Speculation: Roster Building Thread: New Season Edition

[TominNC]

Simple question - are the best players in the draft available at the top of the 1st round?

We’re already aware of that. But the bad team gets one selection then the better teams get to choose. Letting the better teams choose two players before the weaker teams is a bad idea.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

We’re already aware of that. But the bad team gets one selection then the better teams get to choose. Letting the better teams choose two players before the weaker teams is a bad idea.

Stop ducking the question. Simple yes or no. Are the very best players in the draft available at the top of the first round?

 

[Savant]

Hoglander is a healthy scratch tonight. Boudreau is not a big fan of the player. Kravstov for Hoglander. Who says no?

The player in the dog house I would be looking at is Tomasino in Nashville.

I am not touching Hoglander. He is an offensive first player who can’t break into a bad team with an offensive first coach. Something stinks there.

Tomasino on a good team and had gotten weird usage from a coach who probably isn’t good.

But I’m also not trying to use Kravtsov for another change of scene young player necessarily either. I think if they move Kravtsov they need to be able to bank some production. Might be better to use him in a deal for a vet rental as painful as that may be. Need to get at least another forward for Chytil.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

0-0-1 in the post Dryden Hunt era

 

[Boris Zubov]

Hunt is going to absolutely BURY us Tuesday night

Hope I make it through the tribute video without tearing up.

 

[bobbop]

Simple question - are the best players in the draft available at the top of the 1st round?

The best offensive players without question. Defensive players are subject to a lot more variance. If I remember right, there have been four Norris Trophy winners (Fox, Josi, Subban, Keith) from the second or third round in recent years. Didn't even mention Lidstrom (3rd round) because he was drafted in a different era. And Giordano went undrafted.

The Rangers should keep both 1sts this year. Use the highest pick for a center. This is the deepest pool of quality centers available In many years. Use the second first on a stud LHD.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Hope I make it through the tribute video without tearing up.

Wish I could be there to boo Georgsiev

 

[QJL]

canucks want young d men. they would want a jones. maybe you can send vk with a b level defensive prospect.

Robertson is literally our only B level defensive prospect. We need to keep all our D in my opinion. The cupboard is bare.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

The best offensive players without question. Defensive players are subject to a lot more variance. If I remember right, there have been four Norris Trophy winners from the second or third round in recent years.

The Rangers should keep both 1sts this year. Use the highest pick for a center. This is the deepest pool of quality centers available In many years. Use the second first on a stud LHD.

The Rangers are absolutely trading one of those 1st at the deadline.

 

[RangerBoy]

The Rangers are absolutely trading one of those 1st at the deadline.

For who?

 

[RangerBoy]

Canucks don’t do that unless they think Kravtsov just needs a change of scenery.

Hoglander might also be in need for a change of scenery. Vancouver was reportedly interested in Kravtsov last season.

 

[LORDE]

Hoglander might also be in need for a change of scenery. Vancouver was reportedly interested in Kravtsov last season.

Hog is a LW isn't he?

I mean I'm all for getting anything of substance for Kravtsov... but why is our scenery going to help a LW?

Laffy is already blocked & playing RW

 

[tlk]

Laf Zib Kakko
Bread Chyt/Troch Krav
Kreids Troch/Chyt Goody

In the future?

IF Krav will work out AND Kreids' deflections would still be a thing.

 

[Ola]

Hog is a LW isn't he?

I mean I'm all for getting anything of substance for Kravtsov... but why is our scenery going to help a LW?

Laffy is already blocked & playing RW

I agree of course, if its to be done it should be from a 'Beggers can't be choosers' perspective.

For us to get any value for Kravy, he needs to come in and play. He is fighting with Blais and Goodrow for a top 9 spot, Kravy should never play on a 4th line.

Höglander is perhaps a little bit more versatile than Kravy (who also is pretty versatile), but maybe more than anything a little warmer in his clothes in the NHL. He more or less has two full seasons in the NHL under his belt. It doesn't seem promising to bring Kravy around as a 13th forward for a couple of month and then expect him to be ready to jump in and fill whatever role becomes open in say January when someone is injured.

Ultimately, we have no margins with Kravy and he could slip away and amount to nothing. If we feel that that is in the card, I don't mind going forward with Höglander "the asset". He got some potential. All of a sudden we have injuries and he starts scoring with Panarin or Ziba. I've followed Höglander for a long time. He has never really been a goto scorer of any sort at any level. He has always been that depth energy winger, who wins a spot with his hard work -- while "his pucks-skills are up there with the best in this class", like any scouting report will say about him. He'll can score zorro goals and so forth. If a player like that breaks through the barrier and starts to score regularly its usually pretty sustainable, he comes from the right direction with a foundation in place.

But in short, its not a Kravy vs.. Höglander issue, its 'if we are ending up at the end of the road with Kravy -- would Höglander be a good asset to substitute him with?' In that perspective there are some pros.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Hog is a LW isn't he?

I mean I'm all for getting anything of substance for Kravtsov... but why is our scenery going to help a LW?

