Speculation: Roster Building Thread LXXXVII: Lot’s of Fools in April

[GAGLine]

Howden and PDG out

Kravtsov 3rd line RW
Barron 4th line LW

Howden was already out last night. PDG could go, as he doesn't really have a defined role, but I don't see how we are fitting both players. Barron can continue to play in the AHL for now. One problem at a time.

Rooney is a primary PKer. If he is out, then Howden is probably in to fill that role. Blackwell has played well and deserves to stay in the lineup.

Kreider-Zib-Buch
Panarin-Strome-Kakko
Laf-Chytil-Kravtsov
Blackwell-Rooney-Gauthier

It's not really fair to Gauthier to drop him from that line, but I don't see any other way to make it work, barring an injury.

 

[Leetch3]

Rooney and Blackwell already hit the threshold.

Gauthier and DiGiuseppe are 1 game away.

minor note...gauthier and PDG will hit the games played mark but those 2 and howden would need to be signed to new contracts before the expansion draft to cover the exposure limit.

right now rooney, blackwell and strome (who will be protected) are the only guys without NMC that have met the games played limit and are signed...

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Frankly I have no idea how anyone is justifying the fact that someone like Lafreniere is being played very little minutes

It’s pretty much inexcusable

Defending Quinn on this one is just people wanting to be difficult

He's playing little minutes because that's what he deserves. Honestly, he probably doesn't even deserve 3rd line minutes right now. No way he should be playing more than Panarin or Kreider, especially when they're rightfully trying to make the playoffs. Its very simple, play better get better minutes.

 

[RGY]

Team is playing well enough. Howden should stay out for quite along time

 

[BBKers]

Sit Digi. He is not used much as a PKer anyways. Takes dumb penalties. Provides some good energy at times... but

He is a free agent at the end of the season so he will not be qualified for the expansion draft anyways (unless he is resigned, which I highly doubt).
Rooney, Blackbeard, Goat, Howden all fulfill the expansion requirements (one more game for Goat).
One of them can be protected as is now, unless there are moves made.
Digi has no future in this organisation anyways.
Lets start developing our own younger prospects with a higher ceiling
In with VK74 now
Bring up Barron after the TDL and see what his big bodied self brings to the table in the big league.
A gargantuan 4th line - omitting trades - of Howden/Barron/Goat would be interesting to see. WE might lose a game or two more. And, then again, we might not.
If not for anything else, eventually to be used as assets moving forward.
I doubt any of the grinding Journeymen trio of Rooney, Blackbeard or Digi will return much, if anything, on the trade market as is.
We are not making the POs anyways
We likely would need to go something like 15-5 the last 20 games
I do not see that happening with this team. This season.
I will eat Front Office crow if we do
Enough of this BS

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

And to play in an environment that is trying to win and is in a race. Where every single game matters.

Leslie (I think it was Leslie) reported that VK has been spending time with Panarin. No good can come of that, right?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

DiGiuseppe is a UFA, so he's not relevant to the expansion draft unless we resign him. Kincaid, Bitetto, Rooney, and (now) Blackwell cover the exposure requirement.

Anyone think it's possible that Blackwell gets claimed by Seattle? His goal production this year has to look enticing, especially if your alternative is Brett Howden.

I'm just looking at the number of games they need to hit here.

And if you can get through an expansion draft where the only player you lose is Colin Blackwell, you take that any day.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

What has Laf done to earn more minutes, besides being selected 1st overall?

He had an assist yesterday and their line played well when they were on the ice

And spare me the “well he needs to play better to earn more minutes” schtick

Tough to play better when you get one f***ing shift in a period

 

[Avery16]

Sit Digi. He is not used much as a PKer anyways. Takes dumb penalties. Provides some good energy at times... but

He is a free agent at the end of the season so he will not be qualified for the expansion draft anyways (unless he is resigned, which I highly doubt).
Rooney, Blackbeard, Goat, Howden all fulfill the expansion requirements (one more game for Goat).
One of them can be protected as is now, unless there are moves made.
Digi has no future in this organisation anyways.
Lets start developing our own younger prospects with a higher ceiling
If not for anything else, eventually to be used as assets moving forward.
Enough of this BS

DiG likely the next to be moved if there's an interested party out there.

