Speculation: Roster Building Thread III (2019/2020) - Tick Tock

[Avery16]

Why? He can’t slot into the one position we have open. He’s not outscoring/performing Strome or Names at this point. Signing Brass great for 2012-2016 Rangers. Not for 2019 onwards Rangers.

Rangers should have been in on that for that price.

I take it back. Please don’t answer that rhetorical question.

 

[Machinehead]

He is 100% a priority over Derick Brassard in 2019

I like Brassard a lot and wish we could have brought him for depth purposes.

But he is by no means and not even close to being a priority over Lemieux. We need Lemmy’s style of play badly to make the team more diverse in its play. Plus he still has potential to grow.

I think this was a terrible move by Brassard. Take away the Islanders title from that team and you just look at those bottom lines and think who the hell are you playing with to fix your offensive numbers for a new contract next season? Brutalz

I like Lemieux but he's woefully replaceable. So is Brassard at this point, but he's super cheap. I'm done spending money on nothing players. That's what gets us into cap hell.

Why? He can’t slot into the one position we have open. He’s not outscoring/performing Strome or Names at this point. Signing Brass great for 2012-2016 Rangers. Not for 2019 onwards Rangers.

I guarantee you he'll be better than Strome this year.

 

[FIRE DRURY]

I like Lemieux but he's woefully replaceable. So is Brassard at this point, but he's super cheap. I'm done spending money on nothing players. That's what gets us into cap hell.

I guarantee you he'll be better than Strome this year.

If you’re done spending money on nothing players then Brassard shouldn’t be on your radar. He offers nothing to this team next season or the future.

Lemieux can at least be a part of the core Gorton is building.

 

[Kovalev27]

View attachment 250727

Are those his skates for real? That’s amazing

 

[Machinehead]

If you’re done spending money on nothing players then Brassard shouldn’t be on your radar. He offers nothing to this team next season or the future.

Lemieux can at least be a part of the core Gorton is building.

If Lemieux is a core player, your team is garbage.

Brassard cost $1.2M for a year. I would hardly call that spending money. And it's something we actually need as opposed to another third line winger.

 

[Krams]

I like Lemieux but he's woefully replaceable. So is Brassard at this point, but he's super cheap. I'm done spending money on nothing players. That's what gets us into cap hell.

Last season I remember you referring to him as a 22 year old Sean Avery. That's a 'nothing player'? Please. He's 23, we'll be paying him little more than a qualifying offer next year, he has scoring upside and adds a dynamic to the team that we haven't had in several years. I'm not sure why you've flipped on him to the point where you're prioritizing a 31-year old Derick Brassard while we're in the middle of a rebuild.

 

[Kovalev27]

Since the Kevin Hayes trade the lack of elite center options in the Rangers depth chart has been on my mind a lot. It seems a big glaring weakness and something that could hold them back.

That said, I just looked back at the 94 Cup Roster and realized that team had no 2nd line center during the entire run. After Mess there was Nemchinov. Weight had been traded. And for a good chunk of the playoffs Kovalev centered the second line between Larmer and Matteau. Sure, there were other guys like MacTavish and Hudson and I believe Tikk played C during the run as well. But it was really 2C by committee.

This is by no means an argument that the team doesn't need to figure out a legit 2c option. But it is interesting to see that, at least one very specific circumstance, that role wasn't as vital as we make it out to be. But then again, it also shows that if Mess went down at any point during the 94 run, it it most likely would have been cut short. And it's crazy to realize that there were stretches in those playoffs where Keenan benched Messier despite the lack of depth behind him.

I don’t know what this fear is all about.

The Rangers have 3 young centers, All first round picks, All coming into their second or third pro seasons in Chytil Howden and Andersson.

You’ve got 4 veteran guys that are natural centers behind them in Strome Namestnikov McKegg and Nieves for back up.

At some point you’ve got to let your top prospects sink or swim with real playing time and real line mates.

