Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Off-season Part I

[bleedblue94]

The majority of the Hfers here, including myself treated with @Edge with the reverence he deserved and were grateful for his contributions both on his opinions and inside knowledge.
I don’t wish to believe that Edge left because of the trolls who were posing as Ranger fans began giving him a hard time by challenging his posts but more likely by Drury’s clamp down on information making it to the press and public.
Once again I’m grateful for the time he spent here and hope he returns under a new name just to share his thoughts on this team and hockey in general, even though it turned out that he wasn’t Eddie Olczyk.

I'm pretty certain he just up and left again (as happened in the past) based on what had happened in the past with him being fed up here and going on sabbatical, along with him more frequently losing his cool with certain posters who were being rude to him constantly, and the growing number of children on here mocking him for only giving "vague" information that apparently anyone could come up with.

I hope he comes back but I am not holding my breath

 

[McRanger92]

I wish @Edge was here so we'd would actually have a rumor or 2 to talk about. Right now the only thing we know about the 2C situation is that the Rangers don't want to overpay for Copp or Strome.

 

[egelband]

Unless this is confirmed somewhere, it is speculation. He played 95 out of a possible 102 games this year, including all 20 in the playoffs. Cant use injury as an excuse if you aren't missing games imo. Everyone is playing hurt.

Panarin was not at his best in the playoffs, he himself said that, and I personally was disappointed in the continued overpassing that stems from him and his linemates, but I think the guy deserves a little more credit around these parts. He's done nothing but live up to his contract the first 3 years and its unfair to write him off after a rough playoff. He will have a chance to redeem himself next year. I remember a time when Kucherov had similar knocks against him,

I agree in general but I also think he needs a fire lit under him. Removing his enabler and structuring a unit that better leverages Panarin’s “perimetric” tendencies will be a good start.

 

[LORDE]

He wants one under the age of 23 and on an ELC. Easier said than done.



Florida may have to use Lundell to get out of Bobrovsky's contract.

Easier said than done? OK.

It still needs to be done or else this will be another "close, but not quite' team.

The chance we just had isn't where we pick up next season... folks should try to keep that in mind.

 

[bleedblue94]

He wants one under the age of 23 and on an ELC. Easier said than done.



Florida may have to use Lundell to get out of Bobrovsky's contract.

They wont. It is funny how around here everyone preaches the value of elcs and how we need them but the same people keep proposing that florida who will be capped out if they resign huberdeau is going to trade a 2c that just had 44pts in his first 65 nhl games as a 20 year old.

they can just as well trade bob with a lesser sweetener and retain 50% to make it work. After this coming year his actual owed money is less than his cap hit, there are teams that will value that. four years of total aav of 40mil vs 34.5 if real money, and if timed properly after his signing bonus of 6mil is paid this summer you are then weighing 40mil aav over 4 years vs 28.5mil in real money. That is a huge win for certain teams.

bob and panarin can play shinny and golf in ASU for a few years together.

FYI the bobrovsky buyout this summer would be:
22 5.750
23 6.750
24 6.750
25 6.750
26 1.750
27 1.750
28 1.750
29 1.750

If they wait till next year when hunerdeau would have a new contract start it is:
23 6.666
24 6.666
25 6.666
26 1.666
27 1.666
28 1.666

They can cover most of the huberdeau raise just from the savings on the buyout if they do it next year. They aren't trading lundell to get out of that contract.

 

[Tob]

@Dagoon44 what u haering out there rick?

 

[bleedblue94]

Easier said than done? OK.

It still needs to be done or else this will be another "close, but not quite' team.

The chance we just had isn't where we pick up next season... folks should try to keep that in mind.

100%, the attitude around here that we are just going to be in the conference finals again next year is ludacris. We got there 3 out of 4 years bc henke dragged them there but prior to that the team got there twice in 24 years. This team just had a special run that isnt being valued enough.

Also that should highlight how important elite goaltending is

 

[egelband]

Hornqvist for Nemeth and Gauthier??

Wow. Hornqvist would be ideal to play with Panarin. Don’t think he’s affordable but still…imagine Panarin with Hornqvist and Copp or Trochek.

 

[rangers1314]

@Dagoon44 what u haering out there rick?

This is why you're an award winner.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Hornqvist is cooked. No thank you.

 

[bleedblue94]

Wow. Hornqvist would be ideal to play with Panarin. Don’t think he’s affordable but still…imagine Panarin with Hornqvist and Copp or Trochek.

hornqvist is cooked. he was down to under 13 mins a game this year, had 28pt in 65 games, and he is 36 next year. he isnt the player your remember from pitt and he wouldnt be able to keep up in a top 6 role. he also has a 5.3m cap hit next year.

 

[McRanger92]

Easier said than done? OK.

It still needs to be done or else this will be another "close, but not quite' team.

The chance we just had isn't where we pick up next season... folks should try to keep that in mind.

The Rangers should be trying to win a Cup next year. If we can get an NHL ready center on an ELC for cheap, great, but I would prefer a guy who can help us win now.

 

[Machinehead]

I would like to improve but it needs to be reasonable. As much as the Lightning deserved to win against us, we're up 3-0 if not for a couple of dumb penalties and Strome had game 5 on his stick.

So much of it is on the margins in the NHL that taking "a kick at the can" isn't worth the cap hell.

