So let me get this straight. If we added a Mackinnon, like Laf was compared to we arent a cup contender? Come on seriously? If Laf takes that step we are absolutely in the conversation of a cup. How many 1 goal games have we lost? We are absolutely in that conversation and especially if the kids continue to take a step forward. That can't be debatable.
It is absolutely debatable, and no, even with Mackinnon, this team wasn't going to be a Cup contender. Experience matters. Playoff NHL is a different game than regular season. Zib, Kreider, and Panarin have some playoff experience. Strome had a few games, but they were 5 years ago. Buch had like 5 total games. And that's basically it among the forwards. It's even worse on defense. The only two D with playoff experience are Trouba and Smith. Trouba's playoff history isn't exactly stellar, and Smith is a train wreck in the best of times. I fully expect this team to wash out in the 1st or 2nd round a couple of years in a row, and then make a deeper run or two before being serious contenders for the Cup.
Next you should take those eyes and read up on it because the percentage of low income households in the United States have decreased considerably since the 70s while top income earners have increased. Actually both low income and middle income households have shrunk while top income households have increased significantly. More people are doing better. So your eyes are deceiving you. I would rather not go into it more and would rather talk hockey instead of economics so I will leave it at that.
That's funny, because a non-partisan research organization says that everything you just wrote is incorrect:
6 facts about economic inequality in the U.S.).
I think you are also confusing handing out horrible contracts with cap management. Handing out terrible contracts like Girardi or Staal is obviously bad. Any UFA can ask for the moon and if you give it to him it could screw the team for years. I wouldn't want Fox signed to 12 mill a year and he is obviously ridiculous. Rangers have plenty of cap now and can sign Mika, Strome and Buch to good contracts that are tradeable if and when the kids take the next step. They just have to be smart. If their demands are crazy you absolutely trade them. Kreider and Trouba can also be moved when their NMC's are up.
You know the difference between a horrible contract and a mediocre one? A mediocre contract becomes horrible when you need to move better players that you'd rather keep because you have too much money tied up in players that aren't worth it. Staal/Girardi weren't awful contracts at the time. Most of these boards were quite happy with the numbers. Then we had to start making difficult choices and buying players out and carrying dead cap for years. I'd love it if Zib/Strome/Buch all took sweetheart deals to stay here. I don't really see all (or any, if I'm honest) of them doing that. Zib is coming off of three consecutive years of VASTLY out-playing his contract, and he's late 20s. Same with Strome, but over the last two years. Buch is 25, but he's been getting closer to a ppg and now he's a PK asset as well. All three of them know that they will get
paid by someone. The only way they remain here long term, in my view, is if they take a discount to keep the band together or if the Rangers overpay. If the latter happens, we will see the impact over the years of those contracts when we can't supplement the team, or have to bridge a player we'd rather lock up long term, etc. You say we can just move Kreider/Trouba/Mika/Strome/Buch. I'm sure Buffalo thought the same thing when they signed Okposo and Skinner. I'm sure TB thought the same thing when they signed Tyler Johnson. We're already gambling with the Kreider/Trouba deals. It's entirely possible that, in just a couple of years, those guys are the most expensive 3rd line winger/bottom pair D in the league. Eventually ELC's end, and we need to make sure that there is enough cap to keep the kids.
Loved those Detroit teams but their is a cap now so I dont know how possible that is now. Would love to see the Rangers make a run like that though
I actually think the Detroit method is the IDEAL approach for a capped league. If there are prospects always in the pipeline, you always have a replacement for a guy that wants too much of your cap. That's basically what I'm looking to do with Strome, Zib, and Buch. I'd like to see them stay, but there's a number for both cap hit and contract length. If they go past those numbers and draw a line in the sand, I'd rather the team move them for futures than giving them an anchor contract.
