Roster Building Thread IV (2019/2020)

[Trxjw]

i wonder what NHL players will get tryouts during training camp? I would not mind giving a tryout to someone like Devante Smith-Pelly for depth for Wolfpack or Rangers. what are your options for a NHL tryout with the Rangers

I'm expecting at least one depth defensemen as a tryout. Stone, McQuaid, Hutton, maybe even a Girardi reunion if that bridge wasn't burned with the buyout. I think Phaneuf is cooked but you never know.

Up front there's enough bodies that I think the only guys you'll see in camp as far as tryouts go will be grittier types. The Rangers, for better or worse, have seemed insistent on carrying a veteran scrapper in their lineup for years now. I can't imagine that's changed, so I would expect them to make a play for someone either via camp invite or through a small trade. Assuming they can't bring back someone like McQuaid that is.

 

[True Blue]

Based on being a superstar on any level that he had played on so far, Kakko is definitely a "superstar in the making". I'll pencil the probability of him becoming Daigle or Berg at 0.000001%

Not sure if you are being tongue in cheek here. Do you remember Daigle? The guy was an absolute superstar in the making. He put up video game numbers which led him to be the undisputed 1st overall pick. We need to take our blue-shaded lenses off and take a real look here. How is Kakko a superstar in the making and Daigle was not? What can you possibly base the below on aside from your own desire?

I'll pencil the probability of him becoming Daigle or Berg at 0.000001%

Why not just state that he is the next Teemu Selanne? Let's just pencil him in for that.

 

[Kupo]

maybe even a Girardi reunion if that bridge wasn't burned with the buyout.

Good god man, hopefully it was.

 

[True Blue]

He's not a detriment to the team. He's the captain that can't be captain. His work ethic and drive to win can certainly benefit the two young goalies develop into even better NHL pros. If he plays like dog crap this year then I'm all for him making whatever decision he needs to make. He won't stick around if he doesn't meet his own standards.

Not to mention the fact that he is playing under a negotiated contract. Fans clamoring that the gives up the cash that is remaining on his deal, is pretty disingenuous as I highly doubt that they would be willing to give up several years of their own salaries if their performance was not as good as it used to be. Demanding that Henke marches into Gorton's office and announces that he is retiring or lifts his NTC and demands a trade is a bit silly, to say the least.

Henke is here for the next two years. That is the way that it is. Like you say, if he has a very down year and decides to either hang it up or better yet, speak to Gorton & JD about somehow taking another position in the organization, that is up to him. Though unlike you, I doubt that he will not stick around if he does not meet his own standards. I am a firm believer in human nature. And cash is cash.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Not sure if you are being tongue in cheek here. Do you remember Daigle? The guy was an absolute superstar in the making. He put up video game numbers which led him to be the undisputed 1st overall pick. We need to take our blue-shaded lenses off and take a real look here. How is Kakko a superstar in the making and Daigle was not? What can you possibly base the below on aside from your own desire?

I'll pencil the probability of him becoming Daigle or Berg at 0.000001%

Why not just state that he is the next Teemu Selanne? Let's just pencil him in for that.

I think Kakko would slot in behind Selanne and Saku Koivu in terms of potential. Kakko is more offensive-minded whereas Saku was an elite 2-way player.

 

[Ola]

We couldve used some Torts in AV and also the other way around. In a ”What If?” universe We would likely have Won a couple Cups these years If They both had lightened up their dead end prophetic My way or the highway attitude

I am sure Torts can wear out his welcome and players become tired of him. There is no one size fit all with coaches in relationship to player groups.

But I think the starting point is that Torts is an — excellent — motivator. He can probably achieve things in that area few others can.

Problem is that he is very stubborn with how he wants his team to play. And a lot of that comes from what he won with and what worked with Tampa in 04’. The game has changed a lot, he hasn’t.

It’s not unusual with coaches. Look at someone like Jacques Lemiere who kept trapping in Minnesota and then NJ long into the 2010s. Today teams set up in different structures without the puck and the pressure they use when go after the puck variates, but nobody even remotely use the Lemiere style dump the puck in and sit back style of trap. Why? It’s not even remotely the most effective style to play. You will play less with the puck and it will cost you too much.