The team is pretty good as is.

 

[McRanger92]

I would like to improve but it needs to be reasonable. As much as the Lightning deserved to win against us, we're up 3-0 if not for a couple of dumb penalties and Strome had game 5 on his stick.

So much of it is on the margins in the NHL that taking "a kick at the can" isn't worth the cap hell.

The team is pretty good as is.

They just need another good center and some actual depth in the bottom 6. Even if they just re-sign Copp, which i am iffy on, they are a top 4 team in the east next year

 

[IDvsEGO]

I would like to improve but it needs to be reasonable. As much as the Lightning deserved to win against us, we're up 3-0 if not for a couple of dumb penalties and Strome had game 5 on his stick.

So much of it is on the margins in the NHL that taking "a kick at the can" isn't worth the cap hell.

The team is pretty good as is.

Agreed and theres a decent chance that giving the kids more ice time results in the kids making up missed production by not signing some big UFA.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

I'm coming around to the thought that we just need to (mostly) stand pat this offseason. Explore a trade for a young 2/3C if it's out there, but otherwise, load up on cheap depth and bide your time until the TDL. The true cup contenders always seem to have scrap-heap acquisitions vastly overperforming versus their cap hits. Maybe this run will help us benefit from the same kinds of ring-chasers that have benefitted other teams.

I think Chytil needs to sink or swim as the 2C. Bring in a 3C if you can, but it needs to be someone cheap. Maybe Victor Rask or Johan Larsson? That's a ~$2M player. Allows us some cap flexibility for our ELC players.

 

[Tob]

Drury's off season will be defined by what he and Turk can come to a consensus on how to reimagine, rework, reinvent the Panarin line. Panarin had to create everything. To have a successful line that can drive play, someone else has to be above average or even very good at something to make that line a double threat. Kakko is a part of it. Is Panarin-Copp-Kakko okay or does Drury go to the Ouija board?

 

[Machinehead]

They just need another good center and some actual depth in the bottom 6. Even if they just re-sign Copp, which i am iffy on, they are a top 4 team in the east next year

I have no problem with signing Copp to play center but they played a crippled Strome at center instead. Pretty clear to me that they see Copp as a RW.

 

[Savant]

Bennett and Backlund are the only two names that have been mentioned that make sense. They will be among the harder targets to get, but that’s also because they are the best fits. Honestly wondering if Rangers could get both somehow

 

[Savant]

Does Sam Bennet help us against a team like Tampa in the POs? He had 0+0 in 4 games against them this spring. He matched up well in terms of possession numbers, but also matched up against Nic Paul's line which doesn't have the same speed as the other lines Tampa have.

Its all about balance. From my POV, you would like a real puck hog at RW for a line with Panarin-Bennet to be able to give us a clear edge against lines centered by Cirelli/Point/the Perfection Line/Aho's line/Barzal's line and so forth.

For the record, Bennett had PPG in the playoffs against Tampa last year. and I think you Are onto something with Bennett replacing (and probably upgrading) the Copp spot for cheaper, if he isn’t a center solution.

 

[bleedblue94]

The biggest question this org has this summer is what is the plan for chytil, what is his role?

If he is going to be the 2c than the offseason goes one way, if he is going to be the 3c the offseason goes another way, and if he is traded for another player than everything changes. Chytil is the key here. did we see a month of an aberration or did he grow into the player we loved? The org needs to make that decision.

Center is our biggest issue and chytil is the piece that determines where we go with the position.

 

[LORDE]

The Rangers should be trying to win a Cup next year. If we can get an NHL ready center on an ELC for cheap, great, but I would prefer a guy who can help us win now.

Again this is true to an extent, but it may mean sacrificing youth for win now pieces.

Some of us want to win AND have more chances to do so because a lot of it is luck.

The Avs were a terrible team 5 yrs ago... they dealt with that shit and built a for real team. Even after losing in the 2nd rd last season after being a fav.

We could go hard after Malkin or Khadri or insert vet C name, or we could attempt to build a longer term core that will have chances... plural.

 

[IDvsEGO]

I'm coming around to the thought that we just need to (mostly) stand pat this offseason. Explore a trade for a young 2/3C if it's out there, but otherwise, load up on cheap depth and bide your time until the TDL. The true cup contenders always seem to have scrap-heap acquisitions vastly overperforming versus their cap hits. Maybe this run will help us benefit from the same kinds of ring-chasers that have benefitted other teams.

I think Chytil needs to sink or swim as the 2C. Bring in a 3C if you can, but it needs to be someone cheap. Maybe Victor Rask or Johan Larsson? That's a ~$2M player. Allows us some cap flexibility for our ELC players.

So long as its not Perry. That dudes a shit.

 

[rangers1314]

So long as its not Perry. That dudes a shit.

Yeah, he's a shit until he's on your team.

Half this fan base still worships Sean Avery. The Rangers need a guy, or a few guys, like Perry.

 

[Raspewtin]

just stop playing Reaves, let Rooney walk, and play Jones. idk what you do with that second middle 6 center spot or the last wing on the 4th line but that's already a massive improvement

Kreider-Zib-Laf
Panarin-Chytil-Kakko
Kravtsov-Stastny-Blais
Hunt-Goodrow-Larsson/Rask/Ryan/Raffl

we're not going anywhere if the kids don't get any better. that's it, that's the end game.