Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Off-season Part I

[JimmyG89]

Ducks are another team to monitor their center situation. Zegras is their #1C. Mason McTavish was just taken with the 3rd pick and had a fantastic junior season. Not sure they'll want to send him back. These two are clearly their future down the middle.

Sam Steel and Isac Lundestrom are two younger centers that have a draft pedigree (former 1st rounders) and fit more into the younger core of the team. Lundestrom was played specifically in a shutdown role. They're probably more likely to keep him and get him into that 3C shutdown type role.

Steel is the likely odd man out. Henrique is used as more of a mentor type to the two young guys. I wonder if he is non-tendered at this rate. Steel would be a change of scenery type of move.

Whoever is added as a center or to the 4th line needs to excel while being in the defensive zone to start their shifts. We should not be sending the 4th line onto the ice when an offensive zone faceoff is taking place. They need to be able to take the brunt of the tough assignments. It's what made the 4th line in 2014 a huge part of their success. Brian Boyle and Dom Moore had under a 25% offensive zone start. Dorsett wasn't far behind with around 35%.

Having that will open the team to throwing all their weapons out for the offensive zone starts. You don't want Zibanejad's line or Panarin's line starting in the defensive zone a lot. Let them focus on generating offense and let the 4th line take the shutdown role. Boyle is still excelling in this role, was signed for 750K. Nico Sturm who just won a cup in that type of 4th line role for Colorado is also a free agent coming off a 750K deal. Both can play wing and center.

We can make a big upgrade on Rooney just by signing someone that will make about the same he made. Boyle/Sturm and Goodrow is the makings of a good 4th line.

Also, not sure if he is available, Texier is someone to take a big swing on, even if you consider him a winger. He was put into a shutdown role this season and still produced. If he was given an offensive role on another team, he's one of those players that could blow up on the scoresheet.

 

[Machinehead]

How the Rangers go about filling the 2nd line center spot is going to be fascinating. I think you can make a solid case for going in any number of directions. Whether it's signing copp, trading for an upgrade like Miller, or even signing a stopgap like Stastny and making a trade to bolster the wing.

I'm not sure which direction I would go right now.

I would go with a stopgap because a stopgap goes away. The way our cap is looking, you almost need Chytil to be our 2C past 22-23.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Am I the only guy who wants Malkin?

yes. Aging vet on potentially big contract, whos frequently injured and takes terrible penalties.

 

[McRanger92]

Ducks are another team to monitor their center situation. Zegras is their #1C. Mason McTavish was just taken with the 3rd pick and had a fantastic junior season. Not sure they'll want to send him back. These two are clearly their future down the middle.

Sam Steel and Isac Lundestrom are two younger centers that have a draft pedigree (former 1st rounders) and fit more into the younger core of the team. Lundestrom was played specifically in a shutdown role. They're probably more likely to keep him and get him into that 3C shutdown type role.

Steel is the likely odd man out. Henrique is used as more of a mentor type to the two young guys. I wonder if he is non-tendered at this rate. Steel would be a change of scenery type of move.

Whoever is added as a center or to the 4th line needs to excel while being in the defensive zone to start their shifts. We should not be sending the 4th line onto the ice when an offensive zone faceoff is taking place. They need to be able to take the brunt of the tough assignments. It's what made the 4th line in 2014 a huge part of their success. Brian Boyle and Dom Moore had under a 25% offensive zone start. Dorsett wasn't far behind with around 35%.

Having that will open the team to throwing all their weapons out for the offensive zone starts. You don't want Zibanejad's line or Panarin's line starting in the defensive zone a lot. Let them focus on generating offense and let the 4th line take the shutdown role. Boyle is still excelling in this role, was signed for 750K. Nico Sturm who just won a cup in that type of 4th line role for Colorado is also a free agent coming off a 750K deal. Both can play wing and center.

We can make a big upgrade on Rooney just by signing someone that will make about the same he made. Boyle/Sturm and Goodrow is the makings of a good 4th line.

Also, not sure if he is available, Texier is someone to take a big swing on, even if you consider him a winger. He was put into a shutdown role this season and still produced. If he was given an offensive role on another team, he's one of those players that could blow up on the scoresheet.