Hayes was a late first round pick. They put him in the 3C spot right out of college with veterans and off he went. Nowhere near the pro experience Chytil Howden or Andersson have at this point.

Chytil is going on his third pro season. Yes he’s young but he’s no rookie anymore. This league is as young as its ever been. Time to let this kid loose. And putting him between Kreider and Buchnevich is the perfect opportunity

 

[Machinehead]

Last season I remember you referring to him as a 22 year old Sean Avery. That's a 'nothing player'? Please. He's 23, we'll be paying him little more than a qualifying offer next year, he has scoring upside and adds a dynamic to the team that we haven't had in several years. I'm not sure why you've flipped on him to the point where you're prioritizing a 31-year old Derick Brassard while we're in the middle of a rebuild.

Sean Avery was a replaceable player.

We're supposedly in the middle of the rebuild, but we've clearly shifted to a more competitive mindset. Despite that, we have the worst center depth in the league. We're either competing or we're not. Being in the middle is what has always gotten this organization in trouble.

 

[Machinehead]

By the way, Lemieux is only one option and hardly the first one I would go for.

If we brought in a decent center we could trade Strome and save 3 million right there.

 

[Tawnos]

By the way, Lemieux is only one option and hardly the first one I would go for.

If we brought in a decent center we could trade Strome and save 3 million right there.

I don’t think there’s a trade market for Strome any more than there was for Namestnikov or even a far more valuable player in Kreider.

 

[RGY]

I like Lemieux but he's woefully replaceable. So is Brassard at this point, but he's super cheap. I'm done spending money on nothing players. That's what gets us into cap hell.

I guarantee you he'll be better than Strome this year.

This a woefully bad take MH.

Watched a 22 year old for a quarter of the season and this is the conclusion you have drawn?

Cmon Mannnm

 

[LORDE]

By the way, Lemieux is only one option and hardly the first one I would go for.

If we brought in a decent center we could trade Strome and save 3 million right there.

Wouldn't we have traded Strome if that was possible or the plan?

Also, I liked Brassard here but "decent center" isn't how he's played on his past what??? 3 teams now.

 

[Krams]

Sean Avery was a replaceable player.

Clearly not, considering it took us seven years to find a player who brings a similar element to the lineup.

We're either competing or we're not.

Things are not that black and white. We have added competitive pieces to an extremely young roster with the notion that those pieces will continue to be elite contributors once the young guys come into their own. Just because the team probably won't be bottom five in the league this year does not mean we sacrifice a promising, young, cost-controlled asset to sign Derick f***ing Brassard.

 

[Machinehead]

I don’t think there’s a trade market for Strome any more than there was for Namestnikov or even a far more valuable player in Kreider.

Then maybe we should stop investing 3, 4 million a year in players nobody wants.

This was never really about Lemieux, but I fear that we're willing to spend that on Lemieux and we shouldn't.

This a woefully bad take MH.

Watched a 22 year old for a quarter of the season and this is the conclusion you have drawn?

Cmon Mannnm

Exactly, he's 22. He's not 19. And he's never been particularly good.

Clearly not, considering it took us seven years to find a player who brings a similar element to the lineup.


Things are not that black and white. We have added competitive pieces to an extremely young roster with the notion that those pieces will continue to be elite contributors once the young guys come into their own. Just because the team probably won't be bottom five in the league this year does not mean we sacrifice a promising, young, cost-controlled asset to sign Derick ****ing Brassard.

It's been seven years since we've had a halfway decent tough player?

Wouldn't we have traded Strome if that was possible or the plan?

Also, I liked Brassard here but "decent center" isn't how he's played on his past what??? 3 teams now.

He had 46 points in 17-18. That's way better than a typical Ryan Strome year. Brassard had one bad year that everyone is overreacting to.