Laffy is already blocked & playing RW

Hoglander is listed as a RW. He can play both wings.

We need to stop with this insistence that there are so many pure RW or LW guys. Most wingers can play both sides. It's rare otherwise.

 

[Ola]

For who?

Drury need to keep the assets he have to be able exploit the market when the burden of a flat cap is lifted of it. We are entering a totally different era with totally different conditions than what we are used to from the last 8 years or so.

This is the history of the Cap (between 12/13 and 13/14 the PAs share started to roll back from 57% to 50%):

The projection is that its a coin flip if all debt is paid and the cap raises to 86m next season. If it does and the NHL experience the same growth as it did the last time we had inflation in the economy -- ie at the same rates as in 06, 07 and 08 -- the Cap would go from 86m to 96m to 110m to 125m over the course of 4 seasons. If its just 7 percent yearly growth, its 86, 92, 98 and 105m instead.

Its 15 years ago, but its relevant to look back at what types of moves really paid of during that period. A classic example is Detroit jumping on Brian Rafalski and locking him up to a 5 year 6m per deal. Everyone was like 6m for Rafalski??? It was signed coming of a 44m cap and ended under like a 64m cap. You got to be expansive and exploit opportunities. It becomes hard to get good players instead of hard to fit them under the cap. The difference between the 'have's' and 'have nots' will increase rapidly. When a number of teams crystallize as true contenders that the rest can't really compete with -- you see more players on teams with no outlooks go like 'trade me, I want to win something'. We will be in the running in those discussions.

From my POV:
(a) We definitely do not have a window in the coming 2-3 years that look better than in the coming 4-8 years. In the current environment, there are no contenders, besides maybe like a team like Tampa occasionally. What are our best odds, that we can get to a point were a ECF and a SCF is a coin flip? That is 25% -- and a point its really hard to get to.
(b) Drury should keep his powder dry while we are still storting out the mess we are in, because the upside is limited.
(c) When the wet blanket of the pandemic and everything else is lifted from the Cap -- good luck for 2/3 of the NHL competing with a team like ours. Parity? There was very little partiy in the NHL between 05' and 12' in terms of all teams being able to compete with each other. Some coaches went in the wrong direction, there were some odd results, loaded teams blew series they shouldn't have lost. But the best teams were loaded. Why? The cap going up as much as it did which enabled them to keep their team together while adding players.

Chicago, Philly and Boston are at totally the wrong place to reap the benefits from being an attractive location with a rising cap. Pittsburgh will most likely join them in the near future. Our long-term future look very good.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

Wouldn't hate it if we switched up the defensive pairs

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Too early to make any drastic changes to pairings and lines. A coach like Quinn would already start moving combinations around. I dont expect Gallant to.

They looked fantastic for a couple games, struggling in some areas defensively, but its early need to iron out the kinks.

3-1-1 is still a good start.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Too early to make any drastic changes to pairings and lines. A coach like Quinn would already start moving combinations around. I dont expect Gallant to.

They looked fantastic for a couple games, struggling in some areas defensively, but its early need to iron out the kinks.

3-1-1 is still a good start.

The only reason I’d change lines now, is that the real killer most of the game was how the passing wasn’t clicking. Now that could’ve been because of all the early power play time, but even in the second, nothing was easily clicking for any line.
That screams line issues.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

It's pretty incredible how much the Rangers got jinxed by the beat writers.

After the Duck's game: "The Rangers Powerplay looks almost automatic"

Sharks game: 0 for 5

After the Duck's game: "Key Youngsters may eliminate need for deadline splash"

Sharks game: 0 points between both of them


Can't make this shit up haha.

 

[NYR Viper]

It's pretty incredible how much the Rangers got jinxed by the beat writers.

After the Duck's game: "The Rangers Powerplay looks almost automatic"

Sharks game: 0 for 5

After the Duck's game: "Key Youngsters may eliminate need for deadline splash"

Sharks game: 0 points between both of them


Can't make this shit up haha.

In fairness, Chytil did score and is considered a 'youngster'

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

The only reason I’d change lines now, is that the real killer most of the game was how the passing wasn’t clicking. Now that could’ve been because of all the early power play time, but even in the second, nothing was easily clicking for any line.
That screams line issues.

I thought they werent skating with a purpose. They looked fantastic the first few games when they were. I'd give it a few more before making any changes.

If they go back to the kid line, which would probably be the first thing Gallant would go to - you are looking at Goodrow on the top line or some shit. He was there for a shift late in the game.

I'd like to hold off moving Kakko and Lafreniere out of the top 6 for as long as possible.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

In fairness, Chytil did score and is considered a 'youngster'

Yes, I get that, but he wasn't one of the two that were the crux of that article.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Blais was fighting the game a little bit too. I think its going to be a few weeks for his game to get going.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

Reaves should be scratched unless we're playing Tom Wilson or another goon. Have the fourth line be Vesey-Carpenter/Rydahl-Blais. Third line should be Goodrow-Chytil-Kravtsov.