better to let this distillation continue and separate the pieces you want from the pieces you no longer want. I'd prefer no rash decisions in the middle of the season. Let the distillation continue to run for the rest of the season and then make changes when more unknowns become knowns.

Its already been confirmed Trouba is injured

 

[bleedblue94]

I disagree completely. Anytime you add ANY new face to a locker room, the dynamic changes. That is a fact. A strong personality can really mix things up.

That said - I’m not saying that adding Bo Horvat is a prescription for success either lol…if it wasn’t obvious my original comment was to spark a debate around who is the right kind of person to add to the mix. Not in anyway advocating for Drury to go spend the assets. And I definitely don’t think it’s easy to fix this mess anyway. It’s surely a complicated issue.

Players come and go all the time. Your core is your core for a reason. They are the fabric and identity of your team. You don't alter that by bringing in a temp piece. This isn't a situation where you bring in a magical piece to fix things here, you need to disrupt what's here. This org doesn't have assets to toss around on bandaids.

Its already been confirmed Trouba is injured

There were posters saying it before it was confirmed as well...

 

[egelband]

Its already been confirmed Trouba is injured

I have been pretty disengaged lately but I hadn’t heard he’s injured. Just speculation. What do we know? I assume lower body.

 

[Taluss]

I have been pretty disengaged lately but I hadn’t heard he’s injured. Just speculation. What do we know? I assume lower body.

I cant Remember exactly what but if ya go back in the thread theres some talk about Gallant saying hes injured and Trouba wouldnt allow himself to be taken out even if asked (very rough quote cant remember exactly what was said)

 

[Kords]

I have been pretty disengaged lately but I hadn’t heard he’s injured. Just speculation. What do we know? I assume lower body.

Coach confirmed he was playing through a minor injury. People have speculated it's hand or wrist because there are pictures of him with it wrapped up. Makes all the fighting kind of weird though so who knows what it is exactly.

 

[egelband]

Coach confirmed he was playing through a minor injury. People have speculated it's hand or wrist because there are pictures of him with it wrapped up. Makes all the fighting kind of weird though so who knows what it is exactly.

Like you say, Trouba seems to be playing physical, that’s why I guessed lower body.

 

[EdJovanovski]

 

[PuckLuck3043]

It sucks that we are in that group but it is the truth. It's been a disaster of a season. I keep hoping I hear some good news about a coaching change.

 

[bobbop]

That team had way more talent than this hot mess.

Agree, but they missed the playoffs by eight points. Under achievers coming off a breakout season. This team has plenty of talent but several of the big guns are badly under achieving. Same as 92-93.

Probably the biggest difference is that I don’t think Gallant has lost the team the way Nielsen did. Yet

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

What a clown. It was a clean hit. Shoulder to chest, Trouba's feet were on the ground at impact, hands down. AA got caught with his head down and got rocked with a clean hit, it's hockey.

Whining to the media about a clean hit against you and criticizing Trouba's point totals? He's a defenseman and he only has 3 less points than Athenasiou does.

 

[bobbop]

Trouba has been playing through an injury since the last exhibition game. Whatever it is, it’s nagging and it isn’t all that minor

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Wow, just noticed Paul Stastny has zero goals, and just 5 points all season. I remember some people here wanting him for a 3rd line option. Thank god we at least avoided that.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Apparently we’ve also had the easiest schedule in the NHL so far… lol

NHL Strength of Schedule Rankings

Strength of Schedule Played and Strength of Schedule Remaining for all 31 NHL teams.

powerrankingsguru.com

 

[GENESISPuck94]

Per NaturalStatTrick, in terms of individual player HDCF (which boils down to essentially "crash the net+shots off rush"), the Rangers have 4 players in the top 40 leaguewide. Trocheck, Kreider, Kakko, Laf. Zibanejad is 59th. Hell even Goodrow is 67th. Those guys are getting the chances, they're just not necessarily getting rewarded. Trocheck for instance hasn't shot this low at 5v5 since 2018-19 (excluding a 9 game sample size last year). Laf & Kakko, are both shooting colder than their averages, and with say 5-6 more goals between them (and assorted assists), are we complaining as much.?

You know who's actually the problem? Panarin, who's 343rd. He has 8 total High Danger chances. He is the single most averse-to-the net top 6 F in the league. No forward has played more mins 5v5 with less HDCF.



Reaves couldn't even hold other teams accountable, and he was allowed to hit them. What makes you think he could make this team accountable?

I think the answer is clear who needs to be traded. To send a message, to change the culture, to releave cap space, and to gain assets.

Panarin has to be moved.

But, we know Drury will trade away 1sts, prospects, and players for Kane to placate Panarin instead.

 

[AlaBlueShirt]

I think the answer is clear who needs to be traded. To send a message, to change the culture, to releave cap space, and to gain assets.

Panarin has to be moved.

But, we know Drury will trade away 1sts, prospects, and players for Kane to placate Panarin instead.

When Drury came in he definitely made some changes that had to be done. He overpaid for Blais, signed Reaves and Nemeth. Basicly acquired bunch of "tough" guys. People, especially on here, were talking about he did the things because of the Wilson incident. I partially agree with that but I think that the time he spent with the team when Quinn was in covid protocol he prolly saw some things that were wrong with the culture. Last seasons ECF run could have made him think that the culture for the future is set. Give Trouba the C and the rest of the vets will follow. Didn't happen.
After the Reaves trade our records is 1-4-1.

 

[GAGLine]

Wow, just noticed Paul Stastny has zero goals, and just 5 points all season. I remember some people here wanting him for a 3rd line option. Thank god we at least avoided that.

Given the way the team has played, it is really better that we have Trocheck for 6 more years after this at nearly 4 times the cap hit?

 

[haohmaru]

If I'm Trouba, I make a(nother) point about earning my 8 million the next time I see Athanasiou on the ice.