Henrique is interesting despite the PTSD it would trigger. Does a lot of what the Rangers need, veteran, only 2 years left.

I would like to see if Gallant can talk Bellemare into coming here for a year. They need a 4C who can actually defend and win faceoffs, not Kevin Rooney

 

[Machinehead]

Malkin is 36. How long could the contract be?

I would absolutely kick the tires on that.

He's due for his biannual monster year and Malkin-Zibanejad down the middle is how you win Cups.

 

[IDvsEGO]

How? You wouldnt be tied into any long term contract and you'd be saving money on the future contract for someone like Kakko, who may or may not even be good.

As for Chytil, I like him, but more as a middle 6 tweener like Lars Eller, as he has been compared to before. If Chytil is your 2C next year with no safety net, youre not winning a Cup.

Because the assets going out for miller.
Miller is going to cost at least 1 of kakko/schneider, in addition to a first and possibly nils.

Thats 2 RFA players, for a guy making 5m. Its also a first round pick which is another elc down the road.
Yes theres no cap hit after this year. The problem is you've then lost 2-3 roster spots which have to be replaced by someone not on an ELC or in early RFA years.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Am I the only guy who wants Malkin?

Probably

Who do we trade for Sergachev?

Fox obviously, he doesnt fit with the rest of that unit.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Malkin is 36. How long could the contract be?

I would absolutely kick the tires on that.

He's due for his biannual monster year and Malkin-Zibanejad down the middle is how you win Cups.

Malkin hasnt played 70 games in the past 4 seasons. You sign malkin, you're essentially just banking on putting him on LTIR until the playoffs start and hoping he can come back and be productive then.

 

[Machinehead]

Malkin hasnt played 70 games in the past 4 seasons. You sign malkin, you're essentially just banking on putting him on LTIR until the playoffs start and hoping he can come back and be productive then.

That actually sounds like an amazing idea

 

[McRanger92]

Because the assets going out for miller.
Miller is going to cost at least 1 of kakko/schneider, in addition to a first and possibly nils.

Thats 2 RFA players, for a guy making 5m. Its also a first round pick which is another elc down the road.
Yes theres no cap hit after this year. The problem is you've then lost 2-3 roster spots which have to be replaced by someone not on an ELC or in early RFA years.

Nils doesnt even have a spot on this roster currently, and if you trade Kakko hes being replaced next year by one of Othmann/Cuylle/Berard. And as far as the bottom 6 goes, if they are planning on wining a Cup anytime soon, they are going to need to bring in cheap vets anyway. I wouldnt trade Schneider no matter what. If Vancouver demands him, move on and look elsewhere.

 

[rangers1314]

Malkin is 36. How long could the contract be?

I would absolutely kick the tires on that.

He's due for his biannual monster year and Malkin-Zibanejad down the middle is how you win Cups.

Word is he wants 4 years.

 

[Machinehead]

Word is he wants 4 years.

We'll see if somebody is dumb enough and/or actually has the space.

 

[I Eat Crow]

That actually sounds like an amazing idea

Let him go to Montreal and be their headache. He can't stay healthy and honestly looked pretty cooked against the Rangers. Big time pass for me.

 

[Machinehead]

In this starvation cap league, you can only win it all by having guys step in and produce past expectations. Point became a 1C for Tampa overnight. Pittsburgh called Jake Guentzel up from the AHL one day and he's Brett Hull. Kadri absolutely blew away previous career highs for Colorado and became a legit top line center out of nowhere.

I would like to make sensible short-term upgrades but we also need to give our young players a legitimate chance to do the aforementioned.

Let him go to Montreal and be their headache. He can't stay healthy and honestly looked pretty cooked against the Rangers. Big time pass for me.

He always looks cooked in even years. 100 points next year.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Theres no perfect player out there. No one wants JT Miller. No one wants Dylan Larkin. No one wants Scheifele or Dubois. The Rangers dont have picks to trade, but they have young players. It needs to happen at some point. The Rangers need to win while Igor is on this contract because in 3 years hes making 10mil+ or walking. It is what it is.