Jacques Lemiere is one of the best coaches ever in the game. But he didn’t realize the above nor adopt to it. Either he was and is still right and everyone else is wrong today, or vice versa.

And it’s the same with Tortorella. He still employs many very destructive aspects of how he forces his team to play. Like I said — he isn’t the first coach to fail to adopt to a new era, nor the last surely. But I definitely seriously think it’s a big red flag for the management who employs him in today’s game. It’s a position I of course never will have, but if I were a President in this league I would never have allowed a GM that I have hired to employ Jacques Lemiere in the NHL in like 2015, and I would never have allowed my GM to employ John Tortorella as a coach in 2019.

In fact, the circumstance that they are great at “coaching”, getting their will through, just makes them too more damage. JMHO.

 

[haveandare]

Not sure if you are being tongue in cheek here. Do you remember Daigle? The guy was an absolute superstar in the making. He put up video game numbers which led him to be the undisputed 1st overall pick. We need to take our blue-shaded lenses off and take a real look here. How is Kakko a superstar in the making and Daigle was not? What can you possibly base the below on aside from your own desire?

I'll pencil the probability of him becoming Daigle or Berg at 0.000001%

Why not just state that he is the next Teemu Selanne? Let's just pencil him in for that.

He put up video game numbers in juniors only. He didn’t play professionally against men prior to his draft. That’s a pretty huge difference. Plenty of guys destroy juniors and can’t translate.

I personally am not guaranteeing anything about Kakko but saying Daigle busted so he can too isn’t really a 1:1 comparison. He’s played well against men in a pro league and even played well in a tournament against current NHL players already.

 

[Yahoo89]

Georgiev will be expansion draft eligible no? If yes he is probably the number 1 target for Seattle. Georgie will either be traded or taken in the draft.

 

[Tawnos]

Not sure if you are being tongue in cheek here. Do you remember Daigle? The guy was an absolute superstar in the making. He put up video game numbers which led him to be the undisputed 1st overall pick. We need to take our blue-shaded lenses off and take a real look here. How is Kakko a superstar in the making and Daigle was not? What can you possibly base the below on aside from your own desire?

I'll pencil the probability of him becoming Daigle or Berg at 0.000001%

Why not just state that he is the next Teemu Selanne? Let's just pencil him in for that.

Not for nothing, but scouting is far superior today than it was in the early 90s. And even well into the 00s.

This isn't to say there aren't huge misses occasionally still. Yakupov comes to mind. But the hit rate on top-10 picks in the last 10 years is much, much better than it had been leading up to that point.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Everything that I possibly could have answered has already been said. Thx

 

[True Blue]

I think Kakko would slot in behind Selanne and Saku Koivu in terms of potential. Kakko is more offensive-minded whereas Saku was an elite 2-way player.

For the record, I am not at all downplaying his potential. I agree with you regardless of it being high. What I am leery is penciling in an 18 year old who has yet to play a game as an instant impact player and superstar in the making. I have maintained that while I do not believe that Kakko is a generational player (hate that term anyway as people way overuse it), he can be a franchise cornerstone player.

But I have my doubts as to him being a cornerstone player immediately, given that he does not turn 19 until February. I also have a hard time penciling him immediately as an impact top line player.

 

[Kupo]

Everything that I possibly could have answered has already been said. Thx

You're welcome.

 

[True Blue]

Everything that I possibly could have answered has already been said. Thx

Except I still do not understand what your grounds are for stating that he has no chance to bust and is a superstar in the making.

 

[haohmaru]

Though unlike you, I doubt that he will not stick around if he does not meet his own standards. I am a firm believer in human nature. And cash is cash.

See: Naslund, Markus

 

[Trxjw]

Georgiev will be expansion draft eligible no? If yes he is probably the number 1 target for Seattle. Georgie will either be traded or taken in the draft.

He'll be the goalie that gets protected. Shesty is expansion exempt and Hank, if he's still here, will be a pending UFA so no protection is required.

 

[Trxjw]

Good god man, hopefully it was.

I know most people loathe the idea. We've been down that road plenty of times. However, I can easily see a situation where Girardi carves out a post-playing career with the Rangers in some capacity.