 

[Levitate]

Brassard looked cooked last year

Not sure why we should care about crossing our fingers that he has a bounce back year. Rangers need a 2C, Brassard is not a 2C anymore. Better to let someone like Chytil try to grow into the role rather than sign over the hill and useless guys just because they're "cheap"

it's like buying something you don't need because it's on sale

 

[Machinehead]

Brassard looked cooked last year

Not sure why we should care about crossing our fingers that he has a bounce back year. Rangers need a 2C, Brassard is not a 2C anymore. Better to let someone like Chytil try to grow into the role rather than sign over the hill and useless guys just because they're "cheap"

it's like buying something you don't need because it's on sale

That's assuming they actually let Chytil do that, and assuming Chytil is even an NHL center which is a big one.

It's more likely that we end up with Strome being bad at it the entire year which Brassard could have done for way less money.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Minny gonna Minny lmao

 

[Machinehead]

Minny gonna Minny lmao

This isn't a bad hire at all. He joined the Pens as an assistant right before they turned it around and won two Cups.

 

[LokiDog]

At this stage, while he’s cheap and has development still in the tank, you hold onto a guy like Lemieux (on this type of roster at least) and pray he can become a poor man’s Tom Wilson.

 

[Machinehead]

At this stage, while he’s cheap and has development still in the tank, you hold onto a guy like Lemieux (on this type of roster at least) and pray he can become a poor man’s Tom Wilson.

Well again, this wasn't really about Lemieux. I have no issue with Lemieux. I'm just not going to overpay for what he does or prioritize him over needs higher in the lineup.

The real problem is that we gave Namestnikov and Spooner (turned into Strome) 8+ million dollars to do precisely nothing. That's exactly why I don't want to overpay Lemieux.

 

[Machinehead]

At this stage, while he’s cheap and has development still in the tank, you hold onto a guy like Lemieux (on this type of roster at least) and pray he can become a poor man’s Tom Wilson.

Unrelated: that is a beautiful animal.

 

[Krams]

It's been seven years since we've had a halfway decent tough player?

This isn't about toughness... Lemieux isn't "tough" in the traditional sense, he doesn't throw huge hits or knock guys out. He isn't particularly big. But he is an elite agitator combined with actual skill. The entire team plays pissed off when he's in the lineup doing his thing. Incredibly refreshing coming off the days of "between the whistles" Vigneault. Couple that with middle six ability and you have a very unique player.

 

[LORDE]

That's assuming they actually let Chytil do that, and assuming Chytil is even an NHL center which is a big one.

It's more likely that we end up with Strome being bad at it the entire year which Brassard could have done for way less money.

Again tho... U would've had to deal Strome already right? I don't think anyone wanted him... even for a pick

 

[Machinehead]

This isn't about toughness... Lemieux isn't "tough" in the traditional sense, he doesn't throw huge hits or knock guys out. He isn't particularly big. But he is an elite agitator combined with actual skill. The entire team plays pissed off when he's in the lineup doing his thing. Incredibly refreshing coming off the days of "between the whistles" Vigneault. Couple that with middle six ability and you have a very unique player.

No question he's a very unique player but there's still a limit to how much I'm willing to spend on it.

When it comes to making difficult choices (and the Rangers put themselves in that situation by doing much worse than Lemieux) he's not keeping me up at night.

 

[RGY]

Exactly, he's 22. He's not 19. And he's never been particularly good.

Man oh man WHAT?!?!?

Last year was his first full Pro season with only 60+ games played and with limited ice time for most of the year with Winnipeg.

The year before he played 9 games.

Never been particular good...based on what?

Its one thing to not like a guy (which your reasoning is still piss poor) but now youre just talking out of your ass.

He isnt some elite scorer but he had a good Junior career. His second full season in the AHL he was solid and produced. He seems to get better as he makes his adjustments to the league and play around him.

Just stop man. I love Brassard but dont take this out on Lemieux. They have nothing to do with each other and Brassard would be a 13th forward/stop gap on this team.

Oh and Strome outscored Brassard last year...