 

[MarkMessyay11]

Bread is 3rd in the NHL in points per game behind only the Edmonton duo. Criminally underrated.

What I find crazy is I feel like he’s yet to really hit his stride this year. He’s definitely not playing as well as he did last year (not a knock, he’s still great) but he’s just so dangerous when he gets the puck with any amount of space, he can’t help but rack up points. He and Kakko could be a really amazing duo for years.

 

[True Blue]

he’s sitting But is that surprising?

Where is Barron going to play ? It has to be 4th line or I guess you leave him getting too AHL minutes

the top 9 won’t be changing. Only question is Gauthier or Kravtsov

Gauthier is currently in the top-9 and Howden has not been playing. So I am questioning how you get Barron and Kravstov into the lineup. Or is your choice to simply scratch both PDG and Gauthier?

For me, I would rather Barron continued to get major minutes in Hartford than play 4th line minutes on the Rangers right now.

 

[True Blue]

Leslie (I think it was Leslie) reported that VK has been spending time with Panarin. No good can come of that, right?

None.

 

[True Blue]

Kreider-Zib-Buch
Panarin-Strome-Kakko
Laf-Chytil-Kravtsov
Blackwell-Rooney-Gauthier

It's not really fair to Gauthier to drop him from that line, but I don't see any other way to make it work, barring an injury.

And that can be tried. Probably should.

 

[Vitto79]

Gauthier is currently in the top-9 and Howden has not been playing. So I am questioning how you get Barron and Kravstov into the lineup. Or is your choice to simply scratch both PDG and Gauthier?

For me, I would rather Barron continued to get major minutes in Hartford than play 4th line minutes on the Rangers right now.

It’s fine to keep Barron in the A but if a Kravtsov plays then Gautier will get scratched

 

[DialUp]

Tough to play better when you get one f***ing shift in a period

But he only plays one shift because he needs to play better! Only Coach Q knows how any of this works.

 

[E-Train]

Kreider-Zib-Buch
Panarin-Strome-Kakko
Laf-Chytil-Kravtsov
Blackwell-Rooney-Gauthier

It's not really fair to Gauthier to drop him from that line, but I don't see any other way to make it work, barring an injury.

I don’t like dropping Goat but this is pretty much how it has to be. I’m not a fan but Blackwell has to stay past the deadline (Seattle) and in the lineup too. He puts the puck in the net.

 

[bleedblue94]

Well he was already developed by Wisconsin....

Yeah, I don't remember anyone complaining about how his season went or how he fit into their team last year...

No one on this board would dismiss the various different aspects of how individuals develop differently and benefit from different experience beyond what they know from EA franchise mode...

 

[haveandare]

But he only plays one shift because he needs to play better! Only Coach Q knows how any of this works.

It’s not that hard. Look at guys like Rooney and Blackwell. They typically don’t play a lot of minutes but there are plenty of times where you notice them do something because they actually skate and make themselves noticeable.

I know this isn’t what people want to hear, myself included, but as of today, Laf is probably the least engaged and least noticeable player on the ice almost every game regardless of his usage. I don’t think it’ll be that way forever and I still expect him to be a great, great player eventually, but as of now that’s the truth. Many, many players a lot less talented than him have contributed to the game and made noticeable contributions with light minutes.

People are more comfortable blaming a coach than a 1OA player, and that’s understandable to an extent but the fact is he needs to play better and that’s his own problem.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

It’s not that hard. Look at guys like Rooney and Blackwell. They typically don’t play a lot of minutes but there are plenty of times where you notice them do something because they actually skate and make themselves noticeable.