I want all those players lol but we can't afford them. Our cap situation is f***ed our only hope is our ELC boys become top sixers immediately

 

[McRanger92]

I want all those players lol but we can't afford them. Our cap situation is f***ed our only hope is our ELC boys become top sixers immediately

The problem is that we don't have an ELC center under contract. They need to get a guy from outside the organization if they aren't bringing back Copp.

 

[SA16]

Shooting 31% in the playoffs really isn’t that crazy. 31% over a full season is. And so what if he got suspended for four games? Look at Kadri before this season, suspended back to back years

It is crazy if you think it has any predictive value in his ability to do it again.

 

[Off Sides]

Ducks are another team to monitor their center situation. Zegras is their #1C. Mason McTavish was just taken with the 3rd pick and had a fantastic junior season. Not sure they'll want to send him back. These two are clearly their future down the middle.

Sam Steel and Isac Lundestrom are two younger centers that have a draft pedigree (former 1st rounders) and fit more into the younger core of the team. Lundestrom was played specifically in a shutdown role. They're probably more likely to keep him and get him into that 3C shutdown type role.

Steel is the likely odd man out. Henrique is used as more of a mentor type to the two young guys. I wonder if he is non-tendered at this rate. Steel would be a change of scenery type of move.

snip...

Lundestrom would be a great target for the Rangers. Doubt the Ducks move him, as I think you are correct, he is seen as their future 3rd line defensive leaning center, yet that would be the type of player, (age, contract, playing style) I think the Rangers should be looking at.

Rangers probably would have to find a player like that who has not yet really made the NHL, yet is on the cusp. In which case maybe they could trade Nils for him.

 

[RagFinMet]

I know many of u think win now
I actually think we r a better team after summer of '24 when we trade pan, tru and maybe kreid
We sign our 1C that summer
Kids are entering their prime
Igor and the kids get their extensions with the cap going up
This doesnt mean we dont have a chance to win these next 2 years. I just wouldnt handicapp our future runs for these next 2 seasons

 

[rangers1314]

It's hilarious that Sam Steel has played 4 years in the league and has scored 6 goals every year.

Has there ever been a player who's scored the same number of goals in 4 straight seasons? Let alone their first 4.

 

[McRanger92]

I know many of u think win now
I actually think we r a better team after summer of '24 when we trade pan, tru and maybe kreid
We sign our 1C that summer
Kids are entering their prime
Igor and the kids get their extensions with the cap going up
This doesnt mean we dont have a chance to win these next 2 years. I just wouldnt handicapp our future runs for these next 2 seasons

Having the veterans and young players under team control like we do now will be our best chance to win. Thinking the Rangers are going to trade not just 1 but 3 of their best players and team leaders in 2 summers, and have a better chance to win a Cup, is wishful thinking to put it nicely.

 

[SRHRangers]

This is why I was up for breaking the bank last offseason to get Beniers.

Especially since Lundquivst was at his apex value

 

[IDvsEGO]

Nils doesnt even have a spot on this roster currently, and if you trade Kakko hes being replaced next year by one of Othmann/Cuylle/Berard. And as far as the bottom 6 goes, if they are planning on wining a Cup anytime soon, they are going to need to bring in cheap vets anyway. I wouldnt trade Schneider no matter what. If Vancouver demands him, move on and look elsewhere.

Nils is likely either on the roster or moved for a young center. ELC for ELC.
If you think that one of Othmann/Cuylle/Berard is better than Kakko then that absolutely makes sense, but theres a reason that he was a consensus 2nd overall and has definitely flashed enough to show that his ceiling is far higher than those three.

 

[rangers1314]

This is why I was up for breaking the bank last offseason to get Beniers.

Especially since Lundquivst was at his apex value

Seattle was moving that pick?

 

[I Eat Crow]

In this starvation cap league, you can only win it all by having guys step in and produce past expectations. Point became a 1C for Tampa overnight. Pittsburgh called Jake Guentzel up from the AHL one day and he's Brett Hull. Kadri absolutely blew away previous career highs for Colorado and became a legit top line center out of nowhere.

I would like to make sensible short-term upgrades but we also need to give our young players a legitimate chance to do the aforementioned.


He always looks cooked in even years. 100 points next year.

We'll see what happens. Reading the tea leaves from the break up day media sessions, it sounds like Drury has a plan A, B, C, and D in place to address the need this offseason.