 

[Tawnos]

For the record, I am not at all downplaying his potential. I agree with you regardless of it being high. What I am leery is penciling in an 18 year old who has yet to play a game as an instant impact player and superstar in the making. I have maintained that while I do not believe that Kakko is a generational player (hate that term anyway as people way overuse it), he can be a franchise cornerstone player.

But I have my doubts as to him being a cornerstone player immediately, given that he does not turn 19 until February. I also have a hard time penciling him immediately as an impact top line player.

Totally agreed. The idea of Kakko making an immediate major impact should be held at arm's length until the season starts. There are certainly players who have done it. If we're sticking with Finns picked 2nd overall, Laine comes to mind. On the other hand, Barkov played two seasons before getting to that point.

Which is why I kinda hate discussions like this. I know they're dog days things, but I definitely think we could all stand a little more "wait and see what happens" around here.

 

[True Blue]

Not for nothing, but scouting is far superior today than it was in the early 90s. And even well into the 00s.

This isn't to say there aren't huge misses occasionally still. Yakupov comes to mind. But the hit rate on top-10 picks in the last 10 years is much, much better than it had been leading up to that point.

The hit rate is higher, but misses are produced. And even those that are not misses, but do not live up to the hype.

Anyone would be happy if Kakko was Ekman Larsson? Or Brayden Schenn? Where is Scott Glennie? Niedreitter is a solid player, but a franchise cornerstone?

Our own Ryan Strome was to be an Islander cornerstone. Look how long it took ZBad to become a no doubt about it first liner.

You mention Yakupov, but would the board be happy if Kakko's career started like Galchenyuk?

I am not anti-Kakko. I just have my doubts when people proclaim him to be already an impact player and then I see comments like "superstar in the making". Would love for him to be a superstar. But the fact is he has yet to play a game in the NHL.

 

[True Blue]

See: Naslund, Markus

We can all come up with excamples here and there. But the reality is that is the GREAT exception and not the rule. See Redden, Wayne.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Except I still do not understand what your grounds are for stating that he has no chance to bust and is a superstar in the making.

I've seen him being unstoppable against MEN at 18 years old? There is only the NHL competition left for him at 18 years old? (and Olympic if we ever get to see that again with NHLers).

Obviously there is no hard evidence whatsoever, because we'd have to travel to the future, but everything the kid has done, does suggest just that he is a superstar. You can call it faith if you want, but simply any metric regarding that, supports it so far.

 

[Tawnos]

The hit rate is higher, but misses are produced. And even those that are not misses, but do not live up to the hype.

Anyone would be happy if Kakko was Ekman Larsson? Or Brayden Schenn? Where is Scott Glennie? Niedreitter is a solid player, but a franchise cornerstone?

Our own Ryan Strome was to be an Islander cornerstone. Look how long it took ZBad to become a no doubt about it first liner.

You mention Yakupov, but would the board be happy if Kakko's career started like Galchenyuk?

I am not anti-Kakko. I just have my doubts when people proclaim him to be already an impact player and then I see comments like "superstar in the making". Would love for him to be a superstar. But the fact is he has yet to play a game in the NHL.

Prospects aren't 100% predictable. News at 11.

 

[True Blue]

Totally agreed. The idea of Kakko making an immediate major impact should be held at arm's length until the season starts. There are certainly players who have done it. If we're sticking with Finns picked 2nd overall, Laine comes to mind. On the other hand, Barkov played two seasons before getting to that point.

Which is why I kinda hate discussions like this. I know they're dog days things, but I definitely think we could all stand a little more "wait and see what happens" around here.

Spot on and exactly my thinking.

 

[True Blue]

Prospects aren't 100% predictable. News at 11.

Exactly. Which is why I in your camp of "let's wait and see a bit" instead of starting to "penciling him in".

 

[Tawnos]

Exactly. Which is why I in your camp of "let's wait and see a bit" instead of starting to "penciling him in".

That's not my camp. Penciling a player in is by definition something that's not set in stone.

 

[Kupo]

I know most people loathe the idea. We've been down that road plenty of times. However, I can easily see a situation where Girardi carves out a post-playing career with the Rangers in some capacity.

I can too seeing that the organization has a history of finding positions for ex-players.

On a more serious note, I think it's time you invest in a nice avatar.

I don't know what TRX stands for, so I naturally googled it. The results were shocking!

You must be a real Fitness guru!