I know this isn’t what people want to hear, myself included, but as of today, Laf is probably the least engaged and least noticeable player on the ice almost every game regardless of his usage. I don’t think it’ll be that way forever and I still expect him to be a great, great player eventually, but as of now that’s the truth. Many, many players a lot less talented than him have contributed to the game and made noticeable contributions with light minutes.

People are more comfortable blaming a coach than a 1OA player, and that’s understandable to an extent but the fact is he needs to play better and that’s his own problem.

More minutes does not equal development. Putting Laff on the PP isn't going to make him explode for 20 goals. His issue is mental, not physical. Once he learns what he needs to do to excel at this level he'll be fine. The exact same thing happened with Kakko last year, look at the difference in his play this season. Same organization, same coach. It's mind boggling that people don't understand.

 

[DialUp]

It’s not that hard. Look at guys like Rooney and Blackwell. They typically don’t play a lot of minutes but there are plenty of times where you notice them do something because they actually skate and make themselves noticeable.

I know this isn’t what people want to hear, myself included, but as of today, Laf is probably the least engaged and least noticeable player on the ice almost every game regardless of his usage. I don’t think it’ll be that way forever and I still expect him to be a great, great player eventually, but as of now that’s the truth. Many, many players a lot less talented than him have contributed to the game and made noticeable contributions with light minutes.

People are more comfortable blaming a coach than a 1OA player, and that’s understandable to an extent but the fact is he needs to play better and that’s his own problem.

clearly i wasn't serious about any of that, but yes the amount of time you notice Laf floating with his stick in the air is frustrating

 

[True Blue]

It’s fine to keep Barron in the A but if a Kravtsov plays then Gautier will get scratched

Ok. So then you scratch Gauthier. That is the sole way of getting Kravstov in

 

[jay from jersey]

Sit Digi. He is not used much as a PKer anyways. Takes dumb penalties. Provides some good energy at times... but

He is a free agent at the end of the season so he will not be qualified for the expansion draft anyways (unless he is resigned, which I highly doubt).
Rooney, Blackbeard, Goat, Howden all fulfill the expansion requirements (one more game for Goat).
One of them can be protected as is now, unless there are moves made.
Digi has no future in this organisation anyways.
Lets start developing our own younger prospects with a higher ceiling
In with VK74 now
Bring up Barron after the TDL and see what his big bodied self brings to the table in the big league.
A gargantuan 4th line - omitting trades - of Howden/Barron/Goat would be interesting to see. WE might lose a game or two more. And, then again, we might not.
If not for anything else, eventually to be used as assets moving forward.
I doubt any of the grinding Journeymen trio of Rooney, Blackbeard or Digi will return much, if anything, on the trade market as is.
We are not making the POs anyways
We likely would need to go something like 15-5 the last 20 games
I do not see that happening with this team. This season.
I will eat Front Office crow if we do
Enough of this BS

Does Barron have third line upside or is he destined for 4th line duty??? For the people who watch him more then I do? What’s the consensus?

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Ok. So then you scratch Gauthier. That is the sole way of getting Kravstov in

I'd scratch PDG next game, move Gauthier (even though he probably doesn't deserve to get moved) to the 4th line and put Kravtsov with Laff and Chtyil next game. Keep Barron down in Hartford until after the deadline. Tough to mess with a lineup after two wins though.

 

[True Blue]

I'd scratch PDG next game, move Gauthier (even though he probably doesn't deserve to get moved) to the 4th line and put Kravtsov with Laff and Chtyil next game. Keep Barron down in Hartford until after the deadline. Tough to mess with a lineup after two wins though.

I am with you. I would probably opt to do the same. I will say that I do not think that Gauthier's game is suited for the 4th line. Or rather PDG's game is more suited to it than Gauthier's is. But yeah, it is tough to make changes after two wins. But that is about the only way that Kravstov is getting in right now

 

[Avery16]